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Draft Preview: Mike Conley, Jr.
Posted by:
Micah Hart on
June 13, 2007 at
11:03AM EST
As we start getting closer and closer to the June 28th NBA Draft, I thought it
would be a good idea to start taking a closer look at some of the players who
might be plying their trade in Atlanta next season.Though I am a huge college
basketball fan, I didn't really see most of the guys projected to be available
to us enough times to comment on them at length.
Fortunately, one of the beautiful things about this here Internet is there
are many blogs out there that follow these guys all year long and can give
insight into what kinds of players they are and what they are capable of
becoming.
Today we continue our series with Ohio State point guard Mike Conley, Jr.,
who the Hawks could take at #3 or gamble and perhaps draft at #11.
Our guest expert today is Sean Sheehan, who writes about the Buckeyes
for the blog Around The Oval.
Here's what he had to say about the Buckeyes' other freshman phenom:
Mike Conley, Jr..:
 Draft
Express profile
How he got here:
Mike Conley came to OSU as a highly-touted freshman, but many Ohio State fans
viewed him as a guy just brought in to make Greg Oden happy. Once the
season started, Conley quickly proved those people wrong. He started at point
guard from the first game and did a great job. All season, he demonstrated
excellent court vision and passing skills, as well as a knack for coming up with
steals on the defensive end. Toward the end of the season, he became a more
aggressive player offensively, using his speed to drive to the basket almost at
will. While Oden got most of the headlines, Conley was the most consistent
player on the team, and arguably the best.
Strengths:
Conley's biggest strengths are his court vision and passing skills. He almost
always made the right pass at Ohio State, whether he was driving and dishing to
an open shooter or threading the needle between two defenders on a fast break.
While he's very good at finding and making the right pass, he's even more
impressive when he's making passes other point guards wouldn't even consider. He
repeatedly got the ball to teammates in ways that didn't seem possible until
after the fact, making impressive passes on fast breaks or wrapping passes
around defenders inside. Even with these seemingly higher-risk passes, Conley
was still making good decisions. He finished the season with a 2.8
assist-to-turnover ratio, one of the top marks in the country. He also possesses
outstanding speed, which allowed him to get into the lane against just about
everyone and either get a layup or a pass to an open teammate for a three. When
he gets to the basket, he can finish with either hand (in fact, while he's
left-handed, it almost seems to me that he prefers to finish with his right).
While I wouldn't call him outstanding defensively, Conley is a solid on-ball
defender and is very good playing passing lanes (he finished the season with 2.2
steals per game, good for 26th in D1 basketball).
Weaknesses:
The most glaring weakness in Conley's game is he isn't much of a shooter right
now. He only hit 30% of his threes, and from the free throw line he was only
69.4%. I believe he can eventually get those numbers up to respectable levels,
but I don't think he'll ever be better than a decent shooter. A second concern
would be one of Conley's favorite shots, a floater that he'll take near the top
of the lane. It doesn't look especially pretty, but it was effective all season.
While it may continue to work in the NBA, I am a little concerned that the
bigger, more athletic big men in the NBA might be able to swat that thing to the
other end of the court. Conley's size is a minor concern. At 6'1, 175 lbs., he
isn't small for a point guard, but he doesn't possess ideal size, either.
Why Hawks fans should want him:
He combines a high basketball IQ with the ability to make big plays. When people
call someone "a smart player," they usually mean "he's boring, but at least he
doesn't do dumb things." Conley manages to avoid doing dumb things while also
doing exciting things. He was a steady, consistent performer all season who was
equally capable of distributing the ball to his teammates and scoring on his
own. Furthermore, he seemed just as happy to feed the ball to his teammates as
he did to score himself. A shooter like Joe Johnson would benefit from Conley
drawing defenders away while driving to the basket, while guys like Marvin
Williams and Josh Smith would benefit from Conley's ability to get the ball to
them whether they're posted up or cutting to the basket. Point guard seems to be
the Hawks' position of greatest need, and Conley is the best point guard in the
draft with the highest upside.
What might give Hawks fans pause:
Other than the above weaknesses, the biggest concern would probably be Conley's
lack of experience. While he played some talented teams in high school and
college, he only played one year of college ball and didn't face a high level of
competition week in and week out. It remains to be seen how he'll respond to the
competition he'll face in the NBA (though that is a concern for most players in
the draft). Another concern is how Conley will fare without Oden down low. He
did get some experience in early in the season when Oden was injured, but most
of those games were against pretty poor competition. It's a lot easier to look
good with one of the best center prospects in years in the low post, and we
don't really know how Conley will play without him (though I wouldn't be too
worried about it).
What current player he reminds you of:
T.J. Ford. Both are very quick point guards with excellent passing skills, and
neither is much of a three-point shooter. I think, though, that Conley is ahead
of where Ford was when he was in the draft, both in terms of defense and
decision-making, and will end up being quite a bit better than Ford.
