RealGM

As we all know, we got BK. If you could go back in time and draft anyone from 8 and lower, who would it be?? Forget Dre, KCP, trades, & 2nd round picks. This is going simply off of talent and needs at the time. You can incorporate how these players have developed since they've been in the league to your choice.

1st Kawhi Leonard.
2nd Klay Thompson

Irving
Valanciunas
Kanter
Klay
Kemba
Leonard
Knight
Faried

I'd still take Knight. PG is the hardest position to learn and he's the youngest guy doing it (going back in time). Growing pains are expected, by most reasonable fans. He's played two positions in two seasons with a lockout and injuries and a mid season trade. Give him a year with Cheeks and Billups and see if he grows. He's still on a rookie deal. He's not an albatross. Give him time.

Q00 wrote:Irving
Valanciunas
Kanter
Klay
Kemba
Leonard
Knight
Faried

3 of those guys you mentioned weren't available at 8. It's hard to do this 2 years after, especially considering our team now. Before I would've said Kawhi, but now that we've got Smith at SF, and with the knee problems Kawhi has, I wouldn't want him. I also would've said Thompson, but we have KCP who has the potentially to be a scorer of the same caliber as him, but a better defender. Obviously it's not a forgone conclusion that KCP develops into the better player, but having Thompson would change this draft, so I'll pass on him as well. in all honesty, for the position the only player (in retrospect) that I would've taken over Knight would be Kemba. A PG is the biggest need for this team right now, so it would be either Knight or Kemba.

I'd still take Knight.

1. Thompson
2. Leonard
3. Parsons
4. Harris
5. Farhied
6. Vucevic
7. Knight

If Leonard or Thompson was on this team for the past 2 years, you all would be trying to trade them too

The_Irony wrote:If Leonard or Thompson was on this team for the past 2 years, you all would be trying to trade them too

+1

If the Pistons had drafted either one of them....

"Thompson is just a jump shooter."
"Leonard is just a glorified role player."

When Biyombo and Knight were both on the board at 7 I was jumping with excitement and then quickly sat down dreading the possibility of Joe reaching for one of the Morris twins.

If I could do it over again I'd still take Brandon Knight, starting, at PG.

There is NO way Kawhi has the same sort of success as a Piston. We'd have ruined this guys career.

That said I've become a massive Kawhi fan and would take him over Knight or anybody else available at #8.

I would draft Klay Thompson over Brandon Knight. Back in the time, we badly needed a normal size SG who can play for us. Ben Gordon as a sixth man was okay, but as a starter, he was terrible. If we had Thompson, Stuckey could've dished out more assists and had more room to drive.

But then again, knowing that I'll draft Drummond a year later, I would've drafted Knight too LOL.

Natopher wrote:

Q00 wrote:Irving
Valanciunas
Kanter
Klay
Kemba
Leonard
Knight
Faried

3 of those guys you mentioned weren't available at 8. It's hard to do this 2 years after, especially considering our team now. Before I would've said Kawhi, but now that we've got Smith at SF, and with the knee problems Kawhi has, I wouldn't want him. I also would've said Thompson, but we have KCP who has the potentially to be a scorer of the same caliber as him, but a better defender. Obviously it's not a forgone conclusion that KCP develops into the better player, but having Thompson would change this draft, so I'll pass on him as well. in all honesty, for the position the only player (in retrospect) that I would've taken over Knight would be Kemba. A PG is the biggest need for this team right now, so it would be either Knight or Kemba.

I was just ranking the top 8 if a redraft were done today. Irving no doubt is still #1, then the two bigs because bigs > guards and both look legit, then Klay because he looks like an all-star, then Kemba because he has all-star talent, then Leonard/Knight/Faried as they are just role players to me.

Would take Kemba rather easily.

i'd probably pick harris, vucevic or jimmy butler

Cowology wrote:There is NO way Kawhi has the same sort of success as a Piston. We'd have ruined this guys career.

That said I've become a massive Kawhi fan and would take him over Knight or anybody else available at #8.

Completely agree. Knight is a hard worker,has all the physical tools, wants to be good and "gets it". If he was put in the Spurs system to develop everyone would be as excited about him as they are Kwahi. I expect Cheeks and Chauncey to do wonders for his development.

Surprised to see such a high value put on Klay Thompson. I watched him a fair amount last year--had him and Curry and Lee on my fantasy team--and he really wasn't impressive. They got him a lot of shots off sets and kick outs and, while he's a pretty good shooter, he can't do anything else. Doesn't rebound, bad handle, weak vision. The type of guy who looks like he shouldn't be dribbling, ever.

He also didn't shoot it that well last year. 42% from the field, efg% of just above 50% (FYI, that's really mediocre). Is the love just coming from the fact that right now we really need a wing with range? Klay does have that.

To answer the op's question, Kawhi would be ideal given his combo of awesome corner shooting, defensive prowess, and glue guy skills. Chandler Parsons would be nice if shooting and offense were the bigger priority, Jimmy Butler if we were looking for D. Tobias Harris if we wanted a big upside guy who could create some on his own... but I'm not sure he'd be the best fit.

HotelVitale wrote:Surprised to see such a high value put on Klay Thompson. I watched him a fair amount last year--had him and Curry and Lee on my fantasy team--and he really wasn't impressive. They got him a lot of shots off sets and kick outs and, while he's a pretty good shooter, he can't do anything else. Doesn't rebound, bad handle, weak vision. The type of guy who looks like he shouldn't be dribbling, ever.

He also didn't shoot it that well last year. 42% from the field, efg% of just above 50% (FYI, that's really mediocre). Is the love just coming from the fact that right now we really need a wing with range? Klay does have that.

klay has a picture perfect jumpshot, and provided he keeps working on the rest of his game to keep himself on the court, he could end up being better than ray allen and be the best shooter to ever play the game. he cant dribble and struggles to finish at the rim, but the biggest thing is, last season he became GS's go to defender on the 1-3 positions. does an incredible job at using his length to bother other guards aswell as being quick enough to stay in front of them, dont judge a player off his fantasy production. ever. ball handling and shot selection are probably the easiest things to fix. he is very close to what we are hoping KCP can be, but he is someone who makes a huge difference on both sides of the court, and a great pick for GS.

parsons, jimmy butler, shumpert, faried, leonard, klay, kemba

are all guys drafted after knight who have more value than knight right now. while isaiah thomas, tobias harris and vucevic and maybe reggie jackson are probably fairly similar.



without taking teams needs into account i think a top 15 re-draft would look something like:

1. kyrie
2. valanciunas
3. leonard
4. faried
5. klay
6. thompson
7. kemba
8. parsons
9. shumpert
10. butler
11. knight
12. kanter
13. vucevic
14. harris
15. thomas

So... despite all the hate Knight gets on this board he would be taken top 10, top 11 if the draft was re-done today....2 years later?

So why such hatred for the kid?