2018 NBA Draft Thread

[emunney]

It'll be interesting to see if we have another mad house in our draft room again this year or if Bud and Horst can tone it down and just have the main scouts and front office personnel there. I can't stand to see another video with all the owners and their kids sitting around twiddling their thumbs.

I'm just hoping Alex Lasry doesn't tweet a freaking picture of the Bucks' draft board during the draft again.

Not going to matter if they have this year's DJ Wilson 9th on it.

[econniption]

It'll be interesting to see if we have another mad house in our draft room again this year or if Bud and Horst can tone it down and just have the main scouts and front office personnel there. I can't stand to see another video with all the owners and their kids sitting around twiddling their thumbs.

I'm just hoping Alex Lasry doesn't tweet a freaking picture of the Bucks' draft board during the draft again.

Not going to matter if they have this year's DJ Wilson 9th on it.

[Plossum]

Phoenix would be mad to pass on Doncic. But anyhow...

[Coach Carter]

Chimezie Metu gives you a bit of everything but i feel he is 2-3 years away. I think if you're boston or equivalent, you can take him and be patient. Bucks though don't have enough good players. We need contributors now.

[Badgerlander]

Ooo love charts like this, stolen from the stepien's latest greatest article on wings

[TaterTots]

Khyri Thomas has peaked my interest due to his profile. I like him because he seems like the type of wing that can come in on day one and start which relegates Snell to the bench. Robert Williams makes sense for obvious reasons as does Jontay Porter but that's more for his ability to stretch the floor while providing traditional big man skills. Kevin Huerter is a sniper so he fits too. I know a lot of us wanted 17 to just go ahead and translate this year but with the Bud hire, it might be for the best that it didn't.

[Badgerlander]

Heurter's SLT/40+BLK/40=1.57 might be the worst I've seen since Dougie McBuckets 0.5, Stauskas 0.9, and Connaughton's 1.6

[Pachinko_]

Doncic just got the Euroleague MVP
Youngest ever

[Badgerlander]

https://www.thestepien.com/2018/05/19/ball-handling-passing-defensive-versatility-wings-2018-draft/

Ball Handling, Passing, Defensive Versatility, and Wings in the 2018 Draft

Zhaire Smith

Smith is known first for his athleticism and rim-rattling putback dunks, but the nuances of his game–particularly his anticipation and IQ on both ends of the floor–jump off the page when watching him play. However, his shot and handle in particular are in the early stages of their development.

Here we see Smith unable to use a crossover to beat his man and get into the lane, instead forcing up a terrible shot after a clunky straight-line drive. However, he has flashed some handling ability in space which gives promise for this area of his game to grow as he gets older, as he is the second-youngest prospect among the group of players we are examining.

While this play shows some of Smith’s ability to handle the ball in space, it also shows his quick recognition for open teammates. He is still developing his handle, but his vision both from a standstill and on the move as a passer is wildly impressive.

Smith shows the IQ to draw in defenders before dumping to open dunkers around the rim, and his skill level is polished enough for him to execute tough drop-off passes on the move. As seen in the second clip above, he can also hit cutters with accurate passes from the perimeter which helps him pick apart defenses. As Smith’s handle continues to develop, his excellent anticipation and sense for where his teammates are should make him a dynamic shot creator for others. He rarely turns the ball over (just 1.6 turnovers per 40 minutes pace-adjusted), something my colleague Ben Rubin has mentioned as a sign of hidden star upside, but those low turnover numbers come even as he is an aggressive attacker who is constantly making plays.

Smith’s quick feet, long arms, active hands, and superb instincts make him a versatile defender along the perimeter, as Chris Beard trusted him to defend literally any opposing player this past season. He also has a strong base and developing upper body which helps him handle contact on the move without opening his hips for drivers to easily get into the lane. Along with his on-ball ability, Smith has an excellent motor and preternatural instincts off the ball, though he is still developing in terms of understanding his scouting report and using the correct technique at all times.

Despite his developing strength, Smith still has moments where he is overpowered by opponents. Even though he was tasked with guarding behemoths like Mohamed Bamba and Dylan Osetkowski at times, he struggled to anchor effectively against these players. His bounciness and plus length give him some hope against larger players as he continues to add weight, but it’s always going to be tougher for him as a 6-foot-4 guy with a 6-foot-9.75 wingspan. That said, he was arguably the best sub-6-foot-5 secondary rim protector in the NCAA this past season.

