Draft Thread Part 4

[billy_hoyle]

There is zero chance of the Raps getting Allen. The Cavs have all the leverage, AND the positional need.

So if Cavs draft Mobley, they are gonna want to tie up a near $20m for a potential back up 5?

Or you think Mobley at the 4 plays?

I think positional need changes with the Cavs getting Mobley.

I think Mobley at the 4 definitely plays. One big reason he's popular is because he's a true modern big - he can switch, he has range, he has good instincts on both ends, he's athletic etc.

Blake Murphy had an excellent analysis of Mobley and what separates him from other prospect bigs: https://theathletic.com/2639377/2021/06/09/why-evan-mobley-is-a-great-fit-with-the-raptors-in-the-nos-2-4-range-of-the-nba-draft/

Here's a good snippet:

With Mobley, the skillset expands beyond just grab-and-go. He possesses legitimate playmaking skills for a 19-year-old frontcourt player. That same easy athleticism and handle that lets him run in transition makes him a fluid offensive piece in several different scenarios. Mobley can drive and extend past other fours and fives, hit a short-roll jumper, finish inside with touch and operate out of the mid-post for others. Most notably for how the Raptors like to use their centres, Mobley is adept at playing in dribble hand-offs, where he can threaten as a passer and scorer.

And while Mobley didn’t shoot many 3s this year (12-of-40), even showing occasional range out that far is encouraging with where he is on his developmental curve. He even flashed a one-dribble pull-up. If his ability to create his own shot from the perimeter can carry over — something he has the skills for but may need to add strength and toughness to truly unleash — the offensive package is very intriguing. He has the perimeter skills of a wing with the play-type functionality of a big, which is the sort of profile that can exponentially raise the play of a lineup.

See I feel Mobley at the 4 bogs you down. I think he might be comparable quickness wise to most 4s (like a Siakam or a Jackson Jr), but he will lag them skill wise. The size, skill quickness ratio plays at the 5 IMO (he's an ideal modern 5). Otherwise he's sorta a less skilled long 4.

Put him next to Siakam or JJJ and you have a dynamic combo, put him next to J Allen and you are meh skill wise.

Purely a guess and based on highlights only.

Maybe he's able to play the 4 on offense? Hit threes, break other 4s down in isolation, drive and kick etc. Totally possible. I think he WILL be able to do that against 5s.

[Mark_83]

Meanwhile, if you worry about matchup, your PG being small already created a matchup problem anyway.

If our PG is a matchup problem by being too small (he isn't) then why would we want to add another matchup problem? Fred is right around the average size for a point guard, though his wingspan is below average. He's also already proven himself to be an above average defender in the NBA at the point guard spot due to his IQ and elite hands. Proving it is precisely the point. There is no one who watched Vanvleet in college who would have thought he would be this good defensively given his limitations. He had to prove it, as does every other prospect.

Meanwhile, Davion would be enough to guard 1 - 2 and small 3. Even Keon Johnson, James Bouknight or Moody, they are not necessarily able to guard big 3s, so I don't see why you think other prospects are better.

Ok, so they can't guard big SFs like Melo, that wasn't the issue. You're comparing apples to oranges. I said they have plenty of size (6'4 or taller with 6'8+ wingspans) for the SG position that they will be covering, unlike Mitchell who is undersized at that position. It might be different if he had a huge wingspan like Powell or Mitchell at 6'11, but his wingspan is even just average for a PG at the NBA level.

I just don't see how you claim Davion can't guard 2s, all the videos are proving him that he can guard 2s and some 3s.

I didn't make any such claim. I didn't make any statement other than the factual one that he is below average in size for an NBA shooting guard. I made no prediction about what that entails other than we can't assume the defense will translate just because he was good at the college level, and that's true, we can't given the skill and size differential at the NBA level compared to the NCAA, where the average SG is only 6'5 and the average SG is 6'3.

