2016 Draft

[dremill24]

The real question any FO in the #1 spot will have to figure out is if Simmons can ever develop a jump shot. His ceiling is drastically different in either scenario. He has the physical ability to defend despite his low wingspan (quickness and leaping are elite), but the jumper is such a big open question.

Low wingspan? 7'025"...and 9'05 standing reach. And he is only 19 years old, probably he grows even more.

Simmons doesn't have alligator arms or anything, but it's not elite and I can't remember the last #1 pick who was a big who had a below average wingspan.

Blake Griffin?

[MrMiyagi]

Low wingspan? 7'025"...and 9'05 standing reach. And he is only 19 years old, probably he grows even more.

Simmons doesn't have alligator arms or anything, but it's not elite and I can't remember the last #1 pick who was a big who had a below average wingspan.

Blake Griffin?

Considering Simmons and Blake are similar enough players, I guess that's fitting.

[Bogyo]

Lots of intresting games today. I'm looking forward to Poeltl against Tarczewski. Shold be a good matchup, let's see how Poeltl does against another big with some potential and a cpl years under his belt...
Also the Maryland game with Diamond and Melo (Cle+2nd round picks?).
Will also check on Hield, Murray and Skal.

[saintEscaton]

Lots of intresting games today. I'm looking forward to Poeltl against Tarczewski. Shold be a good matchup, let's see how Poeltl does against another big with some potential and a cpl years under his belt...
Also the Maryland game with Diamond and Melo (Cle+2nd round picks?).
Will also check on Hield, Murray and Skal.

Stone will most likely be a lotto pick and Trimble will probably go late teens or earlier 20s

[Bogyo]

Well, then the Wash and the Cle pick with a bit of luck

[Gorilla Warfare]

It's time we go international. If we get 3rd or worse pick go with Bender, and then go Korkmaz with our 2nd pick, or Brice Johnson if he's still there.

[Bogyo]

Poeltl is good, but hasn't shown anything too eyepopping so far.
Hield on the other hand... :O

[Gorilla Warfare]

Hield and Poeltl are both gone before our 2nd pick, but they're not good enough to draft in the top 3 which I think we'll land. I think both are gone between 6-9th pick.

[bwgood77]

Lots of intresting games today. I'm looking forward to Poeltl against Tarczewski. Shold be a good matchup, let's see how Poeltl does against another big with some potential and a cpl years under his belt...
Also the Maryland game with Diamond and Melo (Cle+2nd round picks?).
Will also check on Hield, Murray and Skal.

Both with 10 boards and 3 blocks...Poeltl with 14 on 6-9 and Tarczewski with 8 on 4-7. Both played well.

Too bad Utah went on a 7-0 run to close the game.

[Bogyo]

Lots of intresting games today. I'm looking forward to Poeltl against Tarczewski. Shold be a good matchup, let's see how Poeltl does against another big with some potential and a cpl years under his belt...
Also the Maryland game with Diamond and Melo (Cle+2nd round picks?).
Will also check on Hield, Murray and Skal.

Both with 10 boards and 3 blocks...Poeltl with 14 on 6-9 and Tarczewski with 8 on 4-7. Both played well.

Too bad Utah went on a 7-0 run to close the game.

Yeah, nice game by both of them. I wonder if the first bogus foul was not called on Tarczewski had he done a bit more, especially on D.

Diamond and Melo not feeling it (yet?) tonite. AJ Hammons could be a second round pick on his size alone. That dude seems huge for some reason.

[bwgood77]

So Hield, in a losing effort to Texas, puts up 33, 6, 2 blocks, 1 assist and 1 steal.

Ellenson, in losing effort to #1 Villanova, only shoots 6 times, hits 1 3 (out of 3 tries), scores 13, with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.

Jamal Murray - 33 pts with 6 3s, 9 rebounds and 1 assist

Damian Jones - 15 pts 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal

Wade Baldwin - 14 pts, 6 assists, 1 rebound, 1 block

Diamond Stone - 18 pts, 5 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals

Melo Trimble - 17 pts, 5 assists, 3 rebounds , 3 steals

Demetrius Jackson - 13 pts, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 rebound

[bwgood77]

Also last six games he's 31 for 88 (35%) and this is the stretch where's he's supposedly overtaking Simmons. Ppl are just sick of ESPN shoving him own our throats and rightfully so. Simmons doesn't shoot 3's and can still score at will. Speaks to his talent.

If we get Simmons, he needs to be our primary ball handler, but then we have two combo guards who over dribble and are not great shooters.

I'll be happy with either.

I have a feeling we will end up with the 5th pick and take Murray.

I just did tankathon's sim lottery 10 times and we got the 3rd pick twice, the 4th four times and the 5th four times.

[Mulhollanddrive]

I can't wait to see Buddy Hield in March. My top 3 at the moment:

Simmons, Hield, Ingram. I'm neutral / curious about Murray and Bender, but everyone else I don't particularly like.

