Page 9 of 10 FirstFirst ... 678910 LastLast
Results 121 to 135 of 143
  1. #121
    Learning to shoot layups jl1718's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    94

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    Andre Drummond has been a revelation. Not only is he playing like someone who should have been the second pick in the draft (instead of the ninth), but he has executives and coaches thinking he can be the best player from this class. Yes, better than No. 1 pick and national collegiate player of the year Anthony Davis.

    But as amazing as Drummond has been, and as bright as the future looks in Detroit, there is still a huge learning curve for him to undergo if he is going to be an All-Star-level performer, which is absolutely in his wheelhouse. (That's what an 18-point, 18-rebound game as a 19-year-old will do for your projected future.)

    Being as young as he is gives both the Pistons and him time to develop his game the right way. But if they want to get back into playoff contention sooner, Detroit will need him to improve faster and to higher heights than most.

    So how can Detroit do that with Drummond? Here's a four-step manual:


    ROOKIE 50 RANKINGS
    We're keeping track of every NBA rook. Here are the latest Top 50 rankings.

    Rank Player Stock
    1 Damian Lillard
    2 Andre Drummond
    3 Anthony Davis
    4 Andrew Nicholson
    5 Bradley Beal
    6 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
    7 Jared Sullinger
    8 Dion Waiters
    9 Brian Roberts
    10 Pablo Prigioni

  2. #122
    sahelanthropus fpliii's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Posts
    9,702

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread


  3. #123
    Very good NBA starter chips93's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Ireland
    Posts
    7,922

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    i will rep the absolute f*cking f*ck out of the person who posts this article

    thanks

    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...g-19-year-olds

  4. #124
    Learning to shoot layups jl1718's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    94

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    When evaluating players, there are dozens of variables to consider. But the one that tends to be forgotten the most by fans -- yet treasured strongly by NBA executives -- is the player's age.

    Teams consider age for two main reasons: (1) It helps explain the player's success in college, and (2) it shows how long the player has to make big jumps in production. The top targets are always young players who are big producers. After that, teams value young players who are solid but have the physical/skill trajectory of a much better player -- their youth provides them with more time to develop.

    As has been discussed in these reports numerous times, a player's trajectory -- his upside -- is best realized when he's in his best environment for growth. The team may or may not be good, but the opportunity for development must be there. Many times, of course, it is not. So when we project how a player is going to perform over time, that has to be taken into account.

    However, we can still rate a player purely on the level of his ceiling, how good the player can ultimately be if given the perfect situation. And that's what we'll be doing over the next several weeks as we rank the rookies by age. Up first, the guys who typically have the highest ceilings, the 19-year-olds.


    1. Andre Drummond, Pistons
    There are many ways to define talent. But for the sake of this report, I like to define talent as "production minus mechanics." That is, someone who is very productive and efficient without really knowing what he's doing is extremely talented. Like Drummond.

    Last April, I wrote that Drummond could be an All-Star in his second or third season, if he developed according to plan, because there are so few men on earth who can move like he can at his size and length. But he's even better than I projected. There is no one else in this age group who has his collection of tools. The fact that he's doing so much without understanding the game suggests he can truly dominate beginning as early as next season and lasting over a decade. When you can own the paint on both ends, you become a superstar, and Drummond has that in his reach.

    If he can develop just an average free throw stroke, he can become a multiple-time All-Star -- yes, even without any kind of reliable post move. And that is the beauty of being just 19 years old -- he has years to develop more than just his free throw shooting. As he begins to read and anticipate while also crafting his game, he'll improve even more than he has since high school.

    2. Anthony Davis, Hornets
    If the draft were held today, it's absolutely possible -- maybe even likely -- that Drummond would go No. 1 overall. But Davis would certainly not fall below No. 2. He's proven to be every bit of the can't-miss prospect we thought he would be, combining elite athleticism and timing with a better set of offensive skills than we saw in the NCAA championship game.

    I never saw Davis as a future Tim Duncan, as others have, but if Davis and Drummond were stocks, I'd probably allocate most of my money on Davis. Drummond has a higher ceiling on paper, but Davis is more likely to reach a higher level, thanks to his more polished game and his elite quickness for the position.

    He is also going to get stronger, and his game will jump a few levels when that happens, making him an elite defender possibly by next season and helping him become a multiple-time All-Star.

    3. Bradley Beal, Wizards
    I never understood the Ray Allen comparisons, other than they each have sweet-looking strokes. Beal is more like a less-quick version of Eric Gordon, but a better shooter. That alone makes him good enough for third on this list.

