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2012 Draft Thursday, June 28th: Raptors select Terence Ross

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  • I'd say Quincy Miller has a better chance of being an impact Small Forward than Anthony Davis.
    I see Davis as almost pure Power Forward at this point.

    It will be interesting to see how Miller and Perry Jones play together for a full season.

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    • reminds of kevin durant with his length and dunks. His shot doesn't look as great but i'm sure it'll become better once he puts some work in.

      Comment


      • Early in the season, 5 possible number 1's:

        **Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky

        Through his first two college games under John Calipari, the 6-foot-10 Davis is averaging 18.5 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks. Playing against No. 11 Kansas on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, Davis put up 14 points, 7 blocks and 6 rebounds. He has 22 blocks through four games, if you count the team’s two exhibitions.

        “The ones that are truly shot-blockers … it was funny, Marcus Camby and I texted each other after the game,” Calipari said after the Kansas game. “I said, ‘Were you watching?’ He said, ‘I watch every one of your games.’ I said, ‘Does Davis remind you of a young Camby?’ He said, ‘Lots of laughter,’ and he says, ‘Yes, he does.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but he shoots it better.’ ”

        Most NBA scouts believe Davis should be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

        “I think right now he’s the frontrunner, but it’s early,” one veteran NBA scout said. “He’s a great talent. His upside is tremendous. His skill set is good now and getting better every day. He’s a terrific prospect.”
        **Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina

        The 6-8 Barnes opted not to go pro after his freshman season under coach Roy Williams, and the move could pay huge dividends, especially since there’s no NBA ball now anyway. Playing for the No. 1 team in the nation, Barnes is averaging 17 points and 5 rebounds through two games.

        He plays for a team loaded with future NBA picks in forwards Tyler Zeller and John Henson and point guard Kendall Marshall, but Barnes is the team’s most complete player.

        “Harrison Barnes is the most complete player in the country,” the NBA scout said.
        **Andre Drummond, C, UConn

        After deciding to enroll at UConn instead of spending a postgraduate year at prep school, Drummond arrived on campus with huge expectations. He’s averaging 6.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks through three games for the defending NCAA champs.

        Despite playing with a face mask due to a broken nose suffered during practice, he’s shown a proclivity for shot-blocking and highlight-reel dunks. After going scoreless in his first college game, the 6-10 Drummond posted his best game yet on Thursday against Maine, going for 14 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks.

        “Davis probably has a slight edge right now [for No. 1] from what the consensus seems to be, but we need to see what Drummond looks like with no face mask and a few months of college coaching underneath his belt,” said Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.net.
        **Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State

        Like Barnes, Sullinger chose to remain on campus for his sophomore season instead of going one-and-done. The 6-9 post player is averaging 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds through two games for the Buckeyes. After he put up 16 points and 6 rebounds Tuesday in an 81-74 victory over Florida, Gators sophomore center Patric Young broke out this analysis.

        “His size is a really big advantage that he has,” Young said of Sullinger. “He has a really big butt. I’m just saying, it really helps. I’m serious, it really helps him. He gets really good position and if you’re not ready, once he ducks you in, you can’t get around him.”
        **Perry Jones, PF, Baylor

        Jones averaged 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds as a freshman with a slew of NBA scouts following his every move. Like Barnes and Sullinger, he, too, returned to campus.

        But Jones has yet to suit up this season because the NCAA ruled that Jones’ mother, Terri, had accepted illegal loans from an AAU coach to help her make mortgage payments two years before Perry had enrolled at Baylor.

        Now he must wait for the Bears to play fives games before he can get back on the court.

        “Jones was a projected top-5 pick all year long last year,” Givony said. “NBA scouts are enamored with his outstanding physical attributes and skill-level. Many feel he has the potential to develop into an All-Star caliber power forward. They are drafting him for what he could develop into in the next 2-3 years, not necessarily what he is now, which isn’t always all that impressive.

