Draft Prospect: Paul George

[mogrovejo]

The 5x5 camp was killed by the teams due to the cost/benefit. The combine was a terrible idea. Who wants to see the kids going through lame ass drills? Or lifting weights? Half-court sprints? Running around cones? That kind of stuff has very little correlation with draft position or success in the pros. Teams don't really care about that. What are they going to learn from those things?

The pre-draft camp/combine is and should be a PR event. Free press for the NBA and future rookies, engage the fans of teams out of the playoffs, create some post lottery buzz, fill the days between playoff games. Measurements are important because fans love them and generate lots of press. Interviews allow teams to have a first impression. It may save some future work.

The basketball part is only there to justify the existence of the camp, to be more than an interview&measurements camp. I'm pretty sure New Orleans will schedule their own workouts and interviews with those players they're interested in. I think they should find something more interesting. A 3x3 tournament broacasted by the NBA TV. Horse games. Something compe ive they could get people to see.

That said, I really like George's potential. I'm hoping the Celtics draft him.

[Blackjack]

Paul George Leaves Cartoons Behind
by Timothy Varner

Paul George projects his draft position somewhere between the late lottery and pick 29. His strong play during today’s Combine activities only added to the increasingly noisy buzz associated with the Fresno State star.

George doesn’t care where he is drafted, so long as he plays on the wing.

Paul George envisions himself as an NBA shooting guard, although he’s fine switching between the 2, 3, and 4, depending on the floor match-ups. But mark this: he doesn’t want to play center.

George is a self-made wing. And it’s a fun story.

Keep reading →

[Blackjack]

So Black, you are the 48MoH guy?

No, my man.

I guess I've become ST's guy for 48MoH but I'm not the guy or one of their guys; just helping the cause.

[Blackjack]

The more I see and learn about this guy, the more I have a hard time believing there are 15 better picks than him, much less 19.

[Blackjack]

tav1 has already been outed more times that I can count, so I guess it's not a big deal to tell you that's Tim (the guy who wrote the piece on George).

[SenorSpur]

Obviously, he's done well at the combine so far and he's no longer a secret. Don't see how this guy will be available @ #20.

[Blackjack]

Obviously, he's done well at the combine so far and he's no longer a secret. Don't see how this guy will be available @ #20.

Apparently the rave reviews are coming from the workouts he had with the Spurs against Henry and another one with OKC or Houston. I can't remember which team or who he was matched up against at the moment, though.

[mountainballer]

Apparently the rave reviews are coming from the workouts he had with the Spurs against Henry and another one with OKC or Houston. I can't remember which team or who he was matched up against at the moment, though.

I guess it was the workout in Chicago. (not the camp, talking about the workout for the Bulls, with Henry, D.Jones and Anderson)

[Blackjack]

I was pretty sure it was one of either Houston or Oklahoma but you might be right. I do think I remember it being Anderson or James.

[mountainballer]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com...to-center.html

posted this link last week. I thought like, why are they doing a big story about just one of all the guys that worked out, if he either wasn't the most impressive of the bunch, or there are some rumors telling about a preference of the Bulls FO. (well, might be both reasons of course)

[Blackjack]

Twitter:

Henry and George worked out against one another in Chicago, not San Antonio. George worked out for the Spurs on the 13th.

So I guess it was Anderson or James with George in SA.



Edit: Maybe it was Jones. I was thinking they'd have a more similar player -- I'm a fan of Jones, by the way.

[mountainballer]

Edit: Maybe it was Jones. I was thinking they'd have a more similar player -- I'm a fan of Jones, by the way.

so am I. I was asking in the Jones thread, if he couldn't as well be a target for the #20 pick, despite not bringing in something we don't have. but in a scenario beyond Tony, a backcourt of Hill and Jones could be something the Spurs see as an option worth considering.

[Blackjack]

It's fitting he was a bull in college because that's the word that came to mind watching him play there: bull.

He's got a little bit of a Stuckey feel and I definitely think he's got a future in the league if he's given the right opportunity. He's got some things to work on but I like the strength and purpose he plays with -- damn good when it comes to creating and exploiting contact.

And it must have been him in SA:

Which teams have you worked out for?

DJ: Yeah, I’ve worked out for Boston, San Antonio, Washington, Indiana and Chicago.

[mountainballer]

For the record, the Bulls number one priority this off-season is to improve their big man rotation. They traded away both Aaron Gray and Tyrus Thomas, limiting their options if say Noah got in foul trouble. The Bulls might really like Paul George, but they have to go off need.

the Bulls needs are more or less irrelevant, before they don't know what they can pull in the free agency.
between Wade, Lebron, Bosh, Johnson, Amare and Boozer there are so many different scenarios what their needs will be after the free agency. they can just draft the player they like most.

