CJM

I wouldn't be upset with drafting him if no one falls unexpectedly out of the top 5. However, taking him would cast doubts on keeping Gordon.

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Originally Posted by HornetGuru

agreed, only player with a complete game is oladipo, people may say he cant create his on offense or dribble, im calling BS, he crossed over mkg last year for a nice fadeaway mid range, he can attack the basket and finish incredibly well, hit the open 3, defender, rebound, pass. best player in the draft. Why i was hoping we would land the 3rd pick, for him or otto porter. sucks.

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You've got to be realistic here man. Oladipo can't create his own offense, at least not consistently. If he could, he would have averaged over 20 ppg last season (only averaged 13.6), and he would hands-down be the #1 overall pick. He is a complimentary player with some iso-tools, but he can't carry a team. He can't run an offense.

He's a 2, don't expect him to run an offense but I agree about the creatin his own shot; he's not there yet. He's got a tight crossover but he doesn't really have many "counter moves" yet. Ie cross but the defender reads so transition into a spin pump to free himself up.

I like him, but i cant see him succeeding as a 2. He would either have to prove his abilities to run the point, or be drafted as a sixth man. Im not sure i want a sixth man with the sixth pick in the draft.

Where is EG23?

Dude was a good scouter for college players. He was a little arrogant, but he knew basketball and really was the first to predict Damian Lillard potential. And impact.

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Originally Posted by JJackisangry

I like him, but i cant see him succeeding as a 2. He would either have to prove his abilities to run the point, or be drafted as a sixth man. Im not sure i want a sixth man with the sixth pick in the draft.

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I'm curious as to why you don't think he can play SG. Is it because of size or defense or something like that? Personally my take on it is he's the best pure scorer in the draft and has the necessary tools to play SG easily on offense. Also if our plan is for Rivers at point and his defense stays and keeps improving then you can put Rivers guarding the tougher of the guards on defense which takes some of the liability of CJMcC away. I see him as a really good fit next to Rivers.

Also if we get CJ we can move Gordon for a SF and have a really solid 5. The fact that CJ is a senior really goes a long way in being able to start him right away at SG so we possibly won't have a "huge" drop off there and we can net a solid SF for Gordon and have a good upgrade there.

You could also keep all 3 for this year and see how the Rivers project is progressing and make your decision next offseason. Worst case Rivers isn't going to be our future point, you move CJ to point and have him and Gordon in 14-15 season.

I have the biggest man crush on him.... like some of you do with Burke..

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

I'm curious as to why you don't think he can play SG. Is it because of size or defense or something like that? Personally my take on it is he's the best pure scorer in the draft and has the necessary tools to play SG easily on offense. Also if our plan is for Rivers at point and his defense stays and keeps improving then you can put Rivers guarding the tougher of the guards on defense which takes some of the liability of CJMcC away. I see him as a really good fit next to Rivers.

Also if we get CJ we can move Gordon for a SF and have a really solid 5. The fact that CJ is a senior really goes a long way in being able to start him right away at SG so we possibly won't have a "huge" drop off there and we can net a solid SF for Gordon and have a good upgrade there.

You could also keep all 3 for this year and see how the Rivers project is progressing and make your decision next offseason. Worst case Rivers isn't going to be our future point, you move CJ to point and have him and Gordon in 14-15 season.

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Size, wingspan, athleticism and quickness are all huge concerns for me. I dont think hes slow, but does his quickness make up for what he lacks in other attributes? He just doesnt have the body to play and defend the 2 postion effectively (jmo of course). Off topic but: anyone watching champions league?

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Originally Posted by JJackisangry

Size, wingspan, athleticism and quickness are all huge concerns for me. I dont think hes slow, but does his quickness make up for what he lacks in other attributes? He just doesnt have the body to play and defend the 2 postion effectively (jmo of course). Off topic but: anyone watching champions league?

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So your concern is strictly on defense? What about switching on defense and Austin guard the SG?

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

So your concern is strictly on defense? What about switching on defense and Austin guard the SG?

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Its a possibility. id still like to see improvement from him at that end. I wouldnt argue this pick, but im not excited about it either.

Yea, he'll struggle defensively. But I like him anyway, I think he could run the point. He's not an elite passer but that's just because he's asked to score a lot. Drive and Kick and dump offs is something he can definitely do. He's good in the pick and roll. I think he'll be like a quicker Chauncey Billups on offense.

Rivers/McCollum
Gordon/???

I could deal with that.

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Originally Posted by AD23forMVP

Rivers/McCollum
Gordon/???

I could deal with that.

