2021 Draft Thread

[clyde21]

Anyone who thinks james Bouknight can pass needs to rewatch the vids. If anything is his weakness it would be 3 pt % and on defense.

he's a low-level passer with little creative juice on ball as a facilitator, but that's not the problem, the problem is his garbage decision making and his ball-stopping tendencies...a 32% usage with a 13% assist rate...you want to compare that to other undersized score-first 2 guards in college?

Malik Monk: 27% usage 13% assist rate
Collin Sexton: 33% usage 28% assist rate
Jordan Clarkson: 28% usage rate 20% assist rate
Coby White: 27% usage rate 24% assist rate
Jordan Poole: 21% usage rate 13% assist rate
Terry Rozier: 28% usage rate 20% assist rate

i can keep going but you get the picture

only two that even come close to Bouk's **** assist rate are Monk and Poole, and neither came close to his usage rate. he has one of THE worst usage to assist rates I've at the collegiate level tbh, it's mind bending how much of a black hole he is.

yea, can't wait to plug this guy into our ball/player movement scheme.

[Brick Layer]

finally the draft is tomorrow! I have a feeling Kuminga will be on the board at 7 which should make things interesting as far as trading him in a package, trading back or picking him for the team. If they pass they will have their pick of Moody, Wagner or Giddey. So far there has been silence in regards to Beal or any other player asking out before the draft. Tomorrow should be crazy!!! They Dubs could pick Bouknight and we would all be treated to Clyde losing his mind!

In a zoom call today Chad Ford said Kuminga has been #4 overall on the GSW board all year long. Assuming the Warriors don't trade their picks and Kuminga is still on the board at 7, GSW will likely pick him to be a part of their future. Then the Warriors can try to address their more immediate needs to contend later in the draft with someone like Davion Mitchell if he's still available at 14.

[clyde21]

Anyone who thinks james Bouknight can pass needs to rewatch the vids. If anything is his weakness it would be 3 pt % and on defense.

He is a poor decision maker with limited vision. Are we really arguing this point? This is the Klay argument all over again.. he can pass the ball sometimes but he's not going to create or make the smart play most of the time. But hes capable of doing it sometimes. So are you arguing against the idea he can't pass at all, or against the idea that he's not a good passer for a ballhandler?

and the difference is that while Klay sucks @ passing, it doesn't really matter because he's a low-dribble low-usage guy who's not gonna pound the ball 15 seconds of the shot-clock..that guy HAS to be a great decision maker/distributor unless he's coming off the bench specifically as a designated scorer..which is, again, Bouk's best position in the NBA a la Malik Monk and Jordan Clarkson.

[mos_def]

yea, can't wait to plug this guy into our ball/player movement scheme.

Incase he is drafted, would you prefer
Welcome to the Bay, James Bouknight
Or
Welcome to the GSW, James Bouknight?
I just want to know

[AdonalFoyle4Prez]

This one's for you, Sir Clyde. It's like Bouknight's trying to answer however way he can to win you over :

Watch on YouTube

[clyde21]

yea, can't wait to plug this guy into our ball/player movement scheme.

Incase he is drafted, would you prefer
Welcome to the Bay, James Bouknight
Or
Welcome to the GSW, James Bouknight?
I just want to know

i'd enjoy it tbh, WIseman-Bouknight in two consecutive drafts and yall deserve nothing else.

[Brick Layer]

I feel like we're all going to look back and wonder how people didn't rush to try to snag Mobley. I'd give a hefty package to get Mobley on this team. A big man with great defense and decent shooting and a clear knack for the game. He is the biggest lock of the draft to be a star and who I'd take #1.

Cleveland can be dumb, we should really try to work some kind of prayer trade out. Mobley would set us for Steph's prime.

Mobley has everything you want in a modern day center outside of the heft right now. You can run offense through him because he can pass. He can shoot it a little bit. He can guard 1-5 and he protects the rim. He's a 7' that you can play 40+mpg and not really give up anything. I'm not sure he has no 1 type option to carry an offense by himself like a Lebron, Luka, Jokic but he's going to be a high level impact player in every facet.

