2015 NBA Draft

[Sunstroke]

Very interesting NBA draft last night, if you're into the hoops. The two teams I cheer for, my Suns and the local adopted Heat, both had what I felt were excellent first round picks. The Heat got a guy who was being talked about as a top-5 pick, SF Justise Winslow, at the 10 slot. Arguably the best 2-way wing player in this class, Winslow has deep range, can create and take it to the hole, and then can play above average defense on the way back. Miami got a potential star player at a position of need who is young (19), long (6'6", wingspan of 6'10") and insanely athletic. They added a tall combo guard, Tennessee's Josh Richardson, in round two.

I made a short list of players I thought the Suns could get at 13 that I liked, and they got one in SG Devin Booker. Excellent size for the two at 6'6", and the best pure jump shooter for range in the draft. Phoenix continues collecting talented Kentucky guards, with Booker joining Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Archie Goodwin as the top 4 guards in the projected rotation. The Suns needed either a big man, or a 3-point marksman, and they got the latter. For a moment, the Suns added yet a 5th Kentucky guard, drafting Andrew Harrison in round two...before shipping him to Memphis for a 4th year PF, Jon Leuer.

[Dave Gray]

Knicks fans booing and crying was priceless.  I like the HEAT's choice.  I don't follow NCAA players closely, but he seems to have a skillset we need and he dropped way lower than expected.  Score.

[MikeO]

Knicks fans booing and crying was priceless.  I like the HEAT's choice.  I don't follow NCAA players closely, but he seems to have a skillset we need and he dropped way lower than expected.  Score.

Not a huge Winslow fan. He had a good tournament but he doesn't do anything great. There is a reason why he fell to 10. He doesn't shoot well at all and he can't create his own shot. I mean he wasn't going Top 3 and teams picking 4-9 all probably aren't wrong. I think he is a solid NBA role player. But this talk of him being the next Wade or he will take over for Wade is totally foolish.  He isn't anywhere near that level and probably never will be.

The Knicks pick I have no problem with, they are years away from being good so why not take the one kid in the draft with the highest upside out of anyone. If he didn't go 4th he was gonna go 5th. Every team loved him. And its not like they passed on some great players to take him and its not like if they took someone else they were going to be a playoff team this year. It's a total rebuild and it was a weak draft. That pick I have no problem with and the trade of Hardaway for Grant I think helps the Knicks too as Grant is a solid player and better than Hardaway.

I really like what Minnesota did I think they are building a very good team there. In a couple years they might be really good. And I think Philadelphia is clueless on every level. Also the Lakers will be back soon. In FA when they sign Love or Aldrige they will have a great core and will be a force in the West next year.

[Phishfan]

Also the Lakers will be back soon. In FA when they sign Love or Aldrige they will have a great core and will be a force in the West next year.

We can agree on something.

[Sunstroke]

Not a huge Winslow fan. He had a good tournament but he doesn't do anything great. There is a reason why he fell to 10. He doesn't shoot well at all and he can't create his own shot. I mean he wasn't going Top 3 and teams picking 4-9 all probably aren't wrong. I think he is a solid NBA role player. But this talk of him being the next Wade or he will take over for Wade is totally foolish.  He isn't anywhere near that level and probably never will be.

Pretty shocked to hear anyone have something negative to say about Miami taking Winslow at #10, but everyone's allowed their opinion (read those last 4 words again, MikeO, for memory's sake). I think he's a fine shooter, though he did, admittedly, have some free throw issues. Still, 48% from the field and 41% from 3 in your first season at the college level, playing for a top school, all at the age of 18...I think he shoots just fine, and think he will work out his free throw issues. For a young player to improve as the season went along, and then have his best performances at the end, in the tournament, against the best competition, I'd say that is a good omen for his continued development.

Justise Winslow isn't going to be Dwyane Wade. Wade is one of the top SGs of the past decade and Winslow is a small forward with potential. Winslow certainly has the ability to develop into an 18-20 ppg wing player who gives ya 5-6 boards and 2-3 assists. The fact that he also put up right around a steal and a block per game, should be a decent statistical indicator for not only his defensive upside, but his motor as well.

I mean he wasn't going Top 3 and teams picking 4-9 all probably aren't wrong.

I'll give some credit to you for at least using the word "probably," as it allows for the possibility that you can't actually see the future (unlike many of your burning bush proclamations), but every draft class has players that turn out much better than their draft positioning. Players that make everyone say "how did that dude last until the #X pick?" It's why past class redraft articles are so popular in every sport. I think Winslow could be that type of guy in this class.

