2018 NBA Draft - June 21

[Heej]

What's Miles Bridges synergy numbers on defense look like? Upon further review his lateral footspeed on that end outpaces his straight line quickness so that's a plus on defense. Could be a solid 3/4 defender that you can actually pair with Bron to give him matchup dependent rest and not be worried

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

What's Miles Bridges synergy numbers on defense look like? Upon further review his lateral footspeed on that end outpaces his straight line quickness so that's a plus on defense. Could be a solid 3/4 defender that you can actually pair with Bron to give him matchup dependent rest and not be worried

He is Very good in isolation and off screens if I remember correctly. I think he was just above average defending spot ups. I'll have to check tomorrow.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

I don't even know anymore. I'm being convinced and convincing myself nowadays.

I will have much better grasp when it's all settled.

Same.
I change my opinion on all things draft from one day to the next lol.

 

[Nathan S]

That's a huge,huge difference.

If a Lebron leaves, what about trading down for Porter? I wouldn't want to draft him straight up with the 8th or 9th pick. Clippers wouldn't give both of their picks, I don't think...? 12 and 13 is just really good value in this draft. Pain of bombing the Nets pick, sigh.

I'd have to be super confident he'd still be around wherever I traded down to. So much can go wrong when you trade down.

Cavs aren't trading down

And I'm on the other end of the spectrum. Jontay is a guy that you want when you already have star players that demand a ton of attention. Giving Jontay the ball in open areas and in 5-on-4 /4-on-3 situations (those situations needing to be created by elite other players on the floor) is gameover for defenses.

Just put shooters around him and I think he'd thrive off of that space. And at any rate, Cavs would probably tanking next year if LeBron leaves so that attention-drawing star can arrive a year or two down the road once we've accumulated a little more young talent.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

What's Miles Bridges synergy numbers on defense look like? Upon further review his lateral footspeed on that end outpaces his straight line quickness so that's a plus on defense. Could be a solid 3/4 defender that you can actually pair with Bron to give him matchup dependent rest and not be worried

Like I said I don't put much credence into these #'s, but here's his defensive stats

 

[randymoss1881]

Why would the Kings take Young when they have Fox and Bogi... you know what? Nevermind.

Jaren Jackson next to Marc Gasol would be AMAZING. Shame Gasol is closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

I’d only take Young if it’s at 8 Rather take his talent than get a guy like Carter or Miles Bridges.

 

[Nathan S]

Jrue Holiday (6'4", 6'7" wingspan, 8'4.5" reach, age 18):

per-40 stats 12.5 points (.45/.31/.73 splits, 53% true shooting), 5.6 boards, 5.4 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, 3.2 turnovers, 3.2 fouls in 27 minutes per game

De'Anthony Melton (6'3", 6'8" wingspan, 8'2" reach, age 18):

per-40 stats 12.3 points (.44/.28/.71 splits, 53% true shooting), 7.0 boards, 5.1 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.5 blocks, 2.6 turnovers, 3.3 fouls in 27 minutes per game

 

[cavsfever]

Isn't it pretty clear Mikal Bridges will probably be available at the 8th pick? If so, and none of the good bigs like Bamba or JJ Jr have dropped down, why not just take him? Defense and shooting, hard to go wrong it seems like...

 

[Nathan S]

Isn't it pretty clear Mikal Bridges will probably be available at the 8th pick? If so, and none of the good bigs like Bamba or JJ Jr have dropped down, why not just take him? Defense and shooting, hard to go wrong it seems like...

Why do that when you could overthink it, draft Miles Bridges, and get questionable defense and questionable shooting and a hodge-podge of other half baked skills instead?

 

[KB]

Jrue Holiday (6'4", 6'7" wingspan, 8'4.5" reach, age 18):

per-40 stats 12.5 points (.45/.31/.73 splits, 53% true shooting), 5.6 boards, 5.4 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, 3.2 turnovers, 3.2 fouls in 27 minutes per game

De'Anthony Melton (6'3", 6'8" wingspan, 8'2" reach, age 18):

per-40 stats 12.3 points (.44/.28/.71 splits, 53% true shooting), 7.0 boards, 5.1 assists, 2.8 steals, 1.5 blocks, 2.6 turnovers, 3.3 fouls in 27 minutes per game

Melton would depend on how behind in development he is after being suspended by the NCAA all year. The year off means he's probably there in the 2nd round, possibly even undrafted depending on how workouts and combines go. Right now I think most mocks have him going late 2nd.. Definitely an interesting prospect though based on his versatility.

