Re: Players with upside

[Ellie Cutler <ellie@oreilly.com>]

Good to ferret out the kids with upside - esp. at our draft position. 
Personally, I was not impressed with Brendan Haywood anytime I saw him 
play. I don't think he's better, or potentially better, than our current 
center rotation.

As the Patriots have proved, year in and year out, you should draft the 
BPA, period! Not for position.

That said, with the NBA draft now filling up with kids who need to sit on 
the bench for 1-3 years before contributing, how do you pick the BPA 
between say Shane Battier and Kelvin Torbert?

I expect our choices will boil down to
  1) the super-versatile athletic types: Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, 
Rod Grizzard, Joe Johnson
  2) 2nd-tier PFs:  Michael Bradley, Rodney White, Troy Murphy
  3) PGs: Tinsley, Frank Williams, Bell

I think we should usethe Denver pick this year. Esp. if Battier is there, 
as he wouldn't be the same as adding a young rookie to the roster. I wish 
Mike Dunleavy would come out this year... Forget Loren Woods, please!!   I 
love Chris Duhon, but don't think he's coming out. And how does the zone 
defense affect who we draft - what type of player is going to benefit from 
it?  How does that bode for all these athletic slasher dunker kids who have 
no fundamentals and can't shoot?  Is there room for a bonafide PG on our 
roster with both Kenny and Toine there?

And, really, what's up with Moiso?  I think the bottom line on him is that 
no matter how talented or athletic he is, you can't teach heart and drive, 
and he lacks both.

My picks: Battier if he drops, Gerald Wallace, Frank Williams.

And, on a non-draft note, who is rooting for Bill Laimbeer to coach the 
Pistons?  Could you imagine him showing his face in the Garden (oops I mean 
the Fleet Center). How great would that be!!  (Mahorn is a close second - 
any of those bozos would light a bonfire under the fan base).

  --Ellie