06/19 ESPN & DX.com Speculation

Post #681 » by **Wade-A-Holic** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:06 am

It was Horford's rookie year in a league that rookies are never very productive. I'd say he did a very nice job anchoring the middle for a Hawks team that didn't have much of anything else inside. Is he a superstar? No, but he's an incredibly valuable player for almost any team.

fam3381 · Post #682 » by **fam3381** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:26 am

bango_the_buck wrote:He claims to have been at the Alexander/Randolph workout and said that Randolph stole the show and is likely our pick...

My understanding is that J.D. was just at the media session...hence there aren't any references to seeing the two guys actually play against each other. I'm not sure anyone outside the team has attended any of the workouts themselves.

Wise1 · Post #683 » by **Wise1** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:29 am

Reading that Sportsbubbler blog and also knowing that Alexandar was brought back in for a second look, I think the Bucks have found out that Randolph...their promise guy...will be off of the board by pick 8. I now think Bayless will fall to the Bucks at 8. I think they'd rather trade, but if forced to keep the 8, it'll be interesting to see if they value a talent like Bayless over a guys like Alexandar and Green...talents that fit needs.

LUKE23 · Post #684 » by **LUKE23** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:32 am

Randolph will be available at 8, my guess is both he and Alexander will be. Randolph is in the "stock down" category right now looking at his pre-draft camp measurements, workouts, and both the Hollinger and DX number rating systems that had him well behind the pack.

Randolph's stock really couldn't be any lower than it is right now.

Wise1 · Post #685 » by **Wise1** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:38 am

I doubt if the Bucks give a hoot about other team's evaluations He apparently was lights out for them and that's all that will matter. Is Randolph's stock down with the Bucks? No.

Wise1 · Post #686 » by **Wise1** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:42 am

Luke, you're breathing too much smoke-screen. Don't buy all of the reports from outside sources with their own agendas. No other source's opinion will matter to the Bucks.

Do you really believe a 18 year old guy that only weighs 200lbs wet will have any conditioning issues going through simple basketball drills? Smells fishy to me.

LUKE23 · Post #687 » by **LUKE23** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:43 am

Wise1 wrote:I doubt if the Bucks give a hoot about other team's evaluations He apparently was lights out for them and that's all that will matter. Is Randolph's stock down with the Bucks? No.

There really haven't been conclusive reports on the workout. Some guy on sportsbubbler.com that may or may not have attended the workout does not = reliable source.

And a workout is only one aspect of the draft process. To ignore measureables when factoring them into the NBA would be foolish.

The biggest issue with Randolph is that he has a PF game in a SF body, with a frame that appears troublesome with regards to adding weight. He's not a good passer, he doesn't have good range on his shot. He's a PF that isn't ready to play PF.

Alexander seems far more like a Skiles type player than Randolph does. My prediction remains if we stay at 8 and both are on the board, we draft Alexander (only possible exception would be Westbrook slipping, I could see us going that direction as well).

pasting_monkeys · Post #688 » by **pasting_monkeys** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:48 am

I really hope we don't pick Randolph.

Look at this highlight clip and tell me he's going to be able to play SF in the NBA.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=V8HrnRk8jpY

No, there's no slow motion effects in this clip, he's just that slow.

mcfromage · Post #689 » by **mcfromage** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:53 am

Wise1 wrote:Reading that Sportsbubbler blog and also knowing that Alexandar was brought back in for a second look, I think the Bucks have found out that Randolph...their promise guy...will be off of the board by pick 8. I now think Bayless will fall to the Bucks at 8. I think they'd rather trade, but if forced to keep the 8, it'll be interesting to see if they value a talent like Bayless over a guys like Alexandar and Green...talents that fit needs.

If Bayless falls to us I'd be more then happy to grab him. ESPN the Mag has him falling to us as well.

Wise1 · Post #690 » by **Wise1** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:53 am

Luke you say this as if the Bucks don't consider Randolph to be a small forward prospect. We have to put ourselves in their heads when making our evaluations. When trying to evaluate whether or not I think Randolph will be a good fit for the Bucks, I'm not going to ignore the fact that the team considers him to be a small forward prospect. Randolph as an NBA small forward v Randolph as an NBA power forward are probably two different players.

The Bucks mindset...based on Skiles/Hammond personnel history...will be to acquire long, rangy athletes that can block shots and disrupt passing lanes. Randolph fits the role of a defensive difference maker in a structured scheme more than Alexandar who has not distinguised himself at all on the defensive end.

Also, based on all available evidence, I don't think there is any question that Randolph impressed the Bucks with his workout.

I think he'll be gone by 8.

LUKE23 · Post #691 » by **LUKE23** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:56 am

Who do you think drafts him ahead of us?