Mitchell may end up the best wing defender in the NBA even at his size, we won't know until we know. Unlike you however I have no problem saying neither Johnson nor Moody are guaranteed to be good defenders just because they project to be. In fact, I questioned Johnson's size cause his game is more that of SF than SG at the moment, and his best defensive position would be SG. Moody has elite measurements for a SG and a very high IQ, but I'm not foolish enough to guaranty he's going to be an elite defender in the NBA, even though he's been compared to Middleton and OG. With him you can look at strength and explosiveness as weaknesses. With Mitchell its size and length for his proposed position. You're the only one out of the two of us making it so we can't even have a discussion pointing out potential reasons a guy might not reach their projection.

[Saciid11]

Watch on YouTube

[Federalies]

Borrowing this breakdown from the “Raptors Republic NBA primer part 2- Players to target at the 7th pick”

https://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2021/05/26/2021-nba-draft-primer-part-2-players-to-target-at-the-7th-pick/

Moses Moody | 19 y/o | SG/SF | 6’6 | Arkansas | Archetype: Two-Way Wing

A strong 6’6 wing with a 7’1 wingspan, Moody has an elite physical profile to pair on the wing beside someone like OG Anunoby. He’s coming into the league with a pristine blueprint for a 3&D player at the very minimum, and he’s only scratching the surface of his potential.

What’s easy to like about Moody is that his physical dimensions and defence are things that are easy to see translating to the NBA level. He has the size to guard bigger wings, and the quickness and IQ to be capable of containing smaller and faster players. He can be an absolute pest when he’s locked in, which is often. His wingspan and timing will allow for him to be able to pick the lane or get up for blocks if necessary, as he was adept at both against college competition. He only averaged 2 fouls per game at Arkansas, which is encouraging for a young player asked to contribute a heavy load on the defensive end. Opposing players shot just 32% when guarded by Moody, an encouraging stat if the team that drafts him is looking for intense defence. He’s also consistently well positioned off-ball.

Moody’s shot is fluid with a high release point. He’d benefit from speeding it up just a bit, as it takes him a second to get it out of his hands, but there’s a lot to like about his shooting. His 3P% was about 36% in college which doesn’t seem too crazy, but looking at the overall mechanics of his jumpshot combined with his 81% from the free throw line provides a lot of confidence in his deep range jumper. Combined with his three pointer, Moody is also a capable mid-range shooter. He practically lived in the mid-range at Arkansas which is partly to blame for his lower FG%. He’s especially comfortable getting off a shot after a couple dribbles, which is a great sign if a team is looking to develop him into a go-to scorer. He doesn’t take too many off-the-dribble threes, but his ability with pulling up in the mid-range shows that he should be able to add that to his game rather quickly. Moody’s not an unselfish player, though passing isn’t a strength either. He’s capable of making easy reads but I don’t think he’ll be expected to be a high end playmaker.

The handle is a work in progress. Moses doesn’t really possess the fluidity or bag of moves of the more advanced shot creators. He’s capable of scoring off the dribble as mentioned before, but most of his efficient looks will need to be created for him until he develops his ball handling in the half court. He’s great at drawing fouls, and he can sell contact, but he’s a poor finisher at the rim. For a player as strong and athletic as he is, developing his efficiency inside the paint will be key to unlocking the next level of his offensive game. Adding a floater would help him tremendously, but he needs to work on his finishing on the interior if he wants to be a threat.

Moody should be an instant contributor from day 1, and he’d compete with Gary Trent for the SG spot on the Raptors. His mid-range game will provide a lot of relief for a team that struggles with that particular part of their game offensively, and his defence will fit in seamlessly in Nurse’s system of switchable players. The gamble with Moody comes with whether or not teams believe he can develop his scoring arsenal. I think there’s upside there, but he needs the opportunity, and it’ll come with growing pains.

[Saciid11]

Khalif Diop from Senegal is great second round pick.

Watch on YouTube

[alpngso]

Borrowing this breakdown from the “Raptors Republic NBA primer part 2- Players to target at the 7th pick”

https://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2021/05/26/2021-nba-draft-primer-part-2-players-to-target-at-the-7th-pick/

Moses Moody | 19 y/o | SG/SF | 6’6 | Arkansas | Archetype: Two-Way Wing

A strong 6’6 wing with a 7’1 wingspan, Moody has an elite physical profile to pair on the wing beside someone like OG Anunoby. He’s coming into the league with a pristine blueprint for a 3&D player at the very minimum, and he’s only scratching the surface of his potential.

