The #1 pick in the lottery

[WTF]

Ben McLemore didn't look to me like a player who can put a team on his back; Trey Burke just did for all the world to see. McLemore is projected to go #1 in this years draft (inspite of the absence of supporting evidence; athleticism alone doesn't justify #1), while Burke naysayers have him projected to go mid to late first round because of his height....when he stands up on that jump shot he's 8' tall.

Oracle, has finally put his stamp of approval on Burke, so who's not on the bandwagon and why? He's stated that Calderon is made obsolete for us, and BK7 should be relagated to the 6th man role with Burke on the team; it makes sense for Dumars to go after Tony Allen or O.J. Mayo in free agency (I wouldn't let Stuckey come into the slightest contact with Burke) to replace Stuckey, who I would be trying to parlay into a mid to late 1st round pick. With our pick, I'm taking Trey Burke to play with Andre Drummond; those two would be the cornerstone on which Joe should build this team on.

He put three freshmen on his back defeating a group of SR's and JR's surrounding McLemore. OUTSTANDING!

[deusXango]

If McGary declared for the draft, he would be taken by Minnesota in the 1st round; the Timberwolves could build a solid contender around this kid with what they can get for Kevin Love.

I wonder if Fly Dog is rooting for the Gulf Coast, who's playing their asses off, or a Michigan team?

[Oracle]

Ben McLemore didn't look to me like a player who can put a team on his back; Trey Burke just did for all the world to see. McLemore is projected to go #1 in this years draft (inspite of the absence of supporting evidence; athleticism alone doesn't justify #1), while Burke naysayers have him projected to go mid to late first round because of his height....when he stands up on that jump shot he's 8' tall.

Oracle, has finally put his stamp of approval on Burke, so who's not on the bandwagon and why? He's stated that Calderon is made obsolete for us, and BK7 should be relagated to the 6th man role with Burke on the team; it makes sense for Dumars to go after Tony Allen or O.J. Mayo in free agency (I wouldn't let Stuckey come into the slightest contact with Burke) to replace Stuckey, who I would be trying to parlay into a mid to late 1st round pick. With our pick, I'm taking Trey Burke to play with Andre Drummond; those two would be the cornerstone on which Joe should build this team on.

DX, I thought Mc Lemore had a good game, but no, he didn't put them on his back, and you really have to be able to do that to be a real #1 overall pick, IMO!

I also agree with Joe going after Mayo or Allen, but overall, I do lean more toward Allen because he's an alpha dog defensively, who brings just enough offense to make him very valuable.

I'm sick of the Frank defensive talk, I want to make that a reality, and if you have Burke & Drummond with guys like Allen, Burke's height won't be a problem at all, and IMO, he's defensively much better than I thought at his size, he's pesky!

I can't tell you how high I am on Burke right now, especially because I can see how having a dynamic PG could make even Frank look decent, and unleash the offensive fire power of this team! BK7 is very good, but he's just not Burke good, so he has a place on the team, but it's 6th man and/or 2nd team PG!

Now if only we can get State into the 8's!

[Oracle]

So far?

1. Michigan sends Dorthy back to Kansas!
2. The Pistons lay another TURD and lose... lottery position improves!
2. State wins... TBD!

So far 2/3 and working on 3!

[Phil-Good]

Thanks Oracle. Now I have to go and watch the Matrix... All 3 because of you! It's too great of A movie to watch 1 small clip and then go to bed. I can't do it..

Well I need to get started.

P.S. Andre Drummonds... WOW! Good to see you back my main man! What A player this kid is. WOW!

[WTF]

Boy will I love being at the gym today. Often I quietly sit and listen to the countless MSU Fans down play everything about U of M teams when they encounter some success. Strangely in their minds Appling was better than Burke, or it was always some predicted doom like they would lose to VCU, or they just flat out couldn't beat KU. Today they will all be quiet and so will the handful of Wolverine Fans that sit and listen to them all year long bashing U of M. So let me go put my M cap on and my fading U of M T-Shirt like I normally do and head to the gym to enjoy the silence.

