OMG, Drummond or Lillard - What Could Have Been

[da ThRONe]

The post I was referring too was when the guy was talking about Davis and you've already jumped to the conclusion that Drummond is better than Davis according to you and honestly it's real annoying that you argue about Davis no matter what, it breaks up everyone's mood. Your just being negative.

There's a difference between projecting something and concluding something. I project that Drummond will be better than Davis. Will he nobody can say for certain right now and that's my point. So many people are telling the individual who started this thread it's too early to make any well inform conclusions. All I did was make the point that this mindset goes both ways.

If adding perspective and balance to a discussion kills people moods then I will be killing the mood around here often.

[da ThRONe]

Hey I was not crowning Davis as the best rookie of this draft. I was only trying to prove my point that he was insurance if Austin Rivers did not pan out

Yes you are making conclusions. Calling a rookie insurance imply that he's a sure thing. That the basic concept of insurance.

I'm not trying to bust your chops. Just feel it's unfair to have a bunch of sarcastic comments or gif about the OP(original poster) making premature comments based on preseason then allow you to do the same thing. I get what you're trying to say just felt the need to point out something I thought was incorrect.

[RhythmNathan]

You people are hilarious. It doesn't take a brain doctor to see that Lillard fits the need for the Hornets more than Rivers and is immediately the more impactful player in this league. I love how this board always seems to take it personally when people second guess Monty and Demps. Or when people are made fun of because they use a combination of common sense and the eye test to predict a probable outcome.

"It's pre-season, you're basing this on what?!"
-"Uh I don't know, the fact that every other time I've felt this strongly about something HR deletes my post and months later I'm proved right but can't site the source cuz the Gestapo dissented."

[UptownFuz504]

Whenever Rivers is criticized on this forum, you get the same excuses. He's 20, it's pre-season/summer league, he has the pedigree and passion. When are we going to start talking about the real world? Lets have an unbiased discussion about his lack of scoring ability. Lets discuss his free throw shooting. Lets discuss whether or not he can actually play PG. Lets discuss decision making and defense. If we could have a rational unemotional convo about these things, we would all see that the OP's feelings are justified. Does he have time to better himself? Sure he does but as of today, he's not the answer to any of the Hornets needs IMO. Not a shooter. Not a PG. Can't make FT's consistently. He has a long way to go to be great. Lets just hope that he can be good.

[BallSoHard]

You people are hilarious. It doesn't take a brain doctor to see that Lillard fits the need for the Hornets more than Rivers and is immediately the more impactful player in this league. I love how this board always seems to take it personally when people second guess Monty and Demps. Or when people are made fun of because they use a combination of common sense and the eye test to predict a probable outcome.

"It's pre-season, you're basing this on what?!"
-"Uh I don't know, the fact that every other time I've felt this strongly about something HR deletes my post and months later I'm proved right but can't site the source cuz the Gestapo dissented."

It also doesnt take a "Brain Doctor" (Neurologist, but I hope you were saying brain doctor as a joke) to realize we didnt have an opportunity to take either of these two guys unless we were going to pass up the consensus #1 pick (by experts). Or a "Brain Doctor" to realize that it may not be worth it to trade next year's first to aquire some of these guys not knowing how good/bad we may be.

[BallSoHard]

Whenever Rivers is criticized on this forum, you get the same excuses. He's 20, it's pre-season/summer league, he has the pedigree and passion. When are we going to start talking about the real world? Lets have an unbiased discussion about his lack of scoring ability. Lets discuss his free throw shooting. Lets discuss whether or not he can actually play PG. Lets discuss decision making and defense. If we could have a rational unemotional convo about these things, we would all see that the OP's feelings are justified. Does he have time to better himself? Sure he does but as of today, he's not the answer to any of the Hornets needs IMO. Not a shooter. Not a PG. Can't make FT's consistently. He has a long way to go to be great. Lets just hope that he can be good.

I'll agree with you on a couple of things: I don't think he "fit a need" other than being able to score and being a talent. He is not a true PG or a classic shooter. I'll be as unbiased as I can be here as a prediction, but he will probably end up being a volume scorer for us. I'm not a huge Rivers fan, but Rivers has always been touted as a scorer so i'm not sure where you get the lack of scoring ability from besides a few preseason and summer league games. I'll concede the decision making and defense, but there are all things I personally think he can improve on. He improved on it from the beginning of the season until midseason in Duke and I think over the course of 5-7 years he will be a much smarter player.

