The 2015 NBA Draft

tiger0330

Legend
The Knicks will have no worse than a top 4 pick if they finish with the worst record in the NBA. Starting this thread for videos, articles and comments on prospects that are projected to go in the top 4. Here's an article I found on Stanley Johnson and Emmanuel Mundiay. All these guys are young so it may take a couple of years before they develop into NBA starters so I wouldn't look at these guys except for maybe Okafor as instant solutions for the Knicks. PJ is going to have to rely on FA to build this team and with the cap space he has and the need to turn around this team ASAP, he'll try to be very active in FA.

Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports said:
Talkin' Prospects: Stanley Johnson and Emmanuel Mudiay



The last time the Knicks had a top-three draft pick (that didn't belong to the Bulls), they drafted Patrick Ewing and laid the groundwork for what became a decade of contention. Every year from 1992 through 2000, the team won at least one playoff series. Can you even imagine that now?

If the Knicks finish with the worst record, they're assured of a top-four pick. Let's take a look at two of the big name prospects who may be meeting the little table some time in 2015: Stanley Johnson of the University of Arizona and Emmanuel Mudiay of the Chinese league's Guangdong Southern Tigers. The 411 on Johnson is courtesy of Jason Bartel, who covers the U of A for Arizona Desert Swarm; the Mudiay musings are from Ricky O'Donnell of SB Nation College Basketball.
How would you describe the player's game? What are his strengths? Which areas need work?
Bartel: "His game is very well-rounded, especially for a college freshman. He's definitely comfortable in the post, hitting mid-range jumpers, and even staying out beyond the arc. And his defense in Arizona's man-to-man system is improving. He can hold his own against a wide range of players, and has been able to guard a diverse group of guys so far this season. When his mindset is right, he can do just about everything, but I would say that's the thing that needs work the most, is his concentration. As evidenced in the game against Arizona State last Sunday, and Sean Miller brought it up afterwards, he plays to the scoreboard a little bit, and lost concentration in the second half when the Wildcats were up 20 basically the entire time. But when he's in the game mentally, it's scary what he's able to do."
O'Donnell: "Mudiay is a power guard cut from the same cloth as John Wall and Derrick Rose. He's good because he's bigger, stronger and faster than any opposing point guard. At 6'5", 200 pounds, and with a wingspan over 6'8", he's going to be one of the biggest point guards in the NBA the moment he gets drafted. He also reportedly has elite athleticism. I saw him play at the McDonald's All-American game and he seemed to live up the hype athletically. The obvious area of weakness is outside shooting. Wall and Rose struggled with that part of the game as well early in their careers. Obviously, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with playing point guard in the NBA, so he'll have to continue to evolve the way he sees the floor and takes care of the ball."


What's been his high point so far this year?
Bartel: "I would say his high point was the Maui Invitational, especially the championship game against San Diego State. Johnson was named the tournament's MVP, and had 18 points and 9 rebounds in 37 minutes in that SDSU game. He also had a total of seven steals and four turnovers in those three games in Hawaii."
O'Donnell: "Mudiay's overseas experience went well. He averaged 17.7 points, six rebounds and 5.9 assists per game over 10 contests. He took 15 shots per game and made 49.7 of them. Check out Real GM for the rest of his numbers. He's supposedly done in China because of an ankle injury. It doesn't seem like he's going to play basketball again until the next NBA season starts."
How has he progressed? Is he the same player he was when the season began, or have you seen growth (or regression) in his game?
Bartel: "I would say his defense is consistently getting better, and that probably comes with practicing against a guy like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson every day. Hollis-Jefferson is arguably the best defensive player in the nation this year, so you have to think some of that would rub off on Johnson, and it has. When you look at his offensive numbers, he's stayed fairly even throughout the season, and I think a lot of that goes back to the whole mental mindset thing. Arizona had a decent amount of blowouts in a row where everyone was losing concentration in the second half, not just Johnson. I would say he regressed a bit in the loss to UNLV as he tried to carry the team on his back, which is not what needed to happen at all. But I think the team as a whole needed that loss as a reality check, especially a guy like Johnson."
O'Donnell: N/A


