Official 2017 Draft Thread - Something Positive To Look Forward To

[contract]

[Wiltside]

Yep, sure is looking like a pick in the 12-16 range unfortunately. I guess we'll see which way the organisation goes at the deadline, but it's looking more and more like we'll try make this ill fated run to the postseason to get swept by Cleveland.

[Sign5]

Going from potentially nabbing Markelle Fultz, Ball or JJ to hearing "with the 14th pick in the 2017 draft the Miami Heat select..."

[Heatle]

Going from potentially nabbing Markelle Fultz, Ball or JJ to hearing "with the 14th pick in the 2017 draft the Miami Heat select..."

"Guys, I've had my eyes on this guy for a while. He could be the next Dirk."

[Burnie Riley]

Watch on YouTube

Spoiler:

[Bishop45]

Boy, goude

Watch on YouTube

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Question for perspective, seeing most pro-tankers also hardcore Whiteside fans that don't believe in an afterlife if we don't get a top 5 pick this year, would you guys be okay with Whiteside for a top 5 pick and average starter and maybe another piece if that's our lone shot at a top 5 pick this year? I don't think we have to get a top 5 pick this year but I can see the appeal

[RexBoyWonder]

Boy, goude

Watch on YouTube

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Question for perspective, seeing most pro-tankers also hardcore Whiteside fans that don't believe in an afterlife if we don't get a top 5 pick this year, would you guys be okay with Whiteside for a top 5 pick and average starter and maybe another piece if that's our lone shot at a top 5 pick this year? I don't think we have to get a top 5 pick this year but I can see the appeal

We need a top pick, but losing Hassan for one will just replace one big need with another. Losing a 27 YO top 5 Center is blow that will take ages to repair.

Looking at our core of Dragic/Hassan/Rich/TJ/Justise it seems to me that what we really need is a star PF scorer. If only we had one of those on our salary table.

[Heatle]

If you're gonna trade Hassan, move Dragic too and blow it up completely.

[Feel_the_Heat15]

There's no rule in the draft that says that the worse your pick is, the worse the player you drafted will be than other players picked before them. The next player we draft could or won't be a star. Same thing goes for every other team.

[Rapaz]

There's no rule in the draft that says that the worse your pick is, the worse the player you drafted will be than other players picked before them. The next player we draft could or won't be a star. Same thing goes for every other team.

There are no guarantees, but, generally, the likelihood of drafting a star decreases as you move down the board.

[MartyConlonJr]

Outside of Beasley - we are a great drafting team tho imo. We have rarely picked a player lately that wasn't a significant contributor and one of the BPA at that spot.

And Rileys spidey senses were tingling on Beas - he didnt want to draft him. Tho i do think we would have OJ Mayo right now, so not much better

[Wiltside]

Outside of Beasley - we are a great drafting team tho imo. We have rarely picked a player lately that wasn't a significant contributor and one of the BPA at that spot.

And Rileys spidey senses were tingling on Beas - he didnt want to draft him. Tho i do think we would have OJ Mayo right now, so not much better

Riley is very good at unearthing young talent OUTSIDE of the draft. Wanna see a scary track record of our recent first round picks?

-Shabazz Napier
-Norris Cole
-Daequan Cook
-Michael Beasley
-Wayne Simien
-Dorell Wright

You could argue that the only time we really strike well is in lotto (Wade, Butler...maybe Winslow) and finding undrafted contributors. We've been horrible at mid-late firsts for a long time, if we've even had picks.

[puppa bear]

Riley is very good at unearthing young talent OUTSIDE of the draft. Wanna see a scary track record of our recent first round picks?

-Shabazz Napier
-Norris Cole
-Daequan Cook
-Michael Beasley
-Wayne Simien
-Dorell Wright

You could argue that the only time we really strike well is in lotto (Wade, Butler...maybe Winslow) and finding undrafted contributors. We've been horrible at mid-late firsts for a long time, if we've even had picks.