Flipping the Channels: Of course I switch the channel and of course Pistons were getting their asses handed to them at home. I know it was only one game and Drummond seem to pick up from where he left off, but I didn't get a hint of Monroe being the right fit playing next to Drummond.

Speaking of Monroe, that's where I'll be heading to later on this evening (Monroe's Steakhouse) before heading to a nice Jazz concert tonight at the Fox. Enjoy your Easter weekend!!!!!

[cool breeze]

I am still worried that Jason Maxiell will get a new contract and command a lot of playing time next season. Cody Zeller has dropped down past the 5 spot in NBADRAFTNET'S board. They have Detroit taking Bennett from UNLV which would be a horrible thing for the Pistons. I am not sold on the current big men on Detroit's roster and believe that if Dumars doesn't pick Burke with the first pick than he better grab Cody Zeller. He is the best of the Zeller's and will fill out well by the time he is 22 years old. This player is athletic and could cover a lot of area on defense. He is a smart player and has the fundamentals down. You just can't have enough good big men. Zeller would fit in well with this group of young Pistons. However, if I were Joe, I couldn't pass on Burke. But please no Bennett or any of the shooting guards in this draft.

[Oracle]

I am still worried that Jason Maxiell will get a new contract and command a lot of playing time next season. Cody Zeller has dropped down past the 5 spot in NBADRAFTNET'S board. They have Detroit taking Bennett from UNLV which would be a horrible thing for the Pistons. I am not sold on the current big men on Detroit's roster and believe that if Dumars doesn't pick Burke with the first pick than he better grab Cody Zeller. He is the best of the Zeller's and will fill out well by the time he is 22 years old. This player is athletic and could cover a lot of area on defense. He is a smart player and has the fundamentals down. You just can't have enough good big men. Zeller would fit in well with this group of young Pistons. However, if I were Joe, I couldn't pass on Burke. But please no Bennett or any of the shooting guards in this draft.

Don, I totally agree, Cody Zeller is the absolute best of the Zeller family, and is going to help anyone he goes to!

IMO, if forced to choose, I'd pick him over Slava although I also think Slava has a good future, but Cody is probably a lot more ready to fit in!

But if Burke is there, there is no way you pass on a kid that has his level of PG talent, especially when it's such a missing piece here.

However, a fallout of getting Burke would be that we could let JC walk and that would free us up to get another big in other ways!

If Joe blows this, it will be the biggest screwup in Pistons history! Massive amounts of cash, a great pick, and fodder that can be offloaded for better players or at a minimum some future picks!

Let's face it, Joe has an embarrassement of riches!!!

It's a GM's dream position!!!

[Oracle]

"KU led by 14 with fewer than 7 minutes left, by 10 with fewer than 3 minutes left and by eight with 82 seconds left. Kansas was one of the best defensive teams in the country. Good defensive teams shouldn’t fold like this.

Losing those leads was not all Johnson’s fault, obviously. He is a guard on a team that got outrebounded by a smaller opponent. Michigan made 49 percent of its shots against Kansas.[/u] Only two teams have done better all year." - [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[merc]

Wise you can take pride in that all 3 of the major mocks have Burke creeping up to the top 10 in the draft (likely better after this weekend)... did a quick search on him and found that he has a 6' 5" wingspan... this would put him on par with most 6' 2" PGs... I'm curious to see how he does in the combines for athleticism.

[WTF]

It so nice to see that the Burke Wagon is starting to over-flow these days. What he showed you all in him last night has always been there from the first time he laced up in Ann Arbor. For 2 whole seasons I watched this kid every single he played in and not once was I ever not sold on him.

There's no guarantees at the next level, but there's no denying he has special written all over him and well worth being #1 pick this summer. Burke is Zeke special, MJ special, Kobe special, Lebron special you just see that something special in him when he plays.

Mclemore: Is a talent and this kid could be special as well, think he needs another college season before jumping to the pros much in the way Burke decided to stay last year and how Knight should have stayed. I understand why he wants in and I can't blame him one bit. If he goes to the wrong team it won't be good.

Zeller: Would be a good choice if Burkes not there and I wouldn't sigh away from taking Hardway if he there in the second. .

[Oracle]

Michael Carter-Williams!