Do they remind you of any players you've seen before?
Bartel: "I think the popular thing to say here is LeBron based purely on his physical stature, and his well-rounded offensive game. Now I'm not saying he's LeBron James. But I am saying he's a freshman in college that is listed at 6-7, 245, and can play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward at any given time on either end of the floor. I've seen a lot of Kawhi Leonard or even Ron Artest tossed around as well. I think he's a little better offensively than those guys are and were, though. I watched Kawhi a lot when he was at San Diego State, and Stanley is a better player all-around at this point than Kawhi was. Physically, he's unlike anything that we've seen in Tucson before. Again, I think it all comes down to him staying in games mentally, and I think with time, he'll develop that killer instinct and be a force to be reckoned with in the league at some point."
O'Donnell: "Power guard like Wall and Rose."
What, if anything, can you tell us about the player's personality? About his background? Do you know enough about him to have an opinion on how he might deal with life as a top draft pick, and coming to NY?
Bartel: "I can't say I know him very well personally or a lot about his background. He went to Mater Dei in California and then came to Arizona, so he's definitely been in the spotlight for a good chunk of his life now. Talking to him a couple times after games this year, I can tell you he's a very standup guy, and won't avoid any questions that are thrown at him. But Arizona also tends to shield its athletes from talking to the media a lot, so I don't know how any Arizona player would fare when going to a market like New York without getting a lot of coaching on that front, to be honest."
O'Donnell: "Mudiay was considered to be the No. 2 prospect in the high school class of 2014 behind Jahlil Okafor by some. If he would have honored his commitment to SMU, there's a chance the Mustangs could have been among the best teams in the country. He decided to play overseas for the money, but also because he would have likely had trouble getting cleared by the NCAA. He went to a Dallas area high school run by Deion Sanders and it doesn't sound like everything was aboveboard there.


"I talked to him for about five minutes at the McDonald's All-American game and he seemed very shy. He didn't appear all that comfortable in front of the media. I remember I asked him what type of music he's been listening to, and he said he hadn't been listening to anything. I thought that was hilarious.
"I think the Knicks should want a big man in this draft, particularly Okafor or Karl Towns. It's just easier to find a competent point guard than it is to find a two-way seven-footer. If they miss on Okafor and Towns in the draft, Mudiay wouldn't be a bad way to go. For real, though, the Knicks just need, like, one guy to play interior defense. New York might be a team that would take Willie Cauley-Stein over Mudiay."
 

Scipio

Benchwarmer
In England here I have ESPN which is showing tons of college ball. Duke play at 5pm so I can watch Okafor live and see what he`s all about. I`m pretty excited because I`ve never watched any college basketball before. Does anybody think that we have a realistic chance of getting number one pick?
 

tiger0330

Legend
The team with the worst record only has 1 in 4 chance of getting the number 1 pick and Okafor unlike some years is the clear number 1 pick so even if the Knicks don't win another game this season odds are they don't get Okafor. I hate the NBA lottery system that doesn't give the top pick to the team with the worst record, how do they do it in soccer or in the Eurolegue in bball in Europe?
 

CoolClyde

Moderator
this is a good thread to help evaluate college players and potential draft picks for lowly knicks. other than Okafor and Mundiay, I don't know much about the top draft picks. when March madness kicks in, i watch the games and the players and start reading about who's who. now that Knicks will probably get top 4, i'll start watching the college tournament games early.

yeah, the NBA lottery system kind of sucks, how does Cleveland deserve the top pick 3 out of the last 4 years? sheer luck. and then LeBron decides to return to his hometown, and Cleveland trades 2 of their #1 picks for one of the top players in the league to pair with another #1 pick and LeBron? sounds like collusion.

i'd rather see a lottery where they stone someone to death, like Charles Barkley or Reggie Miller. haha. sheeeeit.
 
