Washington Wizards

Hey guys, I wrote this back in March about the Wizards. What do you think about the analysis and how it holds up in retrospect? I write for Bluemanhoop, a warriors blog, but post my other nba thoughts at joemoore.net, if you're interested. On November 6, 2012, Barack Obama was reelected as President of the United States. Obama returned to Washington under the slogan, “Forward,” a direction the local Wizards certainly did not appear to be moving. Before the season, the Wizards, presumably adding veteran players in an attempt to reach the playoffs, dealt Rashard Lewis and a 2nd round draft pick for Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor. Despite this salary intensive attempt to make the playoffs, through January 11th, the Wizards were a depressing 5-28 and, just to make the experience even more enjoyable for their fans, scored at a league-worst 93.1 points per 100 possessions (per nba.com). Despite the record, the Wizard’s most disheartening situation was the state of their young backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. Prior to the season, Wall developed a stress fracture in his knee, and was scheduled to miss much of the beginning of the season. Though Wall had flashed promise in his first two seasons in the league, popular opinion (expressed in this Yahoo! Ball Don’t Lie article http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/john-wall-returns-practice-impresses-011655092--nba.html) was that Wall needed to take a drastic step forward in the 2012-2013 season to establish himself as the franchise block the Wizards thought they had drafted. Instead of coming into the new season showing off an improved jumper, or better ball control, Wall was not even able to practice, let alone play. While will was stuck off the court, Beal was struggling on it. In 32 games played prior without John Wall, Beal shot 32.3 percent from 3, 38.9% on 2 point field goal attempts, and had a true shooting percentage of only 46.8% (per nbawowy.com). Though he was promoted in college as an aggressive guard with an incredible shooting stroke, Beal struggled to get to the rim, attempting only 17.95 of his shots from 0-3 feet and 25.0% from 10-15 feet, and converted on a less than impressive 32.3% on the three point attempts that accounted for 34.1% of his field goal attempts, and though the Wizards struggled regardless of whether Beal was playing or not, they were outscored by 1.1 more points per 100 possessions with Beal on the court compared to off. Beal, like Wall before him, had shown potential, but struggled to consistently convert the promise into production. In a January 12th contests against the Atlanta Hawks, John Wall, once the lord and savior of the eternally damned Wizards (in this case original sin is drafting Jan Vesely) began his 3rd season, ready to rise again. And while the Wizards have not yet ascended to the heavenly height of above average, they have managed a promising level of decency since Wall’s return. Spurred by an impressive defense and slightly improved but still bad offense, Washington has won 12 of its 20 games since Wall’s return, good for a .600 winning percentage that would place them 4th in the Eastern Conference if sustained for a full season. However, in this lost season it is the improved performance by Wall and Beal that bring hope for a better future in Washington. Though Wall, only shooting a 48.3% true shooting percentage, still has yet to approach his potential as scorer, he has developed an ability to create offensive opportunities for his teammates. Wall has assisted on a career high 44.3% of his teammates field goals while he is on the court, up 7.4 percent from last year, and his team scores 4.3 points per 100 possessions more while he is on the court than off. Though the Wizards 101.3 offensive rating with Wall on the court would place them at a mere 26th in the league per basketball-reference.com, many of the lineups Wall is most featured in are much better

Let me preface this by saying I haven't really decided where I stand on this one, just though it was an interesting swap based on the recent write-ups of the NY Knicks cap and roster situation going forward. It happened once already, back in 2009, where Tyson Chandler was traded from the Hornets to the Bobcats for Emeka Okafor. With the Knicks now on the hook for two more years of Chandler, and solidly in cap purgatory with three guys making more than $14M a season (and fans turning on almost every player on the roster), the 'Bockers may be looking to jettison some longer term salary and generally shake things up. There aren't likely to be takers for Amare's monstrous deal due to injury concerns and apparent decline, and Carmelo is solidly off the chopping block as the team's best player, that leaves Chandler. He'll be making $14M next season and $14.5M the year after. Okafor is an expiring next season, but on the hook this year for about $14.5M. The two players are