Your Top 5

[Rist77]

Two examples I can think of in recent memory who stood out in the tourney are Tyrus Thomas, not so good, and Russell Westbrook, very good. I love watching the NCAA tournament and seeing which players step up, but I wouldn't put too much emphasis on it when deciding if a player will be a star or not.

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

1) Kyrie Irving 2)Perry Jones 3) Jonas V 4) Derrick Williams 5) Jared Sullinger

 

[The Disector]

The tournament is only relevant because it is often the first time many top decision makers see players. Pat Riley didn't know anything about Dwyane Wade until he saw him in the tournament. Fortunately, Chris Grant has been barnstorming the country watching players.

I would be interested to know Myoung, who is your top 5 pre-NCAA tourney?

 

[Eli's Eyes]

My top 4 are pretty much rock solid.

1. Perry
2. T. Jones
3. Euro Center
4. Irving

Sullinger is off the board. Williams is off the board. Kanter is an option depending on his one on one drills vs the Euro Center.

 

[The Disector]

If he can play small forward then he's an option, I guess. That is if Perry is off the board. But he offers little to no playmaking ability.

1. Perry
2. Irving
3a. T. Jones
3b. D. Williams
3c. Barnes
2/04/2010


2/20/2010
My top 4 are pretty much rock solid.

1. Perry
2. T. Jones
3. Euro Center
4. Irving

Sullinger is off the board. Williams is off the board. Kanter is an option depending on his one on one drills vs the Euro Center.

We'll two weeks ago you had a different top 5, so the solid as rock is probably out the window!

 

[YtownCav]

1 Jonas V
2 Derrick Williams
3 Jared Sullinger
4 Kyrie Irving
5 Jimmer Fredette

 

[Eli's Eyes]

We'll two weeks ago you had a different top 5, so the solid as rock is probably out the window!

Williams is a power forward... period.

T. Jones will be a solid small forward for the next 10 years.

Barnes is probably the most overrated prospect in quite some time. He doesn't look good on or off paper.

Irving is also overrated and has appropriately dropped down my board as I've firmly concluded he is more of a shooter/scorer type point guard than Chris Paul, not that this mattered overall anyway. Cavs just don't need to this guy.

I'm hopeful the Cavs can get Perry, obviously. We get this guy and the Cavs are well on their way to being the type of team that will be a difficult match up for the rest of the league for a long time to come.

If we draft T. Jones, he'll be a solid piece. One that can play for us for a long time. His ball handling and passing ability will be greatly welcomed on this team.

So the top 2 on my board are probably the top 2 on the Cavs board. I'm hopeful we can get Perry, but know for sure we'll have a chance at Terrence with a top 4 pick.

 

[czvo]

My top 4 are pretty much rock solid.

1. Perry
2. T. Jones
3. Euro Center
4. Irving

Sullinger is off the board. Williams is off the board. Kanter is an option depending on his one on one drills vs the Euro Center.

You keep referring to this "Euro Center." Does he have a name? Are you talking about Valuncias?

 

[Shakalu M.D.]

Williams is a power forward... period.

T. Jones will be a solid small forward for the next 10 years.

Barnes is probably the most overrated prospect in quite some time. He doesn't look good on or off paper.

Irving is also overrated and has appropriately dropped down my board as I've firmly concluded he is more of a shooter/scorer type point guard than Chris Paul, not that this mattered overall anyway. Cavs just don't need to this guy.

I'm hopeful the Cavs can get Perry, obviously. We get this guy and the Cavs are well on their way to being the type of team that will be a difficult match up for the rest of the league for a long time to come.

If we draft T. Jones, he'll be a solid piece. One that can play for us for a long time. His ball handling and passing ability will be greatly welcomed on this team.

So the top 2 on my board are probably the top 2 on the Cavs board. I'm hopeful we can get Perry, but know for sure we'll have a chance at Terrence with a top 4 pick.

