2015 Draft a Franchise (NBA): Discussion Thread

[gabefergy]

Really hard decision for me, but I decided to go with Parsons. He is a very good shooter who can handle the ball and distribute as well. I knew he wouldn't make it back and I needed another wing defender.

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

I wish I could trade picks and move up right here.

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

Yes.

 

You're up, I can't keep you and S_O_E straight 

[MoveThoseChains]

Really hard decision for me, but I decided to go with Parsons. He is a very good shooter who can handle the ball and distribute as well. I knew he wouldn't make it back and I needed another wing defender.

 

Nice pick, he was up there on my board

[gabefergy]

Nice pick, he was up there on my board

Thanks, my board kinda got wiped out and it was tough to differentiate between a few players, but I like Parsons.

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

Sorry for the wait y'all.

Millsap doesn't have a real weakness in his game. He's undersized yes but he's a terrific defender, scorer, and rebounder. I could always use a good PF

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

Really hard decision for me, but I decided to go with Parsons. He is a very good shooter who can handle the ball and distribute as well. I knew he wouldn't make it back and I needed another wing defender.

Was honestly torn between Parsons and Beal two picks ago. I went with the upside Beal has as a scorer. Very good pick

[CalvinSmoke]

Am I up?

[Inqui]

Am I up?

Yep.

[CalvinSmoke]

Well I guess I have a thing for players with a torn Achilles but hey a great shooter that plays nice defense. Fits perfect with John Wall in the back court.

[Mt. Crushmore]

Wish we had progress like that in the NFL DaF

[Inqui]

Wish we had progress like that in the NFL DaF

Then strap in for tomorrow.

 

#BackSideStrongSide

[-Truth-]

Terrific pick in Millsap. I had him higher than Wade on my board. Such an underrated defender. There are few players in the NBA with quicker hands and reflexes.

Edited July 6, 2015 by -Truth-

[Mt. Crushmore]

Then strap in for tomorrow.

 

#BackSideStrongSide

 

I've got high expectations for you guys now

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

Millsap was the other front court guy I was considering next to Bosh. Big steal here. 

Edited July 6, 2015 by BALTIMOREFLACCO

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

Nice pick, he was up there on my board

You're up

[gabefergy]

I almost went with Matthews with my last pick, but the Achilles injury scared me off. The history of players coming back from that in the NBA is pretty bleak.

[MoveThoseChains]

Millsap was towards the top of my board. I'll make my pick very shortly, sorry for the slight delay.

[-Truth-]

Good pick in DeRozan. I thought he'd go a little earlier.

[MoveThoseChains]

Sorry for the wait, I was pretty set on Millsap if he was there so I had to go back and look over the board. This was a case for best talent available. While Derozan isn't the most efficient on offense, I really like his athletic ability to drive to the hoop and draw defenders. He shoots a little too many midrange jumpers for my liking, but hopefully with Conley and Harden he won't have to be too big of a volume shooter as he is on the Raptors. I plan on starting him at the 3, even if he's a natural 2. I think at 6'7 he can play SF. He may also end up coming off the bench if I slide Draymond to the 3. Anyways, I thought the 2013-2014 all star was too good of a talent to pass on here. He was also hurt for part of last year, so maybe with a full offseason and healthy start to next season, his efficiency will rise a little.

Edited July 6, 2015 by MoveThoseChains

[LosT_in_TranSlatioN]

You're trying to make up for Hardens lack of defense

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

Sorry for the wait, I was pretty set on Millsap if he was there so I had to go back and look over the board. This was a case for best talent available. While Derozan isn't the most efficient on offense, I really like his athletic ability to drive to the hoop and draw defenders. He shoots a little too many midrange jumpers for my liking, but hopefully with Conley and Harden he won't have to be too big of a volume shooter as he is on the Raptors. I plan on starting him at the 3, even if he's a natural 2. I think at 6'7 he can play SF. He may also end up coming off the bench if I slide Draymond to the 3. Anyways, I thought the 2013-2014 all star was too good of a talent to pass on here. He was also hurt for part of last year, so maybe with a full offseason and healthy start to next season, his efficiency will rise a little.

