He's number 2 in this draft for me at this point. Might be the only primary creator+scorer. His handle and passing instincts are some of the few standout skills in this draft. Wiry strong, can finish with both hands, slithery, good 2 foot athlete, great feel in PNR...if the shooting develops he's a potential all star type. Liked what I've heard in interviews too. Confident, coach raves about him, seems like a gym rat who loves to watch film.
one of the first Mocks I've seen so far, SI has the Blazers taken PJ Washington, i really don't like him https://www.si.com/nba/2018/12/20/n...son-rj-barrett-romeo-langford-kevin-porter-jr
I'm not much of a fan either. Reminds me of Swanigan, just slightly more athletic and not the same passer.
Kevin Porter Jr. is gonna be a stud though. I feel like Zion, Porter, and Morant have the highest top-end upside.
Fan of Tyler Herro. NBA level skill and fluidity scoring off the dribble / in PNR. Not a great vertical athlete, but he has touch around rim and he's a quick and fluid mover on both ends. Suprisingly good instincts defensively as well. The intangible stuff looks to be there too. Competitive, high IQ, hard worker from all accounts and has a lot of confidence on and off the floor. Not shooting great from 3 so far but that'll come. Length and frame isn't good either, but he's a top 20 kid for me with room to move up.
Operation Brandon Clarke! National ranks: #6 in Defensive win shares. #2 in Box plus/minus. Advanced numbers, he's the only player in the country that can compete with Mt. Zion.
If I'm Dallas, I'm eyeing to see where the Orlando pick falls. If it's in the 6th-9th range where, I'm looking to offer DSJ to hopefully nab Jarrett Culver and let Brunson be that low usage 3+D guard.
That's interesting. No reason Ja shouldn't be a starter, but he has enough question marks that it would make it extremely difficult for me to pass up on the truly special combination of athleticism+skill that Zion brings.
If we buy in the 2nd round again my dark horse will be Bazely. He can play both forward position. He will our Simons of this year. The kid only problem will be his strength at this level. But again he won't expect to play his 1st year if we have the same team.
His question mark is his jumper. If he figures that out, he'll be a stud. Zion has more question marks IMO. I say this with confidence: Ja Morant is the best player in the draft.
That's not the only one. - casual approach on both ends - inconsistent decision maker - lacks a middle/floater game - not a great half court athlete when he doesn't have a clear lane or can load up off 2 - Strength: he's strong for his weight but he'll still be attacked on switches - Frame: how much weight can he reasonably add? I like him and he definitely has a high upside, but his floor is much lower than Zion's imo. Maybe, but this draft sucks. And Culver to Dallas has a lot to do with team context where they already have a likely high level creator/scorer in Luka. And I'm high on Culver overall. I'd take him over the pseudo star / "upside" guys like Barrett/Little/Reddish. Doesn't have primary scorer type upside, but fits in as that versatile 3rd option who plays smart on both ends.
Casual...? Dude is constantly launching himself at the chest of bigs on offense, and beating defenses going 1 on 2. Defensively hes not the best but he shows some motor he has the tools to be great. Sounds like you made that one up. Strength? He's a PG. Im not going to knock a PG because he might not be the best guy to switch onto bigger players. That's silly. And he'll add strength and has decent height (6'3) and long arms. Inconsistent decision maker? Seriously? Dude gets almost 10 assists a game and over 20ppg while being guarded heavier than any prospsect in the nation. To question his decision making is a stretch. No floater/mid-range game? He's shown flashes. He's shown as much floater and mid-range game as Dame did when he was coming out. Most of the time Morant is able to simply contort his way all the way to the rim/backboard. I'd rather have that than a mid-range shot. Not a good halfcourt athlete? What? Dudes at least average (probably better) in terms of first step quickness and hes a good leaper off either foot, even if hes better off two. He's also very shifty with very good footwork, so he gets to his spots easily. In the end, your talking about somebody who has elite: - Passing - Ball Handling - Body Control - Footwork - Shiftiness - Craftiness around the rim - Open Court Athleticism With the potential to be a good shooter as well. His form is smooth and solid fundamentally. So how does he have a lower floor than Zion? He'll at least be a good starting PG, at best he'll be the best PG in the league. His his floor is higher than Zion and (IMO) his upside is more realistic.