Atlanta Falcons 7 Round Draft Predictions

Draft season is upon us and I have to say this has been one of the weirdest drafts I can remember. Multiple projected 1st round picks have hurt their stock so much that a few of them may actually fall to the mid 2nd round. What I decided to do here is give a breakdown of the Falcons top 3 needs, then go round by round and give what I want the Falcons to do and what I think they actually do.

The Falcons are in one of those weird situations where they have plenty of very good players, yet still seem to have so many needs. It just doesn't make sense, I think our issues really started between the time we gave Ray Edwards a huge contract and the time we let “The Predator” John Abraham go.

I had real trouble pinpointing just 3 needs because it’s a challenge of picking between a lesser needed position with less talent, or a more needed position that is better off than the lesser position.

Team Needs

Pass Rushing-

This was the easiest need to pick and it’s an obvious one. Our team leader in sacks last year was Kroy Biermann with an amazing 4.5 sacks and the next closest player was Osi Umenyiora with 2.5 sacks… That is just pathetic.

The Falcons as team had only 22 sacks, which was tied for 2nd worst in the league. That is just unacceptable. Part of it did have to do with Mike Nolan’s scheme and play calling, but let’s be honest you can only do so much when you don’t have the talent on the field.

A new coaching regime means a change in scheme, but they need to go out and get the players to fit their vision. They made a few decent signings (Justin Durant and Brooks Reed) but nothing that appears to be a game changer.

With 4 top level pass rushers projected to go within the first 15 picks the Falcons should be able to land one of them to be the main guy to fill that role. I will get to exactly who I would like and who I think they actually get later.

Secondary-

The secondary has some very good young pieces but there are still a few question marks and opportunities for improvement.

We have one of the best young lockdown corners in the league with Desmond Trufant who is entering his 3rd season along with draft mate Robert Alford who is impressive in his own right. However we lost a solid nickel cornerback in Robert McClain who signed with the Patriots, Josh Wilson who signed with Detroit, and Javier Arenas who is still a free agent.

Outside of Trufant and Alford we have newly acquired Phillip Adams who I really don’t have any faith in, Ricardo Allen who was a late round draft pick last year that spent most of the season on the practice squad but seems to have a real fire to play, and Jordan Mabin who is a practice squad player.

At safety we have hard hitting veteran William Moore at Strong Safety. He is a very good player, but had a disappointing 2013, and an injury riddled 2014. I still believe he is the answer at strong safety but i’ve heard faith in him isn’t very strong. The free safety spot is currently given to Dez Southward, a lightning quick 2nd year player. Dwight Lowery held the starting role last year but he left in free agency and that position is up for grabs. I personally think a Safety tandem of William Moore and Kemal Ishmael is what we should go with but Ish is currently Moore’s backup, despite having a very good season filling in at both safety spots.

Wide Receiver-

When you first look at the roster you wouldn’t think this is a big need, however if you really think about it we have an aging Roddy White, a void at WR #3 with the departure of Harry Douglas, and his replacement who is an aging Devin Hester.

Now I personally thought the perfect replacement for Roddy White was already on the roster in Drew Davis, but the Falcons got rid of him this offseason. In came Leonard Hankerson (a Shanahan guy who I’m not sold on) and some 2nd year players who barely saw the field last year.

Now we have plenty of other needs at this time, but it would be wise to get a partner for Julio while Roddy is still producing so we can bring him along and not thrust him into the pressure cooker. I wouldn’t use a top 2 round pick on a WR but 3-4 rounds would be a nice spot to grab a guy.

Draft Picks

Round 1: Pick 8-

Who I want: Dante Fowler Jr - OLB - Florida

My original realistic pick here was Shane Ray but after his citation for possession of marijuana on Monday, it is obvious he is no longer an option at the #8 pick. So my new pick is a player we would have to work to get, but is the best player for us in the draft. Dante Fowler was recruited to UF by now Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn. Quinn coached Fowler for 2 years and has expressed his desire to be reunited with Fowler in Atlanta. Now in order for this to happen the Falcons would need to package some picks and move up to either 3 or 5 to snag him depending on what Tennessee does. As Clayton and I have discussed before, Fowler is not the best pure pass rusher in the draft, however he is the best all around player of the top pass rushers. I think he is exactly what we need, and can be the cornerstone of this defense (along with Trufant) for the next decade.

Who I think we get: Vic Beasley - OLB - Clemson

Vic Beasley is a guy that has been projected anywhere from 3rd overall down to 11th overall. He is an elite pass rushing talent, but his lack of size does scare me a bit but I think he is well worth the pick. He has an NFL ready spin move that could terrorize the NFC South for the next decade.  If he is still there at #8 the Falcons won’t hesitate to turn in that pick card.

Round 2: Pick 42-

Who I want: Quentin Rollins - CB/S - Miami (Ohio)

This pick was very tough for me. We have a few needs that need to be addressed here, but some of those positions didn’t have good value players at this spot. Rollins might not be the best DB available when we get to this pick but he has great upside for someone with as little experience as him. He plays the ball in the air tremendously well but struggles with his assignments in coverage. He is a stout run support DB as well, which is huge for us. The big plus for him is he has the ability to play corner or safety which are both areas of need for us, which is why I think he is such a good pick here.

