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He has nice size at 6'6" and can shoot the lights out looks like a good combination to me. He had some impressive scoring numbers against less than the best compe ion in NCAA. Apparently a nice pump fake but doesn't have much intensity on D.
Anybody know anything about Morris Almond? Most mocks have him hovering around the end of the first round.
He has nice size at 6'6" and can shoot the lights out looks like a good combination to me. He had some impressive scoring numbers against less than the best compe ion in NCAA. Apparently a nice pump fake but doesn't have much intensity on D.
About nicolas Batum :
Word is he wants to play another year with his current team in France and euroleague with a more important role.
Maybe he'll enter and withdraw.
Or maybe he wants to be drafted this year, while not being a too high pick, not to end up with a bottom lottery team, then come in the NBA the next year, if he doesn't care too much for the money for now.
I'm sure he will withdraw.
to enter the draft and see what happens could also be seen as part of the development process for young Euro players, just that they will be better prepared in later years.
Batum would be very bad adviced, if he stays in this year. next year, or 2009 he will have much better chances to be a top 10 pick or likely even higher.
and I'm sure he also thinks about the money. it's quite a difference if you get the (guess) no.5 rookie contract instead of a no. 15 contract. (in numbers: around 3 million in guarranteed money and another 3+ million in the options).
Batum was on Parker radio show last monday.
He has said that his first intention was to play another year in europe but that he will maybe stay in the draft if he receives some insurance to be picked high. His choice isn't made for the moment and he will wait to have some feedbacks from nba teams. His agent seems to be really confident about Batum ability to be picked high : he said that he should be the 2nd SF picked behind Durant but before Brewer.
GMs seem to have an affinity for young, unproven talent. He certainly is young, as he will not turn 19 until the very end of this calendar year (making him the youngest draft eligible player), and while he's showed some potential in the Nike Hoops Summit and playing for his Euroleague team...he's certainly inexperienced. Tough to argue him going ahead of Brewer, who has two national championships in two years at college, but I guess it all depends on what GM likes which player....he will go in the lottery, and before all is said and done he may be a top 10 pick.
I would like him to wait one more year. But Batum is #10 for NBADraft.net and #12 for DX. If he has some insurance to be draft there I don't know why he would withdraw.
For the Brewer comparison... I think some GM could prefer Batum because he has more upside. Of course Brewer has more experience but he still has to prove he can play at the NBA level. With his skinny body, I am not sure he can.
Unfortunately any of these two guy will be a SA pick.
Euroleague experience (pro ball) >> NCAA experience.
I agree Batum is unexperienced cos he has only one year playing pro behind him. But Brewer 2 NCAA years dosen't make him that much more ready to play in NBA, IMO.
But I think he should wait at least another year.
Isn't Julian Wright a SF, too? Batum before Wright and Brewer both?
Last Monday, when the comment was made, I think Wright was still school-bound....therefore not in the discussion.
Then again, I could be wrong and the agent could be pumping his player up, talking out of his ass....which agents do alot around draft time.
Last edited by AFBlue; 04-12-2007 at 08:44 AM.
Brewer played in a MAJOR conference, against top NCAA compe ion, and came out a winner...twice. While Batum certainly isn't in the lower leagues, he's not playing for a top Euroleague team and competing for the Euroleague championships. Not all NCAA conferences are the same, and not all European leagues are the same. In this case
I'd take Brewer's experience over Batum's, but would gladly take either in the silver & black!
I really don't know if Batum should be picked before both. I think it is to early to know.
In a few years we will start thread to bash the GM who chosed Batum over Brewer... or Brewer over Batum... or both over Wright... we will see
But I agree with JPB regarding experience. Batum needs more time to be NBA ready but PRO experience (Euroleague and French league) >> NCAA experience.
To complete my post:
I still take Brewer's experience over Batum's because Brewer was a starter and Batum wasn't.
I place Batum behind Durant, Wright, and Brewer. Probably after Green, too.
How could we forget about Green...probably the most well-rounded SF of them all? Damn this draft is deep...I'm giddy again.
Good post Body
Amazingly enough, I STILL think he gets picked in the lottery. And I'm not sure where I rank Batum with all those others, but I doubt GMs will be in agreement either, because each has their strengths and each GM has different needs.
Green is a tough case because some teams may see him as more of a PF for their liking and may like Batum more. I feel Batum needs to stay in the lottery or at least in the top 20 in order not to pull from the draft. I'm not sure that will happen.
News from DX has Wilson Chandler from DePaul in the draft this year. Upsize up the wazzoo and last year he probably goes at the end of the lottery, but this year may go in the second round. I'd expect him available (if he stays) with the Milwaukee pick. The problem gets to roster space at this point.
Don't forget Al Thornton. I'm not a fan of his, to be honest, but he projects as a SF too. My gut says Batum will withdraw.How could we forget about Green...probably the most well-rounded SF of them all? Damn this draft is deep...I'm giddy again.
All it takes is one GM to fall in love with Batum and he'll stay in. Young, international player with a good all-around game and a ton of upside....yeah, I think the possibility of a team falling in love with him is not beyond the realm of possibility. Actually the guys who tend to slide on draft day are the ones like Green who lack the "wow" factor and upside of others...
I could see Batum slipping in front of Green for the reasons you say. Upside, upside. GMs may see Green as a guy who's already panned out and is as good as he'll ever be (I don't agree). One thing that could hurt Batum is if it's clear he wants to stay one more year in Europe.
My amended quickie SF list
Kevin Durant
Julian Wright
Corey Brewer
Nicholas Batum
Jeff Green
Al Thornton
Thaddeus Young
Jared Dudley
Dominic McGuire
Derrick Byars
Wilson Chandler
etc.
Again I leave out Nick Young, Marcus Williams, Brandon Rush... due to my thinking of them as primarily SGs. And again, I'd absolutely love to have Brandon Rush.
agree. (both, about him being more of a SG and that he would be a great addition)
get's me back to my hope that with some luck we can pick a tandem of players like Dominic McGuire + Brandon Rush.
(Derrick Byars + Jared Dudley?)
considering we have to repleace 5-7 spots on the roster from 2 to 4 in the next two years makes it very useful to draft a swingman and a comboforward this year. they will have one year to get integrated and learn the system and will take the roles of Bowen and Finley the year after.
Not including G/Fs....Rediculous Body, Rediculous....j/k
It's like a mental disease.Not including G/Fs....Rediculous Body, Rediculous....j/k
It looks like Oden, Conley, and Cook are all in.
Cook gets this:
Maybe he won't hire and agent and see he might not even get drafted at all. The other two affect the Spurs not at all, except pushing that mass of other players closer to the #28 pick, as expected. Also, as an Indiana Hoosiers fan and alumn, it's good to see the obstruction removed.
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