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I'm worried Demps won't take him because he's another combo guard like Rivers. It would be stupid to not take him if he's BPA

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Originally Posted by AD23forMVP

Rivers/McCollum
Gordon/???

I could deal with that.

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McCollum/Rivers
Gordon/Brewer

I <3 Corey Brewer.

Extremely smart, good court awareness, can score in mass, plays with a major chip on his shoulder and can play either guard spot. Tough as nails too.

I think he might have the best shot of anyone in this draft of being an all-star one day.

That does not mean I think he is the best player, but he might be the best guy that fits as a #1 option for a team.

Mentions of Austin Rivers in conjunction with possibly picking CJM are almost a tad ironic.

The game that truly put McCollum on the map was the Lehigh-Duke game in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. McCollum was the key reason why Lehigh won the game, and put up 30... Guarding him that game? Austin Rivers.

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Originally Posted by Bayou Bee

Mentions of Austin Rivers in conjunction with possibly picking CJM are almost a tad ironic.

The game that truly put McCollum on the map was the Lehigh-Duke game in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. McCollum was the key reason why Lehigh won the game, and put up 30... Guarding him that game? Austin Rivers.

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A lot has happened since that game.

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

A lot has happened since that game.

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People love to forget that about Rivers.

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Originally Posted by nolaslim213

People love to forget that about Rivers.

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He's the same exact player!!! Rage!

/Sarcasm.

I still believe in Rivers, but if push comes to shove and CJM is the BPA, you take him and ask questions later.

A lot depends on Demps' vision of Gordon moving forward.

What I'd do to get into his head...

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Originally Posted by PelsFan2313

He's the same exact player!!! Rage!

/Sarcasm.

I still believe in Rivers, but if push comes to shove and CJM is the BPA, you take him and ask questions later.

A lot depends on Demps' vision of Gordon moving forward.

What I'd do to get into his head...

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Shut up and clear your inbox. Who messages someone with a full inbox? Rookie :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by nolaslim213

Shut up and clear your inbox. Who messages someone with a full inbox? Rookie :rolleyes:

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:hihi:

Done.

I love McCollum at 6. In general, I hate guys whose go-to move is the stepback jumpers (e.g. Rudy Gay, or Eric Gordon last year). I think, for most guys, they're lazy offense that you can get on any possession and for most guys are bad looks. But McCollum isn't most guys. Like Steph Curry, he's a guy who can consistently hit really hard shots a high clip, and he's going to be able to get the same shots at the next level. I don't see a way that a guy who can shoot the ball at that level and has the required athleticism to play in the league will fail. He has a really nice handle as well, and can get to the rim. I think he gives you options going forward---if he can develop his passing ability in the same way Lilliard was able to last year, he'd be a great fit as a scoring-oriented 1, but regardless, his ability to play off the ball and knock down shots makes him able to be paired with any of our guards. If Eric Gordon steps up and stays healthy, he gives you a knockdown shooter who you can play off the ball as you run pick and rolls with Gordon. Again, you could pair him with with Greivis and he could act as a spot-up shooter, a secondary ball-handler, and a relief valve.

One of the big deficiencies on this team last year was outside shooting. We had one above-average three point shooter on the team last year in Ryan Anderson, and a couple of guys who who were roughly average in Vasquez and Gordon. Adding a guy who can be elite as a shooter really helps your spacing in the halfcourt offense, it improves your offensive efficiency, and gives teams a different look in the pick-and-roll in that guys won't be able to go under screens unless they want to get burnt.

I think he also has some nice surprises to his game that check some boxes for us. He's a terrific rebounder at the guard position, which is important because neither Lopez nor Gordon offer much in that way, and Vasquez helped us to fill that void but isn't neccesarily a long-term solution. He can play in passing lanes and posts good steal numbers, and when he gets out in transition his ability to get to the rim or hit the stepback jumper allows him to get easy points. He has really nice size and more than enough athleticism to develop into a solid defender, and he appears to want to be good on that end. That's something you can't necessarily say about comparables like Curry or Lilliard.

I feel like a lot of the reason we haven't discussed CJ more is positional---we drafted a combo guard last year in Austin Rivers and have several guys at the guard positions. But I don't know if we have any long-term answers, and I think it would be a mistake to overlook a really dynamic player because of position, because there's a need on this team for highly efficient scoring, spacing on offense, and plus rebounding at the guard position.

He's certainty got hot at the right time.

http://www.bourbonstreetshots.com/20...caldwell-pope/

CJ vs KCP in the Bourbon Street Shots 6th Pick Tourney