Who I think we get: Maxx Williams - TE - Minnesota

I am wary of taking a tight end here because it is so hard to evaluate this position in college and how well they will transition to the NFL. The Falcons have missed horribly in the past when drafting tight ends to replace Tony Gonzalez. Many people have compared Williams to Rob Gronkowski, now if he can be even close to that then I would be ecstatic with this pick, but I just don’t see that happening. We’ve seen so many highly touted TE’s be merely average at the next level. I think we have too many needs to take Williams here, but if he can live up to the hype it could end up being a huge steal for the Falcons. With that being said, I think we take him here simply based on the players available that don’t match our needs and the potential he has.

Round 3: Pick 73-

Who I want: AJ Cann - G - South Carolina

I’ve seen Cann projected anywhere from the early 40’s to the late 70’s. I personally think he will be here for us at #73. Now maybe that is wishful thinking but if the great Mel Kiper Jr. has him in the 3rd round I am inclined to think he has a good chance of being there. Cann would be a huge value pick here, being the 2nd rated player at his position in the draft. He doesn’t exactly fit the zone blocking scheme because he lacks quick agility off the snap, but he is just too good to pass up here when we have a need at that LG spot.

Who I think we get: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu - CB - Oregon

With pass rush and tight end taken care of in the first 2 rounds I think the Falcons target the secondary here. He has first round talent but a knee injury has hurt his value, but in the 3rd round this is a steal. He does have a bit of a scary style of play, trying to bait QB’s that often puts him in bad positioning, unorthodox tackling at times, and doesn’t have great top speed to stick deep down field. However, I think he has great raw ability, won’t be bullied into opening up too early, and is great on the fly. With Trufant and Alford already set at CB1 and CB2 I think this is the perfect place for a guy like Ifo who can come in without a lot of pressure and just learn the system and hold his own. If we don’t get Rollins in the 2nd I would be happy with this pick here.

Round 4: Pick 107-

Who I want: Chris Conley - WR - Georgia

As a Georgia fan i’ve always loved Conley, but the rest of America didn’t even know about him, that is until his impressive combine performance. He ran a 4.35 40 and also had a 45” vert which is just ridiculous. Now some team might jump on him late in the 3rd round but I feel like he might be there due to his lack of precise route running and his drops that he had at the combine. If we could get him and have him learn under one of the most disciplined and impressive route runners in Roddy White, then he could be ready to explode onto the scene in 2 years when Roddy is ready to give up the WR2 role.

Who I think we get: Josue Matias - OL - Florida State

The value of this pick is in the fact that as an impressive LG he also has Tackle experience. He could play any spot along the line for us which adds to his value here. He has good footwork off the snap and is quick to get his hands on his opponent. There are plenty of impact players left at this spot but we need help on the offensive line and he can step in at other positions when the injury bug strikes as it has the past 2 years.

Round 5: Pick 146-

Who I want: Jeremy Langford - RB - Michigan State

This would be the ideal pick here, if a team doesn’t jump on him early. Running back is a position where we can improve, but we are decent at already. Devonta Freeman seems poised to impress with an increased role with the departure of Steven Jackson, and Antone Smith should bounce back from a leg injury that cut short his very impressive 2014 campaign. He is a very good pass blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield, something current Chicago Bear Jacquizz Rodgers provided for the Falcons in the past. His downside is he isn’t the type to take on contact and fight through it. Seems more like the type to bounce it outside a lot, but with him being our 3rd string back I think that is ok.

Who I think we get: Jeremy Langford - RB - Michigan State

I think this is the guy we end up with.

Round 6: Pick 185-

Who I want: Wes Saxton - TE - South Alabama

In the 6th round you are almost always getting a project. What better project than a tight end who runs a 4.65 40 who has very good hands. He is a poor blocker, but that’s what the other 5 TE’s on our roster are for. He won't be brought in and asked to produce right away, but he could be a good situational player that has a chance to prove himself and earn a larger role in year 2.

Who I think we get: Rannell Hall - WR -Central Florida

Here we have a guy that can come in and offer depth at the WR spot while also playing special teams. He has good vertical speed as a former track star, but needs to work on his hands and route running. This is basically a chance pick, that could workout or not but won’t have a huge impact if it doesn’t.

Round 7: Pick 225-

Who I want: JaCorey Shepherd - CB - Kansas

Project corner with great ball skills, but lacks the the true speed to stick with NFL WR’s. Basically a depth pick, most likely ends up on the practice squad.

Who I think we get: Ray Drew - DE - Georgia

Surprise, surprise, another Georgia Alum on my list. Drew is a guy that arrived in Athens with huge expectations and just never reached them. You would think that would fuel his desire at the next level, but I fear he failed to meet the hype simply because he just doesn’t have that desire to be one of the best. He has many flaws to his game, but at this stage in the draft you are just looking for anybody with potential, and the fact he was once a highly touted recruit means there is something in his game worth looking at.

