KC,
Ranking my team in your bottom 5 is upsetting, but I kindve expected it considering the kindve flack my first round pick got (Paul) and my Vin Baker pick in the fourth round was hated on by every Celtic fan in this forum.
Firstly - let me defend my Chris Paul selection. I think many of you are downplaying him because of where he got selected and who he got selected over (namely Stock)...regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the
value of this pick - you have to appreciate what Chris brings to the table...an elite player who can carry a team on his back. There is no doubting that, regardless of who he was picked ahead of.
As far as being picked ahead of Stock and company...I had a tough time deciding who to pick with the 11th overall selection, and really weighed all the pros and cons and eventually decided Chris Paul was the best way to go. I think I explained my pick pretty well in my
initial post...but then the issue arised of whether it was smart to take an unproven young player with limited experience. That issue itself can be debated on forever - but I think theres an exception to every rule...and Paul definitly fits the bill here. You cannot compare him to guys like Bynum, Wade, Horford or even Deron Williams (even though DWill and Paul get compared regularly in todays game). The reason for this is because Paul is a very different player - and elevated the level of his (as well as the rest of his teams level of play) like not many in NBA history have done before. Hes not some guy who just had a great season - he had a historic season!...which he steadily built up through his previous seasons. He put up numbers in only his third season (which he had steadily increased every year btw) that were only comparable to Magic Johnson. Thats right - not even Stock had a season quite like Pauls....but then the question arises...
Quote:
"How do you know he can maintain this level of play"..."So many players have reached All Star status to only fall off the face of the planet, it could happen to Paul too"....
Wrong. Paul imo is an
exception to this whole idea. What do u guys really think the chances are of Paul seeing any kindve major decline in production? Dont compare him to Wade (who btw is not washed up by any means)...Wade didnt even have a season close to Pauls. Chris Paul is (gulp) on the same level as a LBJ imo...I guess one more stellar year should help silence all the critics...4 years in the league should do - amirite? Is being a retired player THAT big of an advantage according to everyones eyes???
As far as Vin Baker goes - as stated in my
initial post, I expect very solid production out of him in a limited amount of time. When I say very solid - I mean All NBA Team-type solid. Considering I took him in the 4th round - I thougth I got decent value for him...tbh - after Brad Miller got picked a few picks earlier - I was scrambling for a big man, and wound up picking Vin. Hes not all the different from other guys picked earlier like (Vlade comes to mind) - who also had a small window of prime play.
As for the rest of my team - I felt very good about the rest of my picks. Terry Cummings imo was of very good value. RIP is solid and a very good pairing with Paul imo (giving opposing defenses heart attacks just trying to keep up with these two cardio machines). Theo was great value - and I was surprised he lasted to the 5th round (171st pick)...ditto for sharpshooter Chuck Person in the 6th round.
Anyway - to be mentioned in the same breath as the other teams in the bottom 5 is absurd imo...I see you retracted that statement eventually - but I still dont get it. My team may not be the best offensive team, nor the best defensive team - but I strongly feel there is a very good balance there, and should be considered AT LEAST in the top half.
Yes, I felt this was necessary.
Last edited by Shark Doctor; 06-23-2008 at 12:59 AM.