Post by jayrish on Oct 11, 2010 18:16:53 GMT -5
I thought I'd do a mock lotto before the official lottery results come out both to leave the door open for another GM to do a mock lotto, as well as so we can come back and take a look at what might have been as soon as these teams' fate is decided by ping pong balls.
1. Washington Bullzards- Greg Oden, C
With Chris Paul and Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant both choosing to fine-tune their skills by going to school for the upcoming season, Oden emerges as the unanimous number one overall pick. Although many considered Oden to be the premier prospect in this class before declarations, if either Paul or GOAT sim league player Durant had taken the leap to the NBA, there would have some argument as to who most deserves to be selected first overall. As it now stands, Washington is presented with an easy choice, as Oden will become a cornerstone center for the Bullzards from day one.
With his rapidly improving post game, Oden comes into the draft the most hyped big man since Dwight Howard entered the league two seasons ago. Where Oden will make his name, however, is on the defensive side of the ball. A legit 7 footer, Oden has a great vertical for somebody his size, which should allow him to become one of the league’s premier shot blockers sooner rather than later. His size and athleticism will also allow him to come in and immediately bang down low with TMBSL big men. During the Wing Stop Challenge, Oden didn’t disappoint scouts, dominating the opposition on his way to posting 17.8/12.7 to go along with 2.2 blocks per contest. Joakim Noah was able to hold his own against Oden, but taking into consideration Oden’s youth, he should be the first name called come draft day.
2. Boston Celtics- LaMarcus Aldridge, PF
To the collective disgust of every TMBSL GM, the Celtics find themselves with the potential to have a very high lottery selection due to attaining the Pistons’ 2006 first rounder through a trade. A team in almost complete opposition to the Washington Bullzards, the Celtics will find themselves in the exact same situation. However, where Washington will be selecting the best possible player because they don’t have anyone worth a shit on their roster, the Celtics will be able to select the best overall player because they literally have no holes in their roster.
As a result, I see the Celtics grabbing LaMarcus Aldridge with this pick, giving them another legitimate inside scoring option to go alongside Marc Jackson. Already possessing a TMBSL-ready low post game, Aldridge will be able to come in and provide some immediate scoring off the bench for the Celtics, who will be even scarier with the addition of Aldridge than they were en route to their regular season Eastern Conference Title this season. Although Aldridge will have to work to get better defensively, as he adds some muscle he should end up a respectable defender, and with an already great post game, should be a top 5 player from this class.
3. Utah Jazz- Rudy Gay, SF
The Jazz wind up with a top 5 pick thanks to a deal made last year that sent Portland’s first rounder to Utah. One of the West’s most disappointing teams this year, Portland’s incompetence on the court proved to be for Utah’s gain, as they have remained in the playoffs despite having compiled 5 first round picks in this draft, with Portland’s being the jewel of the lot. The Jazz have seemingly transitioned effortlessly from an aging contender chalk-full of seasoned veterans to a more energetic, youthful squad, all the while maintaining their status as a contender for the Western Conference title.
As someone who never closes his ears to trade possibilities, I could easily see the Jazz GM moving this pick if a reasonable offer presents itself. It is likely that the Jazz will opt not to re-sign Bonzi Wells, and thus will be looking for someone to come in and fill his void. Therefore, Jazz are likely to go out and get a wing, as they already are locked down at the 1, 4, and 5 spots for the foreseeable future with Bogut, Randolph, and Telfair. As a result, this pick ultimately comes down to two players: Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy.
Scouts have cooled off on Brandon Roy ever since he put together an abysmal shooting performance at the Wing Stop Challenge (37.9% FG). While Gay didn’t show a tremendous amount of consistency during the event, he still showed the ability to take over a game, and was amongst the highest scoring players in the event at 15.1 points a contest. Gay is also an above average defender, swiping 2.2 steals a contest. However, there are concerns as to whether or not Gay, at 6’8’’, possesses the lateral quickness to effectively guard TMBSL shooting guards. With the Jazz’s best player being SF Glenn Robinson, it will be interesting to see whether or not the two natural SFs can co-exist. If not, you can bet that the Jazz’s GM will not be hesitant to deal one of the two, most likely Robinson, and carry on with Rudy Gay being their go-to swigman of the future.