(116) Comments
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Posted by: B-Mac on June 13, 2007 11:16AM EST
I want the Hawks to draft Yi at #3, but I don't think Billy Knight will. So, with that said, I think the Hawks NEED to draft Conley.
Conley will be a much bigger edition to our team than a player like Brandan Wright(we don't need another 6'8" forward). Conley has star potenial writen all over him. Let's not pass on another great PG.
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Posted by: yatedog on June 13, 2007 11:41AM EST
We should take this guy with the #3 pick. We need a point guard like yesterday cause in case you haven't noticed gms. Mookie Blaylock left along time ago.
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Posted by: Danta on June 13, 2007 12:42PM EST
Time will tell of Mike Conley, but I think Acie Law is the more experienced an has shown better on an mediocre team. He will be a stater for the Hawks ASAP. Javaris Crightten is a bigger version of Gilbert Arenas about 6ft5inches will be able to post and use his athletic ability to shoot over smaller guards. All three need is a plus for the Hawks ( passer, shooter, and get to the rim!)
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Posted by: steve on June 13, 2007 1:23PM EST
The hype machine created Conley. Without Oden he is an average point guard at best. Acie Law or Jarvaris Crittenton are just as worthy of the #11 pick for a point guard. Taking Conley at #3 thinking you are getting Chris Paul is ridiculous. Ya'll need to stop watching ESPN and actually do your research.
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Posted by: rp BUCKmurphy on June 13, 2007 2:45PM EST
I have a nice basketball court in my basement, would you like to see it?
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Posted by: zack on June 13, 2007 2:58PM EST
this is the hardest dilema.... cuz Conley range is from 3rd to 11th startin and endin wit the hawks... but that height is a major issue for me if he can shoot in the NBA defender can play back and u can play him and stoudamire together, so that just makes him a Speedy Claxton wit better decion makin... so i agree wit B-Mac, Danta and steve except i like Jarvaris Crittenton b4 Acie Law cuz 4 one that will give us the biggest backcout in the league cuz we already have the biggest 2 guard and i always stay a freshman has greater potential then a senior
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Posted by: Ben on June 13, 2007 4:13PM EST
I have never seen so many people misspell the word Crittenton. Not just in this blog but also the really big one too. Its really easy to spell people. Dang...
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Posted by: Steve's Teacher on June 13, 2007 4:21PM EST
Note to the moron named Steve.
Did you actually watch Conley play? Don't hurt yourself trying to answer that, I'll do it for you. NO! You Did Not! Because if you did, you would know that Conley is the sole reason OSU made it to the Final Four with Oden in foul trouble. Moron!
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Posted by: Kent Moore on June 13, 2007 9:14PM EST
The Hawks certainly need a top-quality point guard and I think Mike Conley, Jr. will be a good (maybe not great) point guard in the NBA. I don't believe he will be a Chris Paul or a Deron Williams whom the Hawks inexplicably passed by before.
The Hawks should not waste a #3 pick on Conley. There is a good chance that he will fall to #11. If not, Law and/or Crittenton will surely be available.
The Hawks should chose Horford and then make a trade to get a bona fide center.
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Posted by: Alex on June 13, 2007 9:35PM EST
Do some research? What research? This guy was the reason OSU made it to the Final Four. Oden was in foul trouble the entire tournament. Conley was the leader of that team. For a freshman he is such a smart player. He comes from a extremly athleticly gifted family. We passed on Chirs Paul and Deron Williams. If we have a good PG I think we are automatically in the playoffs. He is the best PG in the draft. I watched every single game of the tournament and in my opinion he was the MVP of that tournament. Stevd is right. If you dont think that, you didnt watch. Or you donr know anything about basketball or talent/skill/potential.
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Posted by: Sai on June 13, 2007 9:51PM EST
We should draft Yi, I don't know why some people think he's weak, he weight 238# while Oden weight 250#. he's got better fundamentals and a much better shooter than Oden. he can pass, he can run fast break.
The foreigners have caught up with U.S. in basketbal, just look at the fact, US can not win gold medal against the world last few years.
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Posted by: Charles on June 13, 2007 10:04PM EST
Conley is nice, easily the best PG in the draft. However, there are better players with MUCH better potential ahead of him, and he hasn't had time to fully prove why he should be a top 10 pick. He had an amazing month in march, but one has to wonder if that is enough to vault a guy up the draft board. Conley is too small and can't shoot from the outside. We already have a guy just like that, who we are also paying a fortune (Speedy). I think he'll be much like T.J. Ford in the pros, a good point guard, but not an elite one. That is simply not enough IMO to warrant a top 3 pick. If we could somehow draft him at 11 or trade up from there and draft him, I'd be all for it. Drafting him 3rd might turn out to be a major mistake. Conley at three seems to be an over-reaction from the last couple of drafts. Just because you make one mistake, it doesn't mean you should make another mistake trying to fix it. Not getting Paul and Deron happened in the past! Let's look at this draft objectively and pick the best player available with the most potential.
