2018 NBA Draft - June 21

[Nathan S]

Oh, and while I'm at it, keep an eye on Isaac Bonga. Huuuuge, lanky 6'9" point guard who just turned 18 last month. The biggest knock on him has been his lack of a jumpshot, but he's gradually started to take and make more 3's (6/11 over his last 4 games), and he's a very quality 47/51 from the free throw line this season, suggesting that he may be further along in that regard than scouts previously thought.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Oh, and while I'm at it, keep an eye on Isaac Bonga. Huuuuge, lanky 6'9" point guard who just turned 18 last month. The biggest knock on him has been his lack of a jumpshot, but he's gradually started to take and make more 3's (6/11 over his last 4 games), and he's a very quality 47/51 from the free throw line this season, suggesting that he may be further along in that regard than scouts previously thought.

Bonga's a freak physically. It's too bad I expect he'll end up on some team that won't know how to use him and will treat him like an off-ball wing or something. Not really related to Bonga, but it's really amazing to me that teams use their important assets on guys and then use them in games as if they have no idea what type of player they are - See the Lakers/Lonzo situation right now. Everyone through the draft process knew that he was an elite off-ball player in the half court offensively last year in college. Meanwhile, all the Lakers do is have him run endless pick and rolls, something he hardly did at UCLA and struggled with. They're just now using him more off-ball, which they just stumbled into with KCP's legal issue keeping him out.


I'm really starting to buy Trae Young's game translating to the NBA. I've pointed out how bad his first-step is, but I'm not even sure how much that will hold him back. He handles every other P&R coverage so well. And shooting of his caliber just does so much offensively. It wouldn't even surprise me if he ends up going higher than Sexton by draft time (not saying I'd rank him higher now - not sure).

Also gotta talk about Landry Shamet. The guys having a hell of a year even though he struggled against Oklahoma today shooting. I know he's weird looking but he's got great size for a PG and quality scoring/playmaking ability. I guarantee his draft stock goes way up during March Madness too. A possible guy for the Cavs with their own 1st.

Lastly, I mentioned him last week but Rawle Alkins had a solid game today - 26 points on 11 shots. Expect him to be a great glue-guy in the NBA, or possibly more.

 

[Nathan S]

Bonga's a freak physically. It's too bad I expect he'll end up on some team that won't know how to use him and will treat him like an off-ball wing or something. Not really related to Bonga, but it's really amazing to me that teams use their important assets on guys and then use them in games as if they have no idea what type of player they are - See the Lakers/Lonzo situation right now. Everyone through the draft process knew that he was an elite off-ball player in the half court offensively last year in college. Meanwhile, all the Lakers do is have him run endless pick and rolls, something he hardly did at UCLA and struggled with. They're just now using him more off-ball, which they just stumbled into with KCP's legal issue keeping him out.


I'm really starting to buy Trae Young's game translating to the NBA. I've pointed out how bad his first-step is, but I'm not even sure how much that will hold him back. He handles every other P&R coverage so well. And shooting of his caliber just does so much offensively. It wouldn't even surprise me if he ends up going higher than Sexton by draft time (not saying I'd rank him higher now - not sure).

Also gotta talk about Landry Shamet. The guys having a hell of a year even though he struggled against Oklahoma today shooting. I know he's weird looking but he's got great size for a PG and quality scoring/playmaking ability. I guarantee his draft stock goes way up during March Madness too. A possible guy for the Cavs with their own 1st.

Lastly, I mentioned him last week but Rawle Alkins had a solid game today - 26 points on 11 shots. Expect him to be a great glue-guy in the NBA, or possibly more.

Agree on all counts, though I have to say, I much prefer prospects like Alkins to prospects like Shamet. What I'm about to say is an oversimplification, but it feels like there's a half dozen ways Alkins' game could evolve to make him a useful NBA player. Shamet, on the other hand, will either be an efficient bench gunner, or a bust. The odds seem to favor guys like Alkins.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Agree on all counts, though I have to say, I much prefer prospects like Alkins to prospects like Shamet. What I'm about to say is an oversimplification, but it feels like there's a half dozen ways Alkins' game could evolve to make him a useful NBA player. Shamet, on the other hand, will either be an efficient bench gunner, or a bust. The odds seem to favor guys like Alkins.

Yeah, I hear you there. Not overly athletic NCAA scorers who are often times a little older aren't usually what I go for. But Shamet for me is different. I think he could even become a starter on a quality team. He's got the size to play the 2 defensively in the NBA. He's shown the ability to score off the dribble, off the ball, and even run off screens.


That's not a second round pick to me right there.

But as is the case with so many of these guys this year we have to see how well his efficiency holds up through the end of the season. I expect him to move up draft boards.

Alkins is a guy I definitely like too like I said. I remember watching him in the Draft Combine last year before he chose to return to Arizona and wasn't a fan at all. Right now to me he's kind of a "jack of all trades, master of none". I still think he's got to become a knockdown shooter or a consistent 3+ position defender to really impact at the NBA level, but he'll give you a lot more than most guys that will get drafted near where he's projected late 2nd round.

 

[Nathan S]

Yeah, I hear you there. Not overly athletic NCAA scorers who are often times a little older aren't usually what I go for. But Shamet for me is different. I think he could even become a starter on a quality team. He's got the size to play the 2 defensively in the NBA. He's shown the ability to score off the dribble, off the ball, and even run off screens.


