College Player of the Year Jameer Nelson still available at 17, now 18

[DENIRO]

def at the pt guard position means fast hads for steals

quick, fast feet so you wont get blown by

height is overated as defensive liability at the pt guard position near the 3 pt area

wtf he is going to jump over you and dunk it from the 3 pt area

yes your right if they post him up in isolation but except maubury no guard has a good postup game

with the zone and help defence its no big thing

chauncy billups is 2 " taller- big deal

2" extra is important in the inside postup game and rebounding

and also on your d!ck for

 

[TheFunkMonkey]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DE NIRO:
your right hache

they should of drafted a no doubt, proven player like okafor

this is why tmac wants out. he wants to win now

howard? he might be good 3-4 years later

management is a joke<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Screw T-Mac...and Steve Francis...and all the cry-baby NBA players who are making $13 million/year but don't want to play for a bad team.

T-Mac forced Orlando's hand. He made it known that he didn't want to play in Orlando...so I don't blame Orlando for drafting Howard (and building for the future). Even if they drafted Okafor, there is no guarantee that T-Mac would want to stay in Orlando. Plus, why would Orlando want to keep T-Mac? Why not get rid of his bad attitude when his trade-value is maxed out?

Orlando's management is pretty good. They were one of the first teams to create massive amounts of cap-room (a strategy that is now copied by almost every non-playoff team). They used that cap-room to sign T-Mac and Grant Hill. You can't blame Orlando's management for not knowing that Hill was going to become a cripple.

 

[oldmanTED]

JMan:

The NBA draft nowadays never ceases to amaze me. The teams with poor management continue to make the same mistakes over and over each year. To watch a potential high schooler be drafted ahead of Okafor was ridiculous. Okafor's defensive ability and even inside offensive presence continues to improve and his character only helps his upside. Watching Nelson fall all the way to 20th is another mistake by the teams that passed on him. His ability to break down a defense on the dribble is outstanding. An excellent addition to a Denver squad that got Anthony last year, when Detroit passed him with the second pick. Simply amazing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know quality players. As much as there has been some success with the high schoolers, this crop was nothing special. They will develop in time and some will make an impact. But give me a proven, top notch college player who has played on the big stage anytime over an 18 year old. They are more likely to succeed and make an immediate impact. Garnett, Bryant, and James are the exception rather then the rule.

 

[WildBill]

Thanks for the clarification Deniro on where 2 inches matters!

It matters because it gives a huge edge to a passer when he can get a clear view, can post you up, can pass over the top of you, and can just take a shot over you without much fear of a block. Besides the whole point is the Magic need defenders and here they are just drafting/trading for offensive players. They obviously hope to just win 120-118 games next year.

 

[DENIRO]

wildman

im not saying your wrong

my pt is at the pt guard position like no other position, height isnt the huge nessesity(?)

thats why we dont see to many 7 ft pt guards

their strengths are to setup the team where quickness and speed is more valuable

 

[TheFunkMonkey]

Funny thing about Steve Francis.

When he was drafted (by the Grizzlies), he didn't want to play in Vancouver. So he forced the Grizzlies to trade him. He didn't want to move all the way to Vancouver, he didn't want to play for a bad franchise.

Hmmmmmm. Couple years later, the Grizzlies finished with a BETTER record than the Rockets...even though the Rockets got lucky and won the Yao Ming lottery.

Now Steve Francis doesn't want to play in Orlando. Once again, he doesn't want to play for a bad team.

Hmmmmmmmm. Why are so many good players worried about playing for bad teams? If they're so good, shouldn't they be able to improve their new franchise? Jason Kidd went to the Nets, he made them better. Kevin Garnett made the Twolves better. I guess Steve Francis doesn't think he can make a franchise better.

Plus, with free-agency, it doesn't take long for a bad team to re-tool their roster.