I completely agree. It's just unfortunate there doesn't appear to be a route for us to get him, he is perfect. I'd probably give up what seems like an overpay to get it done, as long as we don't lose our starting 5 (with Mobley being the 5, and I'd be OK with a Wiggins swap for a similar player). With Draymond we need a big who can hit some shots, and on defense we'd just go on another level considering our upper third D rating last season (plus Klay).

It's almost frustrating just being stuck behind a keyboard with no way to sway management to go get Mobley!

OKC has accumulated 37 picks and are trying anything and everything to trade up into the top three picks just to take Evan Mobley. So far the relentless Sam Presti has been totally been stone walled. GSW doesn't have anywhere the trade assets OKC does which means Evan Mobley will not be walking thru the doors of Chase Center anytime soon except as a member of the visiting team.

[DonaldSanders]

Mobley has everything you want in a modern day center outside of the heft right now. You can run offense through him because he can pass. He can shoot it a little bit. He can guard 1-5 and he protects the rim. He's a 7' that you can play 40+mpg and not really give up anything. I'm not sure he has no 1 type option to carry an offense by himself like a Lebron, Luka, Jokic but he's going to be a high level impact player in every facet.

I completely agree. It's just unfortunate there doesn't appear to be a route for us to get him, he is perfect. I'd probably give up what seems like an overpay to get it done, as long as we don't lose our starting 5 (with Mobley being the 5, and I'd be OK with a Wiggins swap for a similar player). With Draymond we need a big who can hit some shots, and on defense we'd just go on another level considering our upper third D rating last season (plus Klay).

It's almost frustrating just being stuck behind a keyboard with no way to sway management to go get Mobley!

OKC has accumulated 37 picks and are trying anything and everything to trade up into the top three picks just to take Evan Mobley. So far the relentless Sam Presti has been totally been stone walled. GSW doesn't have anywhere the trade assets OKC does which means Evan Mobley will not be walking thru the doors of Chase Center anytime soon except as a member of the visiting team.

Oh I agree, that's why it's *almost* frustrating, we just don't have a way to do it sadly.

[FNQ]

So now Bouknight is undersized? Jesus H Christ.... and what is the average NBA height for a sg these days?

and Bouknights off ball movement is one of his strengths... your just making stuff up.

I'm seeing this come up a lot... is it? He was brutal at catch and shoot, slightly above average on cuts.. and as noted, he cuts a bit like Oubre - only to get the ball, never to latch a defender. That could be a UCONN issue more than a Bouknight issue, but its still a concern.

https://www.indycornrows.com/2021/6/8/22451227/james-bouknight-and-the-art-of-off-ball-movement

I linked this "rando" article before. Just some guys opinion obviously. Not an expert like some keyboard warriors I could mention.

"Bouknight is a fantastic off-ball mover, among the best in college basketball, and to me, it’s his major swing skill in translating to the NBA. He is a highly skilled player, but the movement skills are his elite tool that he’ll leverage at the next level to unlock other aspects of his game"

Well it is SB Nation..

I don't see an elite cutter, like at all. I mean he cuts, but each one they show on video is him receiving the ball. Which, ok, fine, that's not a negative in his game. However some of the cuts the guy writes about, fawns about really, are not even impressive. There are times when he is open after a cut, and then continues moving and it threw the passer off. There's little mention of how he was a bad shooter off of cuts (key for our offense).. but he was good at UCONN, percentage wise, at getting to the rim on cuts. Only problem is... it happened 22 times the entire season. And it wasn't because he cut 22 times, its because the UCONN offense was so timid that unless he was wide open, he didnt get the ball. This was evident vs Creighton, where they forced him to be a more perimeter option and it didnt go well.

