NFT: NBA Draft Lottery Tuesday, May 19, 2015 7:30pm

and i will say it again Mudiay ends up being the best player in this draft...

In comment 12294003 Steve in Greenwich said:

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I'm not phased much by getting the 4 spot; its a 4 person draft and we're in the top 4, but I still just cant get over the fact that out of 14 teams in the lottery, only one team came out last night in a worse position than they finished, and its the Knicks. You just cant make up the narrative. And on top of it, the biggest shamrock up the ass team in the league, the Lakers, is the only team to move up. But my biggest fear on getting the 4 spot is, with the Knicks luck one of the top 4 guys gets a catastrophic injury before the draft and then the 4 person draft becomes 3 and the Knicks are left on the outside looking in. That would be Knicks luck.

My biggest fear is that Management panics and trades the pick for an Antonio McDyess type vet. That's a definite possibility and would be catastrophic.

In comment 12294061 nygiants16 said:

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and i will say it again Mudiay ends up being the best player in this draft...

What a ridiculous statement.

I actually give Mudiay a bump because he played in China. I'd take two big games against a 38 year old Starbury over Russell beating up on guys who can't even make the D League.

As an aside, it's hilarious that Mudiay autocorrects to nudist on my phone.

In comment 12294074 Jon in NYC said:

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In comment 12294061 nygiants16 said: Quote: and i will say it again Mudiay ends up being the best player in this draft... What a ridiculous statement.

Sorry Jon... Frank Kaminsky or Sam Dekker will be the best player in this draft!..

Because the entire lottery went chalk except for the fucking Knicks. Oh, and the Lakers.

It also doesn't help when you know you'd have a higher chance at top 3 if your dog shit coach didn't do what he did so well the rest of the year and just lose out.

Also, I never want to see Steve Mills on my fucking television ever again. We should have gotten the 8th pick for trotting his sorry ass up there.

In comment 12294082 nygiants16 said:

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In comment 12294074 Jon in NYC said: Quote: In comment 12294061 nygiants16 said: Quote: and i will say it again Mudiay ends up being the best player in this draft... What a ridiculous statement. Sorry Jon... Frank Kaminsky or Sam Dekker will be the best player in this draft!..

The difference is I say that shit in jest. No one can say with any ounce of certainty who will turn out to be an Nba starter, nevermind the best player in the draft. Compound that with the fact that you haven't seen the dude play a full game of basketball and it just doesn't make any sense to say that.

but because they're bigs they'll get overdrafted.

I think one of the guards may end up as the better player.

but here is the mcdonald's all star game full game..,,

Couple of times Mudiay goes against Russell
Link - ( New Window )

In comment 12294088 Jon in NYC said:

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In comment 12294082 nygiants16 said: Quote: In comment 12294074 Jon in NYC said: Quote: In comment 12294061 nygiants16 said: Quote: and i will say it again Mudiay ends up being the best player in this draft... What a ridiculous statement. Sorry Jon... Frank Kaminsky or Sam Dekker will be the best player in this draft!.. The difference is I say that shit in jest. No one can say with any ounce of certainty who will turn out to be an Nba starter, nevermind the best player in the draft. Compound that with the fact that you haven't seen the dude play a full game of basketball and it just doesn't make any sense to say that.

So i can not state my opinion? it is not like i am saying it just because he is the likely pick for the Knicks...i siad it yesterday too before i knew the Knicks were going to be the 4th pick....

I am not allowed to state that opinion?

In comment 12294085 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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Because the entire lottery went chalk except for the fucking Knicks. Oh, and the Lakers. It also doesn't help when you know you'd have a higher chance at top 3 if your dog shit coach didn't do what he did so well the rest of the year and just lose out. Also, I never want to see Steve Mills on my fucking television ever again. We should have gotten the 8th pick for trotting his sorry ass up there.

The first two points you can definitely be upset about, but the Mills thing is ridiculous lol

In comment 12294094 nygiants16 said:

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In comment 12294088 Jon in NYC said: Quote: In comment 12294082 nygiants16 said: Quote: In comment 12294074 Jon in NYC said: Quote: In comment 12294061 nygiants16 said: Quote: and i will say it again Mudiay ends up being the best player in this draft... What a ridiculous statement. Sorry Jon... Frank Kaminsky or Sam Dekker will be the best player in this draft!.. The difference is I say that shit in jest. No one can say with any ounce of certainty who will turn out to be an Nba starter, nevermind the best player in the draft. Compound that with the fact that you haven't seen the dude play a full game of basketball and it just doesn't make any sense to say that. So i can not state my opinion? it is not like i am saying it just because he is the likely pick for the Knicks...i siad it yesterday too before i knew the Knicks were going to be the 4th pick.... I am not allowed to state that opinion?