What’s easy to like about Moody is that his physical dimensions and defence are things that are easy to see translating to the NBA level. He has the size to guard bigger wings, and the quickness and IQ to be capable of containing smaller and faster players. He can be an absolute pest when he’s locked in, which is often. His wingspan and timing will allow for him to be able to pick the lane or get up for blocks if necessary, as he was adept at both against college competition. He only averaged 2 fouls per game at Arkansas, which is encouraging for a young player asked to contribute a heavy load on the defensive end. Opposing players shot just 32% when guarded by Moody, an encouraging stat if the team that drafts him is looking for intense defence. He’s also consistently well positioned off-ball.

Moody’s shot is fluid with a high release point. He’d benefit from speeding it up just a bit, as it takes him a second to get it out of his hands, but there’s a lot to like about his shooting. His 3P% was about 36% in college which doesn’t seem too crazy, but looking at the overall mechanics of his jumpshot combined with his 81% from the free throw line provides a lot of confidence in his deep range jumper. Combined with his three pointer, Moody is also a capable mid-range shooter. He practically lived in the mid-range at Arkansas which is partly to blame for his lower FG%. He’s especially comfortable getting off a shot after a couple dribbles, which is a great sign if a team is looking to develop him into a go-to scorer. He doesn’t take too many off-the-dribble threes, but his ability with pulling up in the mid-range shows that he should be able to add that to his game rather quickly. Moody’s not an unselfish player, though passing isn’t a strength either. He’s capable of making easy reads but I don’t think he’ll be expected to be a high end playmaker.

The handle is a work in progress. Moses doesn’t really possess the fluidity or bag of moves of the more advanced shot creators. He’s capable of scoring off the dribble as mentioned before, but most of his efficient looks will need to be created for him until he develops his ball handling in the half court. He’s great at drawing fouls, and he can sell contact, but he’s a poor finisher at the rim. For a player as strong and athletic as he is, developing his efficiency inside the paint will be key to unlocking the next level of his offensive game. Adding a floater would help him tremendously, but he needs to work on his finishing on the interior if he wants to be a threat.

Moody should be an instant contributor from day 1, and he’d compete with Gary Trent for the SG spot on the Raptors. His mid-range game will provide a lot of relief for a team that struggles with that particular part of their game offensively, and his defence will fit in seamlessly in Nurse’s system of switchable players. The gamble with Moody comes with whether or not teams believe he can develop his scoring arsenal. I think there’s upside there, but he needs the opportunity, and it’ll come with growing pains.

Can Moody be Khris Middleton? I actually like him over Keon Johnson

[Grew]

So now Davion Mitchell has the playmaking ability of Lowry despite not being able to run a pnr or being an advanced ball handler, and the scoring potential of Donovan Mitchell despite him being an inferior athlete and lacking the size?

These comps are absurd.

At least he could learn the PNR and work on his handle but I don't see him learning to put 6 inches of length on his arms so he can be Donovan

I think the last name, number and skin tone got people associating the wrong things.

This was probably Davion's plan all along. One of these GMs is looking at Donovan performing in the playoffs right now and the idea of taking Davion to high based off that association is taking root in his brain.

This is truly sad that your brain operates this way.

Well the last part was more of a joke than anything. At the end of the day he wears the same number has the same last name and has a similar skin tone, so that's just facts. You deciding to attack me over a pretty innocent comment is what's sad to me.

[Marty_Budda]

At least he could learn the PNR and work on his handle but I don't see him learning to put 6 inches of length on his arms so he can be Donovan

I think the last name, number and skin tone got people associating the wrong things.

This was probably Davion's plan all along. One of these GMs is looking at Donovan performing in the playoffs right now and the idea of taking Davion to high based off that association is taking root in his brain.

This is truly sad that your brain operates this way.

Well the last part was more of a joke than anything. At the end of the day he wears the same number has the same last name and has a similar skin tone, so that's just facts. You deciding to attack me over a pretty innocent comment is what's sad to me.

Lol pretty sure he didn’t have a choice in his skin tone, first name or last name. So I don’t think he planned it dude.

