RealGM 2018 Fan Forum Mock Draft (Lottery) LA Clippers #12 (CLOSED)

[Laimbeer]

The following choices have been made by other fan forums...

1. Phoenix - DeAndre Ayton
2. Sacramento - Luka Doncic
3. Atlanta - Marvin Bagley
4. Memphis - Michael Porter
5. Dallas - Mohamed Bamba
6. Orlando - Trae Young
7. Chicago - Jaren Jackson Jr.
8. Cleveland - Mikal Bridges
9. New York - Miles Bridges
10. Philadelphia - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
11.Charlotte - Wendell Carter
12. LA Clippers
13. LA Clippers
14. Denver

[Forte IV]

I vote Lonnie Walker, I don't like Robert Williams and Zhaire at 6'4, without an ability to handle the ball, isn't that attractive to me anymore. To me, he's just a shorter, more athletic Ty Wallace.

[esqtvd]

Yes, I've seen Shai at #10 for Philly a few other places.

Each one on the list here has some serious questions, which I suppose all second-ten picks do. Makes you wonder if Logo and Frank really are considering taking two turkeys to try to trade up and get an eagle.

[Goner]

It's easily Lonnie Walker for me. Also, he seems like a very "Jerry West" type player; great defense with workable but no-nonsense offense.

[esqtvd]

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[connseanery]

If Jaren Jackson fell to 7, I would trade 12, 13 for it if the Bulls were willing. Keeping the picks, I would choose Sexton, Walker or Sexton, Smith in this situation.

Walker vs Smith is a tough decision for me. Walker has the foundational guard skills that just need refinement. Smith is so raw in his skills but has the functional athleticism, bbiq, and motor. Walker this past year will float and doesn't help the team if his shot isn't dropping. Smith just impacts the game in many ways.

[nickhx2]

i don't watch college at all. is smith at all a comparison with tony allen?

[connseanery]

Smith is an odd player.
- He's undersized at around 6'3" with a 6'10" wingspan
- Athletically he's kind of like Gerald Green, quick explosive leaper even in tight spaces
- Offensively he plays like a stretch PF. Texas Tech lacked quality inside players so he sort of assumed that role. He sets a lot of screens, move off ball, etc. Solid set shooter in small sample size.
- Defensively he's solid all-around both on and off ball. Fights and boxes out larger players well.
- Statistically he's a really efficient player who can make a impact even without scoring. He had something like a top 10 plus minus in all of NCAA.

[QRich3]

If these are the choices, it's Zhaire and Lonnie for me, with an outside chance for Thomas, but mainly those two.

[Ranma]

I went with my heart in my votes knowing they wouldn't be the poll winners, but I think Lonnie Walker IV is the most likely prospect to be selected by the Clippers with 1 of our 2 lottery picks. He's a polished SG with length, athleticism, shooting ability and profiles similarly to a player like Eric Gordon and Bradley Beal but with less of an inclination to pass.

Smith is so raw in his skills but has the functional athleticism, bbiq, and motor.

Zhaire Smith was actually my vote in his particular poll and I agree with almost all of your assessment on him. While I concur that he is raw in some respects, I think he's actually underrated as a shooter and ball-handler given his improvements. I actually think he's a great athlete with functional ball-handling and a decent outside shot that is ever improving. His basketball IQ and motor are impressive and if he were 2-3 inches taller, he'd be similarly valued as Mikal Bridges as an SF prospect IMO.

As a shooting guard prospect, he's shown intriguing improvements in the gym with both his shooting and ball-handling but it's one thing to do those things in isolated workouts than it is to implement them during game situations. However, based on some of the tape I've seen of him, he's shown to be a capable shooter as well as displayed ball-handling ability to free himself from traffic for open shots.

I'm not saying that he'll consistently beat his man off the dribble in isolation plays, but he seems to implement both his perimeter shot and ball-handling abilities in an effective manner by not forcing things. Hence, why I refer to his handles as being functional. I've actually been impressed by both his improvements in workouts thus far and how he's used those limited skills in game situations.

Smith has a lot going for him and the only thing really holding him back is his lack of height but he's young enough to project more growth in that area. I have little doubt that he'll improve upon whatever shortcomings are necessary for him to play in the NBA. Whether he becomes a star player or not is obviously to be determined but I like his chances at being a pro.