2018 Draft Thread #6

[shakes0]

in the first half of the season some of his teammates were actually showing up and making plays. James, Manek, McGusty, Odomes just to name a few. Around the start of the year every single one of them stopped making shots and plays. Also stopped guarding guys. At that point everyone keyed on Young and it was 1v5. I wouldn't judge him by how he played in the second half of the season when he was essentially all alone.

I watched most of OU's games, everyone that was on DTV.

Even when Oklahoma's role players were playing well it was the same style of play. Oklahoma really doesn't run anything complicated. It's either a high ball screen or Young just trying to blow by his man off the dribble. He's always had the ball at high volume. He's been playing alone all season.

yes, but the difference is that in the first half of the season his teammates were actually making plays and playing defense. En masse they stopped doing that once 2018 started. Yesterday was a great example of what I was saying. Trae played out of his mind trying to get his team back into it and in the last 5 minutes of the game + OT his teammates didn't make a single positive contribution to the cause. Bad shots, missed shots, bad turnovers...those were the only things his teammates contributed at the end of the game. James had 3 turnovers at the end of the game. Odomes, probably the 13th best shooter on the team, decided to hoist a 3 with a full shot clock and less than a minute to go in regulation. McNeace air balled a free throw. Manic continued to throw up bricks as he has done all of 2018. Dolittle picked up an awful charge at the end of the game.

[TheSuzerain]

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?

Embiid is a basketball savant. Ayton is not.

I don't care if they both started playing later in life.

[BigUps]

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.

He really did. Buffalo guards went right at him and he had no answer.

I love Ayton as a prospect, he's a no doubter, but I've watched a handful of his games and have walked away unimpressed more than I feel like I should've. I don't know. I'm skeptical to some degree.

[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?

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.

I don't know what his calling card will be. He's not much of a defender and offensively he's a mixed bag. His FT% increasing to near 90% is significant to reconsider his shooting potential. I agree with you that he's overlooked to a degree, but I don't really see a ceiling of a player becoming really good.

[bigworld2017]

With the 11th Pick in the 2018 NBA Draft the Chicago Bulls select Mitchell Robinson, from the University of Nowhere.....

[Chi town]

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

Of course we **** it up.

And that’s who I ant next to Lauri.

I think JJJ will drop to 5 or 6.

Luka Ayton Bagley MPJ/Young... then JJJ.

We have to get some lottery luck because Fred doesn’t know how to tank.

[TheSuzerain]

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

Of course we **** it up.

And that’s who I ant next to Lauri.

I think JJJ will drop to 5 or 6.

Luka Ayton Bagley MPJ/Young... then JJJ.

We have to get some lottery luck because Fred doesn’t know how to tank.

The tank failure is more GarPax fault than Fred imo.

But I agree JJJ next to Lauri would have been great.

[TheSuzerain]

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.

He really did. Buffalo guards went right at him and he had no answer.

I love Ayton as a prospect, he's a no doubter, but I've watched a handful of his games and have walked away unimpressed more than I feel like I should've. I don't know. I'm skeptical to some degree.

I think he's an incredibly safe bet to be highly productive (20+ PER), but I predict his actual impact on the court will lag behind his production.

[IcemanGervin]

I thought at the very worst we would be able to draft JJJ. Oh how wrong I was....

[Red Larrivee]

yes, but the difference is that in the first half of the season his teammates were actually making plays and playing defense. En masse they stopped doing that once 2018 started. Yesterday was a great example of what I was saying. Trae played out of his mind trying to get his team back into it and in the last 5 minutes of the game + OT his teammates didn't make a single positive contribution to the cause. Bad shots, missed shots, bad turnovers...those were the only things his teammates contributed at the end of the game. James had 3 turnovers at the end of the game. Odomes, probably the 13th best shooter on the team, decided to hoist a 3 with a full shot clock and less than a minute to go in regulation. McNeace air balled a free throw. Manic continued to throw up bricks as he has done all of 2018. Dolittle picked up an awful charge at the end of the game.

We know why that is: Teams adjusted and Oklahoma didn't. They rode this style of play for better or worse. It's not unheard of for teams to perform well in non-conference and fall off in conference play. That's especially true when you're in the Big 12, which is arguably the best conference in basketball. For that reason, there's no way his conference play can be irrelevant towards evaluation.

[IcemanGervin]

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.

The Buffalo coach basically said college basketball rules make it very easy to take a big man out of the game. It's not surprising and Ayton shouldn't be judged by this game at all. It is not nearly realistic to how he could be guarded in the NBA.

[TheSuzerain]

yes, but the difference is that in the first half of the season his teammates were actually making plays and playing defense. En masse they stopped doing that once 2018 started. Yesterday was a great example of what I was saying. Trae played out of his mind trying to get his team back into it and in the last 5 minutes of the game + OT his teammates didn't make a single positive contribution to the cause. Bad shots, missed shots, bad turnovers...those were the only things his teammates contributed at the end of the game. James had 3 turnovers at the end of the game. Odomes, probably the 13th best shooter on the team, decided to hoist a 3 with a full shot clock and less than a minute to go in regulation. McNeace air balled a free throw. Manic continued to throw up bricks as he has done all of 2018. Dolittle picked up an awful charge at the end of the game.