4. New York Knicks- Joakim Noah, C
Already among TMBSL’s elite teams, the Knicks would be absolutely ecstatic if they were able to land Joakim Noah come draft time with the pick they obtained from Orlando. Noah, whom I consider to be the 2nd best player this draft has to offer, will complement the more offensive-minded Chris Webber perfectly, and should end up one of the best defensive big men the league has to offer once he’s fully progressed.
Although Noah’s strength is his defense, he surprised nearly every GM during the Wing Stop Challenge when he averaged over 21 points a game on nearly 50% shooting. As someone who was considered primarily a defensive stopper with little else to offer, Noah’s apparent offensive development left scouts salivating. If the circuit is any indication of what might happen with these prospects once real play starts up, Noah may end up being the best prospect to come out of this draft class, even if he is almost unanimously considered a notch lower than Oden as a prospect by TMBSL GMs. One potential red flag on Noah is that he didn’t even manage to record one block per contest during the circuit, but this is likely a minor drawback, as defense has never been known to be a strong point of the play during the Wing Stop Challenge.
5. Detroit Pistons- Brandon Roy, PG/SG
After signing one of the best players in TMBSL regardless of position in Tim Duncan to a seven year, 144 million dollar deal, the Pistons endured a disappointing season, finishing above only the lowly Wizards in the loaded Eastern Conference. Thanks to Minnesota’s sudden tank job in the middle of the season, Detroit dealing their ’06 first to Boston began to sting a little less as the Wolves began to fall in the standings. Although Kelenna Azubuike was a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season for Detroit, he would probably be better suited coming off the bench to provide an energetic lift rather than as a bonified starting shooting guard. On the other hand, Roy has the potential to become one of the most well rounded guards in the game, and his ability to handle the ball and play point will give the Pistons some great line up options with a respectable guard rotation in Roy, Azubuike, and Ronald Curry.
Despite Roy’s poor shooting performance in the circuit, he remains a game changer who has shown throughout his college career at Washington that he deserves to be a top 10 selection in the draft. Roy still managed to average 18 points per game in his 6 exhibition games. In addition, Roy also has the ability to handle the ball at the next level, although his assist numbers were deflated thanks mostly to teaming up alongside Rajon Rondo in the Wing Stop Challenge. Once Roy gets a feel for the TMBSL 3-pointer and develops some more consistency with his jumper, he should have a career that certainly justifies him being a top 10 pick, which he certainly will be.
6. Washington Bullzards- Monta Ellis, PG/SG
Although Rajon Rondo is the best pure passer in this class, as you’ll soon see, I don’t trust Rondo’s transition to the pro game nearly as much as others do. With the Wizards lacking a playmaking PG or SG, I see them going with Ellis here, who has the potential to fill either void. Ellis, who possesses great quickness and size for a TMBSL point guard, is a raw but promising prospect with the potential to become one of the best hybrid guards in the league. Ellis is in the mold of Jay Williams, as he probably isn’t quite ready to handle running the point in TMBSL quite yet, but should develop the ability to do so as he progresses in his career.
Although Ellis isn’t the long range shooter Williams was when he came into the league, Ellis has a very solid midrange game that will allow him to run the pick-and-roll effectively with the help of future rookie Greg Oden, and the two could develop into quite the one-two punch for the Wizards. Ellis’ defense leaves something to be desired, but his athleticism and quickness suggest that his defensive capability should develop as he matures. Regardless, Ellis at this point is a boom-or-bust pick, but with the Wizards lacking a dynamic guard, its worth the risk after taking the sure thing in Greg Oden with their first selection.
