So far Shelden and Solomon look like SOLID picks

[gutz]

To me, these are exactly the type of players we needed on this team to help fill that void we had last year with our interior defense. Shelden has been great so far with his rebounding and position defense. He also can score when given more opportunities which I think he deserves. For all those who said he was too small and what not, he looks like a BEAST out there at 6'9. He is one big, strong dude. I think he makes the most of the limited minutes he has been receiving so far. I also think he could play the 5 some as well. I don't care if he was taken too early at 5 since the draft was weak anyways. He is #3 in Rookie rankings too. He has been more consistent than anyone in the top 10 so far.

Solomon has been looking spectacular with his limited minutes the last couple of games rebounding and showing incredible shot blocking skills. This guy is huge and VERY LONG. His wing span and standing reach has to up there with the best of them. He looks to be a nice steal in the 2nd round. Reminds me of Tyrus Thomas actually but bigger. Could be our Center for the future once he puts on more weight and develops a low post game. I think BK knows what he is doing. Thoughts?

[jerrywest]

Solomon got springs surgically implanted around his calf muscles. Is this guy smart?

[skyhawk]

I had a chance to watch Solomon play last year against UConn and was very impressed with him. He's athletic, hustles and has a nice touch - great form on free throws. He's definitely a game-changer on D and has the skills to contribute offensively. I don't believe he played much in high school so he's definitely got some upside...

I was hoping we'd get in the second and we did.

[Swatguy]

I have found and believe, BK is a smart guy. Every draft he has had has been a good one. Only Ivey over Duhon in '04 was a miss.

[gutz]

I agree Duhon is way better than Ivey but at the time of the draft they had very similar college careers except Ivey is a bigger guard which is why BK probably took him over Duhon.

[AtLaS]

I've been saying this since before we drafted Shelden, post defense (for the most part) is ALL about strength, and Shelden is a beast. Being one inch shorter does NOT matter if you make up for it with strength and positioning. And now his shotblocking is starting to come around, which is even better.

I am really liking Solomon right now, except for his fouling, but he'll come around. Anyone remember last night when him and Smoove were in and Charlotte couldn't even hardly drive cause they were in the air for EVERY shot? If they faked one out, the other was there. It was like having 2 pogo sticks out there blocking shots.

[Diesel]

I remember most of the board hating the Shelden pick...

Weeping and Gnashing of teeth...

[jerrywest]

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I remember most of the board hating the Shelden pick...

Weeping and Gnashing of teeth...

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Yep. You deserve some credit there D.

[JJJ]

I wasnt at this board during the pick, but I wanted it all along when I heard the rumor.

I thought we would have a jam there, but now that I have seen Shell against NBA talent, he should be the starting PF/C for the next 10 yrs.

Now we are just a quality NBA STARTING C away from being a great team.

[Swatguy]

And another draft thing. BK has said he will not release, let go or give up on Cenk or David Andersen. From what I've seen in Cenk, we will be pleased.

[gutz]

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I've been saying this since before we drafted Shelden, post defense (for the most part) is ALL about strength, and Shelden is a beast. Being one inch shorter does NOT matter if you make up for it with strength and positioning. And now his shotblocking is starting to come around, which is even better.

I am really liking Solomon right now, except for his fouling, but he'll come around. Anyone remember last night when him and Smoove were in and Charlotte couldn't even hardly drive cause they were in the air for EVERY shot? If they faked one out, the other was there. It was like having 2 pogo sticks out there blocking shots.

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Yeah I remember that play Atlas in particular where Smoove went up for the block and then King Solomon came in behind him and just swatted the shot away. Shelden also had 3 nice blocks last night in only 25min.

[AtLaS]

^^ and now everyone says they agreed with it or say nothing at all. That or try to bring up the Roland rating to support their argument.

Might have to bring up some old threads pretty soon..

[gutz]

Yeah you will never find anything saying I disapproved of the Shelden pick. I liked the pick all along because I saw him play tons in college and knew he would be a force in the NBA. The only thing I disagreed with was I wanted BK to trade up a few spots and get another player. I liked the supposed rumor of trading up with Houston and getting their #8 pick and Luther Head. But of course it didn't work out but the draft was overall very weak and no true superstar players. I could never understand why so many people hated the pick really. Roy has injury problems and Foye isn't doing crap. We all know Sene sucks and is completely raw and would have been no help to us this year plus he has already been sent down to the NBDL. So Walter can now shut up about that. Shelden has played as well as anyone in the top 10 of that draft.

