Let's Talk Draft Picks

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, gurpilo said:

That has been my statement since December, I am still at the Christian Wood, Ibaka, Bertans, Crowder, Joe Harris, Bogdanovic, Korkmaz Train. Playoff should be achieved by adding 2-3 players of that list to the existing core and a top pick. I would not delete from the keepers Skal, Bruno, Teague and Graham, not my favorite players but they can play, I am ready to move from those if we are able to add players from that list but still would keep Bruno and Skal, I think Skal could flourish here.

I forgot about Bruno and Skal. Add them to the list but for 3rd stringers list. Meaning we just need one

[Spud2nique]

7 hours ago, Buzzard said:

I never change my mind

Whoa never? Near perfect my man!  

[Spud2nique]

6 hours ago, NBASupes said:

Amare

That’s a pretty good comp.

[Buzzard]

Just now, Spud2nique said:

Whoa never? Near perfect my man!  

And then I woke up ( from that dream of being perfect ).

[Spud2nique]

6 hours ago, NBASupes said:

To me, I see a lot of C.Webb

Don’t fkin tease me. CWebb is a fav of mine. He brought schwaaag to the game. He made me wear long shorts and strut high. 
 

Can Toppin be the Karl Malone to our Stockton Trae?

 

[Spud2nique]

1 minute ago, Spud2nique said:

Karl Malone

I apologize in advance for this.. get ready for 10 pages of Toppin/KarlMalone/Amare discussion!  

[AHF]

20 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

Don’t fkin tease me. CWebb is a fav of mine. He brought schwaaag to the game. He made me wear long shorts and strut high. 
 

Can Toppin be the Karl Malone to our Stockton Trae?

 

Horford >> Toppin

 

(In before Supes)

[TheFuzz]

2 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

Don’t fkin tease me. CWebb is a fav of mine. He brought schwaaag to the game. He made me wear long shorts and strut high. 
 

Can Toppin be the Karl Malone to our Stockton Trae?

 

Do we not already have our Malone to Traes Stockton?

[NBASupes]

3 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

Don’t fkin tease me. CWebb is a fav of mine. He brought schwaaag to the game. He made me wear long shorts and strut high. 
 

Can Toppin be the Karl Malone to our Stockton Trae?

 

Watch how he sees the game, his playmaking is elite. Ethan Strass from TheAthletic is a massive fan of his playmaking. 

[NBASupes]

3 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

Don’t fkin tease me. CWebb is a fav of mine. He brought schwaaag to the game. He made me wear long shorts and strut high. 
 

Can Toppin be the Karl Malone to our Stockton Trae?

 

We already got the modern Karl Malone in John Collins. The problem is, today's NBA is great at defending the PnR, it's really hard to score that way often. Which is why LP was right on Collins scoring average. Shit, in the 90s, Collins would be leading the NBA is scoring. 

 

Toppin is more like Nash's Amare. A lot more nuisance at scoring versatility but not the shooter John has become. Toppin doesn't have Amare score or die mindset, his mindset is more like C. Webb. Looking to make the best play but his fluidity and explosiveness so he can score at will for the NBA. We haven't had a big since Millsap who could draw a double team, Toppin can. 

Edited May 13, 2020 by NBASupes

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, NBASupes said:

C. Webb. Looking to make the best play

Wow what if we are becoming the mid 90’s Wiz.

Rod Strick: Trae

Juwon Howard: John Collins

C Webb: Toppin

 

I need more tape on Topp! 

[NBASupes]

8 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

Wow what if we are becoming the mid 90’s Wiz.

Rod Strick: Trae

Juwon Howard: John Collins

C Webb: Toppin

 

I need more tape on Topp! 

Sadly those Wiz never had structure and had a plan to best utilize the talent they had.

[Spud2nique]

3 hours ago, NBASupes said:

Sadly those Wiz never had structure and had a plan to best utilize the talent they had.

Ya that would have been a cool team to watch gel a bit. 

[Spud2nique]

8 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

That’s a pretty good comp.

Supes u got Th at from BR WTH... I thought it was an OG Supes comparison.  

Historical comparison: Amar'e Stoudemire 

Visually, the similarities between Toppin and Stoudemire are uncanny. They both have the same broad shoulders and destructive explosiveness when leaping around the basket. Like Stoudemire, Toppin has major scoring potential powered by strength, athleticism, post skills and developing shooting touch. On the flip side, he doesn't dominate the boards or add value on defense, weaknesses that also held Stoudemire back.