Round 7: Pick 249-

Who I want: JR Tavai - LB - USC

This is a high motor, high effort guy that has played LB and DT in his college career. He has the aggression and the desire to possibly earn a special teams spot in his rookie year.

Who I think we get: Joey Mbu - DT - Houston

High character guy that just goes out and handles business. Not gonna do anything great but is a solid guy.

NBA Playoffs: Round 1

Jeff-

Well the NBA regular season has finally come to a close and there were definitely some surprises throughout the year. So let’s go ahead and break down the first round of the playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Hawks (1) vs Nets (8)

All year I have thought that the Hawks were a fluke, but they get a lucky draw here avoiding the Celtics and the Pacers and they end up with the Nets.

While I believe the Hawks are overrated the Nets are still no match for them. I could see Brooklyn snagging 1 game in this series, most likely game 4 to push it to a 5th game.

The Nets just don’t have enough to hang with this Hawks team.

Result: Hawks in 5.

Cavaliers (2) vs Celtics (7)

This is the matchup I definitely didn’t want as a Celtics fan. Boston managed to win 2 games against Cleveland in the final few games of the season but Cleveland rested most of their key players in those 2 games.

The Celtics are an exciting young team with the likes of Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, and Kelly Olynyk so there will definitely be some entertaining moments in this series but the Celtics just don’t have enough yet.

Lebron will come out as a master facilitator in this series, while trying to get Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love comfortable in their first playoff action of their careers.

Result: Cavs in 4.

Bulls (3) vs Bucks (6)

I really don’t see the Bulls as a huge threat this year. They just have too much going on with this roster. Can Rose stay healthy and perform at a high level? Can Jimmy Butler be the key guy when it comes to crunch time in the playoffs? Can Pau continue his impressive season and carry this team the way LA hoped he would do for them?

With all the questions about the Bulls, it still isn’t enough to give the Bucks a chance in this series.

Since the trade for Michael Carter-Williams the Bucks are 11-18, that just isn’t good enough.

If Parker was healthy, I could see Milwaukee snagging a game, but without him, this team stands no chance.

Result: Bulls in 4.

Raptors (4) vs Wizards (5)

This should easily be the best series in the East during the 1st round. Coming into the season I was very high on the Wiz but they have definitely faltered as of late.

This a classic matchup of a high scoring offense (Toronto) vs a top 10 defense (Washington). So the question is, which will win out?

The battle of John Wall vs Kyle Lowry will be a very entertaining side piece to the series. While Lowry is a very good PG I have to give the edge to John Wall here. He has had a phenomenal season and is finally putting it all together.

While Beal seems to be rounding into form, I think DeRozan has the slight edge in their matchup. Derozan has averaged 25 and 5 in the month of April and seems poised to have a huge performance in round 1.

The true difference maker in this series to me is Paul Pierce. Yes he is old, and isn’t the elite player he once was, but he has championship pedigree and still knows how to get it done when the bright lights are on. It also helps that he has had an “old man game” since his days in Kansas. I think he will abuse Terrence Ross in this series and average an impressive 18 ppg.

This is a very tough one for me and I actually changed my mind about 3 times just while writing this article.

Result: Wizards in 7.

Western Conference

Warriors (1) vs Pelicans (8)

This is the only series in the West in the 1st round that is pretty easy to pick.

Anthony Davis can’t do it on his own, but sadly he has to. There isn’t much analysis to this series. Steph Curry will be Steph Curry, Klay Thompson will be Klay Thompson

I can’t call this one a sweep though. I predict Anthony Davis going off for 40 and 15 in 1 game to grab a win.

Overall I think the Warriors win by an average of about 15 ppg.

Result: Warriors in 5.

Rockets (2) vs Mavericks (7)

This is going to be a monster series. James Harden is absolutely locked in this season, while the Mavs seem to just get things done.

The Rockets have 7 players averaging at least 11.5 ppg, while the Mavs only have 4. Also, one of those guys, Parsons, may not be ready to play. If Parsons doesn’t play, this series could be over pretty quickly. However, if he is back and ready to go this will be a very good series.

We have good matchups with Harden vs Ellis, Dwight vs Tyson, and Parsons vs his replacement Ariza.

Rondo always seems to shine brightest when on the big stage, but Dallas Rondo just seems like a different guy so I don’t know what to expect from him.

Win or lose this series will wear down James Harden as he attempts to carry this team for a 7 game series against a very tough opponent.

Result: Rockets in 7.

Clippers (3) vs Spurs (6)

The Clippers can’t be happy about drawing the Spurs in round 1. This was supposed to be the year the Clippers made a deep run. Meanwhile, every year the Spurs are “too old” and “done”.

Many people have the Spurs winning this series, having lost only 2 games in the last month of the NBA season.

However, I still believe in Doc Rivers and the Clippers. It won’t be easy, but they can definitely pull this one out.

