2018 Draft Thread #6

[Chitownbulls]

Barkley just said Ayton is the best player he's seen in college in the last 25years

[DuckIII]

I've had Ayton #1 all season, but no two ways about it, very disappointing showing for him today.

One game doesn't change much for me. Is Trae Young top 5 again because he had a good final game?

Trae Young was never not top 5.

We also need to stop saying he might “drop” to us. If Young goes top 10 - he will - it’s because he rose throughout the season. If he goes above 8 it’s because a team reached. If he goes 8-11 it’s just where he was supposed to go. ESPN currently has him at 9.

[DuckIII]

Barkley just said Ayton is the best player he's seen in college in the last 25years

That’s ridiculous, but regardless he’s clearly separated himself from all the other collegiate prospects this year and has franchise-type rare physical talent.

[R3AL1TY]

Hopefully, the NO pick gets closer to the lottery and maybe the Bulls can makeup for that McDermott trade by drafting two solid players.

[Axolotl]

Today, after the yawningly boring Grizzlies game, I wish we'd pick Young. I don't think he'd be boring, ever.

If he's bad, it's ripping my hair and yelling at the turnovers, the early shot clock shots from mid-court, the non-existent defence, the dribble-dribble-dribble...

If he's good, it's cheering at his visionary passing, his beautiful shots, his ankle breaking dribbles, his outstanding defe... Oh, wait, never mind that last one.

I don't think there's a middle ground with him, where he is consistently kinda ok. It's binary with him, he is either on or off. And that in itself is intriguing.

[Grodoboldo]

Who do we take at this point? We are pretty much locked into 9... I'm looking at Carter, Sexton or MILES Bridges as the only real options left on the board. I think we have to go BOOM or BUST and pick Miles.

Couldn't agree more. I won't be mad if we draft Mikal (Bulls scouts have forgotten more about basketball then I'll ever know), but that's not what I'd do.
Miles is very underated. I get his flaws, but the combination of shooting and athleticism is there. Of course his wingspan is nothing to write home about (otherwise I'm sure he'd be higher on draft boards), but his shot selection (sure likes his pull up jumpers from 18 feet!) and handles are pretty workable IMO.

[DuckIII]

Ayton goes down with a whimper. Can't wait for the quotes on Ayton from NBA scouts after this stinker!

I mean, if you’re getting excited about him “wimpering” on 14/13 while basically being triple teamed because his team shot 2-18 from 3 then, yeah.

If that’s failure then Ayton is far and away the best prospect in this draft.

[TheSuzerain]

Ayton goes down with a whimper. Can't wait for the quotes on Ayton from NBA scouts after this stinker!

I mean, if you’re getting excited about him “wimpering” on 14/13 while basically being triple teamed because his team shot 2-18 from 3 then, yeah.

If that’s failure then Ayton is far and away the best prospect in this draft.

Doesn’t sound like you watched the game. He got punked defensively.

[Benedict Miller]

Any team will be happy with Miles Bridges.

[Grodoboldo]

Any team will be happy with Miles Bridges.

I still think that MSU visit was weird. Fred's son being there is not all there is to it. I'm hoping that the Bulls like the same guys I do, Miles and JJJ (hey, there's still a 6% chance we get a top3 pick).

[TheSuzerain]

JJJ was 100% attainable if we draft at #7 ahead of the New York teams.

Of course we **** it up.

[thebizkit]

Ayton and Gasol is going to be a hell of duo to watch.

[Red Larrivee]

Who do we take at this point? We are pretty much locked into 9... I'm looking at Carter, Sexton or MILES Bridges as the only real options left on the board. I think we have to go BOOM or BUST and pick Miles.

I feel like this boom or bust concept assumes that the "boom" is some all-star level player. I don't see that in Miles Bridges. I really don't see much that he does better than Mikal Bridges or Wendell Carter. More athletic? Absolutely, but what else?

[Grodoboldo]

Who do we take at this point? We are pretty much locked into 9... I'm looking at Carter, Sexton or MILES Bridges as the only real options left on the board. I think we have to go BOOM or BUST and pick Miles.

I feel like this boom or bust concept assumes that the "boom" is some all-star level player. I don't see that in Miles Bridges. I really don't see much that he does better than Mikal Bridges or Wendell Carter. More athletic? Absolutely, but what else?