Fact is he performed to a level scouts took notice and as a result flew up the draft board. If he didn’t play well it doesn’t matter what his name is.

[Dalek]

Khalif Diop from Senegal is great second round pick.

Watch on YouTube

Good find. He is a big body. It looks like he plays for Herbalife Gran Canaria, but I guess he would be on their second team given his age. If he is in the draft he might be worth a draft and stash, but there are a couple interesting international bigs to look at who are better known:

Ariel Hukporti
Ibou Badji
Filip Petrusev

If we are looking at lesser know hidden gems, I am very curious about EJ Onu who at 6'11 who could be a stretch 5 in time.

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

[Grew]

So now Davion Mitchell has the playmaking ability of Lowry despite not being able to run a pnr or being an advanced ball handler, and the scoring potential of Donovan Mitchell despite him being an inferior athlete and lacking the size?

These comps are absurd.

At least he could learn the PNR and work on his handle but I don't see him learning to put 6 inches of length on his arms so he can be Donovan

I think the last name, number and skin tone got people associating the wrong things.

This was probably Davion's plan all along. One of these GMs is looking at Donovan performing in the playoffs right now and the idea of taking Davion to high based off that association is taking root in his brain.

So according to you it's last name, skin color the reason why people are comparing him to Donovan Mitchell...has nothing to do with his quick first step, ability to stop at dime, change direction, ability to get to the rim with ease..

By the way they said the same thing about Donovan Mitchell coming out of college..he is to small, not skilled enough, etc .. that is why he was picked #13 . But today if that draft was redone, the only player that has case getting picked ahead of him is Jayson Tatum ...

You could compare him to Malachi Flynn and say the same things about his quickness, ability to stop on a dime and get to the rim. Davion is a lot smaller than Donovan, doesn't even play the same position and isn't near the above the rim type of athlete.

Besides the outside shooting ability, Donovan's best comparison is probably Dwade. Does Dwade compare to Davion to you? Or maybe it has a lil something to do with the number and the name huh?

If Davion was a white dude named Jack Jackson who wore the number 23 I doubt the Donovan comp comes up very much...

As far as him the questions Donovan had about his game coming out of college, they were fair at the time and good for him to prove everyone who thought that wrong. Doesn't mean Davion will do the same, we will have to wait and see.

[Grew]

This is truly sad that your brain operates this way.

Well the last part was more of a joke than anything. At the end of the day he wears the same number has the same last name and has a similar skin tone, so that's just facts. You deciding to attack me over a pretty innocent comment is what's sad to me.

Lol pretty sure he didn’t have a choice in his skin tone, first name or last name. So I don’t think he planned it dude.

Fact is he performed to a level scouts took notice and as a result flew up the draft board. If he didn’t play well it doesn’t matter what his name is.

I just said the last part was more of a joke, obviously he didn't pop out of the womb and instruct his parents on what to name him after he had directed his fathers choice of sexual partner as a sperm with future sight.

But he has said himself he wears 45 as a tribute to Donovan, and it made me think he was his little brother the first time I saw him play.

Anyway the point is Donovan is a bad player comp.

[Grew]

I was thinking the other day, what if Sharife Cooper was the one on Baylor and won the national championship averaging similar numbers to Davion (not quite as high 3pt%). Then Davion was on Auburn, by far their best player, taking on more volume on lesser efficiency, and averaging more points. Do we end up with those two players flipped on where they are on all these mock drafts?

Sharife didn't show everything Davion did, but he's a freshman. How far away do you guys think these two prospects are from each other?

[vulture]

I was thinking the other day, what if Sharife Cooper was the one on Baylor and won the national championship averaging similar numbers to Davion (not quite as high 3pt%). Then Davion was on Auburn, by far their best player, taking on more volume on lesser efficiency, and averaging more points. Do we end up with those two players flipped on where they are on all these mock drafts?

Sharife didn't show everything Davion did, but he's a freshman. How far away do you guys think these two prospects are from each other?

Sharife and Mitchell aren't even comparable. Donovan is a good defender and shot 40% from 3 and sharife is an elite passer, but can't shoot or guard anyone. I don't think changing their college teams changes their draft stock at all.

