All aboard the Alex Len bandwagon.

[koolkatluke]

5. Reasons why he would be a good pick for us.

 

 

1. You can't teach 7'1 255lb with post game and athletic.

 

2. How do the small market teams compete that don't get lucky in the draft? They have a threat at the 5 position.

EXP.

The Pacers

The Grizzles

 

3. We've made the dumb mistake before in not taking a young developmental post player that was 7'0 feet tall.

Brooke Lopez anyone??

 

4. We are in position to take a risk in this draft without a sure fire star. I'd rather take that risk on SIZE!!

 

5. He is a better prospect then people understand. If UM had anybody playing PG this year. Len would be either the 1st or 2nd pick in this draft.

[TheMaulClaw]

I agree, I think this is a no brainer if he's there.   He would be great to run on pick and rolls for us.  Plus we need size.  Seems like we draft nothing but tweeners.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

I'm a big fan of Len's and I even created a thread to detail his success as the NCAA season progressed (it was a few months back).

 

I really like Len because he is the premier post player in this draft (in my opinion) as he showed when he put on a dominant performance to the tune of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks against one of the NCAA's best post defenders in Nerlens Noel. I also think that Len possesses an above average defensive game that he does not get credit for, after all Len recorded at least one block in all but four games this past year; including nine games where he had three blocks or more. Charlotte could really use a player like Len because they haven't had a player that really was a post presence since Okafor.

 

However, there are a few things that concern me about Len...

 

1) Stress Fracture Injury: Alex is recovering from a successful surgery on his ankle to repair and stabilize a stress fracture. Len will miss four months at the minimum and could possibly miss up to six months which means he will miss the start of the NBA season. Now I'm not worried about him coming back 100% because today's doctors can fix anyone up, and I'm not even upset that he won't be playing opening night, but an injury is going to drop Len's draft stock because he won't be able to workout, which leads me to my next point.

 

2) Judging Len Off Of Film: Due to the fact that Len will not be able to participate in workouts (he also did not participate in the combine), teams will be forced to judge Len based off his his film which will definitely hurt Len's draft stock. Len wasn't even one of the top three options on offense for the Terps this past season as players like Dez Wells, Nick Faust, and Seth Allen were taking the majority of the shots for Maryland. This unfortunately will cause Len to fall into the 7-10 range (in my opinion), because teams really wanted to see what type of offensive game he possess. This leads me to my final point.

 

3) Trade Down For Len: The number four pick in the draft is simply to high for a player that can't workout and has to be judged based off of film; however there is a way to secure the rights to Len. Charlotte has been exploring the option to trade down in this years draft and in my opinion, this would be a perfect time to do it. This team desperately needs a post player, so if there isn't a player that falls to them that has that superstar potential (Noel/McLemore), it would indeed be worth trading down to around the 7th or 8th spot to draft Len. Charlotte could even secure a second round pick in this trade as well for being willing to trade down (Charlotte does not currently own a second round pick in this years draft).

 

When it's all said and done, I wouldn't be surprised if Len was in a Charlotte Bobcats uniform next year and a Charlotte Hornets uniform the year following.

 

Alex Len NBA Comparison: Worst Case: Jonas Valanciunas, Best Case: Marc Gasol meets Andrew Bogut

[koolkatluke]

I'm a big fan of Len's and I even created a thread to detail his success as the NCAA season progressed (it was a few months back).

 

I really like Len because he is the premier post player in this draft (in my opinion) as he showed when he put on a dominant performance to the tune of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks against one of the NCAA's best post defenders in Nerlens Noel. I also think that Len possesses an above average defensive game that he does not get credit for, after all Len recorded at least one block in all but four games this past year; including nine games where he had three blocks or more. Charlotte could really use a player like Len because they haven't had a player that really was a post presence since Okafor.

 

However, there are a few things that concern me about Len...

 

1) Stress Fracture Injury: Alex is recovering from a successful surgery on his ankle to repair and stabilize a stress fracture. Len will miss four months at the minimum and could possibly miss up to six months which means he will miss the start of the NBA season. Now I'm not worried about him coming back 100% because today's doctors can fix anyone up, and I'm not even upset that he won't be playing opening night, but an injury is going to drop Len's draft stock because he won't be able to workout, which leads me to my next point.

 

2) Judging Len Off Of Film: Due to the fact that Len will not be able to participate in workouts (he also did not participate in the combine), teams will be forced to judge Len based off his his film which will definitely hurt Len's draft stock. Len wasn't even one of the top three options on offense for the Terps this past season as players like Dez Wells, Nick Faust, and Seth Allen were taking the majority of the shots for Maryland. This unfortunately will cause Len to fall into the 7-10 range (in my opinion), because teams really wanted to see what type of offensive game he possess. This leads me to my final point.

