2023 NBA Draft

[Madhouse]

We don’t even know if he has the same level of talent as Gobert, let alone have years of experience required to understand complex defensive concepts. I see him more likely to end up on posters his first year.

Good luck with that, he will erase people from day 1.

you’re too emotionally wrapped up in this take man. Gonna be a lot of tears from you next year. Rookie bigs are the slowest to develop.

You compared him to Porzingis.

It doesn't get any more clueless.

[EMG518]

Feels like a shift back to a league of bigs again with all of the talent now.

You got Giannis, Jokic, Embiid.

Anthony Davis when healthy, now you got Ayton, Mobley, still have hopes for Wiseman, Chet coming in, Victor coming in.

League hasn't been this talented at bigs since the 90s imo.

I'm not even counting a guy like Jabari since he plays more like a wing to me but you could.

[Big J]

Feels like a shift back to a league of bigs again with all of the talent now.

You got Giannis, Jokic, Embiid.

Anthony Davis when healthy, now you got Ayton, Mobley, still have hopes for Wiseman, Chet coming in, Victor coming in.

League hasn't been this talented at bigs since the 90s imo.

I'm not even counting a guy like Jabari since he plays more like a wing to me but you could.

Gobert?

[EMG518]

Feels like a shift back to a league of bigs again with all of the talent now.

You got Giannis, Jokic, Embiid.

Anthony Davis when healthy, now you got Ayton, Mobley, still have hopes for Wiseman, Chet coming in, Victor coming in.

League hasn't been this talented at bigs since the 90s imo.

I'm not even counting a guy like Jabari since he plays more like a wing to me but you could.

Gobert?

Nah

[clyde21]

you missed Towns

but yes, this is the most talent @ big the league has seen since the 90s

[eminence]

Hot take? - I think current bigs are more talented than the 90s.

[EMG518]

you missed Towns

but yes, this is the most talent @ big the league has seen since the 90s

Yeah probably missed a few, just was a quick list. Could throw Bam in there, maybe even JJJ and some others also.

[SeattleJazzFan]

Hot take? - I think current bigs are more talented than the 90s.

they are more talented. not really sure that can be argued. you could probably say the bigs from back then were more dominant as a group.

[eminence]

Hot take? - I think current bigs are more talented than the 90s.

they are more talented. not really sure that can be argued. you could probably say the bigs from back then were more dominant as a group.

I think words are getting in the way. Talent/skill/whatever.

I think the bigs today are better, more dominant, whatever you want to say. More so due to depth than at the top (hard to beat the Hakeem/Robinson/Shaq/Ewing quad), though the top is of course very strong right now as well.

[clyde21]

Hot take? - I think current bigs are more talented than the 90s.

not a super hot take, I kinda agree

Joel Embiid
Nikola Jokic
Karl-Anthony Towns
Anthony Davis
Evan Mobley
Bam Adebayo
Deandre Ayton
Rudy Gobert

you got a bunch of other bigs like Jaren Jackson, Kristaps Porzingis, Jarrett Allen, Jonathan Isaac, Clint Capela, etc.

and you got Chet and Yama coming up

dont think we've seen this many bigs in the league in a long time?

[Big J]

The current group would get eaten alive by the 90s bigs. Embiid & Joker are the only ones with post moves. The others are all pick & pop or PnR.

[babyjax13]

Hot take? - I think current bigs are more talented than the 90s.

not a super hot take, I kinda agree

Joel Embiid
Nikola Jokic
Karl-Anthony Towns
Anthony Davis
Evan Mobley
Bam Adebayo
Deandre Ayton
Rudy Gobert

you got a bunch of other bigs like Jaren Jackson, Kristaps Porzingis, Jarrett Allen, Jonathan Isaac, Clint Capela, etc.

and you got Chet and Yama coming up

dont think we've seen this many bigs in the league in a long time?

+ Rob Williams
+ Nikola Vucevic
etc.

Plus Derreck Lively looks like he could be something. And I wouldn't be surprised if some other young player breaks out next season (Okongwu? Wiseman? Hayes?).

[babyjax13]

The current group would get eaten alive by the 90s bigs. Embiid & Joker are the only ones with post moves. The others are all pick & pop or PnR.

In a league where Mutumbo was awesome (and I don't say this facetiously, he was) I don't see how current centers would get "eaten alive" for not being low-post anchors.

