My Hawks Draft Pick Projections

[Diesel]

I don't disagree about Swift having an upside... However, when you say More upside... That's questionable. Who's to say that Swift won't become the next Travis Knight or Pryzibillia. I don't think comparing Humphries to Carlos Boozer is an insult, just realize that Humphries has far more offense than Boozer did. I think a better comparison for Humphries would be Elton Brand. Humphries has that same strength, that same rebounding tenacity, and the same offensive post moves... But he also has an outside game to talk about.

[KB21]

He's got nowhere near the same rebounding tenacity or the defensive ability of Elton Brand. That just tells me that you have never watched Humphries play.

Kris Humphries is a guy who played hard only when he got the ball. He didn't get down and scrum for rebounds. He only got the rebounds the came to him. I never once saw him battle to get a rebound. His defense is non-existant. Offensively, he likes to hang around the perimeter instead of working in the post.

In the NBA, his lack of height will hurt him as an NBA post player. He will be no better in the NBA than Adam Keefe was.

[Diesel]

What??? What are you talking about???

Brand at Duke was about a 17/8 player.

Humphries is a 21/10 player...

You say he get his rebounds because they drop in his lap????

Give me a break KB... You have never watched MINN play right?? This kid has the gift to get into position and snag the boards. I really know that you don't watch Big 10 ball now... What'd you do, wait til the Big 10 championship before you started watching??? Try watching the whole season...

[KB21]

Why don't you try watching him play before making an completely false statement like you have made?

All you have done is look at his numbers.

I will say with a great level of certainty that I watch A LOT more college basketball than you do.

Elton Brand was a legitimate #1 overall pick. Kris Humphries is a selfish player who is a borderline first round pick.

[Diesel]

You maybe do watch those backwood games from Mississippi... But you haven't watched Humphries... Come on man. I have watched far more Big10 games than you. I have watched far more ACC games than you. For you to talk about Humphries as being somebody lucky to get a rebound shows your ignorance.

Oh yeah... I also know that I have watched more Euro games than you... And every player out of your mouth is an overhyped Europlayer... Why is that?? You're the same guy who said that Bender, Damp, and Swift would be stars in the NBA. Hello? Stuck on Mississippi right?

[Traceman]

Is it not possible to like one guy more than another without taking it to the extreme?

First, Humphries is an undersized 6'8" or less and then he only got rebounds that came to him? Come on KB! The guy averaged 10 boards a game! Either he is a very good rebounder or he's the luckiest guy on earth!

Diesel, sure Swift could be the next Pryz or the next Travis Kinght. Just as Humphries could be the next Mark Madsen or Cal Bowdler. Just as Josh Smith could be the next DerMarr Johnson or Jonathan Bender.

[Weez]

I don't know if I'd go that far, in comiring Smith to DerMarr or Bender...

one thing that I generally assume when looking at a player ~ with the exception of TMac, I can't think of another player of 6'6 (6'7 max) that can truly play sg. Most big guys don't have that handle. TMac is the exception, largely due to his amazing athleticism...but when you start getting a guy taller that 6'6 or so, their handles are either less developed or they dribble too high (partly out of necessity) to play the position effectively.

Perhaps this will change, but not soon. It's why I can't really see Bender as a sg...he can't dribble well enough, a necessity for the role. Pierce....he's a true sf. Sure, he played the position when Walker made himself a 3, but think about it, someone prove me wrong...

[Traceman]

Wally Z, Rip Hamiltion, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, JT and Corey Magette. Apparently someone thought he was going to be really good. You think Josh Smith would have went ahead of any of those guys if he had been in that draft? I don't.

I think Smith would have gone ahead of DJ had he been in that draft but that could be the weakest draft class in history.

[Weez]

he was also drafted by the Pacers right? A team that didn't need him at the time to play any significant time, role. They were building for the future, something that Walsh is particularly adept at doing. Plus, Smith has athleticism that's apparenty rediculous...Bender doesn't have that, he masks a lot in his height.

Tell me this, if you had Bender, where would you start him? Despite his injuries, why hasn't he spelled more minutes at sg thus far, a role that's open on the Pacers (currently filled by another TRUE sf in Artest).

[KB21]

There are a lot of people that feel Bender will really blossom if he gets out of Indiana. He may not be a freak of an athlete, but he is a 7 footer that can handle the ball and shoot from the perimeter very well.

It's tough for him to get time because Indiana plays Artest and Harrington at the small forward position. Bender gets limited time because he plays for a defense oriented coach, and Bender is more of an offensive player than a defensive player.