[Grew]

I was thinking the other day, what if Sharife Cooper was the one on Baylor and won the national championship averaging similar numbers to Davion (not quite as high 3pt%). Then Davion was on Auburn, by far their best player, taking on more volume on lesser efficiency, and averaging more points. Do we end up with those two players flipped on where they are on all these mock drafts?

Sharife didn't show everything Davion did, but he's a freshman. How far away do you guys think these two prospects are from each other?

Sharife and Mitchell aren't even comparable. Donovan is a good defender and shot 40% from 3 and sharife is an elite passer, but can't shoot or guard anyone. I don't think changing their college teams changes their draft stock at all.

Sharife was decent on defense, he's really quick laterally and has some awareness even if he didn't always seem to give full effort, but he's a freshman. Davion only shot 28% from 3 as a freshman and 32% his first season at Baylor.

Funnily enough Davion started his college career at Auburn, averaged 4 points in 17 minutes.

[Dalek]

Spoiler:

Borrowing this breakdown from the “Raptors Republic NBA primer part 2- Players to target at the 7th pick”

https://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2021/05/26/2021-nba-draft-primer-part-2-players-to-target-at-the-7th-pick/

Moses Moody | 19 y/o | SG/SF | 6’6 | Arkansas | Archetype: Two-Way Wing

A strong 6’6 wing with a 7’1 wingspan, Moody has an elite physical profile to pair on the wing beside someone like OG Anunoby. He’s coming into the league with a pristine blueprint for a 3&D player at the very minimum, and he’s only scratching the surface of his potential.

What’s easy to like about Moody is that his physical dimensions and defence are things that are easy to see translating to the NBA level. He has the size to guard bigger wings, and the quickness and IQ to be capable of containing smaller and faster players. He can be an absolute pest when he’s locked in, which is often. His wingspan and timing will allow for him to be able to pick the lane or get up for blocks if necessary, as he was adept at both against college competition. He only averaged 2 fouls per game at Arkansas, which is encouraging for a young player asked to contribute a heavy load on the defensive end. Opposing players shot just 32% when guarded by Moody, an encouraging stat if the team that drafts him is looking for intense defence. He’s also consistently well positioned off-ball.

Moody’s shot is fluid with a high release point. He’d benefit from speeding it up just a bit, as it takes him a second to get it out of his hands, but there’s a lot to like about his shooting. His 3P% was about 36% in college which doesn’t seem too crazy, but looking at the overall mechanics of his jumpshot combined with his 81% from the free throw line provides a lot of confidence in his deep range jumper. Combined with his three pointer, Moody is also a capable mid-range shooter. He practically lived in the mid-range at Arkansas which is partly to blame for his lower FG%. He’s especially comfortable getting off a shot after a couple dribbles, which is a great sign if a team is looking to develop him into a go-to scorer. He doesn’t take too many off-the-dribble threes, but his ability with pulling up in the mid-range shows that he should be able to add that to his game rather quickly. Moody’s not an unselfish player, though passing isn’t a strength either. He’s capable of making easy reads but I don’t think he’ll be expected to be a high end playmaker.

The handle is a work in progress. Moses doesn’t really possess the fluidity or bag of moves of the more advanced shot creators. He’s capable of scoring off the dribble as mentioned before, but most of his efficient looks will need to be created for him until he develops his ball handling in the half court. He’s great at drawing fouls, and he can sell contact, but he’s a poor finisher at the rim. For a player as strong and athletic as he is, developing his efficiency inside the paint will be key to unlocking the next level of his offensive game. Adding a floater would help him tremendously, but he needs to work on his finishing on the interior if he wants to be a threat.

Moody should be an instant contributor from day 1, and he’d compete with Gary Trent for the SG spot on the Raptors. His mid-range game will provide a lot of relief for a team that struggles with that particular part of their game offensively, and his defence will fit in seamlessly in Nurse’s system of switchable players. The gamble with Moody comes with whether or not teams believe he can develop his scoring arsenal. I think there’s upside there, but he needs the opportunity, and it’ll come with growing pains.

