2023 Draft Discussion Part 4

[bboyskinnylegs]

is Mikal Bridges a bad comp for Coulibaly?

[HumbleRen]

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[PhilBlackson]

is Mikal Bridges a bad comp for Coulibaly?

Ughh hard to say, I get it in terms of some of the measurables but also tough because Mikal was a FAR more developed (older) player coming into the league & while I've heard Bilal is a good defender, I haven't read he's lockdown and I think Mikal was also had better shooting touch coming into the NBA (not saying Bilal can't get there).

But Bilal is obviously much more of a question mark coming but I also think his potential COULD (not saying will) be higher which I know is a bold statement considering the breakout Bridges has had in BKN. But because I think Bilal seems more athletic/explosive, faster with the ball in his hand, seems like much more of a slasher which could bode well for any hopes to be a star wing that commands fouls and his build looks much stronger at a younger age (actually looks like he has quite a monsterous frame that will fill out with rumours he's actually 6'8 now).

He's at the top of my list for our pick & just praying OKC who loves dem upside long boiz as much as we don't snatch him right before us as a real kick in the groin for this ridiculous/meaningless PlayIn push that team inexpicably made. But the mold is there to be a DAMN good player with some GREAT upside if we can develop him anything like we did OG or Pascal.

[Dalek]

is Mikal Bridges a bad comp for Coulibaly?

I see that as a high end outcome. Bridges is now like an archetype for a guy 6'7 can defend and shoot 3s.

Maybe Coulibaly is closer to Nic Batum who is that defensive playmaker who can slot as a guard/forward.

[Ell Curry]

Bufkin has a lot more upside than Trent at same time in their careers so he can definitely be a good replacement potentially. I think his handles are average which leads me to confirm he is a strict SG. But still I'm looking for higher upside players at #13. Again, I think evaluating this group of guards is really tough.

I agree he doesn't have the wiggle of most of the great combo guards, but his age, wingspan and production seem like things Masai might favor over Keyonte George and Nick Smith looking more like guys who might get 20+ in the NBA, but on questionable efficiency.

I don't have a firm take really. I definitely like Cason Wallace the best. There seems to be a trend in PGs being undervalued when they have to play the 2 or 3 in college due to having smaller less athletic but starting quality PG teammates (Curry with Jason Richards, Donovan Mitchell with Snider, Lowry with Mike Nardi, I'm sure there are others) like he had in Wheeler, and Kentucky guards under Calipari generally. Something like Boucher and Thad and #13 for Bertans and #10 might be enough to make that possible. Mavs get a useful frontcourt 20 minute guy which matters for them, and Thad's deal is much better than Bertans for a trade if they move #13 for a frontcourt starter (with Hardaway Jr or Bullock).

[Yallbecrazy]

Bufkin is pretty much a strict SG. I didn't see any evidence he could be run the point at all. But what does he do at a high level really? For me taking a guy like that, got to be a tough shot maker, create your own shots off the dribble, more athleticism. Maybe I just don't see that upside that he has in this respect but at #13 that is a bit of a reach I think. I find these guards to be very tough to project so I could be wrong. With more spacing in NBA and better teammates, these are the factors that must be considered.

The case for him as a combo guard is that he was playing with an undersized PG who wasn't respected as a shooter and Div-2 level players at the 4, but still got to 3 assists a game, which isn't bad for college (it's like 1.5 times what Poole and Quickley had. Similar to Jordan Clarkson's numbers. Those are sort of the first guys that come to mind as 3rd, combo guard types these days.

And overall, the case is that he shot 70% at the rim and was a year younger than typical sophomores.

He's a weird case because he didn't take over games much and his team was crying out for him to go full Johnny Davis.

So, he might be like a decent Trent replacement or the 3rd guard we need, but unless we keep Trent or sign and trade him, we're still a guard short.

Was the best wing defender on opposing teams was usually guarding Jett Howard? That could inflate his numbers quite a bit.

[Clutch0z24]

is Mikal Bridges a bad comp for Coulibaly?