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Posted by: diehardhawkfan on June 13, 2007 10:53PM EST
Conley shot 52% from the field at Ohio State....TJ Ford shot 40%....Conley, as a freshman, led his conference in assists, assist to turnover ratio, and steals...I saw about 15 Ohio State games and I thought he was the second best freshman point guard I've seen behind Chris Paul...ive never seen a freshman point guard who was a better decision maker and game manager than Conley (Paul was a much better scores, Conley a better pure point guard)....it's a no brainer, pick conley and magically you'll see josh smith, marvin williams, and joe johnson become better offensive players.
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Posted by: tony on June 13, 2007 11:05PM EST
I said it before and will keep saying it......Mike Conley Jr is the best PG to be drafted since Tony Parker was drafted in 2001. He's gonna do the same thing to teams what Tony Parker is doing to Cleveland. And you know, this could be the beginning to a NBA title for the city of Atlanta. If injuries are the reason why we missed the playoffs....why are they talking about making trades? I look at it this way......take Conley with the#3 and if we can....... trade the 11th pick to Phoenix for their #24 and #28 picks. Take Aaron Gray and Glen Davis with those picks. I got this strong feeling that Glen Davis will be the steal in this year's draft. This guy is going to dominate like you know who....6'4 252lbs Charles Barkley!!
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 15, 2007 3:00AM EST
Conley is great hey I'm all for it I rather pick YI and hope that conley falls but if its between him and wright i say pick conley. JUST WHATEVER YOU DO DONT PICK WRIGHT.
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Posted by: steve on June 15, 2007 9:57AM EST
Time will tell the story of Conley the Great. The college game is so watered down today throwing stats around means nothing as to how you will do at the next level. Nobody remembers runner ups, so making it to the NCAA final game and loosing is just as bad as loosing first round. A pg should be a leader for any team as they set the offense and force action on defense. Never said he was not NBA material only not worthy of #3 pick. His size will be an issue and you have two other bigger point guards that can fill the same need.
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Posted by: tony on June 15, 2007 1:51PM EST
steve, no one really knows how successful these athletes will be in the NBA. However, based on statistics and performance, we have to take Mike Conley no matter what. He won 3 consecutive HS state titles and led his team to the NCAA Championship game when Greg Oden spent alot of time on the bench. Remember Larry Bird? He led his team to the NCAA Championship game but he also lost. He made up for lost once he became a pro. Speaking of size.......do you remember Spud Webb(5'6) and Mookie Blaylock(6'0)? Spud led the hawks to a 50-32 record and shot 20% from the field. Mookie Blaylock led the hawks to a 57-25 recond but he only shot 44% from the field. Traditionally, a pg is shorter, quicker and a better ball-handler than a shooting guard. A true pg's job is to create scoring opportunity for his team. What I like about Conley, he has the natural ability to create separation and space off the dribble, which allow him room to create open shots for Joe Johnson and Stoudamire. His father won a gold metal so we all know where he inherit his winning prowess.
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Posted by: zack on June 15, 2007 2:36PM EST
Ok Tony your points are irrevalent Javaris Crittenton has almost the Same high school stat he lead his team to two state championship games so what... You bring up Bird does not make since because one player cannot take over like that anymore because almost everybody is good in the NBA and Bird was ahead of his time... and when the Hawks had them records neither Blaylock or Webb played PG at the time on offense... Steve Smith and Doc Rivers brought down the ball most of the time and tradital pg are good but the last one of them was John Stockton. lol And his father would just have lil to do with his winning ways... Jellybean Bryant was a scrub and couldn't win nothing but like at his son, Kobe
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Posted by: jono on June 15, 2007 6:34PM EST
tony is completely right. if we take anybody other than conley with the 3 pick, we're stupid. we don't need a shooting point guard, we need one who can slash to the basket, drawing in defenders then dishing it out to our 3 point shooters (joe johnson, salim, even josh smith lately) or finding a big man under the basket (zaza, marvin, horford). please. just take conley.
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Posted by: tony on June 15, 2007 6:36PM EST
zack, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your argument is obscure and doesn't whole much water. Javaris did well in the 1A class division and if he can retain that championship spirit that he had in HS, I believe he will do well in the NBA. Bird and Conley lost to 2 great teams in the NCAA Championship. Did you watch the Ohio St - Tennessee tournament? Mike Conley took over that game while his teammate Greg Oden watch from the bench. They overcame a 20 point deficit with Conley leading the way. If my member serve me right, Spud Webb carried the hawks that year while Doc was recovering from his injury. Steve Smith didn't play with Mookey that year they won 57 games.
