NBA Draft 2007

[Guest Atlanta]

If it were to be the draft right now, what position would you be drafting in the early rounds?

[HawksFan87]

Center is our main concern Za-Za is just not that good

[DrReality]

The best center/point guard that is available. The draft is loaded with big guys so that would make it more likely. At the same time there are very few pg's that are on the radar presently.

[vdunkndunk]

Oden 1, Durant 2...that's all I know.

[TexasPete]

Durant is an exact duplicate of what we already have...a long and athletic forward. His defense sucks as well and won't be good until he adds bulk. He has great skill but he will get pushed around in the NBA for a couple of years until he matures. The question is "do we need a Durant"? Where do we play him?

And for all the Z haters...why don't you realize the kid is 22? He should be a senior and were writing him off like a 30 year old? Come on.

[bird_dirt]

pf/c if the pick is top 3, pg if the pick after 10. this draft seems fairly heavy in bigs, but if ten other teams get a better big ahead of you, then get the best point in the draft that should still be around after 10.

[vdunkndunk]

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Durant is an exact duplicate of what we already have...a long and athletic forward. His defense sucks as well and won't be good until he adds bulk. He has great skill but he will get pushed around in the NBA for a couple of years until he matures. The question is "do we need a Durant"? Where do we play him?

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To me, the difference between Durant and say, Marvin or Smoove, is that Durant's potential is already translating on the court.

So it's not just that Durant is 6'10 with all the physical tools in the world...and it's not just that he's highly skilled...it's that he's already averaging 21 & 10 right now as a freshman, along with around 2 bpg and 2 spg.

What I mean is, this guy isn't just potential...he's potential plus production. He's being described as somewhere between KG and Chris Bosh, except with a few guard skills.

Marvin, on the other hand, has all this skill and athletic potential, but somehow it's not coming together on the court. And Smoove has insane athleticism even by NBA standards, but his shooting and ballhandling are spotty at best.

Durant might have it all, and to me that's the difference.

[vdunkndunk]

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The question is "do we need a Durant"? Where do we play him?

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Do we need Durant? I say yes...if he's going to become a superstar number 1 or 2 scorer that we can pair with JJ. Basically, we need him to be what Marvin was supposed to be but hasn't been so far. We definitely don't need him to be another Marvin, though, where we just constantly wait for his athleticism and skill-set to amount to something.

Where do we play Durant? If he's as good as advertised, we make room for him regardless...either by working him into the rotation (more of the long, athletic, versatile theory), or by trading whoever doesn't fit anymore (like Marvin, for instance). If it turns out that he's just another project, though, then of course it would be horribly frustrating on the Hawks would get made fun of constantly, etc.

I only say this, though, because after Oden I don't know if there are any really dominant centers or PG's in this draft. If someone like Deron Williams shoots up the draftboards by the end of the year, then maybe you go for need and grab that guy. But so far I don't know of anyone that seems good enough to make me want to pass on Durant.

Noah, maybe...but I'm still not sure what to think about him. He's a great shotblocker in college, but he's so skinny and he doesn't have any real post moves on offense, so maybe those Anderson Varjeo/role-player/energy-guy comparisons aren't so far off.

We could use Noah or probably other C's or PG's, but I wouldn't want to pass on a potential superstar to fill a need (like we tried to do with Shelden). I still don't know much about this draft, but so far Durant looks like the real deal to me. Honestly, I watched UNC play a lot when Marvin was there and I never really saw what all the fuss was about with him...but with Durant it's different.

[Diesel]

I watched Texas lose to Tenn a few weeks ago. Durant is OK, but I wasn't impressed by him so much. I think he's better than Marvin but that's not hard to be.

I think we should see about a FAcy pickup of a guy like Magloire. I just think we need an experienced big.... not a guy who has to come in green and learn playing defense in the NBA all over.

[frosgrim]

We can also be in the running for R. Morris from Kentucky. Since Morris can't be drafted, we don't HAVE to spend a pick on a big and can concentrate on getting the best point in the draft.

Frankly, I hope the team goes on a winning streak soon. This loosing stuff is just getting old. We should be done with lotto-land but its looking like another year of that (assuming we don't loose the pick to the Suns).

[Guest Walter]

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pf/c if the pick is top 3, pg if the pick after 10. this draft seems fairly heavy in bigs, but if ten other teams get a better big ahead of you, then get the best point in the draft that should still be around after 10.

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I think your analysis in spot on.

However, I'm not dead set against Durant, who is awesome, just because he's a 6'10" Sf. In order to draft him, however, one must justify it with a draft day trade of MW (to ensure Thabeet), preferably, then JC. Durant is so far above MW's ability it ain't funny (truth, not a knock on MW, Durant's just THAT good) and has that killer instinct MW lacks. He is a player to build a franchise around.

My ideal would be this...Durant (at #2, I imagine), trade MW or MW/Indy pick for rights to Thabeet (likely top 4-5). I can dream can't I. Lineup (I'm assuming we at least trade Lue to help us retain a top 3 pick):

Thabeet/ZaZa/SW

JS/SW

Durant/JC

JJ/JC

Speedy/?minor FA

W

[Guest Walter]

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Durant is an exact duplicate of what we already have

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...1.7 SPG and 1.9 BPG.