This kid can create his own shot, has great size for a PG at 6'6, and while he's not the decision maker that Burke is, he's very good at it!

[deusXango]

Zeller's stock is dropping and Burke's is rising; does anyone really think that we won't get a #1-5 pick in the draft?
If U of M wins it all, do you realize that the last Big 10 team to win a championship led by it's PG was Indiana with Isiah Thomas? At this point (knowing the Pistons real needs) I'd take Burke over anyone in the draft, drafting from #1-5. I ain't pretending to be high on this kid, I am!!!

Wise, I'm with you on believing McLemore would be better served going back to Kansas for his sophomore year. I haven't seen enough of Slava to write him off in favor of Zeller but, I have seen enough of Zeller to have my doubts about his worth on the next level.

[deusXango]

Michael Carter-Williams!

This kid can create his own shot, has great size for a PG at 6'6, and while he's not the decision maker that Burke is, he's very good at it!

Oracle, the most promising PG with that size (an excellent passer, with court vision out of this world) was Shaun Livingston; I worry about MCW playing with the big boys, and there are some guards who are strong as bulls, and play reckless and out of control, who would/could hurt him badly. There's no denying the talent is there.

[Oracle]

Michael Carter-Williams!

This kid can create his own shot, has great size for a PG at 6'6, and while he's not the decision maker that Burke is, he's very good at it!

Oracle, the most promising PG with that size (an excellent passer, with court vision out of this world) was Shaun Livingston; I worry about MCW playing with the big boys, and there are some guards who are strong as bulls, and play reckless and out of control, who would/could hurt him badly. There's no denying the talent is there.

Shaun Livingston? WTF, that brings back some UGLY memories when his knee got taken out! I cringe just hearing his name! It's just as bad as watching those old Joe Thiesman knee breaking video... Ouch!!!

Please don't put that HEX on the kid, LOL!

I wouldn't worry or even think about that, after Burke, he's the 2nd PG I would pick!

This years draft isn't as bad as it first looked, the difference this year is that the better players haven't been revealed until the tournament, and the ones most thought were really good have been shown to be just ok!

Ok, now Ohio State needs to be the 1st Big 10 team in the final 4!

[Sparma]

Unbelievable win by Michigan and Burke.

Florida's going to provide a tough challenge for Burke though. On D, they're big, fast, strong, quick, and hard-working. Everything Frank wishes the Piston defenders would be!

[Oracle]

You know that joe LOVES big guards!

I wouldn't put it past him to pull a shocker if a big man isn't there he likes!

I still say Burke is the right choice there, but you can't go far wrong with Michael Carter-Williams!

[Oracle]

I actually liked what I saw!

I can see how they would switch up some games. In the Toronto game, Drummond was scoring, blocking shots, getting steals, but he wasn't rebounding much.

While he wasn't rebounding, Monroe was! I can easily see games where Monroe will do the scoring and Drummond would gobble up all of the boards!

This could work, we really need to give them time!

[Oracle]

[Oracle]

As much as I like Jose, IMO, we need to move on! With two STELLAR guards to choose from in this draft, one of them will be available when we pick, and PG is a definite need for us going forward.

In addition, really good to great PG's & Centers can have near immediate impact if the system is simplified for them initially!

Also, I think it's no mistake that one name gets mentioned before another! Defense is so important on the perimeter that it may override other factors if almost everything else is about equal.

"The Pistons want him back now, but what happens if the Pistons draft a point guard like Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams or Michigan's Trey Burke?

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank is a fan, but what if he isn't retained after the season? A new coach could want a stronger defensive presence at the point guard spot." - [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

[WTF]

WOW! I really didn't see this one coming but it's up to the Wolverines now to get at least one Big Ten team into the Final Four. I seriously felt tha is was possible that we could gave had an all Big Ten Final Four ot the start of the Sweet 16 Buckeyes, Spartans and Hoosiers have all went down. Only the Wolverines remain to carry the torch of what was considered the strongest conference this season now. GO BLUE! represent.

