Doesn't mean there won't be All-Stars but yes, it does stink due to no clear cut franchise player. That makes it somewhat akin to the 2013 draft. But I don't think it's as bad as the 2013 Draft was, at the top. Imo, here's how I view it, based on what little we've seen: I see Isiah Collier as a possible modern Baron Davis. Ron Holland is a Kelly Oubre/Gerald Wallace type player. Good defense, good attack, can't shoot, some shot creation but limited in skills. Stephon Castle is very Joe Johnson-like. Maybe a little smarter. Doesn't mean he's as good overall but the moves are there. He's very quick and athletic, just like Joe Johnson was in college, with well rounded skills. People cite Alex Sarr as the #1 and he looks impressive but his offensive skills aren't consistent and like Ayton or even Mo Bamba, there are times when he isn't driving it in 100% with his size and skills. May need more sample sizes to fully grasp him. Not saying he's going to boom/bust but it's possible that, with a draft like this, he may just be a modern day Emeka Okafor who can pass/shoot rather than the Chris Webber people would hope. The article cites Nic Claxton tier center and I suppose that does go with the Emeka comp. Matas Buzelis is Batum/Parsons at medium, Hayward w/ defense at best....at the moment. If he was a lanky wing/forward with superstar potential and ball handling/shot creation skills, I feel he would've been hyped already like Ingram, KD, the Thompson twins, or Ben Simmons were (guys were getting hyped a year prior to the draft). I still think he's Portland's ideal pick. If I am wrong and he's a superstar, Portland will be set. If not, what I describe him as would be able to, theoretically, take over what Brogdon is doing for Portland (score, shoot, handle, make plays, defend) but taller and more fitting. Donovan Clingan. If he's healthy (he's injured as of right now), he's on par with Kessler and Duren as a center prospect imo. Offensively, I personally think he can be a Brad Daugherty with shades of Patrick Ewing in that he's able to body people and just dunk with power and finesse. Probably not a superstar big man like Ewing, though. Defensively, he's like Kessler or Gobert. Don't be surprised if he goes Top 3, maybe even #1, if he continues playing he has recently where . When you frame it like this, it's not as bad as 2013. It's a draft for the 3rd or 4th option, not a 1st or 2nd option. Resembles the 2020 Draft imo
Klintman’s game starting to open up as he’s transitioned to the international game. Love this guy’s potential, and his measurables are great. There’s a real possibility he will be available for us, with the Warriors pick looking better and better. His game is in the mold of guys I really want on this team going forward—besides being able to defend and shoot, I want them to be able to play on AND off the ball on offense.
I’m hoping teams begin to think that and just go for it this season. I hope teams like the Rockets push past the Warriors and guarantee us another lotto pick. I hope teams like Charlotte don’t see a guard in the draft they like better than Ant that they offer their pick + more for him. Give us a chance to draft Sarr AND Buzelis from this draft, and I think we are a dynasty waiting to happen. Both of these guys would change life in Portland, even if this Sam Vencenie guy has them graded tier 3 and below. Also, giving Ivey, Green, and Whitmore a tier-1 or 2 grade and not having Sarr in that class is just goofy.
As I see the board right now, this is the early top 10 big board: Sarr and Buzelis are 1 and 2 to me. Sarr, for obvious reasons, would alter the trajectory of this team’s defense going forward, and Buzelis would be a seamless fit next to Shae and be an AS as a second or third leading scorer on a championship level team. Holland is up there and fills a need, but I think of his ceiling and always think from Brandon Miller. After those 3, there’s a glut of guards who could rise to the top of the board. Collier, Castle (who looks real Spurs-y), and Walter all look good early and can be in that mix for a high selection. There are international prospects likely in the mix as well. I don’t know a lot about Topic, but he’s a 6’6 PG that could challenge for first guard off the board, and Risacher looks good from the initial tapes that I’ve seen of him. That makes 8/10 guys. Edwards hasn’t done much but could stay in the top 10 in the end, and I’m sure that eventually a couple prospects will jump into the top 10 out of nowhere.
Right outside the top 8-10, not in specific order: Almasa - I like the most so far Mara Klintman Clingan Ware - looking great through 3 games Filipowski If the Warriors do us a solid and give us a lotto pick in the 8-15 range, I think we’ll end up with one of Buzelis, Sarr, Holland and a big from this draft.