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Posted by: ideris on June 15, 2007 9:49PM EST
the intangibles make conley so valuable at this position.
he is mature, has displayed leadership, takes responsibility by taking control of a game's tempo, very smart, will bring out the best out of your talented guys, knows how to read games.
and he's not that short. we've been playing short pg's (lue, claxton) all season long so why complain now?
6'1" vs. 6'3" is not as bad as you think, big men go
6'9" vs 7'0" and it's no problem.
long arms, high vertical, deceptive strength, speed & quickness, good lateral movement, quick and good hands.
atlanta really shouldn't pass up on a guy like conley.
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Posted by: idecris on June 15, 2007 11:40PM EST
GAME MANAGEMENT SKILLS, that's what Conley brings and that's what Atlanta needs.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 16, 2007 1:04AM EST
coming in as high school seniors crittenton was ranked higher. Yo seriously though the guys gonna be a good player but I just dont see him being a superstar. YO and those people talking about doc rivers and spud ask yourself this question would you use a Third overall pick on those guys. All i'm saying is we have a better chance at taking YI and waiting it out for conley. And if not the consolaton isnt so bad crittention or law. Don't forget MO WILLIAMS IS A FREE AGENT. Instead of people saying stupid things like lets sign kobe or lets sign Billups be realistic get Williams he'll be way cheaper and is a young player all I'm saying he's an alternitive to think about, kind of off topic. Anyway YI, conley. JUST WHATEVER YOU DO DONT DRAFT WRIGHT.......
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Posted by: Nunna Yo Biznezz on June 16, 2007 12:14PM EST
Im scared yall!!
Billy Knight has a point guard in "Mike Conley Jr." sitting right there at #3,and u know he is gonna take another Point Forward.. I like Conley and Javaris(out of tech),but i think that Conley should be the pick..Then i think we should trade the 11th pick to Philadelphia for their last 2 1st round picks..
U can call me crazy..But the 2 i'd get are..
Rodney Stuckey
Strengths: Combo guard compared often to Dwyane Wade. Amazing scorer – averaged over 24 a game his freshman and sophomore seasons. Can hit the deep shot, mid range jumpers or blow by his man and get to the hoop. Good ball handler. Good NBA size – strong physique. Great passer – 5.5 assists per game this year. Very good rebounder for his size and position. Great free throw shooter. Gets tons of steals.
Weaknesses: A year older than other sophomores due to a redshirt year. Played in a small conference – the Big Sky isn’t exactly a frequent breeding ground for NBA pros. Needs to improve his shooting, especially from deep (26.7% his sophomore year from 3-point land). Needs to cut down on his turnovers
Sean Williams
Strengths: Shot blocking – Williams changes the game due to his shot blocking skills. He had two games his junior season where he had 12 and 13 blocks respectively. Extremely athletic with a crazy wingspan (7’5”) makes him a menace on the defensive end. Offensive game improved greatly his junior year.
Weaknesses: Off court problems – was dismissed from Boston College part way through his junior season. Was also suspended two other times during his college career. Latest suspension is rumored to be drug related. Offensive game is a work in progress – he only became a scoring threat his junior season.
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Posted by: jamal daniel on June 16, 2007 5:54PM EST
hey lets be smart about this knight u would be real dumb to draft another forward come on you have 5 under 24 years of age. this is a deep draft with only two super stars, so what does that tell me how about a trade deal on draft day and pick up jarvice which would give you height and depth and i must say he is talented and a home town favorite which will sell tickets and you still have the georgetown center on the board which will give u a decent 7 footer and with the trade u pick up and extra second round pick sounds good to me
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Posted by: tony on June 17, 2007 9:08AM EST
To BK and to all loyal hawks fans. Let me know if you agree with my analogy. A true pg is the QB of the NBA. RIGHT? His responsibilities are to create scoring opportunties for his team and to manage the game. RIGHT?......OK. In 1977 we took Armond Hill in the 1st rd. Terrific ball-handler and assist leader. That year they became a .500 team after many losing seasons. The following season we took Tree Rollins in the 1st rd and Eddie Johnson in the 3rd rd to compliment Hill. We continue to strive until we made the playoffs. My point is this......they realize that it takes a true point guard with great ball distributing skills to be successful in this game. I would like for you to take a look at the hawk's history from 1976 to 2006. NOW, take a look at each true point guard stats to see if they had #1 good management skills, #2 great ball-handling abilities, #3 high assist percentage and lastly did they have more than 1 winning seasons. Eddie Johnson and Jason Terry are not true pgs. After I've study the hawks and the NBA history, Mike Conley is the best player in this draft for 6 teams in the top 10 in terms of their team's statistics. It is almost unheard of for a point guard in the div. 1 to shoot 52%(FG) and average 6 assist per game. Steve Nash and Tony Parker are the only 2 true pgs in the NBA who shot 50%(FG) and average 6 or more assists per game. Trust me on this one........it is meant for us to take Conley folks!! If we miss......we will suffer miserably!! WHY? Because it took 6 years since a player like Tony Parker to come into the league who can put up those kinds of numbers and can create havoc in the paint. Remember - Armond Hill didn't make the playoffs until his 3rd season. At lease they became a .500 team his rookie season. If we try to get greedy, we will fail. Let's be patient folks......everything will workout if we do the right thing.
