2013 CB Draft : Draft Thread : VOTING ENDS 8:00PM EST TONIGHT

[rondoallaturca]

That's interesting. Kyrie Irving, terrible defender. Alledgedly a big reason why Byron Scott got fired.

But Gordon used to have a rep as a potential perennial stopper. Even last season (http://www.82games.com/1213/12NOH6.HTM#bypos) his opposing assignment had a PER below average (12., and Id say his biggest knock since leaving LA in the CP3 trade has been his effort level. Everything we're reading this offseason seems to indicate that he's at least appearing to be done pouting.

Hmm, the PER stat is definitely interesting considering his DRTG, Synergy ranking, and every other defensive metric rates Gordon as a very bad defensive player. Furthermore, having been pretty exposed to the Clippers being in SoCal (and suffering through the years where Mardy Collins was one of the Clippers' best players), I have never heard of Gordon being deemed a perennial stopper. Everyone was getting hyped about his scoring potential, but defense? Not so much...

[indeedproceed]

That's interesting. Kyrie Irving, terrible defender. Alledgedly a big reason why Byron Scott got fired.

But Gordon used to have a rep as a potential perennial stopper. Even last season (http://www.82games.com/1213/12NOH6.HTM#bypos) his opposing assignment had a PER below average (12., and Id say his biggest knock since leaving LA in the CP3 trade has been his effort level. Everything we're reading this offseason seems to indicate that he's at least appearing to be done pouting.

Hmm, the PER stat is definitely interesting considering his DRTG, Synergy ranking, and every other defensive metric rates Gordon as a very bad defensive player. Furthermore, having been pretty exposed to the Clippers being in SoCal (and suffering through the years where Mardy Collins was one of the Clippers' best players), I have never heard of Gordon being deemed a perennial stopper. Everyone was getting hyped about his scoring potential, but defense? Not so much...

Well in 10' and 11' his points allowed per possession (against opposing 2s) was among the league's best.

Then he got traded and injured and..well you know the story.

[nickagneta]

TRADE

Washington sends: 5.1 and 9.1
Milwaukee sends: 5.12 and 7.12

[indeedproceed]

From Jan 2012

I'm more excited by Eric Gordon, the defender, than I am by Eric Gordon, the scorer. This was, a year ago, a chillingly strong individual defensive player on the perimeter.

Gordon's strongest aspect of isolation defense was his hands. Opponents turned the ball over to Gordon on almost 25% of the 97 instances that he was isolated defensively. Gordon's a gambler in this sense, but in a very different fashion than we've been accustomed to. Where Chris Paul gambled for steals at the expense of penetration, Eric Gordon very rarely swiped unless he was completely set in front of an offensive player and able to react laterally if he missed. His gambling came more in the form of personal fouls; while his overall foul count (2.3 pf/36 minutes) was tiny, the majority of his more egregious fouls came in this setting. Ultimately, Gordon's rate of a foul and a half per steal was a tradeoff worth making, even if it's worth keeping an eye on in late shot clock situations going forward.

As with everything defensive, it all starts with foot speed, evident here against the Suns' Steve Nash.



He shifts Nash towards one side, presumably the one from which help is scheduled to arrive, but even when it doesn't, he's easily able to keep Nash away from the rim.

Follow that up with one my favorite defensive sequences by any player ever:



When he was healthy last season, Gordon routinely matched up against the best opposing perimeter players - Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Martin, Monta Ellis, and so forth. Gordon was as close to becoming a lockdown, first choice perimeter defender last season as he was a top-level scoring option. In isolation situations, opponents shot 15 for 60 (25%) and in spot-up scenarios, they shot 47-161 (29%).

And that's what makes the 2012-2014 New Orleans Hornets so [dang] intriguing defensively if they can land a game changing big in the draft. In Gordon and Trevor Ariza, the Hornets potentially have two lock-down perimeter defenders in the starting lineup. If they can pair Emeka Okafor with a strong defensive presence this summer? That currently impossible looking jump to +6 suddenly becomes a lot more realistic. Jarrett Jack, sizable enough to be switched off regularly, can easily be hidden in the presence of two elite isolation defenders.

Eric Gordon the defender is equally as valuable as Eric Gordon the scorer; for players seeking max deals coming off rookie contracts, it's a rare trait.

There are some YouTube clips embedded in there I missed, but you get the point.

[rondoallaturca]

TRADE

Washington sends: 5.1 and 9.1
Milwaukee sends: 5.12 and 7.12

What is with teams not responding to the Lakers' PMs...