exactly the same age (born less than a week apart) and both bring something to the table on both ends of the floor. Would you be willing to swap the two players? Positives: -Championship experience: Chandler has been to the mountain top with the Mavericks only three seasons ago. He's also played 70 playoffs games (starting 54) to Okafor's 6 (6). -Advanced stats: Chandler dominates the advanced stats debate, at least for the past few years. He's a defensive anchor, though turning 31 this next season may diminish his athleticism. He's accumulated an 18+ PER and 9+ WS for the last three seasons, and basically doubled Emeka on the WS/48 metric during that span. Much of the PER gap can be attributed it Chandler's incredible TS%, mainly off easy buckets--something John Wall could really assist in continuing. -Size: While Okafor has held his own as a rebounder at 6'10", Chandler is marginally better at the big man's bread and butter--particularly on the offensive end, something the Wizards could really use. His 7'1" frame and length give him an advantage over most interior players. -Salary structure: Sort of an odd one, but with Nene on the hook for 3 more years, and Wall and Beal likely to get major deals in the next couple seasons, an extra season of Chandler still gives us the "stairstep" structure that I value in giving us roster flexibility. Ariza would come off the books after next season (a trade chip or just for space), then Chandler, then Nene, giving us time to evaluate on a season by season basis. In a dream scenario, we could flip Nene and other assets (our 2014 first, another young asset) for Kevin Love or similar. Negatives -Durability: Chandler is usually a lock to miss 10+ games a season while Oak has only done that once in the last six years -Locker Room: While Chandler is fiery and a competitor, we've all heard the stories about Okafor's intelligence and willingness to stand up to a guy like John Wall when he isn't acting right. -Financial: Would need to commit 14 million to Chandler in 2014-15, while Okafor may be available for a 2-4 year deal for under eight figures a season...at least hypothetically. What do you all think? I'd be interested to know what everyone thinks in the comments below. Let me preface this by saying I haven't really decided where I stand on this one, just though it was an interesting swap based on the recent write-ups of the NY Knicks cap and roster situation going forward. It happened once already, back in 2009, where Tyson Chandler was traded from the Hornets to the Bobcats for Emeka Okafor. With the Knicks now on the hook for two more years of Chandler, and solidly in cap purgatory with three guys making more than $14M a season (and fans turning on almost every player on the roster), the 'Bockers may be looking to jettison some longer term salary and generally shake things up. There aren't likely to be takers for Amare's monstrous deal due to injury concerns and apparent decline, and Carmelo is solidly off the

Team: UCLA Class: Freshman Position: Small forward Expected draft position: Top 12 Year GP PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG% 3FG% FT% 2012-13 32 17.9 5.2 0.8 0.7 0.1 44% 38% 71% College career: It might be hard to remember or believe now, but a few years ago Shabazz Muhammad was basketball's next phenom, a player whose scoring ability drew comparison to Kobe Bryant and made him the runaway away favorite to be the top overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft. But as the attention Muhammad drew as a high school player increased, opinion of him seemed to mellow, to the point that by the end of his senior season he wasn't even the unanimous choice as the top prospect in his own class, let alone the game's next chosen one. That said, Muhammad still finished his high school career as a five-star, top-2 recruit (with Nerlens Noel surpassing him as the No. 1 prospect on some recruiting websites) with an elite-level scoring mentality and as good a shot as any player of being the top choice in the 2013 draft. After choosing to attend UCLA over Duke and Kentucky, Muhammad's college career got off to a rocky start, first when the NCAA declared him ineligible hours before his season opener after determining he had received improper benefits from his father's friend, who paid for Muhammad's plane tickets and hotel rooms on unofficial college visits. Muhammad's family contended that the NCAA had been aware of the expenses, and even gone as far as to sanction them. UCLA appealed the suspension, and a Nov. 14 Los Angeles Times report suggested the NCAA might have predetermined Muhammad's fate. A couple days later, after missing three games, Muhammad was reinstated. A month later, the NCAA fired the lead investigator in Muhammad's case. Once back on the court, Muhammad quickly showed why he was the nation's top perimeter recruit, scoring 15 points off the bench in his first game, a 78-70 loss to Georgetown. He was inserted into the