So calling it elite is a super super stretch, and it has to be qualified that its inside the rim only on very few attempts. Most of his cuts were to circle out to the perimeter, which did effectively nothing for the offense. Again, that can be a Bouk flaw, or a UCONN flaw. But running through the middle of the court just to get the ball, back to the basket, at 25+ feet is something that won't go as well in the NBA, what with the shorter shot clocks and much larger obstacles in the middle

[KevinMcreynolds]

I hope this is Bob Myers reply when some stat nerd like Kent Lacob tells him to draft Franz Wagner

[clyde21]

I'm seeing this come up a lot... is it? He was brutal at catch and shoot, slightly above average on cuts.. and as noted, he cuts a bit like Oubre - only to get the ball, never to latch a defender. That could be a UCONN issue more than a Bouknight issue, but its still a concern.

https://www.indycornrows.com/2021/6/8/22451227/james-bouknight-and-the-art-of-off-ball-movement

I linked this "rando" article before. Just some guys opinion obviously. Not an expert like some keyboard warriors I could mention.

"Bouknight is a fantastic off-ball mover, among the best in college basketball, and to me, it’s his major swing skill in translating to the NBA. He is a highly skilled player, but the movement skills are his elite tool that he’ll leverage at the next level to unlock other aspects of his game"

Well it is SB Nation..

I don't see an elite cutter, like at all. I mean he cuts, but each one they show on video is him receiving the ball. Which, ok, fine, that's not a negative in his game. However some of the cuts the guy writes about, fawns about really, are not even impressive. There are times when he is open after a cut, and then continues moving and it threw the passer off. There's little mention of how he was a bad shooter off of cuts (key for our offense).. but he was good at UCONN, percentage wise, at getting to the rim on cuts. Only problem is... it happened 22 times the entire season. And it wasn't because he cut 22 times, its because the UCONN offense was so timid that unless he was wide open, he didnt get the ball. This was evident vs Creighton, where they forced him to be a more perimeter option and it didnt go well.

So calling it elite is a super super stretch, and it has to be qualified that its inside the rim only on very few attempts. Most of his cuts were to circle out to the perimeter, which did effectively nothing for the offense. Again, that can be a Bouk flaw, or a UCONN flaw. But running through the middle of the court just to get the ball, back to the basket, at 25+ feet is something that won't go as well in the NBA, what with the shorter shot clocks and much larger obstacles in the middle

again, he's a ONE read cutter, meaning he's cutting towards the basket with a single action in mind, that's it, exactly like Oubre. that's just ONE job of an off-ball player, you need cutters/slashers that will be continuously moving and relocating, can make quick secondary reads, shooters that can spot up shoot and shoot off-catch/screens, guys that can consistently set picks/screens, etc...Bouknight is terrible at all the above, and I already mentioned his terrible %s on catch-and-shoot 3s which is essentially the most basic ask of an off-ball guard.

anyone who is arguing Bouk is an off-ball guard either has no clue wtf hes talking about or is purposely being disingenuous, probably a combination of both but no serious person who's even watched ONE game of Bouk's will make this claim.

[FNQ]

https://www.indycornrows.com/2021/6/8/22451227/james-bouknight-and-the-art-of-off-ball-movement

I linked this "rando" article before. Just some guys opinion obviously. Not an expert like some keyboard warriors I could mention.

"Bouknight is a fantastic off-ball mover, among the best in college basketball, and to me, it’s his major swing skill in translating to the NBA. He is a highly skilled player, but the movement skills are his elite tool that he’ll leverage at the next level to unlock other aspects of his game"

Well it is SB Nation..

I don't see an elite cutter, like at all. I mean he cuts, but each one they show on video is him receiving the ball. Which, ok, fine, that's not a negative in his game. However some of the cuts the guy writes about, fawns about really, are not even impressive. There are times when he is open after a cut, and then continues moving and it threw the passer off. There's little mention of how he was a bad shooter off of cuts (key for our offense).. but he was good at UCONN, percentage wise, at getting to the rim on cuts. Only problem is... it happened 22 times the entire season. And it wasn't because he cut 22 times, its because the UCONN offense was so timid that unless he was wide open, he didnt get the ball. This was evident vs Creighton, where they forced him to be a more perimeter option and it didnt go well.