Time will tell...

[Fau Teixeira]

in the end .. SF / SG was the heat's most glaring need .. and this pick fills a need with the best prospect at the SF position in the draft .. i can't complain at all about it. If it works out or not, we'll see but it's a great pick

[MikeO]

Pretty shocked to hear anyone have something negative to say about Miami taking Winslow at #10, but everyone's allowed their opinion (read those last 4 words again, MikeO, for memory's sake). I think he's a fine shooter, though he did, admittedly, have some free throw issues. Still, 48% from the field and 41% from 3 in your first season at the college level, playing for a top school, all at the age of 18...I think he shoots just fine, and think he will work out his free throw issues. For a young player to improve as the season went along, and then have his best performances at the end, in the tournament, against the best competition, I'd say that is a good omen for his continued development.

Justise Winslow isn't going to be Dwyane Wade. Wade is one of the top SGs of the past decade and Winslow is a small forward with potential. Winslow certainly has the ability to develop into an 18-20 ppg wing player who gives ya 5-6 boards and 2-3 assists. The fact that he also put up right around a steal and a block per game, should be a decent statistical indicator for not only his defensive upside, but his motor as well.


I'll give some credit to you for at least using the word "probably," as it allows for the possibility that you can't actually see the future (unlike many of your burning bush proclamations), but every draft class has players that turn out much better than their draft positioning. Players that make everyone say "how did that dude last until the #X pick?" It's why past class redraft articles are so popular in every sport. I think Winslow could be that type of guy in this class.

Time will tell...

I didn't knock the Heat for taking him. I just said he is was there at #10 for a reason. Winslow was good last year when he moved to PF and used his speed to get around guys. In the NBA he can't play power foward. He is a SG/SF who is a poor shooter. There is a reason he was on the board at #10. I don't blame the Heat for taking him, I just don't think he is all that good

[MikeO]

Justise Winslow isn't going to be Dwyane Wade. Wade is one of the top SGs of the past decade and Winslow is a small forward with potential.

Coach K thinks he is Wade   http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/06/25/coach-k-justise-winslow-is-dwyane-wade/

Also Doug Gottlieb is in the camp that Winslow wasn't a steal at #10 either as that is where he should of gone and that other players in this draft are just better than him  http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/06/26/gottlieb-justise-winslow-is-not-a-steal/

[EDGECRUSHER]

I will say this about the Knicks, IF and I cannot stress enough IF they got 2 big free agents this summer along with a good draft pick, I think they are close to contending next season. That would give them 3 All-Stars and a stud draft pick, that's very good for the weak Eastern Conference.

Of course, they drafted a skinny, Latvian teenager who won't be ready for years and made themselves as unattractive to future free agents as possible, so they won't be doing shit next year but giving their 1st rounder to Toronto....after Denver swaps their first rounder with us, so really Denver gets the better pick.

God, I hate this team.

[MikeO]

I will say this about the Knicks, IF and I cannot stress enough IF they got 2 big free agents this summer along with a good draft pick, I think they are close to contending next season. That would give them 3 All-Stars and a stud draft pick, that's very good for the weak Eastern Conference.

Of course, they drafted a skinny, Latvian teenager who won't be ready for years and made themselves as unattractive to future free agents as possible, so they won't be doing shit next year but giving their 1st rounder to Toronto....after Denver swaps their first rounder with us, so really Denver gets the better pick.

God, I hate this team.

No chance they go big this year in FA. They are building for NEXT offseason. I think they will sign Greg Monroe this offseason and that's it (in terms of major moves.) Lay low till next years bigger and better free agent class.

Knicks aren't going to pay (or get) Aldridge, Love, or Gasol. They don't want the first two and Gasol said he isn't going there. They will pay Monroe and load up on cap space for next year's big free agent class. Knicks traded back into Rd 1 this year to grab a 2nd guy cause they don't have any picks next year at all.

If Phil's plan (which seems obvious now) is to have Calderon, Grant, Melo, Monroe...groom the Latvian kid who everyone loves and has huge upside and then sign a big time player next year in FA when he has a shitload of $$$ to spend its not an awful plan. And if a contender this February wants to add a piece in Melo and take on that contract he can unload him for expiring contracts and picks and then have more money to bring in 2 big-time FA's next year in 2016. 2016 offseason has always been the goal for them.

Worst thing the Knicks did was not tank. Winning 2 games the final week of the year and 2 of their final 3 games and 3 of their last 6 games hurt them badly. While Philly and Minnesota were trying to lose the Knicks actually showed some spirit and tried the final week of the year. That's what hurt them.