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Posted by: idecris on June 17, 2007 9:10AM EST
one more thing Conley is capable of that most young point guards are not capable of....
taking care of the ball, and not turn the ball over too much. (the other PG prospects(Law & Javaris), aren't as good as Conley when it comes to this)
man, that's quite rare for a young floor general who can be trusted to implement the game plan and still be capable of making independent decisions during the game.
too pass up on Conley is a very big loss for us.
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Posted by: idecris on June 17, 2007 9:28AM EST
Conley also has the potential to be a Lindsay Hunter on defense.
good on the ball defense, excellent lateral movement, long arms, quick hands and feet, deceptive strength...
not bad too have on the defensive end.
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Posted by: idecris on June 17, 2007 9:49AM EST
intresting combine results...
Conley topped the 3/4 court sprint at 3.09 sec
second in no step vertical 35.5", tied for second in max vertical of 39.5"
benched the standard 185 lbs. 13 times, more than the following:
Acie Law = 8 reps
Javaris Crittenton = 11 reps
Joakim Noah = 12 reps
Kevin Durant = ZERO (he can't do one rep of 185 lbs)
Spencer Hawes = 9 reps
Al Thornton = 9 reps
Corey Brewer = 11 reps
etc.
deceptive strength man. a fast and strong guy who likes to attack the basket? he'll survive in the paint.
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Posted by: tony on June 17, 2007 10:34AM EST
CORRECTION.....Armond Hill was drafted in 1976. They became a.500 team the following year. My bad. For those who say Conley isn't ready for the NBA......explain how seniors, juniors and sophomores got manhandle by a freshman(Conley) at the division 1 level? For those of you who say he is too small for the NBA, explain why Damon Stoudamire(5'10) and Mo William(6'1) aren't getting criticize for their size?
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Posted by: idecris on June 17, 2007 10:55AM EST
@tony
Add this, Rookie of the Year Chris Paul is 5'10 3/4" without shoes. and listed as 6'0" with shoes on. hehe
height is not a good excuse not to draft Mike Conley.
what's wrong with being a freshman? they let guys who come straight from HS play right away. Conley had a strong college year and not just wowed you with some flashy highlights.
he was the reason why his team won games! a lot of games! (remember Oden useless on the bench in foul trouble?)
he's not like some prospects who people are instantly sold on just because of a highlight reel or two.
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Posted by: pls take conley on June 17, 2007 3:19PM EST
I would like to thank Tony and Idecris for making points I have been trying to make to Hawks fans who are so against taking Conley. This team needs a pg so bad that its not funny. The basketball gods blessed us by letting us get the third pick so we can finally get that pg we need so badly yet management and a lot of fans seem to want another freaking foward. Is this a joke? Year in year out fans cry about how much we need a pg now that we can take the best one in this years draft they are pulling out all stops in trying not to take this kid. F the weak excuses take this guy and let him guide this team for the next 10 years. Get it done BK.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 17, 2007 6:14PM EST
Here's the thing it's not that anyone is aganist takeing a point guard it's just that there isnt one with all star potential in this draft. There isn't a OJ MAYO, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, a Nick Calathles. This isn't a guard deep draft. Look I'm not saying that conley is a scrub but this YI guy brings a level of exitement that cant be matched. He brings a fan base that cant be matched he is a shoein to be an all star. I also feel like Law and Crittention arent that huge of drop offs from Conley. There is on thing I will say he compine results were very impresive.
