What's going on with Derrick Williams?

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MArc Gasol's footwork is nice to watch, Vucevic is developing some nice footwork too along with Nicholson. Bynum has physical gifts to go along with the footwork though

No doubt, I just think he's got the best footwork down low when he's healthy for any centers league.

at Vucevic being traded by the 76ers for Bynum and now he's a 17/10 center for Orlando.

[RedBlackAttack]

I'm not shitting on Bennett, he could very well pan out, I'm saying that obviously wasn't the right choice for the Cavs..
Who knows they could finally move varejao while he still has some value and Bennett could flourish

I just don't see how you can say that yet. It's way too early in his career to even know what kind of player he'll become. Hell, he could successfully transition to the 3 for all we know. Or, Tristan might become a major piece in the center rotation (assuming Varejao is moved).

We just don't know enough yet to say for sure. I'm biased.... I want it to work out. I'm well aware of that. But, Bennett has averaged just 12 minutes in a crowded frontcourt, he had no training camp/SL, he's hurt, out of shape as a result of not being able to have an offseason....

Let's just wait it out and see what happens. If he continues this kind of dismal play throughout the year and into next season, I'll be the first to call him a probable bust.

[RedBlackAttack]

No doubt, I just think he's got the best footwork down low when he's healthy for any centers league.

at Vucevic being traded by the 76ers for Bynum and now he's a 17/10 center for Orlando.

GOBB suggested the Cavs should have traded Tristan, Dion, Varejao and two future 1st rounders prior to the 76ers pulling the trigger, too.

We had a month-long argument about it.

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To me, Bennett doesn't have to fit "as a No. 1 pick." He just needs to fit. It would be nice if he eventually became a rich man's Larry Johnson as some predicted, but at the end of the day, having a productive, solid NBA player is good enough for me. He doesn't have to be a star.

I also liked Porter in the lead-up to the draft and still do, but he looked REALLY bad in Summer League. I know that means nothing and I still expect him to be a solid starting player for the Wiz, but there are no sure things. Watch the Bill Simmons/Jalen Rose preview of the Wizards...

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-tr...rds?src=mobile

...they both said Porter has the most "bust potential" of any rookies in this class. That is just those guys' opinion, of course, but it shows you how one person's "safe pick" is another person's "potential bust."

There is no science to drafting in the NBA and I think Grant's successful Thompson "reach" and what looks like it could be another successful "reach" in Waiters didn't make him think, "now I should go safe." I think it gave him more confidence in what he sees with his own two eyes instead of just going with the crowd.

I'll also say that, in the lead-up to the draft, most people thought Noel would be back around Christmas. That was said to be a distinct possibility. Now, he's out for the year. So, that injury was more severe than was being led on.

Another guard would have made literally no sense. They obviously weren't wild about Porter. Len has his own problems.

Despite his horrid start, I'm not sure they'd do anything differently with a "do-over." Bennett still has plenty of potential and that potential is in playing a different kind of role than Thompson. Even though they technically play the same position, the NBA has become less about conventional positions and more about skillsets and how they fit together.

I still view Bennett as a sort of athletic stretch-4 who should be able to play the 3 in spurts. Thompson is a rugged, hard-nosed 4 who can play the 5 in spurts (more than just spurts, actually).

Maybe we should give it a little more time before we disown the pick. I've never seen the kind of over-the-top reactions to the first 8 games of a player's career. Yeah, he's the No. 1 pick. Yeah, struggling is an understatement so far.

But, the Cavs frontcourt is too crowded right now, resulting in him getting almost no playing time and the whole team is struggling offensively. I'm just not ready to freak out about Bennett yet.

I watched all those Grantland previews and specifically remember the question they asked him. Which was which NBA player he most resembles. And he said Kevin Durant. And when he said that i was like...

No Tayshuan Prince? Or something more realistic? He might as well said LeBron James or Michael Jordan.

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GOBB suggested the Cavs should have traded Tristan, Dion, Varejao and two future 1st rounders prior to the 76ers pulling the trigger, too.

We had a month-long argument about it.

Traded them for what?

[dgaras]

i always knew vucevic was good. white players dont get any support in the league anymore.

look at gigi datome playing behind all the bums in detroit

[RedBlackAttack]

Traded them for what?

Andrew Bynum.

If you recall, the Cavs were major players in the Bynum sweepstakes before pulling out and allowing the 76ers to grab him.

GOBB goes wild in this thread about the Cavs "just" offering Varejao and a bunch of picks for Bynum.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...=271792&page=9

But, in other threads (which I think have since been deleted), he said the package he'd offer if he were the Cavs would include Thompson, Waiters, Varejao and picks.


In fairness, he wasn't alone...

If the report is true that Cleveland won't consider parting with any of their young talent for Bynum, i'm at a loss. TT? Really? Untouchable? What did he do last year that he's untouchable?

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...271792&page=33

This is what happens when you don't watch a player consistently and only look at statistics. It was obvious to all Cavs fans during his second year that his game was progressing at a very high pace.

Now, everyone is beginning to see it.

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