Would Zaire Williams have been there at 17?

[pseudonym28]

Did the grizzlies do well in the new Orleans trade or was it pointless?

[jman3134]

Pointless.

[reborn123]

Pointless.

Didn’t some mock drafts have him at 9-16? I’m going to give my team the benefit of the doubt here. Surely we weren’t going to extend JV’s contract as well, considering how exposed he is in the playoffs.

[jman3134]

We were like -10 every time he came out of the game. And then we didn't draft an interior defender. I love Santi, but he is not a rim protector. Below the rim player mostly.

[WargamesX]

Pointless for both sides

[BostonCouchGM]

awful. What a truly stupid, momentum killing move. It makes no sense in hindsight. Not only would he have likely been there, he would still not have been the best player to take by a very long shot. This is why certain franchises remain farm systems for bigger markets...moves like this. Morant won't stay. It's only a matter of time before he demands out.

[buzzkilloton]

Nobody knows for sure. Mocks can say one thing and NBA teams could be thinking another.

[DroseReturnChi]

memphis just wanted to get rid of JV. they never gained anything when i said number 10 and 17 had no difference.

[BuddyBuckets]

Pelicans definitely got someone they coveted in the draft, and evidently the Grizz did too. So it was a win win in that regard. No-one can tell if Z-Will is worth the 10th pick yet.

But yes, in all likelihood someone drafted after #10 and #17 will end up an All Star so if 3Murphy3 and Z-Will arent all stars we all look stupid.

[NO-KG-AI]

I’m a big believer in just going get the guy you really want. If he ends up being a stud, no one is going to remember or care that he was supposed to go 17 instead of 10 or whatever.

They either really really love Williams, or they panicked after their guy was picked. We really will never know.

[jman3134]

They panicked both on Williams and on Aldama, giving up 2 additional 2nds to make sure Aldama was available at 30. Seems like this was their MO this draft. I would be fine with the 'get your guy' stance if they actually made sense from a personnel standpoint. Neither address a major need.

[Skybox]

I like the pick and I like that they did what they had to do. 7-17 was completely up in the air and subject to YOUR OWN scouting and projection. I guess I should add 6 after Giddey jumped up. You take your guy and move forward. Sometimes playing checkers is the right move...Thank goodness for ORL that Masai was playing chess.

[SmokeyPaw]

Was Williams really the target? I kept hearing Giddey who went 6th. It could be similiar to the wolves trading up to get Garland but being forced to settle for culver.

[RollingWave]

They almost certainly have better intel than we do, and / or they were aiming for someone that went before that (maybe they though Kauminga would fall? )

Either way, if Zaire hits everyone will look back and think this was an awesome trade, if he doesn't, it was still a waste even if they just took him at 17.

[clyde21]

no one knows, you can play the game of this guy might be been at spot x but you never know who's high on who...no one would've guessed Primo went 12...you could've easily said u wanted to trade down and take him and then missed out

if you identify a guy you like, you pull the trigger unless you have multiple guys you're trading down for and u would be happy with any of them

also...teams have intel on where guys will go that we are not privy to...they talk to other teams, talk to agents/players, etc...so u can look at mocks and pretend we know where guys would have gone but outside the few handful of picks you never actually know.

[MemphisX]

They panicked both on Williams and on Aldama, giving up 2 additional 2nds to make sure Aldama was available at 30. Seems like this was their MO this draft. I would be fine with the 'get your guy' stance if they actually made sense from a personnel standpoint. Neither address a major need.

You don't even know what the other 2nd round picks were. And giving up 2nds for a 1st is the same thing they did to get Bane. So I am sure you hated that.

The problem is you don't know anything about Aldama and he wasn't "projected" to go where he was picked, so you think it was bad.

[jman3134]

They panicked both on Williams and on Aldama, giving up 2 additional 2nds to make sure Aldama was available at 30. Seems like this was their MO this draft. I would be fine with the 'get your guy' stance if they actually made sense from a personnel standpoint. Neither address a major need.

You don't even know what the other 2nd round picks were. And giving up 2nds for a 1st is the same thing they did to get Bane. So I am sure you hated that.

The problem is you don't know anything about Aldama and he wasn't "projected" to go where he was picked, so you think it was bad.

Neither do you. And if you read my statement: "I would be fine with the 'get your guy' stance if they made sense from a personnel standpoint." Did acquiring a top tier 3 point shooter make sense from a personnel standpoint last year and/or this year?

