If You Had to Re-do the 2nd pick, and You Can't Take MKG: Who Do You Take?

[CatNation]

Damian Lillard. I understand that Kemba is here but, you have to take the best player available.. and he is easily the best player in the draft. I said that before draft night and it proved true. Him and Kemba would make a great tandem and if you dont wish to keep him, his trade stock is so high that you would get great offers for him. Imagine if Portland says right now that they wanna trade him? Can you imagine the offers they would get?

I don't think he has the value you imagine. He fell because he's old and PGs are so easy to get. He's only slightly better than Kemba at best and they're the same age. I certainly wouldn't include a whole lot of value to trade even Kemba for Lillard right now and many people have Kemba as a bottom 10 starting PG in the league.

He was definitely ready to come in and play and got lucky to go to a team that was ready to hand him the keys and have veteran weapons around him. I highly doubt he'd be having the same kind of success on NO/us/WSH/SAC etc. I don't even know if I'd say he'd be doing a better job than Kemba is for us

either way, there arent a whole lot of teams out there ready to put together big packages for a solid PG. What teams out there aren't either set at PG or have their own young guy? only a couple

[Scrapper1]

I don't think he has the value you imagine. He fell because he's old and PGs are so easy to get. He's only slightly better than Kemba at best and they're the same age. I certainly wouldn't include a whole lot of value to trade even Kemba for Lillard right now and many people have Kemba as a bottom 10 starting PG in the league.

He was definitely ready to come in and play and got lucky to go to a team that was ready to hand him the keys and have veteran weapons around him. I highly doubt he'd be having the same kind of success on NO/us/WSH/SAC etc. I don't even know if I'd say he'd be doing a better job than Kemba is for us

either way, there arent a whole lot of teams out there ready to put together big packages for a solid PG. What teams out there aren't either set at PG or have their own young guy? only a couple

But this argument could be made for any player in the draft. I view it as Lillard would be more competitive because of Walker being the current starter. As you stated, Lillard has weapons around him(scorers & ball hogs mostly).. but yet, his stats are equal to Kemba. If he was running the bobcats his stats would be far better than what they are with the Blazers, Lillards numbers would be superior to Kembas. I bet Lillard would average 25 and 10 in CHA easily. Lillard is the perfect pg height 6'3, more athletic than Walker, better passer, stronger and faster.. nothing but opportunity on the Bobcats roster. Being a stat filler on a good team is more impressive than being a stat filler on a bad one.

[SWedd523]

I laughed when I read 25/10 easily. The only modern PG did it on a terrible team that had a pace that would run the SSOL Suns off the floor and gave up over 130 points on defense.

Magic never did it. Isiah, Stockton, Paul, Kidd, Payton, none of them.

[CatNation]

But this argument could be made for any player in the draft. I view it as Lillard would be more competitive because of Walker being the current starter. As you stated, Lillard has weapons around him(scorers & ball hogs mostly).. but yet, his stats are equal to Kemba. If he was running the bobcats his stats would be far better than what they are with the Blazers, Lillards numbers would be superior to Kembas. I bet Lillard would average 25 and 10 in CHA easily. Lillard is the perfect pg height 6'3, more athletic than Walker, better passer, stronger and faster.. nothing but opportunity on the Bobcats roster. Being a stat filler on a good team is more impressive than being a stat filler on a bad one.

or the more realistic scenario, teams completely shut down his bread and butter pick and roll like they do for Kemba because he has no roll option. Meaning most likely his scoring, assists, and efficiency would all drop pretty hard.

[Scrapper1]

Ok, 25/10 is a bit heavy.. but i do believe truly 20pts/8ast/5reb is possible with Lillard as a Bobcat.About the other guys comparisons, Neither of those guys played for a bad team like the Bobcats either..Magic played for the Lakers..where Kareem was top option for scoring,they were loaded. Stock was not a top scoring or go to option, Adrian Dantley and Darrell Grifith were. Isaiah, Kidd, Paul either. If those guys were given the same team that Kemba has, they would do superior numbers rookie yr. They did whatever to win.. How do you think Walkers numbers would look if he played with Portland? Better yet, compare rookie for rookie stats.Example,Look at Augustin, he was better on a bad team..now as a Pacer, it reveals hes a third pg option at best. Anyway, back to the initial topic.. Lillard would be my initial option as #2 pick if we couldnt pick MKG. We just agree to disagree. But im sure we all can agree we are glad they didnt pick T-Rob, lol.

[Bogg]

Ok, 25/10 is a bit heavy.. but i do believe truly 20pts/8ast/5reb is possible with Lillard as a Bobcat.About the other guys comparisons, Neither of those guys played for a bad team like the Bobcats either..Magic played for the Lakers..where Kareem was top option for scoring,they were loaded. Stock was not a top scoring or go to option, Adrian Dantley and Darrell Grifith were. Isaiah, Kidd, Paul either. If those guys were given the same team that Kemba has, they would do superior numbers rookie yr. They did whatever to win.. How do you think Walkers numbers would look if he played with Portland? Better yet, compare rookie for rookie stats.Example,Look at Augustin, he was better on a bad team..now as a Pacer, it reveals hes a third pg option at best. Anyway, back to the initial topic.. Lillard would be my initial option as #2 pick if we couldnt pick MKG. We just agree to disagree. But im sure we all can agree we are glad they didnt pick T-Rob, lol.

The problem with that line of thinking, though, is that Lillard isn't being asked to take on a diminished role because he's on a better team. He's the starting point guard and second scoring option on quite possibly they shallowest team in the league. The guy's playing almost 40 minutes a night and shooting 15-16 times a game, as well as assuming the responsibility for handling the ball and running the offense. What you're seeing right now is about Lillard's statistical ceiling this season, similar to how I think that Kemba's efficiency is going to improve more than his overall point and assist totals as the roster improves around him.

[CampNightmare8]

i didnt see anything from that Detroit game to make me think he is anything better than DeAndre Jordan. good athlete, he'll get you some dunks off putbacks, alleyoops, and nice dimes but thats about it. he showed some low bbiq getting baited out there for shot blocks while Bismack cleaned up the boards on offense. basically cost his team the game.

i think the large athletic=huge ceiling thing is kinda played out. to me, that just means a decent floor rather than some uber high ceiling. its all about skills to me.

Drummond can develop thought. He already looks more physical since joining the league. Deandre jordan has a lot of potential too it's just he's not improving at all, you can actually say he's playing worse.

[StakJak]

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NBA.com rookie ladder.

1) Lilard
2) Beal
3) Schved
4) Drumm
5) Davis
6) MKG
7) Barnes
8 )Henson
9) Sully
10) Waiters

Beal has hit full stride lately..showed great potential in Wall's first game back. He has the closest makeup to the ideal Bobcat SG from the "ideal SG" thread. NBA gametime crew is also super-high on Drumm (I'm just going to piggy-back off their acclaim). He's gotta be doing great things in DET; I'm interested to see him play some more. One or the other seems obvious given the current team needs.

Thank the lord we didn't go with Robinson...most people had a hunch that was the guy we were going for.