Watch until the end to see one of Smith’s patented putback dunks. Smith is a top-10 prospect for me thanks to his combination of outlier athleticism, basketball IQ, motor, and flashes of skill. He is not an NBA-caliber ball-handler for a wing, but I’m comfortable projecting development in that area for a guy who has so many strong indicators of fast improvement. If his handle can catch up with his excellence as a passer, perimeter defender, and athlete as he continues to get stronger, it may not matter that much how well he shoots from 3. While his assist numbers are modest, he’s among the best passers in this group and has a ton of potential as a versatile 1-3 defender who can potentially check 4s down the line. If his handle develops well, I see no reason why he won’t be a star in the NBA.

[FrieAaron]

Of all the people who in mocks might fall to us, so far I like Smith the most. Seems like he could end up being the player we wish Snell was.

[Rockmaninoff]

Heurter's SLT/40+BLK/40=1.57 might be the worst I've seen since Dougie McBuckets 0.5, Stauskas 0.9, and Connaughton's 1.6

It was 2.2 as a freshman.

[Frank Nova]

Henson and 17 for 14
Bledsoe and 14 for 7
Jabari and 7 for 2
Ayton or Doncic @ 2.

Dwight Schrute could pull it off. #StartedWithAThumbtack

[BuildingBucks]

This was the game that officially sold me on Khyri Thomas. Of all the players that I think will be there at 17 he's number 1 on my list. Creighton was playing without one of their starters vs a Villanova team we all know about. A lot of first round picks in this game so it might be worth skimming through anyway but if you want to watch a full game of Khyri Thomas here is a good one. Instead of just looking at his highlights.

Watch on YouTube

[Frank Nova]

Pretty crazy I still have such a hard time filtering out my list of prospects for our pick. There really is just a lot to like about a lot of different guys in our range. From dudes that might slip like Rob Williams, Knox, Bridges, SGA, Zhaire, Walker. And then the dudes in our range and beyond like Jontay Porter, Khryi, Musa, Holiday, Troy Brown, Simons, Brunson, Divicenzo, Huerter.. it's hard to settle on any type of order. And I'm probably forgetting names too. I'll admit I was pretty wrong about Demetrius Jackson last go around so that makes me nervous looking at guards, they're more deceiving at lower levels of play. Gotta stick with J Porter unless something beautiful happens like Miles Bridges falls on our lap, very doubtful though.

[Ron Swanson]

Sadly, it feels like yet another year where we're going to just miss out on that middle-tier of difference maker/lottery guys because of where we're picking. BAM! and Mitchell last year. Murray the year before. Booker and Myles Turner in '15.

There's usually one or two guys taken in the 10-15 range that turn out to be high impact, borderline star upside guys and we always tend to find ourselves picking right outside that range. Could be wrong but I feel like this draft is no different, when guys like SGA, Williams, Sexton, and Smith all probably go before 16....

[Matches Malone]

Henson and 17 for 14
Bledsoe and 14 for 7
Jabari and 7 for 2
Ayton or Doncic @ 2.

Dwight Schrute could pull it off. #StartedWithAThumbtack

Too bad you can't package Jabari in sign and trades.

[Matches Malone]

Can someone sell me on Zhaire Smith? He looks explosive as hell, but lots of guys are going to be athletic as him at the next level. What can we expect from him?

[Ill-yasova]

An important thing to remember about Jontay Porter is that at the time he’s drafted he’ll only be three weeks older than Giannis was on the day he was drafted. Much like Giannis at 18 years old I don’t believe Jontay is even close to being a finished product physically.

[RiotPunch]

Can someone sell me on Zhaire Smith? He looks explosive as hell, but lots of guys are going to be athletic as him at the next level. What can we expect from him?

A two-way super role player with elite athleticism. If he can develop is shot/handles he's got star potential.

An important thing to remember about Jontay Porter is that at the time he’s drafted he’ll only be three weeks older than Giannis was on the day he was drafted. Much like Giannis at 18 years old I don’t believe Jontay is even close to being a finished product physically.

Couldn't agree more. Look at his skill set for his age. He's got a feel for the game that you cannot coach. Get him in the weight room and let him continue to mature and he's gonna be a really, really good player IMO.

[Frank Nova]

Henson and 17 for 14
Bledsoe and 14 for 7
Jabari and 7 for 2
Ayton or Doncic @ 2.

Dwight Schrute could pull it off. #StartedWithAThumbtack

Too bad you can't package Jabari in sign and trades.

Dwight would figure out a way.