starting lineup the next game, and scored a game-high 21 points in a 60-56 win over Georgia. Muhammad scored in the mid-teens his next four games before pouring in four-straight efforts of 20-plus points, including a season-high 27 points in back-to-back victories against Fresno State and then-No. 7 Missouri, the latter of which included Muhammad hitting the game-winning three-pointer in a 97-95 overtime win. He also scored a game-high 23 points in an 84-73 road victory over then-No. 6 Arizona. Though he ended his brief college career with three sub-.400 shooting performances, Muhammad was ultimately named first team All-Pac 12, though he had to share the conference's Freshman of the Year honors with Arizona State's Jahii Carson. All in all, Muhammad's lone college season was underwhelming given the hype that once surrounded him. Yes, he was a very good scorer, but he didn't showcase many elite skills outside of his effort and scoring instincts. Other profiles: Ben McLemoreNerlens Noel Alex Len Otto Porter His freshman year also didn't come without inconsistency (particularly a six-point, 3-for-13 stinker against Utah and 4-for-19 showing against Washington State) or controversy, as many took notice when Muhammad, after calling frantically for the ball in the closing seconds of UCLA's Feb. 7 contest against Washington, watched a teammate hit the game-winner and walked by rather than joining in with the rest of the Bruins in their celebratory dog pile. Whether the incident spoke to Muhammad's attitude is open to interpretation, but it certainly didn't help quiet those who accused him of being a me-first, team-second player concerned only with racking up points en route to a lucrative NBA career. It also didn't help matters when the LA Times revealed prior to UCLA's first round NCAA Tournament contest that Muhammad was actually a year older than previously believed, which helped explain why in high school he always seemed to be stronger and more physically-mature than

I don't know if any of you have read Adrian Wojnarowski's story on Lance Stephenson, the mercurial Indiana Pacers guard that had one of the best games of his career in last night's Game 6 victory over the Knicks. The piece focuses on Stephenson's close relationship with former Pacers general manager Larry Bird. Here's one of the many lines that caught me: Bird used to bring Stephenson into his office, or sit down with him post-practice and talk to him. "Learn everything, learn, learn, learn,' Larry used to say to me," Stephenson told Y! Sports. " 'Watch the games,' he would tell me. 'Don't just sit and take these games for granted. I listened to him. I watched the other players that were in front of me, and I took what they did and tried to put in my swag." Rather than tossing out a player with maturity concerns, the Pacers constantly stayed in his ear, monitored him in a hands-on way and supplemented that with a coaching philosophy that made him earn his keep. The end result? Stephenson went from being a second-round pick to a major asset for an Eastern Conference Finals team. The success of Stephenson is multi-pronged. A scout had to be right that a player has significant talent. A general manager had to delegate resources (or do it himself) to keeping tabs on that player in a way that helps rather than demeans. A coach needs to keep the player focused and make him work for whatever he gets. An organization needs to develop a culture of professionalism so the player can learn from good role models rather than develop losing habits from bad ones. (This was the true masterstroke of the David West signing). The Wizards have never employed Lance Stephenson, obviously, but they have struggled to develop players with different maturity issues of their own. Why Andray Blatche, Nick Young, JaVale McGee, Jordan Crawford and others failed is difficult to ascertain, but there's always more the organization could do to find roles for those players. Ultimately, their issues are both on the player and the team. Somewhere along the line, one of those steps that paid off in Stephenson's success fell apart. This is why the same teams generally draft and develop players well. Their scouts know how to locate the right kind of raw talent. Their front office ensures that there are enough resources and upkeep to direct the player on the right kind of path. The coach has enough of a set style of play to channel the player into the right kind of role. The organization finds good role models and operates on a philosophy that is more than just throwing something against the wall and seeing what sticks. Proper commitment to all four steps is how Lance Stephensons happen. It's a firm reminder as we move forward into draft coverage. The Wizards' success in this draft will come down to much more than finding the player we think is best. Development is a part of drafting well. With a stronger commitment to that process, maybe the Wizards find their Lance Stephenson.

