Notes: Second round strategy, Bogut's rehab continuing

For the third time in four mocks, Ford has the Bucks picking Xavier Henry. If Paul George is gone, I wouldn’t mind Henry.

to 22nd like Chad Ford said, I’d like to see the Bucks try to trade up and get that 2nd 1st rounder.

Just well-connected. That isn’t to say he can predict this thing better than any of us. It’s just fun reading the Mocks cuz they have their own rationales.

I do think that if Henry, George and Hayward get picked prior to #15, Ed Davis would likely be one big man who falls. Another big man I would not mind having is Hassan Whiteside. Although not as polished as Davis, Whiteside has as much upside as any big man in this draft.

I cannot emphasize that enough. We need ATHLETES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not more big white stiffs. Over the years, we’ve created a cottage industry with that type of player here. It’s time to end that ;)

What about trading 15th pick and 47th pick for say 21st and 26th from OKC? or 25 and 28 from Memphis? or 16 and 23 from MN?

Well, and it won’t happen anyway.

This draft seems to be deep in mid-level talent that can quickly evolve into rotational material so I agree the Bucks should go after one of those players with the #37 but with the #47 I’d rather see them picking players with more potential without worrying about their readiness – an international player to stash for a couple of years or someone that can develop in the D-League next season.

What do you guys think about Jerome Jordan or Art Parakhouski at pick 37??
or Ben Wallace or Brad Miller as a FA pick up>>>?
Wallace on a 1 year 3 million dollar deal is a notch above Gadz in my book, for sure.

I would rather see Bogut’s arm take its time to heal, than to be rushed back and something go wrong. If it took him longer than expected, (the all-star break) at the worst to be at full strength.

Does he even “play” basketball anymore? The Bucks might need to sign a couple veteran re-treads, but they gotta be careful which ones.

5.5 ppg 8.7 rpg 1.5 apg 1.25 spg 1.25 bpg in limited minutes
I am just saying thats if Kurt Thomas doesn’t come back, he is a better option than Gadz, thats all.

Aldrich is a starting NBA quality center, at least as far as prospects go (no sure thing). And tell me the last time one of those fell past the top ten? He won’t be there for us.

Philly will not give up the #2 pick, it is too difficult to get a player with Turner’s ability, pedigree, and character. They will more likely trade off Speights or another one of their younger wings for minor cap relief. The “nuclear option” if nothing else works is trading Iguadala, something that BUcks boards have beat to death. Of course Philly wants to unload Brand, but not at the expense of adding a franchise guy.

Props to the poster who scolded DX’s player comparisons. They are way off, way too complimentary, and flirt with the draft notion that mid first round guys will always be superstars. I was totally thinking of all the athletic big men Seattle drafted (Sene, Swift, Petro, etc) and then another poster beat me to it. The “worst case scenario” of these players is to suck, never play, and be in the D leage and look like a red headed carnival worker (like Robert Swift).

Paul George is a guy that is getting way too much hype. Great prospect, I love his athleticism and shooting ability. But people are projecting him as something (all around slash and score guy, Arizia like defender) that he has not shown himself to be in two years of college ball. Sure he might become those things with great coaching. But it is not a guarentee and it is not even probable. The history of such things suggest that most prospects play the same style in the pros (or a lesser version of it) than they did in college. In George’s case, that would be a Rashard Lewis-like tease of contributing from the perimiter, then dissapearing for two or three quarters at a time without exerting his considerable talent on the game.

I agree that there is certainly a value in making player comparisons come draft time. But I have noticed that there are a couple places where the comparisons can get screwy. One is the eyeball comparison. For example Paul George kind of has the long, skinny, springy, body type of Tracy McGrady. For guys who watched young TMac, it is easy to watch a highlight tape of PGeorge and associate the two. But upon further study, young TMac was a ten out of ten when it came to dribbling, passing, and getting to the rim while George does not really even register in those areas when you survey his college resume. Now that doesn’t mean I don’t really like Paul George, I do, its just an example of how eyeball comparisons can really get fans off track.

Another common mistake is the school or conference comparison. Paul Millsap was immeadiatly dubbed the next Karl Malone because he was from the same college. Mutumbo was compared to Ewing (when their styles were quite different (etc).

