Strategy Session: Ranking Draft Prospects by Tiers

[KB21]

If Al Horford can't play center in the NBA, then how in the hell can Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire play that position and play it to the point that they are 3 of the best four centers in the NBA RIGHT NOW?

[Packfill]

Quote:

---

If Al Horford can't play center in the NBA, then how in the hell can Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire play that position and play it to the point that they are 3 of the best four centers in the NBA RIGHT NOW?

---

Probably for the same reason that their teams haven't done anything in the playoffs, and in the case of Toronto and Orlando, Rasho Nesterovic and Darko Milicic, respectively.

[KB21]

There you have it. You have to have a 7 foot, 300 lbs center to win in the NBA. It doesn't matter if the player isn't a functional player, is oafish, is slow footed, and can't walk and chew gum at the same time. You have to have a 7 footer at center to win in the NBA.

Oh, but if that 7 footer happens to have a perimeter game or any type of athleticism, then he's nothing more than a small forward.

Absolutely amazing!

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

and half of this board want to fill our most glaring need out of the 4th tier, although at #3 we wouldn't be addressing our 2nd biggest need either.

*scratching head*

---

I don't have any hair left after scratching my head over last years' draft and the ignorance that went into SW over Roy.

Whatever Conley is, 3 is too high for him. You know that, I know that, Conley knows that, the whole world knows that. Even Portland that has all the incentive in the world to get Conley knows that.

We also need TALENT. Talent in Chinese BTW is spelled "Y" "I".

W

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

If Al Horford can't play center in the NBA, then how in the hell can Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire play that position and play it to the point that they are 3 of the best four centers in the NBA RIGHT NOW?

---

Probably for the same reason that their teams haven't done anything in the playoffs, and in the case of Toronto and Orlando, Rasho Nesterovic and Darko Milicic, respectively.

---

So those guys are holding their teams back? Please.

More like those guys are the only reasons their teams made the post-season. Look at the supporting cast on those teams, they are terrible.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

If Al Horford can't play center in the NBA, then how in the hell can Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire play that position and play it to the point that they are 3 of the best four centers in the NBA RIGHT NOW?

---

Look, Howard would have put up significantly greater than 13/9 his rookie year in college. So too would Amare. Bosh did it.

On top of that Bosh doesn't want to be a center and shouldn't be one. Everybody knows that. Neither does/should Amare.

Bosh his freshman year? 15.5/9/2

Horford his freshman year (remember Noah hardly played that year)? 5.5/6.5/1.5 That's lame.

The comparison is a LAUGHER! Bosh's freshman stats are better than Horford's junior stats.

W

[Packfill]

I think in the case of Toronto they were better defensively with Rasho at center then Bosh. Having Darko also helped Howard from a defensive perspective as well. Phoenix still suffers from its defensive shortcomings in the playoffs.

Point being is the Hawks need a defensive presence. I am skeptical as to Yi being that presence. Horford is really the only option. Unfortunately for the Hawks they do not have a big power forward to team with him.

Again, no question the Hawks need a defensive presence (not to mention an offensive post presence). But there is also no question that this team would benefit from a pass first point guard who can play defense (that would limit the dribble penetration that every team currently gets against the Hawks causing the Hawks big men to leave their man for help - at which point the opponents big man receives a pass from the penetrating guard).

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

If Al Horford can't play center in the NBA, then how in the hell can Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire play that position and play it to the point that they are 3 of the best four centers in the NBA RIGHT NOW?

---

Look, Howard would have put up significantly greater than 13/9 his rookie year in college. So too would Amare. Bosh did it.

On top of that Bosh doesn't want to be a center and shouldn't be one. Everybody knows that. Neither does/should Amare.

Bosh his freshman year? 15.5/9/2

Horford his freshman year (remember Noah hardly played that year)? 5.5/6.5/1.5 That's lame.

The comparison is a LAUGHER! Bosh's freshman stats are better than Horford's junior stats.

W

---

I like Bosh better than Horford as a prospect but there is a little of apples to oranges going on there. At Tech, there wasn't much depth so Bosh went there, did little other than rack up some stats -- certainly did nothing in the post-season -- then went on to bigger and better things in the NBA.

Horford went to a team with a LOT more talent than Bosh joined at Tech and played within a team concept to lower individual stats and greater team glory.