    As the NBA has evolved on defense -- flooding ball-side action and making teams make the extra pass to the opposite side -- great perimeter shooting has become more valuable than ever. Take a look at the top six 3-point-shooting teams by percentage: Golden State, New York, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Miami and San Antonio. All six are playoff teams, including the top two seeds in each conference.

    Beal has the game to be a strong starter for a contender, and he is capable of being a career 40-plus-percent shooter from deep. As a gifted ball-mover and a willing defender, he's going to be in consideration for future All-Star berths if he's on contending teams. He can also be his team's leading scorer, depending on the offensive game plan, and his talent as a shooter should help his teammates have productive seasons simply because of the attention he'll draw.

    4. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bobcats
    Kidd-Gilchrist shouldn't be viewed as a 19-year-old for the simple reason that his body is far beyond most his age. So he won't change as much physically as the other rookies on this list. But that's not to say he won't get better, because he will.

    We can assume he will be at least an average shooter, perhaps even a solid one. And we know MKG projects to be the best player on his team in one category: defense, which is where his talent lies. His overall feel and effort rank high, as well. (Each of the three guys above him on this list can be the best player on his team in at least two categories.)

    However, offense carries more weight than defense -- the top five teams in this league right now are also the top five offensive teams, and the past four title teams were all top-four offenses in the postseason because they feature dynamic offensive players. MKG is a step behind Drummond, Davis and Beal on that end.

    5. Tony Wroten, Grizzlies
    Wroten has the biggest range between his best-case and worst-case scenarios on this list. He is a superbly gifted and willing passer, with special vision and anticipatory skills that help him find buckets for teammates. He's also a big guard who has the potential to be tough to defend off the dribble. His size and quickness enable him to have big defensive potential, too, with the added bonus of being able to guard 2s and give his team the ability to play two point guards in crunch time. Coaches love that option in today's game.

    All of this sounds great until we factor in his downside: poor decision-making, very little reading of the game along with lots of wildness, and an inability to shoot perimeter shots and free throws. If I was ranking the players who were most likely to reach their potential, Wroten would finish last on the list. Talentwise, though, he's got the rare tools to be a long-term starter as a defensive ace and a passing wizard.


    To Be Determined

    Moe Harkless, Magic
    I don't know what to make of Harkless as of now. He's long and relatively athletic, but as a nonshooter and a nonscorer I can't tell what he can become yet. He looks to be effective in the paint, thanks to his length, and he had experience playing more as a big forward than a small forward at St. John's.

    I see some Thaddeus Young in him, which should make Orlando smile, and I think he can be a better perimeter defender than Young is. If Harkless can learn to make 15-foot jumpers, he could be a solid bench player for a good team, at the least. Adding a reliable 3-point shot would give him a higher ceiling, but few guys learn to shoot it well when they never have before, except for guards.



    Marquis Teague, Bulls
    We've barely seen Teague on the court this season, which is somewhat surprising considering Derrick Rose has been out. Perhaps Teague's weak frame and lack of defensive IQ are what's keeping him on the bench. But we know his quickness is at an elite level, and his brother, Atlanta's Jeff Teague, took a few years before he arrived.

    I think Teague has a bright future in this league. His ball skills and quicks are rare. So seeing him start at point guard one day in the NBA would not be surprising, though it would be surprising in Chicago. I expect him to play great in Vegas this coming summer, giving us a better chance to evaluate his upside. Like the other guys on this list, he's just 19 years old and has time to develop.

  5. #125
    Very good NBA starter chips93's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Ireland
    Posts
    7,922

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    thanks a lot man


  6. #126
    College superstar BlackWhiteGreen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Nottingham
    Posts
    4,904

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread


  7. #127
    Banned
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    12,762

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    Can someone post Chad Ford's full Big Board?

    http://espn.go.com/nba/draft


    EDIT: Can someone post this as well?

    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...-bledsoe-trade

    Thanks

  8. #128
    Roy Hibbert Super Star InspiredLebowski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Birthplace of basketball
    Posts
    22,323

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by BlackWhiteGreen
    I don't have all of it but I have one from a Pacers board

    [QUOTE]4. Steve Nash to the Indiana Pacers

    Indiana Pacers receive: Steve Nash, Metta World Peace, Jordan Hill and Steve Blake.

    Los Angeles Lakers receive: Danny Granger, George Hill,Lance Stephenson and Ben Hansbrough. The deal in Trade Machine.