Chris Paul has to be motivated by all the Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook best PG argument. Now is his time to remind everybody who the real best point in the league is.

Down low you have some excellent bigs with DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin, and Tim Duncan. Blake Griffin had a very impressive season and DeAndre Jordan was a monster averaging 15 boards per game. On the other side you have Old Faithful, the Big Fundamental. However, I gotta give the advantage to the Clippers on this one.

The real question here is which Kawhi Leonard is going to show up? The aggressive, beast from last years finals, or the passive, tends to disappear Leonard that can show himself from time to time.

The Spurs seem to make a deep run just about every year regardless of what the “experts” say about them, but I think this is the year we see an early exit from them. The Clippers have only lost once since March 17th and seem to be on a roll.

Result: Clippers in 6.

Trail Blazers (4) vs Grizzlies (5)

This is one of those weird cases where the 5 seed has home court advantage over the 4 seed. How much of a difference will that make in this series though?

If the Blazers still had Wes Matthews I would say they win this series 9 out of 10 times. Without him, it looks like they will be facing an uphill battle.

Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge are both phenomenal players but will they be enough to overcome the Grizz?

Memphis is one of those teams that doesn’t blow you away with great offensive performances, but they are tough and grind out wins with hard nosed defense and a 1-2 punch of Randolph and Gasol down low.

The addition of former Celtic Jeff Green gives them that scoring threat on the wing that they have missed in years past.

Lillard and Aldridge will obviously do what they need to do in this series but i’m not sure they have enough around them to win this series. If they want any chance they are going to need Afflalo, Lopez, and Batum to play out of their minds.

This is tough for me because I really like Portland and i’m not a huge fan of Memphis so my heart is telling me one thing but my gut is telling me another.

Result: Grizzlies in 7.

Clayton-

The playoffs are so difficult to predict for me, it is a mini march madness. Who knows how people will play and which coach will help a team or prevent them from playing to their potential? let’s get to it.

Eastern Conference

Hawks (1) vs Nets (8)

I know you have been down on the Hawks because you think they are a fluke. I believe if they were healthy and not about to have distractions they would easily be in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The night Chris Copeland of the Pacers got stabbed it hurt two franchises. The Pacers and the Hawks. Pero Antic got arrested and some diplomatic legal issues have arisen from that, and Thabo Sefolosha broke his ankle due to his claims of the police being too forceful. Though Thabo is no star, that injury will hurt and the whole distraction will be a huge hinderance.

The Hawks also have an injury to Paul Millsap, which can not be understated. This Hawks squad is definitely limping into the playoffs.

The Nets are unlikely to have much of a chance, but actually seem to have gotten the Hawks in a better way than one might think. By getting into the playoffs, they got a worse draft pick. The Hawks can switch them picks due to the disastrous Joe Johnson trade… Take that Atlanta.

Brook Lopez has been great the last two months, likely leading him to opt out this offseason, but the Nets will need huge performances from Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.

Result: Hawks in 4.

Cavaliers (2) vs Celtics (7)

The Celtics were supposed to be in the running for a Top 5 pick going into this season and maybe even a Top 3 pick after trading Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green. Well that didn’t actually work out.

Brad Stevens should get serious consideration for coach of the year. This Celtics squad is a bunch of young players and role players. Yet they had the the second best record in the east since February 2nd (24-12).

The Cavs? Well they are the best team in the east since then at 22-10. No real analysis is needed for this one. Maybe the Celtics win a game due to Brad Stevens being an amazing coach, but doubtful.

Result: Cavs in 4.

Bulls (3) vs Bucks (6)

People are making the Bulls out to be a real threat to the Cavs… I doubt that. They have 4 great big men, but Jimmy Butler can’t do it on his own at the wing. Derrick Rose’s injury is detrimental and definitely harmful to this series. Will he be able to chase this crazy athletic Bucks team around all game? Might be another knee injury waiting to happen.

Tom Thibodeau may be a Top 5 coach, but the way he runs his players to the ground is starting to get to me as a fan of basketball. No wonder they falter as the playoffs come along..

I love this Bucks team. Long, athletic, and loads of potential. The Greek Freak is going to have a huge game sometime in this series and I think they pull one out.

Jason Kidd has proven he is a very good coach, bringing this young team to the playoffs despite expectations of a high lottery pick again. They are clearly ahead of schedule and might come back down to earth a bit next year, but let’s worry about that later

Result: Bulls in 5.

Raptors (4) vs Wizards (5)

Raptors won this season series 3 games to 0. Now that really doesn’t mean anything right now, their last head to head was in February, but I don’t think that should be forgotten.

So much could be said about these two squads. They match up pretty well, but it comes down to the coaches in my opinion. Dwane Casey is not really a great coach, but he has one distinct advantage… He is not Randy Wittman.

Wittman should be fired regardless if they win this series or not. The Wizards are only 12-10 since the start of March, with 2 losses to Brooklyn, 2 losses to Indiana, a loss to Sacramento and a loss to Denver

12-10 is adequate, but Wittman will likely screw this up for them.

Result: Raptors in 6.

