What would you guess is McD's Big Board?

[bwgood77]

My (old) guess:

Ayton
Bamba
Bagley
Jackson
Doncic
Porter
Young


Mainly because I think he might feel he is on the hot seat and will want to fill holes on roster more than take BPA because in 5 years he will not be here and he knows Sarver will want to see immediate improvement.

That is the worst thing with an owner like Sarver...the GM usually probably feels like they need win now moves over best moves for long term sustainable success.

[hollywood6964]

My guess:

Ayton
Bamba
Bagley
Jackson
Doncic
Young
Porter

Mainly because I think he might feel he is on the hot seat and will want to fill holes on roster more than take BPA because in 5 years he will not be here and he knows Sarver will want to see immediate improvement.

That is the worst thing with an owner like Sarver...the GM usually probably feels like they need win now moves over best moves for long term sustainable success.

Sounds pretty good. Sarvers up there with the worst owners in the NBA. Anybody who works for him is going to have to compromise what they want to do, with what he wants to do. Daily.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

My guess:

Ayton
Bamba
Bagley
Jackson
Doncic
Young
Porter

Mainly because I think he might feel he is on the hot seat and will want to fill holes on roster more than take BPA because in 5 years he will not be here and he knows Sarver will want to see immediate improvement.

That is the worst thing with an owner like Sarver...the GM usually probably feels like they need win now moves over best moves for long term sustainable success.

Sounds pretty good. Sarvers up there with the worst owners in the NBA. Anybody who works for him is going to have to compromise what they want to do, with what he wants to do. Daily.

There is no evidence for these claims about Sarver, based on, like, the last 4 years. That's a decent sample size, in my view.

[bwgood77]

My guess:

Ayton
Bamba
Bagley
Jackson
Doncic
Young
Porter

Mainly because I think he might feel he is on the hot seat and will want to fill holes on roster more than take BPA because in 5 years he will not be here and he knows Sarver will want to see immediate improvement.

That is the worst thing with an owner like Sarver...the GM usually probably feels like they need win now moves over best moves for long term sustainable success.

Sounds pretty good. Sarvers up there with the worst owners in the NBA. Anybody who works for him is going to have to compromise what they want to do, with what he wants to do. Daily.

There is no evidence for these claims about Sarver, based on, like, the last 4 years. That's a decent sample size, in my view.

Yeah, no evidence outside of the fact he wishes he would have bought into the rebuild sooner recently. It's intuition. If you think Sarver exercises patience well, good. I hope you are right. Of course I'm sure others will say he should not.

[kennydorglas]

Doncic, Bagley and JJJ up top. We know McD loves to draft some 18yo kids.

[Damkac]

Doncic
Ayton
Young
JJJ
Porter
Bagley
Bamba

[Blonde]

Drafting Bamba is not a way to see immediate improvement. He will take several years to make an impact, and I think McD sees that. Gobert took like 3 years and he put in an insane amount of work developing his body, so to expect the same of Bamba is far fetched.

I'd say McD is looking at:

Doncic
Ayton
Young
Jackson

[Qwigglez]

My guess:
Ayton
Bagley
Young
JJJ/Bamba
Doncic/Porter Jr

I think McD may be questioning himself and scouts on picking up European products after failing to hit with Len and the slow progression from Bender. I still like the Bender pick don't get me wrong, however if Doncic took two seasons to mold kind of like how Bender is doing, then McD would get fired in the mean time. We need immediate results from this draft and I could see that in Ayton. I think McD is going to do whatever it takes to get Ayton here, even if it means trading Chriss, both Miami picks, the Bucks pick and a future pick just to move up from maybe the 3rd-5th spot to that No 1 pick.

[thamadkant]

With Payton playing well I think McD is looking for a hybrid center

[Mulhollanddrive]

Doncic
Ayton
Jackson

or trade.

[bwgood77]

My guess:
Ayton
Bagley
Young
JJJ/Bamba
Doncic/Porter Jr

I think McD may be questioning himself and scouts on picking up European products after failing to hit with Len and the slow progression from Bender. I still like the Bender pick don't get me wrong, however if Doncic took two seasons to mold kind of like how Bender is doing, then McD would get fired in the mean time. We need immediate results from this draft and I could see that in Ayton. I think McD is going to do whatever it takes to get Ayton here, even if it means trading Chriss, both Miami picks, the Bucks pick and a future pick just to move up from maybe the 3rd-5th spot to that No 1 pick.

I don't think he'd shy away from Doncic because he's European as much as because he seems to draft for need, or at positions he hasn't recently drafted for or made trades to fill.

Doncic will very likely have the most immediate impact on a team as a rookie, but being that he has mentioned he wants to address the C and PG in the draft and just traded for Payton, I think he goes C with first pick and takes a PG with 2nd to backup Payton, if he plans to keep him.

It will be interesting to see what he does if he picks like 6th and the two guys left on the board are Bamba and Young.