If you believe the conspiracy theorists, the reason for the NBA lottery is so that the NBA executives can rig, to a great degree, which franchise gets new marketable talent. As fans of a big market team, we should all hope that this conspiracy theory is true.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Okafor skills remind me of Marcus Camby at Massachusetts in 1996.
Camby had more energy on defense, Okafor has more energy on offense
Per Game in college/NBA Camby gave u double-double 3 blocks 1 steal

Hint: The season Camby averaged 10 pts, 13 rb, 3 ast, 4 blk, 1 stl, and 1 turnover per game.
Melo had Camby traded out of Denver for nothing in return why?
because Camby mention Melo's poor defensive habits during a playoff series
Cause n Effect
Tyson Chandler mention certain teammates poor defensive habits allowed Knicks opponents to score on a defensive-switch .. Tyson mention teammates poor defensive performance the season after being teammates with Marcus Camby.
Funny how Tyson knew what to say to get him traded ASAP.

I couldn't leave out the effects of Melo in a post for the Knicks 2015 draft pick.
Look at Ohio State 6.5 PG- D'Angelo Russell for the Knicks 2015 draft pick .. tell me what u like, dont like
 

Kiyaman

Legend
this is a good thread to help evaluate college players and potential draft picks for lowly knicks. other than Okafor and Mundiay, I don't know much about the top draft picks. when March madness kicks in, i watch the games and the players and start reading about who's who. now that Knicks will probably get top 4, i'll start watching the college tournament games early.

yeah, the NBA lottery system kind of sucks, how does Cleveland deserve the top pick 3 out of the last 4 years? sheer luck. and then LeBron decides to return to his hometown, and Cleveland trades 2 of their #1 picks for one of the top players in the league to pair with another #1 pick and LeBron? sounds like collusion.

i'd rather see a lottery where they stone someone to death, like Charles Barkley or Reggie Miller. haha. sheeeeit.

On the real .. The Cavs owner & GM are clueless on building a winning NBA team.
The NBA league needed to give the Cavs the first pick every season Lebron was in south beach.
Trading a future super-star Wiggins for a poor defensive Love was a dumb mistake on the Cavs.
If the Timberwolves get Okafor in the 2015 draft .. Thats KG with a combo-super star Wiggins, promising PG Lavine, and another young promising 6.11 big Gorgui Dieng who play both side of the court.
A top 2015 FA would get more props signing with the young Timberwolves Okafor than the Melo defenseless Knicks.
 

donchris

Next season, keep waiting
In England here I have ESPN which is showing tons of college ball. Duke play at 5pm so I can watch Okafor live and see what he`s all about. I`m pretty excited because I`ve never watched any college basketball before. Does anybody think that we have a realistic chance of getting number one pick?

Okafor has struggled for the last few games but you can take a look at his stats on ESPN
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/3135048/jahlil-okafor. He's putting up some serious numbers. And he's only 18!

Ideally in my view the Knicks will get the number 1 pick but if they don't there are other good players. There is always the option of trading the pick for multiple future draft picks if we don't get Okafor.
 

tiger0330

Legend
An article on Karl Towns, "Play like clowns for Towns" to go with "Lose more for Okafor. He wouldn't be a bad pick for if they can't land Okafor but one NBA exec said he's 3 years behind Okafor in development and he won't catch up in Kentucky with their system.

Adam Zagoria said:
AAU Director: The Knicks should play like clowns for Karl Towns