There's a bit of revisionist history going on here. Let's add context where appropriate:

-Shabazz Napier: drafted to appease LeBron and was a mistake the second it happened. Riley new Bron was lusting after a heroes homecoming, and he was trying to give him a voice in a couple of smaller decisions.
-Norris Cole: we needed a bench PG who could contribute right away, and Cole was mostly that. We didn't need a facilitator, but rather a combo who could play some D and go off. We got what we needed from him at the time. Then our needs changed and he gone.
-Daequan Cook: DQ was a solid bench shooter who was a victim of the cap clearing ways needed to get the big-3. His shooting would have actually been a huge plus with those 3 onboard, but Riley didn't know he would get them discounted at the time, so he cleared space. After leaving us he never found a niche elsewhere and washed out.
-Michael Beasley: he was the consensus #2 pick, and offensively the most gifted player left on the board. Yes he had red flags, but all of the players left on the board had something of concern, and his ceiling was actually the highest. He just never grew up.
-Wayne Simien: was a solid back-up PF until he got salmonella poisoning. Never regained the weight and muscle needed to play NBA.
-Dorell Wright: straight out of HS, never fully put it together, and the moment he started to look like he might he'd get injured. Not a great pick, but nothing to scream bust over either.

So, when you look at the actuality of the players we picked and the conditions of their demise with us, those picks weren't really that bad. There's no Tskita, or Joe Alexander in the group - it could have looked a lot worse for most of those draft positions.

But yes, out lotto picking has been more on-song than our non-lotto (despite the fact that Riley wanted Kaman - luckily it's a team effort), and so far the sketchiest have been the "consensus" picks: Beasley & Justise. Justise still has plenty of time to improve his shooting and turn into what we all hope, but we've got look at him on what he's done so far (as I have with all the other picks), and so far it's an image of Allen-lite. In this modern era that's not enough and he needs to find O game on a more consistent basis.

[Wiltside]

You take me out of context. I'm not necessarily saying they were horrible picks at the time, but we can hardly look at that crop of 1st rounders and feel comfortable we would find a difference maker. Our draft history isn't our strong suit. Trades, FA and unearthing diamonds out of undrafted players is.

The fact of the matter is Cole is out of the league after like 4-5 years. Napier will be too. DQ lasted the same, Simien less with the health problem...they were solid enough with us, but they weren't great picks.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Beas and wanted him at #1. Makes me just as wrong as everyone else who thought he was gonna be the next Melo.

[puppa bear]

You take me out of context. I'm not necessarily saying they were horrible picks at the time, but we can hardly look at that crop of 1st rounders and feel comfortable we would find a difference maker. Our draft history isn't our strong suit. Trades, FA and unearthing diamonds out of undrafted players is.

The fact of the matter is Cole is out of the league after like 4-5 years. Napier will be too. DQ lasted the same, Simien less with the health problem...they were solid enough with us, but they weren't great picks.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Beas and wanted him at #1. Makes me just as wrong as everyone else who thought he was gonna be the next Melo.

Fair enough, but I'm not sure there many, outside of Spurs, who can claim they have a strength in drafting outside of the lottery. Most teams have found a gem or two, and for the Spurs it's actually more their international scouting is a cut above, especially in the second tier international prospects.

We do seem to have found a disproportionate number of undrafted gems in the recent past, so I would agree that we have that as a strength as well as at least getting star FAs into a meeting.

We have found a fair number of cast-aways who we've been able to turn around, but the failures we've had (& mostly forgotten about) show it's as much, if not more, a combination of fit at the right time for a hungry player, as it is the Heat specifically.

[Hallstar]

That's why some wanted the high pick to minimize bust risk

Our undrafted gems are still just role players at the end of the day

[Duke4life831]

I know you arent supposed to be for tanking but man you guys should be tanking. There is no point of winning games right now. Tank and get DSJ, Fultz, JJ or if you dont get top 5 you still can probably get a guy like Tatum, Isaac or Markkanen. Worst case scenario you end up picking like 13 or 14th and looking at a guy like Rabb or Ferguson.

[J-House]

With the 212th pick, the Miami Heat select....

[contract]

With the 212th pick, the Miami Heat select....

How many games would we have to win in a row to end up with the 212th pick in the draft? Like a million?

[Feel_the_Heat15]

Bridges' wingspan size is pretty short but at least there's a couple of great SFs with similar wingspan size currently in the league. Don't like his numbers at the rim and his inability to get to the line though. Same reason I don't like Ntilikina.

My favorite prospect for draft pick ranges 11-15 is Robert Williams. Raw player with lots of potential offensively and defensively. If the top 10 wasn't already cemented he'd be seen as a top 7 pick. Spo loves playing small ball so us picking Williams who's 6'9 and weighs 240 with a 7'4 wingspan makes a lot of sense. Paul Millsap 2.0?