[riah32]

Thoughts on Portland:

Melo, Deng, Joe Johnson, Bynum

[indeedproceed]

Thoughts on Portland:

Melo, Deng, Joe Johnson, Bynum

I like it. Kinda. Not Bynum, and that'll probably hold you back significantly, but Joe Johnson/Luol Deng/Melo is a 2/3/4 to be just frightened of. There really isn't another way to say it.

[Roy H.]

Not seeing the defensive question marks you are, at least from my POV.

To be fair, I only attributed bad defense to the Kyrie/Gordon/Pau core. Even at his age (and his injury woes last season), Pau remains a pretty reliable defender at his position. However, Kyrie and Gordon? I'm not even sure there's a debate there...

That's interesting. Kyrie Irving, terrible defender. Alledgedly a big reason why Byron Scott got fired.

But Gordon used to have a rep as a potential perennial stopper. Even last season (http://www.82games.com/1213/12NOH6.HTM#bypos) his opposing assignment had a PER below average (12., and Id say his biggest knock since leaving LA in the CP3 trade has been his effort level. Everything we're reading this offseason seems to indicate that he's at least appearing to be done pouting.

Are you conceding Kyrie is a terrible defender?

I think you're selling your own guy short.  His synergy numbers put him in the top-third of all defenders.  He had an excellent defensive reputation in high school and college.

It's hard to blame either Irving or Scott for that defense not being better, at least after Varejao went down.  Kyrie's defense would look a lot better if he had any interior or wing help at all.

[sofutomygaha]

I'll take Tyreke Evans with my overdue 4th round selection. I think he's pretty clearly the best value available, and might have been a justifiable selection at 4.10 anyway.

Big props on the late round selections of Eric Gordon, Anderson Varejao, and Andrew Bogut. Those are huge upside picks that I had flagged as targets for this round. If you get a healthy season out of one of those players, it's a humungous value.

My sincere apologies to you guys I see who offered the trade-down. I am traveling and had to make a last-minute change of plans to a venue with no internet for miles. I wish I could have taken you up on it, but at least you got a 1-slot advantage in compensation =)

[fitzhickey]

I'll take Tyreke Evans with my overdue 4th round selection. I think he's pretty clearly the best value available, and might have been a justifiable selection at 4.10 anyway.

Big props on the late round selections of Eric Gordon, Anderson Varejao, and Andrew Bogut. Those are huge upside picks that I had flagged as targets for this round. If you get a healthy season out of one of those players, it's a humungous value.

My sincere apologies to you guys I see who offered the trade-down. I am traveling and had to make a last-minute change of plans to a venue with no internet for miles. I wish I could have taken you up on it, but at least you got a 1-slot advantage in compensation =)

Good pick
Good value for the end of 4th round

[McHales Pits]

Thoughts on Portland:

Melo, Deng, Joe Johnson, Bynum

It is an interesting - and tall - lineup. My only worry is that all of these guys are primary or secondary scorers on their respective teams and there are only so many shots to go around.

Luckily convincing fake Joe Johnson to camp at the 3 pt line, fake Andrew Bynum to crash the glass, fake Luol Deng to settle for the third banana role, and fake Carmelo to take less shots and use his passing skills from the elbow/high post to get his teammates involved shouldn't be too hard.

Defensively I think this team is a little porous. Deng is a great defender and Bynum - when healthy - can really alter some shots and is a good defensive rebounder.

[McHales Pits]

Some of my favorite teams so far (in no particular order)

Chicago: Aldridge/Chandler/Holiday/D. Green
Skills of these players complement each other very well

Cleveland: Lawson/T. Allen/Garnett/Horford
Sick defensive/passing frontcourt with sparkplug PG

Milwaukee: Conley/Redick/R. Anderson/P. George
So much shooting and I love it!

Orlando: Kobe/G. Hill/Millsap/Asik
Good complementary players to Kobe

Lakers: Calderon/W. Matthews/Nowitzki/Gasol
Seriously, Calderon/Dirk/Gasol needs to happen IRL

Clippers: Rose/Griffin/Vucevic/Afflalo
Nikola and Arron were great picks to complement the two stars

Phoenix: Teague/D. West/J. Butler/Duncan
Love the Duncan/West combo so much

[Rondo2287]

I can taste the disrespect.

[McHales Pits]

I can taste the disrespect.

Obviously, KD and Williams is a great start...

But I think even you would admit that you have more team building to do, correct?

[Rondo2287]

I can taste the disrespect.

Obviously, KD and Williams is a great start...

But I think even you would admit that you have more team building to do, correct?

Nope, In a strange reversal on conventional wisdom im going to stand pat with two players.