Josh Smith = TMAC...

[Diesel]

I've heard his coach say that he's better than Mello/Stackhouse. I saw Smith on a program yesterday. They were showing footage of Smith and his game. I must say, he's real. First off, he got good size. Secondly, he's worked hard on his game. He talked about working on his ball handling. The more I saw him, the more I thought... TMAC. Except he's more dominant than Tmac at that age.

He talked about weighing the decision to go to play at IU vs. the pros... Come on man. This kid is going pro if he is smart. He's already predicted to be a lottery pick.

I would strongly consider:

Josh Smith/Kris H.

[Blunt91]

Hey when is the McDonald's all American game? Isn't it this weekend? What position does Kris Humpries play? We need a power forward and if we use our lotto pick on SMith I say we get AL Jefferson with the 18th pick. Some say he reminds them of Eddy Curry but like Curry he has to work on his weight and condition. They thought Zach Randolph was overweight and poorly condition but look at him now. Jeffeson could easily drop 15pounds during the summer if put on a weight& conditioning program.

[chillzatl]

MAYBE 5th, worst case?

[Diesel]

It depends on who gets the picks?

For instance if Phoenix picks either 1 or 2, I can see them taking a chance on Smith because they already have Stoudamire at PF. The Same may hold true for the Clippers who have brand. However, Chicago and Orlando would take Pfs...

[Diesel]

I hate to say it, but Al Jefferson reminds me of Tractor Trailer. He has weight issues.

I like Humphries, in the games I have seen him play and in everything I have read about him, he's a double double every night. He's Reef with Defense. I think we could snatch him with Mil's pick! That would be a pretty young exciting squad...

JT/Jax/Josh Smith/Kris/Center...

Still, if we are in a position to get Howard, I say we get Howard. Try to trade up for Smith but if not, we take Sato or Warrick?...

[KB21]

That is Al Jefferson. That is not a Tractor Traylor body.

Al Jefferson is a very solid 265 lbs.

[Plainview1981]

I like Humphries, in the games I have seen him play and in everything I have read about him, he's a double double every night. He's Reef with Defense."

Probably closer to a Troy Murphy or Googs(In his prime)but

that sure isn't bad with a mid first rounder. NOT a lotto

pick though.

[KB21]

He's more of a Gary Trent type than a Troy Murphy or Tom Gugliotta type. Both of those guys are 6-10 to 6-11 power forwards.

[Iman]

I didnt like Humphries that much. I'd rather get Howard or Okafor if available but if not I'd be just as glad with Smith and then I'd like to go for a PF with our mid 1st. But if I had to take Humphries but could still get one of the top two or three HS point guards out there then I'd go that way instead.

[Plainview1981]

I said Troy Murphy( who was also a mid first rounder?)

because Murphy is a solid 14/11 guy when healthy...That's

what this guy will probably be.

[Diesel]

I wouldn't pick Humphries Lottery either.

I was saying we take Smith with the Lottery pick and Humphries at 18 or so.

[Diesel]

I know that there's a lot of press on Telfair and Livingston. My thoughts on those guys are that unless we are planning to change them to 2 guard, they might not be the ticket. The hardest position in the pro game is PG. That becomes even hard if there's no fundamentals to build on. I'm not saying that it can't be done, I'm just saying that it would be a longer wait for productivity.

[Diesel]

This picture came out from this summer. It shows Marquise Gray, LaMarcus Aldridge, D Howard, and Jefferson. This was Howard 30 pounds ago and I'm not sure how small Jefferson was. I have a nephew who has played some ABCD games with Al. He say Al is unstoppable in the post but he's slow in transition. That's what everybody else says. So when I say he's like Tractor... I'm saying that he's all post, no transition, no outside game. No Howard on the other hand is ranked #1 because he's big and fast. He uses his athleticism to blow past the competition and is strong enough to power over the competition.

Now Al would be interesting to some teams. Teams that can afford to make him the central theme of their offense. I would expect a team like the Rockets would love Al. He would be their Boozer. And I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't take an interest, but I'm saying that we will be a transition team from the looks of things.

[KB21]

Well, I've seen both Howard and Jefferson play. Jefferson isn't all post. He may not run the floor like Howard, but his set jump shot is a lot smoother than Howard's. Howard is a tremendous athlete that can run in transition and handle the ball, but his jumper is flat and his post offense is nowhere near Jefferson's.

I personaly feel that if they matched up one on one, Jefferson would eat Howard a live in the paint whereas Howard would probably run Jefferson to death in the transition game.

I do know that Jefferson matched up with LaMarcus Aldridge in AAU competion, and Jefferson completely destroyed Aldridge both times they matched up.

[Blunt91]

Is Dwight Howard a more athletic Shareff? Flat jumpshot sounds like Reef all over again.

[KB21]

Dwight projects to be a better defender than Reef. Dwight has the shot blocking instincts that Reef lacks, plus he has better size.

I know I had read in the past that Dwight's game was perimeter oriented, but I didn't really see that in his game when I saw him. A lot of his points come in transition and on put packs, but he does have a back to the basket game. His strength isn't where it needs to be for the NBA just yet, but he's up to around 250 lbs now. It shouldn't take him long to get the strength needed to play in the post. Against Randolph Morris, he let Morris push him out of the paint a few times, and maybe that's where some get the idea that he is a perimeter oriented player. His jumper is very flat, but he probably hasn't been coached to take the jumper. That can be corrected by shooting 500 or so 18 footers a day. Remember, LeBron also came into the leauge with a question mark on his jumper. It's in the open floor where Dwight does most of his damage. He is an above average ball handler for a 6-10 post player, and he can really run. He's also got good passing vision, which means has a good potential in the hi-lo game. Offensively, I think he fits what the Hawks want. They want versatility, the ability to play in transition, and some perimeter ability. I think Dwight can add to his post game and become a great offensive player if he gets that jumper down.

Defensively, Dwight has great shot blocking instincts and is a relentless rebounder. As with any young player, he's going to have to learn a lot about defensive positioning and rotating, and he will struggle as a straight up defender against more veteran NBA players, but I see him becoming a dominant defender in time. Basically, he would add something to the Hawks defensively that they don't have. A good shot blocker with good defensive potential.

Al Jefferson is a guy who, if he gets the ball in the paint, is going to score. There is simply not anyone out there that is going to keep him from scoring when he gets the ball in the paint. This isn't a judgement made of playing 6-5 players in 3A competition in Mississippi. This is based on what I saw from clips of him against AAU competition like the 6-11 LaMarcus Aldridge. Jefferson averaged 42 ppg during his senior season, and it is pretty much a guarantee that he will declare for the draft. I've seen him hit some pretty jumpers from 15 feet out as well, and they were off the dribble.

Defensively, he is a very good shot blocker who gives no ground in the paint, but he doesn't really exert himself on defensive like Dwight Howard does.

[Blunt91]

Both guys sound like very good prospects. Thanks KB.