I think that a lot of Hickson's success was the result of Scott constantly and consistently pushing, molding, cajolling, and flat out threatening Hickson to play the game within the system and expectations the team had for him. I think that he is a very, very talented kid, but I thinkk that the team got sick and tired of having to constantly re-correct the same things over and over again.
I do think that Tristan can give us similar numbers from the PF spot. I just hope that the team sent him home with specific instructions to shoot 1000 free throws each and every single day.
I do think that Tristan and Caspi out us in a decent position for the future. I think that Caspi can be that outside shooter we so desperately need. I suspect that he'll become a 13-15 PPG kind of guy for us.
More 1st round picks in the future is good too. We're kinda taking the Patriots route here it seems. Load up on picks year after year after year ..... and even trade picks for multiple future picks.
So .... next year, if the Kings make the playoffs, we'll have another pair of 1sts and a pair of 3rds? Man I hope there's a draft next year ... and the Kings just squeek into the playoffs somehow. Next year's draft will be loaded, and there will be a lot of players taken late in the 1st to early in the 2nd who would be mid 1st rounders in mostother drafts.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Yep .... potentially 2 firsts and definitely 2 seconds.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Before the 2011 draft had even concluded, NBA talent evaluators were lamenting how strong it might have been had all of the NCAA's elite players been available. The 2012 draft will be loaded and American-centric, with the trade value of top-20 picks significantly higher than it was this June.
"If you redid [the 2011] draft with the top college kids who passed, they all would have gone in the lottery," one scout said. "But that doesn't mean we won't pick apart their games the more we see them."
With that in mind, we present a categorical breakdown of next year's draft pool, beginning with what scouts hope to see from four super sophomores:
Top college returnees on the board
1. Harrison Barnes, Soph., SF, North Carolina: Expect there to be a running debate next season over whether Barnes or Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis should be selected No. 1 overall. Scouts were pleased with the trajectory Barnes was on at the end of his freshman campaign, and mostly just want to see him continue that progress. "There was some serious worrying about him early on last year, with the way he lacked confidence and was tentative taking the ball the rim," one scout said, "but about three-fourths of the way through -- when [Kendall] Marshall finally took over the point -- I think he started to show his true self." Another scout said that he felt if Barnes could become a true, knockdown outside shooter -- hitting at least 40 percent of his threes, up from the 34.4 percent he shot in 2010-11 -- he would offer the complete small-forward package and be a more likely No. 1 pick.
2. Jared Sullinger, Soph., PF, Ohio State: "He made a good move staying in school," one scout said. "Without all those foreign forwards in the draft next year -- guys like [Jonas] Valanciunas, [Bismack] Biyombo, [Jan] Vesely, [Enes] Kanter -- Sullinger can probably lock down a spot in the top five." Evaluators will watch Sullinger's matchups with players who have NBA-level size and length with particular interest, as the jury is still out on whether he can be an elite power forward in the pros, or just a complementary piece who uses his bulk to battle for rebounds. "He's already a monster down low in college," another scout said. "I think he could help himself by playing a little lighter next season, because his body was a concern coming into his freshman year, and proving he can step out into the mid-post and free-throw area and knock down shots."
3. Perry Jones, Soph., PF, Baylor: He has the potential to vault to No. 1 overall with a huge sophomore season, but not every scout is enamored with his game. "I know why people love him, because he has the physical tools to be great, but I worry about whether he wants to bring it every night, effort-wise," one scout said. "I haven't seen that kind of consistent hustle from him yet." The fact that Jones had only one double-double in the Big 12, and only one 20-point game after Feb. 5, was somewhat disappointing. He'll have the freedom to take on a bigger offensive role with shot-happy guard LaceDarius Dunn gone. But will Jones seize that opportunity?