[BobbieL]

Ayton
Doncic
Porter Jr - just because I have read has very good skills and might have been top pick if not hurt
JJ

Bagley
Bamba
Young

Hopefully Sarver is still on board with the proper way to build this team. The worst thing to do would be to dump a bunch of assets on the wrong player - that would be Sarver-esque.

[jcsunsfan]

I am scared they are really intrigued with Doncic. So I really have no clue. I don't think I am even going to try.

[lilfishi22]

1. Ayton - I went with Ayton because imo, that top 3 spot is so close it doesn't really matter who you take. So if the talent/potential difference is negligible, then you should go with need and I think both Porter and Ayton fits well on this team from a need, talent and future fit stand point. Easiest sell for McD

2. Porter - Went with Porter here because as mentioned, I think if the talent is almost equal then Porter is a better fit from a need (shooting, size), talent and future fit perspective. He has the NBA athleticism, NBA size and NBA shooting abilities to be able to play right away and I think he's the type of player that will dominate the NBA of tomorrow.

3. Doncic - I don't think Doncic is McD's top choice not because he isn't ridiculously talented and likely the greatest international prospect to come into the NBA draft but because he doesn't really fill any need that we're in desperate need for and that makes the pick hard to sell. With the giant holes still at the 4/5, I think McD will have a hard time selling this pick to the fans when he doesn't really address a need while guys like Ayton, Bagley and to a lesser extent, JJJr/Bamba still on the board. I actually think the only reason McD would take Doncic before a big is because he's super high on Doncic. Passing on talented bigs when we have a desperate need for a big man can only mean he's super high on Doncic and I don't really get the sense he is higher on him than other players in the top 3.

4. Bagley - He's an ultra-high potential prospect who would really help with our need for scoring, defense and rebounding down low. Even though they play a very different game and imo a different position, I think this pick would make Chriss redundant as the ultra-athletic big with developing skills and this could be a reason why Bagley may be lower on McD's big board

5. Young - This guy is going to be an incredible upgrade at the PG position. I think he's going to have a solid career mainly because he has the skill and mindset to dominate in today's NBA. There's question marks around his physicality from a defensive standpoint and also whether he can find good shots in the NBA being a small guy and against NBA defense. But he's a worthy pick at #5 from a pure talent perspective. I think he'll be hard to pass up at #5 but like Doncic, he doesn't fill a need that we're desperate for.

6. JJJr - The guy is raw but fills a huge need in size, defense and shooting. He's the youngest guy in the top 7 (I believe) and that's really why I think he's lower on McD's board. I think McD is looking for someone who can play right away and potentially dominate (for a rook) right away and I'm not sure JJJr can do that right away aside from his defense.

7. Bamba - Unlike most of you, I don't actually think Bamba is particularly high on McD's big board. I'm sure my personal bias is part of this reasoning but while Bamba does fill a need from a defense, size and rebounding perspective, I think not having a 3PT shot and very very basic interior offense will hurt his ability to stay on the floor.

[ATTL]

1. Ayton
2. Doncic
3. JJJ
4. Trae
5. Bagley

Jackson has a lot of buzz words associated with him. I think he could be better than Myles Turner.

[bwgood77]

1. Ayton
2. Doncic
3. JJJ
4. Trae
5. Bagley

Jackson has a lot of buzz words associated with him. I think he could be better than Myles Turner.

He should be better than Myles based on stature of this draft class and skills/production coming out.

[Mulhollanddrive]

I have doubts about whether McDonough will take:

- Bagley as an interior PF that clogs the paint even further or as undersized C on defense.
- Bamba as a limited offensive player, one position defender and who isn't mobile to keep up with an uptempo offense.
- Porter due to the combination of injury risk, positional / offense focused overlap.
- Young as an undersized skill based guard with limited track record and no athletic or 2-way upside.

That leaves Doncic, Ayton, Jackson.

[thamadkant]

I cannot believe back in 2013... Len was actually rumored to go Pick 1....
What an awful top 10.... Oladipo should have went number 2 and Gianis Number 1....

But Len... wow.... as Number 1 pick.... what went wrong.
That year the number 1 pick was not clear... and it was changing day by day before the draft...


I'm scared that 2013 might repeat... as this time around, its also changing... but Ayton is solidifying as Pick 1.... the others are interchangeable.

[jcsunsfan]

I cannot believe back in 2013... Len was actually rumored to go Pick 1....
What an awful top 10.... Oladipo should have went number 2 and Gianis Number 1....

But Len... wow.... as Number 1 pick.... what went wrong.
That year the number 1 pick was not clear... and it was changing day by day before the draft...


I'm scared that 2013 might repeat... as this time around, its also changing... but Ayton is solidifying as Pick 1.... the others are interchangeable.

ESPN just came out with a mock with Doncic as #1. The Stepien has had him there all along. That top 7 is going to readjust a lot toward the draft. There are a lot of quality players in close value.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

1. Ayton - I went with Ayton because imo, that top 3 spot is so close it doesn't really matter who you take. So if the talent/potential difference is negligible, then you should go with need and I think both Porter and Ayton fits well on this team from a need, talent and future fit stand point. Easiest sell for McD

1. Ayton. Agreed. Highest upside; safest pick from the GM's perspective; least likely to threaten the PT of other players on the roster.

