Re: Future & Draft

[Adam A Suchocki <Twilight@world.std.com>]

> My opinion, Williams & Walker fit the same role & I like Walker's potential
> better, so I move Fox or Williams for a big 2, backup point since the draft
> is slim at point (Brent Barry ?), or 4 or 5 .  Since Walker is still very
> young and hopefully will bulk up, I go for who I determine is best impact
> player available, Battie, Thomas, Mercer, Van Horn, Fortson, Willoughby,
> Billups, Seals or Carr, and hope we get another with the Dallas pick or go
> with Pollard, Vaughn


I don't quite understand how Walker and Williams fit the same role.
Williams is a short 6'8" player who is fairly bulky and just past his
growing years. His chief asset is a huge first step and
a wide array of inside moves.  He has great movement, and has shown the
ability to guard oposing 2 guards as well as 3's and 4's.  His primary
problems are lack of confidence in his outside shot (which has improved
greatly over the past few weeks.)  Williams problems include difficulty
shooting over larger players (he's not a very good leaper), and trouble
stopping larger players from shooting over him. 

Walker is a strong, but somewhat slim, 6'9 to 6'10.  He has been reported
to have grown 2 inches over the last year and could still be growing.  He
also should bulk up considerably.  His chief assets are great athletic
ability, good ball handling, and very good rebounding and passing skills.
Over the past month and a half he has averaged over 10 boards a game, and
for that time period is in the top 20 in the league, despite having to
play a lot of games at center.  His game revolves around being able to
overpower or outmaneuver his man to the basket or rebound.  He has
shooting skills, but tends to rush everythingright now, which hurts his
touch.  Again, his rebounding has been exceptional for a rookie.  His
weeknesses appear to be related to not rushing everything, and trying to
do too much with a play.

But overall, Walker appears to be on the verge of becoming an exceptional
power forward, while Williams appears to be much more suited to the small
forward.  Williams knows how to use his size to his advantage, and his
body control and first step is very effective against small players.
Walker, on the other hand, has the size to get his shot off against bigger
players, and needs larger players for his speed to be truley effective (he
has great quickness, but not the same explosive first step as Williams).

In other words, I think they each have a distinct position and role, and
work well together on the floor.  I don't think its fair to say you need
to decide if they are both 3s or both 4s simply because they are both
within an inch and a half of the same height.


 > > Boston 1st -Battie
> Dallas - Pollard or the best 2 (Willoughby, Seals, Carr, Parker)  
> Boston 2nd - Doleac, Lawson, Keon Clark ?,   Eric Washington or Miles Simon
> depending if we went big or 2 on the Dallas pick.
> 
Eeek!!

Dallas's pick should give us a lot more than that.  I don't see Pollard
going higher than the teens, and I kind of feel the same about the
collection of guards you listed.  Dallas is playing worse than Boston.  An
easier schedule and some breaks have given them a couple more wins, but
they are looking like a possible 5th to 8th worst record.  Boston is also
showing signs of being somewhere between 3rd and 8th worst.  With two
picks in the top 8, I'd like to see them get some combination of:

Duncan, Koul, Mercer, Van Horne, Thomas, Battie, or depending on the how
their seasons go (Knight or Vaughn)

Other than Mercer, I'd really stay away from this crop of two guards.  I
don't see any of them being much better than Todd Day/Greg Minor - and we
need center or point guard more.  Van Horne and Mercer make the lists as
best other players available.

Adam