Wise1 · Post #692 » by **Wise1** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:58 am

Yeah

mcfromage wrote:
Wise1 wrote:Reading that Sportsbubbler blog and also knowing that Alexandar was brought back in for a second look, I think the Bucks have found out that Randolph...their promise guy...will be off of the board by pick 8. I now think Bayless will fall to the Bucks at 8. I think they'd rather trade, but if forced to keep the 8, it'll be interesting to see if they value a talent like Bayless over a guys like Alexandar and Green...talents that fit needs.

If Bayless falls to us I'd be more then happy to grab him. ESPN the Mag has him falling to us as well.

Yeah. I'd be extremely pleased with Bayless despite the fact that he's more of an offensive pg. I'd liken him to a guy like Monte Ellis. Explosive athlete that can stroke it and get to the rim and finish with funk.

Mo is a shoot first point guard that's not nearly as explosive athletically as guys like Bayless and Ellis. I think that's what separates Mo from these guys...that an the fact that by default, they're better defenders than Mo.

fam3381 · Post #693 » by **fam3381** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:59 am

PM, he's a lot faster in game action, though I think his quickness is a legit question against smaller players.

http://www.brewhoop.com/2008/6/10/54940 ... y-randolph

Say what you will about his overall package, but there aren't a lot of 6'10 guys who can handle the ball with both hands in the open court like that.

wichmae · Post #694 » by **wichmae** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:01 am

Some of you guys are really overrating some players.

Wise1 · Post #695 » by **Wise1** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:01 am

LUKE23 wrote:Who do you think drafts him ahead of us?

Real possibilities based on BPA:

Seattle
Memphis
New York
LA Clips

Also, he could be involved in a trade where a team behind us moves up or has a team draft him for them with the trade being announced after the picks.

mcfromage · Post #696 » by **mcfromage** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:08 am

wichmae wrote:Some of you guys are really overrating some players.

Wichmae, you're the man. I think it's hilarious how you speak in such incredibly broad terms knowing full well that your every word is going to be scrutinized on this board.

El Duderino · Post #697 » by **El Duderino** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:10 am

LUKE23 wrote:Randolph will be available at 8, my guess is both he and Alexander will be. Randolph is in the "stock down" category right now looking at his pre-draft camp measurements, workouts, and both the Hollinger and DX number rating systems that had him well behind the pack.

Randolph's stock really couldn't be any lower than it is right now.

You have no idea if that's actually true

1. You weren't at any of his workouts and nor were many of the rumor mongers out there, they are just spitting out "information" that they were fed, which could be deliberately false from teams who have no reason to leak truth.

2. I'm quite sure each team has their own way to evaluate draft prospects and they aren't basing it on what Hollinger thinks.

3. All it takes is one GM or team to very much like a player that another team picking in the top 8 feels completely different about. I'm pretty certain that all the GM's in basketball don't share the same opinions about the players available. It wouldn't shock me at all if some team drafting 4-7 likes Randolph, but smartly just haven't talked about him and instead fed lies about other players to anyone willing to run with the smokescreen.

4. Teams, GM's, and agents all lie like crazy at this time of the year and have plenty of willing reporters/rumor mongers that are desperate to report any tidbit possible, regardless if the info fed them is as flimsy as Villanueva's defense.

Randolph very well could be there at #8, could slide out of the top 10, or could get snatched up by someone before the #8 pick. I read around the net and these countless "rumors" and mock drafts change more often and quicker than Rosie O'Donnell can finish off a box of cookies. The vast vast majority of people out there spitting out all these rumors about trades or who will get drafted where are flat out guessing, being lied to, and/or don't really know what the hell is truth or not because they aren't the ones who actually are making the decisions.

fam3381 · Post #698 » by **fam3381** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:11 am

mcfromage wrote:Wichmae, you're the man. I think it's hilarious how you speak in such incredibly broad terms knowing full well that your every word is going to be scrutinized on this board.

wichmae · Post #699 » by **wichmae** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:12 am

Sorry, just some of you guys are really going over board...

Honestly...

Wise1 · Post #700 » by **Wise1** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:13 am

fam3381 wrote:PM, he's a lot faster in game action, though I think his quickness is a legit question against smaller players.

http://www.brewhoop.com/2008/6/10/54940 ... y-randolph

Say what you will about his overall package, but there aren't a lot of 6'10 guys who can handle the ball with both hands in the open court like that.

So true. Randolph may struggle "a bit" against quicker small forwards, but that's when his length will help him recover and alter shots. That and the fact that he'll have a smart 7 footer behind him that has a knack for stepping up and blocking shots and taking charges. With length all over the floor, the entire team defense improves.