2. Porter - Went with Porter here because as mentioned, I think if the talent is almost equal then Porter is a better fit from a need (shooting, size), talent and future fit perspective. He has the NBA athleticism, NBA size and NBA shooting abilities to be able to play right away and I think he's the type of player that will dominate the NBA of tomorrow.

2. Bagley. I think Porter's actually a fairly risky selection, and not merely because of his injury. A lot of the upside with Porter seems to be linked to his physical profile and mature skill set. But I don't think he's exhibit the tremendous athleticism or freakish physical attributes that we've come to associate with #1 picks (and in this draft, if you wouldn't be a #1 pick most years, you probably won't be in the top 3). Bagley has a big question mark to his game - interior defense. But the focus on that question mark obscures the rarity of his particular gift in a big man, which is his high motor.

If you consider that Bagley will inevitably bulk up, and that he will very likely acquire a decent jump shot, it's hard not to see him as a guy who averages 20 and 10 for 10 straight years. That'll be hard for McD to pass on.

3. Doncic - I don't think Doncic is McD's top choice not because he isn't ridiculously talented and likely the greatest international prospect to come into the NBA draft but because he doesn't really fill any need that we're in desperate need for and that makes the pick hard to sell. With the giant holes still at the 4/5, I think McD will have a hard time selling this pick to the fans when he doesn't really address a need while guys like Ayton, Bagley and to a lesser extent, JJJr/Bamba still on the board. I actually think the only reason McD would take Doncic before a big is because he's super high on Doncic. Passing on talented bigs when we have a desperate need for a big man can only mean he's super high on Doncic and I don't really get the sense he is higher on him than other players in the top 3.

3. Young. I think there's a reason McD was quick to note that the Suns still consider themselves as having a need at the 1 in his most recent interview on azsports. I think McD knows the value of shooting in the modern NBA and would love to be able to roll with a Payton/Booker/Young back court. I think he's as high on Young as anyone and wouldn't consider Payton's strong play as a reason not to draft Trae.

4. Bagley - He's an ultra-high potential prospect who would really help with our need for scoring, defense and rebounding down low. Even though they play a very different game and imo a different position, I think this pick would make Chriss redundant as the ultra-athletic big with developing skills and this could be a reason why Bagley may be lower on McD's big board

4. Doncic. Close call with Doncic and Young. I do think there's a big fit problem with this selection, as many others have noted. I still think McD would be ecstatic to be able to take him. If we made this selection, whether or not we kept him, we would be making some moves. I see the possibility for a lot of trade action on draft day.

5. Young - This guy is going to be an incredible upgrade at the PG position. I think he's going to have a solid career mainly because he has the skill and mindset to dominate in today's NBA. There's question marks around his physicality from a defensive standpoint and also whether he can find good shots in the NBA being a small guy and against NBA defense. But he's a worthy pick at #5 from a pure talent perspective. I think he'll be hard to pass up at #5 but like Doncic, he doesn't fill a need that we're desperate for.

5. JJJr The Serge Ibaka comparisons are pretty darn good. I do think we would have to move Chriss if we were to take him, though. His ceiling is certainly higher than Bamba's, and it may be higher than Porter's as well. But have no doubt: this kid is a project. He will have trouble staying on the floor, and he will be inconsistent for the first couple years. I think he'll figure it out, but he's not the sure thing the players ahead of him are.

6. JJJr - The guy is raw but fills a huge need in size, defense and shooting. He's the youngest guy in the top 7 (I believe) and that's really why I think he's lower on McD's board. I think McD is looking for someone who can play right away and potentially dominate (for a rook) right away and I'm not sure JJJr can do that right away aside from his defense.

6. Bamba. To justify taking Mo t, you have to assume he demonstrates throughout the draft process that he will commit to working on his body and his game. I think he plays with an underrated degree of intensity, and that with more spacing, he could show off more of his game on offense. But he's a great fit with this team. Not nearly as concerned with spacing as others seem to be.

This would be a questionable pick, though, with Porter still on the board.

7. Bamba - Unlike most of you, I don't actually think Bamba is particularly high on McD's big board. I'm sure my personal bias is part of this reasoning but while Bamba does fill a need from a defense, size and rebounding perspective, I think not having a 3PT shot and very very basic interior offense will hurt his ability to stay on the floor.

7. Porter. If you take Mo higher than Porter, you're not betting on Bamba surpassing expectations as much as you're betting on Porter failing to meet them, which is why I think it will be very hard to take Bamba over Porter. Unless, of course, that back looks like it will be a long-term issue. I'd rather have Clint Capela than Jabari Parker, after all.

If we think Porter will be able to play the 4, and he's healthy, we may take him as high as #2, as you indicate. I just have a hard time slotting him higher without having seen much of him.