[Mark in Austin]

Rave review from his Spurs workout? Kevin Pritchard is now furiously working the phones to get a pick higher than 19...

[mountainballer]

Not the way NBA front offices think. If a solid big man is avilable then the Bulls will draft based off need. There is no promise that Amar'e Boozer or Bosh sign with the Bulls. Especially since two of those three are likely to be with their teams. And on top of that if Wade or LeBron do sign with the Bulls that will make their big man rotation likely similar to last season.

sorry, but from what most experts tell, nearly ALL front offices use a tire system for the draft.
if two or more players from the same tire are available, team drafts the one that covers more of a need.
otherwise they pick the one player left highestin their tire rankings, regardless needs.

[Russ]

sorry, but from what most experts tell, nearly ALL front offices use a tire system for the draft.
if two or more players from the same tire are available, team drafts the one that covers more of a need.
otherwise they pick the one player left highestin their tire rankings, regardless needs.

That's why so many teams draft a fifth wheel.

[tav1]

i guess it was the workout in chicago. (not the camp, talking about the workout for the bulls, with henry, d.jones and anderson)

+1

[Mark in Austin]

No need for the Blazers to draft a 2/3 this year. They already have Claver along with Webster and Batum.

Never underestimate Pritchard's innate need to prove he's smarter than San Antonio, the team that didn't think highly enough of him to make him more than a scout / intern / janitor / whatever he was here.

[Ocotillo]

What happened to the rumors of Pritch getting the ax?

[ace3g]

Paul George looked very impressive knocking down 4 outside shots in a row. Finally getting some of the hype that he has deserved all along.

http://www.nbadraft.net/nba-draft-combine-day-1

[ace3g]

I think I just heard on ESPN during day 2 of the NBA combine that Paul George hurt his lower back, I'll try to find more news on this

[ace3g]

Fresno State's George sees opportunities with Bulls



Fresno State forward Paul George is more than ready to join the Bulls, but he has mixed emotions about the possibility of being joined by free agent LeBron James.

"He'll probably take almost all my minutes," George said with a laugh. "But we'd be winning, so I'd be cool with that."

George, a 6-foot-8 swingman, was one of the best talkers at the NBA's predraft camp media session on Thursday. He also has a decent chance of being chosen by the Bulls on June 24 if he's still on the board at No. 17.

"That would be a perfect pick," George said of the Bulls. "A young team, promising point guard, probably one of the most improved big men in the game. I think the sky would be the limit if I could come into this team and work hard. It would be something special."

While potential draft picks held workouts at Attack Athletics on the West Side, the prospects met the media at a downtown hotel. The swarm of Kentucky players (John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, etc.) drew large crowds of reporters to their tables, but none seems likely to end up playing in Chicago.

Whether James signs or not, the Bulls could use an outside shooter. Another good interview was 6-7 Kansas freshman Xavier Henry, who shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range last season.

"They say I settled too much for the outside shots too much when I was playing at Kansas," Henry said. "When you throw it down to (center) Cole (Aldrich), he gets double-teamed every time. You're wide open."

Both George and Henry claimed they model their games after Atlanta guard Joe Johnson, a potential Bulls free-agent addition if James doesn't sign on.

"He's athletic, he plays defense, offense and doesn't do all the talking," Henry said of Johnson. "He goes about his business. That's kind of how I am. I don't do a lot of jawing back and forth."

Added George: "I think I could be one of those bigger guards and eventually be a superstar. I think I can be a shooting guard. I feel comfortable with the ball in my hands. Whatever team drafts me, I'm going to continue working with them. I think I'm a beast, just waiting to be unleashed."

If a shooting guard doesn't work out, the Bulls might consider adding another big man such as VCU's Larry Sanders, Georgia Tech's Gani Lawal, or Florida State's Solomon Alabi.

The soft-spoken Alabi grew up in Nigeria and didn't get serious about basketball until attending high school in Florida as a teenager.

"It's a little bit rough," Alabi said of Nigeria. "I came from a small town. No one knows about basketball, there are only a few people that play basketball in the town. When I started playing, I had to play in my sandals."


http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=382363

[Blackjack]

Yeah, I heard he pulled his back and had to take himself out of today's drills.

[Mel_13]

The more I see and learn about this guy, the more I have a hard time believing there are 15 better picks than him, much less 19.