Posted by TMS:

let's calm down a little bit... for every one of BRIGGS' Bynum, Nate & Amare predictions, there is an overration of guys like Andrew Bogut, Marcus Williams, Darius Miles, Shareef Abdur Rahim, Pavel Podkolzine & Tiago Splitter... this is true for everyone on this forum no matter who it is.

this is why, speaking for myself, i would like to see a single thread where every prospect in this year's draft could be discussed instead of everyone feeling the need to post a separate one everytime 1 of them has a good stretch of games... would be much easier to keep track of people's predictions & give credit to where it is due... just because someone posts a separate thread about Thabeet doesn't mean they invented the idea & discovered the guy before everyone else... i remember several posters on this site talking about drafting Thabeet a couple months ago because he addressed our biggest need which was shotblocking... why not continue the discussion?

A stickied draft thread would make sense IMO, especially since it's clear we're gonna be in the draft lottery.

Posted by NYKPHINS:

So you are saying that Thabeet has a higher ceiling than Anthony Randolph? They do play diffrent positions, and I would agree that Thabeet has probably the highest ceiling of all the centers in this draft. But as an overall player, Randolph has more potential than Thabeet and if he's at our spot, assuming we're not top 2, he should be the pick (at least where I see things today).

Also I don't post here often but I check the sight regularly and BRIGGS' reports are usually quite good. No problem posting multiple threads as in the draft process things often change week to week.

I think if you want to compete for championships in the NBA you better have a presence that can compete with the big men in the league. Defense still wins championships in any sport

the bottom line

pick 1-2 we know
mayo ahead of bayless gordon
Thabeet slightly ahead of Lopez

That brings me to pick 5 which I think is our mathematical probability. Randolph still has very high potential but our need for defense is so great that Thabeet brings the ceiling type player that this franchise needs. What I saw tonight was a guy who is a top 3 pick. I know he may have stinkers from time to time --partly because he is still in a learning process in/ some of it because of his hands and core strength but if you see the player without the rust--you see what he can truly be. Add character hard worker on a team team that has pumped out numbers of great NBA players add in 7-3 270 with burgeoning skill sets on the offensive end--already a dominant defensive player--and the package is too attractive to pass up.

I agree with you Briggs and if we draft this guy, then keeping Curry or Randolf would make just a little bit of sense in the future, so it would make things easier on us. Time will tell though. I still say draft Thabeet with the 5th pick, trade buyout Randolf and trade Curry and/or Crawford for whomever you can get that equates to rebuilding.

Posted by BRIGGS:

Posted by GKFv2:

I'm not taking a player in the top 3 who possess 0 offensive skills and whose only real skill is shot blocking. That type of "talent" can be had anywhere from late lottery to late 1st round. Depending on how he does in workouts near the draft, it will decide his draft position. But no way on God's green Earth is Hasheem Thabeet going in the top 5 nor should he be taken in the top 5.

As for who I like, I like a lot of kids but I don't want Mayo on this team. If there is no PG available at that position or no dynamic player, you can trade down and get rid of a contract while also getting Hasheem "everyone has a hard-on for me" Thabeet. I'm still holding out hope for a top 3 finish. I will hope and pray until the day of the lottery and depending on where we end up we should trade it for a pick in the late lottery and grab Thabeet. Wasting a top 3 or top 5 on Thabeet is just silly in my opinion.

I do like DJ Augustin and Jerryd Bayless though.

Make a small team smaller

It's called rebuilding. Winning doesn't happen overnight. With the right GM, we can rebuild in 3-4 years. But don't expect to be winning next year regardless of who is the GM. Well, if it's Isiah you will see the same old so that wont be a total shock.

Posted by NYKBocker:

Posted by tkf:

Posted by GKFv2:

Yeah, the great BRIGGS has now bestowed upon us his newest crush: Hasheem Thabeet.

