Keeping our pick? This might be a Lottery year

I don't think it's that hard, just tell Hart we're picking up his option for next season and tell him to rest his ailing whatever the fuck is ailing him because at this point in the season every player has something nagging that could be rested. If you take Hart out of that rotation, these teams that we are playing will beat us because, besides the Pacers, these other terrible teams aren't tanking they're just young and not very good but without Hart and everyone that's currently sitting, we're worse than all of them.

 

Was just having that conversation with someone earlier today. Well done. Similar discussion as was had with Nurk.

 

It won't be much longer before Hart starts to get frustrated playing with some of these players and losing. He will welcome sitting on the bench next to Dame in street clothes.

 

We need Hart to be healthy to start next season. He plays hard and could get injured in a meaningless game. The cheerleading section needs one more guy.

 

Idk, sounds like a Billups guy. If we get the pelicans pick, he should be in the mix.

 

He is already frustrated with Elleby on a nightly basis. Some of the looks he gives him are hilarious.

 

Yes, Duren will be there with Sheed and Larry Brown, who are assistants for Penny Hardaway.

 

Really hope to see a Chetster/Duren Duren match up.

 

thats actually pretty noteworthy, Billups is close with both of them. At this point I’d be surprised if we passed on him, unless we were in the top 3 or something.

 

I think the only notable weakness that sticks out to me about Duren (considering his role/skillset) is his footwork and extension when he has his back to the basket or he has a body between him and the rim. His touch when he faces the basket isn't bad but it really falls off when he's having to turn and find the rim.

It's not a huge issue as I really don't project him to be a post player. But as a big in the playoffs, I think we've seen that its still pretty important to be able to beat a switch more than just as an offensive rebounder. Harder to stay on the floor if you're not at the level where you're dictating the lineup the other team has to put on the floor.

 

Agree and I think Watford does ok in those area facing up and backing down. His handle and touch are impressive for a young player. His footwork and start/stop are good imo.

 

...no

 

Bracket pool?

 

Of course! I apologize in advance if my picks suck haha. Been riding a hot streak for three years and don't know when it'll end.

 

yeah

 

There are a lot of guys in this draft who could be great Billups guys. After the three PFs of whom only Chet strikes me as not so much of a Billups guy, you have about twenty good prospects that project as multidimensional offensive players who can switch well onto other positions than the ones they've been slotted into. If we were committed to a rebuild around Ant and whoever we could get for Dame there would be some tough decisions to make when it came time to draft with what really looks to be both of our two lottery picks. However, Cronin has said very clearly that the team is committed to building a contender around Dame now. So unless one of those two top prospect PFs that are Billups guys are available, I don't think anyone else is really someone who will immediately help to build a contender around Dame.

So it's not worth really getting too deep into it until May 17th but I doubt we keep either pick unless Paolo or Jabari are there or our front office (whoever the fuck that might be) falls in love with another prospect or decides against Cronin's plan of action to stick with Dame. I actually think that despite the fact that "this might be a lottery year" and a double lottery year at that, we might see our team not "keeping our pick"s at all by draft day and instead using our picks, plus possibly taking the conditions off of the pick we owe Chicago for next year by trading that late second rounder we have to them so we can trade the lottery picks we have this year and future firsts for a star caliber player with some picks and the contracts of Bledsoe and Hart and then some picks and the TPE to pick up another starting caliber player.

For instance if Toronto liked the player available at our top pick we might see the first of our two lotto picks, our 2025 first and 2027 first going to Toronto for Siakam. Then we might see our second lotto pick and our 2029 first going to Detroit for Grant. I know most see both of those guys as PFs but both are very adept at playing either forward spot and would be like a very supercharged version of Moe and Chief.

So we don't use either pick for ourselves and come away with a rotation of something like Dame, Ant, Grant, Siakam, Nurk, Nas, Winslow, a free agent big and whoever pops out of all of our returning young guys and our early second rounder. Honestly that first seven with one quality big added to them is a championship rotation.

 

Since we would like the Blazes to get the best pick possible, along with getting 2 Lottery picks, why not go all the way. IF...the Blazers where to get into the Top-3, and Detroit were to drop out of the Top-4, there might be a scenario where the Blazers could get Grant (still not a huge fan) and still have 2 Lottery picks.

Cunningham wants Banchero. If Portland got say #3 and Detroit fell to #5 (as long as the other team not moving in front of them is NOP), could the Blazers get Grant for a swap of Lottery picks since Chet and Smith would likely be gone. We trade the #3 for the #5 and Grant. Or, to make it more interesting, what if we traded the #3 for Grant and the Pistons unprotected pick next year in what is supposed to be a deeper Draft? They would get #3 and #5 this year, and we would get around #9 (Duren, Mathurin, etc), Grant, and a Lottery pick next year.

A bit of a risk, but next year's Draft is supposed to be very good. Of course a lot would have to fall into place for Portland, but it was an interesting discussion someone proposed last night.

 

this is the one year i'm paying attention to college bball.

predicting my NCAA bracket will be worse than usual when I used to simply pick randomly.

 

He's frustrated with Elleby? You should see the looks I give Elleby.

 

I don't care for some of their comps but love the interface and the thorough nature of this. Always a good resource.

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

It's live.