        “He was inconsistent last year and not as productive as you might hope, which is the reason he went from being considered a potential candidate for the #1 pick to a likely 3-5 selection had he entered. He’s still very much in that mix, even if the competition has stiffened somewhat for 2012.”
        Source: Adam Zagoria, SheridanHoops.com

        Comment


        • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
          I'd say Quincy Miller has a better chance of being an impact Small Forward than Anthony Davis.
          I see Davis as almost pure Power Forward at this point.

          It will be interesting to see how Miller and Perry Jones play together for a full season.
          Who cares what position Davis plays? He's a better passer than any of the other potential number ones, and is looking like more and more of a monster on the defensive end. If the draft were held today, I'd go with Davis without hesitation.
          Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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          • Tim W. wrote: View Post
            Who cares what position Davis plays? He's a better passer than any of the other potential number ones, and is looking like more and more of a monster on the defensive end. If the draft were held today, I'd go with Davis without hesitation.
            Yes I know. But it's not. Which is ultimately my point.
            There is another 5 months to determine who exactly is the best player in the pack; and then, we have to figure out where exactly we will end up picking. Which, the odds are not #1.

            I'd like to see the team commit to Ed Davis (who IS a defensive monster already), Valanciunas and Demar. Which makes me more inclined to view potential picks in terms of how they will fit with our current 'core'. (which also includes are current 'Star Power Forward' player don't forget, Andrea Bargnani.)

            And Harrison Barnes is, in my opinion and many others, a can't-miss prospect, who would fit PERFECTLY in with our current core group of talent. A core group that I believe will be able to win alot of games as is, if given the chance to grow together.

            You make it seem as if we'd be a 22-win team no matter what unless we get Anthony Davis.
            Also a can't-miss prospect, but would ultimately require some moving up in the draft, and some movement of our current core group of players to accomodate. Both of which, I'm not really taking into consideration.
            Last edited by Joey; Sat Nov 19, 2011, 09:54 PM.

            Comment


            • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
              Yes I know. But it's not. Which is ultimately my point.
              There is another 5 months to determine who exactly is the best player in the pack; and then, we have to figure out where exactly we will end up picking. Which, the odds are not #1.
              I remember 2009 where at the start of the season right through to sometime after Christmas you had Jordan Hill, and Earl Clark and B.J. Mullens ranked really high, as in top five high. Meanwhile DeRozan and Curry weren't even in people's top tens. More games were played, the tourney took place and suddenly Hill, Clark and Mullens all fell while DeRozan and Curry rose. A lot can change.


              joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
              And Harrison Barnes is, in my opinion and many others, a can't-miss prospect, who would fit PERFECTLY in with our current core group of talent. A core group that I believe will be able to win alot of games as is, if given the chance to grow together.
              I was on the Barnes wagon last June and I still haven't gotten off. He's the guy who makes the most sense to me.

              As for Anthony Davis, I'll just say one thing. Haven't the Raptors invested enough time in "fancy" PF's? They're good there and it's not like Davis is standing out far above everyone else in this draft class...

              I expect Terrence Jones to be in the top ten by the time June rolls around. Colangelo loves his Point Forwards and that's what Jones is. Just a saying.

              I need to see Jeremy Lamb play.

              Comment


              • The draft is simple: take the best player available. If it is a PF, so be it.

                Regarding Anthony Davis, despite his mediocre showing today, the thought of him and JV together is good on offense and ridiculous on defense. It appears his potential is off the charts with physical abilities, skills, drive, desire and length. As he catches up to his body.... wow. For all the match up nightmares Bargnani can create, Davis appears to have the same ability in time - maybe more.

                Do not get me wrong. I'm not looking to pack his bags. However there is no question in my mind Anthony is a better prospect for the Raptors - or any team. The reality is unless Toronto drafts 1 or 2, they likely won't have a shot anyways.

                The great thing about the Raptors is the flexibility they will have moving forward. If a PF is the best player available in the draft, they will certainly have opportunities to address other areas with trade chips and cap space. Players like Gay (trade) and Batum (free agency) could be available. A player like Bargnani or ED alone, with a future draft pick, and/or taking on contract deemed onerous for another team could fetch another lottery pick.

