I'm not 100% sold on this guy, but I thought I'd put up a post to counter the single-minded Mayo fanaticism that's likely to dominate every Wolves board between now and the draft.

This guy is being compared to Monta Ellis, but with better PG skills. Foye and Mayo are just too similar for my tastes; I'd like to see them draft a better PG prospect than Mayo, and this is the guy.

A great shooter, who shot 45% from the 3-pt line, he also has a great ability to come off screens and shoot the midrange jumper, or take it to the rim and draw the foul. A born leader, with great floor vision...perhaps he's just what we've been looking for at the Point.

I still prefer Mayo over Bayless. Mayo has better length and height.  If we draft a combo guard, get one that has some height.

Id say Bayless clashes more with Foye than Mayo.  Bayless may be good but I think Mayo has a better chance to be..better

I'm really not that excited about Bayless.  If the Wolves don't get Mayo, I think I would rather have Randolph or maybe even the Italian. 

MattyP:

I'm really not that excited about Bayless.  If the Wolves don't get Mayo, I think I would rather have Randolph or maybe even the Italian. 

The Italian Stallion?

Vendetta11:

I still prefer Mayo over Bayless. Mayo has better length and height.  If we draft a combo guard, get one that has some height.

Exactly my thoughts. If we're not taking a pure point guard, then take the guy that is bigger and stronger. Granted, I think Mayo is better, but even if they were about the same in my mind I'd go with Mayo because of that.

Yuck. A 6'3 scoring combo guard with a 6'2 wingspan is NOT what this team needs. Unless he REALLY excels at being a PG in the NBA he's going to have a long road ahead of him, because regardless of how athletic he is, there's no way he can guard NBA SG's with his size/length issues.

Xand1:

Yuck. A 6'3 scoring combo guard with a 6'2 wingspan is NOT what this team needs. Unless he REALLY excels at being a PG in the NBA he's going to have a long road ahead of him, because regardless of how athletic he is, there's no way he can guard NBA SG's with his size/length issues.

Gotta stir the pot up a little bit, don't I? Listening to everyone repeat the Mayo or Bust mantra for the next 2 months would be boring as hell.

Just wait until I start the "OFFICIAL Gallinari bandwagon" thread...

A little early to be pulling out the "yuck" on anyone's career too, don't ya think? I think Bayless will be able to make the transition to NBA PG quite nicely. Monta Ellis has done a pretty good job, and from all accounts, Bayless has more of a natural PG inclination that Monta ever did coming into the League. Still, as I said in my first post, I'm not sold on anyone 100% yet. I still think Foye has the potential to be our long-term starting PG, which would make Mayo or Lopez a smarter pick, since I don't see McCants or Richard as our long-term answer at SG or C.

 Eh.

The jury's still out on Foye, so do we really need another undersized, scoring combo with stubby T-Rex arms and a giant question mark about his ability to play the point? I'm not sold on anyone at this point either, but I want nothing to do with Bayless or Gordon.
 

 Two words; video links.

Or 3 other words; You Tube links.  

boognish:

NBA Comparison: Gilbert Arenas/Jay Williams

Strengths: A “must see to believe” type of talent … Possesses incredible open floor speed, which combined with a devastating first step make him a nightmare to defend … Tremendous leaping ability and superb body control allow him to finish in the lane over much taller players … Gets great lift on his jump-shot, with range well out to the NBA three … His pull up jumper is magnificent; with the elevation, balance, and quick release, he is virtually able to shoot whenever, and over whomever he desires … He has great intelligence and confidence plus a swagger that makes him an assassin on the floor in heightened situations … Is able to get open shots by making good reads and using screens effectively … Aggressive attacking the hoop, and extremely adept at getting to the foul line … Great hesitation and change of pace dibbles … Flash and flamboyance are nicely contrasted with a high basketball IQ and craftiness … Has all the tools to become a special player on the NBA level …

Strengths: In a word: special. Bayless combines incredible speed, quickness and athleticism with a high level of intelligence and composure ... Winners mentality ... He really excels on the offensive end of the floor with his scoring ability ... Has an extra gear blowing by defenders with ease, and needs just an inch of daylight to get his jumpshot off ... Excellent body strength for his age ... He understands how to create shots for himself and has incredible leaping ability ... Very strong offensively, great form on his shot ... Plays with a high level of intensity ... Good defender, team player. Has leadership ability ...

