2015 Nba Draft Discussion: Russell, Nance Jr., Brown

Wasn't Caracter at the end of the draft though? In the 20s we're talking about a guaranteed contract.

 

Yes, he was the 58th overall pick. I didn't know you were referring only to guaranteed contracts, but the distinction is a fair one to make.

 

Yeah I was pointing out that I'm not sure the Lakers want to draft a questionable character with a guaranteed contract. Obviously things can change in workouts/interviews, but I think they're going to want a kid who is a fairly sure shot since they're going to have to pay him for a while.

 

I agree that if he bombs the interviews and seems like Isaiah Rider, you stay away. But at 21 years old, there is still plenty of hope for him to turn it around. I look at what I was like when I was 21 and cringe. The guaranteed contract thing doesn’t bother me because I believe it’s only 2 years guaranteed at this point. And the cap hit would be insignificant as the 27th pick salary averages out to less than a million dollars a year. Upshaw has a shot at being a defensive anchor for the next 8-10 years for whoever drafts him. If we take the “safe” pick, what would we get? Likely an 8th to 9th man off the bench. I don’t believe we are going to climb back up the mountain playing it safe with every decision we make. I think sacrificing an 8th to 9th man on the depth chart for the chance to get a young, athletic defensive anchor is a very small risk that could pay off big.

As for Mudiay, I would not be upset at all if we took him at our spot if we were not in the top 2. I talked about a Russell/Clarkson combo somewhere earlier in this thread and how much it intrigued me. The same could be said for Mudiay. And if we take Mudiay and have Clarkson, it makes Rondo that much very more stupider.

I’d love to have this roster next season:

Mudiay/Clarkson/Lin
Kobe/Clarkson/Lin
Tobias Harris/Young
Randle/Black/Kelly
R. Lopez/Upshaw/Black

 

Per usual you and I disagree.

I think if we've got every base covered, sure let's take chances with these picks. The problem is we've got a TON of problems with our roster and a LOT of holes to fill. If we take a kid who turns out to be a problem and we have him for 2 years, that's 2 years we've wasted trying to make a round peg fit in a square hole. I'd rather take a project and yes that means he won't help now, but it's someone that when we're done we have the product we want. Not to mention if we pick the right project he'll have trade value as well. I'm mainly talking about George Lucas. The kid has the right tools, he just needs some time to develop. That's kind of perfect for us since we've got Clarkson already.

I don't dislike Upshaw's talent, but kicked out of two schools already? Horrible body language on the court? Shaky effort? This kid has some major red flags. Defensive anchor or not, I don't want a headcase. We've got a young group of players right now who all have their heads on straight and are working towards something awesome. We don't need a head case here ruining that.

 

He's definitely more athletic than Dirk, but I don't think he's anywhere near as talented. He's mobile, can leap fairly well, but he's painfully weak and even though his feet are agile for his size his lack of strength is going to be an issue.

 

Us? Disagree? Never!

 

He already has assurances maybe. No need to go to the combine if he's got a few guarantees already.

Didn't Randle do something similar last year?

 

Yeah I'm guessing it's the latter. He knows he's Top 5 so no need to go to the combine I suppose. I always wonder about kids like that though. Unless they've got an absolute assurance from a team, I'm not sure it's a smart move. Go to the combine, do your thing, and show out. I want to see a competitive kid go out and try to be the best in every category. I suppose all in all though it's not that important if he knows he's not hurting his draft stock.

There's always individual workouts to get that attention back.

 

Yeah he's as athletic as a young Dirk, but he's a stick figure. With our top pick we need a guy who will contribute today and he's not that.