7. Detroit Pistons- Andrea Bargnani, PF
Despite already having two solid big men in place with Tim Duncan at PF and Brendan Haywood at C, the Pistons could definitely use some depth down low. Therefore, as with their first pick taking Brandon Roy to help build guard depth, the Pistons take Bargnani, the uniquely talented European big man, with their second top 10 pick. Like their selection of Roy, Bargnani gives the Pistons some great options with their rotation, and with Duncan able to slide over to the C spot without much of a hit, adding Bargnani and Roy could actually make the Pistons, who sported the league’s 2nd worst record, an instant playoff team.
Bargnani will fit in well with Detroit because of the unique set of skills he brings as a 7 footer. Bargnani has TMBSL 3-point range, and although he didn’t overly impress during the Wing Stop Challenge, has the raw upside that will inhibit him from slipping past the lottery. With Duncan’s elite inside game coupled to Bargnani’s ability to knock down long range jumpers, the Pistons will soon be a force to be reckoned with in the East.
8. Philadelphia 76ers- Tyrus Thomas, PF
Coming into the season with a tremendous amount of salary cap trouble, the Sixers’ GM did a brilliant job getting rid of some of the massive long-term deals he inked players to over the offseason. However, despite having two future TMBSL hall of famers on their team, along with elite defensive SF Shane Battier, whom they got in a trade for Antonio McDyess, the Sixers found themselves in the cellar of the Eastern Conference. However, looking at their roster, it seems as if the Sixers are only a player or two away from returning to postseason play.
With plenty of veteran scoring options, the Sixers are in need of a defensive big man. Tyrus Thomas certainly provides that, as the ultra-athletic big man out of LSU is one of the premier defensive players in the country. Despite having a relatively inept offensive game, Thomas possesses the quickness and athleticism that you can’t teach, and should be able to come in and immediately be a force on defense. Regardless of not having a well-rounded offensive game, Jason Kidd is as good as anyone at making his teammates look better than they are, and Thomas should thrive in the open court with Kidd feeding him the ball.
9. Miami Heat- Ronnie Brewer, SF
The Heat find themselves once again in the lotto thanks to a Creation Draft trade with the Raptors, with the Heat finally cashing in on the Raptors’ first rounder after they missed the playoffs for the first time in TMBSL history. The Heat don’t have a lot of needs as long as they make the appropriate signings in the offseason, but a glaring weakness for them this year has been an inconsistency from their wing bench players. After attempting to fill this void with a midyear trade for Richard Jefferson, its clear the Heat need to look elsewhere to bring energy and depth off the bench. Although Brewer is by no means a scoring threat, he will come into the league and provide the Heat with great defense off the bench, and will allow them to pass on re-signing Mo Peterson and former Creation Draft 2nd rounder Richard Jefferson.
10. Indiana Pacers- Rajon Rondo, PG
The Pacers have a very nice young nucleus of Emeka Okafor, Carmelo Anthony, and Quentin Richardson, but have yet to put all the pieces together and become a playoff contender. This is mostly due to a lack of efficient point guard play, so Indiana will almost take Rajon Rondo by default. In a weak point guard class, Rondo is the best pure point guard there is, and with that he’s extremely lucky, because any other year I don’t see Rondo being a top 10 pick.
What worries me with Rondo, obviously, is his severe lack of an offensive game to the tune of a C inside grade to go along with a D outside grade. While he may end up having a career that justifies him as a lottery selection, one only has to go as far as to look at former Pacers PG Tony Parker to see that Rondo may fall flat on his face as a prospect. Parker, who boasts A-/A- ratings in handling and defense, has put up an underwhelming 8 points and 6 assists for his career. Although Rondo will probably be a better passer than Parker, their similarities in ratings will present a major question mark when drafting Rondo, especially if a team decides to use a top 10 pick on the floor general out of Kentucky.
