NOT too early 2023 NBA Draft thread

[sturt]

Out of the gate, this is the guy I'm cheering for....... and early mocks suggest he could be there for us @ #15.

 

 

 

 

[Diesel]

I keep noting that you keep ignoring our 15th pick this year.   Is that on purpose?

[sturt]

31 minutes ago, Diesel said:

I keep noting that you keep ignoring our 15th pick this year.   Is that on purpose?

Don't understand the question.

40 minutes ago, sturt said:

could be there for us @ #15.

 

[ShooterSays]

Might as well keep the mid-first selections from Duke tradition rolling. Been good to us so far. 

[BangHolman]

45 minutes ago, sturt said:

Out of the gate, this is the guy I'm cheering for....... and early mocks suggest he could be there for us @ #15.

 

 

 

 

This is who I want. Trade Capela, start Okongwu, draft Lively II, and bring in a bigger body back-up.

[FL_BRYANT]

Don't forget , Dariq Whitehead !!!  One of the top freshmen entering college this year until injures occurred.  Could be the additional star  the Hawks  are missing.  Can he be an upgrade to DH?

Size  and physicality is something the Hawks absolutely  need. Lively has size not , I am not adversed to taking him I just wonder if he is physically ready for the NBA.

I wish Daniel Gafford was available  to address our size and physicality issues. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Spud2nique]

20 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

15th pick! My guys so far:

15th pick Hawks

 

Brice Sensabaugh SF 

Jett Howard SG 

Jalen hood schifino 

Jordan Hawkins 

Kris Murray 

Dereck Lively 

GG jackson

Maxwell Lewis 

[sturt]

Word is that HOU seems likely to be very interested in a defense-first C to complement Sengun.

Big if true.

Tell ya what. If I can weasel my way into a job in the Hawks basketball ops offices... I mean, how hard can it be?... I'd pound the table for sending #15 to Rockets for #19 and Tari Eason.

Eason is exactly  the kind of defensive asset I want to see on the 23-24 roster. And too, why would a Hawks fan ever not want a #19 pick?

Not that that deal is likely something HOU would embrace, but then I'd be really interested to see what their counteroffer would look like.

[Carmine]

You read my mind Sturt. He can run, roll & most important offer elite rim protection with the ability to guard on the perimeter. I love what Capela brings to this team but Lively can add a whole new dimension if he hits. Offensive polish & technique is not there but it's not like his mechanics are completely terrible.

Video displays his selflessness, got the right mental-makeup to be an all-nba defender, good frame too. I haven't looked into the guards much but one of these guys is bound to fall outside of the lotto just like A.J did. Great position in a deep draft. Would be a great pick who gives us flexibility when it's time to pay Okongwu.

[Spud2nique]

4 hours ago, sturt said:

sending #15 to Rockets for #19 and Tari Eason.

Houston would never. I like Eason a lot those strides. Wait, oh, it’s you.. this is awkward. 

[Spud2nique]

4 hours ago, sturt said:

Not that that deal is likely something HOU would embrace, but then I'd be really interested to see what their counteroffer would look like.

If they didn’t hang up on you it would prolly be:

 

Atlanta receives: Tari Eason + 2023 19th pick.

Houston receives: Jalen Johnson +2023 15th pick + 2027 2nd round pick.

 

We improve by 3 wins and they decrease in wins by 3. 

https://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=27v58bkw

Edited April 17, 2023 by Spud2nique

[shakes]

5 hours ago, sturt said:

Word is that HOU seems likely to be very interested in a defense-first C to complement Sengun.

Big if true.

Tell ya what. If I can weasel my way into a job in the Hawks basketball ops offices... I mean, how hard can it be?... I'd pound the table for sending #15 to Rockets for #19 and Tari Eason.

Eason is exactly  the kind of defensive asset I want to see on the 23-24 roster. And too, why would a Hawks fan ever not want a #19 pick?

Not that that deal is likely something HOU would embrace, but then I'd be really interested to see what their counteroffer would look like.

Why would Houston do that?  They picked Eason at around #15 last year and he looks really good.  Great time to remind that Eason was the guy I wanted the Hawks to draft instead of AJ.   So why would they want to trade him just to get back the same pick they used to get him in the first place.  He outplayed his draft position so you think they really the #15 pick for him?    Or am I missing the point here cause this makes less than no sense for Houston.  

[NBASupes]

Keeping an eye on Cidy Cissoko and Kobe Bufkin. Obviously, UConn has a SG I have an eye on but I think is going to move up. Maybe Gradey d*ck will fall. 

I know it's crazy to redraft an SG, especially after doing well with Griffin but ole well. Weak center class. No real option with bigs unless you want someone extremely raw like GG Jackson. 

If I had three offseason moves. 

1. Get an offensive-minded center. 

2. I really like Bey/JJ bench connection. I would like to bring Okongwu to the 4 and bring in a stretch 5. KAT makes so much sense if available. We really need a stretch 5. OO size at the 4 really helps us a lot. He can guard all types of 4s and 5s and gives a lot on D. Offensively, he's capable as well. 

3. Move Murray for the best offensive center we can get. 

 

Move Bogi to start at SG. Griffin as a backup. Matthews gets mins. We another SG in the draft. 

 

Guys I am watching in the process: Maxwell Lewis, Jett Howard, Kris Murray who kind of reminds me of Bojan(Jazz not DET). 

I still would look for a SG. Big wings are just too hard to find at 15. Maybe Jett Howard but he doesn't have the athleticism, especially to play next to Trae.  

 

[NBASupes]

8 hours ago, sturt said:

Word is that HOU seems likely to be very interested in a defense-first C to complement Sengun.

Big if true.

Tell ya what. If I can weasel my way into a job in the Hawks basketball ops offices... I mean, how hard can it be?... I'd pound the table for sending #15 to Rockets for #19 and Tari Eason.

Eason is exactly  the kind of defensive asset I want to see on the 23-24 roster. And too, why would a Hawks fan ever not want a #19 pick?

Not that that deal is likely something HOU would embrace, but then I'd be really interested to see what their counteroffer would look like.

I would love to get Sengun to pair him next to Okongwu for our starting 5. 

[sturt]

10 hours ago, shakes said:

Why would Houston do that?  They picked Eason at around #15 last year and he looks really good.  Great time to remind that Eason was the guy I wanted the Hawks to draft instead of AJ.   So why would they want to trade him just to get back the same pick they used to get him in the first place.  He outplayed his draft position so you think they really the #15 pick for him?    Or am I missing the point here cause this makes less than no sense for Houston.  

(For the record, I was in the same train car last draft, but had I thought there was a realistic chance for AJ to fall to us, I wasn't going to be disappointed either way.)

Answering your question, three points leap to mind that are missing in the equation.

First, that 2023 is and has been widely considered one of the deeper drafts of the last 10 years, so value at 2023 #15 is something many if not most if not almost all is substantially greater than 2022 #15 on its face.

Add to that the apparent interest of some writers in the Rockets orbit (see what I did there) to add a legitimate, tall, mobile, defense-first center to the roster who can play with either Jabari Smith or Alperen Sengun in the low post... and Lively is about as highly-regarded a center in those ways as ever enters an NBA draft. (At present most mocks seem to have Lively going in the #20 range, so if you really really want the kid, a #15 slot makes sense.)

And finally, add to both those that Eason is not a starter and doesn't project to be one, and those same writers are looking for the Rockets to add a couple of big-dollar vets this off-season... which, if true, will naturally get inserted into the rotation, making minutes for players where the team already has some depth scarcer. That matters to this conversation to the degree it is less likely that one of those big-dollar vets would be a 7-1 defense-first center. (Some believe they will use their higher draft pick, assuming it's not #1, to trade for one of those big-dollar vets... but of course that's an open question.)

I'll add a fourth "bonus" point... even if one were to consider last year's #15 equivalent talent-wise to this year's, there's some overall common sense to re-set the rookie scale contract clock, and particularly if you're able to better set-up your roster so that the newer player will get as many or more minutes anyhow.

 

Now, it is true that the trade I propose is likely to get some chuckles, and indeed, a straight up #15 for Eason only would be more reasonable--but I'd not want to make that my starting proposal. Think an actual trade satisfying both sides would be more like Hawks #15 and something in exchange for Eason and something.

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, NBASupes said:

Guys I am watching in the process: Maxwell Lewis, Jett Howard, Kris Murray

@NBASupescopying STRAIGHT off my paper. 
 

Receipt :

22 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

15th pick Hawks

 

Brice Sensabaugh SF 

Jett Howard SG 

Jalen hood schifino 

Jordan Hawkins 

Kris Murray 

Dereck Lively 

GG jackson

Maxwell Lewis 

If you want my opinion just ask  if we was in school you would be suspended for straight hacking my paper. 
 

Straight out of a comic book. Boi I tell ya, if I was Trae I woulda snubbed you an autograph too.  #shameful

Edited April 17, 2023 by Spud2nique

[Spud2nique]

27 minutes ago, sturt said:

Think an actual trade satisfying both sides would be more like Hawks #15 and something in exchange for Eason and something.

Cite your sources. 
 

I’ll set myself free. Bon voyage Stuey.

 

The 6 of you should make like a tree and get the hell outta here.  

Edited April 17, 2023 by Spud2nique

[sturt]

8 hours ago, Carmine said:

You read my mind Sturt. He can run, roll & most important offer elite rim protection with the ability to guard on the perimeter. I love what Capela brings to this team but Lively can add a whole new dimension if he hits. Offensive polish & technique is not there but it's not like his mechanics are completely terrible.

Video displays his selflessness, got the right mental-makeup to be an all-nba defender, good frame too. I haven't looked into the guards much but one of these guys is bound to fall outside of the lotto just like A.J did. Great position in a deep draft. Would be a great pick who gives us flexibility when it's time to pay Okongwu.

It comes down to how this roster performs in this series, from where I sit.

That is, if we make this series legitimately competitive, we really can't afford to use the poker chip that is #15 on a player unlikely to crack the rotation for a year or two. The future is 2023-24. Every modification to the roster has to be made with 23-24 in-mind. So, if we even just take them to 7 games and lose the series, I'm one to vote for complete focus on optimizing next season's result.

Short of that, though, I think you have to look at some major move involving a key member of the current roster--and so, yeah, this would potentially figure into that.

[sturt]

Continuing these thoughts... of course, so many mock drafts are going to re-set significantly once the draft lottery is held next month, and then again will nudge some players up and down once the teams' workouts kick into high gear.

So, where Lively is concerned, I'm of the opinion he has nowhere to go but up.

At the same time, a handful of guys are going to end up as strong suspects to tumble down, and give us another opportunity to capitalize in the same way we have with AJ.

My first-glance top candidate in that way is Anthony Black. That's both because he's a legit PG and because he's a legit defensive weapon that would be valuable to deploy on the perimeter.

We're more likely than not to have to say adios to free agent Aaron--he's played too well when given the chance, and unless there's some shake-up we're not currently inclined to expect (ie, trading Trae or DJ), someone's going to be able to offer him more minutes.

But currently, Black's not expected to last beyond #10 as far as I've seen. So that one's probably a reach.