I have no interest whatsoever in drafting Jason Smith.

Q. misterearl, why are you just using Jason Smith as an example though?

Allanfan - because Smith is projected at 15. If one considers Randolph a superior player then it would seem his "draft value" places him near the top ten. Yes?

but what do I know?

Posted by Masterplan:

Posted by misterearl:

Q. misterearl, why are you just using Jason Smith as an example though?

Allanfan - because Smith is projected at 15. If one considers Randolph a superior player then it would seem his "draft value" places him near the top ten. Yes?

but what do I know?

so you're saying getting morris is the equivalent of getting a mid-first-rounder? nice... but i'd personally have the #1 and have the option of choosing morris, smith, or any other player on the board.

i'm glad we got a young guy for basically nothing. i'd take randolph morris over vin baker and jerome james in a second. but let's see if the guy we lucked into is any good before patting IT on the back here.

You have OPTIONS when you have the draft pick. And you also get to sign them to a dirt cheap (by NBA standards) 4 year contract.

Posted by Pharzeone:

Posted by Masterplan:

Posted by misterearl:

Q. misterearl, why are you just using Jason Smith as an example though?

Allanfan - because Smith is projected at 15. If one considers Randolph a superior player then it would seem his "draft value" places him near the top ten. Yes?

but what do I know?

so you're saying getting morris is the equivalent of getting a mid-first-rounder? nice... but i'd personally have the #1 and have the option of choosing morris, smith, or any other player on the board.

i'm glad we got a young guy for basically nothing. i'd take randolph morris over vin baker and jerome james in a second. but let's see if the guy we lucked into is any good before patting IT on the back here.

I rather have the proven player over the draft pick myself. I don't know if Morris will amount to anything in the NBA but his college career was very impressive from the standpoint of his competition. The Wildcats under Coach Smith always played difficult schedules but the last two seasons were crazy. Forget the fact that he played in the SEC. He average 16 points and about 8 rebounds in the SEC. I don't think it is out of the realm of reason that other NBA scouts may value him as a mid first round pick as well.

putting up good numbers in college doesn't make anyone a "proven player", no matter what conference you play in. you gotta do it in the NBA before you've proven anything about yourself and the guy that acquired you. there are good reasons to think morris could be good. i'm not quibbling with saying he has the same value as a mid-1st rounder. i agree that he does. but his value is no higher than that either... he could turn out to be a bust, just like any first rounder. but my main reaction to getting morris still is, he has a lot to do to show us that he gives us something we don't already have.

Masterplan - I'd rather have Halle Berry's digits but that ain't happenin'

you find talent by any means possible

We didn't give up a draft pick to get Morris and no one is asking you if you would rather have the mid first rounder.

The point is that Randolph Morris would have been a mid first rounder if he entered the NBA through this year's draft, and comparing him to Smith is a way to demonstrate that. I think its a valid point. And if zeke expects him to provide the defense we are looking for in our front-court, we are going with a guard with our second pick.

but let's see if the guy we lucked into is any good before patting IT on the back here.

Also off of the point. Who knows what Morris will be? Who knows what Smith will be? But can you imagine the two having roughly the same value in the draft, right now, before seeing what anyone lucked into?

Yes.

rembee - thank you for the no-look-behind the back assist

Posted by RemBee76:

We didn't give up a draft pick to get Morris and no one is asking you if you would rather have the mid first rounder.

i was going to write something really grumpy and sarcastic in response to this comment. instead, i'll just ask you what you'd say if someone talked to you like this...

The point is that Randolph Morris would have been a mid first rounder if he entered the NBA through this year's draft, and comparing him to Smith is a way to demonstrate that. I think its a valid point. And if zeke expects him to provide the defense we are looking for in our front-court, we are going with a guard with our second pick.

see, i don't think morris will provide that frontcourt defense we need. it hasn't been his M.O. in college and i'm not going to hold my breath. and if we don't draft a frontcourt player who does give us what we need because we're waiting on morris, then what's the point? basically, i'm not impressed with what morris has to offer. he may have the value of a first rounder, but to us, he's redundant and doesn't fill a need, reducing that value. i think there are mid-first rounders out there who give us more of what we need. if i could trade him for a mid-first rounder i would. and i don't give a **** if you didn't ask what i'd trade him for.

but let's see if the guy we lucked into is any good before patting IT on the back here.

Also off of the point. Who knows what Morris will be? Who knows what Smith will be? But can you imagine the two having roughly the same value in the draft, right now, before seeing what anyone lucked into?

Yes.

and i agree that they have roughly the same value in the draft. i don't know if smith would be a better fit. how is saying "wait and see" off point?

has anyone?

Bueller?

Posted by misterearl:

has anyone?

Bueller?

here's some videos:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/prospects?rank_type=1

Posted by Pharzeone:

You're right and those idiots in Portland are going crazy for nothing. Or those people in Seattle have to be kidding themselves.

there's a difference between putting up good numbers and doing what oden and durant did, being the kind of prospects they are, and that's really all i have to say to that...

Masterplan, you are basically saying that Morris as a person that Thomas signed has to show us or anybody entering the league for the first time has too. I hope it is the latter.

i don't understand this sentence...

It's not a newsflash, that any player could or not be bust in the NBA.

the bust line was one sentence in my post. if you read the rest, you'd see that i agreed morris is as valuable as a mid 1st rounder, and that there are "good reasons" to expect him to be an NBA contributor.

look, my main argument is about how good a fit morris actually is for this team, without expecting him to turn into a defensive and rebounding beast. i think we'd be better off taking advantage of his value and trading him for an actual pick. thoughts?