11. Golden State Warriors- Hassan Adams, SG
The Warriors have established superstars in Devin Harris at point and Pau Gasol at power forward, but are severely lacking in talent after those two. Perhaps no prospect helped himself more at the Wing Stop Challenge than did Hassan Adams, who managed to average 21 points over the 6 game span, tops on his team that included Rudy Gay and Chris Paul.
Although Adams sports the dreaded B potential (which, as we have seen may very well end up getting bumped to an A), the fact that he came in and put up such great numbers playing against NBA prospects suggests that he has what it takes to come in and immediately contribute at the next level. The most impressive part of his scoring tear during the circuit was that he did it shooting a blistering 49% from the field. This scoring ability should allow his offensive game to translate easily to the professional level. If he can develop some consistency with his 3 point shot, Adams has the potential to become a legitimate scoring threat in TMBSL.
12. Los Angeles Lakers- David Noel, SF
Bringing in Noel will allow the Lakers to have some variety in how they’d like to use their wing players, as he, Jason Richardson, and Antoine Wright are all capable of playing either SG or SF. Noel will instantly be able to provide a good defender off the bench. He will also be a good complement to Richardson and Wright offensively, as Noel is more prone to score slashing to the bucket rather than raining it in from deep like the other two. If the Lakers were to go with Noel here, look for them to do all they can to find a suitor for Jason Richardson, although if they were to keep him in hopes of him ever developing, the three young wing players should be able to co-exist in LA.
13. Phoenix Suns- Thabo Sefolosha, SF
With Anfernee Hardaway getting older by the day and no real defensive stopper on the wing present in Phoenix, the Suns would be happy to add Sefolosha to the mix with the pick they received in a trade with the Nuggets. Adding Sefolosha will allow the Suns to move on from Hardaway, and will finally give them the elite defensive wing player they sorely lacked this year. With Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire, and Steve Francis already on board and capable of doing the bulk of the scoring, the pressure to perform offensively would be kept off Sefolosha’s shoulders, allowing him to focus primarily on the defensive end. There isn’t a better perimeter defender included in the class, so nabbing Sefolosha here should please the fans of Phoenix.
1. Washington Bullzards- Greg Oden, CWith Chris Paul and Kevin GOAT sim league player Durant both choosing to fine-tune their skills by going to school for the upcoming season, Oden emerges as the unanimous number one overall pick. Although many considered Oden to be the premier prospect in this class before declarations, if either Paul or GOAT sim league player Durant had taken the leap to the NBA, there would have some argument as to who most deserves to be selected first overall. As it now stands, Washington is presented with an easy choice, as Oden will become a cornerstone center for the Bullzards from day one.
With his rapidly improving post game, Oden comes into the draft the most hyped big man since Dwight Howard entered the league two seasons ago. Where Oden will make his name, however, is on the defensive side of the ball. A legit 7 footer, Oden has a great vertical for somebody his size, which should allow him to become one of the league’s premier shot blockers sooner rather than later. His size and athleticism will also allow him to come in and immediately bang down low with TMBSL big men. During the Wing Stop Challenge, Oden didn’t disappoint scouts, dominating the opposition on his way to posting 17.8/12.7 to go along with 2.2 blocks per contest. Joakim Noah was able to hold his own against Oden, but taking into consideration Oden’s youth, he should be the first name called come draft day.
2. Boston Celtics- LaMarcus Aldridge, PFTo the collective disgust of every TMBSL GM, the Celtics find themselves with the potential to have a very high lottery selection due to attaining the Pistons’ 2006 first rounder through a trade. A team in almost complete opposition to the Washington Bullzards, the Celtics will find themselves in the exact same situation. However, where Washington will be selecting the best possible player because they don’t have anyone worth a shit on their roster, the Celtics will be able to select the best overall player because they literally have no holes in their roster.