                Who knows what will happen.

                UNC versus Kentucky December 3rd will certainly add fuel to this debate, though!

                Comment


                • Myck Kabongo

                  The first time Myck Kabongo left an impression on Dan Hurley, his former coach for three years at St. Benedict’s High School and now the head coach at Wagner, was before he even got to the school. The two had spoken on the phone on a Saturday night about Kabongo coming down from his native Toronto to see a practice and check out the school. The next day, at 3 p.m., Kabongo was there — with AAU teammate Tristan Thompson in tow.

                  That was just the first impression. Over the course of their time together, there would be many others. There was the time his junior year when he hit a buzzer-beater to beat St. Patrick’s and outplayed eventual NBA first overall pick Kyrie Irving. The list could go on, all indicative of the esteem with which Hurley holds his former point guard after a nine-year coaching stop at the school.

                  “He’s right there,” Hurley said of where Kabongo stands amongst his best players. “I thought he was earmarked to be the best one just because he was so good at his position. He has all of the qualities you would want to be a great college player and great NBA player down the road. For me he projected to be the best one that I would have coached and we coached some good ones.”

                  That’s high praise from Hurley — who has coached Thompson, J.R. Smith and Samardo Samuels, among others. But Kabongo’s basketball skills aren’t the first things Hurley mentioned when talking about the now-freshman at Texas.

                  One reason Kabongo looks forward to returning to New Jersey to play Oregon State in the semifinals of the Legends Classic tonight at the Izod Center is because of the relationship he built with the Hurleys.

                  “I’m very excited,” Kabongo said. “It’s like my second home — my third home now because Toronto is one, Texas is two and Jersey is three.”

                  While Wagner travels to Lafayette, Hurley’s wife and children will stay local to watch Kabongo — the same kid that used to stay over a few weekends a month and play with Hurley’s two sons. The same kid that still calls Hurley’s wife on Mother’s Day and on her birthday. The same kid that she now sends brownies and cookies to.

                  “Myck was one of the handful guys that I would say I was the closest to on a personal level while coaching at St. Benedict’s because we spent so much time together,” Hurley said. “He became extraordinarily close with my children, my wife and myself. So the relationship probably went beyond the player-coach.

                  “He was great with my sons. He’d be outside playing sports with them, he’d be in the basement playing video games, he’d be running around … playing army. He’s one of the top players in the country who has all these people tugging at him and treating him like a commodity, yet when he would come to my house he would be a normal kid and would take the time.”

                  But Kabongo left St. Benedict’s for Findlay Prep when Hurley left for Wagner .

                  Now he’ll return as one of the most exciting freshmen in college basketball. He’s a projected first-round pick who flirted with a triple-double in just his second collegiate game. Hurley has seen enough to put Kabongo in some rare company.

                  “You talk about some of these guys that have the ‘it’ factor,” he said. “Maybe I saw it with my brother (Bobby), I think my brother had the ‘it’ factor as a player at Duke and I think Myck has the ‘it’ factor to go along with all of the physical attributes that you want in a great player.”
                  Source


                  Is it just me or does it feel like Kabongo is destined to be a Raptor? With DeRozan and JV looking for a long term lobber, obviously the hometown connection, and a Raptors team that seems to have lacked a true leader for a number of years, I hope the stars align.

                  Comment


                  • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
                    Yes I know. But it's not. Which is ultimately my point.
                    There is another 5 months to determine who exactly is the best player in the pack; and then, we have to figure out where exactly we will end up picking. Which, the odds are not #1.

                    I'd like to see the team commit to Ed Davis (who IS a defensive monster already), Valanciunas and Demar. Which makes me more inclined to view potential picks in terms of how they will fit with our current 'core'. (which also includes are current 'Star Power Forward' player don't forget, Andrea Bargnani.)

                    And Harrison Barnes is, in my opinion and many others, a can't-miss prospect, who would fit PERFECTLY in with our current core group of talent. A core group that I believe will be able to win alot of games as is, if given the chance to grow together.

