garrick wrote:We have no interior toughness nor bigs that are worth a damn.
How can a Bucks team missing Giannis be blowing the doors off a healthy Suns team? Our best PF is an undersized Royce O'neale who is like at best 6'5.
No worries! I have a number of physical, dominant, athletic 4/5s that are ABSOLUTELY easily in our draft range and even some options that we could easily add with a two way from the undrafted pool this summer too. That is IF.................Jones can actually get over his irrational aversion to drafting and developing talent and only targeting unathletic low-ceiling mediocre wings for every single position.
A relatively unknown name that I'll post more about though soon that I hope everyone would look into a bit more for our needs from the draft are:
1-
Joel Soriano (St Johns)
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/joel-soriano-1.htmlJoel Soriano plays like a mix of Andrew Bynum and Kurt Thomas (attitude/physical toughness/mean streak). He's just big, burly, strong, physical and tough. He loves to use his size at 6'11 and near 260 lbs or so to play bully ball and dominate down low as you'll notice in the video clips. He a ferocious offensive rebounder averaging around 15% OFR. He's a good shotblocker too and has an aggressive tenacious mentality. He can also hit the three and has a developing faceup game and is an adept underrated passer. He's like a more fluid, athletic version of Nurkic in many ways. Most importantly, he can play at EITHER the 4 or the 5 as needed due to his mobility, versatility and servicable shooting.
Ideally, We'd add him from the undrafted pool on a two way to backup Nurk
OR even play him at the 4 and add/sign a versatile very skilled fluid big such as
Ulriche Comche my personal top pick!!! with our 1st in a trade back scenario?? Then we'd have 2 big, strong, physical,versatile and dominant frontcourt of interchangable 4/5s that'd allow us to shore up both frontcourt positions but more importantly, with our backline defense and rim protection being stronger, Now our wings could extend further out to contest hard on closeouts to shutdown the 3 pt barrages of opposing teams.
two other names that everyone should really take a peak at are:
Amari Williams (Drexel) 6'10 265 lbs with a 7'5 wingspan.
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/amari-williams-2.htmlPER 40 21/13/ 3 blocks/ 1.5 steals.
When comparing these per 40 stats, Much like Timelord, they BOTH have similar measurements at around 6'10 240-260 lbs, athletic and with a 7'5 wingspan and great defensive timing and shotblocking instincts, etc. You'll also find his statistical production/ defensive impact very similar to Robert Williams (Timelord) best season for the Celtics in 21-22. Only difference is when you watch his clips, you'll also see intriguing offensive tools, ballhandling potential and isolation scoring ability and passing that can be further developed.
Amari Williams shotblockingBrandon Huntley Hatfield (Louisville)
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/brandon-huntley-hatfield-1.htmlhttps://nbadraftroom.com/p/brandon-huntley-hatfield/He's a strong, physical 6'10 245lb (closer to now) 4 with a very versatile game that's actually quite similiar to Julius Randle in skillset versatility.
Now someone less physically dominant but more skilled at the 4, would require us to then add one of the big, long, quick, elite athltic rim protectors as a strong defensive compliment. Really any of Aziz Bandaogo (Cincinnati), Clif Omoruyi (Rutgers), or Ugonna Kingsley Oneyso (Kentucky) Would be a perfect elite rim protecting/ shotblocking compliment to any of Zonimir Ivisic, Drew Pember, Grant Nelson, Brandon Huntley Hatfield,
Yaxel Lendeborg, Quinton Post, Robbie Avila, etc as ultra skilled big 4/5s. These combinations would absolutely give us the most dominant two way frontcourts with size that we've had since our Amare' days honestly!