Maybe on a postcard he looks like a duplicate, but he's no duplicate.

W

[TexasPete]

The knock on Durant has been his AWFUL defense. He has been the new Adam Morrison in college hoops this year. Yes, he has great offensive skills but if he can't play even decent defense in college...how bad will his defense be in the NBA? He needs a lot of mass added to that body before he is even remotely ready.

And to the comment about him being better than Marvin right now, you must be joking. Marvin is only a year older tham him BTW. Marvin, in the next 2 years, is going to make some of you feel pretty silly. He is 20 years old and coming off an injury that has affected his shot. He will be up to 15ppg by the end of this year.

I think Durant is going to get abused for 2-3 years before he grows enough to make a difference. I say that Noah is #2 because of his length, height, and ability to run the floor. He is just scratching the surface of his potential.

[Guest Walter]

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The knock on Durant has been his AWFUL defense.

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Given his 1.7 BPG, 1.9 SPG, and 9.9 RPG (doesn't indicate defensive vs offensive rebounds) he must be doing something right. Those are exceedingly good all-around defensive stats for a freshman. Yes, he has to bulk up, but if you can come in and dominate college as a freshman (could be a player of the year candidate), what good won't he do when he fills out in the pros?

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And to the comment about him being better than Marvin right now, you must be joking.

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I'll put Durant's 22/10 early season returns against MWs 11/6.6 at UNC any day? Durant is to Carmello with reboudning instincts (That's Durant's avg. NOT his "at best"...that's a better scoring, perimeter oriented KG) what MW is to Rashard Lewis (at best and it seems he has a terribly long way to go to warrant even that consideration).

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I think Durant is going to get abused for 2-3 years before he grows enough to make a difference. I say that Noah is #2 because of his length, height, and ability to run the floor. He is just scratching the surface of his potential.

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Noah's hasn't got much more meat on his bones than Durant, hasn't improved much this year, and frankly is a tweener. Still like him as a top 5 pick though. Alot of heart. Horford may have better pro prospects as a true Pf.

W

[TexasPete]

Marvin played on the best team in the nation as a freshman. Marvin played with other lottery picks who had been there a couple years. Marvin should have been a HS senior because of age when he was at UNC. That is why he went to college at all. He is just 20.

You may not like Marvin now but you will love him in a couple of years. Should we have taken the PG? Yes, but that won't diminish how good Marvin will be within the next couple of years. People who trash Marvin don't know a damn thing. His crime was his age and inexperience but that won't be a problem much longer.

Durant will get abused in the league, he is already having trouble with guys beating him off the dribble. The things he is doing with success in college he will not be able to do for awhile in the NBA. Those long arms won't mean a thing when he is bodied out of the lane. I love Durant...but he will need some time and we don't have much more.

[Guest Walter]

Texas is a top program year in and year out and I'm not even getting into the franchise-Pg vs. MW discussion. I'm simply saying that a MAJOR college 21.6/10, 1.9 BPG, 1.7 SPG in merely 30 MPG! freshman is not only SIGNIFICANTLY but qualitatively better than MW's 11/6.4. He's is simply on another plane of basketball existence. One's a potential franchise player. The other still only a POTENTIAL good starter to star in this league. It's hard to believe what MW's get's by with given his meager numbers.

W

[Guest Atlanta]

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Oden 1, Durant 2...that's all I know.

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Is Oden a freshman? lol

Anyways, I wouldn't mind getting Oden. I wanted to draft Marcus Williams last draft but we ended up getting Shelden Williams. Oh well.

[hawkman]

Durant is the truth, plain and simple. He plays like a superstar. He just has that edge that a big time player has. He has actual offensive moves, and those are things I can't really say about Marv right now. That's the difference between a Marvin Williams and a Carmelo Anthony. Similar skills, similar athleticism, but a different mentality and approach to the game. When I heard many hear talking about Marvin as a potential superstar, I just didn't see it. He will definitely be a player, but not a superstar. I can't say the same about Durant. I truly believe that not only does he have superstar potential, but that he will contribute right away. He's simply too talented not to. He's got the skills AND the mentality. I guess we'll have to wait until the tournament to see whether he steps up. If he does, then that's all the confirmation that I'll need. I'm not advocating that we pick Durant if a strong big is available, but I wouldn't complain if we get him. We could always make trades to get whatever else we need from the draft.

[Guest Walter]

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Durant is the truth, plain and simple. He plays like a superstar. He just has that edge that a big time player has. He has actual offensive moves, and those are things I can't really say about Marv right now...I'm not advocating that we pick Durant if a strong big is available, but I wouldn't complain if we get him. We could always make trades to get whatever else we need from the draft.

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I think you summed up well my position. I don't know if MW/Indy pick could get us a high quality big, but I'd have to look into it if Durant was potentially available where we picked. Please, no more promises to reach picks a month before the draft .

W