    It

  9. #129
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    1,289

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread


  10. #130
    Original ISH CLTHornet CLTHornets4eva's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    ATL
    Posts
    1,790

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by AlonzoGOAT
    Mike Haynes being traded from the Patriots to the Raiders in 1983. Charles Haley's trade from San Francisco to Dallas in 1992. Deion Sanders signing with the 49ers in 1994 and then agreeing to terms with the Cowboys in 1995.



    What do all of these moves have in common? They were the rare types of personnel acquisitions that, although quite costly, were worth every penny because they turned those clubs from contenders into Super Bowl champions.



    Roster opportunities of that caliber don't come around very often, so when they do, it behooves the top teams to do all they can to close the deal.



    That should be the mindset of many organizations when it comes to acquiring the services of unrestricted free-agent wide receiver Mike Wallace. This might seem like hyperbole because Wallace didn't even finish in the top 30 in the league in receptions or receiving yards last season, but the facts are that he has an extraordinarily rare skill-set level that can vault a passing offense into the statistical stratosphere.



    For proof, consider where Wallace was in early October 2011. At that time, there was a strong metric case to be made that he was every bit as good as, and possibly better than, Calvin Johnson.



    As noted in that article, Wallace had a significant metric lead over Johnson in a wide variety of categories that extended not just through the first six games of that season, but also through the entire 2010 season. That means for a 22-game stretch, Wallace statistically bested arguably the best wideout in the NFL.



    That hasn't been the case since then, as Johnson has improved to the point that he is breaking all-time records and Wallace has regressed to well below his former metric apex.



    So what happened to cause Wallace to falter? It's a combination of factors.



    First on the list is the litany of injuries to Ben Roethlisberger. He hurt his foot in Week 4 of 2011, broke his thumb in Week 11 of 2011, injured his foot three weeks later, and damaged his shoulder in Week 10 of 2012. He even got banged up during training camp in August 2012, at which time ESPN AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley noted, "It's gotten to the point it's news when Roethlisberger isn't hurt."



    Big Ben's long history of injuries are likely part of the reason Pittsburgh changed offensive coordinators prior to the 2012 season, moving from the vertically inclined passing attack of Bruce Arians to a system under Todd Haley that was focused more on short-to-intermediate throws -- a change that required Roethlisberger to face a pass rush less often but also did not mesh well with Wallace's downfield receiving talents.



    There was also the matter of Wallace's contract situation that turned quite contentious and caused him to miss the Steelers' offseason workouts, mandatory minicamp and training camp.



    All of this seemed to weigh heavily on Wallace last season in the form of drops (nine, including seven vertical targets) and being somewhat out of sync with his quarterbacks. The latter led to five incompletions where a Steelers passer missed a wide-open Wallace, with three of those throws on vertical routes.

    As bad as Wallace's 2012 campaign was in many facets, it still goes a long ways toward showing just how much of an impact he can have on a club.


    An interesting insight along these lines can be found by looking at some of Tom Brady's 2012 yards per attempt (YPA) figures by route depth and comparing them to Wallace's 2012 YPA figures when he was on the receiving end of passes thrown by Roethlisberger.

    Just about everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for Wallace last season, and yet his YPA numbers were roughly equivalent across the board to Brady's. That means the worst-case scenario for New England would be that signing Wallace would give them the same level of productivity as last year.

    The more likely scenario is that the Patriots would find the optimal way to use Wallace and the improved schematic fit would offer a ton of upside to this deal. That could be just the tonic Brady needs to overcome some of his recent on-field woes and finally get New England back over the championship road bump that has been in its way the past few seasons.

    Wallace could have a similar impact on the Denver Broncos, something noted by ESPN AFC West blogger Bill Williamson in his list of "dream free-agent pairings."

    The Chicago Bears also could go this route, and if they were successful in signing Wallace, the wide receiver battery of Wallace and Brandon Marshall arguably could be the best in the NFL (which is one reason Wallace tops ESPNChicago.com blogger Jeff Dickerson's list of free-agent wide receiver targets.

    Potential Super Bowl contenders are not the only teams whose fortunes Wallace could help turn around, which is why the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers both are rumored to be strongly considering him.

    No matter how one views the situation, however, it is clear that Wallace has the power to choose a path that could alter NFL history -- and drastically improve the passing game of whatever team he is on next.

  11. #131
    Original ISH CLTHornet CLTHornets4eva's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    ATL
    Posts
    1,790

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    I hope the Panthers can get Wallace.

  12. #132
    NBA Fan
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    1,170

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread


  13. #133

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread

    Ditto the Will KD ever win a ring Insider article.

  14. #134
    NBA Fan
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    1,170

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread


  15. #135
    Banned
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Posts
    12,762

    Default Re: ESPN Insider - The Official Thread


Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •