2018 draft

[KB21]

8 minutes ago, Lurker said:

Just watched Luka Doncic highlights for the first time.

I'm buying the hype. What he did in the second best pro basketball league in the world at the age of 17 last year is flat out impressive, no matter how you want to slice it. There's doing it in high school and doing it in a very good pro league and he did it in the highest level of Euroleague.

He's legit.  Based on the preliminary film I have seen on these players, there isn't anyone close to him at this point.  The game comes so easy for him.  He looks like he doesn't have to force anything.  

[jy23]

15 hours ago, KB21 said:

......and that opinion of Kyrie is the wrong opinion.  Kyrie is better than Andrew Wiggins by a good margin, but he's also highly overrated by the casual fan.  Basically, the Knicks are friggin idiots if they deal Kristaps Porzingis, who is a legitimate young superstar, for Kyrie, even if Cleveland takes Noah's contract.

To me, Kyrie Irving and Andrew Wiggins are two reasons why tanking is a bad idea.

Look if you're going to try and compare every player that comes out to lebron or KD or somebody like that then yeah they're all going to fall short and there's no reason to have this discussion. But if we're being real then Kyrie is a top 10 offensive talent in this league who plays great as a guy off the ball who is relied on to go out and get buckets. He's not a true pg and he can't lead a team by himself...absolutely not. But he's a really good player. None of these guys tha we're talking about including Luka are a player that will be the ONE AND ONLY GUY on a championship team. You have to look at this as a building effort and pay attention to what a guy can do and what you can put around him to make a great team. Bagley is very versatile which makes it easier to try and build around him, do I expect him to be lebron? No and you shouldn't either. You get pieces, and you get more pieces, and get more pieces until you have something that can compete. This isn't a one player deal. 

[KB21]

3 minutes ago, jy23 said:

Look if you're going to try and compare every player that comes out to lebron or KD or somebody like that then yeah they're all going to fall short and there's no reason to have this discussion. But if we're being real then Kyrie is a top 10 offensive talent in this league who plays great as a guy off the ball who is relied on to go out and get buckets. He's not a true pg and he can't lead a team by himself...absolutely not. But he's a really good player. None of these guys tha we're talking about including Luka are a player that will be the ONE AND ONLY GUY on a championship team. You have to look at this as a building effort and pay attention to what a guy can do and what you can put around him to make a great team. Bagley is very versatile which makes it easier to try and build around him, do I expect him to be lebron? No and you shouldn't either. You get pieces, and you get more pieces, and get more pieces until you have something that can compete. This isn't a one player deal. 

So, you obviously think Kyrie is the caliber of player that makes tanking worth it then.  Again, I ask, where would Cleveland be with Kyrie and Andrew Wiggins had LeBron not been born in Canton, OH, and had decided to sign with someone else?

I ask that, because the entire premise of "tanking to get a higher pick" is to improve your chances of getting a superstar caliber player.  Well, Cleveland had 3 #1 overall picks, and in all three chances, they failed to get a superstar caliber player.  I'm not talking about an elite, LBJ/KD type of player.  They didn't even land a James Harden type of player.  

[DBac]

On 8/12/2017 at 0:11 PM, NBASupes said:

That pick will likely be in the 20s

Maybe...  I see late teens. Thibs has built a weird team with a questionable defensive floor/ceiling and little depth. I think they'll be able to out-talent a lot of teams but ultimately being in the west will keep their record in check. 

[jy23]

2 hours ago, KB21 said:

So, you obviously think Kyrie is the caliber of player that makes tanking worth it then.  Again, I ask, where would Cleveland be with Kyrie and Andrew Wiggins had LeBron not been born in Canton, OH, and had decided to sign with someone else?

I ask that, because the entire premise of "tanking to get a higher pick" is to improve your chances of getting a superstar caliber player.  Well, Cleveland had 3 #1 overall picks, and in all three chances, they failed to get a superstar caliber player.  I'm not talking about an elite, LBJ/KD type of player.  They didn't even land a James Harden type of player.  