4. Terrence Jones, Soph., PF, Kentucky: "He started out on the opposite path as Barnes, playing great right away, and then his game dipped tremendously," one scout said of Jones. "He was out of sync on offense and his decision-making stopped being instinctive. Now we want to find out, 'Who is he?' " Jones is not as polished of a prospect as Barnes or Sullinger, but remains attractive as a potential "stretch four" in the NBA. Some of his early-season performances as a freshman -- like his 27-point, 17-rebound effort against Notre Dame in December -- were incredible, and if he can return to his aggressive, attacking ways, he'll establish himself as the college game's most versatile power forward.
Four prospects who'll be examined in expanded roles (and could shoot up the draft board if they succeed)
1. Jeremy Lamb, Soph., SG, UConn: The 6-foot-5 wing with a 7-4 wingspan had a breakout NCAA tournament, playing well beyond his years on both ends of the floor. After the Huskies won the national title, coach Jim Calhoun said, "In the future, you're going to see Jeremy Lamb be one of the best players in college basketball." With All-America guard Kemba Walker gone to the NBA, Lamb (who averaged 11.1 points as a freshman) will get the chance to be UConn's No. 1 offensive option, and if he thrives in that role, he could reach lottery pick status.
2. Patric Young, Soph., PF, Florida: As a freshman, he was stuck at the back end of a Gators rotation that included three established senior forwards in Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin, and played 17.8 minutes per game. This season, Young will be expected to anchor Florida's D and clean up after its corps of scoring guards. "He's a tough guy who defends and won't take any [crap] from anybody, which is why I like him," one scout said. "His offensive skills are somewhat limited, but you know he'll compete."
3. Thomas Robinson, Jr., PF, Kansas: He was exceptionally productive coming off the bench last season, posting higher offensive and defensive rebounding rates (18.8 percent and 31.1 percent, respectively) than either of the Morris twins, and might have been a top-20 pick in this year's draft had he declared. Now scouts will be able to gauge Robinson's effectiveness over longer stretches. If his per-minute rates don't drop precipitously, he'll only be a more attractive NBA prospect.
4. Elijah Johnson, Jr., PG, Kansas: Three of the guards who limited Johnson's playing time to 13.7 minutes per game as a sophomore -- Josh Selby, Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar -- have moved on, freeing up a chance for him to split point-guard duties with Tyshawn Taylor. Johnson isn't a lock to be drafted, or even declare after his junior year. But as a 6-4 floor general with high-level athleticism, he has the attention of NBA scouts, who are curious to see how well he'll run an offense in a major role.
Four mid-major prospects to watch (despite the strong possibility that there won't be a mid-major player picked in the first round)
1. Tony Mitchell, Fr., PF, North Texas: Mitchell lost what was supposed to be his freshman year at Missouri when he failed to qualify academically. He enrolled at UNT in January and could be eligible in mid-December if he completes the necessary credits. Despite his extended layoff, the former No. 12 overall prospect in Rivals' Class of 2010 remains intriguing to scouts, who are eager to watch him in this summer's FIBA U19 World Championships. Mitchell has the size (6-8) and explosiveness to be a standout player in the Sun Belt -- if he ever gets on the floor in college.
2. Elias Harris, Jr., PF, Gonzaga: At this time last offseason, Harris was regarded as a potential first-round pick. Now, the German hybrid forward is trying to play his way back onto the draft board after a sophomore campaign in which he was hampered by Achilles and shoulder injuries, and saw his stock take a significant hit. If he can regain the shooting form that saw him hit 45 percent of his threes as a freshman (rather than 35 percent as a sophomore), and get back to attacking the basket aggressively off the dribble, he'll be in a position to be picked next June.
3. Arsalan Kazemi, Jr., SF, Rice: He was initially known for being the first native Iranian to compete in Division I hoops, but has played his way onto the NBA's radar in two years with the Owls. He impressed as a member of Iran's senior team in last summer's FIBA World Championships, and has been a relentless rebounder in college, logging the nation's second-best defensive rebounding rate (30.8 percent) and 15th-best offensive rebounding rate (15.2 percent). His quick first step and explosive leaping ability also helped him post the nation's second-highest free-throw rate (97.5), as Conference USA defenders struggled to contain him without fouling.
