Yes, it is. You changed from “an all star or superstar” in your initial take to “superstar/‘consistent’ all star” lol. Like if he plays 15 years and makes 6 all star teams, is he a ‘consistent’ all star? I took your initial take for what you literally wrote: he won’t be an all star, even one time. I’m not gonna grill you for being skeptical that he’ll be a superstar, cause no one really knows. But it is a little ridiculous to think he’ll never learn to do anything else than shoot 3s before he even turns 19. Kawhi was strictly a defense-first guy for like 4 years. But whatever, we’ll agree to disagree on Smith.
No one thought that dude was going to go that high at all, he did well in workouts but there were major questions about him all you need to know is:
Do you have a personal connection to Jabari? You're getting emotional... Nah I agree that that's a ridiculous comment. Players can learn how to handle the ball and attack off the dribble. He's still extremely young. Being able to shoot the way he does off the dribble will make it easier for him to attack off the dribble and Auburn's lack of spacing didn't make things easier on him to create himself.
Eason at 6 is a massive reach. Trade down if you have to. Too many similar caliber prospects that'll be available with the Pelicans pick if we have it or that we could trade down for. Gotta go with someone who has more upside than him (Sharpe or Griffin).
Yoooo BONES. Question for ya: Everyone on here is talking about the lotto. But this is the first time I’ve been excited about having a high 2nd. Outside of Duren and Holmgren, there’s still Koloko, Kessler, Robinson, Nzosa, and Mark Williams who I think would all provide good value for us as a backup C. I know guys like Williams and Kessler might be gone by 36, but who you taking with our 2nd of those guys? Or are you taking a C at all with that pick? I always enjoy the livestreams
Glad you enjoy the streams! I wouldn't feel comfortable taking one at 11 or 12 because I feel like we could trade down, gain more assets, and still land a solid center. Whether that's into the late teens for Koloko/Williams or late 20s for Robinson or Nzosa. I'd be more okay with teaching for a C at 11 if we had an obvious need there but with how many good forwards there are, is want to take a chance on one of them with the hope that they could grow into a starting role over the next couple of years.
You mock me, but now I will WABC. Just stop with them in the lottery. If he’s FINALLY the exception, then great for whoever drafts him
If in workouts with NBA players he shows he has the foot speed to defend the perimeter, not constantly get blown by and still get back to defend the rim, then he would be a great fit for us. I just think he's too slow to pair with Nurk... if that means we draft Chet and Duren, should we have the chance, and let Nurk walk because Chet is so good, then so be it. I just don't love the Chet/Nurk combo as much as Jabari/Nurk, Paolo/Nurk or someone we could likely get from a team that is as high on Chet as some in here are and let's say Hart and Bledsoe to play in the front court with Nurk. Where someone is from or the color of their skin doesn't make a difference, it's what they bring to the game. If Chet can move his feet fast enough he isn't a total liability one on one defensively and therefore relegated to a rim protector who almost any player could bully in the paint. He would then have multiple facets at high levels on both ends of the court and I wouldn't mind taking him at all. Because he's such a high pick, it won't be likely that we'll get to see him workout against live NBA level athletes so we'll just have to trust our FO to work him out the right way and know what they're doing if we're lucky enough to get up high enough to where this is even an issue.
I remember watching video’s of Bam’s workout for us and he was hitting everything from long range and moved really well and had a great attitude/persona. I was hoping we drafted him, well you know the rest of the story.
Correlation doesn't equal causation. Not drafting a basketball player because of a race-based correlation that has nothing to do with him being a good or bad basketball player is as ridiculous as it gets.
Frank Kaminsky Cody Zeller Kelly Olynyk Meyers Leonard Cole Aldrich Spencer Hawes Robert Swift Chris Kaman Chris Mihm Joel Przybilla Those are the WABC drafted in the lottery going back to 2000. Chris Kaman averaged over 15 ppg twice and double figure rebounds once the lottery itself is a total crap shoot, but would you honestly be happy with the Blazers if they took any of those guys with a lottery pick? WABC and guys from Syracuse are lottery poison. THAT quote is from an NBA exec
I threw “consistent” all star in there because wasn’t Wiggins an all star starter this year? Julius Randle last year? And then with “injury replacements” things can happen. Here’s what I should’ve said: I don’t see the guy make the All NBA team, which is probably a better measurement than “all star” anyway. and I didn’t say he wouldn’t learn to do anything but shoot 3s. I literally just said he could be a good or even very good player. I don’t see him as all NBA caliber.
Who are 3 guys that project to be available around the number 11 pick that you would take (in order of your preference)?
You know what else many(most?) of those guys had in common? They were only basketball players because they were 7' tall. I look at a 7' player and ask - if this guy was 6" shorter, would he still be an NBA prospect? If the idea makes you laugh, don't use a high draft pick on the guy. (and yes, there are exceptions to any rule)
I don't think it's necessarily White or American Born. I think the truly damning point is the CENTER. These all guys who can play C who have been drafted in the lottery the past ten years. I've bolded the guys who AREN'T busts (imo, ymmv). 10 out of 30 guys selected were either worthy of the high draft selection or out-performed it. That's a pretty paltry number. Obviously still some younigns on this list who could develop, but this is a snapshot. What I notice is the extremely HIGH variance. The 2016 draft especially had some colossal busts. Bender's skillset is fairly comparable to Holmgren's, but he was also 30 lbs heavier than Chet coming in to the draft. 2012: Anthony Davis Meyers Leonard John Henson 2013: Cody Zeller Alex Len Nerlens Noel Steven Adams Kelly Olynyk 2014: Joel Embiid 2015: Karl-Anthony Towns Jahlil Okafor Wiley Cauley-Stein Frank Kaminsky Myles Turner 2016: Dragan Bender Marquese Chriss Jakob Poeltl Thon Maker Domantas Sabonis Georgios Papagiannis 2017: Zach Collins Bam Adebayo 2018: DeAndre Ayton Marvin Bagley Mo Bamba Wendell Carter Jr. 2019: Jaxon Hayes 2020: James Wiseman Onyeka Okongwu 2021: Evan Mobley In conclusion.... don't draft Centers in the lottery. I wanna see if we can do a similar analysis for other positions.