2018/2019 NBA draft talk: Who should be our target? (Poll)

[BadHombre]

Good, nice trade value.
I really see zero reasons why team should draft and keep player this year.

it obviously depends who is drafted/available. ludicrous to make a statement like this

With Isaaac, Fultz ,Bamba Frazier and Iwundu still there it's simply pointless to bring so many players with no experience.
Especially if Vuc and Ross are returning, only way to improve roster is with trades, and that pick is nice asset to have.

But even if you lose them , what position you even want to draft?
You have Fultz at PG and maybe returning Birch. And ofc DJ.
Team has zero need for SG with Ross and Evan.
Taking SF/PF will result cut in PT for Gordon or Isaac or both.
Backup PF position now is being used to boost PT players mentioned above.
C position is overcrowded.


Now, if Vuc and Ross leave ( i highly doubt they will ) , it's different story as team is back at tanking roots, than drafting SG-SF makes some sense.
But even if you are at square one, at rebuild, having too many young players isn't helpful for their development at all. Magic whole year long couldn't even find 5 mpg for Frazier ,35th pick and it took Bamba's injury to bring Birch back in rotation .
So if you lose Vuc, you are briging back Birch, if you lose Ross, you would assume Iwundu, Frazier and Fultz will fill his PT.

There is simply limited PT to offer to players , it happed to Kings, Suns, Magic in past, you can't play all players, especially trying to develop so many young guys at once, it's complete mess.

Toronto, the team Weltman is from, is a team that has demonstrated how to continue using the draft to stockpile talent and depth that can either contribute straight away, or will within a few seasons. Over the last 3 seasons, their picks have been:

Siakam - averaged 15pmg over 50 games as a rookie. Presently their starting forward.
Poeltl - averaged 11mpg over 50 games as a rookie, 18mpg over 80 games the following season, then traded in a package with DeRozan for Kawhi and Green.
Van Vleet - averaged 7mpg over 20 games as a rookie, 20mpg the following season, and is presently averaging the 5th highest minutes per game in Toronto.
Anunoby - averaged 20mpg since he was a rookie.

Utah - Mitchell has been a starter and a star for the Jazz since his rookie season. He was the 13th pick. Royce O'Neal has averaged 15mpg as a rookie and now 20mpg this season.

Milwaukee - Malcolm Brogdon averaged 26mpg as Milwaukee's 6th man during his rookie year (and won ROTY). He's presently their starting SG, on the best team in the league, just 2 seasons later.

Denver Nuggets - all but 5 players on their roster have been drafted in the past 4 seasons.

76ers - Shamet, Korkmaz and Bolden are all rookies and have seen substantial minutes this season.

Thunder - Ferguson, Nader, Diallo - a sophomore 6th man, and two rookies finding 10mpg over 50+ games.

Spurs - Murray, slated to become their starting PG until injuries took him down. Forbes and White averaging over 25mpg this season as a 3rd year and sophomore, respectively. Last season, Forbes averaged 19mpg over 80 games and White hardly got on the court.


Just because a player doesn't play as a rookie, doesn't mean there can't be a path for them to become key contributors down the line.

Just because they don't play, doesn't mean they're not good, or won't be good in the future.

Just because a player is not good now, doesn't mean they can't become good in the future.

I mean, how much shade have you thrown at Fultz since we acquired him, and now you're worried about protecting his minutes? Same with Bamba, you say he's not ready and that he should be brought along slowly - so why can't another rookie be treated similarly?

You say you'd rather trade the pick for a player whom you know what he'll give you - but you've already outlined how there's no room for a rookie, so how do you make room or minutes for this other acquisition? Hmmm... I see a flaw in your hot take.

[MagicFan101]

With the #16 pick locked in, multiple top mock drafts (ESPN and SI) have locked in on Tyler Herro for Orlando.

Like? Dislike?

[tiderulz]

With the #16 pick locked in, multiple top mock drafts (ESPN and SI) have locked in on Tyler Herro for Orlando.

Like? Dislike?

dislike. depending on which mock draft you look at, we could get Nickels Alexander Walker or Romeo Langford.

would be interesting to see if they plan on keeping Vuc, if they try and package #16 with Bamba to move up.

[MagicFan101]

With the #16 pick locked in, multiple top mock drafts (ESPN and SI) have locked in on Tyler Herro for Orlando.

Like? Dislike?

dislike. depending on which mock draft you look at, we could get Nickels Alexander Walker or Romeo Langford.

would be interesting to see if they plan on keeping Vuc, if they try and package #16 with Bamba to move up.

