2022 NBA Draft - Prospects Discussion

[LuessiT]

Don't think you draft centers beside potential franchise cornerstones or huge slides.

[Licensed to Il]

Don't think you draft centers beside potential franchise cornerstones or huge slides.

This is probably an overreaction. Rim protection and rebounding are still important elements of winning basketball.

I do agree these skills can be found outside the lottery.

[Badgerlander]

Don't think you draft centers beside potential franchise cornerstones or huge slides.

Agreed. If they’ve got the feet to defend guards and the hops to rim protect then grab them. Kessler looks like a poor man’s Whiteside, backup potential unless he really dedicates himself to his body and shooting for a few years. There are more centers than spots in the league every year and teams that have overpaid their back ups looking to clear space. Dedmon seems like he signs for minimum every season

[LuessiT]

Don't think you draft centers beside potential franchise cornerstones or huge slides.

This is probably an overreaction. Rim protection and rebounding are still important elements of winning basketball.

I do agree these skills can be found outside the lottery.

It's really not. Let's look at past drafts:

2018:
Bamba - Worth less than draft position
WCJ - Worth less than draft position
Wagner - Minimum player
Williams - Worth more than draft position
Mitchell Robinson - Worth about his draft position

2019:
Hayes - Worth less than draft position
Bitadze - Worth less than draft position
Kabengele - Out of the league
Claxton - Worth about his draft position
Bruno Fernando - Worth less than draft position
Bol Bol - Worth less than draft position

2020:
Wiseman - Worth less than draft position
Jalen Smith - Worth less than draft position
Stewart - Worth about his draft position
Azubuike - Worth less than draft position
Carey - Worth less than draft position
Oturu - Worth less than draft position

2021:
Mobley - Franchise player
Sengün - Worth more than draft position
Kai Jones - Worth less than draft position
Day'Ron Sharpe - Worth less than draft position
Queta - Worth less than draft position

And I didn't name all the bums drafted in the late 50's. Centers take longer to develope, thus rarely contribute on their rookie deals and represent less value in trades. Centers are also the cheapest position to fill in FA or via trade. If you want a center, don't draft one, use the assets you save on not drafting centers to trade for one.

[BigO]

Don't think you draft centers beside potential franchise cornerstones or huge slides.

This is probably an overreaction. Rim protection and rebounding are still important elements of winning basketball.

I do agree these skills can be found outside the lottery.

It's really not. Let's look at past drafts:

2018:
Bamba - Worth less than draft position
WCJ - Worth less than draft position
Wagner - Minimum player
Williams - Worth more than draft position
Mitchell Robinson - Worth about his draft position

2019:
Hayes - Worth less than draft position
Bitadze - Worth less than draft position
Kabengele - Out of the league
Claxton - Worth about his draft position
Bruno Fernando - Worth less than draft position
Bol Bol - Worth less than draft position

2020:
Wiseman - Worth less than draft position
Jalen Smith - Worth less than draft position
Stewart - Worth about his draft position
Azubuike - Worth less than draft position
Carey - Worth less than draft position
Oturu - Worth less than draft position

2021:
Mobley - Franchise player
Sengün - Worth more than draft position
Kai Jones - Worth less than draft position
Day'Ron Sharpe - Worth less than draft position
Queta - Worth less than draft position

And I didn't name all the bums drafted in the late 50's. Centers take longer to develope, thus rarely contribute on their rookie deals and represent less value in trades. Centers are also the cheapest position to fill in FA or via trade. If you want a center, don't draft one, use the assets you save on not drafting centers to trade for one.

I think your point is valid (although I think it's too early to judge Wiseman). It's not that protecting the rim is unimportant. The question is where does it rank in importance. I think the Bucks value it as one of the most important attributes relating to defense. The Celtics and Warriors refuted that as Williams was not a factor for the Celtics and they still played great defense.

I think both the Celtics and Warriors, two of the best defenses in the NBA, showed how important it is to have switchable defenders. Please don't draft a stiff like Kessler. Clearly, even the Bucks value a switchable defender (Matthews)over a shooter who can't defend (Nwora), so go get the best switchable defender who is available.