January 22nd, 2015 11:37 am
6a94847b45ba068782e033fee5648f0a
Adam Zagoria, Team Reporter
Instead of “Losing some more for Okafor,” the Knicks should “Play like clowns for Towns.”
As in Kentucky 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns of New Jersey.
That’s the message from Ed Bright, the Director of Towns’ AAU team, Sports U Team IZOD.
“[Jahlil Okafor] is not the guy [the Knicks] need,” Bright told SNY.tv and The Knicks Blog by phone. “New York needs Karl Towns. I believe that Karl Towns will be an iconic ball player. I believe that he will be a generational athlete.”
Despite their modest two-game winning streak, the Knicks (7-36) still own the NBA’s worst record and have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick and a 64 percent chance of landing a top-3 selection.
Towns is already familiar with Carmelo Anthony, having gotten to know him when he played against Team USA with the Dominican Republic National Team coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari.
Perhaps most importantly, Towns is a winner. He was the 2014 Gatorade National Player of the Year last year, when he led St. Joseph-Metuchen to at 30-2 record and the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title.
Now at Kentucky, he’s the highest-rated player on a potentially historic undefeated team featuring nine McDonald’s All-Americans.
“It’s really fun,” Towns said this week of No. 1 Kentucky’s 18-0 start. “It’s all about winning, I love winning. That’s all I’m about. When you’re winning you’re as high as the clouds can take you and I’m touching the stars. So I’m having a lot of fun right now. But you know we have to keep it going. We have to stay on the defensive end, we have to stay tenacious on the offensive end we have to get it together. If we can do that we can be real special.”
Towns is projected as a top-3 pick by both Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com and Chad Ford of ESPN.com. While Duke’s Okafor — who makes his Madison Square Garden debut Sunday against St. John’s when Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski seeks his 1,000th career win — is the consensus No. 1 pick, some believe that Towns has a higher ceiling than Okafor because of his athleticism and commitment to defense.
“He’s probably more athletic than Okafor,” one veteran NBA scout said.
One NBA executive disagreed, however, saying, “Towns is three years away from being what Okafor is today.”
Said Givony: “Towns’ upside on defense is definitely bigger and the fact that he can step out and shoot the 3, or he has that kind of potential [shows that] there’s definitely an argument to be made. Most people would say Okafor for sure is going No. 1. but it’s not that simple because of the way things are set up at Kentucky.”
Playing in Calipari’s vaunted platoon system, where he shares the front court with future NBA bigs Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson, Towns is averaging 8.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in about 20 minutes of action.
Calipari, who also coached current NBA bigs Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins and Julius Randle, among others — said this week that he wants Towns to be the best big man in the country by the end of the season — meaning he would have to eclipse Okafor, who has drawn comparisons to five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan.
“My vision is, by the end of the year, he is the best big guy in the country,” Calipari said this week.
NBA personnel understand that Towns is playing within a platoon system whereas Okafor is featured at Duke.
“Karl has done a great job down there,” the NBA scout said. “He’s stuck to the system. He’s been good soldier. He’s getting better, he doesn’t get the touches that he’d get on another team and doesn’t get the field goal attempts he’d get on a lesser team because the team is so stacked and so loaded and there’s only so many minutes and only so many touches. His statistics don’t give you a true [picture].
“But he’s improved offensively, his understanding of the game has improved. He has size and athleticism. He can protect the rim.”
In high school, Towns was known as a big man who liked to step away from the basket and shoot, but Givony has been impressed with his commitment to defense at Kentucky.
“He’s an amazing shot-blocker,” Givony said. “He can legitimately guard power forwards and centers and he really cares about playing defense, and that’s a really good sign for him. If he can be the offensive player we saw in high school combined with the defensive player we’ve seen in college, that’s really a rare thing. That’s where you can make the case for him over Okafor because Okafor plays on one side of the floor. He’s pretty much a non-factor on defense. He doesn’t show great instincts for protecting the basket or even a desire. He is not any type of presence around the rim. He’ll improve.”
Having covered Towns in high school, I can tell you that he’s an incredibly personable, smart and warm kid who would be a big hit in New York. His parents, Jacqueline Cruz and Karl Towns, raised him the right way and helped breed a winner.
Bright believes Towns would be a big hit in New York.
“He’s so many different things, man,” Bright said. “As a guy who’s been with him since the seventh grade. He’s personable, he’s caring, he already has a great sense of what his social contract is. He’s smart, he’s articulate. We’re talking about a kid who carried a 4.2 [GPA] through high school, who was able to skip up a year to go to college, who wants to go to college to study kinesiology. We’re not talking about the average guy.
“We’re talking about a guy who knows how to give back already. And a great basketball player, who does a lot more things than Okafor. He’s a better passer, obviously. He’s a much better shooter. We competed against Okafor…I just think Karl is a little better along in terms of handling New York as as city, and representing New York as a city, than Okafor would be. I’m convinced of that. And that’s no insult to Jahlil Okafor.”
Let’s face it.
The Knicks don’t have any control over where the ping-pong balls land anyway. But if they get the second or third pick instead of the first, maybe it will have been better to “Play like clowns for Towns” than to “Lose some more for Okafor.”
Photos: Karl Towns / USA Today Sports
 