How have you concluded that Irving is more of a scoring guard? He hasn't played recently, there has been nothing to watch. Irving has phenomenal court vision. It sounds to me like you read his stats and saw he only averaged 5 assists a game and just assumed all he can do is score. He is great at breaking down defenses and doing a drive and dish.

 

[Scholar]

Irving is also overrated and has appropriately dropped down my board as I've firmly concluded he is more of a shooter/scorer type point guard than Chris Paul, not that this mattered overall anyway. Cavs just don't need to this guy.

Here you go again. This time you are trying to spin the fact that Kyrie is a great shooter into a negative. Just like it was ridiculous when you tried to tell us less rebounds was more. Yep, Irving certainly can shoot the ball. 53% from the floor, 46% from three, and nearly 90% on free throws. It would certainly be terrible to have players on this team that can put numbers up like that. What were we thinking?

The fact that he is a great shooter doesn't negate the fact that he has great point guard skills. Nice try.

 

[Eli's Eyes]

Here you go again. This time you are trying to spin the fact that Kyrie is a great shooter into a negative. Just like it was ridiculous when you tried to tell us less rebounds was more. Yep, Irving certainly can shoot the ball. 53% from the floor, 46% from three, and nearly 90% on free throws. It would certainly be terrible to have players on this team that can put numbers up like that. What were we thinking?

The fact that he is a great shooter doesn't negate the fact that he has great point guard skills. Nice try.

I can assure you Irving is not a 50/46/90 guy.

And if any of you out there believe this, come back to reality.

Over an entire season, I project Irving to be a 45/38/80 -- in his prime

Not bad percentages, but something you can find easily in the NBA.

 

[Rist77]

I can assure you Irving is not a 50/46/90 guy.

And if any of you out there believe this, come back to reality.

Over an entire season, I project Irving to be a 45/38/80 -- in his prime

Not bad percentages, but something you can find easily in the NBA.

What's his 6th year averages?

 

[Eli's Eyes]

What's his 6th year averages?

I know it may be hard to believe a 6'1 point guard isnt worth taking #1 based on a staggering 8 games played and also has a serious injury to his foot.

 

[Scholar]

I can assure you Irving is not a 50/46/90 guy.

And if any of you out there believe this, come back to reality.

Over an entire season, I project Irving to be a 45/38/80 -- in his prime

Not bad percentages, but something you can find easily in the NBA.

Your counter argument is imaginary numbers you make up out of your head? Ignoring the numbers he actually did put up that I referenced. This is absurd. No wonder no one can really have a discussion with you.

I know it may be hard to believe a 6'1 point guard isnt worth taking #1 based on a staggering 8 games played and also has a serious injury to his foot.

Every source I can find lists his height as 6' 2". You just love making up facts.

 

[Jon]

That's a dangerous way to look at things. There have been plenty of examples of tourney heroes getting overvalued and then becoming huge busts in the NBA. It has also been true that some people have rightfully elevated themselves with the tourney and gone on the become good NBA players. My point is, I think it's wrong to say everything up to this point doesn't matter because history tells us it does.

I agree with your point, but on the flip side, you have to take every advantage of a situation to evaluate a player playing against top players, top teams, in pressure situations.

This is a new era where the best players spend a year in college, but only a year. They're going to struggle to form top teams in so short of time so yeah you can't write someone off because his team got knocked out (or because his team went all the way); but there aren't going to be many opportunities to see these guys play against other players at their level - so you have to take advantage when the opportunities come around.

Garrett Temple a freshman at the time (currently plays for the Erie BayHawks) is credited with shutting down JJ Reddick .vs. LSU in the 2006 tourney. So maybe a great game in the tourney doesn't mean anything, but what about a bad game? Adam Morrison had a pretty good game when Gonzaga was eliminated by UCLA the same year, but perhaps it was a warning flag when again a freshman (Mbah a Moute) was the guy hitting the big shots at the end of the game? Morrison didn't do much beyond shoot in that game, but when Anthony led Syracuse over Kansas for the title he led his team in not just points, but assists and rebounds as well.