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ImNotMcDiSwear wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:Okoro with a nice game too..18 points including game winner...hit a couple 3s and had 3 steals.

Okoro put me on notice last night. Would have been a better choice at #1 than Edwards, that's for sure.

A lot of guys will likely be better than Edwards. i won't put a ton of stock in one preseason performance but great debut to not have nerves and really take over in the 4th like that. Auburn was always MUCH better when he was on the floor despite his #s. I was most worried about his shooting though, as Josh Jackson has helped shy me away even more from ignoring that, and he was 2-4 from 3 last night, and perfect from the line, after being 28% and 67% in college, respectively.

Post #227 » by **bwgood77** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 6:59 pm

Ghost of Kleine wrote:

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Yeah, they've talked about how they wanted him before (the team)...but instead they got Cam Payne.

Ghost of Kleine · Post #228 » by **Ghost of Kleine** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:04 pm

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Post #229 » by **bwgood77** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 7:26 pm

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Post #230 » by **bwgood77** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:00 pm

sunsbg wrote:
Saberestar wrote:

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Wow, Bender never looked that bad.

He's extremely young and raw. He's way more aggressive than Bender though. He also had a lot of good things. He hit 4 3s and was an active rebounder.

Watch on YouTube

And Desmond Bane..

Watch on YouTube

sunsbg · Post #231 » by **sunsbg** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:45 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
He's extremely young and raw. He's way more aggressive than Bender though. He also had a lot of good things. He hit 4 3s and was an active rebounder.

In this weak draft I was high on him at some point, but his frame was a major concern, actually I didn't expect he'll look that fragile out there. He may hit some 3s, but will have issues getting contested rebounds until he adds strength, which may take a few years. Seen Kukoc comparison so maybe he can make it as a SF in this league.

Post #232 » by **bwgood77** » Sun Dec 13, 2020 9:36 pm

sunsbg wrote:
bwgood77 wrote:
He's extremely young and raw. He's way more aggressive than Bender though. He also had a lot of good things. He hit 4 3s and was an active rebounder.

In this weak draft I was high on him at some point, but his frame was a major concern, actually I didn't expect he'll look that fragile out there. He may hit some 3s, but will have issues getting contested rebounds until he adds strength, which may take a few years. Seen Kukoc comparison so maybe he can make it as a SF in this league.

Yeah, I expected him to take a couple of years and wasn't sure about him, but I like that OKC took him because he will get a lot of playing time since you know how Presti builds teams.

Revived · Post #233 » by **Revived** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 5:56 am

Halliburton is smooth. 7 assists and 0 turnovers today off the bench.

I hope the Kings don’t ruin his future.

Mr Puddles · Post #234 » by **Mr Puddles** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 7:12 am

Revived wrote:Halliburton is smooth. 7 assists and 0 turnovers today off the bench.

I hope the Kings don’t ruin his future.

Yeah, I hate to be this guy but I think still think that Halliburton would have been a better pick for us. I'm sure Jalen Smith will be a solid bench player, but Halliburton just seems like he would have been an amazing fit for us off the bench.

Revived · Post #235 » by **Revived** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 12:49 pm

Mr Puddles wrote:
Revived wrote:Halliburton is smooth. 7 assists and 0 turnovers today off the bench.

I hope the Kings don’t ruin his future.

Yeah, I hate to be this guy but I think still think that Halliburton would have been a better pick for us. I'm sure Jalen Smith will be a solid bench player, but Halliburton just seems like he would have been an amazing fit for us off the bench.

Too early to say imo. If Smith proves to be a good fit at PF and can be a Serge Ibaka type player then that’s still a very good selection.

Maybe in the short term though I suppose but only because I have no faith in CP3 staying healthy.

RedIndian · Post #236 » by **RedIndian** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 1:20 pm

I will root for Smith to be as successful as he can be, but Haliburton was my guy, and I'm still bummed we passed on him. Vassell too.

I think Smith should be a solid rotation player in time, but the fact of the matter is that defenders, shot blockers and even shooters have become role players in today's NBA.

