And With the 20th Pick the Denver Nuggets Select...
by Jeremy on Jun 19, 2008 11:44 AM MDT
6 comments
As part of the previously mentioned blogger mock draft hosted by Ridiculous Upside my selection for the Nuggets 20th pick is up. You will have to head over there to see the who the lucky player is, but I will say if you told me a week ago that this was the player I was going to draft, I probably would have just shook my head and chuckled thinking you to be a knucklehead.
In other draft related news I just saw a rumor reported by Chad Ford on ESPN.com that he referred to as the “hottest rumor of the day” involving a trade between the Nuggets and Grizzlies.
The deal would be Linas Kleiza and the 20th pick to the Grizzlies in exchange for Kyle Lowry and the Grizzlies 28th pick. If you ask me Kleiza is a more established NBA player and has more value than Lowry, so why would
Draft Express is reporting the same rumor although they do not mention Kleiza.
Lowry is a decent point guard, but he is not a good shooter (under 26% from downtown). His strength is that he is powerfully built and does a good job of getting in the lane and finishing. I know the Nuggets have been rumored to be interested in him in the past, but I just do not think that would be a good deal.
Even though I already made my draft pick if I can continue pretending I was the Nuggets GM, I would ask for Javaris Crittenton instead of Lowry. Obviously Crittenton is less established than Lowry, but he is much more talented. He can play at a fast pace, and has great size for a point guard. A backcourt of the future with Crittenton and J.R. Smith would be mouth watering.
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Lowry
I LOVE Lowry. I’m a huge fan of his game. Good floor vision and would step in and immediately become the best defender on the roster. His shooting could use a little work, but it’s not like he’s Dre out there. If the 20 for Lowry & 28 is true, done. Do it, don’t even think twice because Lowry’s better than any PGs we’ll have available at 20. Obviously the Kleiza rumor is a really bad joke. I hope. I pray.
I’ve heard a few people talk highly of Crittenton and I just don’t get it. There has to be more than his size that has you enthused Jeremy, right? I know you’re worried about Lowry’s shooting, but his adjusted FG% is 46.3% (JC’s is 42.5%) and his points per shot is 1.34 (JC’s is 1.14). Just for comparison sake, only two Nugs had higher points per shot numbers last year—AI & Steven Hunter. Two more had the same pps number as Lowry (Melo and LK).
The artist formerly known as Nuggets4.
by JLucas4092 on Jun 19, 2008 1:32 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Crittenton
When I look at Crittenton I am enthused by much more than his size. I think he sees the floor very well and is a pretty good decision maker. His shooting percentages are not impressive right now, but I believe he has good mechanics and will become a good shooter. Add in his size and he is a good finisher in the lane and is also a good rebounder.
Right now Lowry is clearly the better player, but I really think Lowry is already near his ceiling, though it is a nice ceiling as he is definitely a solid NBA starting point guard. The difference is in a couple of years I think Crittenton could be an amazing player. Of course I could be wrong and he may be a bust, but sliding from pick 20 to pick 28 is a small price to pay to find out.
I trust your views on Lowry and I will pop in some Nuggets/Grizzlies video and see if I am missing something. It is clear the Nuggets are interested in him as this is not the first time his name has come up in trade rumors.
After all the discussion, which has been great, I do not see this deal going anywhere as reported because Denver will not include Kleiza and I doubt Memphis will give up Lowry or Crittenton to move up eight spots that low in the first round. There has to be something missing from the reports if this deal is really a live one.
by Jeremy on Jun 19, 2008 3:55 PM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lowry's Ceiling
I think the big thing is do you consider last season or his rookie year the norm? I know he didn’t play nearly as minutes his rookie year, but last season the rotation in Memphis was pretty screwy. If you look at his rookie year stats, his rebound rate was over 10. That’s incredible for a PG, let alone a 6’0” PG. Combine that with a 25% assist rate and a 10% turnover rate, and I think it’s a pretty solid move, especially compared to Crittenton’s 13% assist and 14% turnover rates.
I think the big difference between Lowry and Crittenton is their roles. IMO, I see Crittenton as more of a scoring point. Not a Steve Francis type where it’s detrimental, but someone who doesn’t always look to run the offense. Lowry, IMO, is more of a traditional point. I think for the Nugs, the traditional point is the way to go—especially if JR is the shooting guard of the future.
Plus, I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been impressed with Crittenton. I only saw him play 4-5 times in college and 3-4 times in the pros, but none of the times did he stand out. He just seems, to me, to be one of those players that has tons of potential and never reaches it.
The artist formerly known as Nuggets4.
by JLucas4092 on Jun 20, 2008 8:26 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
Re: Lowry's Ceiling
I really consider last season to be Lowry’s rookie year as little as he played the season before. I am just not sure what area he can really improve on. Perhaps he can grow to be a good shooter, but it is not as easy as it seems.
I admit that Lowry is more of a pure point than Crittenton, but I like Crittenton’s ability to see the floor and make decisions. Crittenton is certainly more of a risk than Lowry would be, but I believe even if Crittenton never reaches his potential he is still likely to reach Lowry’s level.
by Jeremy on Jun 20, 2008 10:25 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
what about
jarret jack and the 33th with cash consideration for linas?
Oden...Aldridge...Roy.....THE REAL BIG THREE
Watch my brandon roy vid http://youtube.com/watch?v=RC3Byp4ID1E
by CroRupt on Jun 19, 2008 10:22 PM MDT reply actions 0 recs
Re: Jarret Jack
I am not one of the bigger fans of Kleiza, but I would not do that deal. I believe Jack is in the bottom tier of starting point guards. He still makes curious decisions with the ball and he just does not seem to have improved much since he entered the league.
It would be interesting though to see those two traded for each other again (if you do not recall the Nuggets acquired Kleiza and the “Nikoloz Tskitishvili of the second round” Ricky Sanchez for Jack on draft night). I doubt two players have ever been traded between teams twice.
by Jeremy on Jun 20, 2008 10:16 AM MDT up reply actions 0 recs
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