[jerrywest]

here is what nbadraft.net said about Solomon before the draft:

Strengths: Very fluid athlete who runs the court exceptionally well ... His speed running the floor is very good for a 6-10 player ... Has very nice touch on his shot from 15 feet and in ... Face up jump shot is good ... Excellent free throw shooter at 80% ... Extremely long wing span makes him a formidable rebounder and shot blocker ... Late bloomer who has shown excellent improvement in his abilities in the past year, becoming South Florida's main option inside ... Upside is intriguing ...

Weaknesses: Lacks great body strength, should be able to add some weight, but may always be on the thin side ... Will get pushed around due to his lack of body strength ... added weight should allow him to play more aggresive inside ... Lacks great basketball instincts and post fundamentals ... Still figuring out the game, how to use his athletic abilities ... Needs to develop better moves inside ... Not a good passer, vision and passing ability must be developed ... Needs to work on being more aggressive inside and get to the free throw line more often ...

Notes: Attended Daytona Beach CC before transferring to South Florida. Playing in the Big East this year has given him good exposure, despite his team's struggles.

[Nicholasp27]

gutzy,

u mean trade DOWN...up = closer to 1st pick, down = closer to 60th pick

[gutz]

Whoops! Yeah meant trade down. Thats really the only thing i wish we could have done differently. I still wanted Shelden all along but it was obvious that no one wanted him at 6,7 or 8 but I think Seattle would have taken him from what I heard at 10. So ideally it would have been nice to trade down and get another player or pick. But it doesn't always work out. We still got a hell of a player either way and considering the draft was weak all around a worthy pick at #5 too.

[mrhonline]

I'm right so infrequently that I'd like to point out that I thought both picks were solid. Yes, I did.

Shleden shouldn't be expected to be a star.

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I see the pick of Shelden at #5 (for better or for worse) as a pick similar to the Childress at #6 a few years ago. Many were upset because Chill's upside was limited, but he's proven to be a useful player filling an important role on a young team. (And that comes from a frequent critic of Josh).

I think Shelden will be expected to do the same. The Hawks' brass seem to be focusing on what he can bring to the team, not what he can't.

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I also had this to say about Jones:

Solomon Jones = Pape Sow? thread

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I'd like to see how he does with real talent around him before sending him down to Arkansas. He faced legit NCAA big men in a very tough conference, he may in fact be ready to step into a backup role.

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This self-aggrandizement is now over. Sorry for the intrusion.

[BusBoyIsBack]

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I remember most of the board hating the Shelden pick...

Weeping and Gnashing of teeth...

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You have to admit there was a phase when you didn't like Shelden either.

I personally was always a fan, of course Im biased becaue I followed Duke.

BK said it best when he said we had the worst interior defense in the NBA and he was the most polished interior defender.

Now no one can say that they thought the Solomon Jones pick was a good one. Funny thing is I forgot who was still on the board, but I just remember being incredibly upset. I was thinking who the hell is that? Actually now I remember. It was that Diaz guy from Miami. But after reading up on Solomon, and seeing that he's a longer Tyrus Thomas on paper, I'd say BK has done it again.

Put some weight on, get a post game, and Solomon, you are our center of the future.

[gutz]

Honestly guys do you see much of a difference right now between Solomon and Tyrus Thomas? They both are tall and VERY long. Both are extremely raw offensively and incredible shot blockers. The scouting report said Solomon is an excellent FT shooter around 80% and has a nice jump shot from 15ft. and in. All the while I remember Tyrus not being a good FT shooter last year in college and not all that good of a jump shot either. I would think Solomon is already a better rebounder as well right now with the extra height advantage and he is probably stronger too. Looks like we got a bigger and taller version of Tyrus in the 2nd round. I think Tyrus is going to be a solid player but he just got too hyped over a few games in the NCAA tourney last year and really isn't a #2 pick in my opinion.

[VarsitySlacker]

Allow me to be the only one to eat crow, then. I wanted Foye with the first pick, and Dee Brown with the second. Neither happened, and I was furious. And BK proved to me why I'm not the GM.

While I still think some of you are expecting Shelden to turn into Karl Malone or Charles Barkley (which won't happen), I do think what he provided us is worth the #5 pick in the draft. Especially after a decade of picking Dermarr Johnson's at that point.