Of course, you left out his weaknesses... lol

Weaknesses: Although he has a great feel for the game, his playmaking skills will need to improve to handle the PG spot fulltime … His lack of a good wingspan neutralizes his great athleticism to a slight degree, and hinders his ability to defend … Although he improved as the season went along, he still settles for the contested jumpshot way too often, adding shot discipline is crucial … His shooting motion is a little unorthodox as he sort of shot puts the ball. But it's nothing that needs tampering with as he shoots it the same way every time and very effectively ... At times forces the issue too much, getting out of control and finding himself in traffic with nobody to throw the ball to ... Will need to get stronger and better conditioned, he may have fallen victim to the physical grind, as fatigue settled in at the end of the season, his shot become more inconsistent, dropping his percentages substantially (he did not have a game where he made more than 2 threes in his last 10 outings)… His emotions can get the best of him, and at times his frustration renders him completely non-existent on the court … He is somewhat turnover prone, but with more experience and maturity it should not be a concern … Continues to be plagued by injuries, which raises questions about his durability … Despite all of his talent, there are some concerns about his ability to make others better, he has been on underachieving teams in AAU as well as at Arizona, raising the issue of selfishness. Is he a teammate others want to play with? It depends who you ask ... Still has some maturing to do, but is seen as a guy who will ultimately succeed at the NBA level due to his tremendous desire and intelligence ...

MattyP:

boognish:

NBA Comparison: Gilbert Arenas/Jay Williams

Strengths: A “must see to believe” type of talent … Possesses incredible open floor speed, which combined with a devastating first step make him a nightmare to defend … Tremendous leaping ability and superb body control allow him to finish in the lane over much taller players … Gets great lift on his jump-shot, with range well out to the NBA three … His pull up jumper is magnificent; with the elevation, balance, and quick release, he is virtually able to shoot whenever, and over whomever he desires … He has great intelligence and confidence plus a swagger that makes him an assassin on the floor in heightened situations … Is able to get open shots by making good reads and using screens effectively … Aggressive attacking the hoop, and extremely adept at getting to the foul line … Great hesitation and change of pace dibbles … Flash and flamboyance are nicely contrasted with a high basketball IQ and craftiness … Has all the tools to become a special player on the NBA level …

Strengths: In a word: special. Bayless combines incredible speed, quickness and athleticism with a high level of intelligence and composure ... Winners mentality ... He really excels on the offensive end of the floor with his scoring ability ... Has an extra gear blowing by defenders with ease, and needs just an inch of daylight to get his jumpshot off ... Excellent body strength for his age ... He understands how to create shots for himself and has incredible leaping ability ... Very strong offensively, great form on his shot ... Plays with a high level of intensity ... Good defender, team player. Has leadership ability ...

 

 

Of course, you left out his weaknesses... lol

Weaknesses: Although he has a great feel for the game, his playmaking skills will need to improve to handle the PG spot fulltime … His lack of a good wingspan neutralizes his great athleticism to a slight degree, and hinders his ability to defend … Although he improved as the season went along, he still settles for the contested jumpshot way too often, adding shot discipline is crucial … His shooting motion is a little unorthodox as he sort of shot puts the ball. But it's nothing that needs tampering with as he shoots it the same way every time and very effectively ... At times forces the issue too much, getting out of control and finding himself in traffic with nobody to throw the ball to ... Will need to get stronger and better conditioned, he may have fallen victim to the physical grind, as fatigue settled in at the end of the season, his shot become more inconsistent, dropping his percentages substantially (he did not have a game where he made more than 2 threes in his last 10 outings)… His emotions can get the best of him, and at times his frustration renders him completely non-existent on the court … He is somewhat turnover prone, but with more experience and maturity it should not be a concern … Continues to be plagued by injuries, which raises questions about his durability … Despite all of his talent, there are some concerns about his ability to make others better, he has been on underachieving teams in AAU as well as at Arizona, raising the issue of selfishness. Is he a teammate others want to play with? It depends who you ask ... Still has some maturing to do, but is seen as a guy who will ultimately succeed at the NBA level due to his tremendous desire and intelligence ...