If any of you watched Chet tonight and thought about what the answer to a guy like him or Wemby is, watch some videos of Alexander Sarr. In know that it will take some luck to land him but the dude has the athleticism and length of Chet but broader shoulders which will give him a power advantage over these two guys who are so slender. If we can start him next to Deandre next season then we could be a really scary team and going forward could be a contender. Let's give this whole situation the time it deserves. We no longer have a top ten player on the wrong side of 30 we have a bunch of young really talented and promising guys learning to play at this level. They need more added to them and we have the means to do that between the vets we'll likely trade by the deadline and picks we have amassed. We're doing what OKC did and it took time for them. When they officially started the rebuild it took them four seasons to be where they are. Since we started the rebuild in a stealthy way two seasons ago, we might expect to be where they are in two seasons. That means next season sucking again and the season after that being competitive.
Rob Dillingham looking really good so far at Kentucky. 19.33yo on draft night, great splits through five games, 16.0/4.2/4.6 with 1.6spg on .500/.462/.800, 4/5 of the games were off the bench. Kentucky guard, but looks more like one of the Fox, Murray kind of Kentucky guards as opposed to the Monk or Washington guards. He looks like he has potential to crack the top 10 to me. That’d be awesome if a team bets on Dillingham and pushes a forward out of the top 10 and closer to the Warriors pick.
Another big man— Tyler Smith, GL Ignite 19.6 on draft night, 6’10, 215lbs, Tankathon doesn’t even have this guy in their mock right now. Through 5 games this year: 18.6/4.8/1.4/0.6/1.4 on .673/.647/.625 in 25.7mpg No one expects him to continue shooting THAT well, but his stroke is silky smooth for a big man, and his defense is going to keep getting better. Not sure if this guy will be available in the 2nd, but I’d love to bring him in if he is.
I’m having a hard time interpreting what you’re trying to say. Are you saying that you’re now against drafting anyone that plays in the GL? Or that you want to see GL players play against more college players?
I read it a saying that being on the "Ignite" team is a reason to downgrade a player in the evaluation.
I’m not Mediocre Man- WABC level against drafting their players, just that I’m going to downgrade them in the process. G League Ignite is pretty much trying to showcase the top picks (for a reason, to keep the team around) at all costs. It’s pretty much glorified AAU.
I was surfing the net the other day, and I noticed this eighth grade class of Ohio basketball players that are elite. The article went on to state that they are a special group. They are going to be eligible for the NBA in 2028/29. Coincidence that that’s where our draft pics are? Maybe Cronins playing chess when others are playing checkers, otherwise, wouldn’t be surprised at all, if he’s watching eighth graders
Well a few of us on this forum were touting some other guys in the draft process that came from a “glorifies AAU” in the Thompson twins, and it looks like we would’ve been right if we drafted one of those guys. Again, it’s all about the prospects’ skillset, and not the competition.
Yes I’m also excited that he’s playing so well. There’s actually a decent crop of guards in this draft even outside of Collier. Stephon Castle looks like a guy who could challenge for a top pick as well. I don’t know anything about Nikola Topic, but he seems to always be around the top 10 in mocks. Both guys are listed as 6’6 PGs, and it only takes one team to fall in love with their size. Rob Dillingham looks like he could be a lock for the lotto too if he continues his play. Ja’Kobe Walter, 6’6 SG, is the only SG I’ve heard at the top of the board, and some people still consider Tyrese Proctor a top guard prospect as well. So there’s realistic shot that even if none of them are able to push to the top to allow us the top big prospect, they can still go in the mid-lotto and push the next best big prospects towards the GS pick. Getting lucky in the lotto and drafting Sarr plus Buzelis falling to us at the GS pick would be my dream scenario if that GS pick landed mid-late lotto.
The difference is that everyone acknowledged that the Thomspon twins were playing for a glorified AAU team and were rightfully docked for it in the draft process -- and at the VERY LEAST it was discussed as a MAJOR CON about drafting them. Many people stated that the "G League" was "better than college" (lol) and that Scoot would be ready right now because of it. There's a post on here saying he'd average like 10 assists a game, lol. And this is certainly not only about Scoot.