4. Andrew Nicholson, Sr., PF, St. Bonaventure: The Atlantic 10's leader in field-goal percentage -- and the league's most athletic, long post prospect -- has drawn scouts' attention for a few years after emerging as an unheralded recruit from the Toronto area. His less-than-stellar rebounding numbers and lack of aggression defending the paint have depressed his stock to a degree, but he could still climb into the first round by putting together a complete senior season.
Top one-and-done candidates
1. Anthony Davis, Fr., PF, Kentucky: He may be too raw to dominate in college hoops from Day 1, and isn't likely to put up numbers on par with Barnes and Sullinger, but that won't stop scouts from viewing Davis as the best prospect in the 2012 draft pool. He's far from filling out his 6-10 frame -- his late growth spurt was what pushed him from anonymity to five-star recruit -- but he'll make athletic plays around the rim, and will have no trouble keeping up with speedy freshman point guard Marquis Teague (also a one-and-done candidate) in transition.
2. Michael Gilchrist, Fr., SF, Kentucky: Gilchrist is the rare blue-chip recruit who's famous for his defense, and he's expected to be one of college basketball's most feared, tenacious defenders in '11-12. At 6-7, with a 6-11 wingspan, he could feasibly guard four positions for the Wildcats, and make a huge impact on a team that should contend for the national title. Scouts love his aggressiveness, and while he's unlikely to be selected ahead of Davis in next year's draft, Gilchrist won't have to wait long to hear his name called by an NBA team.
3. James Michael McAdoo, Fr., PF, North Carolina: The Tar Heels' abundance of first-round-caliber forwards (Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Barnes) will keep McAdoo from starting, but he'll see the floor enough to show off his offensive polish in the post. He's far more advanced, skill-wise, than Henson was as a freshman, and could have a long career in the pros as a back-to-the-basket power forward.
4. Brad Beal, Fr., SG, Florida: The Gators' backcourt is stocked with scorers, but Beal is the best pro prospect on their roster. He will stand out because of his shooting range and the overall smoothness of his game. At 6-4, he's a few inches shorter than the first shooting guards who went off the board in 2011 (Washington State's Klay Thompson and Colorado's Alec Burks), but his body looks NBA-ready even at the age of 18.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
You know ..... I also think that the lockout itself may have played into the Hickson trade.
If he truly is as headstrong as advertised, and it certainly seems that he has been, then the team may have feared that he will go work on all of the wrong stuff while away from the game, and coaches. They may also have been worried that his "inner circle" may exert more influence over his game while the lockout is in effect than they wanted.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Not a big Bball fan but even for me, the writing was on the wall with Hickson.
Do we have our own 1st rounder next year? if so, now we have two again...
Maybe not. It could be a 2nd round pick in 2017.
I pulled the following from the previously linked article concerning the deal
Quote: and will get a first-round pick in addition, although the pick is lottery-protected in 2012. The pick is then protected in 2013 (1-13), 2014 (1-12) and 2015-2017 (1-10). If the pick is not conveyed by 2017, then Sacramento will convey its 2017 second-round draft pick to the Cavaliers protected (56-60.)
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Ehh, I'll wait and see I guess. I have NOOOO clue who the heck this guy is that we got. Granted I didn't really follow the NBA at all this year.
I like Hickson....but didn't like the things that I was hearing from his camp and everytime I heard him speak, I thought he was dumb as a rock. So most likely he listened to his inner circle even more so than LeBron did. Glad to see him gone because of this reason alone.