The real difference makers are players who can handle, shoot and create plays off ball screens. Haliburton projected as the most complete player in this draft from that perspective. May be he won't be a star, but I think he would easily be a Brogdon or Bogdanovic level player. Presently, that type of player is more valuable than an Ibaka or a Myles Turner. Might not have been true 5 years ago, but it is today.

It's exacerbated by the fact that we have no injury cover for CP3. If CP3 goes down for 20 games, I would think it's going to be an uphill task to even make the playoffs.

darealjuice · Post #237 » by **darealjuice** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 3:53 pm

I wouldn't get too hung up on preseason rookie stat lines. It's tough to know what to take when 75% of their production is going to be against guys that rarely see the court unless they're in the starting line-up off the bat.

I wanted Haliburton too, but I doubt that we wanted to rely on a rookie as our CP3 insurance this year. Not that I believe Payne is a better option, but rookies take time to catch up to the speed of the game, especially when it's a short offseason.

Post #238 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 6:43 pm

Mr Puddles wrote:
Revived wrote:Halliburton is smooth. 7 assists and 0 turnovers today off the bench.

I hope the Kings don’t ruin his future.

Yeah, I hate to be this guy but I think still think that Halliburton would have been a better pick for us. I'm sure Jalen Smith will be a solid bench player, but Halliburton just seems like he would have been an amazing fit for us off the bench.

Yeah, and players like him who come in as solid players who can play on or off ball, hit the 3 and are high iq are typically harder to find than a big.

However, having said that, bigs that can hit 3s and block shots and play some 4 are rare too.

It seems like most of the lotto prospects these days are 1 and done boom or bust PGs, half of who bust, 1 and done wings, half of who bust, and maybe a couple 1 and done bigs, half of who bust. Then maybe 1 or 2 more veteran players including maybe one who came out of nowhere like a Morant or Toppin. Haliburton seems like a guy that won't bust and has a very solid floor.

Post #239 » by **bwgood77** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 6:47 pm

darealjuice wrote:I wouldn't get too hung up on preseason rookie stat lines. It's tough to know what to take when 75% of their production is going to be against guys that rarely see the court unless they're in the starting line-up off the bat.

I wanted Haliburton too, but I doubt that we wanted to rely on a rookie as our CP3 insurance this year. Not that I believe Payne is a better option, but rookies take time to catch up to the speed of the game, especially when it's a short offseason.

I agree with your general point, but as mentioned by Red Indian, if Paul goes down for close to 20 games which was his norm before last year, it will really kill our playoff chances, as our team sucks without a solid starting PG.

The only good thing is I feel that Booker + Moore or Galloway starting would be a lot better combo than previous backups, with the other one coming off the bench with Carter or possibly Payne. Until I see Payne more, though, I would reserve him as an emergency 5th guard (or 6th if Ty-Shon looks good), unless Payne takes major steps from previous years and looks more like his brief bubble stretch.

darealjuice · Post #240 » by **darealjuice** » Mon Dec 14, 2020 6:57 pm

bwgood77 wrote:
darealjuice wrote:I wouldn't get too hung up on preseason rookie stat lines. It's tough to know what to take when 75% of their production is going to be against guys that rarely see the court unless they're in the starting line-up off the bat.

I wanted Haliburton too, but I doubt that we wanted to rely on a rookie as our CP3 insurance this year. Not that I believe Payne is a better option, but rookies take time to catch up to the speed of the game, especially when it's a short offseason.

I agree with your general point, but as mentioned by Red Indian, if Paul goes down for close to 20 games which was his norm before last year, it will really kill our playoff chances, as our team sucks without a solid starting PG.

The only good thing is I feel that Booker + Moore or Galloway starting would be a lot better combo than previous backups, with the other one coming off the bench with Carter or possibly Payne. Until I see Payne more, though, I would reserve him as an emergency 5th guard (or 6th if Ty-Shon looks good), unless Payne takes major steps from previous years and looks more like his brief bubble stretch.

Yeah my point is that I doubt Haliburton is going to be at the level of player as a rookie that would get us to the playoffs if CP3 ended up getting hurt. We should have done more than Payne or a rookie point guard.