What Would Gene Do?
What Would Gene Do? In honor of long-time IGTCer Gene K. I was going to attempt a full 1st round mock draft, but my head hurts from all the moves. Instead here are guys i like and think will be better than expected and guys i think will be a bust.
In some ways the draft was more fun when the C’s were picking low b/c there were more guys to say “pick, pick!!” or “beware!!”. At #30 we just take the best remaining among DeVon Hardin, Courtney Lee, and Nathan Jawai, maybe Bill Walker. The only sliders that might budge me from that position are Ryan Anderson or maybe JJ Hickson.
Guys I’d love to add to the C’s:
OJ Mayo — sounds like a great team first guy, despite his rep, and I think MIA will just take him at #2 outright.
Kevin Love — looks and plays like Dino Radja, and that’s a good thing.
Brandon Rush — If i were running the Clippers, Bucks, Bobcats or Pacers he wouldn’t get past me at 7,8, 9 or 11; Non-flashy guys like Rush, Brandon Roy and Paul Pierce always seem to slide further than they should.
JJ Hickson — The Magic, who need a PF much more than they need a SG like Lee or CDR, should not let him get past them at 22.
Joe Alexander — Saw him on ESPN last night, seems like a great kid; Would make a great fit in D’Antoni’s system.
DeVon Hardin — Have liked this kid from the get go, would love to see him wearing #40 next year for the C’s
Courtney Lee — Sounds like he could walk in opening night and be our 7th man, but his stock has been rising and is rumored to not get past ORL. I like him a lot but ORL would be dumb not to take a big like I said.
Nathan Jawai — I was infatuated with DeSagana Diop back in 2001 (I wanted Joe Johsnon, Diop and Brandon Haywood or Tinsley). I looked like a moron for a long time but he’s developed into an NBA center. Jawai is the other big i’m hoping the C’s add this summer. Looks like what Stanley Roberts mixed with Roy Tarpley coulda been if either had cared.
Sasha Kaun & Marcelius Kemp — My targets at #60. Kaun is a big man with a contract in Russia who we could bring over in a couple years; Kemp is a team-first swing man from Nevada would sounds like a poor man’s Courtney Lee.
Guys you couldn’t pay me to draft:
Eric Gordon — Strikes me as this years version of Shawn Respert/JJ Reddick/Trajan Langdon as a great college SG would will be an NBA bust.
Anthony Randolph — See: Darius Miles, Stromile Swift, possibly Tyrus Thomas.
Mareese Speights — Donnel Harvey should have been all the cautionary tale Speights needed to stay at U of Florida.
Derrick Rose — Doesn’t belong here, I’d add him to the C’s in a minute, but I can’t help but feel like he’s being overrated in the way Jay Williams was the year he got drafted by the Bulls.