Well, if Miami does terrible, and Sacro does well enough to eek into the playoffs, we might get up to 3 first rounders. However, if Sacro continues to stink (likely), and Miami continues to roll ... then we likely won't be getting our picks til 2017.
the more I think about it, the more I think that this is Grant putting his stamp on the team.
with Ferry, we drafted the best athlete with the highest ceiling (Shannon Brown, Hickson, Eyenga).
with Grant, we seem to be gearing towards players willing to play extremely hard at all times on both sides of the floor (Tristan,Casspi - Irving was an obvious pick, so I'm not going to include him). now, we might be a little hesitant to go this route as fans due to our previous experience with Mangini. But, as long as we still get talented players while paying attention to character as well, it can work (especially in basketball). We'll see how good Grant is at evaluating talent with how Tristan and Casspi do.
note: this also follows the blueprint that Byron Scott has used in his previous stops, so I wouldn't be surprised if his fingerprints are on this plan as well.
Quote: Also, I like the idea of adding another 1st round pick. But, like others have stated it's sort of disheartening to see the protection level on it.
I think most of us saw the writing on the wall for JJ Hickson, whether we wanted to admit it or not. I too am disappointed about the protection level of the first rounder we got in return, but fully expected it after we scored the #1 overall from the Clippers pick. I think it will be far more common now.
"All I know is, as long as I led the Southeastern Conference in scoring, my grades would be fine." - Charles Barkley
Quote: For all his raw talent, JJ is a headcase. I've got no problem dealing him.
He had the basketball IQ of a snail and the hands of a WNBA player, and apparently motivation problems as well. In hindsight I wish we traded him sooner, but at least we traded him soon enough to where we still got a decent return for him.
"All I know is, as long as I led the Southeastern Conference in scoring, my grades would be fine." - Charles Barkley
I agree with this. In the Boston series last year, we all remember LeBron's crappy performance. But one other thing I remember is complete mental breakdowns by JJ for the few games he was in there significant minutes, giving Boston easy break out baskets, and thus shifting the tide in a few of the closer games. It forced Mike Brown to put him on the bench for the rest of the series.
I'm sad to see JJ go but I understand that this organization was not going to pay him when he was due. Not after drafting Tristan, and not with Andy on the roster for now.
I have seen very little of Casspi play, I watch a lot of nbatv during the season, so he had the occasional highlight but I like the potential in what I read about him. The pick is somewhat of a bonus to me. I can't see Sacto doing anything any time soon. We honestly could have gotten a bit more for JJ but maybe the right deal just wasn't there. No way Grant would have given up any future 1's as well.
Like I said, sad to see JJ go, but I think deep down, honestly all of us realize that the smart thing to do might be getting rid of every lbj connection from that era. Boobie Gibson, andy, I think those guys would be best fit to go elsewhere. All class guys and have been so good with fans and everything.
One thing is for sure, there will be a large Israeli presence at many Cavs games this year. I went to a Clippers/Kings game at the Staples Center and it was mostly Casspi fans dressed in blue and white.
I will be killed for this. A full year lockout would benefit Cleveland.
•They would obtain the same lottery odds for the #1 pick as they did this year. The lockout will not last 2 years.
•If there is a full year lockout, when the Cavs come back Jamisons contract will be up and we can move on to Baron Davis contract. I am starting to think we would just buy out Jamison at the trade deadline.
•Guys can workout with eachother a lot easier than in any other sport. I guarantee these guys have their own basketball courts. They can stay in shape, run plays together and get a feel for eachother.
won't all contracts be at a standstill if there is a lockout, therefore we are still on the books for one year of jamison and 2 with baron?
i do agree it might be very beneficial that the cavs would be guaranteed the 2nd best odds at harrison barnes who is looking like the top player to come out in 2012 (still a long way until we can really talk about that)
i'd miss basketball too much tho. i'd probably get more into the regular season of the ncaa tho ha
i also want irving to start taking his lumps, i wanna see what we have in casspi and i want to see what thompson is all about.
when you think about it, the cavs got that thing going quick. 3 young players all with some upside, all can do different things, and all will start off together, i really like the sound of that.
Quote: They would obtain the same lottery odds for the #1 pick as they did this year.
Is this written in stone or is this a guess?
Even if they do have a season it's most likely to be another 50 gamer or so...Stern's a yo-yo and I really don't think he knows wth he's doing...The % gap in this is waaaay bigger than the NFL...