[Silverfoxx]

Im loving this Civil war that's brewing lol. Overall i just want the best for my team, and the past is the past so lets move on and support our guys folks.

[WhoDatPelican]

[Soundwave]

You people are hilarious. It doesn't take a brain doctor to see that Lillard fits the need for the Hornets more than Rivers and is immediately the more impactful player in this league. I love how this board always seems to take it personally when people second guess Monty and Demps. Or when people are made fun of because they use a combination of common sense and the eye test to predict a probable outcome.

"It's pre-season, you're basing this on what?!"
-"Uh I don't know, the fact that every other time I've felt this strongly about something HR deletes my post and months later I'm proved right but can't site the source cuz the Gestapo dissented."

I'm really curious to know how people are so sure that we didn't make an offer for Lillard or Drummond and were rejected?

[Eman5805]

I'll go on record as saying something always worried me about Rivers and I don't have a clue what it is. Could be nothing except that he won't be able to take failure well. Maybe it's something in this body language when his shot doesn't fall.

That thing is NOT there with Davis. With every fiber of my being I believe we'll be talking of him in the same light as we do LeBron and Durant down the line. Only thing that can stop him is injury.

[RhythmNathan]

I'm really curious to know how people are so sure that we didn't make an offer for Lillard or Drummond and were rejected?

No I'm not saying we could have gotten Lillard. But to sit here and take a wait and see approach when it comes to the immediate impact of Lillard vs Rivers is to go against what your eyes are telling you. I just don't see it with "rose colored homer glasses" (using that one again) the way some here do. But I want Rivers to be the best Hornet he can be (more than likely after we trade EJ for PG..)

[Nola3]

I would just like to throw this out there to show how irrelevant preseason is: Kevin Durant and Lebron James are averaging 11 and 13 points respectively. The only thing that can be taken from preseason is that players have a pulse and that Brooklyn's uniforms are about as average as anything has ever been.

[da ThRONe]

I would just like to throw this out there to show how irrelevant preseason is: Kevin Durant and Lebron James are averaging 11 and 13 points respectively. The only thing that can be taken from preseason is that players have a pulse and that Brooklyn's uniforms are about as average as anything has ever been.

While I'm on board you can't draw any final conclusions from preseason. You have to understand preseason has different levels of importance to different level of players. Some guys are playing for their careers. While some guys are just looking to get in better shape/form.

[wuggie]

Dang, I got into a dumb argument on here. This really is a dumb thread, dudes.

[Metairie Hornet]

Old enough to remember Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as rookies, lol.

No seriously I'm starting to think the Hornets made a huge mistake. I argued with you guys for months before the draft saying we shouldn't take Rivers and oh no, you guys said he would be great, but now that I'm seeing the guys that I clearly wanted more than Rivers starting to show themselves to be potential stars, it is hard. Just hard to be patient.

Rivers is a scorer who is failing epicly at the one thing is supposed to be good at. I think he's probably shooting less than 30% in the preseason so far. He's clearly not a point guard. Not even close. He is looking a lot more like Aminu than Eric Gordon if you know what I mean, a long term project.

Sometimes it takes a few years for rookies to reach their potential, but you want to write Rivers off and act like Drummond and Lillard will be superstars based on a few preseason games?

[Metairie Hornet]

Hey if we are going to roll our eyes at the OP, let not make statements like this before the games/stats actually start going in the books.

Everyone knows Davis was the best player in the draft except you. Where did you have Davis ranked before the draft? #7?

[da ThRONe]

Everyone knows Davis was the best player in the draft except you. Where did you have Davis ranked before the draft? #7?

Who is everybody? Is it the same everybody's who thought Micheal Beasley was better than Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook?

Nobody knows anything for sure that in itself makes anybody who says differently look very ignorant. It's all about projections. And as i can go down the list and show you how often the "experts are dead wrong.

My premise has nothing to do with my predictions or where I ranked this draft. My point is you can't preach patience and/or the irrelevance of the preseason then talk about Davis like he's a proven player.

[Pelicans78]

I remember Demps trying to trade down instead of up.