 

He was my target. IMO better than a lot of wings who have already gone. 

[MoveThoseChains]

You're trying to make up for Hardens lack of defense

 

I'm keeping it in mind, but all of my picks have been the players at the top of my board. Harden, Green, Conley, and Derozan all were towards the top of my remaining players available when I was on the clock. 

Edited July 6, 2015 by MoveThoseChains

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

I'm keeping it in mind, but all of my picks have been the players at the top of my board. Harden, Green, Conley, and Derozan all were towards the top of my remaining players available when I was on the clock. 

 

Harden's lack of defense is overblown. 

[-Truth-]

I'm keeping it in mind, but all of my picks have been the players at the top of my board. Harden, Green, Conley, and Derozan all were towards the top of my remaining players available when I was on the clock. 

 

I feel like you've landed a very good trio of defenders to complement Harden.

[MoveThoseChains]

Harden's lack of defense is overblown. 

 

Yeah, I mean it's not good, but his offense is elite and he's the top SG in the league in my eyes. That makes up for his defensive flaws. And if you can insert him in a lineup with good defenders, I think that would help.

[MoveThoseChains]

I feel like you've landed a very good trio of defenders to complement Harden.

 

Thanks. Green was a pick mainly for defense and intangibles. Conley and Derozan were a couple of the top players remaining when I was on the clock, and it happens that their both solid two-way players. 

 

Your team is looking solid defensively. Obviously Kawhi is a beast on defense, and Whiteside and George are both solid defenders as well. Wade is proven, so age really isn't a problem when you surround him with the cast that you have. 

[-Truth-]

Yeah, very young but improving on both ends. Last season and the new deal with Magic should give him a lot of confidence going forward.

 

You are on the clock.

[-Truth-]

Thanks. Green was a pick mainly for defense and intangibles. Conley and Derozan were a couple of the top players remaining when I was on the clock, and it happens that their both solid two-way players. 

 

Your team is looking solid defensively. Obviously Kawhi is a beast on defense, and Whiteside and George are both solid defenders as well. Wade is proven, so age really isn't a problem when you surround him with the cast that you have. 

 

I was praying that Conley would be available but I ultimately wasn't surprised when he went. I thought he was the ideal complement to Harden. Harden was one of the most ball-dominant players and understandably so given his play-making ability. Conley's usage rate was much lower and he didn't require the ball in his hands to be effective, so that dynamic should be a perfect marriage. I thought DeRozan was a bit of a ball-stopper as a ball-handler so the fact that the ball won't be in his hands nearly as often could very well be a positive. Considering that all three of your other players are good-to-great three point shooters, using him more as an off-the-ball cutter will help maximize his athleticism without jeopardizing the spacing. I see it as a terrific group personally.

 

Thank you. That was definitely a focus of mine. While Paul George and Kyrie Irving were my main targets, I couldn't pass on the reigning DPoY in Kawhi Leonard. He was my ideal candidate as a small-ball four. He's one of the best rebounding non-big men and he has the active hands and footwork to deny entry passes and to avoid being bullied in the low-post. George was one of the best two-way players when healthy, and hopefully he returns to form to restart his streak of All-Defensive Team nominations. There are obvious questions about Whiteside's sample size, but from everything I've seen, he has the skill-set to continue being a top tier rim protector. Having hulking size near the paint in order to downplay the potential size differential at PF was one of the main reasons he was drafted. Definitely agree on Dwyane Wade as well. He's not as dominant as he was in his prime, but he's still a very good two-way player and he'll no longer have to be the first or even second option as a perimeter defender, so the decreased pressure should help in theory.