Well, he's not just a little more athletic than Mikal, the difference os pretty significant. That allows him to navigate screens better and maybe shows the pontential to draw more contact at the basket (although right now I believe Mikal and uses his bigger wingspan and experience to be better at it).
Also, his propensity to ask for a screen and pull up, while quite annoying, indicates some ability to create his shot.
Yes, it is very limited, and his shaky dribble still won't allow it to go beyond that simple action, but I think that's more than what Mikal has shown so far in that end.
Again, I believe the argument for Mikal above him has footing, and I wouldn't be mad at that outcome.
But I think that Miles could be one of those looked over guys that in a few years we'll be asking ourselves how did it happen.

[TheSuzerain]

I don't even think Miles Bridges is functionally more athletic than Mikal. Wingspan is more useful than explosiveness. Miles Bridges has a 6'9" wingspan which is mediocre to poor.

[Benedict Miller]

Who do we take at this point? We are pretty much locked into 9... I'm looking at Carter, Sexton or MILES Bridges as the only real options left on the board. I think we have to go BOOM or BUST and pick Miles.

I feel like this boom or bust concept assumes that the "boom" is some all-star level player. I don't see that in Miles Bridges. I really don't see much that he does better than Mikal Bridges or Wendell Carter. More athletic? Absolutely, but what else?

Because of his developing perimeter game and explosiveness, I believe Miles has more potential as a scorer. He already has a respectable shot, and is more capable at attacking the basket. Not to mention that he's already a better rebounder, as I can see him making sportscenter, dunking on someone's head off of a miss.

[johnnyvann840]

I was so not impressed with Ayton in the biggest game of his college career.. I think whoever takes him with the number one pick is going to be disappointed.

I think he's going to be a great player and have a great career barring injury.

The potential to bust out is really low but I don't see Superstar

[Benedict Miller]

I was so not impressed with Ayton in the biggest game of his college career.. I think whoever takes him with the number one pick is going to be disappointed.

I think he's going to be a great player and have a great career barring injury.

The potential to bust out is really low but I don't see Superstar

Interesting. What did you think of Embiid while he was in college?

[JimmyJammer]

I am actually worried now that Mikal Bridges might soar out of the 8th and 9th range.

The length. They all talk about the length.

But the 767 wingspan displayed by Villanova 6-foot-7 swingman Mikal Bridges is just one part of what makes him a sure bet NBA lottery pick.

“Sure. Absolutely,” basketball Hall of Famer and St. John’s coach Chris Mullin said about the quality of Bridges’ pro future. “For the NBA, his length, his athleticism work. He’s just going to improve. His shot is there. He may be better suited for the NBA than most.”

So NBA scouts and executives, including a Knicks contingent led by president Steve Mills, crammed the halfcourt sections of the Garden stands Thursday when Villanova, uncharacteristically a No. 2 seed, wore down Marquette, 94-70, in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament.

And Bridges didn’t disappoint. With 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks, one steal, 7-of-12 shooting (4-of-7 on 3s), he lived up to an assessment by Villanova coach Jay Wright.

“Mikal’s just such a great all-around player that you want him involved in everything you do,” said Wright whose Wildcats, behind Xavier, failed to win the Big East regular season title for the first time since 2013.

“Physically, it was playing through the system, my teammates finding me,” Bridges said. “I got a text from (current Laker, ex-Nova Wildcat) Josh Hart and he told me I’ve got to start rebounding more and that’s what I’ve been doing the past couple games. With assists, it was just moving the ball, my teammates making shots. And then just trying to be aggressive on the other end.”

Bridges did a little of everything to enhance his lottery pick resume. Some fans in New York are already excited – he could fall into Knick pick range. Ironically, Villanova used the Knicks locker-room.

“I know where I am. A lot of my friends send me that stuff but I try not to look at it,” Bridges said.

He’ll have to look soon. Mullin loves his own guys and Villanova’s Jalen Brunson but he acknowledged Bridges as the most NBA-ready player in the Big East bunch.

https://nypost.com/2018/03/08/villanova-studs-monster-game-puts-nba-lottery-teams-on-notice/

[sh0ck]

JJJ was 100% attainable if we draft at #7 ahead of the New York teams.

Of course we **** it up.

I doubt that, I've been seeing him pop all the way up to 3rd on a lot of mocks