How did Cleveland get lebron the first time? And then having him brought them absolutely nothing right? But then after drafting a talent like Kyrie lebron decides they're good enough for him to go back. This can go back and forth forever. It's not about one guy...it never is. Even lebron. He can't do it by himself and he knows that. The other guy that's transcendent in KD couldn't do it until he went to one of the greatest teams in the history of the league...so like I said it's about getting pieces and more pieces until you can compete. Your entire outlook on this is flawed but you feel very strongly about it I see

[KB21]

15 minutes ago, jy23 said:

How did Cleveland get lebron the first time? And then having him brought them absolutely nothing right? But then after drafting a talent like Kyrie lebron decides they're good enough for him to go back. This can go back and forth forever. It's not about one guy...it never is. Even lebron. He can't do it by himself and he knows that. The other guy that's transcendent in KD couldn't do it until he went to one of the greatest teams in the history of the league...so like I said it's about getting pieces and more pieces until you can compete. Your entire outlook on this is flawed but you feel very strongly about it I see

I absolutely do feel strongly about it.  Cleveland would be a bottom dwelling team if you take LeBron away and left them with Kyrie as the lead guy.  If the goal is about getting pieces, then I can get pieces with lower picks while I bust my butt to win games and get into the playoffs.  I don't have to tank to get pieces.  I don't have to tank to get a Kyrie Irving type. 

I got news for the Markelle Fultz fans as well.  He's not going to be a transcendent star in the NBA either.

Tanking is a piss poor strategy in the NBA, and there is nothing that will change my mind about that.  

[jy23]

Ok

[DBac]

I think Jaren Jackson will be a big riser. Didn't realize how good his measurements were until I was comparing Bagley to others.

He's a pretty good 3 point shooter / defender already, one of the younger guys in the class, and is going to a very well coached program. Also has a nice frame to add on some weight and could be a nice stretch 5 to pair with John Collins in the future.

These Michigan state guys are liable to go back to school though.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2017 by DBac

[KB21]

I think we should start looking at sophomores who could potentially make a big jump in their second college season.  Miles Bridges is already well known, but the jump he can make is going from a top 15 guy as a freshman to likely the best overall player in college basketball as a sophomore.  If his ball handling improvement is legit, he should be a candidate to go 1-1.  Robert Williams is the other well known sophomore.  

Some guys who could make a big jump in year two that seemingly come out of nowhere the way John Collins did at Wake Forest: Justin Jackson at Maryland, Wenyen Gabriel at Kentucky, Marques Bolden at Duke, Lamar Peters at Mississippi State.

[DBac]

Mitchell Robinson story is very weird. He'll be this year's shot in the dark pick for someone like Thon I guess. Oh well.

[DBac]

Turns out Mitchell Robinson is going to school afterall.

KB what are your thoughts on Troy Brown? Seems like he'd be right up your ally. Plays a mature game, can handle, pass, and has improved his shot. One of the youngest prospects too. 

[KB21]

2 hours ago, DBac said:

Turns out Mitchell Robinson is going to school afterall.

KB what are your thoughts on Troy Brown? Seems like he'd be right up your ally. Plays a mature game, can handle, pass, and has improved his shot. One of the youngest prospects too. 

I haven't seen him yet.

[aali34]

Mohamed Bamba Highlights

 

[aali34]

Mohamed Bamba Workout

 

[KB21]

Bamba is a guy I'm very interested in seeing play this year.  I'm much more interested in him than I am the more overhyped Michael Porter and Marvin Bagley.  

[DBac]

[DBac]

Also this is great news. This guy is gonna be in the top 5 by the end of the year I think. 

 

[marco102]

Another prospect I have interest in is Landry Shamet.  He'll make a great back up point guard and he's big enough to play the two.  Great shooter and he can handle the rock.

He broke his foot in July, but he should be ready for the start of college basketball. I will def keep an eye on him.

[NBASupes]

On 10/7/2017 at 0:24 PM, DBac said:

Also this is great news. This guy is gonna be in the top 5 by the end of the year I think. 

 

I don't know about top 5 but this is a good look for him. 

[NBASupes]

On 8/31/2017 at 0:14 PM, aali34 said:

Mohamed Bamba Workout

 

His potential is insane. I think he can be a super-superstar.