Keeping our pick? This might be a Lottery year

Followup to my own thoughts. A trade I’d love to see to round out the team:

POR gets: Jones, Murphy III, Horford, Nesmith, Sateransky, 2022 LAL 1st, 2 BOS future 1sts, 2023 2nd (HOU, MIA, or DAL) from BOS, 2022 SAC 2nd from NOP, 2024 NOP 2nd

BOS gets: Powell, Lewis

NOP gets: CJ, Zeller, Brown, Snell

I didn’t look at salaries too carefully. Anyone is welcome to if they like the trade. We have to get maximum return out of CJ now. I can see NO giving us a Gerald Wallace-trade kind of offer given that they’re kind of already in a similar situation as the Nets are. If we’re going to be bad for a year, take on Horford’s salary ($14.5 partial guarantee in 2022-23) and get as many picks out of the Celtics as you can for helping them out.

Covington gets us at least our pick back. I’ll just stick with that hypothetical.

McLemore gets us a 2nd. For Nurk, I’m just hoping a team that desperately needs a C will give us a 1st. Use the remaining money on Smith, Bamba, Smith Jr. 2022-23 lineup:

Dame/Smith Jr
Ivey/Little/Nesmith
Jones/FA/Murphy
Simmons/Nance/Watford
Bamba/Smith/draft pick

Jones is already a great defender as a rookie and has shown me enough to believe he at least won’t be a bad shooter. Jones at 6’8 and Simmons at 6’10 would wreak havoc on the wings defensively. I hope to not overpay for either Bamba or Smith, but neither guy has lived up to their expectation as floor spacers.

Next year, I think about trying Nas at SG. Between Dame, Ivey, Smith Jr, and Simmons, he should be on the floor with more than 2 better ball handlers in the game at all times with him. Defensively though, he’s best as on ball defender. Imagine him on Steph, Ja, CP3, Mitchell, Murray all night every night.

I would probably even add more picks to Ant for Simmons as well. I love that roster composition, and between guys like Jones, Ivey, Little, and Murphy, I have serious hopes that more than one of them will break out and we can see this team in the finals in the next 2-3 years.

 

Caught a bit of Duke v NC state. Trying to see why Banchero is not the clear cut fav for number 1

 

Chet’s impact goes beyond raw stats - he currently has one of the best BPM’s for a freshman in ncaa history — 14.3 with an absurd 80 DRtg.

If there’s no red flags on his physical he’s 1a/1b with Jabari.

 

Zach Collins had a 79.5 DRtg at Gonzaga as a freshman also.
A similar ws/48 as well.

 

Now tied for 10th in the Lottery standings and in the #10 Play-in spot.

Not exactly ideal for either getting a good pick, or doing anything in the Playoffs. Love watching the development, but this wins mean so little in the grander scheme.

 

Watched both Banchero and Holmgren yesterday; wasn't super impressed by either. Thought Holmgren works harder than Banchero; he tried to post up every possession almost but his teammates never passed him the ball.

 

If I’m drafting with the top pick, I want someone whose value is shown thru raw stats.

If I have to look “beyond the raw stats”, they aren’t top pick material in my eyes.

 

just no.

 

Needs work on his handles though but besides that he a player that NBA ready. But I would pick the kid from Duke ahead of him because I think his overall skills are better then Smith.

 

Ch

Chet doesn't stand as much as the other 2 players in games. Chet gets knocked around just to much underneath on rebounds in college just think what going happen in the pros. He got decent offense game but again it don't jump out at me. Put I wouldn't pick him if I was picking 3rd in the draft because I don't think his body ready for the NBA right now.

 

Banchero has best overall skills in the draft for the bigs plus his body already developed for the NBA. Smith is close but he more and catch shoot type a big plus his body needs more developed for the NBA. Chet he just don't stand out like the other 2. Matter fact I like Murray more then I do Chet due his game is along line of Smith from Auburn. Smith get the nod do to length and height.

 

It’s clear we have to move CJ and Norm. But now we’ll need a third scoring guard to come off the bench. A guy to look at is AJ Griffin. 6’6, 210lb, 7’0 wingspan. He’s listed as a SG/SF, but I would want him to exclusively play SG and eventually be the first guard off the bench. He’s physical like Nas, but currently not as strong, although he is a bit taller. I’ve always liked the idea of trying Nas at SG especially as a defender, but I have a hard time believing he’ll ever have the handles to do so. AJ Griffin has a lot of Jimmy Butler in his game. He has the wingspan and athletic ability to be a very good defender in the NBA, and shooting about 45% from 3 this year. Subbing in for either Dame or Simons, he’ll be able to take the tougher guard on defense whenever he’s in the game.

Injuries have been a concern with him. Maybe it’ll cause him to slip. I think a pick in the late-teens to the mid-20s could get him.

Future guard lineup of Dame/Simons/Griffin could give us 3 high scoring guards with two in the game at all times. Griffin with a 7’0 wingspan and Little with a 7’1 wingspan can also be very disruptive in the passing lanes as well as one ball when in game together. I love the idea of draft a high-potential scoring guard to learn behind a potent scoring backcourt for a few years similar to how Anfernee did with Dame and CJ.

I see AJ Griffin as a similar player to Ben Mathurin, except you’ll be able to draft him considerably later due to the injury concerns.

 

I guess the only way we would have a pick in that range is if we trade with Chicago and get out pick back....

 

Really depends where we draft if we fall out of the top 10 you got consider him I watch him a couple time so far this season.

 

Yeah I was assuming that any trade of Powell or Covington or CJ will get at least one pick back, most likely in this draft. I wouldn’t consider a guard at the top of the draft unless we landed in a spot to grab Ivey or Mathurin. And even then, I might grab Griffin and trade that lotto pick if only Mathurin was available left at our spot.
Like if Griffin could be had at #20-24, I don’t see why we shouldn’t grab him unless the injury concerns are worse than we thought.

 

Another potential Top-5/6 pick added to this years Draft.

 

His form looks clean for an 18 year old. Ferocious dunker like Nas. Realistically he’s probably about 6’4 without shoes but sites like ESPN list him at 6’5 or 6’6. Maybe he grows an inch or two before he turns 21. No clips on his defense and no record of wingspan, but he can jump for sure. Player comp is Bradley Beal, and from what I’ve seen offensively, he may very well be that. Ant spent 3 years under Stotts and still has been able to flourish by 22. I’d be curious to see what Sharpe looks like at 22 under Billups.

I’m no longer dying to get a top 3 pick. Between Davis, Ivey, Sharpe, and maybe even Griffin, I’d be happy with even a top 6-7 pick. Any of those guys could potentially make a potent scoring 3-guard trio with Dame and Ant, where they could hypothetically expect them to start in year 4 after Dame’s two year extension ends.
So big to pair with Simmons would be cool, but a deadly 3-guard lineup with Simmons would be just as exciting in my mind. No interesting forwards to me thus far outside of Mathurin, and he’s below the guards and tied with Griffin.

 

In August he said this in an interview: SS: I am 6’4 with a 7’0 wingspan and I weigh around 200 pounds.

 

Jabari Smith is slipping away with each win!

 

Ant/Nas & Co are too good for tanking. #13/14....here we come.