2018 NBA Draft - June 21

[Nathan S]

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.

Well, if that game against VT is any indication he sure isn't shy about jacking up 3's and long 2's. Should give us a nice sample size to work with by draft day, for better or for worse

 

[MD13]

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.

Got around to watching Trae Young's highlights from this game. So my big question with him is this: if every NBA team scouts him and starts switching every pick and roll with him, how is he getting his shot off? If I'm an NBA coach, I make whoever is on him play really tight, and switch every pick and roll. I don't see how he can physically make teams pay for this.

For all those Steph comparisons, Steph is incredibly efficient when attacking the basket. Sure he gets an extra step because everyone is playing his jumper, but I think Young is miles away from finishing at an NBA PG level.

 

[Nathan S]

At what point do we start talking about Jontay Porter? He's a year younger than his more-heralded brother and looks like a budding superstar, albeit in limited minutes against generally weak competition. Is there any chance he enters this draft?

 

[cavsfever]

Pretty negative article on Bagley from The Ringer -- claim he is a tweener in the modern NBA because he is not an impressive rim protector and also can't shoot from distance:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/18/16790032/marvin-bagley-2018-nba-draft-position

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Got around to watching Trae Young's highlights from this game. So my big question with him is this: if every NBA team scouts him and starts switching every pick and roll with him, how is he getting his shot off? If I'm an NBA coach, I make whoever is on him play really tight, and switch every pick and roll. I don't see how he can physically make teams pay for this.

For all those Steph comparisons, Steph is incredibly efficient when attacking the basket. Sure he gets an extra step because everyone is playing his jumper, but I think Young is miles away from finishing at an NBA PG level.

Yep, this is the key aspect of his offensive game to me too. It's going to come down to his ball handling. He gets alot of praise for his ball handling, but I don't think it's good enough to make up for his lack of burst yet. I doubt he can consistently beat switches in isolation right now (but still have to keep in mind that he is a tough shot maker too). Curry's ball handling is super underrated and pretty much makes him an elite iso player (1.09 ppp - 93rd percentile). Plus I think an offensive system can limit iso possessions through certain things like more DHO's (as Boston did a ton with IT) or the split actions GSW runs.

But it's a definite concern. It's a similar reason why I didn't like Lauri Markkanen a ton going into the draft last year. I thought teams would simply switch everything involving him and pretty much negate anything he could do on the perimeter. Have seen NOBODY talking about his regression from 3. The last 20 games he's shooting 31.3% from three, and that's on 131 attempts. I've not watched a ton of Bulls closely, but I'm guessing he's started facing more switches. I remember the Cavs-Bulls game in particular from earlier this year. He lit them up in the 1st half, then started switching screens involving him, and he may have scored like 2 or 3 points in the second half.

At what point do we start talking about Jontay Porter? He's a year younger than his more-heralded brother and looks like a budding superstar, albeit in limited minutes against generally weak competition. Is there any chance he enters this draft?

I've watched 0 Missouri games to be honest lol.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Pretty negative article on Bagley from The Ringer -- claim he is a tweener in the modern NBA because he is not an impressive rim protector and also can't shoot from distance:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/18/16790032/marvin-bagley-2018-nba-draft-position

I love how we've got people in here that are well ahead of the rest of the media and fans in recognizing the weaknesses of guys' games. I expect Bagley to eventually be seen in a similar light as a lot of us on this board by the draft-twitter.

One way that you can tell when people are over-selling themselves on a prospect is when they talk about how they need this type of player and that type of player surrounding them to unlock their potential... It's mentioned in there that he needs a 5 that can protect the rim and stretch the floor to shoot 3's. Yeah, I think that Anthony Bennett could probably have some success playing alongside that type of player. Speaking as if stretch 5/rim protectors just grow on trees lol.

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

Think Bagley is starting to be underrated and picked apart too much. Dude is going to be a really good player no matter what IMO with all the upside in the world to go along with it.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

At what point do we start talking about Jontay Porter? He's a year younger than his more-heralded brother and looks like a budding superstar, albeit in limited minutes against generally weak competition. Is there any chance he enters this draft?

Don't think he is going to declare.

 

[Nathan S]

I've watched 0 Missouri games to be honest lol.

Same here, but when a freshman is averaging 4 blocks and 4 dimes per 40, it makes me think maybe I should start watching.

Don't think he is going to declare.