Western Conference

Warriors (1) vs Pelicans (8)

I really want to agree with Jeff and say that Anthony Davis will win a game for the Pelicans, but the Warriors have just so much depth that I have a hard time seeing it.

According to Tom Haberstroh, when Davis is on the floor versus the Warriors this season, it is 171-167 in the Warriors favor. That helps the case for at least a single win, but Davis can’t play all 48 each game, not to mention Monty Williams is another awful coach.

Jeff made the case easy.

Result: Warriors in 4

Rockets (2) vs Mavericks (7)

Let me get this out of the way, Harden has been great this year, but he is not the MVP. Now with that out of the way, let’s get to it.

Harden is apparently a superhero because he can’t get tired and plays at such a high level all the time. But he can’t play all 5 positions.

Dwight missed so much time this year and I have a hard time trusting that balky knee of his. Donatas Motiejunas is out for the playoffs because of a back injury. Patrick Beverley is out for the playoffs because of wrist surgery. Kostas Papanikolaou has been awful since about January and he has a hurt ankle. Terrence Jones only played 33 games this year. And oh… can you really trust Josh Smith?

Dallas has been absolutely dreadful since trading for Rondo, but I am giving them a good chance here. Tell Rondo to prove himself as a defender and guard Harden and see what happens.

Rockets have the 3-1 season advantage, but the Mavs won the most recent. Despite Parsons having a sore knee, I still give the Mavs the edge. All the injuries to the Rockets will definitely hurt here in the playoffs. Guess you can call this my upset alert.

Result: Mavericks in 7

Clippers (3) vs Spurs (6)

Old and aging versus the younger and supremely athletic. Chris Paul is playing at an MVP level as usual and DeAndre Jordan has played his way to a likely max contract. All the advantages seem to point towards the Clippers.

There are five issues I have with assuming the Clippers win.

1. Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has been a monster the last two and a half months. Ever since he got healthy he is back to last year’s form. Post All-Star break, he has a slash line of 52/36/80 while averaging 19 points per game, nearly 7 rebounds a game and 2.6 steals a game. In his last 10 games he is shooting over 57% from the field. He has been so good defensively, especially after the break, despite missing time this year, he could win the Defensive Player of the Year. Leonard is back, no questions.

2. Popovich in my opinion is still the superior coach over Rivers.

3. They have the 7th best offense and the 3rd best defense.

4. The Clippers are so easily messed with that it is hilarious. bully them on the court even a little and they crumble. If they aren’t allowed to be “Lob City,” they whine and cry. Paul, Blake Griffin and Doc are some of the biggest cryers in the league and the refs are seeing through this now.

5. Did I mention Kawhi?

Result:Spurs in 6.

Trail Blazers (4) vs Grizzlies (5)

The Grizzlies appeared to be on the way to a Top 2 seed. Then after trading for Jeff Green, everything got thrown out of whack. It was not necessarily Green performing poorly, though he wasn’t great, it just seemed to throw off the chemistry.

The Blazers have the injury blues. Wes Matthews’ achilles rupture is devastating. Arron Afflalo has been okay, but he is no Matthews. I do not agree with Jeff though that with Matthews this series would be over. The Grizzlies swept the season series 4-0 and only had one game without Wes Matthews, the March 21st game. Two of the Three games with Matthews were double digit losses…

Honestly, I wish the Grizzlies got the Clippers. This series will have a couple exciting moments, probably thanks to Damian Lillard scoring after letting his man score since he has no clue what defense is, but will it be truly entertaining?  I don’t know.

These are two teams are good defensively overall, but will LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez be able to hold the line after Lillard’s man slashes inside? Will Mike Conley’s foot let him play to his level or will it continue to make him suck? Will Batum continue to be a non-factor? So many questions and not many good answers.

Result: Grizzlies in 6

Players We Hope to See More of Next Season

Clayton -

Alright Jeff, the NBA season is nearly over and for many teams, and seeds just got wrapped up. It was exciting with some teams beating the odds and making the playoffs, while the juggernauts have started to rest guys for some time.

What I want to talk about are players on teams that should be getting good steady looks at to see what they have to give, or guys we are just curious as to why they are not playing more.

Some of these guys are first round picks, while some are second rounders or even an international player.

There will likely be a theme to my guys, athletic, long and raw, but loaded with potential. I clearly have a type, but the downside with some of these guys is that they are high risk-high reward type guys in terms of if they actually develop.  Some could become starters or out of the league in two years.

Let’s say a list of four to six each.

Perry Jones III - SF - Oklahoma City

Jones has been a favorite of mine ever since he was at Baylor.

At the beginning of the season when Kevin Durant was injured, Jones showed some things and put on a good show before he himself got hurt. Since the All-Star break, Durant has had two more foot surgeries and is now out 4-6 months.

It seemed until Durant got back and Jones got healthy himself, he was going to finally get a chance to showcase his abilities. That has not happened.

