Keeping our pick? This might be a Lottery year

PAOLO OR BUST

 

Team Chet

 

Unless we get a top 3 pick I think a lottery pick would end up getting traded.

If we get a top 3 pick, I still think Chet is the best prospect. There’s a lot of over analyzing (just like with everything else these days- thanks internet) going on with all three of these kids though imo. They’re all unfinished players, just like 99% of prospects.

 

We badly need a official lottery pick watch thread

 

This chet Holmgren guy looks wayyyyyy too skinny for the NBA. He also doesn't look super athletic to me. I don't get why people want this guy. The 7'4" guy looks WAYYYYY more promising.

 

I never like to pick Duke guys because of the program bolstering their numbers. That said, Paulo has good size and athleticism. He also rebounds well and that almost always translates into the NBA. I don't like highly skilled small guys if there are athletic big guys. This is why I wanted Giannis over CJ. Size and athleticism cannot be taught. Skills can be taught. It's why I wanted Rudy Gobert as well. It doesn't always work, but it seems to work far more often than not to go for super athletes who are big. Sometimes you have spectacular failures like T-Robb, but you also get guys like Gobert and Giannis. Also, I say to ignore small guys with skills because we already have that in spades. Obviously, Lillard was the right pick despite there being large athletes we could have drafted instead.

 

Team Paolo here.

If we don't get a top 3 pick for Paolo, I'm actually liking Bennedict Mathurin.

 

He's a good height. I wish nbadraft had his numbers up for athleticism etc. I don't watch much college ball so I really have no idea. I just watch highlights people post and draw conclusions from that. Such as Chet Holmgren would need to take his skills to the next level and then some. He's far too skinny and slow to be effective in the NBA. Jokic and Luka Doncic both are extremely skilled but also they have NBA bodies. This guy looks like he would snap in half the first time he got hit by a PF/C turning in the post. He's no Durant with otherworldly skills, speed and height so I just don't see him being an impact player in the NBA. I'm super, super into size and athleticism once you have a good backcourt and we have that.

 

After doing a bit more research Patrick Baldwin and Marjon Beauchamp are worth a look. Good size, athleticism, defense and good shooting. I guess we really need a PF/C, but I feel like you can't have too many guys 6'6 to 6'9" who are athletic in this league. You can have one of them play SG next to Dame if need be. Bring back the 6'6"+ SG!

 

think banchero is a nobrainer.

my favorite as well. he's not putting up the numbers beasley did at kstate, but that's the comp. if his head. is on straight, he's gonna be a monster in the league.

and i think he has better defensive instincts than beas did at his age.

im staunchly in the stay away from chet team.

 

because he’s an elite defender, spaces the court, can create, and despite his lack of strength is fearless. Put him in an nba S&T program and he will get stronger along with the strength that comes with natural maturing.

 

I’m leaning toward Jabari Smith Jr if we get the number 1 pick. I would say his potential is almost as high as Holmgren but I have more confidence that Smith will last. Real nice stroke, good athlete and will probably be good or great defender. I saw a clip of him dribbling up and pulling a 3 in game–he looked like a 6’10 Paul George. After just a very brief watch of Banchero’s highlights, he doesn’t wow me, he has a better offensive than Holmgren but I wouldn’t even say he’s the safest pick of the three. I like what I’ve seen with Holmgren but I worry about his frame. At the same time, I can see OKC running with this guy and Poku for the next 10 years.

That being said, any of the 3 would make me happy. If outside the top 3, I honestly only look at Duren or Baldwin. Or see if CJ + 2022 pick #4-10 + another protected pick (via Nurk/Covington trade) for Ben gets it done.

Eason and Jovic are two guys I look at trading into the draft for though if we trade that lotto pick.

 

it physically hurts me to watch chet run. this ain't AD or Evan Mobley.

and i don't want any part of drafting a WABC from Gonzaga. have we not learned our lesson?

 

We lost The Dream on a coin flip to the first team to famously tank on purpose. Almost had Hakeem and Drexler. Passed on MJ and Charles Barkley.

 

Well KD and Giannis were very skinny too. KD still is kind of skinny for NBA standards. Gobert was skinny too. He has too much potential to care about him being skinny at 19 years old.

 

On second thought…
Holmgren would actually be the perfect guy to pair with a guy like Simmons. Never thought about it before because most didn’t ever think we’d be in this position this far into the season. It was much harder to find someone along the lines of Turner or Boucher that would work at a perfect pairing for our team but now that tank is in the discussion,

A 7 footer that projects to be a great rim protector with potential to be a good shooter would be the perfect guy to pair with one of the best one ball defenders. Covington/Nurkic/Nance has to be able to yield enough picks to make a Ben for CJ + picks package possible.

But heading into next year with
Dame
Norman
Simons
Little
Simmons
Holmgren
Whatever young pieces we get back via trade
Some 1-2 year deals

That is a lot more exciting of a roster to think about. I would focus Holmgren on just getting stronger and shooting 3’s for at least his first year. Filling out Holmgren’s frame as quick as possible would be the key I think. That kind of frontcourt could be nightmarish for years to come. Add Nassir’s energy on the boards and I’m less worried about Holmgren’s lack of frame.

 

Chet looks scary to me, I’d actually trade the pick and CJ for a difference maker. Maybe Boston realizes they need to break up their stars and CJ/Top 4 pick for Brown becomes available?

 

Chet would be a project but his ceiling when he fills out is crazy

Paolo would be great for this team too.

Too bad Emoni Bates reclassified. He was gonna be in this draft, no?

 

You have to be fucking kidding me

 

"Holmgren tried to throw it down, but a cross-wind caught him midair."