Guy eavesdrops on Demps dinner conversation (re: draft) and posts info to twitter

[Nsingh93]

FWIW, this has already gotten to Rotoworld too. First post too, yay

According to an overheard conversation, Hornets GM Dell Demps would draft Damian Lillard over Austin Rivers with the No. 10 pick.
Take this for what it's worth: a local accountant eavesdropped on Demps at a local cafe, Tweeting specifics of a conversation that was not meant for public consumption. The Lillard preference isn't surprising since he's expected to be gone before No. 10 anyway. Other tidbits worth mentioning: Andre Drummond is "not on the Hornets radar," and Dion Waiters is high on the Hornets draft board and is considered "a good fit."

[Saints Fan in A]

I'm just laughing hysterically at the idea that you don't draft Drummond because "TEAMS ARE JUST GONNA FOUL HIM EVERY POSSESSION!" Have you ever watched a basketball game? When does this ever happen? Blake Griffin is one of the worst FT shooters in the league and he still puts up 20 and 10.

3 years from now if we have a frontcourt of Davis and Drummond i doubt anyone on this board will be disappointed.

Blake Griffin has a fairly developed game and didn't shoot 30% from the FT line. If he did, he would get fouled to death.

[Nsingh93]

I'm just laughing hysterically at the idea that you don't draft Drummond because "TEAMS ARE JUST GONNA FOUL HIM EVERY POSSESSION!" Have you ever watched a basketball game? When does this ever happen? Blake Griffin is one of the worst FT shooters in the league and he still puts up 20 and 10.

3 years from now if we have a frontcourt of Davis and Drummond i doubt anyone on this board will be disappointed.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Thunder continuously foul Tiago Splitter forcing him to shoot FT. If i remember correctly, the spurs also ended up losing that game too.

[Veritas]

Obviously Andre Drummond's college statline is his ceiling, no way it had anything to do with the offense being run, disfunctional coaching situation, this 18 year old kid didn't put up the stats I believe he should have. He is impossible to coach and there is no room for improvement!


People are so short sighted.

[Veritas]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Thunder continuously foul Tiago Splitter forcing him to shoot FT. If i remember correctly, the spurs also ended up losing that game too.

No matter what lineup you put out, there is going to be at least one player that is risky at the free throw line, but i guess you know more than Greg Poppovich

[RyanM]

Obviously Andre Drummond's college statline is his ceiling, no way it had anything to do with the offense being run, disfunctional coaching situation, this 18 year old kid didn't put up the stats I believe he should have. He is impossible to coach and there is no room for improvement!


People are so short sighted.

No one can argue his potential but there have been numerous amount of people who have questioned his motivation, is he ever motivated enough to reach that potential? He is extremely raw and coaching can only go so far - he has to want to get better

[Nsingh93]

Never stated that i did, i was merely responding to your statement asking when do teams foul that player every possession. In Tiago's case it wasn't EVERY possession but it was a good amount.

[Veritas]

Never stated that i did, i was merely responding to your statement asking when do teams foul that player every possession. In Tiago's case it wasn't EVERY possession but it was a good amount.

I understand, but Splitter shot close to 70% on his FTs in the regular season, his failure to convert on his attempts doesn't mean the Thunder's strategy was a sound or viable one. There is a reason it isn't employed more than it is.

[Unknown Poster]

When reached for comment Mickey Loomis said: "This guy has a lot to learn about eavesdropping..."

[Eman5805]

When reached for comment Mickey Loomis said: "This guy has a lot to learn about eavesdropping..."

Then he ordered a bounty on Dell Demps.

[bradael]

I'm just laughing hysterically at the idea that you don't draft Drummond because "TEAMS ARE JUST GONNA FOUL HIM EVERY POSSESSION!" Have you ever watched a basketball game? When does this ever happen? Blake Griffin is one of the worst FT shooters in the league and he still puts up 20 and 10.

3 years from now if we have a frontcourt of Davis and Drummond i doubt anyone on this board will be disappointed.

Blake Griffin averages nearly 60% from the line over his first two years. He's not really at risk for a Hack-a-Griffin. Drummond, however, shot 29.5% from the line last year. Small sample of games, but that's abysmal. Even at 40%, he'll be intentionally fouled every time when the game is close.

That wouldn't really be THAT big of an issue if he was actually a good player though, but a guy as athletically gifted as he is should do better than 10 & 7 in college.

[onpointlikecp3]

I kind of love that he doesn't. Drummond is freakin moron. We'll see.

I still think if Drummond falls to us he'll take him. That athletecism/size doesn't come around too often, and you can't really go wrong by picking a guy who is a top 5 talent at the 10 spot.

[Veritas]

That wouldn't really be THAT big of an issue if he was actually a good player though, but a guy as athletically gifted as he is should do better than 10 & 7 in college.

You can use that line all you want it doesn't make it any more true.

[HornetGuru]

waiters high on hornets draft board? hmm seems like the same type of player as gordon, slasher

[DroopyDawg]

A few things...