It's gonna take this team some time with Thompson and Irving playing more and more as the season goes on...We'd be lucky to win say 15 games...15-35 is still a high lotto pick...
I wanna see a credible link to a cancelled season and the draft...
ALSO...Did we just screw the pooch with the TPE we had by not using it prior to this LO???...Or will it activate again when the deal is done and we get the balance of a couple weeks to use it???
Irving Thompson Casspi
A Top 5 pick in 2012... Jamison Trade Davis Trade TPE
Gilbert might just be right...lol...We win b4 numb nuts...
But .... from what I have read ..... no one is sure if that's the end of that story or not.
I suppose that a lot will depend upon what form the final CBA takes ..... but it's possible that the Cavaliers may get an extension ...... or it may be a moot point if the CBA is "hard capped", and each team gets a freebie cut.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
We didn't screw the pooch with the TPE if a deal wasn't there. I'd rather they did what they did and not use it than bring in an older guy with a big contract to win us a few more games, get us a worse draft pick, take minutes from young guys, and then leave.
I'm assuming they couldn't find a piece they felt they could build with using it, or they didn't feel the draft picks or players they would have to include with it were worth it. I'm cool with that.
"All I know is, as long as I led the Southeastern Conference in scoring, my grades would be fine." - Charles Barkley
I'm already over him even though, like you said, they'll say we aren't...forever. Ultimately, he's a Pippen and not a Jordan.
As far as when I got over The Drive, The Fumble, The Shot & Game 7 will be the same as Hardgrove's response a few years back when he was asked about the 97 series in an interview...."I'll let you know when it happens."
Oh well. Enjoy the ride as much as you can.
“...Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
Oh you know they have been canvassing every gas station and sitting outside every liquor store and have probably interviewed 1000 people so they can get the 4 or 5 that make Cleveland look the worst so they can air it.
His first season is over, he is still without a ring, I'm pretty much over it (though I will always think the way he did it was entirely wrong). I will admit that every year when the playoffs roll around that I will cheer for the Heat's early exit but no more than I root for the Steelers or Yankees early exit...
speaking of the drive, i think you guys will get a kick out of this.
they replayed the game on nfl network over the weekend, so i put it on while i was doing things around the house. I don't care what game it is, if it's browns, it gets left on. I don't get bothered by those things and even then I was like 5 when this happened.
Anyway, my girlfriend is in the room and she's paying attention. She probably knows a lot about the Browns more than most non-browns fan girls, simply because she's with me too much. She knows about the drive, fumble, etc.. but hasn't seen a whole lot of footage.
At the end of the game when they kick the field goal, she mutters "wow, that field goal was so not good"
ESPN reporter: "Excuse me, mind if I ask you a few questions? It's for a special we'll be running on ESPN about the 1-year anniversary of 'The Decision.'"
Random Cavs fan: "Uh, ok...?"
ESPN reporter: "WHEN WILL YOU JUST GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE?!?!?"
ESPN editer: *splices in footage of burning #23 jersey in a parking lot somewhere*
Quote: bspn is apparently planning some kind of special/piece to remind everyone of the decision on it's anniversary (friday)
I guess the simple question is "why?".
To remind people why they hate ESPN? To remind people of the day that the network lost all credibility in a lot of people's eyes? To remind people of a league that may not play a season next year? To celebrate a guy who has the same amount of NBA Championship rings that I do? Really what is the point other than to once again prove that you're a joke of an asshat network?
Seriously ESPN, maybe send a couple cameras out to the LPGA U.S. Open or send some people out to the John Deere or whatever tennis tourney may be this week instead of rehashing your ignorance of a year ago. You know - actually cover sports.
And I don't know the odds, but if Wilbon is involved I'd bet pretty safely on bitterness and slave references.
ESPN... what a joke.
"If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college" GO ROCKETS
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Glad to see him gone because of this reason alone.![[Linked Image from img.photobucket.com]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Concor1033/NEWDTsig.jpg)
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