I think he's saying how can you have that opinion since the only real game most of us has ever seen of him is a HS All-Star Game. It's a fair statement.

Than the other two things.

but IF Mudiay develops a high-quality jump shot over the next couple of years, there isn't any reason to think that his upside isn't as high as anyone else in the top four.

And forget about the two Europeans when the Knicks pick. They can't wait around for Porzingas to get up to NBA-level strength in another two seasons-plus, and Hezonja's best position is also Melo's. No Winslow either. With holes everywhere, but especially at PG, PF and C, they are taking whichever pg falls, unless Okafor does. Then they get a center and hopefully a decent quality PF in FA.

Being an older (definite) and more wiser (arguable) man has given me a different perspective about these things.

Learn to be upset and worry about the things you can control in life. The things we can't control are going to happen no matter what we do.

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but from what i have seen and read i like what i see...

and i like the fact he has been playing against grown men since he was 18...

I like the fact that every former NBA player playing China says he is going to be a great player in the NBA...

and i think athleticism makes him a better prospect than Russell..

I think his shot will come, he didnt shoot horribly in China even though it is a small sample size...

I like the fact he is 6 5 and with the league becoming more gaurd oriented, it will be nice to have a PG that can keep his man in front of him and on the other end use his speed to drive by his guy and break down a defense...

For talking about guys like Mudiay even though we haven't seen full games of them. You realize this is what the NBA is doing right now, right? A lot of these people haven't seen Mudiay play, and pretty much no one saw Dante Exum play last year. Yet look where they are getting drafted/projected to be drafted.

I really like Hezonja. I haven't watched a single game of him. But his shooting form is on point and he shows plus athleticism and slashing ability. Also has the height to guard multiple positions.

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But can Hezonja play the two? At 6'8, I would doubt it, and they aren't taking another 3 with all of the holes to fill.

Putting Melo back at the 4 is just wrong at this point in his career.

In comment 12294139 Ten Ton Hammer said:

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Quote from a scout on Exum

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Unless you are some super-scout that saw him on some JV vocational team in Australia, you have only seen him live twice in like 14 months. The workouts give you nothing; we already know he’s big and an athlete. It’s a risk, but last time we saw him at the under-19 he dominated.

Mudiay, I'm sure scouts seen him. But none of the GMs except for Hinkie have seen him live. Yet he will still go top 5.

Look at Klay Thompson. And Hezonja is a better athlete. From what I've seen, he actually looks like a 2 guard out there. He just has the ability to play the 3, which should only be seen as a plus.

I think Hezonja just makes too much sense on the Magic though. If Hezonja can learn how to defend up to his ability an Oladipo, Payton, and Hezonja back court would just smother offenses. All of them can defend multiple positions. Magic also desperately need outside shooting.

Hezonja can play SG at 6'8

In comment 12294146 AnotherGiantsFan said:

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In comment 12294139 Ten Ton Hammer said: Quote: . Quote from a scout on Exum Quote: Unless you are some super-scout that saw him on some JV vocational team in Australia, you have only seen him live twice in like 14 months. The workouts give you nothing; we already know he’s big and an athlete. It’s a risk, but last time we saw him at the under-19 he dominated. Mudiay, I'm sure scouts seen him. But none of the GMs except f or Hinkie have seen him live. Yet he will still go top 5.

Can't argue with that, I guess.

As far as the Knicks are concerned, I thought they actually spend a fair amount of money and employ a pretty noteworthy foreign scout. Maybe that's just europe, not asia.

I'm happy the Lakers finally got a blip of luck, but it's suspect whether the top 5 crop compare well with other years, imv. I wonder if they grab a C, or try to trade down and get the athletic wing in Winslow.

Knicks could wind up with the kid Phil apparently loves in Russell, which would be better value at #4.

In comment 12294529 JonC said:

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I'm happy the Lakers finally got a blip of luck

Yeah, the Lakers sure haven't had much luck in their history, have they?

They were due. grin.

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and you just might get your wish, unless Jim Buss suddenly reincarnates as Dr Buss.

demandeth Okafor and the Lakers will continue to be a sieve defensively.

In comment 12294529 JonC said:

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I'm happy the Lakers finally got a blip of luck, but it's suspect whether the top 5 crop compare well with other years, imv. I wonder if they grab a C, or try to trade down and get the athletic wing in Winslow. Knicks could wind up with the kid Phil apparently loves in Russell, which would be better value at #4.