Nothing against Alexander or Langford as I like them as well, but I put Herro in the same tier. At 94% he has the foundation of a very strong shooter at the next level.

[Xatticus]

And that's my point. Last year team sucked and Iwundu still couldn't get himself to play.
This year team had pretty terrible start and Bamba still couldn't play more. That's your lottery pick.
Adding so many young players sounds good in theory, but in reality creates bad chemistry as inner tensions raise over time. Oladipo already talked about it as major problem, when young guys started to view each other as competition, not other teams.

I went through 17# pick history , Jrue Holiday and Schroder are only non complete scrubs in last 15 years drafted at that slot.

You can draft and keep him ,but again, what position dou you want with all 5 starting spots being already taken, along with almost all backup slots? PG, SG and C position is already overcrowded as it is today. Makes more sense to simply take established SF than gambling on some player that will already face uphill battle to ever see PT. At least to me


Especially because trade is literally only way how this team can improve.

Don't forget Jerian Grant used to be 19# pick

last years team sucked, so you are saying there is no chance that a first round pic could make the team? again, depends on the player. dont fixate on just #17, as that all depends on the exact scouting department of the team that made that pick. There are been many examples of players in the 15-25 range that have panned out, enough to beat out Frazier or Iwundu if it is the right player. You want to fixate on a specific position, you cant until you know who is available. although if the plan is to keep Vuc, i would not recommend a center.

That's my mindset.
I have zero desire to draft PG, SG, PF or C, so that leaves me with what? I just think it's easier and more effective to take somebody at SF i know what brings to the table, than young player that probably won't be able to get into rotation any time soon.
Also most players you mentioned ( Colins, Lavert, Harris, Nurkić, RHJ ) actually look good now because they were drafted by teams that had zero playoff aspirations during their rookie year.
Most of "bad" ones simply never got chance to show what they can and can't as they were buried in rotation of playoff teams .
DJ Willson is yet to reach 1000 min ,while finsihing second year as 17# pick on Bucks.
Yabusele was 16# pick for Celtics, after 2 years he has 480 min played because they simply don't have time for him.
TJ Leaf and Grayson Allen, two well established college players, after being drafted around that range, simply can't sniff near rotation of Jazz and Pacers because they don't have time to play through their mistakes as they have more important goals to reach.

That's just reality. You can't be serious playoff contender, hoping for 45- 50 wins and play army of 20 years old kids. Youth and winning is oxymoron in basketball.

You're right in that there is a steeper learning curve to the modern NBA than there was 20 years ago or so. I think this is compounded by the fact that players enter the league at a younger age. If you limit the scope of success to the immediacy, then you are going to be disappointed more often than not.

I think DJ Wilson is a prime example of the sort of development and expectations you should have when drafting players in the middle of the first round. If they were finished products or didn't have flaws, they wouldn't be available outside of the lottery. That doesn't mean you can't get legitimate talent or that it isn't worthwhile picking at that point.

Almost every scrap of talent in the NBA made its way into the league through the draft. I'm not going to buy any argument that we should forgo the draft as long as we are carrying players like Martin or Grant on our roster. Further, rookie-scale deals are exceptionally important in the current economic landscape of the NBA. This is only going to become more relevant if the salary cap projections for the next couple years hold true.

[tiderulz]

With the #16 pick locked in, multiple top mock drafts (ESPN and SI) have locked in on Tyler Herro for Orlando.

Like? Dislike?

dislike. depending on which mock draft you look at, we could get Nickels Alexander Walker or Romeo Langford.

would be interesting to see if they plan on keeping Vuc, if they try and package #16 with Bamba to move up.

Nothing against Alexander or Langford as I like them as well, but I put Herro in the same tier. At 94% he has the foundation of a very strong shooter at the next level.

but not a very good 2-way player. he is a shooter and thats it, from what i have seen of him this year

[NotACat]

dislike. depending on which mock draft you look at, we could get Nickels Alexander Walker or Romeo Langford.

would be interesting to see if they plan on keeping Vuc, if they try and package #16 with Bamba to move up.

Nothing against Alexander or Langford as I like them as well, but I put Herro in the same tier. At 94% he has the foundation of a very strong shooter at the next level.

but not a very good 2-way player. he is a shooter and thats it, from what i have seen of him this year

Don't forget his length and defense

[tiderulz]

Nothing against Alexander or Langford as I like them as well, but I put Herro in the same tier. At 94% he has the foundation of a very strong shooter at the next level.

but not a very good 2-way player. he is a shooter and thats it, from what i have seen of him this year

Don't forget his length and defense

for who? Herro? 6'5 with 6'5 wingspan isnt great.