If you like Melton a guy you may want to look at if he comes out this year is Dzanan Musa, one of the best young pure scorers over in Europe atm only difference is Musa is a sg/sf (turns 19 in May)

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/dzanan-musa

 

[Nathan S]

Melton would depend on how behind in development he is after being suspended by the NCAA all year. The year off means he's probably there in the 2nd round, possibly even undrafted depending on how workouts and combines go. Right now I think most mocks have him going late 2nd.. Definitely an interesting prospect though based on his versatility.

If you like Melton a guy you may want to look at if he comes out this year is Dzanan Musa, one of the best young pure scorers over in Europe atm only difference is Musa is a sg/sf (turns 19 in May)

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/dzanan-musa

Musa's more of a pure scorer type (EDIT: exactly as you said, lol), and he could be a really good one. Melton on the other hand is, at least statistically, an off-the-charts amazing defensive prospect who may struggle to find a role on offense. I like both of them in the mid first round, assuming Melton's game hasn't completely fallen after a year of relative inactivity.

 

[KB]

Musa's more of a pure scorer type (EDIT: exactly as you said, lol), and he could be a really good one. Melton on the other hand is, at least statistically, an off-the-charts amazing defensive prospect who may struggle to find a role on offense. I like both of them in the mid first round, assuming Melton's game hasn't completely fallen after a year of relative inactivity.

I share you're thoughts on Melton aside from the fact that he goes mid first. I think that only happens if he has great combines and workouts. It is possible based on his skills

Melton is the the kind of prospect you want to fall into the 2nd or go undrafted because if he had played you're mid to late first is probably a good range for him. I say this because you don't have to give a guaranteed contract like you would if you took him in the first.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Jrue Holiday had one of the best improvements to his 3 point shot by the numbers in the last 10 years. He had quality mechanics at UCLA iirc that made his % flukey and look worse than it actually was. I'd almost call Melton's shot mechanics as broken. Maybe in time he becomes a 35% 3 point shooter with all of his attempts coming while being completely wide open.

It sounds minimal, but the 2 inch difference in standing reach is also huge, as well as the 15 lbs difference or whatever it is. Jrue can probably guard the majority of 3's in the NBA. I'm not sure how many Melton would be able to defend right now, until he gets bigger.

I like Melton, but I wouldn't expect for him to be any more than defensive specialist.

We brought up DeJounte Murray earlier in the week too. I don't know if it's just when I watch the guy, but he just is not very useful in the playoffs whatsoever. He killed the Spurs today on the offensive end of the floor. And teams love to go to a switch-heavy scheme to hide some of their bad defenders (which the majority of teams have at least one) - All it takes is one screen involving said player and Murray and you completely negate his defensive ability. That played out vs GSW today. No idea what Pop was doing to be honest.

 

[Nathan S]

Jrue Holiday had one of the best improvements to his 3 point shot by the numbers in the last 10 years. He had quality mechanics at UCLA iirc that made his % flukey and look worse than it actually was. I'd almost call Melton's shot mechanics as broken. Maybe in time he becomes a 35% 3 point shooter with all of his attempts coming while being completely wide open.

It sounds minimal, but the 2 inch difference in standing reach is also huge, as well as the 15 lbs difference or whatever it is. Jrue can probably guard the majority of 3's in the NBA. I'm not sure how many Melton would be able to defend right now, until he gets bigger.

I like Melton, but I wouldn't expect for him to be any more than defensive specialist.

We brought up DeJounte Murray earlier in the week too. I don't know if it's just when I watch the guy, but he just is not very useful in the playoffs whatsoever. He killed the Spurs today on the offensive end of the floor. And teams love to go to a switch-heavy scheme to hide some of their bad defenders (which the majority of teams have at least one) - All it takes is one screen involving said player and Murray and you completely negate his defensive ability. That played out vs GSW today. No idea what Pop was doing to be honest.

Still trying to decide what to make of Melton's block numbers. There's just never been a player his size who was a serious shot blocking threat at any level, as far as I can tell. So who knows if it'll translate. I can imagine him becoming a regular on the all-defensive teams for the next several years, and people will look back at what he did in college and it'll be like "oh yeah, duh, should've seen that coming." Or maybe he'll just be good but not game changingly good, and he'll have a journeyman career as a 9th man defensive specialist.

He's sort of like the mirror-image of Jontay as a prospect.

Jontay's a big who's insanely skilled offensively, has average-at-best physical tools, and is somewhere between atrocious and sneaky-good defensively depending on who you ask.

De'Anthony's a guard who's insanely skilled defensively, has average-at-best physical tools, and is somewhere between atrocious and sneaky-good offensively depending on who you ask.

 

[Nathan S]

Holiday, coincidentally, making winning play after winning play defensively right now.