I'm a touch on the backcourt , assuming Okefor will return . Nene, booker , seraphin will be healthy . Martell Webster a starter or 6th man ? John wall , beal , Muhammad? i watched him a lot through the season and he can flat out score . Shooting or getting to the basket . Reminded me a little bit of James harden without the strength . Can he play the 3? Possibly. is he worth it ? John wall , beal , Otto porter ? Im a Georgetown fan so I had the luxury of watching him all season . Nice shooting touch at 3, mid range , and around the basket . Strong rebounder and great passer . Maybe too slow to guard a 2 and may be to friendly to guard a 3. In the Georgetown offense he didn't have to put the ball on the floor much to create anything . His handles are questionable as Harrison Barnes last year. Is he worth it ? John wall , beal , rivers ? Martell a get the start but another shooter backing wall or beal ? Is it worth it ? John wall , beal , oladipo ? Didn't catch him much but he is strong and more defensive minded . Would you want a defensive asset or a player that can score ? More scenarios in the comments ? Lets agree or disagree to agree wizard fans I'm a touch on the backcourt , assuming Okefor will return . Nene, booker , seraphin will be healthy . Martell Webster a starter or 6th man ? John wall , beal , Muhammad? i watched him a lot through the season and he can flat out score . Shooting or getting to the basket . Reminded me a little bit of James harden without the strength . Can he play the 3? Possibly. is he worth it ? John wall , beal , Otto porter ? Im a Georgetown fan so I had the luxury of watching him all season . Nice shooting touch at 3, mid range , and around the basket . Strong rebounder and great passer . Maybe too slow to guard a 2 and may be to friendly to guard a 3. In the Georgetown offense he didn't have to put the ball on the floor much to create anything . His handles are questionable as Harrison Barnes last year. Is he worth it ? John wall , beal , rivers ? Martell a get the start but another shooter backing wall or beal ? Is it worth it ? John wall , beal , oladipo ? Didn't catch him much but he is strong and more defensive minded . Would you want a defensive asset or a player that can score ? More scenarios in the comments ? Lets agree or disagree to agree wizard fans

This guy had the best time in the agility drill by far this year. which is crazy bc he's 6'9. I'm not sure he's a lottery pick but if we somehow end up with a pick outside of the lottery we should look into him. In a weak draft a project SF isn't a crazy idea. esp given the McDs AA talent. Right away he can be an elite defender at the SF position which is a must know given the two best players in the league play that position, the best of which plays in our division. His jumper and handle are a work in progress but he know how to go after shots on the defensive end and he can clearly move his feet. With the right development i could see him being an OK shooter down the line and he'll def be able to dribble better. he could be a paul george type. After running that lane agility time this guy is going round 1. This guy had the best time in the agility drill by far this year. which is crazy bc he's 6'9. I'm not sure he's a lottery pick but if we somehow end up with a pick outside of the lottery we should look into him. In a weak draft a project SF isn't a crazy idea. esp given the McDs AA talent. Right away he can be an elite defender at the SF position which is a must know given the two best players in the league play that position, the best of which plays in our division. His jumper and handle are a work in progress but he know how to go after shots on the defensive end and he can clearly move his feet. With the right development i could see him being an OK shooter down the line and he'll def be able to dribble better. he could be a paul george type. After running that lane agility time this guy is going round 1.

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies Why the Spurs Will Win in Seven: In order for the Spurs to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007, they will have to contain the … Continue reading →

I first became interested in Rudy Gobert after reading this SB nation article by Tom Ziller. This was the only mock draft that I saw with Rudy Gobert in the lottery at the time. Apparently, Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder was the only GM in the league to personally scout Rudy. Sure, other teams sent scouts, but Sam Presti was interested enough to watch this 19 year old play. This is the same guy who saw the defensive potential in Serge Ibaka (24th pick in 2008) and wanted to trade up for Bradley Beal last year. So if Sam Presti is interested, then so am I. The more I read about this Rudy Gobert kid, the more I become intrigued. He has been getting a lot of buzz at the combine and is reportedly performing well. There is not a lot of tape out there on him, but I believe he has a lot of potential. More importantly, I think he can reach this potential with the Washington Wizards. I was initially worried about taking another international bust in the lottery, so I looked up some issues the BF community had with Jan Vesely and then checked how Rudy is different. First thing I noticed was the age difference. Jan was 21 and closer to being a fully developed player (which wasn't much) than Rudy Gobert who is only 19. Next, I checked DraftExpress for the free throw percentages of the two players. This is a big issue with Jan and is usually a good indicator of how well a player can shoot. Jan shot an abysmal 43% with Partizan in the Euroleague and 54% in the Adriatic league. Rudy Gobert on the other hand shot a respectable 60% in 3 games during the Eurocup, but had a solid 70% FT percentage in 27 French league games. Another difference is familiarity. I imagine moving to another country for any career can be difficult, especially if you have not mastered the language. Jan came here and had to work through this barrier. If the Washington Wizards draft Rudy Gobert, I don't think that he will have this issue. He will immediately have a connection with a co worker in Kevin Seraphin (also from France) who has already gone through this process. They play the same position and Kevin Seraphin has an elite skill that every GM is drooling for Rudy Gobert to have: a hook shot. Rudy showed off some of his jump hooks recently at the combine, but I believe Kevin can help him master it. With a 9'7 standing reach (more on that later) this jump hook would be unguardable. I can already imagine him getting doubled in the post while passing to a cutting John Wall or kicking out to 3 point shooters like Bradley Beal and Martell Webster. The last difference is the potential. Rudy Gobert is big and has a lot more potential than Jan Vesely. In terms of basketball height (standing reach), Rudy Gobert (9'7 standing reach) is the closest I have seen to Yao Ming (9'7 to 9'8). Maybe having the difference in height shifted to his wingspan will benefit him on the court more than Yao and lead to less foot/ankle injuries? Regardless, this type of potential on both ends of the floor is very rare. We won't find a guy his size for a while so drafting and developing Rudy Gobert may be worth it. Definitely worth more than drafting Jan Vesely. I first became interested in Rudy Gobert after reading this SB nation article by Tom Ziller. This was the only mock draft that I saw with Rudy Gobert in the lottery at the time. Apparently, Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder was the only GM in the league to personally scout Rudy. Sure, other teams sent scouts, but Sam Presti was interested enough to watch this 19 year old play. This is the same guy who saw the defensive potential in Serge Ibaka (24th pick in 2008) and wanted to trade up for Bradley Beal last year. So if Sam Presti is interested, then so am I. The more I read about this Rudy Gobert kid, the more I become intrigued. He has been getting a lot of buzz at the combine and is reportedly performing well. There is not a lot of tape out there on him, but I believe he has a lot of

[Wizards 2012-13 Player Reviews from the TAI crew are going down; let's reflect--- index so far: Jannero Pargo, Jason Collins, Shaun Livingston, Shelvin Mack, Cartier Martin, Earl Barron, Jan Vesely, Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Garrett Temple, Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza, Martell Webster.] A.J. Price 6-2 : Height 181 lbs. : Weight 26 : Age 4 : Years NBA Experience 2 : NBA Teams Signed by the Wizards as a free agent for the one-year minimum on July 23, 2012. Time as a Wizard in 2012-13 57 : Games 22 : Starts 1,278 : Minutes 1.47 out of 3 stars Average Truth About It.net DC Council Game Rating {Price evaluated over 19 games}  12.4 PER NBA historical PER contribution equivalent: maybe Jon Barry for the 2000-01 Sacramento Kings (12.4) maybe Jeff McInnis for the 2004-05 Cleveland Cavaliers (12.4), maybe Kevin Porter for the 1972-72 Baltimore Bullets (12.4) .084 Win Shares/48 Minutes NBA historical WS/48 contribution equivalent: maybe Jameer Nelson for the 2006-07 Orlando Magic (.082), maybe Travis Best for the 2004-05 New Jersey Nets (.084), maybe Derek Fisher for the 2006-07 Utah Jazz (.083) With A.J. Price on the Court… The Wizards offense scored 0.4 points less per 100 possessions (OffRtg) The Wizards defense allowed 1.0 point less per 100 possessions (DefRtg) Plus/Minus per 48 minutes: minus-2.4 Numbers : Per 36 Minutes 12.4 : Points 3.2 : Rebounds 0.1 : Blocks 0.9 : Steals 5.8 : Assists 1.8 : Turnovers 2.1 : Fouls 0.86 PPP Price had 501 offensive possessions with the Wizards that ended with a FGA, TO or FTs, and he scored 0.86 Points Per Possession (PPP) on those, ranked 298th in the NBA (via Synergy Sports Technology). Defensively, he allowed 0.83 PPP over 477 possessions, ranked 108th. Shooting 39% Field Goals (161-413) 35% 3-Pointers (70-200) 79% Free Throws (49-62) [stats via NBA.com/stats and Basketball-Reference.com] #12 AJ Price in 2012-13 with the Wizards: A Perfectly Imperfect Solution by Kyle Weidie (@Truth_About_It) A.J. Price was imperfectly perfect … Bare with me. Ideally, Price is the right point guard behind John Wall. Well, wait a minute. Who, or what, is the ideal type of player playing behind Wall? That player can keep the pace up, run with the other guys added to the team with Wall in mind, but knows how to maneuver in the half court. He can knock down long-distance shots to keep the floor open (especially if he has to play next to Wall). He’s not going to kill you on defense, in fact, he should be a net-positive on D, even if minor. He can keep the ball moving, and he’s not going to cause a