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martin
Posts: 68673
Alba Posts: 108
Joined: 7/24/2001
Member: #2
USA
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Hmmm... I think this is it.
Who's better, Dunleavy or Butler?
by Chad Ford
With the potential draft prospects now set in stone, the debate can officially begin. Mike Dunleavy or Caron Butler? Yao Ming or Nikoloz Tskitishivili? Chris Wilcox or Drew Gooden?
Let's dig into the mailbag . . .
Q: Why does it seem like the Warriors have very little interest in Caron Butler? If anything, he is a better answer for their problems than Dunleavy. -- Randy, Santa Barbara, Calif.
FORD: I probably have 100 questions in my inbox about Dunleavy. The knocks on him are fairly obvious. He's soft, doesn't have the strength to play in the post but doesn't have the quickness to be a great perimeter player. I'm not sold either. But it's been hard to find a scout or a GM who isn't in love with his game. I can go on and on about the intangibles Dunleavy possesses, his court savvy, crack shooting and stellar handles. Or I could belabor the point that his game keeps improving dramatically every year . . . but Randy's point is a good one. Is Dunleavy really a fit at Golden State? The Warriors are trying to shift Antawn Jamison to the four. Offensively, he's better there. Defensively . . . eh, not so much. But if you're convinced you need a small forward, I'm not sure I take Dunleavy just because he's the consensus No. 3 pick in the draft. Butler is tougher, has a mean streak and has some experience carrying his team. Dunleavy, up to now, has been the third wheel at Duke behind Jay Williams and Carlos Boozer. The Warriors need leadership and a player who has some edge to his game. I think, with time, Dunleavy will be a fine NBA player . . . maybe even a great one. But Butler also has the tools to be an All-Star in the league and the things he brings to the table are just a better fit for a Warriors team that already lacks chemistry. With that said, from everything I hear, Dunleavy to the Warriors is a done deal.
Q: Why do I keep seeing Drew Gooden's name before more talented prospects like Chris Wilcox or even Nene Hilario. Wilcox absolutely dominated Gooden in the Final Four. He's stronger, more athletic and is a better post player. Nene is more aggressive, is even bigger than Wilcox and has much more upside? Please enlighten me. -- Scottie, Bethesda, Md.
FORD: The name of the game these days is versatility. While Wilcox is a classic four with the speed of a three, Gooden has a much more polished inside/outside game. Again, I'm not sold on Gooden. Wilcox, in a few years, has the potential to be a devastating four. I haven't heard any scout go that far with Gooden. He's pretty good for a player his size on the perimeter, but not great. And though his quickness will help him in the post, the NBA has stronger, more athletic players already camping out down there. If Wilcox had a better outside jumper, it would be a no brainer. Once again, we're back to the central question -- polish or potential? Polish sometimes wears off in the pros. Potential gets coaches fired. The word is that Memphis loves him at No. 4. That's not what my Grizzlies source is telling me, but there's much misinformation flying around right now. The Grizzlies may not be picking at No. 4 anyway. Most teams are convinced that the Grizzlies will either move up a slot and grab Dunleavy or move down in some major draft day trade. No one thinks they'll draft at No. 4. Gooden's agent, Bill Duffy, is still convinced that Gooden will be gone by then, to the point that he's not working him out for Denver at No. 5. I think the best fit for Gooden is No. 6 to Cleveland or No. 7 to New York if Wilcox is off the board. Wilcox? Cleveland will take a long look at him at No. 6 and he won't slip past New York at No. 7.
Q: Why not Nikoloz Tskitishvilli over Yao Ming at No. 1? All of the reports I have seen about Ming's workouts say that he has outstanding range for a player his size and better-than-average agility, but I have heard nothing about his post game. If you are going to be a No. 1 pick in the NBA draft at center, shouldn't you have a strong post game, knowing that they are going to be running into Shaq at sometime next year? And if his post game isn't solid, why would Tskitishvilli not be a better No. 1 pick? He is faster, with more range, better athleticism, better ball-handling, younger, and seems to have more of a ceiling than Ming for potential. -- Andy, Erlanger, Ky.
FORD: Comparing Yao with Skita is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. They're both 7-footers, but they are very different players. Yao's ability to play center is what elevates his stock. While Kevin Garnett's name has been thrown around in conjunction with Skita, no one is exactly sure what he is. He's a bigger reach than Garnett was -- think Kwame Brown here. Yes, he has amazing fundamentals and athleticism, but doesn't have nearly the game experience Yao does. Yao, at 7-foot-5, 296 pounds, will have a long NBA career barring injury. The Rockets know he can't bang with Shaq. Who can? It's his ability to draw Shaq away from the basket that intrigues teams. Both players, because of their unique skills for their size, have the potential to be franchise players in the league. Yao makes a lot of sense for the Rockets. I'm not sure how Golden State, Memphis or Denver can afford to pass on Skita. Dunleavy, Gooden, Butler, Wilcox -- none of them has the potential that Skita does.
Q: With so many quality foreign players in the draft and Don Nelson's extensive knowledge of them, I cannot see Mark Cuban and Nellie simply sitting and watching them go to other teams. Any chance that the Mavs make a trade (Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel) to get into the first round? -- Jay, Plano, Texas
FORD: They are working very quietly, Jay. They have tried, unsuccessfully, to interject themselves into the Yao Ming sweepstakes. Forget Cuban's comments about Yao not being as good as Shawn Bradley. The Mavs would love to have him. Their main target now is Nene Hilario. The comparisons to Ben Wallace have them drooling. The team is desperate for a tough, low-post presence who isn't afraid to get nasty down low. Nene is a project offensively, but with the Mavs' multitude of weapons, they don't need him to do anything but run the floor, crash the glass and swat shots. Would teams like the Grizzlies, Nuggets or Cavs be willing to give up the No. 5 pick for Finley? They're making the phone calls.
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6/20/2002 10:54 AM