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

Trade up and buy another second,throw in Sacre and the briefcase with cash to get it done. I wonder how high 27&34 can get us without brown/Kelly.

 

Apparently Winslow had a great workout in NY and really helped his case there. Maybe he's tanking since NY is trying to trade down (there's been a rumor or two of Lawson or Faried ending up in NY).

I also don't put a whole lot of stock in workouts for lotto prospects. Their agents are trying to protect their stock, they angle who they work out against (if anyone). It's a completely different ball game than a prospect you're trying to ensure for 1st round contract for. I put a lot more stock in their interview and their body of work for their collegiate season (which is why I think Dekker dropping would be foolish).

 

Honestly, Justise was mostly a tournament story for me where most of his exposure was. He has the tools, but there are quite a few players I would take ahead of him.

 

I like Mudiay but there's no scenario in which he makes more sense for LA than Jah. Sometimes I really wonder how Ford still has a job.

 

ford's just not super bright. he doesn't seem to have great knowledge of the game or even real insight into how FOs make decisions.

he keeps mentioning fit for draft picks, but i doubt most places are super concerned with it. unless you have a very young player whom you like a whole lot at the same position, i don't see fit figuring into most draft decisions.

 

Chad Ford can troll with the best of them

 

I was looking over mock drafts from last year and found this little gem:

Ford on Aaron Gordon- "Virtually a clone of Blake Griffin". I remember thinking that was a poor comparison when I first read it last year, and it's even more so now.

However, the draft is an inexact science at best, and no one is right all the time. If they were Clarkson would have never ended up in LA with the 46th pick. It does seem like Ford is trying to generate interest in the draft though, as well as cover his butt. If he says "Lakers are locked in on Okafor" and then they take Russell he looks bad. The draft isn't the place to deal in absolutes, but still, I can't argue with what some of you are saying here.

It's just a guess, but it's possible he isn't as connected to the Lakers as many of us are, and thus not reading the text of Okafor's workout or Mitch's comments. If he truly is polling execs around the league like he says and Russell has moved ahead on most draft boards then that is interesting, but ultimately the only draft boards that matter to the Lakers are theirs and Minnesota's. Also I would imagine most execs don't want anyone knowing what their draft board looks like, so they lie.

 

^bam. I also wonder how often "league sources" are a) other media members and b) underlings far removed from decision making.

I also wonder to what degree anyone in management anywhere is incentivized to talk down a player in the draft. agents have a lot of power. you play nice. maybe the lakers looking at payne, for example, is just something to raise his profile, hoping his agency might deliver a high impact FA down the road or steer another prospect in this direction.

it's a sexy narrative that a playmaking guard might supplant the two bigs at the top of the draft, but I'd be willing to bet there's about zero chance of this happening. don nelson isn't in anyone's draft room.

 

Very true, agents have a lot of sway and teams do generally want to stay on their good side. Doing a little favor like generating buzz for client A can lead to client B signing with your team down the road.