#8, Who's YOUR Pick?

[ecuhus1981]

Ok, so the draft is a bit over 2 weeks away. We have the 8th pick, and I don't see us trading up. Honestly, I think we're in the catbird seat with #8, as far as draft asset value goes.

Let's assume that Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Jeremiah Fears and Tre Johnson are the top 6 picks, as seems to be the likely outcome in some order or other.

New Orleans is in a similar boat to us, they have some level of need everywhere, except perhaps at the forward positions. It's tough to predict who they'll select at 7.

With the 8th pick, we'll have our choice of all but 1 of the following:

-- 6'7 SF Kon Knueppel, a young offball shooter with nascient onball creation ability
--7'2" C Khaman Maluach, a toolsy physical specimen with excellent work ethic, who struggled to convert potential into production as a freshman
-- 6'6 PG Kasparas Jakucionis, a crafty lead guard who lacks burst under duress but competes on both ends
-- 6'9 PF Noa Essengue, is young, long, thin, raw and highly productive. He can look awkward on drives, and the NBA's physicality may affect his finishing. Is he Pascal Siakam, or Travis Outlaw?

[Netaman]

if those were the choices I went Knuepel. But it's very close between him and Essengue. Those 2 plus Fears/Tre are the top 4 on my short list, and I think I like each of them as much (or more) than Bailey/VJ.

Between him and Essengue I just went with the higher skill player. I think Kon is likely to be the better pure scorer since he's an elite shooter and crafty passer already.

Fears is my #1 in that group because of his scoring upside as a penetrator who can create and his age/upside.

Tre and Kon are sort of similar for me, both lights out shooters with some other skills while being unlikely to add much defensively. Seems like Tre is pretty safely going to go top 5.

Essengue is probably 4th on my list in large part because i've seen the other 3 with my own eyes but he obviously has a lot of upside. He is very appealing though and also extremely young like Fears.

Getting 2 of these guys by trading CamJ with another pick to Toronto for the 9th pick is perhaps the most appealing rumored scenario for me if they can't get Harper.

Fears or Kon, plus Essengue, and a 3rd FRP skilled big like Wolf or Berenger or Sorber would be an absolute home run haul to come out of this draft with.

[JoseRizal]

Voted for Essengue. We need to swing the fences and draft based on potential...

[Karate Diop]

Anyone but Kon Knueppel...

[Papi_swav]

if this is the list then I'll def go with Jakucionis. He slow but he has that euro craftiness like Doncic, which he looks very similar to me. Kon looks more like a Kyle Korver/JJ reddick type of player to me which is not what we need.

[Paradise]

if this is the list then I'll def go with Jakucionis. He slow but he has that euro craftiness like Doncic, which he looks very similar to me. Kon looks more like a Kyle Korver/JJ reddick type of player to me which is not what we need.

He can do much more than that. He’s closer to Tyler Herro.

[Papi_swav]

if this is the list then I'll def go with Jakucionis. He slow but he has that euro craftiness like Doncic, which he looks very similar to me. Kon looks more like a Kyle Korver/JJ reddick type of player to me which is not what we need.

He can do much more than that. He’s closer to Tyler Herro.

I didn't see all that to be honest, Herro takes alot of his shots off the dribble, I didn't see Kon do all that much off the dribble shot making in his repertoire. Yes he might have the ability but I don't see him being a #1 option like Herro IMO . I'm just not convinced, he looks like Grady Dick

[Eatgreenz]

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[Netaman]

Anyone but Kon Knueppel...

dont think you need to worry about Kon bc i think there's a 0% chance he gets to #8. maybe via trade up.

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[TheNetsFan]

Essengue measured bigger than expected. I wouldn't be surprised if he creeps up higher.

[Karate Diop]

Anyone but Kon Knueppel...

dont think you need to worry about Kon bc i think there's a 0% chance he gets to #8. maybe via trade up.

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That video kind of highlights my concerns with him, he doesn't cleanly get by anyone... He's a good safe-ish pick and potentially a great complementary piece, but the Nets need more upside.

[Netaman]

Anyone but Kon Knueppel...

dont think you need to worry about Kon bc i think there's a 0% chance he gets to #8. maybe via trade up.

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That video kind of highlights my concerns with him, he doesn't cleanly get by anyone... He's a good safe-ish pick and potentially a great complementary piece, but the Nets need more upside.

i think he's got plenty of upside, i think a Klay-ish outcome is distinctly possible. He competes and he can really pass. I'm really not sure there is any #1 scorer in this draft, including Flagg. They are all varying degrees of #2 guys. Kon may not be the most explosive of those but he's one of the safest. I don't think that means he lacks upside though. I dont think any of them have realistic paths to being #1's like Tatum, KD, Lebron, Steph, etc.

Being an elite shooter in combo with any other skills is #2 upside. I don't think VJ or Bailey have realistic upsides that much higher than that. VJ is a better defender and Kon is probably a little better creator. For all the upside hype I think Bailey's best case is a mini-Bosh.