As a result, I see the Celtics grabbing LaMarcus Aldridge with this pick, giving them another legitimate inside scoring option to go alongside Marc Jackson. Already possessing a TMBSL-ready low post game, Aldridge will be able to come in and provide some immediate scoring off the bench for the Celtics, who will be even scarier with the addition of Aldridge than they were en route to their regular season Eastern Conference Title this season. Although Aldridge will have to work to get better defensively, as he adds some muscle he should end up a respectable defender, and with an already great post game, should be a top 5 player from this class.
3. Utah Jazz- Rudy Gay, SFThe Jazz wind up with a top 5 pick thanks to a deal made last year that sent Portland’s first rounder to Utah. One of the West’s most disappointing teams this year, Portland’s incompetence on the court proved to be for Utah’s gain, as they have remained in the playoffs despite having compiled 5 first round picks in this draft, with Portland’s being the jewel of the lot. The Jazz have seemingly transitioned effortlessly from an aging contender chalk-full of seasoned veterans to a more energetic, youthful squad, all the while maintaining their status as a contender for the Western Conference title.
As someone who never closes his ears to trade possibilities, I could easily see the Jazz GM moving this pick if a reasonable offer presents itself. It is likely that the Jazz will opt not to re-sign Bonzi Wells, and thus will be looking for someone to come in and fill his void. Therefore, Jazz are likely to go out and get a wing, as they already are locked down at the 1, 4, and 5 spots for the foreseeable future with Bogut, Randolph, and Telfair. As a result, this pick ultimately comes down to two players: Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy.
Scouts have cooled off on Brandon Roy ever since he put together an abysmal shooting performance at the Wing Stop Challenge (37.9% FG). While Gay didn’t show a tremendous amount of consistency during the event, he still showed the ability to take over a game, and was amongst the highest scoring players in the event at 15.1 points a contest. Gay is also an above average defender, swiping 2.2 steals a contest. However, there are concerns as to whether or not Gay, at 6’8’’, possesses the lateral quickness to effectively guard TMBSL shooting guards. With the Jazz’s best player being SF Glenn Robinson, it will be interesting to see whether or not the two natural SFs can co-exist. If not, you can bet that the Jazz’s GM will not be hesitant to deal one of the two, most likely Robinson, and carry on with Rudy Gay being their go-to swigman of the future.
4. New York Knicks- Joakim Noah, CAlready among TMBSL’s elite teams, the Knicks would be absolutely ecstatic if they were able to land Joakim Noah come draft time with the pick they obtained from Orlando. Noah, whom I consider to be the 2nd best player this draft has to offer, will complement the more offensive-minded Chris Webber perfectly, and should end up one of the best defensive big men the league has to offer once he’s fully progressed.
Although Noah’s strength is his defense, he surprised nearly every GM during the Wing Stop Challenge when he averaged over 21 points a game on nearly 50% shooting. As someone who was considered primarily a defensive stopper with little else to offer, Noah’s apparent offensive development left scouts salivating. If the circuit is any indication of what might happen with these prospects once real play starts up, Noah may end up being the best prospect to come out of this draft class, even if he is almost unanimously considered a notch lower than Oden as a prospect by TMBSL GMs. One potential red flag on Noah is that he didn’t even manage to record one block per contest during the circuit, but this is likely a minor drawback, as defense has never been known to be a strong point of the play during the Wing Stop Challenge.
5. Detroit Pistons- Brandon Roy, PG/SGAfter signing one of the best players in TMBSL regardless of position in Tim Duncan to a seven year, 144 million dollar deal, the Pistons endured a disappointing season, finishing above only the lowly Wizards in the loaded Eastern Conference. Thanks to Minnesota’s sudden tank job in the middle of the season, Detroit dealing their ’06 first to Boston began to sting a little less as the Wolves began to fall in the standings. Although Kelenna Azubuike was a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful season for Detroit, he would probably be better suited coming off the bench to provide an energetic lift rather than as a bonified starting shooting guard. On the other hand, Roy has the potential to become one of the most well rounded guards in the game, and his ability to handle the ball and play point will give the Pistons some great line up options with a respectable guard rotation in Roy, Azubuike, and Ronald Curry.