We know why that is: Teams adjusted and Oklahoma didn't. They rode this style of play for better or worse. It's not unheard of for teams to perform well in non-conference and fall off in conference play. That's especially true when you're in the Big 12, which is arguably the best conference in basketball. For that reason, there's no way his conference play can be irrelevant towards evaluation.

You keep implying there is an adjustment for Oklahoma to have made. Short of posting an ad to Craigslist for new players, I don't see where Oklahoma was going to turn.

[IcemanGervin]

NBA scouts are turning on Oklahoma's Trae Young, whose historic freshman season ended with an 83-78 overtime loss to Rhode Island in the NCAA tournament.
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2764689-i-dont-see-it-nba-scouts-execs-doubting-trae-young-after-ncaa-tourney-exit.amp.html

"I would not take him in the lottery," one scout responded after the game.

"Not a fan," replied an Eastern Conference executive. "Love his passion and dedication, but he must learn to be more efficient."

"I don't see it with him," said an executive from the Western Conference. "He's erratic with the ball, and he's a teaser. Volume shooter. I have concerns on him."

"As he matures, he's going to have to balance out his impulsive play, because while that's flashy and all of us love to see it when he's hot, it's not going to take you very far as a team," added another scout. "Defensively, he has to be better, plain and simple."

"I believe he had only had one such game, versus Kansas, that was a winning effort," said the first executive.

"I believe only 15.0 percent of his field-goal attempts are in the mid-range," said the executive, who pointed out the need to be able to stop and pop inside the arc. "Can he get his shot off versus quality defense?"

No NBA team in their right mind would let this kid play the way he did at Oklahoma. Whoever takes Trea Young is taking the kid based on his shooting and passing and separating the sideshow that was his freshman season with the half courters and all that non sense. The raw tools are their to be an above average offensive point guard and maybe nothing more. Is he steph curry hell no, but he could be dangerous in the right offensive setting.

[dice]

on scales of 1-10 how would you guys rate the top few prospects?

[bigworld2017]

"Coach Fred Hoiberg finished the game with Blakeney, Cam Payne, Cristiano Felicio, Noah Vonleh and Paul Zipser on the floor to see what the youngsters could do."

One of all time greatest Tank line-ups in NBA history and we still won! The Griz starters all played well. But once again our bench screwed us. Unless we get lucky again in the Lottery we're probably going to get the 10th Pick or worse. So forget any immediate impact players being available. Beyond the top 8 I see players who are not likely to start for us over what we already have. At 10 I guess you draft for potential 2 or 3 years down the road. Either roll the dice on someone like Mitchell Robinson or Daniel Gafford, or take Knox or Miles Bridges and hope they eventually develop into solid rotation guys. But anyone who could of made a difference next year will be gone.

[bigworld2017]

on scales of 1-10 how would you guys rate the top few prospects?

1. Ayton 9
2. Bagley 9
3. Doncic 9
4. JJJ 8.5
5. Bamba 8
6. Porter 8 (if back tests healthy)
7. Mikal Bridges 8
8. Carter 8
9. Young 7
10. Crapshoot 5-6.9

[CoreyVillains]

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?

Exactly. And honestly, he's more athletic when jumping, but that's it as far as athleticism goes in regards to basketball ability. Miles size hurts him so much as a prospect. He isn't going to be able to bully NBA players. Teams are going to try to slot him in as a SF, when he is nowhere skilled enough to play there.

[Jcool0]

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[Chi town]

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

He really did. Buffalo guards went right at him and he had no answer.

I love Ayton as a prospect, he's a no doubter, but I've watched a handful of his games and have walked away unimpressed more than I feel like I should've. I don't know. I'm skeptical to some degree.

I think he's an incredibly safe bet to be highly productive (20+ PER), but I predict his actual impact on the court will lag behind his production.

This. 100%

I think JJJ will be the opposite. Uber efficient. Game changer on D. Massive impact.

[sh0ck]

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?

Exactly. And honestly, he's more athletic when jumping, but that's it as far as athleticism goes in regards to basketball ability. Miles size hurts him so much as a prospect. He isn't going to be able to bully NBA players. Teams are going to try to slot him in as a SF, when he is nowhere skilled enough to play there.

I don't see how he's nowhere skilled enough to play there.

He's a bit of a bruiser, but he's not a stiff. He has a quick rise and moves very well for his size. The short wingspan for his size (6'9) hurts, but Jimmy Butler was also a guy with a similar mold. His ability to jump could help make up for the lack of length, and he's shown to be a very good defender at the college level.

He's strong enough to defender bigger SFs, and has versatility to switch onto bigs while being able to keep up speed wise with guards.

And in his two years at MSU, has shown more passing ability than Mikal and Kevin Knox, both of which are projected as SFs.

And with a 89% FT percentage from the line this year, I'm feeling more confident that his jumper will translate in the NBA.

I think I'm liking Miles more and more as I watch more game tape on him.