 

[lander]

So much for the nickname "The Franchise" ...

he sounds MUCH more like a "mailman" or a "glove"

 

[zxcvbnm]

Where did Jameer go? I was working and I missed the stinking

picks

 

[wilheim]

20. Denver: Jameer Nelson, PG, Saint Joseph's
Then traded by Denver to Orlando.


wil.

 

[oldmanTED]

Oops!

That's what happens when I try to watch the College World Series, Giants/Dodgers, and the NBA Draft all at once. Missed the Jameer Nelson trade. Now just think if Orlando had Okafor and Nelson. Now that would have been a successful draft. Nelson drives to the hoop but Howard's out of position and blocks his path. I can see it now.

 

[HacheMan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The Funk Monkey:

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Screw T-Mac...and Steve Francis...and all the cry-baby NBA players who are making $13 million/year but don't want to play for a bad team.

T-Mac forced Orlando's hand. He made it known that he didn't want to play in Orlando.. Plus, why would Orlando want to keep T-Mac? Why not get rid of his bad attitude when his trade-value is maxed out?

Orlando's management is pretty good. They were one of the first teams to create massive amounts of cap-room (a strategy that is now copied by almost every non-playoff team). They used that cap-room to sign T-Mac and Grant Hill. QUOTE]

I don't usually respond like this, but what in the world are you talking about? First of all, McGrady only said he wanted out if the team didn't try to get better now. He didn't force their hands, they had an option to get better now by taking Okafor and they didn't. Secondly, T~Mac doesn't have an attitude, he's probably one of the nicest guys in the league who's down to Earth.Third, it isn't even the same management that created enough cap space to land McGrady and Hill, But even if it was the same management, wasn't that great because even though they did land McGrady, they traded away Ben Wallace in exchange for a Grant Hill who probably knew all along his playing days were done with......

 

[TheFunkMonkey]

Friday, June 18, 2004
Updated: June 22, 12:26 PM ET
ESPN.com news services

The Orlando Magic lost one superstar eight years ago when Shaquille O'Neal left via free agency. Now they may trade away another one.

Tracy McGrady, who can become a free agent next year, informed the Magic on Friday that he does not want to re-sign with the club, league sources told the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Today.

In order to avoid losing McGrady without compensation, the Magic are expected to explore trade options. McGrady, who has led the NBA in scoring the past two seasons, should draw heavy interest.

 

[TheFunkMonkey]

From the same ESPN.com article:

(FYI, this article doesn't directly quote T-Mac concerning Okafor. However, I think T-Mac wanted to leave Orlando regardless of who the Magic drafted.)

Evidently, McGrady doesn't think the drafting of Okafor would provide immediate help.

"That's his opinion," Okafor said Friday.

Yet Okafor, a two-time national defensive player of the year, would immediately toughen up Orlando's play in the paint. The Magic finished last in almost every defensive statistic last season.

Okafor averaged almost 4.3 blocks per game in his three seasons at Connecticut, and his 411 career blocks rank seventh in NCAA history. He also averaged 10.6 rebounds.

The knock on Okafor is his offense, although it improved at Connecticut. His career average of 13.8 points has many wondering if his ceiling is limited.

"I'll try to help in as many ways as I can," Okafor said. "I'm not a big guy about talking, 'I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that.' I pretty much just show up and let my play do the talking, and come season time, everybody's questions will be answered, good or bad."

 

[TheFunkMonkey]

Anyway, we'll have to agree to disagree.

As for the management issue, we'll have to agree to disagree on that too. While the Magic did make some changes to their front-office, they still have the same owner (DeVos).

John Gabriel (GM since 1996) was replaced by John Weisbrod in 2004. But Weisbrod had been COO of RDV Sports since 2000, and John Gabriel still serves as a team advisor and scout.

Also, Pat Williams (Senior VP) is still with the team.

It isn't like the Magic were bought by a new owner who decided to fire the entire front-office and bring in a new staff.

 

[max1234]

Of the 58 players drafted yesterday, only 37 had any college experience.... that doesn't make the odds of a college BB player playing the in the NBA seem very high, does it.