[MagicFan101]

Nothing against Alexander or Langford as I like them as well, but I put Herro in the same tier. At 94% he has the foundation of a very strong shooter at the next level.

but not a very good 2-way player. he is a shooter and thats it, from what i have seen of him this year

Don't forget his length and defense

That “joke” never gets old for some of you I suppose.

[the_hobo]

I want Tacko!

[Knightro]

I wouldn’t take Herro at 16/17.

Assuming Zion, Barrett, Morant, Hunter, Culver, Reddish are all gone and eliminating bigs that could go in the lotto like Hayes, Washington, Clarke and Fernando.

My Magic big board for the remaining players would be...

Garland
White
Little
Langford
Porter
Alexander-Walker
K. Johnson

I’m very confident the Magic will be able to come away with one of those seven players.

[yoyojw17]

I wouldn’t take Herro at 16/17.

Assuming Zion, Barrett, Morant, Hunter, Culver, Reddish are all gone and eliminating bigs that could go in the lotto like Hayes, Washington, Clarke and Fernando.

My Magic big board for the remaining players would be...

Garland
White
Little
Langford
Porter
Alexander-Walker
K. Johnson

I’m very confident the Magic will be able to come away with one of those seven players.

I'd agree with the order!

what bout Sekou Doumbouya and Bol Bol?

[KillMonger]

With the #16 pick locked in, multiple top mock drafts (ESPN and SI) have locked in on Tyler Herro for Orlando.

Like? Dislike?

dislike. depending on which mock draft you look at, we could get Nickels Alexander Walker or Romeo Langford.

would be interesting to see if they plan on keeping Vuc, if they try and package #16 with Bamba Birch to move up.

[Def Swami]

Focused in on Alexander-Walker. Really like his game. You could talk me into Kevin Porter Jr or Keldon Johnson too. Don't think Nas Little falls to us, but he'd be an interesting project.

[BadHombre]

OT, but Anfernee Simons had a monster game against Portland last night. Played 48 minutes, lol, but put up 37pts, 6rbs, 9asts shooting 13-21 including 7-11 from 3.

I wanted this kid bad in the last draft, in a trade for a mid-late 1st rounder. His season so far has been underwhelming, but he's young and loaded with potential. Also, he's a hometown kid who's parents are such big Magic fans that they named him after Penny.

Would love to see us trade for him as another prospect to have in the wings.

[nicnac215]

If Bol Bol is on the board you have to take him. One of the highest ceilings in the draft.

[Skin]

Chuma Okeke

[Knightro]

If Bol Bol is on the board you have to take him. One of the highest ceilings in the draft.

Honestly, I wouldn’t even consider drafting Bol Bol. I see a lot of the same flaws in him that we already have in Mo Bamba (to an even bigger extreme in some ways) and the Magic already have Bamba blocked by two other centers who out produced him this year.

Bol just doesn’t have the ball handling chops to play anything but C. His handles are good for a big man, but not anywhere close to being able to actually play the wing full time.

On top of that, he’s got such a slight build with thin hips and a weak base that I don’t see him really being an effective C defensively for quite a while, if ever.

He, like Bamba, will block shots on length alone, but I just don’t see Bol being able to effectively defend the interior consistently because of his body is too weak and not built to add a lot more mass. The problem extrapolates because Bol also too slow moving laterally to be a switcher or to contest shots that aren’t driven right into his length.

Bol is actually a lot like Bamba in the respect that he’s a lot more straight line mobile than side to side mobile which can (and likely will be if Bamba was any indication) a major problem defensively for a while.

Plus, much like Bamba, he doesn’t appear to have much of a motor defensively despite his crazy length.

And to top it all off, Bol has already suffered a major injury for a big man. These huge big men already have an inordinate amount of stress on their feet, knees and backs and people want Bol Bol to *add* 30-40 lbs to his frame that’s already suffered a major injury? Count me out.

[NotACat]

but not a very good 2-way player. he is a shooter and thats it, from what i have seen of him this year

Don't forget his length and defense

for who? Herro? 6'5 with 6'5 wingspan isnt great.

For NAW

[NotACat]

If Bol Bol is on the board you have to take him. One of the highest ceilings in the draft.

I think he's going to go top 5