With the 5th Pick

[NetsGM]

The Heat select:
Toby Bolinger, PG, Cincinnati

[NetsGM]

Love the handles, but he's got some improving to do in this league if he's to be much more than his current new teammate.  But if his def improves, could be very good.

[SixersGM]

SSBA's version of Shaun Livingston

[NetsGM]

Yeah, I hadn't even noticed the height.

[CelticsGM]

Finally, the first PG

The best of the crop of 1's (which says something about this draft) AND filling the Heat biggest need.

Interestingly enough (and aside from minor aspects like potential, youth and winners mentality) a slightly bigger version of his future backup Damon Jones, rating-wise ...

[HeatGM]

its about time for damon jones to step down from his starting spot...im not worried with his C+ defense...with maybe a couple of TC he would have a B defense...with his A potential...

im excited with my next pick in the draft... i hope knicks wont
pick him...

[GoldenStateGM]

Love this pick, and suprised he fell this far.
Bolinger was just as good of a SG guard propsect as a PG prospect.

He really has a chance to be the next Livingston, but will probably never be the defender that Livingston is.  But he may end up being the best offensive player in this draft.

Very, very good jumping ability for a PG...

[NetsGM]

You know what I like about this FBCB drafts so far?  It had good prospects all over the place.  PF, SG, PG.  Not just 15 PG's per draft with a stud sg every few years.  Now, Obviously we don't know which one of these develops (as hopefully not all of them do), bu tit's nice to have more positional balance.  A little more realistic, IMO.

[GoldenStateGM]

To be honest, last year's draft had the best variety of talent that any draft has had yet.  Decent player at every position.  

This draft has the standard PG bounty (8 in the top 20, by my count), with some (about 7) SG's and about 5 power players worth consideration in the top 20.  Not really that much different, except for the atrociousness of the SF and C choices.

[NetsGM]

I agree that last year's was good.

But I disagree about balance.  I don't care if x amount of the top 20 are pf's.  Jacquez Holton does nothing for me and can be had every year for the MLE or less.  We haven't had a potential all-star big man come through the draft since Ferry, have we? I mean, last year we druled over Stan Manning who was a B- defender with C+ rebounding and C potential, now he's Shareef Adbur-Rahim.  Chase Hoiberg was nice, but with B- D+ offensively and only a B potential never going to be a 20 ppg scorer.  George Boykins?  I guess he had the potential to be "alright".  It's refreshing.

[GoldenStateGM]

George Boykins had the potential to be more then all-right, imo.

B, C, C-, B, C+ with A potential.

His potential so far has not panned out yet, but he is still younger then Berkowitz.

We shall see how the players progress, is what it comes down to.

[NetsGM]

I don't think Boykins was ever half the prospect as Boykins.  The ln order to be an all-star level pf he would have had to have improved roughly 6 slots imo (2 inside, 2 defense, 2 rebounding).  Berkowitz just really needs to improve 3-4.

Rebounding's (especially in real life) not really an attribute that improves over time.  All the bigs coming into the league with C+ rebounding just never made sense to me.  So because of that our bigs either were really good offensively with no defense or rebounding, or really good defensively with no offense or rebounding.  Never any sense of any complete player (since Griffin)

[GoldenStateGM]

I don't think Boykins was ever half the prospect as Boykins.  The ln order to be an all-star level pf he would have had to have improved roughly 6 slots imo (2 inside, 2 defense, 2 rebounding).  Berkowitz just really needs to improve 3-4.

Rebounding's (especially in real life) not really an attribute that improves over time.  All the bigs coming into the league with C+ rebounding just never made sense to me.  So because of that our bigs either were really good offensively with no defense or rebounding, or really good defensively with no offense or rebounding.  Never any sense of any complete player (since Griffin)

Offensively, Boykins starts off just about equal, although edge to Berkowitz since he starts a B+ C-, rather then a B C.
But defense is incredibly important.  Not just for the obvious reasons, but also because C/PF's who are bad defenders also have a tendency to foul more, especially in their younger years.  

You are right though, in the fact that Berkowitz starts off higher then Boykins.   But Boykins was also 21 when drafted, and Berkowitz 24.

All around players are very rare, however.  But I am curious how last years center crop turns out to be, since they still have plenty of potential.

[OldNuggetsGM]

Berkowitz is listed as an A+ for personal fouls, which I'm assuming means he rarely gets DQ'ed. He's also better than Buehler in quickness, strength, and jumping ability.

Buehler is an overall better defender, but is only a C- for personal fouls.  He's better in stealing and blocking than Berkowitz too.  

It will definitely be interesting to see how those translate once the sim gets underway, because it seems like all the ancillary qualities outline Berkowitz as having the edge, yet the 5 category ratings that FBB uses has Buehler two ratings ahead for defense.

[MagicGM]

sadly this thread has been bolinger to berkowitz.