Despite Roy’s poor shooting performance in the circuit, he remains a game changer who has shown throughout his college career at Washington that he deserves to be a top 10 selection in the draft. Roy still managed to average 18 points per game in his 6 exhibition games. In addition, Roy also has the ability to handle the ball at the next level, although his assist numbers were deflated thanks mostly to teaming up alongside Rajon Rondo in the Wing Stop Challenge. Once Roy gets a feel for the TMBSL 3-pointer and develops some more consistency with his jumper, he should have a career that certainly justifies him being a top 10 pick, which he certainly will be.
6. Washington Bullzards- Monta Ellis, PG/SGAlthough Rajon Rondo is the best pure passer in this class, as you’ll soon see, I don’t trust Rondo’s transition to the pro game nearly as much as others do. With the Wizards lacking a playmaking PG or SG, I see them going with Ellis here, who has the potential to fill either void. Ellis, who possesses great quickness and size for a TMBSL point guard, is a raw but promising prospect with the potential to become one of the best hybrid guards in the league. Ellis is in the mold of Jay Williams, as he probably isn’t quite ready to handle running the point in TMBSL quite yet, but should develop the ability to do so as he progresses in his career.
Although Ellis isn’t the long range shooter Williams was when he came into the league, Ellis has a very solid midrange game that will allow him to run the pick-and-roll effectively with the help of future rookie Greg Oden, and the two could develop into quite the one-two punch for the Wizards. Ellis’ defense leaves something to be desired, but his athleticism and quickness suggest that his defensive capability should develop as he matures. Regardless, Ellis at this point is a boom-or-bust pick, but with the Wizards lacking a dynamic guard, its worth the risk after taking the sure thing in Greg Oden with their first selection.
7. Detroit Pistons- Andrea Bargnani, PFDespite already having two solid big men in place with Tim Duncan at PF and Brendan Haywood at C, the Pistons could definitely use some depth down low. Therefore, as with their first pick taking Brandon Roy to help build guard depth, the Pistons take Bargnani, the uniquely talented European big man, with their second top 10 pick. Like their selection of Roy, Bargnani gives the Pistons some great options with their rotation, and with Duncan able to slide over to the C spot without much of a hit, adding Bargnani and Roy could actually make the Pistons, who sported the league’s 2nd worst record, an instant playoff team.
Bargnani will fit in well with Detroit because of the unique set of skills he brings as a 7 footer. Bargnani has TMBSL 3-point range, and although he didn’t overly impress during the Wing Stop Challenge, has the raw upside that will inhibit him from slipping past the lottery. With Duncan’s elite inside game coupled to Bargnani’s ability to knock down long range jumpers, the Pistons will soon be a force to be reckoned with in the East.
8. Philadelphia 76ers- Tyrus Thomas, PFComing into the season with a tremendous amount of salary cap trouble, the Sixers’ GM did a brilliant job getting rid of some of the massive long-term deals he inked players to over the offseason. However, despite having two future TMBSL hall of famers on their team, along with elite defensive SF Shane Battier, whom they got in a trade for Antonio McDyess, the Sixers found themselves in the cellar of the Eastern Conference. However, looking at their roster, it seems as if the Sixers are only a player or two away from returning to postseason play.
With plenty of veteran scoring options, the Sixers are in need of a defensive big man. Tyrus Thomas certainly provides that, as the ultra-athletic big man out of LSU is one of the premier defensive players in the country. Despite having a relatively inept offensive game, Thomas possesses the quickness and athleticism that you can’t teach, and should be able to come in and immediately be a force on defense. Regardless of not having a well-rounded offensive game, Jason Kidd is as good as anyone at making his teammates look better than they are, and Thomas should thrive in the open court with Kidd feeding him the ball.
