ESPN Insider: Trey Burke should go #1 overall

Submitted by GRBluefan on

Title basically says it all.  One of the ESPN Insider writers (in this case David Thorpe) makes a case for why Trey Burke should be the overall #1 pick, backing it with STATS!!! 

 

I don't believe this is part of a series where they have different writers make cases for different players.  I believe this is his honest opinion. 

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog/_/name/nba_draft/id/9185758/2013-nba-draft-case-why-trey-burke-no-1-overall-pick

Business Time

April 19th, 2013 at 5:14 PM ^

Simmons actually just wrote about this yesterday:

Since Portland stupidly passed on MJ for Bowie in 1984, we've seen the following draft calamities at no. 2: Steve Stipanovich, Len Bias (R.I.P.), Armen Gilliam, Danny Ferry, Shawn Bradley, Stromile Swift, Jay Williams, Darko Milicic, Marvin Williams, Michael Beasley, Hasheem Thabeet, Evan Turner and Derrick Williams. Not counting MKG, that's 13 of the last 27 no. 2 picks! Even weirder, 12 other no. 2 picks (Anderson, Mourning, Kidd, Van Horn, McDyess, Camby, Bibby, Francis, Chandler, Okafor, Aldridge, Tisdale) were traded by the teams that selected them within five seasons.

Only Kevin Durant and Gary Payton became franchise players for the teams that drafted them … only that franchise no longer exists. So if you're counting Seattle's murdered franchise, if MKG doesn't make it, we'll be 0 for the last 28 in the "pick him second, pencil him as your franchise guy for the next 12-15 years, retire his jersey" department. There's a reason they call that pick "Number Two."

jmblue

April 19th, 2013 at 5:53 PM ^

Have to take issue with some of Simmons's points here.

First, drafting Bowie over MJ was not that bad of a move.  Portland already had Clyde Drexler (who is now in the Hall of Fame), so why would they draft another shooting guard?  Bowie, when healthy, was a good player.  He just couldn't stay healthy.

Second, it's clear from the list above that about half of those guys actually did turn out to be good players.  Yeah, it's weird that a lot of them were traded, but they didn't have to be.  It's just an odd coincidence.

And then the Seattle thing is just dumb.  Payton and Durant don't count because the franchise happened to move (after Peyton retired, no less)?

 

 

 

Mr. Yost

April 21st, 2013 at 7:36 AM ^

He's Ray Felton ---> Andre Miller (good years) impact level.

Not bad, that's a long career. That's all start games. That's just not All-Time NBA.

I think he can be a Top 10 PG in the league for the next years.

Needs

April 19th, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^

Trey may not have Lawson's athleticism, but he's got way more than Jameer Nelson ever had. Jameer Nelson had a killer crossover and stepback, but he never had Trey's court vision and he could never have blocked a ball a foot above the rim.

Jinxed

April 20th, 2013 at 7:59 AM ^

So much ignorant homerism in this thread...... some people take a Jameer Nelson-Trey Burke comparison as a slight to Burke when the truth is Burke will be lucky to play at that level in the NBA. Most guys, even those taken in the lottery, don't get to start 7+ years for a team that even made the finals one year and become an All Star. 

Mr. Yost

April 21st, 2013 at 7:46 AM ^

I just think Nelson is "slow and fat." Okay, that was an exaggeration...but I feel like you know what I mean.

Impact wise, I can certainly see what you're saying. I just say somewhere between Ray Felton and Andre Miller (good years)...so Nelson fits in there, so does Ty Lawson for that matter.

Burke's a lesser version of Chris Paul if we're doing playing style comparisons. I mean, he models his entire game after Paul. I think Deron Williams is another player who Burke compares with. Deron

I know people say "well at this point in Paul's career, he and Burke were on the same level." This is true. Paul wasn't NEARLY the player he is today. But his ceiling was WAY higher than Burke's.

Trey's great, but I don't see him becoming NBA elite (for his entire career). That doesn't mean he's not going to be NBA ROY like Paul. It doesn't mean he won't make all-star games or even be considered a top 3 PG in the league for a fews years. It just means I don't see him on the level (career wise) as Paul, Nash, and Parker.

But if his career is Chauncey Billups...is that a bad thing?

Tater

April 19th, 2013 at 2:37 PM ^

As long as he is a high lottery pick, I will be very happy for him.  I would almost like to see him go to Cleveland so that Ohio fans would have to cheer for a Wolverine.