[LuessiT]

I don't think you understand. I'm not judging Wiseman or anyone on that list. I'm just saying, if you wanted to acquire all of these centers right now, the value needed in equivalent would be less than the value spent in equivalent on drafting these. Which means, on average you're losing drafting a center. It's just like the lottery. You can buy tickets, and sometimes you'll win, but over a long time eventually you'll lose.
If you really need to get this exact player because he's the only fit out there, sure draft him. But if you want a center, you're better of using these draft picks to trade for that guy or try your luck in FA.

Edit: Of course there may be a point where the league corrects so much that drafting centers again becomes valueable, but even though the league corrected a lot, centers are still overdrafted. Same goes for undersized point guards.

[jakecronus8]

Finally starting to look more at the top picks.

If I had the first pick the only two guys I consider are Ivey and Davis.

I see some role playing bigs in Banchero and Smith. Chet has bust written all over him.

[Ron Swanson]

All I know is that Tari Eason could legitimately turn into the best player from this draft, and he could be had in the 15-18 range going by a lot of mocks. Really hope for the first time in forever that we have an aggressive draft strategy and try to move up.

[German Athens]

All I know is that Tari Eason could legitimately turn into the best player from this draft, and he could be had in the 15-18 range going by a lot of mocks. Really hope for the first time in forever that we have an aggressive draft strategy and try to move up.

Yeah, him potentially dangling just in front of us will be excruciating. He’s a guy where you don’t even have to squint to see Gerald Wallace, and, if he develops beyond that, he’s got all-nba upside.

I absolutely love his physicality on offense, and his ability to get to the line is something so few prospects bring to the table this early in their careers.

He could absolutely help us today, and be the answer to our small ball 4 problem, but he could also be so much more.


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[ReasonablySober]

The way Eason is discussed makes me think a smart GM is going to take him a lot earlier than he's mocked.

[machu46]

The way Eason is discussed makes me think a smart GM is going to take him a lot earlier than he's mocked.

Feels like there’s a couple guys you could say that about every year. Sometimes they actually do go earlier and sometimes they’re Perry Jones.

I think he’s currently being mocked roughly where he should be. Late lottery to late teens feels right to me.

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[Badgerlander]

I’m sure there are draft rooms talking about Eason like he is Grant Williams right now. I mean Vivek was convinced that Hield was the next Curry. There are enough holes in Tari’s game to talk yourself out of him especially if you don’t believe in his shot. Looking back at the Kawhi draft I don’t really remember anyone hyping him. It will be interesting to watch teams reach on players thinking they are getting the next, Steph, Draymond, or Wiggins in this draft.

[German Athens]

The thing that gets me about the Eason shot concerns are that he shot 80% on FT’s on really high volume, and then a respectable 36% from three.

Other than the shot being aesthetically unappealing, there isn’t really anything there that would indicate bad shooter.


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[M-C-G]

All I know is that Tari Eason could legitimately turn into the best player from this draft, and he could be had in the 15-18 range going by a lot of mocks. Really hope for the first time in forever that we have an aggressive draft strategy and try to move up.

I recall in the Donovan Mitchell draft it appeared we had a deal to move up to get him and then Utah upped our offer by including Trey Lyles. I’ll give Horst credit that he seems to have about 10 plans going into a draft to move every which way including out of it all together


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[machu46]

The thing that gets me about the Eason shot concerns are that he shot 80% on FT’s on really high volume, and then a respectable 36% from three.

Other than the shot being aesthetically unappealing, there isn’t really anything there that would indicate bad shooter.


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It’s every other year he’s played basketball + the (being kind) awkward mechanics. I just don’t think people are buying that he really improved that much while it still looks like crap.


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[M-C-G]

Interesting guy to maybe stash Ibou Badju

Watch on YouTube

[M-C-G]

This guy has some pretty decent tools

Watch on YouTube

[M-C-G]

I feel like Kendall Brown would just check a lot of boxes on what we this roster is missing and seems to be really switchable on defense.

Watch on YouTube

[pilprin]

I don’t know if MKE keeps the player at 24…but it seems like a top of round 2 pick would be pretty valuable if we can acquire one. Gillispie or Christie…even a Baldwin type could be there. Just feels like this roster could use two young guys and hope one is a rotational guy by mid season

[M-C-G]

I don’t know if MKE keeps the player at 24…but it seems like a top of round 2 pick would be pretty valuable if we can acquire one. Gillispie or Christie…even a Baldwin type could be there. Just feels like this roster could use two young guys and hope one is a rotational guy by mid season

Orlando has 32 and 35. I could see something where we trade back and probably off load a guy like George Hill in the process.