So calling it elite is a super super stretch, and it has to be qualified that its inside the rim only on very few attempts. Most of his cuts were to circle out to the perimeter, which did effectively nothing for the offense. Again, that can be a Bouk flaw, or a UCONN flaw. But running through the middle of the court just to get the ball, back to the basket, at 25+ feet is something that won't go as well in the NBA, what with the shorter shot clocks and much larger obstacles in the middle

again, he's a ONE read cutter, meaning he's cutting towards the basket with a single action in mind, that's it, exactly like Oubre. that's just ONE job of an off-ball player, you need cutters/slashers that will be continuously moving and relocating, can make quick secondary reads, shooters that can spot up shoot and shoot off-catch/screens, guys that can consistently set picks/screens, etc...Bouknight is terrible at all the above, and I already mentioned his terrible %s on catch-and-shoot 3s which is essentially the most basic ask of an off-ball guard.

anyone who is arguing Bouk is an off-ball guard either has no clue wtf hes talking about or is purposely being disingenuous, probably a combination of both but no serious person who's even watched ONE game of Bouk's will make this claim.

I did see him set a few back screens, but they were more touch screens than anything. Like the ol shoulder tap, letting the defender know they are there and that they can't just run through them. But really wouldnt expect a wiry guard to throw wood anyways, and wouldnt want to either.

A key concern brought up in the article given was about how bad Bouknights handles were bringing up the ball. Didnt really notice it before, but the reason they ran him through these internal cuts that circled back at the top.. defenses pressured him across halfcourt and he couldnt handle it. That's a really scary thing.. and I apologize for not remembering who, but whoever made the 6'5 Monta Ellis comp.. might have hit it right on the head there.

Edited for credit:

I think it was on one of the Warriors-related podcasts that I heard a comparison that makes sense for Bouknight…… though I’ll make a slight modification.

He seems like Monta Ellis, but 2 inches taller. (Monta was listed at 6’3”, but in the old days, that included shoes, where Bouknight is 6’5” in shoes.)

Quick, shifty guy who can blow by guys, but his outside shot is questionable, and he’s not good at finding other players. In other words, makes a lot of plays for himself, but not others.

That seems like a pretty decent comparison. Though if Monta Ellis would have been 2 inches taller (as Bouknight is), he’d have been much more successful than he already was.

(Note: I wouldn’t want to take Bouknight at 7, my choices are still Wagner, followed by Moody, and I would look to trade down if Kuminga slips to 7. I’m just saying that the Bouknight comp to Ellis makes sense.)

[DevinVassell]

what the **** are you talking about? of course he's undersized. he logged in 6-3 at combine without shoes, yes, of course that's undersized, especially in our scheme where as a 2 he'll be asked to switch up to guard 3s, he won't be able to, he's a single-position defender, if that.

and lmao @ Bouk's strength being off-ball movement...just like Oubre off-ball movements were his strength, right? until you realize he's a one read cutter who has no clue how to relocate, make himself consistently available to the passer, or has any pick or screen setting juice.

it's bad enough I have to teach people on the general board about what the Warriors like to do and what kind of offense/players we've put on the court the last half a dozen years...but it's actually unbelievable that I have to consistently explain it to Dubs fans on this board. comical that ya'll still haven't learned your lesson after Wiseman.

i'll put this Bouknight BS to bed once and for all: we're talking about an undersized, heliocentric, ISO-heavy 2 guard who has piss poor vision/passing instincts, who shot 29% from 3 overall, shot 22% on spot up 3s (8-37), who's at best a single-position defender who won't be able to switch with a poor decision making history as a "lead" guard.

ya'll **** deserve Myers and the hellhole he's turned this team into...going from one of the best passing, highest IQ teams of all time to bringing on players like Oubre and Wiseman, and now seeing yall want him to take Bouknight. all yall care about is how cool he looks on a step 3 highlight because derp sportscenter derp without realizing he's a non-winning archetype in today's NBA and has ZERO historic fit in this scheme or with our personnel.

#2 and #7 overall picks in 2 consecutive drafts...only to come away with Wiseman and Bouknight...lmfao. yall really do deserve Myers.

You know the level of arrogance you need to write a statement like that is actually quite funny. But we do appreciate that you have dedicated 20 posts a day for the last 7 years to "teach" us simpletons what the warriors like to do. Truly impressive....

