silly game

[ceez]

But if Big V wasn't available who would you have taken last year?

My draft board last year was:
big Val
Kanter
Kawhi
Kemba
Knight
Burks

As of today? I'd take Kawhi. I knew his D was going to be good but not this good soon. Just wow. Dude is awesome.

[stefan5301]

I think everyone was obsessed with Kemba and Knight, just because we all felt we needed a pg. I'd look at Kawhi or Shumpert. Shumpert could play for us from 1-3, and would be fantastic in Casey's system.

[The Coach]

But if Big V wasn't available who would you have taken last year?

My draft board last year was:
big Val
Kanter
Kawhi
Kemba
Knight
Burks

As of today? I'd take Kawhi. I knew his D was going to be good but not this good soon. Just wow. Dude is awesome.

You had JV at the top of your big board? Wow, he was way down on mine... I was a big fan of Kawhi and Knight at the time. Still like them both but glad Colangelo made the pick he did.

[ceez]

yeah i liked him over kanter cause of the interview thing and value of a center over other positions.

[thead]

I challenge anyone that says they had JV on their big board to prove it.

[Miekenstien]

i wanted kemba then knight then kwahi.

if given another chance i would have taken kwahi. he is going to be a champion several times over in his career. i was afraid of kanter getting so much hype from just an exhibition game. i hadn't heard of jv at the time and was disappointed that both of my pgs were still up and not chosen.

i couldn't believe that tristan went fourth. and i'm with thead. chances are there are records on this forum somewhere if you were here to show you wanted jv.

i was scared shitless we were going to take vessely. he will end the worst pick in the lottery from last year.

if jv half meets expectations he will be the second best pick in the draft and if he meets them it would have been hard to choose kyrie over a legit awesome 7 footer.

[thead]

Veesley I think will turn into a solid NBA player...give him four years and you will see a solid two way player

[torch19]

I was one of those people who reacted negatively to the JV pick.

One of those "What the **** Toronto ?!!!"

I had Kemba or Knight, then Kawhi.

Then I saw JV's videos for U19 tourney ....... Mind blasted

[Matt52]

I challenge anyone that says they had JV on their big board to prove it.

Look through the 2011 draft thread.

I had Kanter then JV.

The bit from me that was on the RR main page was all about the need to get a C.

[Papa Burgundy]

Mine was:
Knight (I wanted them to draft him over Big V at the time)
Bismack Biyombo
Enes Kanter
Kawhi Leonard

... after that, I didn't really care about anyone else - maybe Kemba by trading down.

[Mediumcore]

My picks for last year were
Irving
Kanter
Knight
D. Will

Now it would be
Irving
Klay Thompson
Leonard
Kanter

[Nilanka]

I was hoping for Kemba or Kawhi, but I'm pleased with the JV pick.

[Bendit]

Kanter, Kemba.

I believe Kawhi came for a second workout here so BC must have had interest in him. The knock against him was his shot which looks fine with the Spurs. The Spurs really know how to pick them (15 by the Pacers) dont they?. I must admit I didnt know much about JV and would confuse him with Motiejunas who is also a Lithuanian 7 fter who doesnt play defense and is a jump shooter!

[CalgaryRapsFan]

My 2011 big board looked like this:
1. Irving (PG of the future)
2. Williams (assuming he would play SF)
3. Valanciunas (after reading ESPN synopsis about him being a ferocious rebounder who wanted to dunk everything, then seeing his build and thinking he could be the team's defensive anchor C of the future alongside Bargnani)
4. Kanter (good C, scared by his year off and lack of experience, hence 2nd C behind JV)
5. Leonard (good defensive, rebounding SF, which I thought was the team's biggest positional need after a traditional C)
6. Knight (BPA after my top 5, IMO; 2nd favourite PG after Irving)

I was adamantly opposed to drafting Kemba, Biyombo or Vesely. I thought Kemba was too small and too much of a combo guard. I feared Biyombo being too raw (Thabeet 2.0). I looked at Vesely and saw a less talented Turkoglu 2.0, who would be too weak for PF and too unathletic for SF. I was definitely in the minority about both Kemba and Biyombo, but I seem to recall most RR readers being anti-Vesely.

I was one of the few who was very happy with the JV pick from the start. I was shocked that Cleveland didn't draft him at #4 - even with him staying in Europe for a season, Cleveland fans wouldn't mind because they'd still have Irving, then could add JV and another lottery pick the following season... oh well, worked out well for us Raptor fans!

[ceez]

yeah i should have clarified, Irving was definitely atop my big board, however realized there was no way he'd drop to us.

[ceez]

I was really worried we were going to draft Vesely there. Actually, i think i was more relieved we didn't draft him than i was happy we drafted big Val.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

yeah i should have clarified, Irving was definitely atop my big board, however realized there was no way he'd drop to us.

Fair enough. I think Irving & Williams were pretty much consensus #1 and #2, or at least the only players all but guaranteed NOT to be available to the Raptors at #5.

[ceez]

Every year there's a Jan Vesely. This year his name is Perry Jones the third.

[Papa Burgundy]

Every year there's a Jan Vesely. This year his name is Perry Jones the third.

I think PJ3 can shoot better right now, but I see what you're saying.

[Mediumcore]

I'll put a pint on the line that PJ3 has a better rookie season than Lamb. Any takers? I'm willing to take up to 3 bets as 3 pints is my limit before driving (gotta stay responsible you know)