[MoveThoseChains]

I was praying that Conley would be available but I ultimately wasn't surprised when he went. I thought he was the ideal complement to Harden. Harden was one of the most ball-dominant players and understandably so given his play-making ability. Conley's usage rate was much lower and he didn't require the ball in his hands to be effective, so that dynamic should be a perfect marriage. I thought DeRozan was a bit of a ball-stopper as a ball-handler so the fact that the ball won't be in his hands nearly as often could very well be a positive. Considering that all three of your other players are good-to-great three point shooters, using him more as an off-the-ball cutter will help maximize his athleticism without jeopardizing the spacing. I see it as a terrific group personally.

 

Thank you. That was definitely a focus of mine. While Paul George and Kyrie Irving were my main targets, I couldn't pass on the reigning DPoY in Kawhi Leonard. He was my ideal candidate as a small-ball four. He's one of the best rebounding non-big men and he has the active hands and footwork to deny entry passes and to avoid being bullied in the low-post. George was one of the best two-way players when healthy, and hopefully he returns to form to restart his streak of All-Defensive Team nominations. There are obvious questions about Whiteside's sample size, but from everything I've seen, he has the skill-set to continue being a top tier rim protector. Having hulking size near the paint in order to downplay the potential size differential at PF was one of the main reasons he was drafted. Definitely agree on Dwyane Wade as well. He's not as dominant as he was in his prime, but he's still a very good two-way player and he'll no longer have to be the first or even second option as a perimeter defender, so the decreased pressure should help in theory.

 

I agree with your assessment of Conley and Harden. I was considering taking Conley in the second just because I felt like he was the best compliment to Harden as well. Conley is a smart, high IQ point guard, and like you said, he's used to sacrificing to Gasol and ZBo. He actually enjoys getting his teammates involved and doing the dirty work on defense, and I love players like that. Having Conley and Harden will help DeRozan out. He won't need to take high volume shots, as he is almost "kobe-like" in the way he shoots for the Raptors. Like you said, DDR is somewhat of a ball-stopper when the ball is in his hands. Conley and Harden will certainly be my primary ball handlers, so the pressure for DDR to create for himself and for teammates will decrease. I won't need him to shoot as much, which means he won't jack shots that lower his field goal percentage. I want him to attack the lane/hoop, as he has length and a decently fast burst to allow him to get by defenders. If he beats his defender, he can take it in or kick out to Harden and Conley who are solid from the outside. A kick out to Green can lead to a potential open shot or Green is a smart player who can dribble in or make the extra pass. I think Harden and DeRozan could draw a lot of fouls on opposing teams due to their style of play. This past season, Harden was number 1 in free throws attempted per game (10.2) with a 86.8%, and DeRozan was 5th (7.2) with a 83.2%. 

 

Point guard is pretty deep. Getting two of the best SF/wing players is a solid strategy. George is an all-around player, and I like his passing ability. I wouldn't call him a "point-forward," but he likes to get his teammates involved and usually makes the smart pass/play with the ball in his hands. Kawhi is a stud, and his best basketball is in front of him. He, too, is a smart all-around player. With both George and Kawhi being unselfish all-around players, that duo should work nicely. I didn't watch the Heat too much this past year, but Whiteside certainly caught my attention. His potential is certainly their, as he had some monster games this past year. 12 blocks to go along with 14 points and 13 rebounds for a triple-double is no fluke, the talent is there. Putting it together for a full season with minutes is what I'm interested to see. He averaged 23.8 minutes per game, in 48 games played, with a stat line of 11.8 ppg, 10 rpg, and 2.8 bpg. If he plays a majority of games next season with closer to 28-30 minutes per game, he should put together a real solid campaign. Wade is still a good player. And yes, having George and Leonard should help Wade out on both offense and defense. Wade still has the mid-range and in game, and he won't lose his passing ability and high IQ for the game. 

Edited July 6, 2015 by MoveThoseChains