Imo yes....Bridges Offensive game looks alot more polished and smoother....Coulibaly is really raw on the offensive end....Good defensive upside but i just hope his offense translates to the NBA....At 13 i think its too high to pick him cause he has a boom or bust potential....Which is the scary thing...You either look like genius drafting him that high or a fool....Risky pick

[Ell Curry]

Bufkin is pretty much a strict SG. I didn't see any evidence he could be run the point at all. But what does he do at a high level really? For me taking a guy like that, got to be a tough shot maker, create your own shots off the dribble, more athleticism. Maybe I just don't see that upside that he has in this respect but at #13 that is a bit of a reach I think. I find these guards to be very tough to project so I could be wrong. With more spacing in NBA and better teammates, these are the factors that must be considered.

The case for him as a combo guard is that he was playing with an undersized PG who wasn't respected as a shooter and Div-2 level players at the 4, but still got to 3 assists a game, which isn't bad for college (it's like 1.5 times what Poole and Quickley had. Similar to Jordan Clarkson's numbers. Those are sort of the first guys that come to mind as 3rd, combo guard types these days.

And overall, the case is that he shot 70% at the rim and was a year younger than typical sophomores.

He's a weird case because he didn't take over games much and his team was crying out for him to go full Johnny Davis.

So, he might be like a decent Trent replacement or the 3rd guard we need, but unless we keep Trent or sign and trade him, we're still a guard short.

Was the best wing defender on opposing teams was usually guarding Jett Howard? That could inflate his numbers quite a bit.

Not that I recall really. Howard is very long and doesn't like to step foot inside the 3pt line, so it was more about getting length on him. The question mark on Bufkin is can he create in pure iso situations I think, whereas with Howard it's can he try on D and learn to attack closeouts by getting stronger or improving his handle, or is he basically Duncan Robinson but only a 90th percentile shooter and not 98 or 99th.

[Ell Curry]

is Mikal Bridges a bad comp for Coulibaly?

I see that as a high end outcome. Bridges is now like an archetype for a guy 6'7 can defend and shoot 3s.

Maybe Coulibaly is closer to Nic Batum who is that defensive playmaker who can slot as a guard/forward.

I don't know much about the non-NCAA guys, but Bridges I think of as similar to Trey Murphy and in this draft I guess Hendricks. You have a guy with length, defensive ability and shooting and the question is can he expand his offensive game and turn that defensive agility into on-ball creation, with the threat of a jump shot helping significantly to open up drives and pull-ups.

[PhilBlackson]

is Mikal Bridges a bad comp for Coulibaly?

I see that as a high end outcome. Bridges is now like an archetype for a guy 6'7 can defend and shoot 3s.

Maybe Coulibaly is closer to Nic Batum who is that defensive playmaker who can slot as a guard/forward.

Bilal is more athletic, projects to be better at getting to the basket and frame looks like he could be (much) stronger long term. All these guys have comparable measurables but I think Bilal is more athletic & with stronger frame than either name.

[Kevin Willis]

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Bilal is definitely raw. VW is good.

[gbball]

is Mikal Bridges a bad comp for Coulibaly?

I see that as a high end outcome. Bridges is now like an archetype for a guy 6'7 can defend and shoot 3s.

Maybe Coulibaly is closer to Nic Batum who is that defensive playmaker who can slot as a guard/forward.

Coulibaly is much more dynamic than Batum, more explosive too. Rupert reminds me more of Batum.

[gbball]

Koloko is better on the perimeter. Unfortunately, that's the only thing he's better than Kessler at. Shooting as well but that's not saying much considering how bad Kessler is. Excited to see if Koloko can make some improvements in the offseason. I like his potential.

I think it's a major plus for him. But Kessler is far better on offense. I do think if Koloko and Kessler traded teams, Koloko would've looked better than he did here and Kessler would have looked worse than he did in Utah, but there is still a major talent gap on offense.

Koloko seems to have similar impact as a rim protector.

Perimeter defense: Koloko >> Kessler
Offense: Kessler >>> Koloko
Rim protection: Koloko = Kessler
Size/Athleticism: Koloko = Kessler (could make a slight argument in favor of either)
Shooting: I like Koloko's upside here, but I don't know enough about Kessler's shooting to make a comparison

That's how I see it. Koloko is still a pretty raw and he wasn't in a great situation to shine with our poor spacing, lack of lob passes, and lack of pick and roll opportunities, which he would have benefitted from in Utah.