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Posted by: i understand you but on June 17, 2007 6:42PM EST
If you think people in Atlanta will come to the games to see YI then your really fooling yourself. This guy brings no exitement to the city. I hate to say it but the ATL is what they call a hip hop city and a 7 foot chinese player is not going to put any butts in the stands bet on that. The only thing that will bring fans is if this team starts to win and they wont anytime soon with yet another foward. As far as not being a big drop off with talent from Conley to Law and Crit well then you really need to go research what the experts are saying. They feel this kid is easily better than Law who is a combo guard and Crit who is very raw and a turnover machine. This may not be a deep draft for pgs but guess what WE DONT HAVE A PICK NEXT YEAR so we have to get this pg situation fixed sooner than later. It will be 5 years from now and we will still be talking about how we have no pg. ATLANTA WAKE THE HELL UP AND GET CONLEY.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 17, 2007 7:26PM EST
JUST DONT DRAFT WRIGHT
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Posted by: i understand you but on June 17, 2007 7:35PM EST
Lmao i really agree with you on that one but you have to remember BK is our gm. I promise you that if Wright blows BK away in his workout then Wright will be a member of the hawks.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 17, 2007 7:35PM EST
I think HOuston is no different from ATL yo people will be courious to see some chino play that simple. And he will get all that media coverege all the time. Eventually people in ATL will be beat to go watch. not to mention Smith and johnson. Look I said it before take YI its possible that conley will fall. And at 11 there will be no big men left in that can make the solid impact. MO Williams is a free agent.... JUST WHATEVER YOU DO DONT DRAFT WRIGHT AT THREE PLEASE
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Posted by: Taiwanise on June 18, 2007 5:21AM EST
不要選萊特!!
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Posted by: Jerry on June 18, 2007 5:52AM EST
if atlanta takes Yi or Wright with the 3rd pick they will lose one of the best true pg's to come into the leage in the since tony parker. mike is lighning quick, an amazing ball handler, and was the best decison maker in all of the ncaa this season. what the hawks need is a pg, not another forward we already have jsmoove,marvin,and zaza. and drafting 6'9,200lbs, skinny foward with no low post skills(he got most of his points of dunks and garbage buckets) won help us get into the playoffs.what we need is mike conley at 3(theres no chance he will fall to 11) and to trade the 11pick for a decent Center because lorenzen Wright and Zaza just dont cut it
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Posted by: idecris on June 18, 2007 8:41AM EST
the guy above made a very good point.
WE HAVE NO DRAFT PICK NEXT YEAR (for the first round at least)
when do we want to address this need for a point guard?
what are we waiting for? the next Magic Johnson? geez!
most 1st round draft picks don't pan out so what the hell do they want to get at #3?!
what the hell is wrong with a very solid player like Conley that some people feel they are wasting a #3 pick on him?
I hope BK is not really into that Yi foolishness.
and yes there is a difference between Conley vs. Law or Javaris.
Law will play a lot of his minutes like a shooting guard. what? you want to play 4 guys who think like shooting guards all at the same time? (Marv, Smoove Chil, JJ and Law)
Javaris, he's very raw, and is mistake and turnover prone. Will a rookie like that get minutes? Will the team ever be handed to him? I don't think so.
Conley is different from the 2, and the differences are significant. We've all talked about it already. He's got game management skills, he bring the best out of his teamates, gives them the ball where they like it, he controls tempo, pushes the pace if needed, he takes care of the ball and DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF MISTAKES.
that is a deciding factor if ever you want a young guy to run a team, he'll be able to stay on the court because the team can be entrusted to him.
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Posted by: steve on June 18, 2007 9:42AM EST
Why Conley doesn't fit for the Hawks: Up tempo is not the coaching style for Woodson. It never has been and never will be. He is a half court/defensive minded coach. BK and him are clashing with their philosophies because BK is drafting a team that should run like the wind which is clearly what they are not doing. Conley played great in the NCAA tournament however it is highly foolish for ya'll to dub him the great court mind of basketball after only 1 year in a average conference with Oden being a man-child all season. Yes, he was in foul trouble in the tournament but it was the tournament where you expect teams to play at a higher level. He is leaving for the NBA not because he is ready but because he would have been exposed next year without Oden. I say all this to say, Conley will eventually be a good player but stop thinking that he is that good now because he is not and size does matter. If the Hawks really want to address the point guard troubles then Duhon is a safer option from the Bulls.
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Posted by: draft expert on June 18, 2007 11:11AM EST
Check the stats and you decide. One game does not make a player great unless of course you are a ESPN head or NBA Live junkie.
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=577&page=stats
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1176&page=stats
It is so easy to say how great Conley did this season because he had Oden (I dare you to argue). The real test will come when he doesn't have talent around him to see if he continues to make great decisions, improves offense, etc. A freshman has nothing to be compared to except his high school yearbook.
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Posted by: wtf on June 18, 2007 6:31PM EST
Duhon is a decent pg but he was taken in the second round for a reason. Im sorry but the Conley was good because of Oden argument is weak. Oden was injured during the start of the season and when he did come back he was foul prone most games. Ohio State did not miss a beat. You know why? Mike Conley. I dont care if we are a halfcourt team because Conley can play the up tempo game and the half court game. It is freaking amazing to me that people are willing to pass on another good pg to draft another freaking foward. WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. HAVE YOU NOT LEARNED? Draft expert I hate to burst ya bubble but the Hawks have talent they just dont have a good coach or a pg that makes it easier for JJ J smith and Marvin. If you people cant see that we need a pg of Conlyes caliber then im going to pray for this franchise because we wont get it right no time soon.