Who will will be next? Ruben Boumtje Boumtje? Mamadou D'Diaye? DeSagna Diop? Tune in next time for another edition of "BRIGGS: The master of college talent."

Well why don't you tell us what great talent is out there. Briggs was 100% correct with bynum when most of us laughed at him, He was all over nate robinson when most of us didn't even know who nate was. He knew about tyrus thomas before he became famous in the NCAA tourney.. Briggs has been pretty much on the money with some of his college talent evaluations...

Yup. I also don't recall BRIGGS ever singing the praises of Ruben Boumtje Boumtje, Mamadou D'Diaye, or DeSagna Diop.

I very much enjoy reading BRIGGS' scout-like posts.

I do also recall Hilton Armstrong being someone else that was discussed as our pick that year, but that was with a late pick. I have a huge amount of respect for the evaluations of talent, but I detect just a bit of a Connecticut bias...no?

briggs, i have a question. how do you compare thabeet versus okafor? i know you were big on okafor back in the day, okafor is putting up 14, 11 and 2 this yr as a 25 YO. thabeet turned 20 in february, i'd say he has a MUCH higher ceiling than okafor has, who was much older when he came out. thabeet is 5 inches taller than okafor, 5 years younger, and the same weight. he can fill out into a monster. okafor has always been hurt by his height and lack of an outside game. thabeet in 5 yrs should be putting up way better numbers than 14/11/2 (same age as okafor), how do you see it briggs?

Posted by BigSm00th:

briggs, i have a question. how do you compare thabeet versus okafor? i know you were big on okafor back in the day, okafor is putting up 14, 11 and 2 this yr as a 25 YO. thabeet turned 20 in february, i'd say he has a MUCH higher ceiling than okafor has, who was much older when he came out. thabeet is 5 inches taller than okafor, 5 years younger, and the same weight. he can fill out into a monster. okafor has always been hurt by his height and lack of an outside game. thabeet in 5 yrs should be putting up way better numbers than 14/11/2 (same age as okafor), how do you see it briggs?

He might not have the same first year impact that ok4 had--but this is a player with a much better touch and he's nearly a half foot taller and just as ahletic. I will tell you--the last two games on the offensive side is where he sold me after watching him 60 times over the last 2 years. His progression touch and burgeoning offensive skills--the way he shoots FT's on a 19-21 streak--Ok4 didn't have that type of fluidity to his offensive game. Remember I questioned Hasheem roughly 4 games ago. I was back and forth but now it is very clear that he is EASILY pick 3 in my book in this draft and would be pick 1 next year. After the game tonight you heard the struggle in Calhoun's voice trying to make an arguement that he should stay at Uconn[we dont have a C:)and we would be ranked 1 next year if Hasheem comes back]he also stated that Hasheem would be a maximum money NBA type player one day.

Briggs, I'm not saying you're wrong about Thabeet I'm asking if you agree with this

our biggest needs are

1. Pure Point
2. Shotblocker
3. Perimeter defender

in that order

I'm hesitant to call Bayless a pure point, although I do think he could be.

Only pure points lottery worthy are Rose, duh, and Augustin.

So if we were to stay at 5, you'd nab Thabeet, who would you target for our point, conceivable, through fa or trade?

^^ rvhoss thought Jerome was a good signing

I say until we can talk about Isiah being fired I am happy to read Briggs daily "this is the guy we need" threads

Posted by fishmike:

^^ rvhoss thought Jerome was a good signing

i hear ya. other than that he's gotten everything wrong.

Posted by PresIke:

[sarcasm]We sure do have a free flowing forum of ideas...

free to post what you like and, free to be told by others to stop posting opinions others don't like.[/sarcasm]

UK Thought Police in full effect....sheesh

Imo the problem isn’t the “thought police” it’s the reaction back to them. When heads flap their gums let it go. Don't flap back, stick to the topic. They’re like rodman and then others become like mourning and malone, letting them get under their skins. You flap back and you just give them reinforcement for it.

Capeesh? Sheesh.