Durant was our Duncan. He'll be in the HoF. Duncan wasn't available in any draft to us. So that's the strawman here.
Four of the top five? You're wrong there Fultz - Combo Guard Jackson - SF (or big SG) Tatum - SF Smith - PG Monk - Combo Guard So there's two, maybe 3. I don't think Ball will be a good NBA player at all. His shots easy to contest and he lacks the explosion to create separation. Jackson would be the perfect SG for us. That's the only guy I want. If we go to the 76ers and offer CJ and Crabbe for their pick (3rd?) and the Lakers (10th?) I think they accept. I'd consider that.
I would consider that for this reason. Would we land Jackson and Anunoby (while hopefully trading for Noel before that), our lineup would be: Lillard - 6'3 - Age 27 Jackson - 6'8 - Age 20 Harkless - 6'9 - Age 24 Anunoby - 6'8 (7'6 WS?) - Age 20 Noel - 7'0 - Age 23 Jackson and Anunoby are lockdown defenders that can guard 4 positions. Harkless can guard 4 positions as well, and Noel is one of the best switching bigs. Jackson is a good secondary ball-handler and could be a 20ppg scorer. Anunoby can shoot too. Imagine having Jimmy Butler, DeAndre Jordan, and a less offensively skilled Draymond Green next to Dame, because that's the ceiling for Jackson, Noel, and Anunoby.
I watched him play last night at work...his problem ...doesn't look like he'll ever be strong enough to handle the NBA...and he's got Adam Morrison mojo all over him...draft bust..College fans gush over him though but they did over Nolan Smith too..Balls lane driving days would be long gone in the big time
Since when did Durant "appear in the finals a few times"? He's been there once and lost in 5 games despite having Westbrook and Harden at his side.
Noel is 22, he won't even turn 23 until next April 10, two days before the end of the regular season. BNM
Yup it was a typo. What do you think about that lineup going forward? We'd also have our pick as well.
I honestly don't follow college basketball enough to have a sense how those young guys would translate to the NBA. I do have a problem, in general, with going too young. Young players take a while to figure out how to win at the NBA level. If you throw too many of them out there at once, even if they are very talented individually, they struggle to win (like MIN - three 20 PPG scorers and a 9-19 record). I get that they'd have Dame as their leader, but I'd be leery of starting two 20-year olds next to Harkless and Noel. I love Noel's defense and he's my number 1 realistic trade target, but he's not a leader, he needs to be led. Same with Mo. I love his improvement, but this is his first season as a full time starter and he's a pretty quiet guy. Not some wily vet that can show the 20-year olds the ropes. I mentioned in another thread that my personal, somewhat realistic, somewhat wet, dream is to get Noel, Bogut and Ibaka without giving up C.J. That would improve our defense 100 fold without killing our offense. That gives us a 3-man front court rotation with one 22-year old defensive stud, one 27-year old stretch 4 who shoots .442 3FG and is also an elite rim protector and one 32-year old wily vet who is also a great space eating defender who can pass and sets the most effective (moving - cough, cough) screens in the league. BNM
That's a great plan A, and I want to go that route too. Going young would be in the off-season if we couldn't find a big way to improve our team. For as much knowledge that you have, I expected you to know a lot about college basketball too.
I haven't watched Jackson. But I really like Tatum. Started the season late and still looks like a stud. Has handles,can create his own shot, can shoot, defend, and he's 6'8