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Posted by: King Josiah on June 18, 2007 6:59PM EST
I have no problem with the Hawks taking Conley...the Hawks could use Noah also. Drafting them two spark plugs - I can see Noah's screaming face on Hawk billboards all over the place.
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Posted by: Alex on June 18, 2007 9:26PM EST
Draft Expert? Ya right. Obviously you didnt watch any college basketball this season. COnley was at his best WITHOUT Oden. With Oden in foul trouble during the tournament Cinley thrived in leading that team. He plays like a true PG, has great penatration ability, and great decision making skills. Im so sick of people just making assumptions about this kid because everyone thinks Oden is so great. Conley is more NBA ready than Oden. Oden is weak and nothing but a big body. He wil eventually be a great NBA player but he needs a lot of coaching in how to be a big man.
IF anyone of you are interested in researching this yourself and not making rash assumptions watch all the OSU games from the tournament and look what Conley did at the NBA "combine." He was one of the best atheletes, one of the strongest, and one of the top verticals. If the Hawks dont take COnley at 3 I will finally give up on them. Conley is a cant miss, sure thing, and a perfect fit for what we need. Out with the old Buckeye PG and in with the new.
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Posted by: Alex on June 18, 2007 9:28PM EST
Draft Expert I dare disagree with you!!!!!! Oden did not make Conley what he is. COnley's tournament run(minus Oden who was in foul trouble) is why we are talking about him as a #3 pick.
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Posted by: a on June 19, 2007 1:32AM EST
do ya'll truly think he is better than crittenton? i think not, and we could get hortford or yi at three and then possibly conely at 11 but if he isn't there then we get crittenton.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 19, 2007 2:31AM EST
yo did ya forget what kind of team Ohio state had without oden. They had cook droppen 20 when Oden wasnt around not to mention Butler and Lighty. Yo the dude has been playing with an inside presense since day one. The hawks have no inside talent to speak of you really think thats not gonna play a deference. Draft Yi Conley may still be there yo did ya see Law in action this dude gets the job done and like I said Williams is a free agent along with other guards and dont be so fast to rule out speedy he was injured most of the year.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 19, 2007 5:06AM EST
YO I was hopeing someone can answer my question. Whats the deal with the hawks draft pick next year. is it first 3 pick protected or is it a flip picks like the Knicks and Curry
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Posted by: draft expert on June 19, 2007 1:45PM EST
And you all make my point, you can't remember anything past the tournament because there was nothing. The conference was weak, the team squeaked by higher level competition, and Oden was still a force to be seen even in foul trouble for opposing offenses. Again, Conley will be a star one day but you are smoking crack if you think that he will instantly make the Hawks better. Look, the Hawks issues go beyond a single player end of story and they need veteran leadership to go with that young talent. Are you guys not tired of being the laughing stock of the East yet alone the NBA? Conley is not the best point guard coming into the NBA and for those Tony Parker bandwagon riders give your bus fare to Tim Duncan once you get to your next stop. Tony Parker is great in a system that thrives on execution something many teams lack even with superstars.
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Posted by: steve on June 19, 2007 2:07PM EST
Did Conley, Sr. sneak into this discussion because you guys are reaching with these comparisions of his skills. I guess you guys think Kobe is better without Shaq too. Conley is a product of Oden and company. Any good point guard should be able to create their own shot since they have the ball in their hands the majority of the time. any good point guard should be able to pass the ball because the ball is in their hands the majority of the time. You have a tournament and one year of experience and now you have made him rookie of the year. Conley, Sr. should be proud that the media has made a case for his son to be drafted much higher than he should be because he just isn't going to produce up to these lofty expectations that you are setting. I just hope that all you Conley lovers are around when he fails to deliver the goods. Stop thinking that this is rec league basketball because it's not and Conley is going to struggle. Chris Paul even admitted to the fact that the game is so much faster in the NBA than college and Conley is nowhere near as nice.
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Posted by: ha ha on June 19, 2007 2:10PM EST
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. COOK, BUTLER AND LIGHTY WERE ALL GUARDS. SO HOW IN THE HELL ARE THEY CONSIDERED AN INSIDE PRESENSE. WOWWWWWWWW. THE HAWKS HAVE SOME VERY UNIFORMED FANS. HOW CAN YOU SAY CONLEY WILL BE A STAR ONE DAY BUT YOU WANT TO PASS OVER HIM? YEA BET ON IT THAT BK WILL BLOW THIS DRAFT AND THESE SILLY FANS WILL STILL BE CALLING FOR A PG BUT RIGHT NOW THEY WANT TO PASS OVER THE BEST ONE FOR A COMBO GUARD OR ANOTHER PROJECT SF. THIS IS WHY THE HAWKS ARE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE NBA . THE GM AND THE FANS.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 19, 2007 11:54PM EST
Yo stupid I was saying they had just more than oden on the team lighty is a foward and cook is the swingman .
