Ukic as 5th best draft day steal

[Guest Walter]

Quote:

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5) #41: Roko Ukic, PG/SG – Toronto Raptors

Widely regarded as the fourth best point guard in the draft behind the obvious Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Raymond Felton (drafted at 3, 4 and 5 respectively), Ukic was rumored to have a promise from the Raptors at the 16th pick. Instead, Ukic remained undrafted at the Raptors’ 41st selection. The challenge for Raptors GM Rob Babcock will be to convince him to play in the NBA and will likely offer him a three year guaranteed contract to do so. Ukic is another player who opted out of last year’s draft and decided to stay in this year’s without a strong end result. Ukic averaged 18.6 points-per-game, 4.3 assists-per-game and 1.9 steals-per-game in Europe this season, which are very impressive stats considering that players get less minutes in Europe.

Not only has he improved, but he’s also gained over 30 pounds in mass (from 185 to 218) and an inch in height (now 6’6” in shoes). Ukic’s size and LEADERSHIP abilities make him an intriguing prospect

and Babcock pleased every Raptors fan with this great selection.

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Someone asked why I thought Ukic was starter material, questioning his leadership abilities. Above all, unlike any other pg not selected top 5, his leadership abilities are precisely why I do not understand his not being selected by us.

W

[capstone21]

sigh

I am still disappointed we didn't take him. I couldn't believe he was avaliable at 31 and we passed on him.

[pathway23]

He skipped out on his workout with us. He has a contract buyout issue. Thats why. This guy might not even play in the NBA. What if that happened to us? If we drafted him it probably would happen to us. Didn't we draft Sabonis and he never even suited up for us? What about that?

A lot of GMs had a chance to get him and passed for some reason, maybe a legitimate reason?

[Guest Walter]

Ukic didn't work out for us because he thought he was going in the mid 1st. This MUST have angered the mighty volcano.

Similarly BK has rid this team of everything not drafted or signed by him. I just get the feeling that BK is easily slighted, long to forget, and many times this is at the team's expense. Nothing scientific here but they guy weirds me out with his sometimes missplaced intensity and when it hurts the team I get pissed.

W

[Admin]

First, for whatever reason, he wasnt there to workout for us on draft day like he was supposed to be. How many of you would hire a guy who didnt show up for his test and interview?

Second, he was passed up 40 other times and was selected by perhaps the worst GM in basketball.

I think that most of us were hoping for Ukic as an alternative in case we didnt get one of the big boys at the point, but it didnt work out. He may turn out to be a star and prove we should have picked him like when we passed up Tony Parker and traded Jamaal Tinsley......or he may end up proving every other GM in the league to be brilliant for passing him up, who knows.

Also, lets not forget that we got a pretty damn good player at 31. Stoudamire should end up at least being one of the best shooters in the league for the next decade and someone that can actually take the winning shot for us in the 4th, which is something we didnt have last year.

[Guest Walter]

You're worried about Ukic pulling a hammer 'n sickle Sabonis? The guy openly dreams of playing in the NBA and the red army is no more. Ukic's a competitor and practically had to be forced out of last year's draft by his agent. The guy is DEFINATELY coming to the NBA this or next year. What's a year when last year he grew an inch, put on 30 lbs, and became even more hungry?

Geeze.

W

[Guest Walter]

I'm telling ya'. After two years he will be a full-time, quality starter and Stoudamire will be a liability everywhere but behind the arc, including the locker room.

W

[Admin]

Walter? I have not read that anywhere. It may very well be the case, but I havent read that. Also, does that make it right or intelligent for him to blow us off, especially considering that we were highly rumored to be getting another mid 1st round pick? It doesnt speak very highly of him if that is indeed the reason why he blew us off.

[Guest Walter]

Agent errors like Gerald Greene not trying out should cost you 10 or so slots but Ukic as a 2nd rd pick (that's a BIG fall into non-guaranteed contracts) was not a risk or mistake no matter why he "snubs" your workout. I think it is most than likely he didn't see himself being draft either 2nd or 31st since he was projected to go15 slots from either pick. He was projected to go to Toronto at 16. I don't interview with a Physical Therapy clinic when it says it won't hire me or can't afford me, especially when several others say they will and can.

W

[ggp]

I have recently learned that a lot goes on behind the scenes. I am friendly with someone in the Raptors organization. He explained to me that they did not draft Channing Frye because his agent told them that Frye did not want to play for Toronto and would make things difficult if the Raptors drafted him. The Raptors did not want to go through another PR disaster like they had with Vince Carter. So, they took their #2 choice, Villanueva.

What I am saying is that it is possible that Ukic pulled the same sort of deal with Atlanta. Ukic has the talent and probably would have been a good choice for the Hawks, but in the long run not the best thing for the franchise.

As I read more about Salim Stoudamire, I am becoming convinced that he was a fantastic choice for us. He is an extremely tough player and I think that after a season or two, he will run the point very well. Comparisons to JT will surface, but I believe that Salim will succeed where JT failed.

[Yeti]

Or maybe there is something wrong with Ukic that the GMs knew and we don't. Why else would he fall so far? And maybe Billy knew too.

I hope one of the media asks Billy straight out.

[Diesel]

I read some other reports on Ukic....

I don't think he was all that. He had played against Weak competition and he was weak when it came to leading an offense...

[swolehawk2]

[beav]

"I'm telling ya'. After two years he will be a full-time, quality starter and Stoudamire will be a liability everywhere but behind the arc, including the locker room."

Uh yeah right. Have you ever even seen Ukic play? I always find it amusing whenever people make these sorts of statements particularly about guys that played thousands of miles away.

The Lithunian 7 footer was a consensus lottery pick in most mock drafts a month before the draft. He fell into the second round. By your logic he should be taking over the reins for shaq in a few years.

Pavel Pozkoldine (sp?) was a projected lottery pick and he fell to the end of the first for dallas.

Stoudamire gives the Hawks, talent, scoring, shooting and ballhandling, and some personality. Those are the sorts of things that fans might want to see.