Can Moody be Khris Middleton? I actually like him over Keon Johnson

I know a lot of people like Moody and I see that Middleton comp. I lean towards Keon because he is a chaos creator. His speed in transition is really hard to stop. As a cutter he gets to the rim so quickly, it put the defense on its heals. He can crash the offensive glass and get buckets. He can defend 1-3 in the NBA and will be able to get steals and deflections because on ball the guy has great feet and quick hands. Basically, he doesn't need to have plays run for him to contribute.

Moody, to me will work well in a slower paced offense but for a quick pace team like Toronto Keon should thrive.

[Indeed]

Meanwhile, if you worry about matchup, your PG being small already created a matchup problem anyway.

If our PG is a matchup problem by being too small (he isn't) then why would we want to add another matchup problem? Fred is right around the average size for a point guard, though his wingspan is below average. He's also already proven himself to be an above average defender in the NBA at the point guard spot due to his IQ and elite hands. Proving it is precisely the point. There is no one who watched Vanvleet in college who would have thought he would be this good defensively given his limitations. He had to prove it, as does every other prospect.

Meanwhile, Davion would be enough to guard 1 - 2 and small 3. Even Keon Johnson, James Bouknight or Moody, they are not necessarily able to guard big 3s, so I don't see why you think other prospects are better.

Ok, so they can't guard big SFs like Melo, that wasn't the issue. You're comparing apples to oranges. I said they have plenty of size (6'4 or taller with 6'8+ wingspans) for the SG position that they will be covering, unlike Mitchell who is undersized at that position. It might be different if he had a huge wingspan like Powell or Mitchell at 6'11, but his wingspan is even just average for a PG at the NBA level.

I just don't see how you claim Davion can't guard 2s, all the videos are proving him that he can guard 2s and some 3s.

I didn't make any such claim. I didn't make any statement other than the factual one that he is below average in size for an NBA shooting guard. I made no prediction about what that entails other than we can't assume the defense will translate just because he was good at the college level, and that's true, we can't given the skill and size differential at the NBA level compared to the NCAA, where the average SG is only 6'5 and the average SG is 6'3.

Mitchell may end up the best wing defender in the NBA even at his size, we won't know until we know. Unlike you however I have no problem saying neither Johnson nor Moody are guaranteed to be good defenders just because they project to be. In fact, I questioned Johnson's size cause his game is more that of SF than SG at the moment, and his best defensive position would be SG. Moody has elite measurements for a SG and a very high IQ, but I'm not foolish enough to guaranty he's going to be an elite defender in the NBA, even though he's been compared to Middleton and OG. With him you can look at strength and explosiveness as weaknesses. With Mitchell its size and length for his proposed position. You're the only one out of the two of us making it so we can't even have a discussion pointing out potential reasons a guy might not reach their projection.

After you wrote these, it seems you have not followed the draft much. It is from most scouting report that Mitchell is an elite defender, but you can say "we won't know until we know". Claiming he defend college SG at 6'3 and failed to read the scouting report of guarding the 1st overall Cade at 6'8 just few posts above doesn't seem you know what people are talking here.

And based on what you wrote, it seems you just don't want to have 2 PG lineup, instead of evaluating the talent that might translate. So I don't have much to say, simply you wouldn't even understand the evidence.

[Mark_83]

Meanwhile, if you worry about matchup, your PG being small already created a matchup problem anyway.

If our PG is a matchup problem by being too small (he isn't) then why would we want to add another matchup problem? Fred is right around the average size for a point guard, though his wingspan is below average. He's also already proven himself to be an above average defender in the NBA at the point guard spot due to his IQ and elite hands. Proving it is precisely the point. There is no one who watched Vanvleet in college who would have thought he would be this good defensively given his limitations. He had to prove it, as does every other prospect.

Meanwhile, Davion would be enough to guard 1 - 2 and small 3. Even Keon Johnson, James Bouknight or Moody, they are not necessarily able to guard big 3s, so I don't see why you think other prospects are better.

Ok, so they can't guard big SFs like Melo, that wasn't the issue. You're comparing apples to oranges. I said they have plenty of size (6'4 or taller with 6'8+ wingspans) for the SG position that they will be covering, unlike Mitchell who is undersized at that position. It might be different if he had a huge wingspan like Powell or Mitchell at 6'11, but his wingspan is even just average for a PG at the NBA level.