To boost their bench, the Thunder made a flurry of trades to help out in the playoffs. Sadly, the injury to Durant and now Serge Ibaka, some of those guys are getting too many minutes. At the 3 (small forward), Detroit import Kyle Singler has been getting the nod or Andre Roberson has been stepping in.

While both players are valuable bench players, Perry Jones is far more talented and athletic than either of those two and I find it astounding he has not been able to get more minutes.

Admittedly, Jones has been hampered by ankle injuries this season, but this goes back to last year. He clearly should never take minutes away from Durant, but even before the injury, Durant could not play every minute.

Jones has had some bad games, but he should be much further along in his development, thus allowing the Thunder to use him more often.

This to me comes down to the coaches. Scott Brooks has been receiving more and more flack the past two seasons, and now we should start questioning his abilities. His in game tactics are already poor, but is his inability to develop players hurting the Thunder?

Recently, Brooks was rated as the 20th coach in the league. Obviously not every team can have the best coach or even a top 5 coach, but this is starting to become a hinderance.

Yes Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka have developed, but that could come down to their own doings plus their crazy talent levels. Some coaches have held back teams, just look at Randy Wittman and the Washington Wizards.

To me, Perry Jones is an incredibly special talent and is still only 23. He is a 6’11” small forward who is an incredible athlete and just begging to be developed. He can post up, has a developing jumper and can drive the lane.

Jones does have some weaknesses such as defense, and his own injuries.

Yet Brooks and the Thunder’s inability to develop players such as Jones has lead them to trade for Andre Roberson in 2013 and draft Josh Huestis (his signing a D-League deal is a whole different mess brought on).

If you do not have the room for all these assets, or belief in your own players, cut bait, trade some of them away… or diversify your picks. The Huestis pick was asinine in the first place. He was more of a mid-second round pick and the Thunder took him in the first round… what?

The Thunder already seemed resigned that Reggie Jackson was going to be shipped out at some point after he declined their extension, so why not trade him earlier or draft a 1 (point guard) in Huestis’ place to serve as a backup or project. Spencer Dinwiddie comes to mind or even Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles thanks you Washington!). Both guys could have been late first round picks.

In the end, Jones may be a change of scenery guy or just a bench player, but with the wing positions nowadays being so decrepit, you have to at least try to develop freaks like this.

If he were to pan out he could be a solid average starter that averaged double figures in scoring and seven or eight rebounds a game.

Moe Harkless - SF - Orlando Magic

I do not know if the Magic have a clue of what they are doing at times.

They signed Channing Frye to a big deal, 4 years and $32 million, and apparently have no clue of how to use him.

Signing Ben Gordon to a contract? What?

Willie Green? Yeah sure...

Trading up for Elfrid Payton, surrendering the draft right to Dario Saric and their 2017 first round draft pick? Payton has played the 1 very well, but still has no clue how to shoot the ball.

Draft Aaron Gordon as a possible replacement for Tobias Harris, who is likely to cash in on free agency this summer (and the GM saying they will match any offer), despite having the player of discussion here in, Moe Harkless.

But then they have done things that were smart.

Signing Nikola Vucevic to an extension.

Firing Jacques Vaughn as their head coach.

This all leads to a confusing situation that has Moe Harkless playing less and less. The previous two years, Harkless played 78 and 80 games. How many games has Harkless played this season with 7 games left?  40 games.

Harkless is still only 21 and though he may have stagnated a bit this year, that could be blamed on Vaughn. This year, his numbers are down, as can be expected with his much reduced role

Harkless is 6’9” small forward who last year was developing a reliable 3 point shot (38% in 2013/14), but struggled at the charity strip (59.4%).

Is he still a project in his third year in the league? Yes. That can be attributed to Vaughn’s lack of ability in player development and added talent at his position.

With Harris likely leaving this summer (don't tell the GM that), Harkless could see his role increased as the guy behind Aaron Gordon, but with the rumors of the Magic trying to trade him, he may need a change of scenery. His length and athleticism could make him very intriguing to a team this summer.

With is 3 point shooting, length and athleticism, Harkless could turn into a Trevor Ariza type player. He may be a tick below that, but at 21, he still has loads of time to develop if given the chance.

Archie Goodwin - PG/SG -Phoenix Suns

Goodwin is a 6’5” combo guard who can handle the ball well. He is not an awful shooter, but needs to to bring up his percentages. Even though he has already been in the league two years, he is only 20 years old and was the youngest American drafted in 2013. He is still quite raw, but he is still younger than some of the incoming guys of the 2015 NBA Draft.

When Goodwin was originally drafted by the Thunder in 2013, it was an interesting pick to put behind Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson. Goodwin would have been stuck a bit, but he could develop and either become trade bait or wait for Jackson to be traded like he eventually was.

Then almost immediately he was sent to the Suns. With Goran Dragic, it seemed like a good fit for a team that was assumed to be looking at a lottery pick. Then the Suns traded Jared Dudley and got otherworldly PG Eric Bledsoe, eventually extending him. Goodwin was definitely blocked now, but at least he had two very good guys in front of him again and could come off the bench… oh wait.