I think its funny how folks are treating draft strategies as if its top secret government information... everybody has the same group of guys that could/should be available at 10. This is no big secret that we might take one of these guys (depending on who's available)... its just some of you guys are in love with Drummond and are butthurt that this "information" didn't include his name.

Rivers has BEEN on the team's radar, and this should be no big surprise to anyone with our need for a wing scorer, and also the relationship Monte has with Doc and Austin... I mean who didn't see this coming? The only way we don't take Rivers is is someone takes him before 10. Lillard won't sniff 10 so he's not an option.

Dell Demps can talk strategy wherever, whenever and with whomever he pleases... just because some wacko eavesdropped, and published the conversation on Twitter... now Demps is some big idiot! Man I hate social media... there was a time when people minder their own damm business.

We can all just settle on the fact that we'll be drafting the BPA at 10, and if that's Rivers, then that's fine with me. Don't forget we could trade back in later in the 1st. We now have an owner with deep pockets, and cap space to make some moves. We can "buy" a pick, or we can use players (Jack?) if we really wanted to get back in for a big.

These 4 days can't go by fast enough.

[Veritas]

^^^ I agree with everything you said, also people need to accept that we aren't getting a "perfect" prospect at #10, they are all gonna have flaws, and that is what coaching is for. Also remember we are getting Anthony Davis so everything after that is gravy!

[IamQuailman]

I just can't wait until the Draft is over so we don't have the same dead horse (No Rivers! vs. No Zeller! vs. No Drummond! vs. No Lillard!) day in and day out. I'm just excited that we are getting a GOOD few good prospects in a deep draft. Droopy was dead on that people get all butthurt when there's a dissenting opinion against a player they like. I remember the days when everyone was just ecstatic when we got #1 overall... Keep the perspective... we're getting a BEAST there!

Anyway, I'll trust Demps/Monty's decision and preference. It's not like we really have a choice to anyway haha

[Unknown Poster]

I trust them, too (so long as they don't pick Zeller or Leonard). O snap.

[Kurgan]

We'll just exchange one dead horse with another..always like that here, don't you worry whoever we draft, there'll be plenty of threads about WHY we SHOULDN'T have drafted him but another, and plenty more about WHY it was a good decision to draft him

[Unknown Poster]

Exactly. After the draft there will still be all the inane 'Let's blow the cap money on X, Y, Z.' or Let's trade for A, B, and C.' It won't end.

[Veritas]

Exactly. After the draft there will still be all the inane 'Let's blow the cap money on X, Y, Z.' or Let's trade for A, B, and C.' It won't end.

Sign Dragic to the max!!

[The JNR]

Sign Dragic to the max!!

And McGee. And Batum. And then next year we can sign CP3 and Howard. DYNASTY.

[Unknown Poster]

NEVAH WE NEED BATUM!

[speedyG]

i agree its probably not a big deal but thats still whack of him to tell everyone our draft plans, Dell probably isn't happy

[Alvis]

People are overreacting this "news" a lot too much.

Honestly, what did he say?
He said that he has Lilliard over Rivers and is high on Waiters like all the boards that have been looking for combo guards ... hardly surprising.
He said that he is questioning Rivers ego and Drummond motor ... again something all GM should question.
The only thing that would have mattered is saying that we had a role we wanted to fill with that pick (because the BPA mentally makes it unpredictable for other team to know that) and he did not say anything about that.

So, really no news there. Now, you should ask ourself why did he do that. I see a few explanations :
1/ He felt he had to give the other guys tidbits and could not do it privately (or was not willing to see him privatly). He did not want to give any secrets so gave a bunch of general feelings that are hardly a surprise but that the other guy might think as important tidbits.
2/ He did it on purpose (or the story is made up but that's the same)
3/ He is stupid (but since he did not give any secrets it seems unlikly).

Now, if you look at the draft you have :
The first 5 pick are pretty locked (I mean, it's AD/TRob/Beal/MKG/Barnes the order is not important for the 10th pick). Portland needs a PG or a center at 6 (Lillard or Drummond), GS is probably going to double a role where the starter is injury prone (PG or center), Toronto seems to want a combo guard but no one is really sure, Detroit wants to go big (Henson or a center) and than there is us and Portland again. Both Toronto and GSW could go out of their way to draft someone able to play SF though, so that makes something like 3 unpredictable picks for Portland between their 2 picks.

A few days ago, nba.com wrote an article saying that Lillard is nearly a lock for Portland at 6 but they worry about the possibility of not having one of the 3 center prospect back at 11. I think this could be answer from Dell to that. Basically, he is saying that if Portland doesn't draft Lillard at 6, Lillard and Waiters won't be there at 11.

Why would he say that then? Probably because he is interested in Zeller or Leonard because even if Portland does not draft Drummond, GS or Detroit are probably going to pick him for value and we will have at least one of the other bigs (luckily the one we want). That or he really did not say anything important.

Obviously, that's not for sure, because that will probably have no impact on draft day (Portland already wanted to go Rivers at 6). But then again, he did not say anything about Leonard and Zeller ... and trading the pick. Just some stuff that everybody already knew/felt likely.