9. Miami Heat- Ronnie Brewer, SFThe Heat find themselves once again in the lotto thanks to a Creation Draft trade with the Raptors, with the Heat finally cashing in on the Raptors’ first rounder after they missed the playoffs for the first time in TMBSL history. The Heat don’t have a lot of needs as long as they make the appropriate signings in the offseason, but a glaring weakness for them this year has been an inconsistency from their wing bench players. After attempting to fill this void with a midyear trade for Richard Jefferson, its clear the Heat need to look elsewhere to bring energy and depth off the bench. Although Brewer is by no means a scoring threat, he will come into the league and provide the Heat with great defense off the bench, and will allow them to pass on re-signing Mo Peterson and former Creation Draft 2nd rounder Richard Jefferson.
10. Indiana Pacers- Rajon Rondo, PGThe Pacers have a very nice young nucleus of Emeka Okafor, Carmelo Anthony, and Quentin Richardson, but have yet to put all the pieces together and become a playoff contender. This is mostly due to a lack of efficient point guard play, so Indiana will almost take Rajon Rondo by default. In a weak point guard class, Rondo is the best pure point guard there is, and with that he’s extremely lucky, because any other year I don’t see Rondo being a top 10 pick.
What worries me with Rondo, obviously, is his severe lack of an offensive game to the tune of a C inside grade to go along with a D outside grade. While he may end up having a career that justifies him as a lottery selection, one only has to go as far as to look at former Pacers PG Tony Parker to see that Rondo may fall flat on his face as a prospect. Parker, who boasts A-/A- ratings in handling and defense, has put up an underwhelming 8 points and 6 assists for his career. Although Rondo will probably be a better passer than Parker, their similarities in ratings will present a major question mark when drafting Rondo, especially if a team decides to use a top 10 pick on the floor general out of Kentucky.
11. Golden State Warriors- Hassan Adams, SGThe Warriors have established superstars in Devin Harris at point and Pau Gasol at power forward, but are severely lacking in talent after those two. Perhaps no prospect helped himself more at the Wing Stop Challenge than did Hassan Adams, who managed to average 21 points over the 6 game span, tops on his team that included Rudy Gay and Chris Paul.
Although Adams sports the dreaded B potential (which, as we have seen may very well end up getting bumped to an A), the fact that he came in and put up such great numbers playing against NBA prospects suggests that he has what it takes to come in and immediately contribute at the next level. The most impressive part of his scoring tear during the circuit was that he did it shooting a blistering 49% from the field. This scoring ability should allow his offensive game to translate easily to the professional level. If he can develop some consistency with his 3 point shot, Adams has the potential to become a legitimate scoring threat in TMBSL.
12. Los Angeles Lakers- David Noel, SFBringing in Noel will allow the Lakers to have some variety in how they’d like to use their wing players, as he, Jason Richardson, and Antoine Wright are all capable of playing either SG or SF. Noel will instantly be able to provide a good defender off the bench. He will also be a good complement to Richardson and Wright offensively, as Noel is more prone to score slashing to the bucket rather than raining it in from deep like the other two. If the Lakers were to go with Noel here, look for them to do all they can to find a suitor for Jason Richardson, although if they were to keep him in hopes of him ever developing, the three young wing players should be able to co-exist in LA.
13. Phoenix Suns- Thabo Sefolosha, SFWith Anfernee Hardaway getting older by the day and no real defensive stopper on the wing present in Phoenix, the Suns would be happy to add Sefolosha to the mix with the pick they received in a trade with the Nuggets. Adding Sefolosha will allow the Suns to move on from Hardaway, and will finally give them the elite defensive wing player they sorely lacked this year. With Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire, and Steve Francis already on board and capable of doing the bulk of the scoring, the pressure to perform offensively would be kept off Sefolosha’s shoulders, allowing him to focus primarily on the defensive end. There isn’t a better perimeter defender included in the class, so nabbing Sefolosha here should please the fans of Phoenix.
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