Going into the draft, my primary concern was to get some inside help. Now that this hope has been dashed (I hope they'll do something, but through the draft seems to be out), my next hope is to find someone who can offset Parker.
The tough part is that there are not many guys who are first rate defenders much less are able to keep his man in front of him. Of course, it's worth noting that Parker uses a lot of picks, so quickness is not enough. It was notable that at times LeBron did better against Parker than any of the other Cavs with his height and strength.
It's not clear there is much help available through the draft. Mike Conley is probably the best on the ball defender in the first round he'll be long gone before the Suns could even imagine getting him. Frankly the other first round guards tend to be good on offense and less so on defense. (Byars is one of the few who are noted for defense, but he's not a superior athlete and that's what it takes to stop Parker).
All of which makes me intrigued by Rodney Stuckey. Besides being a great offensive player, he tested out as the fasted player in Orlando with very good (but not exceptional) leaping ability. At 6'5" (with shoes) 207, and 14 bench press reps, he's got the size to play defense; although being from Eastern Washington means he has not faced much serious opposition.
In any case, the problem with getting Stuckey is that there are other teams looking at him:
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2102
Quote:
Stuckey to Detroit?
-Does Rodney Stuckey have a promise from Detroit? That’s what some people are starting to believe, even though we don’t really buy these types of rumors, since it makes very little sense. Some people (including one NBA team) say that Stuckey is privately claiming to have received the guarantee, while others believe he is one of a handful of players Detroit is considering with the 15th pick.
Stuckey's agent, Aaron Goodwin, told us in response that "This rumor was started and perpetuated by other agents, and all will see that Stuckey will continue to workout and definitely for teams with picks before the 15th. I’ve heard it from teams also, and I have told them this also. "
Interestingly enough, Stuckey has one workout scheduled with the Seattle Supersonics, who hold the #2 and #31 picks, neither of which are in his range. That workout, to be held on June 11th, will be conducted with Acie Law, who isn’t really in that range at all either. We were told to “draw our own conclusions” from that, while being assured that there is a “method behind the madness.”
Similarly to what we discussed yesterday with Portland, this could very well be another situation where Seattle could easily jump up and land a late lottery pick if they so desire. Stuckey is also scheduled to work out for the Phoenix Suns on the 18th. The Suns are telling people that they are planning on packaging the picks to move up and nab the player they like most, which is exactly what they said last year as well (holding the #21 and #27 spots) before selling/trading both picks.
|
Linear Mode