I'm sure he wasn't planning on it, but if he keeps playing like this he could be a top-10 pick easily. Hard to turn that down and go back to school.

 

[3 Ball...GOT IT]

Think Bagley is starting to be underrated and picked apart too much. Dude is going to be a really good player no matter what IMO with all the upside in the world to go along with it.

I've picked him apart a lot.

I just don't think his current skillset is conducive to winning. He could average a double double in the NBA today, but I'm not drafting a guy for his stats. I don't think his defense will ever get there because he's just so far off imo. Maybe he can get to a point that he's a neutral defender, but I even doubt that. Offensively he'll obviously be great in the paint, but that's not enough for me to proclaim him as the next NBA superstar like a lot of people are. He needs that jumpshot to really set himself apart imo, and that's been pretty inconsistent thus far.

I can't speak for the others who have been down on him, but I still think he's going to be a solid player for sure. Like I said, I just don't think his skillset is conducive to winning unless he's in an ideal situation next to guys who can cover up all of his flaws.

And I think the constant noise about him over any other prospect drives the criticism in here even more.

 

[MD13]

Yep, this is the key aspect of his offensive game to me too. It's going to come down to his ball handling. He gets alot of praise for his ball handling, but I don't think it's good enough to make up for his lack of burst yet. I doubt he can consistently beat switches in isolation right now (but still have to keep in mind that he is a tough shot maker too). Curry's ball handling is super underrated and pretty much makes him an elite iso player (1.09 ppp - 93rd percentile). Plus I think an offensive system can limit iso possessions through certain things like more DHO's (as Boston did a ton with IT) or the split actions GSW runs.

But it's a definite concern. It's a similar reason why I didn't like Lauri Markkanen a ton going into the draft last year. I thought teams would simply switch everything involving him and pretty much negate anything he could do on the perimeter. Have seen NOBODY talking about his regression from 3. The last 20 games he's shooting 31.3% from three, and that's on 131 attempts. I've not watched a ton of Bulls closely, but I'm guessing he's started facing more switches. I remember the Cavs-Bulls game in particular from earlier this year. He lit them up in the 1st half, then started switching screens involving him, and he may have scored like 2 or 3 points in the second half.




I've watched 0 Missouri games to be honest lol.

He is a tough shot maker for sure. But the defender doesn't have to make him unable to take a shot, he just has to make the shots he does take low percentage enough that it's not efficient offense. He's shooting 38% from 3 right now on a ton of attempts, and it's really obvious that he's a dangerous shooter. That said, I can easily see a world where defenders a few inches longer and a beat quicker just knock him off his game and make him play rushed all the time. I just can't get over his limitations though I see all he can bring to a team.

 

[DJTJ]

Think Bagley is starting to be underrated and picked apart too much. Dude is going to be a really good player no matter what IMO with all the upside in the world to go along with it.

This. He's every bit the player Ben Simmons is, trading out vision for post moves.

Far and away my favorite player in this draft. There's about ten players I'm totally okay with getting. Love this draft.

 

[Nathan S]

This. He's every bit the player Ben Simmons is, trading out vision for post moves.

Far and away my favorite player in this draft. There's about ten players I'm totally okay with getting. Love this draft.

Court vision for post moves is nowhere near an even trade in today's NBA. You take court vision 8 days a week and don't think twice about it.

 

[Lee]

So who does everyone have in the 5-10 range? Seems like a very deep draft and some great tallent at that level. I keep hearing top talent, but curious what is there if this falls say number 8?

 

[blommen]

So who does everyone have in the 5-10 range? Seems like a very deep draft and some great tallent at that level. I keep hearing top talent, but curious what is there if this falls say number 8?

I think Mikal Bridges is definitely a guy to look for in the 5-10 range. While he's cooled off a bit over the past 3 games he's been lights out shooting it from outside this season, and he's a great athlete with good size and length. He's absolutely a guy who you can expect to come in to the league and be a net positive in his role. Other than him I think there has to a team that takes a flyer on Colin Sexton. He's a bit on the smaller side and his jump shot is a little suspect, but the guy is just an absolute dog, he plays so hard and he's a leader in the truest sense of the word. Myles Bridges is also interesting, He's a bit short for a Power Forward but he is built like brick shithouse tank hybrid and is a fine athlete in his own right with a knack for scoring, even if his shots needs some polishing.