Nah, I didn't write a scouting report on the guy in February and watch his historical tape in Europe. Oh wait - https://jtmbasketball.blogspot.com/2021/02/diggin-in-tape-part-1-santi-aldama.html Also, had him ranked #29 + #35 on my big board before I slid him down due to the speculation that he was not conducting workouts and playing abroad next year.

He was one of 10 guys I wrote reports for during the year. Instead of making up false narratives and projecting your own lack of knowledge on me, come back when you can construct a basic argument.

[MemphisX]

They panicked both on Williams and on Aldama, giving up 2 additional 2nds to make sure Aldama was available at 30. Seems like this was their MO this draft. I would be fine with the 'get your guy' stance if they actually made sense from a personnel standpoint. Neither address a major need.

You don't even know what the other 2nd round picks were. And giving up 2nds for a 1st is the same thing they did to get Bane. So I am sure you hated that.

The problem is you don't know anything about Aldama and he wasn't "projected" to go where he was picked, so you think it was bad.

Neither do you. And if you read my statement: "I would be fine with the 'get your guy' stance if they made sense from a personnel standpoint." Did acquiring a top tier 3 point shooter make sense from a personnel standpoint last year and/or this year?

Nah, I didn't write a scouting report on the guy in February and watch his historical tape in Europe. Oh wait - https://jtmbasketball.blogspot.com/2021/02/diggin-in-tape-part-1-santi-aldama.html Also, had him ranked #29 + #35 on my big board before I slid him down due to the speculation that he was not conducting workouts and playing abroad next year.

He was one of 10 guys I wrote reports for during the year. Instead of making up false narratives and projecting your own lack of knowledge on me, come back when you can construct a basic argument.

Wait. You are upset they traded up from 41 to get a guy you had 29 on your big board but think I can't construct a basic argument.

No rookie they selected was playing much this season. These picks were for down the road. After taking flyers on Jontay and Killian, Santi is an obvious fit into that same prototype.

[jman3134]

You don't even know what the other 2nd round picks were. And giving up 2nds for a 1st is the same thing they did to get Bane. So I am sure you hated that.

The problem is you don't know anything about Aldama and he wasn't "projected" to go where he was picked, so you think it was bad.

Neither do you. And if you read my statement: "I would be fine with the 'get your guy' stance if they made sense from a personnel standpoint." Did acquiring a top tier 3 point shooter make sense from a personnel standpoint last year and/or this year?

Nah, I didn't write a scouting report on the guy in February and watch his historical tape in Europe. Oh wait - https://jtmbasketball.blogspot.com/2021/02/diggin-in-tape-part-1-santi-aldama.html Also, had him ranked #29 + #35 on my big board before I slid him down due to the speculation that he was not conducting workouts and playing abroad next year.

He was one of 10 guys I wrote reports for during the year. Instead of making up false narratives and projecting your own lack of knowledge on me, come back when you can construct a basic argument.

Wait. You are upset they traded up from 41 to get a guy you had 29 on your big board but think I can't construct a basic argument.

No rookie they selected was playing much this season. These picks were for down the road. After taking flyers on Jontay and Killian, Santi is an obvious fit into that same prototype.

You are really struggling with this. I said it three times now - personnel fit. Obviously, I like him as a prospect and believe he is talented. What false narrative did I construct (speculating that they panicked)? Let's say hypothetically someone did like him enough to take him in the mid 30s: do you really think a team picking him in the mid 30's wouldn't have given him up for 2 additional 2nds and #40? Even if the Thunder loved the guy's tape and would never trade him, why is Santi a personnel must?

I understand that Santi is a down-the-road pick. So is Ziaire. That's my point - the strategy seems to be all over the place as far as I am concerned. You draft ready made guys in Brandon Clarke and Desmond Bane, then about-face after a playoff run and draft two guys that are two years away. This is after you trade your center, who (unless Adams is healthy and surprises this year) was pivotal in our playoff rotation. All in the best draft in many, many years, where many of the guys passed up would instantly be difference makers. Unless we are covertly tanking to acquire Victor/Bates/Banchero, the strategy doesn't make much sense imo. If we are re- "rebuilding", I am all for it though, considering who is available in 2023.

[MemphisX]

You draft ready made guys because the roster was crap and they needed guys who could step in and play. You can’t continue to do that especially with low upside guys.

Every draft is different. Team needs and outlook changed over 2 seasons.