                    You make it seem as if we'd be a 22-win team no matter what unless we get Anthony Davis.
                    Also a can't-miss prospect, but would ultimately require some moving up in the draft, and some movement of our current core group of players to accomodate. Both of which, I'm not really taking into consideration.
                    You're trying to select a house based on the furniture you already have. That's not the best way to do it. However much I like many of the players the Raptors already have, they are all complimentary pieces (Valanciunas may or may not be, but we don't know at this point). The Raptors need to pick whoever has the best chance to be their franchise player and then adjust their roster to him.

                    And I'm not suggesting the only way the Raptors won't be a 22 win team is by drafting Davis. I'm suggesting that when you're one of the worst teams in the league, the last thing you should do worry about who's already on your team when you draft. In last year's draft, Cleveland picked Tristan Thompson over Valanciunas despite most feeling that Valanciunas was the better player because Thompson filled a more immediate need. If Valanciunas turns out to be better than Thompson, ten years from now, no one is going to remember that Thompson filled a more immediate need, but that Cleveland missed out on the better player. Hell, look at Ed Davis. The main reason Davis fell to 13 was because teams drafting ahead of the Raptors needed other positions more than PF. And now Davis is in the conversation for the top 5 players from his draft. If they had the chance to draft over, I'm guessing some of those teams would pick differently.

                    Speaking of Davis, I liked him even before the draft and have been one of his biggest backers all year, but however much I like him, he's probably a borderline All-Star, at best. If I'm picking in the draft, for the Raptors, there isn't one position I would shy away from selecting. If Jeremy Lamb is the best player available, then I'll pick him despite DeRozan being on the roster. If Andre Drummond is the best player, then he's who I pick despite Valanciunas being on the roster.

                    As for WHERE the Raptors pick, obviously no one knows. I'm just saying who I like just as you've been hyping Barnes. And I actually think the Raptors have a pretty good chance at picking first. They won 22 games last year and probably will trot out a similar roster this time. There's no reason to think the results will be much different.

                    All I know is that, while I like Barnes, Anthony Davis has a talent that I've rarely seen, especially in someone so young. He's basically a guard in a big man's body, and not in a bad way (like Bargnani). He still does all the things a big man needs to do, like defend, rebound and score inside, and VERY well, but he also can shoot from outside, handle the ball and is an exceptional passer. His outlet passes are almost Waltonesque. Plus he's got a 7'4 wingspan and a high basketball IQ.
                    Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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                    • Matt52 wrote: View Post
                      Is it just me or does it feel like Kabongo is destined to be a Raptor?
                      Not just you. I've been saying it for 2 years. haha Keep your fingers crossed.

                      Great article.

                      Comment


                      • Tim W. wrote: View Post
                        All I know is that, while I like Barnes, Anthony Davis has a talent that I've rarely seen, especially in someone so young. He's basically a guard in a big man's body, and not in a bad way (like Bargnani). He still does all the things a big man needs to do, like defend, rebound and score inside, and VERY well, but he also can shoot from outside, handle the ball and is an exceptional passer. His outlet passes are almost Waltonesque. Plus he's got a 7'4 wingspan and a high basketball IQ.
                        And I.....

                        Comment


                        • Matt52 wrote: View Post
                          Source


                          Is it just me or does it feel like Kabongo is destined to be a Raptor? With DeRozan and JV looking for a long term lobber, obviously the hometown connection, and a Raptors team that seems to have lacked a true leader for a number of years, I hope the stars align.
                          I need to watch more of Kabongo. I like a lot of what I've hear about him but have seen so little. From what I know about him, I'd love to see him in a Raptor uniform, I just wonder if the Raptors will have a chance to draft him. They'll likely have to get a 2nd top 15 pick and I don't know how easy those will be to come by.
                          Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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                          • NoPropsneeded wrote: View Post
                            i like Quincy Miller i think he'll be one of the top SF's this draft

                            I like Miller less after seeing that. I've seen clips of him and think he's certainly got talent, but his attitude and the whole "It's easy" thing was a HUGE turnoff. I don't mind the stare-down after the dunk or great play in certain circumstances (I've done it myself), but after a while you just start looking like a punk. That's one thing I like about DeRozan. He just shuts up and plays.
                            Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
                            Follow me on Twitter.