Also on the team was Kendall Marshall (eventually let go in 2013) and in 2014, the Suns drafted Tyler Ennis.

But wait! There’s more! The Suns made a crazy signing of Isaiah Thomas this past summer. that is five 1’s on one roster. that is some poor roster construction.

Things were starting to look up when Dragic said he would not re-sign and was shipped out to Miami. Then the Suns bailed on Thomas and traded him to Boston. Yet another PG was traded when the Suns traded Ennis in a deal bringing in combo guard Brandon Knight (I was actually a fan of this deal, but hated the giving up of the Lakers protected pick for them. As a Lakers fan, it was of no consequence since we still would not have it outside the Top 5).

At one point, Goodwin’s agent started making some noise about Goodwin wanting a trade to get more time. It never brought about anything, but if it was requested, you could understand why.

Now the Suns have Bledsoe, Knight, Goodwin,and not before mentioned P.J. Tucker, Gerald Green, Reggie Bullock and A.J. Price all to play 2 spots. That meant Goodwin played a lot in the D-League, up until mid-February when he got pulled up for good it seems (after the trade deadline).

It still does not make much sense.

Goodwin has started to get more playing time after the deadline, but it is still sporadic at best. He had a stretch of mid to high teens or even in the twenties in terms of minutes played and putting up decent numbers, to playing three minutes against Oklahoma City.

Though there was heavy turnover, the Suns still need better roster construction. This summer they need to deal a few of these guards for another big or two. Goodwin is still extremely young and deserves more time to develop, as he has a good ceiling of at least a solid backup guard.

James Young - SF - Boston Celtics

As a Lakers fan I have no clue what I am doing here. I should hate Celtics players, but crazily enough there are quite a few that I think have good potential. Young tops that list for me.

Marcus Smart may have the bigger name and even the bigger ceiling, but there is much to like about Young. Young is still only 19, 6’7” with a 7’ wingspan. Young was considered at worst a 3 and D guy, but I think there is more to him other than range and defense, though they are both promising.

During the draft, ESPN’s Bill Simmons was ecstatic to get Young, while I was pissed they were able to snag him. Young at Kentucky averaged 17/5/2 on a team featuring Julius Randle, Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress and the perennially loved but actually dreadful Harrison twins. There was not a lot of room to be able to put up good numbers and Young did just that. He was more of an outside threat, but with the above mentioned players, there was not much room to slash and drive. This kid was actually underutilized.

Sadly, there was talk of a Kentucky coach or employee saying some stuff about Young’s character, but to this point, he seems pretty clean.

Young is struggling when he is up on the Celtics (being shuttled back and forth between Boston and the D League), but that can be attributed to his lack of playing time. Generally I would say that is on the coach, but actually Brad Stevens is a magician. Stevens actually has the Celtics as the 7th seed, with a team currently filled with just really good role players.

Young on the big squad is shooting only a line of 34/26/56, but down in the D League, Young is shooting 46/44/76. Yes the competition is not as strong but with Young’s youth, he can start to click next year as the C’s starting 3.

Look for Young to get a big increase in minutes next year.

Glen Rice Jr. - SG - Free Agent

Glenn Robinson III - SF- Philadelphia 76ers

I have these two grouped together because I just really like the pair. Plus their names are Glen(n). What’s not to like?

Both were sought after recruits and sadly disappointed, especially Rice Jr. who was dismissed from Georgia Tech. Robinson was destined to be a huge player at Michigan, but was consistently inconsistent and was lost in the shuffle of talented recruits of the same position at Michigan.

Both guys are long, can shoot and are pretty athletic. They are cheap, and both were only second round picks, Rice at 35 and Robinson at 40.

Rice Jr. is 6’5” with a 6’9” wingspan. Rice seems to be losing his stock in the league since he is already a free agent again, not to mention he is already 24. That is not old, but not exactly young for a guy that doesn’t have a team with some kind of stock in him.

Rice is the son of one of my personal favorites, Glen Rice, but has not developed the killer 3 that his dad had. Rice may find his future playing internationally, but some bad team such as the Knicks, 76ers, Lakers, Magic, Kings or his dads former team the Hornets.

Robinson III is  currently on the 76ers roster and can’t seem to get the minutes they should be giving him. Robert Covington is somehow starting at the 2, when is natural spot is the 3. Justifiable though considering blossoming 2nd round pick Jerami Grant if starting at the 3.

Behind Covington is Jason Richardson (love the old guy, but come on) and Hollis Thompson. Thompson is way behind Robinson III in my opinion in terms of talent and ceiling.

Robinson is 6’7” with a 6’10” wingspan but is not producing due to only getting into 23 games and playing only 6.2 minutes a game. He still needs to dramatically improve his 3 point shot, but it is not Carter Williams or Rondo level, as Robinson is shooting roughly 30% from deep.

Robinson is the better and younger of the two players, as well as possibly more raw. On his side though, is a solid ceiling of possibly a good sixth man. Philly will likely suck again next year, so Robinson could possibly get more run to improve.