Another one that gets me is the stereotype comparison. For example many here and elsewhere have dubbed Luke Babbitt unathletic. But when you watch him get off the floor, turn the corner on dribble drives, and get out in the open court the kid is actually a much better than average athlete. But thousands of casual fans are just assuming he is a stiff. On the opposite spectrum, I was real excited about the prospect of the Bucks landing X Henry because we sure could use an explosive two guard for the future (or the now, if Salmons leaves). But after watching some Kansas games, I was suprised to notice that he is a below average athlete (as far as pro prospects go). He doesn’t have quick feet, he doesn’t get seperation off cuts quick twitch movements, and most of his shots are 3’s (because he does have trouble getting open looks at the rim). What am I saying? That Babbitt is more athletic than I expected and Henry is less athletic than I expected. The point being, all our assumptions and expectations are predispossed (to a degree) and this effects our comparisons as well.

CanadaBucks… I loved your Larry Sanders = Theo Ratliff comparison, because it was responsible. Larry Sanders at this time, his best case scenario, is a 6’10 shot blocking specialist and rebounder. Which makes me think of Theo Ratliff. On another board I saw someone compare Hassan Whiteside to Keon Clark, another comparison that I thought had merit (raw, rangy, explosive, long armed, scrappy types). But these kinds of comparisons don’t get fans excited, so the big draft sites compare every white guy to Nowitski, every young big man to Dwight Howard, etc.

So without further ado, here are some player comparisons I have been mulling over:

John Wall reminds me of Derrek Rose, and not just because they went to the same college. Both are tall, explosive, force the action at the rim, can finish over bigs, and are inconsistant mid and long dange shooters. Rose is a more unselfish point guard, but both should probably have the green light whenever they want to shoot.

Evan Turner reminds me of Brandon Roy, a do everything 6’6 guard who can handle the ball well enough to run offense through. Turner probably doesn’t shoot as well as Roy, but seems like the type who will improve. Great character too, Doug Collins was lucky to get to coach Grant Hill and Evan Turner. Few prospects that talented are as humble and coachable as those two.

Luke Babbitt reminds me of a young Keith Van Horne. When Keith was at Utah, he wrecked people off the dribble, dunked on defenders, and had a knack for clutch shots. Younger Bucks fans would think of the spikey haired, concrete footed, brick shooting guy we got in a trade for Tim Thomas. But as a youngster at Utah and in New Jersey, Van Horne was a seriously tough cover. Babbitt probably is a little bigger, and a little more confident… I predict that someone is going to take this kid top eight because there is a lot to like there.

Xavier Henry reminds me of a Michael Pietrus type. Guys that can hurt you from thre point range, guys with solid bodies, but not guys that are going to hurt you in the open floor or take you to the rim with regularity. The damning thing about Henry to me was the Northern Iowa game in the tourney this year. He had all year to get his feet wet, the team was basically his, Aldrich was on a gimpy ankle, and N Iowa had absolutely no one that could guard him. Yet he camped out at the three point line, couldn’t break the press, and didn’t step up when Kansas absolutely needed a bucket. Granted, he is just a freshmen, and was probably 18 or 19 at the time. He could probably even start in the NBA in some systems (and if he can defend). But the Wades, the Roys, the Ginoblis, they won’t be denied when the game is on the line and they can get to wherever they want to go with the ball in their hand, and Henry absolutely does not have that ability.

Paul George: As noted above, I see him as a Rashard Lewis type. He is a very good shooter, and has all the ability in the world. But he is not aggresive, and when he is, it is in spurts (or by taking several threes). He is not the type of swingman that repeatedly throws his body around and draws fouls or stops penetration and gets the announcers in a lather. I do see why people are so high on him though, there is really nothing on a basketball court he can’t do. Now that I think of it, he reminds me of JR Smith, when that kid came out he was winning dunk contests and three point contests, but never really put it together to the point where he was a consistantly dominant player. So maybe Paul George is a taller, less tattoo’d JR Smith.

I can’t figure out Patt Patterson. Who does that guy remind you all of? I can’t think of any other college guy who spent a season as a legit #1 inside option, then became a complimentary perimiter guy. I am also intrigued by his demeanor, he seems like a real hard worker and team guy, yet has an independent streak (he held his own press conference when Calipari announced all the UK guys were going pro, and said he hadn’t made up his mind yet). Who does the guy remind you of?

Ostertag was always a fat lard. Cole is slimmer, more agile, and a little more skilled with the ball. I don’t think it is sacreligious to say that Aldrich is going to be a better player than Ostertag. But I think both are kind of in the “Buick” level of big men: nothing to brag about, no bells and whistles, don’t excite anyone under 40 years old…