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tiger0330

Legend
Great article on D'Angelo Russell. Anybody have an opinion on him vs. Mundiay, both are 6'5" which I like. Knicks need a big man first so would you take this kid before say Towns?




osu.jpg


Maybe the Knicks don’t have to lose more for Jahlil Okafor.

The status quo could get them D’Angelo Russell.

Based on the season Ohio State’s slick and steady 6-foot-5 freshman is enjoying, would anyone complain?

Russell entered the season overshadowed by some of the county’s other top freshman, from Duke’s Okafor to Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Arizona’s Stanley Johnson. Emmanuel Mudiay — the Dallas floor general who opted to play in China rather than attend SMU — was the point guard most scouts were talking about regarding the 2015 draft.

No one, regardless of class, has made a bigger impact this season than the southpaw, averaging 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists, one of only two players to post 19 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. He put up his first career triple-double in Ohio State’s 79-60 victory over Rutgers at the RAC on Sunday night, scoring 23 points, notching 11 assists and grabbing 11 rebounds.

“Honestly, one of the better performances I’ve seen in my time in coaching,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said.

He’s shot up draft boards, now projected to be the second pick by NBADraftExpress.com. And an NBA scout in attendance Sunday said he could see Russell, who has led Ohio State (18-6, 7-4) to second place in the Big Ten, going No. 1 overall over Okafor.

“He’s special,” the scout said. “He does things at his age you can’t believe he’s doing.”

Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan evoked the name of Knicks great Walt Frazier, his all-time favorite player, then took a step back.

“Not yet anyway,” he said. Jordan then added: “He’s a smooth character.

Matta said Russell’s work ethic and attention to detail remind him of David West, who played for Matta at Xavier and is in his 11th NBA season. He’s constantly looking for any advantage he can be, putting in extra time after practice in the gym, watching film.

“He always has a purpose to what he’s doing,” Matta said.

Other players put in extra hours, Matta said, but Russell always is working on aspects of his game that will translate to the next contest.

“That’s what great players do,” the Ohio State coach said.
russell1.jpg

Few envisioned Russell making this kind of impact. He was ranked among the top players in the country by scouting services, though somehow Rivals.com had him No. 18 overall, while Scout.com and ESPN ranked him 13th.

Twenty-two NBA scouts — including 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie and four Knicks representatives including assistant general manager Allan Houston — made the trip to Piscataway, N.J., to get a close look at the phenom. He didn’t disappoint, completely dominating the Scarlet Knights.

Russell’s entire dazzling repertoire was on display. There was his in-the-gym range (he made three 3-pointers), unselfishness (11 assists) and toughness (11 rebounds). He was completely under control the entire game, going at his own speed, and committed just two turnovers.

Early this season, he was turnover-prone — committing as many as seven in a win over Marquette Nov. 18 — but he’s improved in that area, taking care of the ball far better, just seven in his past five games.

His passing really has turned heads. He’s a willing ball-mover, not the typically high-scoring phenom who eats up the shot clock by pounding the ball into the court.

He made several highlight-reel plays Sunday. One of the most impressive came on a standard pick-and-roll at the top of the key. Two Scarlet Knights defenders immediately converged on Russell, and he softly flicked a pass into the paint — where teammate JaeSean Tate was — and it resulted in an easy layup, Tate catching the pass in stride.

“That’s what he does best,” the scout said. “When he comes at you, you can tell, he knows where everyone is on the floor. He sees his four guys and the other team’s five guys. He’s looking guys off all game.”

ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla is one of Russell’s biggest fans, calling him “the draft’s most skilled player” and said “he already possesses the poise and countenance of a 10-year NBA veteran.”

The compliments are flattering, but Russell isn’t thinking about the NBA just yet. He has “two feet in” with Ohio State. He does watch a lot of the professional game and tries to emulate Stephen Curry, the Warriors electric All-Star guard.

“I got a long way to go, but he’s just the most exciting player to watch to me,” Russell said. “Just the plays that he makes, everybody is surprised, but he’s more like ‘I do this.’ ”

Funny, that’s the reaction Russell’s breathtaking season elicits.

Russell’s entire dazzling repertoire was on display. There was his in-the-gym range (he made three 3-pointers), unselfishness (11 assists) and toughness (11 rebounds). He was completely under control the entire game, going at his own speed, and committed just two turnovers.
 

Broadway

All Star
Good thread and nice to have discussion compiled into one place. I will revisit this thread quite a bit. I think Okafor is the guy you have to go with regardless of what the rest of the field says. The only exception if having the #1 overall pick results in a trading down offer that can't be refused, like landing 2 picks in the lottery anywhere 5-14.


If we don't end up with #1 overall selection the guard I'm going with is Mudiay, although Russell has the goods.
 

paris401

Starter
The only exception if having the #1 overall pick results in a trading down offer that can't be refused, like landing 2 picks in the lottery anywhere 5-14..

don't think we can trade this years 1st rounder under any circumstances... or can we???
 

paris401

Starter
Yes we can trade our pick on draft day. What we can't do is trade "consecutive future" 1st rnd draft picks that haven't taken place.

does it mean then that we make our pick, and then trade whomever we picked to another team for their pick (s), or can we swap picks on draft day prior to making our pick??
 

Broadway

All Star
does it mean then that we make our pick, and then trade whomever we picked to another team for their pick (s), or can we swap picks on draft day prior to making our pick??

Essentially we could do either or on draft day.

I'll add this slight tweak. We can't trade "out of the first round" in "consecutive future" drafts, although we could say do trade swaps on 1st rnd picks in consecutive drafts
 
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Is just my imagination and does all of a sudden this seem like a "deep" draft when previously it was described as a weak one? Maybe we're just making it sound like a better draft class because we're in the lottery.
 

Broadway

All Star
Is just my imagination and does all of a sudden this seem like a "deep" draft when previously it was described as a weak one? Maybe we're just making it sound like a better draft class because we're in the lottery.

It has the potential to be extremely good-great, aside from what has transpired with the Knicks this year
 

tiger0330

Legend
Is just my imagination and does all of a sudden this seem like a "deep" draft when previously it was described as a weak one? Maybe we're just making it sound like a better draft class because we're in the lottery.
Didn't Magic Johnson say this was a good year to be in the lottery because there were a number of franchise players available. Looking more likely Melo played his last game yesterday increasing the chances the Knicks finish with the worst record. The boys have to win 12 games out of the remaining 30 to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history, my bet is we set that record also.
 

CoolClyde

Moderator
Didn't Magic Johnson say this was a good year to be in the lottery because there were a number of franchise players available. Looking more likely Melo played his last game yesterday increasing the chances the Knicks finish with the worst record. The boys have to win 12 games out of the remaining 30 to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history, my bet is we set that record also.


12 out of 30? that means the Knicks have a magic number for losing, and most likely, ping pong ball rulers!
#tankerbockers
 

Kiyaman

Legend
A week before they drop the ping-pong-balls the NBA CEO will have a conference on all the LOSER teams that apply for the Lottery balls.
The first discussion of the CEO will be which Lottery-team had the lowest home attendance?
The teams with the lowest home attendance ussually receive the top 3 picks.
This is a Bussiness!!!
The Knicks Home attendance (above 19,500 per game), lead the league with the most sold-out Home-Games .. Now u know why owner Dolan could tell a long time Knicks fan to go support another team. The CEO will also take Dolan remark in consideration.
Knicks get 4th or 5th pick .. who will that be???
 
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