[EDGECRUSHER]

Oh yeah,  I didn't think they would go nuts this summer, just that if they did and drafted for now, I didn't see a reason they couldn't win 50 games in the East.

Their "pride" to end the season was brutal, even the NY papers were shitting on them for winning games that hurt their lottery chances.

Listening to Phil in recent interviews makes me worry though, especially his Twitter account. He sounds like an old man who let the game pass him by. Openly mocking teams who rely on 3 point shooting is not making me want season tickets anytime soon.

[bsmooth]

Many people are knocking Detroit for taking Johnson over Winslow. Johnson was rated higher out of high school, and led a team deep into the NCAA tournament with less surrounding talent than Winslow. I am happy with Detroit's pick, and if you look at stats, there is not a lot separating these two.

[masterfins]

This draft is a great example of how agents, and the NBA themselves, have ruined professional and college basketball.  It was a poor draft class filled with kids that have no business being in the draft to begin with.  Most of these kids have ruined their chances of making it as a professional athlete because they didn't spend a couple more years in college developing their skill so that they could be drafted and have an immediate impact on the teams that drafted them.  Now most will ride the pine and never get a chance to develop before being let go; and going off to Europe to play on a pro team over there if they are lucky.  The Knicks are a perfect example, a crappy team in need of immediate help, use their high pick to draft a kid that could "potentially" help them in a year or two.  Really?  And now the college game is suffering because there are very few three or four year starters.  For the good of the game the NBA needs to stop drafting these kids (except in rare instances like a Kobe or James), and force them to stay in school.

[MikeO]

This draft is a great example of how agents, and the NBA themselves, have ruined professional and college basketball.  It was a poor draft class filled with kids that have no business being in the draft to begin with.  Most of these kids have ruined their chances of making it as a professional athlete because they didn't spend a couple more years in college developing their skill so that they could be drafted and have an immediate impact on the teams that drafted them.  Now most will ride the pine and never get a chance to develop before being let go; and going off to Europe to play on a pro team over there if they are lucky.  The Knicks are a perfect example, a crappy team in need of immediate help, use their high pick to draft a kid that could "potentially" help them in a year or two.  Really?  And now the college game is suffering because there are very few three or four year starters.  For the good of the game the NBA needs to stop drafting these kids (except in rare instances like a Kobe or James), and force them to stay in school.

I just like how anyone in the NBA draft who is 23 is considered "old" and some teams won't even consider them....lol. It's comical

Perfect Example is from last year, Tyler Ennis. Plays 1 year of college, goes pro...gets picked 18th and goes straight to the D-League. Guy was the 18th pick and ends up straight in the D-league out of training camp. Plays 8 games for the team that picked him then traded midway through the season. And plays a whopping 33 games as a rookie total logging almost no minutes. If he would have stayed in school 1 more year he probably would have been a Top 10 pick this year as it was a weak draft for point guards! Instead he is 1 year in the NBA. Clearly in over his head as he looks lost on the court when he does get a few minutes. Already traded once and bouncing around with no bright future in front of him.

Easy fix to this problem, they should make the NBA draft just 1 round. NBA rosters are so small you don't need 2 rounds.  Then I think it would prevent some kids from leaving early and signing with an agent. Make the kids who are borderline to get drafted think twice before making that decision.

[ArtieChokePhin]

I just like how anyone in the NBA draft who is 23 is considered "old" and some teams won't even consider them....lol. It's comical

Perfect Example is from last year, Tyler Ennis. Plays 1 year of college, goes pro...gets picked 18th and goes straight to the D-League. Guy was the 18th pick and ends up straight in the D-league out of training camp. Plays 8 games for the team that picked him then traded midway through the season. And plays a whopping 33 games as a rookie total logging almost no minutes. If he would have stayed in school 1 more year he probably would have been a Top 10 pick this year as it was a weak draft for point guards! Instead he is 1 year in the NBA. Clearly in over his head as he looks lost on the court when he does get a few minutes. Already traded once and bouncing around with no bright future in front of him.

Easy fix to this problem, they should make the NBA draft just 1 round. NBA rosters are so small you don't need 2 rounds.  Then I think it would prevent some kids from leaving early and signing with an agent. Make the kids who are borderline to get drafted think twice before making that decision.

I looked at some past posts on this and I've seen some people saying that the NBA should implement MLB's policies on this.   I tend to agree there.  Let the Lebrons and Kobes come straight out of high school and let the kids who go to college develop some there