[bwgood77]

I can't wait to see Buddy Hield in March. My top 3 at the moment:

Simmons, Hield, Ingram. I'm neutral / curious about Murray and Bender, but everyone else I don't particularly like.

Are you watching this Kentucky/Vanderbilt game? Vandy is basically playing for the tourney because they are right on the bubble. Murray has 29 and 9 about midway through the second with 6 3s and Vanderbilt has two top 20 prospects in Jones and Baldwin.

[RunSunRun]

Hield is definitely moving up draft boards, he and the Sooners put together a good tourney run and I can see it becoming a top three draft of Simmons, Ingram, Hield. With the order changing based on teams and the hype of course.

[AtheJ415]

If we get Simmons, he needs to be our primary ball handler, but then we have two combo guards who over dribble and are not great shooters.

I'll be happy with either.

I have a feeling we will end up with the 5th pick and take Murray.

I just did tankathon's sim lottery 10 times and we got the 3rd pick twice, the 4th four times and the 5th four times.

I don't think there's any chance we take Murray if we end up 5. Top 5 are clear cut imo between Simmons, Ingram, Bender, Dunn, and Brown. I'm not sure why everyone thinks McDonough would draft a combo guard. Archie is the only combo guard he's drafted. Every other top pick has been a true SG, a true SF, and a true C. Also Ennis, a true PG, and Bogdan, a 2/3 combo. Even if you do believe the 2 PG system is McDonough's creation and not Hornacek's, he hasn't drafted a bunch of combo guards and is clearly invested in the 2 we still have.

[AtheJ415]

Hield is definitely moving up draft boards, he and the Sooners put together a good tourney run and I can see it becoming a top three draft of Simmons, Ingram, Hield. With the order changing based on teams and the hype of course.

I'd be thoroughly surprised to see a senior who wasn't particularly special until his senior year go that high. If we pick Hield over the likes of Bender, Dunn, or Brown at pick 3 I will be beyond upset.

[RunSunRun]

I'd be thoroughly surprised to see a senior who wasn't particularly special until his senior year go that high. If we pick Hield over the likes of Bender, Dunn, or Brown at pick 3 I will be beyond upset.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating for the Suns to take Hield at #3, definitely would if he's still there with the Wizards pick if we get their pick of course.

However, there's always that one player who just catches fire during the tourney and just shoots up draft boards. It could be Ingram, but the way Hield has to carry the Sooners offense just makes it more likely that it will be him.

I can see Hield just willing his team to a Final Four, especially this year where it seems every team is flawed.

If Ingram and Duke struggle, and with Simmons and LSU not even making the tourney, the big national media spotlight may be on Hield and that would lead to a massive rise in his draft stock.

[bwgood77]

I don't think there's any chance we take Murray if we end up 5. Top 5 are clear cut imo between Simmons, Ingram, Bender, Dunn, and Brown. I'm not sure why everyone thinks McDonough would draft a combo guard. Archie is the only combo guard he's drafted. Every other top pick has been a true SG, a true SF, and a true C. Also Ennis, a true PG, and Bogdan, a 2/3 combo. Even if you do believe the 2 PG system is McDonough's creation and not Hornacek's, he hasn't drafted a bunch of combo guards and is clearly invested in the 2 we still have.

I was semi joking, but you left out the fact he traded for two combo guards. One could possibly consider Bledsoe more of a pure pg, but I've seen analysts/writers talk about him as more of a sg. Personally I don't think of Bledsoe as a sg though, but I do think he sometimes iso's a bit much.

If he did take Murray I would assume it's because he felt he was the top talent on the board, and knowing the league is going toward great shooters, he already shoots over 40% from 3 as a freshman. Dunn, a junior, is more of a pg, but he does shoot a lot too (13.3 shots per game) at 43% and hits 35.5% from 3. Then he has 6.3 assists per game to 3.7 turnovers per game.

I'm not sure top 5 is totally set. Ellenson might end up there too.

And we could drop to 6. I got that once after a few more tries (got 2nd twice too). Say the top 5 are who you think is the clear cut top 5 are and we drop to 6. Who would you take there?

[Saberestar]

Hield is definitely moving up draft boards, he and the Sooners put together a good tourney run and I can see it becoming a top three draft of Simmons, Ingram, Hield. With the order changing based on teams and the hype of course.

I'd be thoroughly surprised to see a senior who wasn't particularly special until his senior year go that high. If we pick Hield over the likes of Bender, Dunn, or Brown at pick 3 I will be beyond upset.

Yeah, I really like Hield and I think he is gonna be a good pro, but he is three or four years older than some of these guys. He is only a few months younger than Len or Warren....so probably his upside is low.

But there are players like Lillard or Draymond Green who were "older" rookies and they are All Stars talents....so you never know.

If we draft him, I wouldn't be upset at all because I love his game, he is one of my favourites players in this draft and I think he can split minutes with Booker and Warren like our wings of the future ( we would need to trade Knight for sure in this case).