coach to fret with carelessness. There are, as always, a couple catches: Wall’s backup likely won’t play many minutes, at least as long as Wall and Bradley Beal are healthy. That said, the Crash Brothers might not always be healthy (unless they tone down the physical gambles on the court). The other catch: this player must cheap. Sounds like the perfect backup PG for a lot of teams. So where does Price fit in? The Wizards got their money’s worth, that’s for sure. Price came at the very affordable rate of the veteran’s minimum, $854,389 for a single season of basketball. His numbers this past season, his fourth in the NBA at age 26, compare very closely to the numbers Steve Blake put up in his fifth NBA season with the Portland Trail Blazers at age 27. That season, 2007-08, was the first of a three-year, $12-plus million contract for Blake—not sure Price is worth that kind of money now, as it’s a different market. Still, this season was the best of Price’s career, and he was a strong part of the Washington’s locker room culture, often serving as the pre-game and sideline hype-man, constantly trying to uplift his teammates (and providing them with phrases like ‘Watergate‘). Price probably wants constancy (so, not a third NBA team in year five), but the man from Amityville, NY, also wants to get paid. Ernie Grunfeld’s got some decisions to make. The blind horse headed to the water is led

Full disclosure: I love the field of International prospects in this year's draft. If I am in charge of team that needs a point guard and Trey Burke is off the board I take Dennis Schroeder hands down. I absolutely love Dario Saric, but have heard conflicting reports about whether or not he is entering the draft, which probably means that he won't be coming over for at least a year. Maybe because there are so few sure things American college players this year, or maybe because this year I heavily invested in scouting and watching games. Specifically last year's Nike hoop summit. I really think this is the year to draft and stash. My only concern is that Ernie has never drafted a good International player, at least not for the Wizards. So be honest and let me know what you guys think about: Dario Saric: This guy is a fluid athlete in a legit 6' 10'' frame. Although he gets a lot of minutes at the 4, he projects more as a 3 in the NBA, only playing minutes at the 4 against stretch 4's. This guy has everything: size, athleticism, a jumpshot, and my favorite thing about him is that he knows how to play the game. He runs the floor hard, fights for loose balls, and just knows how to get open. At the hoop summit, he played tremendous defense against the pick and roll, and killed the US team with savvy, and knowledge of the game. Take him in the 2nd, or trade into the late first to take him, I just love this kid. Rudy Gobert: By now we all know about the measurements, but they proved accurate at the NBA combine. This guy is a legit 7' 2'' with an unreal 7' 9'' wingspan. Shot blocking monster, has a soft touch and showed off a nice hook shot at the combine. If he gets confident with his hook shot it will be unblockable. I like this guy a lot, but to be honest, I think the Wizards pick is a little high to take him, and I wonder why he didn't dominate against lesser competition overseas. I know a lot of European teens get very inconsistent minutes and when he did play he protected the rim, he ran the floor for easy buckets and he scored in the paint. This is what I think he will do his first couple of years, but the sky is the limit if this guy develops his game. Giannis Adetokoubo: This guy is VERY interesting. At 6' 9'' he gets most of his minutes as a Point Guard playing in Greece. Smooth athlete, that looks fantastic with the ball in his hands. My concern here is that he will probably not be playing Point here and he looks pretty uncomfortable playing off the ball. His level of competition is almost laughable compared to the NBA or even most college teams, but this kid is talented. I say pass, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Sergey Karasev: I like this guy a lot too. He has definite role player potential and can be fantastic as a complimentary scorer with just about any team. There are no questions about how this guy will fit in as a pro. One of the best shooters in the entire draft, this guy is excellent at coming off screens and finding soft spots in the D for his sweet left-handed jumper. A little quirky with the ball in his hands, like most lefty's, he isn't as great at shooting off the dribble or creating his own shot, but he is one of the only International prospects there are no questions about how his skill set will translate. I'd love to see him slip to the 2nd. Lucas Nogueira: This guy is a project, but a worthwhile one. He is 7' with a 7'6 wingspan. This guy should be a rim protecter and a lob target for John Wall his first couple of years. I have never seen a guy with better defensive tools, be as bad as he is defensively. He is consistently in the wrong spot, and he doesn't play hard. Can that be corrected with NBA coaching, or is it too ingrained between his ears? This is a BIG question for any execs who want this guy. Gorgui Dieng, Steven Adams, and Alex Len: Technically these guys are International prospects even though they played college ball last year, so I lumped them together. I think Di