That's not a second round pick to me right there.

But as is the case with so many of these guys this year we have to see how well his efficiency holds up through the end of the season. I expect him to move up draft boards.

Alkins is a guy I definitely like too like I said. I remember watching him in the Draft Combine last year before he chose to return to Arizona and wasn't a fan at all. Right now to me he's kind of a "jack of all trades, master of none". I still think he's got to become a knockdown shooter or a consistent 3+ position defender to really impact at the NBA level, but he'll give you a lot more than most guys that will get drafted near where he's projected late 2nd round.

Is Austin Rivers a fair comp? Not a huge fan of Austin, personally, but if you can get a guy like him late in the first round, that's solid value.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Is Austin Rivers a fair comp? Not a huge fan of Austin, personally, but if you can get a guy like him late in the first round, that's solid value.

I think Shamets offensive game is much more about shooting than Rivers, and hopefully more efficient in the NBA lol. This will get some eye-rolls probably but to me he's like the college version of CJ McCollum.

Obviously he's not CJ McCollum, but they definitely have some similarities to their games. One of the main differences is Shamet doesn't have the elite ball handling that McCollum has. That will be important for Shamet at the next level, whether or not he can get to his jump shot on his own. And obviously I have to point out that Shamet is not going to come in and be one of the best shooters in the entire league like McCollum is (and one of the most underrated).

Those are two huge differences but overall their games are comparable, just at different levels of competition. And who knows, if those two aspects of his game do improve/translate, he can become a steal in the draft. And to go along with it, he has a decent floor to me as well for where he's projected to go in the draft.

 

[Nathan S]

I think Shamets offensive game is much more about shooting than Rivers, and hopefully more efficient in the NBA lol. This will get some eye-rolls probably but to me he's like the college version of CJ McCollum.

Obviously he's not CJ McCollum, but they definitely have some similarities to their games. One of the main differences is Shamet doesn't have the elite ball handling that McCollum has. That will be important for Shamet at the next level, whether or not he can get to his jump shot on his own. And obviously I have to point out that Shamet is not going to come in and be one of the best shooters in the entire league like McCollum is (and one of the most underrated).

Those are two huge differences but overall their games are comparable, just at different levels of competition. And who knows, if those two aspects of his game do improve/translate, he can become a steal in the draft. And to go along with it, he has a decent floor to me as well for where he's projected to go in the draft.

If his shooting is really as elite as his percentages so far this season suggest, then I can see what you're excited about with him. Disagree about his floor though, because I'm not convinced that he'll be able to hang defensively at the NBA level. He doesn't have great size or great quickness, and that's reflected in his very underwhelming rebound/steal/block stats. I think he'll have to be a very useful offensive player (and who knows, maybe he will be) to earn a rotation spot at the NBA level.

 

[red.]

Thoughts on Kevin Knox?

 

[czvo]

Thoughts on Kevin Knox?

He's fine.

 

[red.]

He's fine.

Insightful.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Thoughts on Kevin Knox?

He's interesting. Definitely a project to me though overall. For whatever reason he's gotten this false connotation as an elite knockdown shooter to a lot of the casual basketball fanbase, and he's far from that.

He's definitely a 4 in the NBA to me. He can hit threes if he's open, but he's got a pretty slow release. And his off the dribble game is completely limited to straight drives right. He relies a ton on a RH floater, that's pretty much all he's got around the rim.

Defensively he's got elite tools, but needs work on that end with awareness. In theory he should be able to become a 3 position defender, but like I said he's a project.

He's going to be one of the youngest players in the draft though.

 

[Nathan S]

I might pick Diallo over Knox. Is that totally crazy?

 

[red.]

He's interesting. Definitely a project to me though overall. For whatever reason he's gotten this false connotation as an elite knockdown shooter to a lot of the casual basketball fanbase, and he's far from that.

He's definitely a 4 in the NBA to me. He can hit threes if he's open, but he's got a pretty slow release. And his off the dribble game is completely limited to straight drives right. He relies a ton on a RH floater, that's pretty much all he's got around the rim.

Defensively he's got elite tools, but needs work on that end with awareness. In theory he should be able to become a 3 position defender, but like I said he's a project.

He's going to be one of the youngest players in the draft though.

Thank you.

I was reading NBADraft and they compared him to Paul George and someone else. I was trying to see what others thought of him on here.

Thoughts on players the Cavs can target with their pick?

 

[czvo]

Insightful.

Hopefully it conveyed how excited I am about him as a prospect.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

I might pick Diallo over Knox. Is that totally crazy?

Not at all. I would probably prefer Knox still just because I don't think Diallo ever becomes even an average shooter.

BTW, watch Orlando and John Hammond take Diallo in the lottery lol. I swear just about every year he just takes the guy with the best length for their position regardless of the rest of their game lol.

Thank you.

I was reading NBADraft and they compared him to Paul George and someone else. I was trying to see what others thought of him on here.

Thoughts on players the Cavs can target with their pick?

That's nuts lol. Guessing they just don't understand how good Paul George is. Knox just doesn't have the off the dribble game yet that I think will work regularly at the 3 in the NBA.

Still so much up in the air between the Brooklyn pick and the prospects themselves to say who the Cavs would target. The obvious guy for me with how the Cavs are built now is Mikal Bridges, we've talked about him a decent amount in here lately. But who knows if he'll even be on the board for them.