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                            • Matt52 wrote: View Post
                              The draft is simple: take the best player available. If it is a PF, so be it.

                              Regarding Anthony Davis, despite his mediocre showing today, the thought of him and JV together is good on offense and ridiculous on defense. It appears his potential is off the charts with physical abilities, skills, drive, desire and length. As he catches up to his body.... wow. For all the match up nightmares Bargnani can create, Davis appears to have the same ability in time - maybe more.

                              Do not get me wrong. I'm not looking to pack his bags. However there is no question in my mind Anthony is a better prospect for the Raptors - or any team. The reality is unless Toronto drafts 1 or 2, they likely won't have a shot anyways.

                              The great thing about the Raptors is the flexibility they will have moving forward. If a PF is the best player available in the draft, they will certainly have opportunities to address other areas with trade chips and cap space. Players like Gay (trade) and Batum (free agency) could be available. A player like Bargnani or ED alone, with a future draft pick, and/or taking on contract deemed onerous for another team could fetch another lottery pick.

                              Who knows what will happen.

                              UNC versus Kentucky December 3rd will certainly add fuel to this debate, though!
                              I really hate the idea of trading Ed Davis. Guys like that don't grow on trees. If they're ever going to win anything, and do it without a Superstar(no one to be seen right now) then they're going to need guys like him badly. He seems like the perfect guy for Dwayne Casey's system and I think he's going to be a Joakim Noah type player in terms of on court impact and production. The jury is out on if he's got a flare for leadership. I was a little concerned when Casey didn't mention Ed when he took the job. He gave props to all the other core guys but him and it seemed really strange because Ed Davis is probably the best fit out of anyone on the team for a Dwayne Casey defensive system.

                              Tim W. wrote: View Post
                              I like Miller less after seeing that. I've seen clips of him and think he's certainly got talent, but his attitude and the whole "It's easy" thing was a HUGE turnoff. I don't mind the stare-down after the dunk or great play in certain circumstances (I've done it myself), but after a while you just start looking like a punk. That's one thing I like about DeRozan. He just shuts up and plays.
                              I disagree. The Raptors have no swagger. They have a bunch of sheep with no one stepping up to lead them. DeRozan says he's going to do it this year but they need multiple strong people in the dressing room and on the court if they're ever going to help make the head coach's system take off. I have no problem with a highly confident player if he's earning it by producing and working hard on the court and in practice.

                              Here's an old article on him from last January:
                              Quincy Miller "This is the best thing that's happened to me"
                              January 5, 2011
                              It was never a case of Quincy Miller not taking the game of basketball seriously – he did. But like so many gifted youngsters with the world at their feet, standing on the cusp of greatness, he simply didn't know how good he had it. He didn't understand how quickly it could all be taken away. Few ever do.

                              A native of Chicago, Miller may have been the poster child of his class for this character dynamic. Having burst onto the scene as a junior and continued his assault on the class rankings well into last summer, the 18-year-old made almost as many waves for his confident, bordering on brash nature, as he did for his exceptional play on the court. But then harsh reality reared its ugly head.

                              For Miller – a consensus top-5 player in the class of 2011 who has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant for his combination of size and skill – his moment of clarity came less than a month ago. On December 10th, playing in just his fifth game with his new school Westchester Country Day (NC), the 6-foot-9 small forward felt a pop in his left knee. Though player and team remained hopeful for the best, the final diagnosis was in stark contrast to the otherwise optimistic expectations: torn ACL.

                              Not surprisingly, despite his oft described tough exterior, Miller became emotional upon learning the extent of his injury. No McDonald's All-American game. No Jordan Classic. No Nike Hoop Summit. No more high school basketball. Nothing but time and an arduous seven-month long rehabilitation process that has tested many athletes, far more experienced in the injustices of life than a teenager.