I have no true reasons for liking this pair so much, maybe it is the greatness of their fathers and bloodlines intrigue me, but I feel these two should get a decent chance on at least a bad team. Robinson still has some time, but Rice may be destined to play in China, the Philippines or somewhere in Europe.

Jeff -

Thomas Robinson- PF- Philadelphia 76ers

Robinson is one of those guys that got drafted high. However, his case is a weird one. Halfway through his rookie season he got traded from Sacramento to Houston. I personally think he was a bad fit in Sacramento and that contributed to his slow start.

He was only in Houston for 19 games and had similar stats to his first 50 in Sacramento which were a little over 4 points and 4 rebounds per game. In the offseason he was once again traded, this time to Portland (another bad fit with Aldridge already in place)

While in Portland he again couldn't get over the 4 and 4 average and failed to average more than 12.5 minutes per game in a season and a half.

Now in the 2014-2015 season he was traded from Portland to Denver for Arron Afflalo. Denver sent him out on waivers where the tanking 76ers grabbed him up despite a deal set up with the Nets.

So far he has proven that if he gets the chance he can produce. He is putting up an astounding 8.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in only 17 minutes per game. If he were averaging 20-25 per game he would be a walking double-double.

Some of his weaknesses that most likely contributed to his lack of opportunity thus far are his lack of great size, at a generous 6’9” he doesn’t have an imposing figure in the post. Also, he isn’t a great defender nor does have the defensive ability to alter shots. I also feel the continuous changing of teams has hindered his progression.

Even with these issues I think he has just enough to get the job done given the right amount of minutes. He is explosive and athletic, with a will to compete.

If he can improve his free throw shooting and really perfect his mid range jumper he can be an easy 15 & 10 guy with a 24 minute per game role.

Jeff Withey - C - New Orleans Pelicans

I might be biased here because I played against him in high school but I really think Withey is deserving of more action.

I understand with Asik in the starting role, he is limited to reserve minutes, however, I don’t agree with Ajinca getting them over Withey. Yes, Ajinca has been productive in his role, but I think Withey would give similar production given the minutes and it would help his growth for the future.

Now don’t get me wrong Withey is not some offensive juggernaut that is just being wasted on the bench. He does have his limits but let’s go back to his college days and look at what he can do.

In his senior year at Kansas he averaged over 13 points per game while shooting 58% from the field. That is a pretty good performance for a guy that isn’t known for his offensive game. He also pulled down 8.5 rebounds per game, which in college is a very respectable number. His strength however, is his shot blocking ability. In his final year at Kansas he averaged 4 blocks per game.

With Anthony Davis doing what he does best, the Pelicans don’t need a prolific offensive Center, which is why Asik fits them nicely. If Withey was the main relief for Asik that would be a steady stream of shot blocking and rebounding that was just a continuous surge against opposing big men.

The fact that Jeff Withey gets the 2nd least amount of minutes of any player on the Pelicans is a big mistake in my opinion. I think Withey has the potential to be much better than Asik if given the proper role and the right amount of minutes and coaching.

He is only in his 2nd year so it is not too late, but if he doesn’t see an increase in his role soon it could derail his career before it even gets going.

CJ McCollum - SG - Portland Trail Blazers

Coming out of college he drew comparisons to potential MVP Steph Curry… Let that sink in for a second….

He is a great shooter who can score in many ways. He can take you off the dribble with a deadly first step, and he is an efficient scorer coming off of screens as well.

Now he did have a recent stretch where he saw a significant increase in playing time and during that stretch he averaged 14 points per game and 42% from 3. If that isn’t a reason to give him minutes I don’t know what is.

Now I understand Afflalo getting the bulk of the minutes because he has proven himself as a valuable piece to a franchise when he was in Denver. However, since being traded to Portland his production is way down and he is averaging only 10 points in 30 minutes per game.

If you were to compare each players per 36 minute stats it is clear that McCollum is more productive with his 15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists compared to Afflalo’s 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per 36 minutes.

I can say the two distinct advantages Afflalo has over McCollum are free throw ability and defense. If McCollum could improve his free throw shooting and defense, he would command more minutes per game.

Luigi Datome - SF - Boston Celtics

I have to be honest, before his trade to my C’s I had never heard of this guy. So I looked him up and thought to myself, any guy who can’t get more than 7 minutes per game on the Pistons has to be horrible.

Upon his arrival in Boston I was pleasantly surprised by what he brought to the table. While Stevens gave him a very limited role he capitalized on it and made an impression.

Getting only 9 minutes per game, he has averaged 4.5 points per game and is shooting 48% from three.

What was clear about Luigi from day 1 is that he is a natural scorer who can also put his back to the basket and make some guys look foolish. (note by Clayton: Datome was the MVP of his Italy league before signing with the Pistons.)

Now I understand Boston has a lot of options at the SF position and there a guys who have earned their minutes, but Brad Stevens has got to find a way to incorporate Luigi in somewhere (note by Clayton: Datome is also a free agent after the season so it will be interesting if he stays in boston or returns to Italy).