Bizzarre Draft overall

[BillsCarnage]

I must say that this draft seemed to go heywire when GS took big Ike @ #9. I like Ike, but thought he would have gone mid-early 20's. Then the next three picks after seemed like WTF picks.

Winners - Charlotte (stole the show) & GS.

Losers - Suns(bizzarre turn of events), Dallas(as always)

On the fence - Spurs - The could have done better, i would have like to see them take Simien. Will have to wait and see how Ian pans out. He'll be bench fodder for a few years.

[Solid D]

It went crazy at Toronto and Villanueva with the 7th pick.

[constantstate]

looks like ian is going to the triple a club in europe where we're keeping several former draft picks... so it might be a few years before we even see him in the league. phoenix though? what happened there? thomas will be good for them though.

toronto was the real loser if you ask me. (unless something magical happens) which... you know... no.

[constantstate]

It went crazy at Toronto and Villanueva with the 7th pick.
yup... what was that about?

[BillsCarnage]

It went crazy at Toronto and Villanueva with the 7th pick.

True, but NY pulled it back in focus with Frye @ #8

[texbumTHElife]

I just seriously cannot believe we passed on Ryan Gomes.... Oh well.

[JUUOT]

toronto got ukic in second round who is a decnt PG plus an excellent SF and average C in first round is it this bad?

[Mr. Body]

Toronto saved itself with Ukic.

I forget what happened at Phoenix. Was it so bad? You mean Nate Robinson? Are they keeping him?

[TheTruth]

Nate Robinson is being sent to NY as part of the Q trade.

[Mr. Body]

So did Phoenix wind up with nothing? Really nothing?

[BillsCarnage]

So did Phoenix wind up with nothing? Really nothing?

They got Kurt Thomas and the Knicks #54 pick for Q and Nate Robinson. There was an article on the.... NY Times.... that says the Knicks have to forefit a first rounder because of the original deal. Haven't been able to confirm this with any other sources though.

[ducks]

PHOENIX - The Phoenix Suns used their first-round pick to select Nate Robinson on Tuesday night, then sent him to New York to complete the trade of Quentin Richardson to the Knicks for Kurt Thomas.

The deal has been in the works for some time, but wasn't finished until the Suns selected the dynamic 5-foot, 9-inch University of Washington guard with the 21st pick. As part of the trade, Phoenix got New York's second-round pick, Dijon Thompson. Thompson, a 6-7 guard-forward from UCLA, was the 54th selection.

The Suns wanted the 6-9, 235-pound Thomas to add some inside strength and defense to their high-velocity offense and were willing to give up Richardson, a quick starter at small forward for their NBA-best, 62-win team but a streaky shooter whose accuracy went awry in the playoffs.

"Q was a piece of what we were doing last year and helped us put up 62 wins," Suns president Bryan Colangelo said, "but we're shooting for something more now."

The Suns knew that they couldn't rely on speed and shooting alone to get past the new NBA champion Spurs, who defeated Phoenix 4-1 in the Western Conference finals.

"We're shooting for everything," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We're not building for the future. The future's right now. We're trying to get over the mountain of San Antonio now, and this helps us."

Thomas, 32 and a 10-year NBA veteran, ranked sixth in the NBA in rebounds at 10.4 per game last season while often playing center for the undersized Knicks. He averaged 11.5 points per game, and his ability to shoot from the outside fits into the Suns' system.

"He'll take it out and run down the floor and we'll have four stallions going ahead of him," D'Antoni said. "He'll follow up with some smart basketball and be able to shoot. Defensively we're better, at rebounding we're better. I mean, the guy's good."

Thomas' presence will allow Amare Stoudemire to slide more often into his natural power forward role and have Thomas defend the opponent's best offensive inside player.

"We pledged to Amare after the season we were going to go out and get someone to help inside, and this is certainly going to do that," Colangelo said.

Shawn Marion could shift back to small forward, and would not have to guard the bigger, more physical power forwards, as he did last season.

Knicks president Isiah Thomas envisions Richardson as part of a remodeled, up-tempo Knicks team.

"He fills a void we had in the backcourt. We had a hard time with the bigger guards," Thomas said. "I love the talent that right now is on our roster I love the completeness now of our roster."

Richardson is entering the second year of a six-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Suns as a free agent a year ago after spending his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. Richardson altered his usual post-up game to adapt to the Suns' fast-breaking style. He led the NBA in 3-pointers with 226 and 3-point attempts at 631.

Richardson, who averaged 14.9 points per game for the Suns, set a franchise record with nine 3-pointers against New Orleans last Dec. 29. He averaged 11.9 points in 15 playoff games.

Robinson, leaving college after his junior season, was a third-team all-American, averaging 16.4 points per game for the Huskies.

Thomas is due about $22 million over the next three years, the last year at his option.

[Streakyshooter08]

[B]"I love the talent that right now is on our roster I love the completeness now of our roster."

I wonder who will play 4/5 at their "complete" roster. They have absolutely no chance against Det or Miami...

[easjer]

Wooooo! Go New York! Undersized all the way! All RIGHT!

Seriously, they've got some decent players, but they have definitely gone small. Apparently, Isiah believes that if you are going to do something, you should stick to it and see it through to it's bizarre logical end . . .

[theMUHMEshow]

Am I the only one that thinks Phoenix should get more then Kurt Thomas for that deal?

[samikeyp]

Am I the only one that thinks Phoenix should get more then Kurt Thomas for that deal?

no.