                              It was then that Neeton Moore, Miller's AAU coach with D-One Sports, sat down with the broken star and painted a very black and white picture. Moore didn't pull any punches, he didn't cut corners and sugar coat things for the youngster. He spoke to Miller man to man and the response has been striking.

                              “This is probably the best thing that's happened to me, even though it is kind of a negative,” Miller says in an explicit tone, almost saturated with perspective. “It's going to give me time to watch what other high school guys do, what I was doing, how I can change and get ready for college. It's going to enhance my work ethic to be even greater than it was before.”

                              “I think he's developed a sense of humility so to speak about the talent he has,” adds Moore. “He knows not to take it for granted because it can be taken away so quickly.”
                              “With him having to sit out and view things through a different lens, he sees the things he could have done on the court and he sees the mistakes that other guys make,” says Moore. “He's become almost more of a coach in many ways.”
                              It was never a case of Quincy Miller not taking the game of basketball seriously – he did. But like so many gifted youngsters with the world at their feet, standing on the cusp of greatness, he simply didn't know how good he had it. He didn't understand how quickly it could all be taken away. Few ever do.
                              “It's his level of maturity and his desire to prepare that has changed. It's all starting to make sense to him,” he says. “It's giving him a greater appreciation for [basketball] and making him take a more business minded approach to the game. He's not sitting around being down about things, he's looking at what he needs to do and he's doing it.”
                              Source: Draftexpress.com

                              Comment


                              • Apollo wrote: View Post
                                I really hate the idea of trading Ed Davis. Guys like that don't grow on trees. If they're ever going to win anything, and do it without a Superstar(no one to be seen right now) then they're going to need guys like him badly. He seems like the perfect guy for Dwayne Casey's system and I think he's going to be a Joakim Noah type player in terms of on court impact and production. The jury is out on if he's got a flare for leadership. I was a little concerned when Casey didn't mention Ed when he took the job. He gave props to all the other core guys but him and it seemed really strange because Ed Davis is probably the best fit out of anyone on the team for a Dwayne Casey defensive system.
                                I'm pretty sure Matt is not in a hurry to trade Ed Davis, and he even says so himself. But if it's a case of choosing between Anthony Davis and Ed Davis, you got to go with Anthony because he's got a much higher ceiling. Ed, I truly believe, is going to be a VERY good complimentary player and is the kind of guy who seems to usually end up winning a Championship. But he's a complimentary player. Anthony, from what I've seen, should become a true franchise player, something the Raptors have had exactly one of during their entire existence.

                                I've been saying that I'd absolutely love if Anthony were able to play SF, if the Raptors draft him, so they can trot out a front line of Ed, Anthony and Valanciunas. If Anthony can't play SF, though, then I don't see how the Raptors can keep Ed, unfortunately.

                                Now, if the Raptors DON'T draft Anthony, then there's no way in hell I would trade Ed away.

                                Apollo wrote: View Post
                                I disagree. The Raptors have no swagger. They have a bunch of sheep with no one stepping up to lead them. DeRozan says he's going to do it this year but they need multiple strong people in the dressing room and on the court if they're ever going to help make the head coach's system take off. I have no problem with a highly confident player if he's earning it by producing and working hard on the court and in practice.

                                Here's an old article on him from last January:

                                Source: Draftexpress.com
                                The problem I have is that there's a difference between swagger and cockiness. Cockiness starts to grate on people. It shows immaturity. It reminds me of a Steve Francis or Brandon Jennings. Besides, the part that really bothered me was the whole "It's easy" thing. He even had it printed on his shoes? What the hell is up with that. I just don't like that at all.

                                Maybe I'm wrong about him, and I really don't know THAT much about him (I read the article last season and was impressed with him after reading it), so we'll see. He does seem incredibly talented and if it weren't for the knee injury, I'm pretty sure he'd be talked about as a choice for number 1 right now.
                                Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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