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 20, 2007 2:23AM EST
Yo stupid no one said they werent guards first of Lighty is a small foward and Cook is a 2/3 I was stateing that they had a talented team outside of oden. Conley at no time carried the team on his own. Conley has had oden since day one in high school now he has no inside presence to work with on the Hawks. Dogs you cant out argue me I know way more than you when it comes to B-Ball. ONE YOURSELF
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Posted by: idecris on June 20, 2007 5:36AM EST
it's unbelievable that the Hawks are going to pass up on Mike Conley Jr.
is Billy Knight really that intellectually challenged?
look what a good point guard can do for a team:
TJ Ford with the Raptors (dramatically improved standings in 1st year with the team)
Chris Paul with the Hornets (improved standings at his rookie year)
Deron with the Jazz (deep in the play-offs at his sophomore year)
etc. etc.
Can you imagine? Mike Conley's rookie year? sophomore year?
do you guys think a Yi Jianlian or Al Horford can bring similar improvements? there are no other impact big men in the draft side from the top 2 prospects.
the Hawks will be wise to pick up an impact player like Conley at 3.
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Posted by: tony on June 20, 2007 10:15AM EST
YOU PEOPLE NEED TO TRY AND BE DIPLOMATIC TOWARDS ONES OPINION. Mike Conley, Yi Jianlian and Horford are going to do well in the NBA in my opinion. HOWEVER, Mike Conley or Yi Jianlian gives the Hawks a better chance to became a 500 plus ball club in my opinion. I like Conley because of his passing ability, his quickness and his terrific ball-handling skill. No one in the league would want to guard a quick point guard who can beat you off the dribble through the entire game. I like Yi because he is explosive and he is hard to contain. He is a terrific rebounder and as a 6'11 C, he has some moves like Michael Jordan . Both players have won championships and that in itself speaks volume. WHO WILL I TAKE BETWEEN THE 2? I won't say because both of them are to valuable for the hawks to pass on. ONE OF THEM WE MUST TAKE WITHOUT QUESTION!!!
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Posted by: steve on June 20, 2007 11:22AM EST
It is amazing that of the 30 teams in the NBA not even half of them have stellar point guards but yet you guys feel that a point guard is the solution to all the Hawks problems. Joe Johnson is a poor man's D. Wade and that is not meant as a knock on Joe. He is one of the top guards on the East just on a bad team. If Josh or Marvin would bring it every night then it wouldn't matter about getting a unproven point guard as much as a consistent one. I have yet to see any compelling reason why the Hawks should be so moved to select Conley at #3 over any of the other players that have been thrown around as potential future hopeful all-stars. The Hawks could be .500 in the East and middle of the pack if they had consistentcy every night but they don't and it will take Conley to the all-star break or longer to get acclaimated to the team, the league, and his role within the Hawks. He has never been asked to carry the weight that so many of you have given to him.
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Posted by: D on June 20, 2007 12:15PM EST
Hawks should trade to the #3 pick to Portland, they're so hungry to get a Conley-Oden combination that they might just give up a Brandon Roy or Darius Miles or even both. Brandon Roy, Darius Miles and for a Childress, Wright and/or Marvin and #3 pick would instantly upgrade the Hawks to playoff contenders with the chance to get a Law or Crittion at the #11 pick. That way Joe can start a SG, Darius at SF, and Roy and the #11 pick coming off the bench imagine that. If anything its worth a try.
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Posted by: tony on June 20, 2007 1:24PM EST
D, come on kid. Please explain how Roy and Miles is worth what you're talking about given up. Roy and Joe J play the same position but Joe put up better numbers. Mile isn't even on Portland depth chart. As a team, the hawks are better than Portland, so why would we want any player they would try to offer us? If by chance a trade is made, shouldn't it be for a player who has championship experience or has played a significant role for his former team as a starter? If not please explain why. Portland and Milwaukee want Conley because he will create havoc for teams, so why should we give them a chance to put themselves in a better situation than us?
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 20, 2007 1:30PM EST
YO DARIUS MILES ARE YOU SERIOUS.
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Posted by: medayoallday on June 20, 2007 1:33PM EST
yo its between YI And Conley. Yo I say conley is good but if we play our cards right we can have both of them
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Posted by: ha ha on June 20, 2007 3:09PM EST
medayoallday it's not my fault that you typed what you did. You are the one who brought those guys up then immediately said Conley always had a inside presence. Learn to costruct your sentences better... Your the one looking stupid not me. Those guys are guards one is a guard slash foward but at the end of the day Conley was the engine of that team. I can tell you | | | |