 

3) Trade Down For Len: The number four pick in the draft is simply to high for a player that can't workout and has to be judged based off of film; however there is a way to secure the rights to Len. Charlotte has been exploring the option to trade down in this years draft and in my opinion, this would be a perfect time to do it. This team desperately needs a post player, so if there isn't a player that falls to them that has that superstar potential (Noel/McLemore), it would indeed be worth trading down to around the 7th or 8th spot to draft Len. Charlotte could even secure a second round pick in this trade as well for being willing to trade down (Charlotte does not currently own a second round pick in this years draft).

 

When it's all said and done, I wouldn't be surprised if Len was in a Charlotte Bobcats uniform next year and a Charlotte Hornets uniform the year following.

 

 

Wait a minute CP you wanted Noel at 1 and he is in the same situation as Len. If we can sit on Noel we can sit on Len for a year as well. I'd take him at 4 and not think about it.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Wait a minute CP you wanted Noel at 1 and he is in the same situation as Len. If we can sit on Noel we can sit on Len for a year as well. I'd take him at 4 and not think about it.

 

There is a difference in waiting for a potential superstar and waiting for a player (a Euro player, at that) that isn't worth the fourth pick (and I'm not the only that thinks that).

 

Huge Difference.

 

I also mentioned that it would be very easy to wait on Len to recover because after all we can go ahead and start that whole tanking process...

 

However, there is one simple fact. Len is not a top five pick.

[koolkatluke]

There is a difference in waiting for a potential superstar and waiting for a player (a Euro player, at that) that isn't worth the fourth pick (and I'm not the only that thinks that).

 

Huge Difference.

 

 

Did you just call Noel a potential superstar??

 

Boy will a lot people be surprise when he becomes Tyson Chandler.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Did you just call Noel a potential superstar??

 

Boy will a lot people be surprise when he becomes Tyson Chandler.

 

So an All-Star that starts for team USA?

 

Wow he hasn't even played an NBA game and you just gave him a great compliment...

 

Congratulations.

[koolkatluke]

Len's a top 5 pick in this draft.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Len's a top 5 pick in this draft.

 

Okay... explain this to me.

 

How is a player that is currently projected to go 6th to the Pelicans in another mock draft,  9th to the Timberwolves in another mock draft,  and 10th to the Blazers in another mock draft going to be able to rise up the draft boards without working out for a  team?

 

Fair warning, please don't give the excuse of they're just mock drafts. Mock drafts generally do a fairly good job of detailing a players draft stock.

[koolkatluke]

So an All-Star that starts for team USA?

 

Wow he hasn't even played an NBA game and you just gave him a great compliment...

 

Congratulations.

 

 

 Starbury Played for team USA so did a bunch of other meh players what does that mean.

 

 

Plain and simple. He offers nothing on the offense end. He will never be more then 230 meaning he will never hold up in the post. He has no handles so no face up game.

 

If you think Tyson Chandler a superstar then OK. Let's look at the Super stars career numbers

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/984/tyson-chandler

 

8.7 pts -9.1 rebounds 1.3 blocks. Says superstar all over it.

[koolkatluke]

Every draft prospect in this draft have questions. Nobody is a for sure thing so depending on need of any team Len could be a top 5 pick. That should be simple to see.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

 Starbury Played for team USA so did a bunch of other meh players what does that mean.

 

 

Plain and simple. He offers nothing on the offense end. He will never be more then 230 meaning he will never hold up in the post. He has no handles so no face up game.

 

If you think Tyson Chandler a superstar then OK. Let's look at the Super stars career numbers

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/984/tyson-chandler

 

8.7 pts -9.1 rebounds 1.3 blocks. Says superstar all over it.

 

I never said Chandler was a superstar, in fact I never even compared Noel to Chandler... All I said is that if player starts for team USA and is an All-Star; they must be doing something right.

 

As far as Noel goes, it's harder to teach defense than offense (anyone that has played basketball at any level know's that), which is why you always see coaches running drills solely designed to improve players defensive skills before even implementing a set offense.

 

If Noel can get someone that will help him work on his offensive game, he will turn out alright.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

Every draft prospect in this draft have questions. Nobody is a for sure thing so depending on need of any team Len could be a top 5 pick. That should be simple to see.

 

And some have less questions than others and the majority of those players will able to answer those questions in workouts, unlike Len.

 

It would be one thing if Len had some decent film to display his offensive game... but he was playing fourth string to the guards at Maryland, he never truly got to showcase his offensive game.

 

At the end of the day, it would be wise if Charlotte traded down for Len.

 

I don't see what the point of arguing is, we agree on the player... it shouldn't be hard to say "hey let's trade down so we can get the guy we want while also picking up another draft pick"... it's not is hard as your making it out to be.

[koolkatluke]

I never said Chandler was a superstar, in fact I never even compared Noel to Chandler... All I said is that if player starts for team USA and is an All-Star; they must be doing something right.

 

As far as Noel goes, it's harder to teach defense than offense (anyone that has played basketball at any level know's that), which is why you always see coaches running drills solely designed to improve players defensive skills before even implementing a set offense.

 

If Noel can get someone that will help him work on his offensive game, he will turn out alright.

 

 

To bad we need offense and to be more acurate a "Post scorer". We have drafted enough offensivly challenge players.