DX, some of these things are eerie at times when you think about them. You think of Zeke being the time a Big Ten lead a team to a championship, Burke numbers being comparable to Magic's numbers when he led the Spartans. I would love to see the Wolverines win it all for various, as a Michigan Fan nothing has been more heart-breaking about the Michigan Basketabll Program in what the school inflicted upon themselve in pulling those Banners down from what the Fab Five accomplished. This group isn't nearly as talented but also has eerie simalarities to those Fab Five teams, it would somehow erase all that heartache if they win it all.

Oracle, I think Carter-Williams size at PG is exceptional, he's not as polished as Burke but he looks over the top of defenses, defends well and don't make a ton of mistakes. Both he and Burke should be obvious choices for us and we should drop any notion of resigning Calderon and put that Cap Money towards a proven SG or SF via trade or FA.

[WTF]

Glenn Robinson III -- We've been high on "Lil Big Dog" all season, keeping him as a late lottery pick despite lukewarm feedback from NBA scouts. He struggled with consistency and scoring in the second half of the year but exploded in the first weekend of the tourney with two outstanding performances. He averaged 17.5 points shooting a combined 15-of-19 from the floor in the two games, and adding 7.5 rebounds. In a draft without many sure bets, Robinson could grab a late lotto pick based on his potential. It would obviously be a benefit to his skillset to return, but with such a weak crop of talent, he stands a good chance to challenge for a lottery spot. - NBADraft

Really! Is NBADraft.net comprised of competent sportswriters or casual fans? I love Robinsons III potential but at one point before the season even started good they had Robinson III as a Top 5 pick really F@CKING INSANE! Obviously Robinson III needs to stay in school he's not NBA ready nor is most of the guys they're projecting as lottery picks. The nerve of these clowns to think they know more than these NBA Scouts do, but dumbass organization tend to follow the trands of the Hype Machines from the likes of NBADraft.net and ESPN Spin Machine.

The Draft Class isn't weak, it's just that all of the players they got hyped isn't living up to it. Not strange at all considering they're hyping freshmen every year because in their crazy confused minds they keep looking for the next Melo or Rose. NBA Teams need to just do there homework, stop listening to the spin machince and make intelligent choices. I've seen some great talent out there playing in the tourney and I don't see a draft class that's weak.

[WTF]

Detroit Pistons, head coach Lawrence Frank, have painted their futures into tentative corners - Mlive

It's probably the one of few articles I've read that speaks honestly about the organization as a whole and the teams slide into the abyss since 2004 without offering up all the tight details. I recognize that we have a young core that has the potential for becoming "Good", not "Great" and that it's a great place to start.

I like Mayo comment on this thing looking like the start of an expansion team more than a rebuilding process because as I've stated in previous posting that 80% of this roster stinks to "High Heavens" and the way Joe has handle things during the slide was never really a rebuilding just sold as one. After reading this article it seems as if both Joe and Lil Larry will be here next season unless Gore finds viable replacement immediately at seasons end. But based on his comments in previous interviews he's somewhat delusional about this thing, but how can one be blinded about empty seats and a losing record. He has to to at least see that much.

Lil Larry best have a 20-4 record to start next season oppose the 4-20 he has had the past 2 season and more importantly Joe better pull off the best draft and FA Signing since CB, and the best trade he's made since Rip not only to give team a better roster, but players that will put fans in the seats.

[WTF]

Just Keep Doing What They've Been Doing and Final Four here we come. Would love to see Hardaway Jr get on track in the 2nd half. Just keep playing smart!

[Oracle]

"Oracle, I think Carter-Williams size at PG is exceptional, he's not as polished as Burke but he looks over the top of defenses, defends well and don't make a ton of mistakes. Both he and Burke should be obvious choices for us and we should drop any notion of resigning Calderon and put that Cap Money towards a proven SG or SF via trade or FA." - Wise

"The Draft Class isn't weak, it's just that all of the players they got hyped isn't living up to it. Not strange at all considering they're hyping freshmen every year because in their crazy confused minds they keep looking for the next Melo or Rose. NBA Teams need to just do there homework, stop listening to the spin machince and make intelligent choices. I've seen some great talent out there playing in the tourney and I don't see a draft class that's weak." - Wise

You're on fire today!!!

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