From the purely stats side of things, you would think that Tyler Hansbrough is a much better prospect than Horford. From a body/skills perspective, one would have to go with Horford, IMO. You know this, though.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

From the purely stats side of things, you would think that Tyler Hansbrough is a much better prospect than Horford. From a body/skills perspective, one would have to go with Horford, IMO. You know this, though.

---

I've also watched enough of Horford as a UGA fan to know this. I do not dislike Horford. IN fact I like him as a Pf prospect very much. I just do not like him nearly as much as the significantly more talented Yi and I'm not snowed by the silly talk of Horford (at 6'8.75") at center. It's not like we haven't heard that same talk from GSUteke or others before with SW.

Horford could have had better stats elsewhere but alot of time other talent provides you even easier opportunities. Teams couldn't double down on Horford because of Noah and their perimeter snipers. Had he played on a team without either or both he could have been owned. I don't see Horford as being the type that can beat double teams. Pass out of them...maybe, but not beat them.

[BusBoyIsBack]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

From the purely stats side of things, you would think that Tyler Hansbrough is a much better prospect than Horford. From a body/skills perspective, one would have to go with Horford, IMO. You know this, though.

---

I've also watched enough of Horford as a UGA fan to know this. I do not dislike Horford. IN fact I like him as a Pf prospect very much. I just do not like him nearly as much as the significantly more talented Yi and I'm not snowed by the silly talk of Horford (at 6'8.75") at center. It's not like we haven't heard that same talk from GSUteke or others before with SW.

Horford could have had better stats elsewhere but alot of time other talent provides you even easier opportunities. Teams couldn't double down on Horford because of Noah and their perimeter snipers. Had he played on a team without either or both he could have been owned. I don't see Horford as being the type that can beat double teams. Pass out of them...maybe, but not beat them.

---

If anyone thinks Horford wasn't double teamed they didn't watch any UF games. Noah constantly got backside opportunities when the D collapsed on Horford. As far as the perimeter game of Florida, Lee Humphrey didn't exactly create his own shots.

[AHF]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

From the purely stats side of things, you would think that Tyler Hansbrough is a much better prospect than Horford. From a body/skills perspective, one would have to go with Horford, IMO. You know this, though.

---

I've also watched enough of Horford as a UGA fan to know this. I do not dislike Horford. IN fact I like him as a Pf prospect very much. I just do not like him nearly as much as the significantly more talented Yi and I'm not snowed by the silly talk of Horford (at 6'8.75") at center. It's not like we haven't heard that same talk from GSUteke or others before with SW.

Horford could have had better stats elsewhere but alot of time other talent provides you even easier opportunities. Teams couldn't double down on Horford because of Noah and their perimeter snipers. Had he played on a team without either or both he could have been owned. I don't see Horford as being the type that can beat double teams. Pass out of them...maybe, but not beat them.

---

I am in a similar boat as you, although I do like Horford's offense better than you. I think he will draw double teams in the NBA but I see his value (for us) as being highly dependent on his ability to play center and I am not sold on that. For that reason, I have him third behind Yi and Conley (in that order for me right now). Yi's height is the difference-maker for me along with the presence of Law and to a lesser extent Crittenon at #11.

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

---

If anyone thinks Horford wasn't double teamed they didn't watch any UF games. Noah constantly got backside opportunities when the D collapsed on Horford. As far as the perimeter game of Florida, Lee Humphrey didn't exactly create his own shots.

---

Lee Humphry's range and release don't require much of an opening.

I watched plenty of Florida. Horford wasn't getting doubled anymore than Noah and neither very much when both were on the floor for the very reason you cited, teams got burned by it because of the other post player.

W

[Diesel]

Any time, Walter and Myself are in total agreement, the argument must be right.

ex. 2005 draft.

[jerrywest]

Quote:

---

Any time, Walter and Myself are in total agreement, the argument must be right.

ex. 2005 draft.

---

So, when you two don't agree, from now on, you would give "benefit of doubt" because you could be wrong. Correct analogy?

[coachx]

Quote:

---

I'd also note that there was near consensus that Horford is the third-best player in the draft.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

---

And those of us who support Hoford are dogged by the Yi lovers ! Looks like we just see what basically all the scouts see too !

While the Yi lovers see imaginated images in theri own minds of Yi !

[gsuteke]

Quote:

---

Any time, Walter and Myself are in total agreement, the argument must be right.

ex. 2005 draft.

---

I was doing some post digging relative to a post Ex had just made.

I couldn't resist quoting this gem.

Once again my apologies to anyone who finds the thread redundant.