I'd be surprised if Koloko doesn't catch up somewhat in terms of finishing around the rim, and I'd also be surprised if Kessler's perimeter D improves to point where he's not a liability on the perimeter in the playoffs.

For that reason I prefer Koloko's upside. We'll see what happens though.

I agree with a lot of those things but Kessler is a significantly better rim protector than Koloko. Kessler was one of the best in college history at blocking shots. He's truly a monster in that area. I actually think Koloko is the better athlete. He moves his feet a lot better and seems to be more explosive.

Kessler's shot mechanics are quite poor and he's really struggled with his shot. He's been unable to make any improvements in that area. Koloko's free throw percentage has at least improved considerably since his freshman year.

Kessler is a good finisher at the rim but he's actually a really bad offensive player. We know about his shooting woes but he also can't pass the ball. He barely touches the ball offensively. With that said, his ability to finish at the rim makes him more impactful offensively than Koloko.

I think we know what kind of player Kessler is going to be. With Koloko, there seems to be some untapped potential there. He never got serious coaching until he was 17 years old. I'm willing to be patient with him. Despite his limitations, we were somehow much better with him on the floor.

Agreed.

I'd give the Kessler the edge as a rim protector due to what seems like more size and better poise. But I also think it's partly his role in the system and partly who gets challenged more. I've seen guys challenge Kessler with reckless abandon and I've seen guys avoid the paint when they see Koloko...right or wrong, that's been my observation. It seems like offensive players underestimate Kessler's rim protection and overestimates Koloko's, which inherently leads to more blocks for Kessler. But even without the blocks, Koloko has a similar impact at shutting down the paint due to the intimidation factor. When I look at the types of shots they contest and the types of out of nowhere blocks they're able to make, I don't see a major difference...in fact, I find Koloko slightly more impressive here. I've also seen Koloko get a worse whistle than Kessler, which I think is also a factor. Clean blocks for Koloko get whistled as fouls and fouls by Kessler get called clean.

I haven't watched Kessler as much as others, but from what I have seen, that's my take.

If Koloko can get better offensively and if his minutes increase (might be tough with Poeltl in front of him), I expect that he and Kessler could be seen a similar level players when they both reach their prime...and if Koloko develops better than average, he has a chance to be pretty interesting.

[ItsDanger]

Kessler is a far better shot blocker than Koloko. Cmon.

[DG88]

Right now I'm down to these as my 3 players for the 13th pick barring we some how jump to the top 4. In no particular order:

Jordan Hawkins
Bilal Coulibaly
Kobe Bufkin

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

It appears as though Coulibaly's percentages are inflated right now due to getting a large amount of open shots and buckets in transition. Everything about him screams role player in the NBA, I don't believe he's a guy who is going to be an ISO king and maintain high efficiency with high usage but playing within his role he is hinting that he can be very efficient on both ends. His ceiling appears to be OG Anunoby with a handle with less likelihood of being as good a defender but still a very good one nonetheless.

[ItsDanger]

Watch on YouTube

Seems mature, praising others. Not used to this unselfishness.

[Thaddy]

Coulibaly is looking to be the best choice right now. I can see Cissoko looking good in workouts though and moving before him. I would also look at Zvonimir Ivisic as an undrafted prospect.

Ivisic has great fundamentals from shooting to foot work and he has athleticism. I think he could be a factor very soon with some time in the Gleague to adjust to the American rules.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Coulibaly isn't the best choice, it's Cason Wallace, even if we need to try to trade up somehow to get him.

People think Cason is just some defensive specialist who is meh on offense and it's not the right way to view him. This kid has serious ability on offense as his pullup shots and set shots are money.

[Psubs]

Absolutely.

I’m going to be a that guy and highlight my posts from March 19 calling him to be a lotto pick by draft night.
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I stand by the claim. In one of the posts I said he might not be there at 15, where Raptors picked at the time. Now I say the same thing about 13.

A bunch of folks in here still think Rupert is better

You can probably make a debate about NOW. But projecting, Bilal has 2-way star written all over him imo. Does he get there, I’m not sure. But there is definitely a chance if he works.

I would say his ceiling is Nicolas Batum. There was also a lot of hype about him and I believe he was more proven.