I'm a huge believer in Shaedon. I think Ant has really gummed up the works for both of our young guards development. I think Jerami on top of how great Tou and Jabari had been has really limited what we've been able to see from Kris. So the jury is out on a bunch of these guys and it's not just because of injuries. Injuries have hurt but holding onto Jerami and Ant who just dominate the ball whenever they touch it has killed our ability to see how this rebuild is truly going. I think given his skill set that if we were going to keep a vet it would be Malcolm but even his value should be higher for a team trying to win in the playoffs than it should be for us. Long story short I don't think the guys that we've drafted since Schmitz came on board have been complete misses, I just don't think we've had the time or accessibility to evaluate how good the picks have been. We're having to do a lot more waiting and a lot less seeing because Joe isn't really committing to this rebuild.
UConn is monstrous this year. It'll take an off night from them and a lights out night from someone else for them not to go back to back.
Taking this in a slightly different direction … The Blazers need to have some good-ish players to give inexperienced-and-not-ready players (1) role models on how to prepare and play, (2) better players on the floor to play up to instead of a Summer League team with crappy players who are out of sync. Where we agree is the need to trade players this summer or soon after. Not ALL the vets, necessarily, but Simons, Matisse, and Time Lord (in-season when healthy and looking good to others). Grant? I’m on both sides of the fence too much … so TRADE if a good-ish deal.
So you think it was Ant that held back Shaedon and Scoot...... and not their injuries? I don't see it. The injury to Shaedon totally set him back a year. As far as Kris.....the guy has been starting even though he does not deserve to. I am one of the few who actually like his game, but even I don't think he deserved more minutes. I will say I think he will excel playing alongside better players. he just needs another summer shooting the NBA 3. He is a decent defender and passer.
Clingan really showcased his mobility yesterday He also shutdown the paint. He’s becoming my favorite for our pick - his play is raising his stock into the top 5
do people think knecht's scoring will translate to the league? i really like his combo of skill and footwork.
As somebody who doesn't watch a lot of college hoops anymore.....why have I not seen his name in a single mock draft that high. I looked at like 20 that have been updated very recently. You think we should pick him in the TOP 5?
He’s not there yet but he’s helped his stock more than just about anyone not named Zach Edey Also, the best in the biz: https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2024-nba-mock-draft/
Zach Edey just had one of the most dominant performances in tournament history. Yes, he's faster in lane agility drills than a good majority of NBA centers during their draft combine and he's on par with their shuttle run time.....and that was before he dropped 20 lbs. That he's a big man who can run sub-6 minute miles? That level of speed means he has the cardiovascular capability to run up and down the court for days on end. Honestly, don't overthink it with that Warriors pick. He'll make for a good sixth man, at worst, and if he blossoms, who knows what the Blazers might have on our hands.
Coming back from injury, Clingan looked really slow. People worried about his health going forward. Centers with foot problems haven't got the best history. Lately though, he's really turned it around and looks healthy (for now). At his peak, Clingan is one of the best drop coverage defenders of the last few drafts. Someone is going to risk a top 5-10 pick on him.
Yeah, that is a great link. Love their assessment of Cody Williams. We need more players to keep rising so we have a good shot for him. I love his game and think with another 10-15 lbs he will be a star.
I’m at the point in this draft process where I could be convinced pretty much anyone outside of Walter/Dillingham/Collier are the best pick and it’d take me about one sentence of rationale to buy in. That’s how all-over-the-place this draft is…
