wco81 wrote:esqtvd wrote:og15 wrote:Sadly Jerome was the Jerry West pick, still not sure what he saw in him, but especially at that time, going against Jerry West was not an easy thing to do, but what a disaster pick.
He's still yet to show on adequate NBA level skill. Would have been better off trading the pick!!
Disaster, true.
But besides Porter, there wasn't a whole lot there after Jerome was picked. Anfernee Simons is ok, but even the best of the rest of the first round are journeyman-quality [DiVincenzo, Huerter, Grayson Allen]. Bamba at #5 and Knox at #9 are busts, and Marvin Bagley at #2 and Wendell Carter at #6 are journeymen too, and not with the teams that drafted them. [There were a couple hits in the second round like Jalen Brunson, but he took awhile to get going and by the time he did, he got PAID.]
https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2018.html
DDV is a pretty good rotation player the last two seasons. He's starting now because of injuries. He's going to have to perform in the playoffs though because last season he couldn't hit anything in the playoffs for the Warriors.
Grayson Allen is having a huge season as spot up shooter so he should get a nice contract.
MPJ is on a max extension and is a knock-down shooter who's started to take advantage of his length rebounding but not sure if he'd be as effective if he didn't play with Jokic and to a lesser extent Murray.
Just pointing out that a lot of these guys don't really give you much on their rookie contract before it's time they get PAID. MJP had one excellent year out of 4 on his rookie contract. 1) Missed the first year with his back; 2) 55G, 16 mpg, 9.3 ppg in the second; 3) a great 31 mpg 19/7 in the 3rd; 4) then only 9 games in his 4th. Then he got PAID.
Grayson Allen and DiVincenzo are on their 4th team. Jalen Brunson averaged 12 ppg for Dallas on his 4 year rookie contract, then left as a UFA to the Knicks and got PAID.
Huerter was probably the best value for his rookie contract, a solid but unspectacular 12 ppg for ATL--albeit on starter's minutes. Now making $16M with the Kings, averaging 24 mpg and 10 ppg. A nice player with T-Mann numbers, for more dough. Missing out on him was not a tragedy.
2018 was a very good draft at the top but besides the medically risky MJP, fell off rapidly after Miles Bridges, a nice player who Charlotte selected with OUR #12 pick, plus two SRPs. [We have to assume wrapping up Shai was Jerry West's idea too. Best move of the draft.]
4 relative busts in the first 10 picks, Shai at #11, and only MJP and Brunson were needle movers after him, and they didn't return much on their rookie contracts. And Ayton and Bagley at #1-2 were misses compared to Luka at #3 and Trae Young at #5--who ATL stupidly swapped.
If some people get mad at calling it a crapshoot, it's damn close.