I say get your foot in the door and then you can turn this Myers created hellhole around.

https://www.teamworkonline.com/basketball-jobs/warriors/golden-state-warriors-careers/assistant-manager-kitchen-operations-1987629

i expected a non response to this because u got nothing, wasn't disappointed.

Last time I tried to respond to you I got some arrogant "I don't care what you think, reality is reality" reply. It's all good though... I don't pretend to be an expert.

You think Bouknights' off ball movement is horrible. I just preferred the in depth analysis and breakdown in the link I provided over yours. This realgm keyboard warrior telling us Bouknight, an actual NBA prospect, has no clue.

[cdubbz]

That report about moving up to grab Jalen Suggs at #4. I’m all for it. #7 and Wiseman is a big ask. I’d rather trade #7 & 14 obviously.

Suggs & Wiseman can still be the bridge for the future while contributing now. I wouldn’t feel comfy trading Wiseman and #7 for Suggs.

[AdonalFoyle4Prez]

That report about moving up to grab Jalen Suggs at #4. I’m all for it. #7 and Wiseman is a big ask. I’d rather trade #7 & 14 obviously.

Suggs & Wiseman can still be the bridge for the future while contributing now. I wouldn’t feel comfy trading Wiseman and #7 for Suggs.

The biggest anticipation for me is to see where Wiseman is at right now, development-wise. But, then again, I'm assuming he hasn't even started training or cleared for training yet because of the injury?

[mos_def]

You think Bouknights' off ball movement is horrible. I just preferred the in depth analysis and breakdown in the link I provided over yours. This realgm keyboard warrior telling us Bouknight, an actual NBA prospect, has no clue.

https://giphy.com/gifs/noisygifs-daaayummm-r1HGFou3mUwMw

[cdubbz]

That report about moving up to grab Jalen Suggs at #4. I’m all for it. #7 and Wiseman is a big ask. I’d rather trade #7 & 14 obviously.

Suggs & Wiseman can still be the bridge for the future while contributing now. I wouldn’t feel comfy trading Wiseman and #7 for Suggs.

The biggest anticipation for me is to see where Wiseman is at right now, development-wise. But, then again, I'm assuming he hasn't even started training or cleared for training yet because of the injury?

Yeah - I mean if Meyers knows his progress isn’t looking good I don’t mind throwing him in. Wiseman is still raw. I just don’t see a replacement at #14 if we trade him and #7.

Maybe we get Suggs and draft another wing and get a big via free agency. A veteran Center will help us more anyways with AD & Giannis as the past nba champions

[thunderdunk]

Less than 24 hours away. I'd be fine with the Dubs trading down if they can get something good in return -- Right now my favorite three are Mitchell, Murphy, and Kispert. I think any of the three could help the Dubs both right away and in the future, and I think that all three will fall outside the top 10 picks. And I think Kuminga is way too raw for the Dubs to take him and groom him for a couple years. They already drafted a potential future star last year... Can't wait to see how this all plays out.

[Nvnervous45]

Bouknight is not a point guard so assist rate is an awful metric to use to determine whether he is a good passer or not. It also doesn't take into account whether his teammates can make a goddam bucket or not. His uconn teammates were not very good and some an inordinate amount of pressure was put on him to be the scorer. Thats where one or two stats don't tell you an accurate story about a player. The eye test is always better.

[thunderdunk]

Bouknight is not a point guard so assist rate is an awful metric to use to determine whether he is a good passer or not. It also doesn't take into account whether his teammates can make a goddam bucket or not. His uconn teammates were not very good and some an inordinate amount of pressure was put on him to be the scorer. Thats where one or two stats don't tell you an accurate story about a player. The eye test is always better.

IMO the eye test is only better when you're trying to confirm what the numbers tell you. If a guy scores 30 in Europe but looks slow and awkward on film, you maybe think twice. But if someone has crappy numbers in college and you fall in love with his youtube highlights, that's when you're in trouble. The lesson of Moneyball was that the eye test is a terrible way to evaluate players. First and foremost, how do their numbers look in actual games? I'll take a guy who grabs 12 boards a night against someone who grabs 4, but has a 7-4 wingspan and mad hops, all day long.