Rebounding and passing are the areas that ultimately separate Toppin from Collins.

[JayBirdHawk]

4 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

Supes u got Th at from BR WTH... I thought it was an OG Supes comparison.  

Historical comparison: Amar'e Stoudemire 

Visually, the similarities between Toppin and Stoudemire are uncanny. They both have the same broad shoulders and destructive explosiveness when leaping around the basket. Like Stoudemire, Toppin has major scoring potential powered by strength, athleticism, post skills and developing shooting touch. On the flip side, he doesn't dominate the boards or add value on defense, weaknesses that also held Stoudemire back.

That would be concerning.

[Buzzard]

Posted this on the free agent thread. It fits here as well.

Most of our available minutes are at PG and PF; unless LP still sees Hunter as a PF next season. I like Haliburton because he can shoot and back up Trae. Toppin from Dayton might be the answer as a stretch four. Cleveland is rumored to like him a lot.

I still think BPA is how we will go and our needs will be addressed in free agency.

[NBASupes]

25 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

That would be concerning.

He has potential defensive value but even that's limited. I mean if John currently is an impact 8, who's an ability 8.5 with an offense of 8.5 and defense of 6.5. I strongly think definitely think Toppin has a shot, mostly a small shot at a 7 and could potentially equals John's 6.5 down the road on defense. 

What's like Amare for Toppin is their extreme offensive value. 

Amare fresh out of diapers (HS) was a 7 on offense and 5 on defense as a 6 prospect drafted 9th and likely higher if he didn't shut down his workouts.

Toppin abit older but due to late age growth spurt is still a young prospect. Toppin is a 8.5 on offense and a 5.5 on defense with a 8.5 ceiling. Amare at this age was a 10 on offense, 6 on defense with a ceiling of 9.

How? He hit on his only swing skill which was mid range shooting, opened up the PnP. He also got to play with Nash who was a 9.5 fit for Amar'e. This is the same current grade as Trae Young except Young ceiling is a 9.5.

Toppin has a number of advantages on Amar'e though. 

1. Three swing skills and maybe one that's hidden. How? Because his instincts is extremely high, he is fundamentally sound, and he has high BBIQ especially on the offensive end, he has more room for growth. He has three swing skills. Doesn't mean he will reach them but he gets a .5 point for each one. Shooting, playmaking and defensive playmaking. This could mean he has more potential than the 8.5 ceiling which would be 9 if paired with Trae Young. 

I am not saying Toppin is Steph Curry but he got some similarities of being an once in a generation offensive prospect as a 4 while just being a defensive player that's below average at best down the road but at least he can be a defensive playmaker potentially. That has a ton of value when defending in space.

[NBASupes]

7 minutes ago, Buzzard said:

Posted this on the free agent thread. It fits here as well.

Most of our available minutes are at PG and PF; unless LP still sees Hunter as a PF next season. I like Haliburton because he can shoot and back up Trae. Toppin from Dayton might be the answer as a stretch four. Cleveland is rumored to like him a lot.

I still think BPA is how we will go and our needs will be addressed in free agency.

I would say most of our available minutes are also at the 3 as well. 2 and 5 hardly have any minutes available if any at all without us making positional moves like Kevin playing the 3 and obviously Cam plays both 2 and 3 spots. Hunter should be able to next year.

That is what makes FA more difficult. We got the money but really don't have the decent minutes. 

Edited May 13, 2020 by NBASupes

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Buzzard]

26 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

I would say most of our available minutes are also at the 3 as well. 2 and 5 hardly have any minutes available if any at all without us making positional moves like Kevin playing the 3 and obviously Cam plays both 2 and 3 spots. Hunter should be able to next year.

That is what makes FA more difficult. We got the money but really don't have the decent minutes. 

You can say we have this for depth as far as guaranteed contracts:

PG - Trae

SG - Huerter/Reddish

SF - Hunter/Reddish

PF - Collins/Bruno

C - Capela/Dedmon

That is eight deep with Bruno and Dedmon being perceived as the weakest links. Like I said, I think Haliburton or Toppin would fit the best. From a free agent standpoint, I have always thought a 3/4 tweener or stretch four would be great.

Job 1 is the draft and free agency; then its going to be really interesting watching LP juggle lineups again. In the playoffs, some teams run 8 deep but in the regular season, 10 deep is pretty normal.

Good example: the Lakers give their number 10 McGee and number 11 Morris 16 and 14 minutes a game.