Honestly, if Gordon is healthy, Lillard wouldn't make much of an impact other than taking shots away from Gordon.

I didn't like Rivers coming out and I'm still meh on him right now, but no after him would probably be starting long-term on this team.

[thefuture]

You people are hilarious. It doesn't take a brain doctor to see that Lillard fits the need for the Hornets more than Rivers and is immediately the more impactful player in this league. I love how this board always seems to take it personally when people second guess Monty and Demps. Or when people are made fun of because they use a combination of common sense and the eye test to predict a probable outcome.

"It's pre-season, you're basing this on what?!"
-"Uh I don't know, the fact that every other time I've felt this strongly about something HR deletes my post and months later I'm proved right but can't site the source cuz the Gestapo dissented."

You show 'em, brutha! Don't let the man keep you down!

[jgman]

at least he's not julian wright or hilton armstrong right? come on

[Metairie Hornet]

Who is everybody? Is it the same everybody's who thought Micheal Beasley was better than Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook?

Nobody knows anything for sure that in itself makes anybody who says differently look very ignorant. It's all about projections. And as i can go down the list and show you how often the "experts are dead wrong.

My premise has nothing to do with my predictions or where I ranked this draft. My point is you can't preach patience and/or the irrelevance of the preseason then talk about Davis like he's a proven player.

"Experts" are often wrong as well as us fans, but it was obvious that Davis was the best player in the draft. The only question "experts" asked was will he develop into a superstar or just a really good player. Even if he doesn't reach superstar status his physical skills would still make him better than the rest of the draft class. I think he will develop into a superstar eventually, but only time will tell. I can't remember seeing any "expert" having anyone but Davis ranked #1 on their boards. Can you point out any "experts" that didn't have Davis ranked #1?

[Joe Gerrity]

I'm going to go ahead and predict that Lillard will be the best guard to come from this draft.

[Metairie Hornet]

You people are hilarious. It doesn't take a brain doctor to see that Lillard fits the need for the Hornets more than Rivers and is immediately the more impactful player in this league. I love how this board always seems to take it personally when people second guess Monty and Demps. Or when people are made fun of because they use a combination of common sense and the eye test to predict a probable outcome.

"It's pre-season, you're basing this on what?!"
-"Uh I don't know, the fact that every other time I've felt this strongly about something HR deletes my post and months later I'm proved right but can't site the source cuz the Gestapo dissented."

I think most people would have preferred Lillard over Rivers, but he went before our pick and there's no way to know if we could have moved up to get him. Also, it's not about taking anything personally when people question Demps or Monty or in this case Rivers. People get aggrivated when people make knee jerk reactions based on a single incident or a short span of time. I wasn't the biggest Rivers fan going into the draft, but I sure am going to give him more than a few preseason games before I decide for myself if he is right for the Hornets at PG or SG. It's beyond ridiculous to write off Rivers after a few preseason games especially when it takes some rookies years to develop.

[FlyGirl]

There are some that didn't like Rivers coming into the draft and there are some that don't like him now. They say things like "I hope I'm wrong" but truthfully, they're hoping they're right. I say give the guy a chance. I'd hate to be a rookie coming in and the only chance I get is my 2 summer league games and a handful of preseason games. I mean the guy hasn't even gotten midway through his professional career and we're having "OMG!!" threads. And the OP says he's been watching the NBA for 30 years. If that's true, you ought to know that sometimes it takes a while for some players to develop. Not everyone comes out blazing looking like All-Stars. Give the guy a chance.

[sfernald]

There are some that didn't like Rivers coming into the draft and there are some that don't like him now. They say things like "I hope I'm wrong" but truthfully, they're hoping they're right. I say give the guy a chance. I'd hate to be a rookie coming in and the only chance I get is my 2 summer league games and a handful of preseason games. I mean the guy hasn't even gotten midway through his professional career and we're having "OMG!!" threads. And the OP says he's been watching the NBA for 30 years. If that's true, you ought to know that sometimes it takes a while for some players to develop. Not everyone comes out blazing looking like All-Stars. Give the guy a chance.

Are you familiar with the seven stages of grief?
http://www.recover-from-grief.com/7-...-of-grief.html

Right now we are in "shock" stage, ie OMG. By the time he is through a year or two there won't be any OMG threads. We will at stage 7 by then, quiet acceptance.