2009 NBA Draft

[Glenn]

Man, I hope this guy plays better than he looks.

[Glenn]

Do any of you college ball fans think that Terrence Williams can play the 3 in the NBA? He looks great on film (don't they all) but I was really surprised to see that he's only listed at 6'6", he looks bigger.

[Hermy]

Yeah, he can, he's country strong.

[Higherwarrior]

glenn- IMO he definitely can. he's a bit like jefferson, with his size and game.

i LOVE the kid and hope we don't overlook him if he's there. he's a dynamite athlete who is a great finisher, very good defender, he's versatile (can play the 3, 2 and even some 1) and he's a very capable shooter from 3 land with even more potential at the pro level.

i love the kid. i believe he will be gone by #15 but if he's not, i'd have a hard time passing on him.

[Hermy]

I worry about his shot. A lot.

[Higherwarrior]

true. but i think the key thing is that he has nice form, elevation, and range on his jumper. IMO i think once he's in the pros and dedicates himself to taking tons of jumpers a day to improve since it's his fulltime JOB, he will definitely improve his consistency and outside shooting percentage. it's definitely a shot he can and does make, just not with the consistency you might want.

he is a guy who loves the game and works hard too, so i think that bodes well for his improvement in that area too.

like i said- the form is there just not the consistency. so that's a great thing IMO. it's not like he lacks the range or the form so repetition should see marked improvement.

[Glenn]

B.J. Mullens worked out for the Philadelphia 76ers (#17) on Sunday, and is scheduled to work out for Chicago (#16) on Tuesday. While many NBA teams we spoke with have picked up on the rumor that he may have a promise from Detroit at 15, things don’t really seem to add up here. If anything, the Pistons seem to be most interested in Earl Clark, and have reportedly told him as much, as have the Phoenix Suns, drafting 14th. On the other hand, Detroit continues to be very active in trade-talk, though, and could very well decide to move the pick, which would make all of this moot. Would Mullens really turn down his Green Room invite if he definitely knew he was going 15th? Clark on the other hand just passed up a workout with Chicago this week in order to be with his newborn baby, as he seems to be feeling very good about where’s currently at in this draft.

Source: DX
Lots of other good stuff here: http://www.draftexpress.com/article/...une-22nd-3276/

[Glenn]

Pistons ponder plenty of options

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Auburn Hills -- The NBA silly season, already under way, will kick into high gear this week.

The NBA Draft is Thursday, then July 1 teams can start courting and negotiating with free agents, though they can't sign any until July 7.

It's called the silly season because of the wild and incessant rumor mongering it spawns. The Pistons, because they have four draft picks, a roster in flux and more available salary cap space than most, are caught in the vortex of it all.

If you believe all the Internet reports, the Pistons have interest in just about every top-level free agent available and have made monetary promises to a few. If you believe Internet reports, the Pistons are trying to trade Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and their first-round draft pick (No. 15). If you believe Internet reports, the Pistons have made verbal promises to at least two players to take them at No. 15. If you believe Internet reports, the Pistons are looking to acquire another first-round draft pick, later in the first round.

None of the above is true.

Pistons president Joe Dumars said Saturday there was "no chance" he was looking to trade his first-round pick. Nor was he looking to trade for an additional first-round pick. No promises or guarantees have been made to anybody.

Dumars also said he was not looking to trade Hamilton or Prince, though, as he has stated numerous times since the end of last season, nobody is untouchable. If the right proposal came along, Dumars wouldn't hesitate to trade either player, or the No. 15 pick. The key distinction is, he's not shopping them. He's not actively searching for ways to trade those two players or his pick.

Clearly, though, the next few weeks are going to be critical for Dumars as he tries to rebuild the Pistons. The draft will be only a small part of the rebuilding plan. The major reconstruction will be done through free agency and trades.

The draft
Besides the 15th pick, the Pistons also have three second-round picks (35, 39, 44). Ideally, the Pistons would like to use two of those picks on players they can stash in Europe for a couple of years.

Overall, this is considered a weak draft by the consensus of scouts and general managers. After the No. 1 pick, Blake Griffin to the Clippers, there are no projected stars. But there are, at least to Dumars, a good crop of NBA-ready players.

As he told Pistons.com, "I think were in position to get a good player. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and we like the guys in the 10-to-15 range. These particular guys may not be guys you project as stars, but you can still project them as really good players.

"Our job is to continue to add talented players to the roster. Were going to be in position to do that at the 15th pick."

Through the work of vice president of basketball Scott Perry and director of player personnel George David, the Pistons have a list of about six or seven players they would consider should they fall to No. 15.

That list most likely includes (but is not limited to): Terrence Williams, 6-foot-6 shooting guard, Louisville; Earl Clark, 6-10 small forward, Louisville; Austin Daye, 6-11, small forward, Gonzaga; B.J. Mullens, 7-1 center, Ohio State; James Johnson, 6-8 power forward, Wake Forest; DeJuan Blair, 6-6 power forward, Pitt; and Ty Lawson, 6-1 point guard, North Carolina.

"We've targeted four or five guys we like and were hoping we can get one of these guys," Dumars told Pistons.com. "Whoever we get, we think, is going to upgrade our talent base."

[MoTown]

Question: what is the point of giving a kid a promise that they'll draft him if he's available? It seems like terrible business.

[Glenn]

Amongst other rationale (which someone smarter or more interested than I am can explain) it can prevent the player from working out for teams picking after you and possibly getting hurt. Which is why Mullens working out for Chicago (16) and Philly (17) throws a lot of doubt on this "promise".