I don't think Kurt Thomas is a good fit for their style of play....Q and Nate Robinson would have been awesome!

[sickdsm]

I love how everyone is an expert on college basketball around draft time.

Watching tv and reading about the athletes and then commenting on them is about as relevant as me watching the Weather Channel for two weeks intensely then predicting the El Nino is going to disrupt the cold front moving down south and form a Nor'Easter in the southwest corn belt.


As for the TYPES of players though. Vitale said the wolves were a winner but to me if they were going to remake Dawn of the Dead again all they would have to do is tell wolves fans that McHale is hiding out in the mall all day and lock the doors and they would have a zombie like riot trying to kill him for these picks.

Apparently we now have two more troy hudsons drafted.

[Solid D]

I think Kurt Thomas really helps the Suns. Kurt hasn't played in an uptempo offense since college but under Billy Tubbs, they were truly run-and-gun.

Kurt is a decent defender but he is an over-achiever at rebounding and scoring. He makes them better and gives them more presence in the middle.

[CosmicCowboy]

[
"We're shooting for everything," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We're not building for the future. The future's right now. We're trying to get over the mountain of San Antonio now, and this helps us."

Spurs are the new Lakers of the west...everyone will be designing their teams to match up with and hopefully beat the Spurs.

[Dingle Barry]

the suns are going to be our arch nemesis in the west for the foreseeable future.

[Phenomanul]

[

Spurs are the new Lakers of the west...everyone will be designing their teams to match up with and hopefully beat the Spurs.


Except I don't envision any form of disfunctionality breaking up our core...

[pooh]

The real steal was Granger going to the Pacers at #17. He can back up either Artest or O'Neal. Barring any kind of huge trade. Indy's starting lineup is set with Tins, Jax, Artest, J.O. and either Dale Davis and Jeff Foster at Center. It looks really good and Detroit and Miami should be quivering in their sneakers about now.

[ducks]

they were lucky he was still on board

[pooh]

they were lucky he was still on board

Even Bird and Carlisle didn't think he would be there. Earlier this month, when Granger showed up with other players up in Indy. Bird was shocked that he came up there. He told Granger he was sorry, but he knew that he wouldn't be available by the time the Pacers were on the clock. Indy was looking at either Warrick, Green and Garcia. They were thinking Granger was a top ten or even top five pick for sure.

Now if only they can coax Reggie into just one more year.

[picnroll]

Accoding to Giverny on RealGM he'd heard some teams were concerned that Granger had knee problems and that's why he dropped. Pacers do have a lot of talent. Still need too lighten up on a few knuckle heads though.

[tlongII]

Personally I liked our draft very much. We traded the #3 pick and get Martell Webster, Jarret Jack, and Detroit's #1 pick next year. Webster is going to be a stud. He is a 6-6 shooting guard and some considered him to be the best shooter in the draft. Jack is a 6-3 point guard that will pust Telfair for minutes. Our team is stocked full of guys that are 19-23 years old now. We should be very good in a couple of years.

[pooh]

Accoding to Giverny on RealGM he'd heard some teams were concerned that Granger had knee problems and that's why he dropped. Pacers do have a lot of talent. Still need too lighten up on a few knuckle heads though.

After his junior season, Granger had offseason shoulder surgery. And six months ago, he suffered a torn meniscus, but returned later in the season and played brilliantly.

The only players I think that Indy could have on the chopping block would be James Jones and definately Jonathan Bender. The starting lineup is set in my opinion with Granger coming off the bench.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

After his junior season, Granger had offseason shoulder surgery. And six months ago, he suffered a torn meniscus, but returned later in the season and played brilliantly.

The only players I think that Indy could have on the chopping block would be James Jones and definately Jonathan Bender. The starting lineup is set in my opinion with Granger coming off the bench.


I think Danny Granger has a chance to be very, very good. The nice thing about Granger is that he is versatile. He can go inside or outside, he can rebound, he has good court vision and ball handling skills. Granger could play all five positions in college. He'd even run the point occassionally to create matchup problems. I could seem him filling in at the 2,3 and even the 4 during small-ball times for the Pacers.

They've got themselves a winner, especially for a #17 pick.

[picnroll]

Like I said Pacers have a lot of athletic talent but the talent between the ears of Artest, O'Neal, Tinsley and Jackson leaves a whole lot to be desired. The knuckle heads feed off each other. Overall Pacers' on the floor brains is below zero. Big handicap when you play intelligent, disciplined teams. It's more than about physical talent.

[sickdsm]

I think utah gave up too much for that pick.


But if Sloan wants a certain guy bad enough you have to believe him...........

[ShoogarBear]

I think Kurt Thomas really helps the Suns. Kurt hasn't played in an uptempo offense since college but under Billy Tubbs, they were truly run-and-gun.

Kurt is a decent defender but he is an over-achiever at rebounding and scoring. He makes them better and gives them more presence in the middle.
:tu This is what I've been saying all along.

And the Suns were a lot better when Q was on the bench instead of out there jacking up his ridiculous shots.

[BillsCarnage]

the suns are going to be our arch nemesis in the west for the foreseeable future.

Very possible.. Both teams have their cores locked up for the next 4-5 years. Houston and Denver will also be in the mix, but the Suns and Spurs are probably a step or two ahead of them.

As for the KT deal he'll allow Amare to be the double teamer instead needing help with the double team. So now Timmeh will get doubled by both KT and Amare, but Amare still has the quickness to jump back out when the ball is dished. I would have preferred someone 7ft or so, but this will allow everyone to move back to their natural positions.