[Big J]

The current group would get eaten alive by the 90s bigs. Embiid & Joker are the only ones with post moves. The others are all pick & pop or PnR.

In a league where Mutumbo was awesome (and I don't say this facetiously, he was) I don't see how current centers would get "eaten alive" for not being low-post anchors.

True, but Mutumbo was thick as ****. Dude could handle himself in that era. Big guys are too soft nowadays. Joker is the only one who has proven that he's tough.

[MotownMadness]

Feels like a shift back to a league of bigs again with all of the talent now.

You got Giannis, Jokic, Embiid.

Anthony Davis when healthy, now you got Ayton, Mobley, still have hopes for Wiseman, Chet coming in, Victor coming in.

League hasn't been this talented at bigs since the 90s imo.

I'm not even counting a guy like Jabari since he plays more like a wing to me but you could.

Was thinking that you're gonna need a good big now or get left behind. Can really feel this lack of player watching the Pistons. Big man is coming back (with more coming this year) and you dont wanna be the team without one

[clyde21]

Feels like a shift back to a league of bigs again with all of the talent now.

You got Giannis, Jokic, Embiid.

Anthony Davis when healthy, now you got Ayton, Mobley, still have hopes for Wiseman, Chet coming in, Victor coming in.

League hasn't been this talented at bigs since the 90s imo.

I'm not even counting a guy like Jabari since he plays more like a wing to me but you could.

Was thinking that you're gonna need a good big now or get left behind. Can really feel this lack of player watching the Pistons. Big man is coming back (with more coming this year) and you dont wanna be the team without one

i dont think bigs went anywhere, but there was a transition period where old school bigs were no longer really that useful on a large scale and more skilled bigs started coming along and now they are finding their place in the league with NBA offenses opening more up.

[The-Power]

I've only started following prospects in this class and I know he has been mentioned in this thread already, but can anyone explain how the hell Brandon Miller is only ranked at #18 on ESPN?

Dude looks like he was made in a modern NBA basketball lab. Tall and long wing/combo forward with shot blocking instincts who initiates offense with impressive handles, really good passing skills (both hands!), composure under pressure, a very promising shot (just needs to create more separation) and the attitude of a go-to scorer. Some of the stuff he does is seriously impressive for someone his size.

Him having to fill out, work on his shot selection and sometimes run the floor harder is really not an issue at all at this point unless there are some broader attitude concerns. But just in terms of overall profile, it hardly gets anymore exciting than that (based on what I have seen from him).

edit: In an ideal world his first step would perhaps be a tad more explosive but that's really criticism at the highest level.

[clyde21]

I've only started following prospects in this class and I know he has been mentioned in this thread already, but can anyone explain how the hell Brandon Miller is only ranked at #18 on ESPN?

Dude looks like he was made in a modern NBA basketball lab. Tall and long wing/combo forward with shot blocking instincts who initiates offense with impressive handles, really good passing skills (both hands!), composure under pressure, a very promising shot (just needs to create more separation) and the attitude of a go-to scorer. Some of the stuff he does is seriously impressive for someone his size.

Him having to fill out, work on his shot selection and sometimes run the floor harder is really not an issue at all at this point unless there are some broader attitude concerns. But just in terms of overall profile, it hardly gets anymore exciting than that (based on what I have seen from him).

yup, have him 6th right now, odd that he's so low. at least from an NBA standpoint, he should be ranked way higher than he is.

[The-Power]

yup, have him 6th right now, odd that he's so low. at least from an NBA standpoint, he should be ranked way higher than he is.

Anything that keeps you from having him even higher? What makes the other higher-ranked prospects more intriguing in your eyes? Are there players with (clearly) higher ceilings, or is it more about floor at this point (I understand that other prospects have shown out against better competition in HS).

[clyde21]

yup, have him 6th right now, odd that he's so low. at least from an NBA standpoint, he should be ranked way higher than he is.

Anything that keeps you from having him even higher? What makes the other higher-ranked prospects more intriguing in your eyes? Are there players with (clearly) higher ceilings, or is it more about floor at this point (I understand that other prospects have shown out against better competition in HS).

i have above guys that I see as either elite playmakers or scorers + Yama at the top, so it's more the fact that I just really like everyone else too.

but yea, i can see him climbing either way.

Yama
Scoot
Whitehead
Keyontae
Black
Miller

is my top 6 and not a lot separating them