I don't think Russell gets past the Sixers.

at the Lakers finally getting a blip of luck.

They could go 50 years without being due for any good luck after the decades of insane luck they've had.

God I hate that franchise.

I hope NYK gets their dude.

available to cry to the league after some of their vag sand gets in their eyes.

So lucky.

They can't even fight off all the luck that has been handed to them the last few years. Kobe's knees are exploding due to having to carry the burden of so much luck.

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@darrenrovell Mind-blowing picture by @SSpakeESPN of Jahlil Okafor palming a REGULATION basketball

In comment 12296498 GiantFilthy said:

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available to cry to the league after some of their vag sand gets in their eyes. So lucky. They can't even fight off all the luck that has been handed to them the last few years. Kobe's knees are exploding due to having to carry the burden of so much luck.

Annnnnnnd....what kind of luck did they have before the past few years?

If I were an NBA GM I'd inherently mistrust the focus and motivation of anyone from Dubrovnik -- they're probably constantly daydreaming of home and imagining eating an unparalleled Croatian steak in a dream-like town upon impossibly gorgeous waters surrounded by heavenly women.

I call straight up skill and skullfuckery from a genius owner and slick GM!

in Minny to pair next to Wiggins. So there's no question I'd take KAT with the first pick.

But overall, I'm starting to get back onto the Okafor > KAT bandwagon. He's going to be an offensive superstar if he develops a legit Jumper, and I've seen enough touch from him to think he can improve his outside shot/FT to respectable levels. And I think Okafor's length alone is going to make him a good enough defender on the pro level once he gets in NBA shape.

Towns is just so damn complete and safe. But I can't see him being much better than what Al Horford currently is. That's a very good player but not a superstar. Okafor I could see being a superstar.

Even though the Lakers interviewed and have apparent interest in Russell, I think in the end it will be as simple as choosing the big that Minnesota lets slip to 2. Towns would be perfect to put in beside Randle, who we still have no clue what kind of pro he can be, but honestly I'd be ok with either.

A number of writers keep pointing out the long friendship between Wiggins and Okafor, but no team should let that be too big of a deciding factor. Then again, good chemistry isn't always easy to come by.

Which is crazy to me, Towns is such a perfect fit for that T-Wolves roster.

But Okafor is a premiere prospect. His faults are overblown. The Lakers are getting an excellent player, and it's typical that they find another big man to hold it down for the next decade.

within the first 15 minutes of his professional career.

Talk about luck!

will be the best player the Knicks have drafted since Patrick.

But him not breaking his leg could have brought you guys from having a #2 pick to not having a pick at all. In a season where there were zero playoff aspirations, that's a bit lucky. Also lucky to have players like this having substantial minutes.

You got hours of entertainment from Swaggy P.

Give up that pick right now.

In comment 12296726 DanMetroMan said:

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will be the best player the Knicks have drafted since Patrick.

True, but that's a low bar to climb since the Knicks have only picked in the top ten 5 times since Ewing: Hill (#8), Gallinari (#6), Frye (#8), Sweetney (#9), Kenny Walker (#5). Six, if you want to count Nene (#7), but I wouldn't since he never played for them.

The best players drafted since Ewing are Mark Jackson, Rod Strickland (who was only a Knick for two years) and David Lee.....and that's just pathetic.

They rarely have a first round pick
And when they do, it's never in a high position.

I don't have the impression that they suck at finding talent. They don't even put themselves in position to get it.

In comment 12296757 Greg from LI said:

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In comment 12296726 DanMetroMan said: Quote: will be the best player the Knicks have drafted since Patrick. True, but that's a low bar to climb since the Knicks have only picked in the top ten 5 times since Ewing: Hill (#8), Gallinari (#6), Frye (#8), Sweetney (#9), Kenny Walker (#5). Six, if you want to count Nene (#7), but I wouldn't since he never played for them. The best players drafted since Ewing are Mark Jackson, Rod Strickland (who was only a Knick for two years) and David Lee.....and that's just pathetic.

Greg absolutely and I knew that would be someones response... but I just have a very good feeling about Mudiay. Larry Brown loves him, he'd be coming to a team with a coach who 1000000% knows the position and is apparently already a very analytical player. I really hope he falls to 4, I want him on the Knicks.

If if he refuses to work out for the Sixers because he wants to be a Knick.

think most people rate Russell higher than Mudiay. Workouts are going to determine everything with Mudiay because the sample size is so small.