 

 

Damn you Fox News, with your fair and balanced coverage!

Here's a nice comparison between Mayo and Bayless. One guy makes the case for Mayo in the column on the left, and one makes the case for Bayless in the right column. Decide for yourselves...

http://www.nbadraft.net/mayovsbayless001.asp

boognish:

Here's a nice comparison between Mayo and Bayless. One guy makes the case for Mayo in the column on the left, and one makes the case for Bayless in the right column. Decide for yourselves...

http://www.nbadraft.net/mayovsbayless001.asp

 

So since I lean to the left, does that make me a pinko-commie bleeding heart liberal? 

MattyP:

boognish:

Here's a nice comparison between Mayo and Bayless. One guy makes the case for Mayo in the column on the left, and one makes the case for Bayless in the right column. Decide for yourselves...

http://www.nbadraft.net/mayovsbayless001.asp

 

 

 

So since I lean to the left, does that make me a pinko-commie bleeding heart liberal? 

Yes, but we suspected that long before this article came out.

boognish:

MattyP:

boognish:

Here's a nice comparison between Mayo and Bayless. One guy makes the case for Mayo in the column on the left, and one makes the case for Bayless in the right column. Decide for yourselves...

http://www.nbadraft.net/mayovsbayless001.asp

 

 

 

So since I lean to the left, does that make me a pinko-commie bleeding heart liberal? 

Yes, but we suspected that long before this article came out.

 

In all seriousness, the guy could have written a better article on Bayless.  He didn't really try. 

MattyP:

boognish:

Here's a nice comparison between Mayo and Bayless. One guy makes the case for Mayo in the column on the left, and one makes the case for Bayless in the right column. Decide for yourselves...

http://www.nbadraft.net/mayovsbayless001.asp

 

 

 

So since I lean to the left, does that make me a pinko-commie bleeding heart liberal? 

LOL! Well, that is what Jamebo calls me......

You mocked me, you laughed at me and you hurled insults in my general direction, but now that Bayless has won the summer league MVP, while Mayo showed himself to be a turnover machine, this thread doesn't look so silly, does it?

I can't believe the Blazers got this guy, of all teams. They are building a powerhouse over there; it's going to be a tough division for a long, long, time...

 I'm in.

boognish:

You mocked me, you laughed at me and you hurled insults in my general direction, but now that Bayless has won the summer league MVP, while Mayo showed himself to be a turnover machine, this thread doesn't look so silly, does it?

I can't believe the Blazers got this guy, of all teams. They are building a powerhouse over there; it's going to be a tough division for a long, long, time...

 

Slow down there, Dale Jr. Bayless looked like a pretty incredible SCORER during summer league. That's great, and it means that he'll probably be a reliable scorer in the league - but does he play point? (Of course, if Roy plays the majority of point, it might not matter.)

 It depends on how he gets used. Smart clubs will use their guys in a way that plays to their strengths. If Portland tries to turn him into a PG, they may be in for a surprise.  I like Portland's backcourt with Roy playing 1 and Bayless playing the 2, or Bayless coming in and playing the Vinnie Johnson role. But if he was here, McHale would try to turn him into a PG immediately, just like he did with Foye, who was a hell of a scorer but had questionable playmaking skills coming  out of college (still does, according to some). I think Portland's organization is smarter than ours - but who knows?

(NOTE: I didn't mock you or hurl insults at you, but I will if it make you feel at home. )