because he saw him play one game and that was all he needed to see: #13 Donovan Mitchell #14 Bam Adebayo #19 John Collins #23 OG Anunoby Thanks Neil
76ers: Markelle Fultz (G) - Washington Lakers: Lonzo Ball (G) - UCLA Celtics: Jayson Tatum (F) - Duke Suns: Josh Jackson (F) - Kansas Kings: DeAaron Fox (G) - Kentucky Magic: Jonathan Isaac (F) - Florida State Bulls: Lauri Markkanen (F) - Arizona Knicks: Frank Ntilikina (G) - France Mavericks: Dennis Smith Jr. (G) - NC State Trail Blazers: Zach Collins (F/C) - Gonzaga Hornets: Malik Monk (G) - Kentucky Pistons: Luke Kennard (G) - Duke Jazz: Donovan Mitchell (G) - Louisville Heat: Bam Adebayo (C) - Kentucky Kings: Justin Jackson (F) - UNC Bulls: Justin Patton (C) - Creighton Bucks: DJ Wilson (F/C) - Michigan Pacers: TJ Leaf (F/C) - UCLA Hawks: John Collins (F) - Wake Forest Kings: Harry Giles (F/C) - Duke Thunder: Terrance Ferguson (F) - Australia Nets: Jarrett Allen (C) - Texas Raptors: OG Anunoby (F) - Indiana Nuggets: Tyler Lydon (F) - Syracuse 76ers: Andzejs Pasecniks (C) - Latvia Trail Blazers: Caleb Swanigan (PF) - Purdue Lakers: Kyle Kuzma (F) - Utah Jazz: Tony Bradley (C) - North Carolina Spurs: Derrick White (G) - Colorado Lakers: Josh Hart (G) - Villanova
I'm really not mad with the Collins selection. GMs all have plenty of regrets on drafts. Neil has really been a decent drafter overall. Collins has a blend of physical abilities and skills that gave him real potential. We were not a contender in 2017 so we didn't have an immediate need for a contributor as dire as now. Now we have a 30 year old declining star so we need more urgent help. Now if we give Collins a $50 million extension I'll be furious. That has been Neil's problem.
The issue I have with the pick is that Olshey himself stated that he saw him play one game and that was all he needed to see. And it couldn’t have been much playing time he saw because Zach didn’t even start for Gonzaga that season. This was pure hubris and a classic case of I’m smarter than the rest of the room.
So would it be fine if he said some type of quote like that on Lillard? I really could care less what a GM says on his selection process to the media, it's all a poker game, half truths, and or Blazers PR. I care what his actions are. Neil draft record is pretty good. He really screws up with extensions and larger $ free agents.
I'm more irritated with CJ over Giannis when the Blazers already had an undersized scoring guard. If only the Blazers would have listened to D69.....for about the last 15 years.
The sad part was that Swanigan had no physical tool, like none at all to be a nba player. And his skills aren’t exactly impressive either so he was never gonna a nba player
Swanigan was a good rebounder, a skill which is supposed to translate - and had a good offensive game which if it translated, would have been fantastic. Basically, they looked at him as a zbo type of guy. That late in the draft, that's a reasonable risk.
You understate it. Olshey was so hot on Zach Collins that he traded #15 (available: John Collins, plus the players below) and #20 (available: OG Anunoby, Jarrett Allen, Terrance Ferguson, plus the players below) to take him at #10. Bonus: Then he drafted Swanigan with a separate #26 pick (available: Kyle Kuzma, Derrick White, Josh Hart, Dillon Brooks). We could have had three stars, not zero. I can't find fault for his #2 pick that year, because he had none. He had already traded #45 (available: Dillon Brooks, Monte Morris), with 2015 #37 (available: Josh Richardson, Norman Powell, Richaun Holmes) for...wait for it...Thomas Robinson. Nope.
It all evens itself out..... there was no way that we should of had Dame fall into our lap the way he did.
Way too soon to write Collins off, or wish that we had taken someone else. His performance this season is a non factor in my assessment of his potential. He didn’t have any chance to build momentum this season because of injuries, and momentum is an important thing to have as his career progresses. He’s got the tools, just need him healthy and working hard. Collins will be the kind of player you’d see on a Championship roster making an legitimate impact for that direction.
If we could trade CJ - Giannis as both players are right now (as if we’d drafted Giannis and have our current roster swapping the two) we would be winning the championship this year 150%; probably next year too. Dame Giannis Melo Whiteside Nurkic I put Giannis at the 2 because he’s more of a ball handler than Melo. That lineup has so much length/defensive potential. Best S5 in the NBA no Contest.