I just don't see how you claim Davion can't guard 2s, all the videos are proving him that he can guard 2s and some 3s.

I didn't make any such claim. I didn't make any statement other than the factual one that he is below average in size for an NBA shooting guard. I made no prediction about what that entails other than we can't assume the defense will translate just because he was good at the college level, and that's true, we can't given the skill and size differential at the NBA level compared to the NCAA, where the average SG is only 6'5 and the average SG is 6'3.

Mitchell may end up the best wing defender in the NBA even at his size, we won't know until we know. Unlike you however I have no problem saying neither Johnson nor Moody are guaranteed to be good defenders just because they project to be. In fact, I questioned Johnson's size cause his game is more that of SF than SG at the moment, and his best defensive position would be SG. Moody has elite measurements for a SG and a very high IQ, but I'm not foolish enough to guaranty he's going to be an elite defender in the NBA, even though he's been compared to Middleton and OG. With him you can look at strength and explosiveness as weaknesses. With Mitchell its size and length for his proposed position. You're the only one out of the two of us making it so we can't even have a discussion pointing out potential reasons a guy might not reach their projection.

After you wrote these, it seems you have not followed the draft much. It is from most scouting report that Mitchell is an elite defender, but you can say "we won't know until we know". Claiming he defend college SG at 6'3 and failed to read the scouting report of guarding the 1st overall Cade at 6'8 just few posts above doesn't seem you know what people are talking here.

And based on what you wrote, it seems you just don't want to have 2 PG lineup, instead of evaluating the talent that might translate. So I don't have much to say, simply you wouldn't even understand the evidence.

So much arrogance. So much ignorance. Show a little **** humility. You know nothing. You know no more how a prospect will turn out than anyone else here, so shut up. At least other posters here are intelligent enough to qualify their pronouncements in terms of probability and not certainty, but hey go full ret@rd if it pleases you.

[Dalek]

I was thinking the other day, what if Sharife Cooper was the one on Baylor and won the national championship averaging similar numbers to Davion (not quite as high 3pt%). Then Davion was on Auburn, by far their best player, taking on more volume on lesser efficiency, and averaging more points. Do we end up with those two players flipped on where they are on all these mock drafts?

Sharife didn't show everything Davion did, but he's a freshman. How far away do you guys think these two prospects are from each other?

Sharife and Mitchell aren't even comparable. Donovan is a good defender and shot 40% from 3 and sharife is an elite passer, but can't shoot or guard anyone. I don't think changing their college teams changes their draft stock at all.

It is sort of interesting even if they are different types of players. Davion was on Auburn about three years ago and left because he wasn't able to be featured. Baylor gave him a big opportunity which he really seized about halfway through this season.

Sharife did not have a lot of great tools to work with on Auburn. He had JT Thor (rim runner and a big learning how to shoot from outside); and Allen Flanigan (okay 3 and D guy). He had to be their offense for the most part.

Really, they are going to be different types of players. Sharife is a lead guard who is a true threat on-ball. I can't see him being an impact defender but he won't be awful. Davion can be on-ball but he is flexibile to be off-ball and can defend mostly 1s and 2s. He is more of a combo. Sharife is a guy you would have to fully commit to - let him be high usage and create, while Davion is a glue guy.

To me, the guy I would compare Davion with is Springer. Both are these defensive guards with playmaking and shooting. Springer is way ahead of where Mitchell was developmentally in his first year.

[hyper316]

Long Wingspan for guards is good for playing passing lanes and deflections. But what makes Davion Mitchell elite and awarded Defensive Player of the Year is his lateral quickness/foot speed. In the ESPN defensive film session, he explains he matches offensive player step for step and stopping on the dime. He stays in front of his man stopping penetrations.

Defense is not all size and wingspan, lateral quickness is just as important

[So Clutch]

So now Davion Mitchell has the playmaking ability of Lowry despite not being able to run a pnr or being an advanced ball handler, and the scoring potential of Donovan Mitchell despite him being an inferior athlete and lacking the size?

These comps are absurd.

At least he could learn the PNR and work on his handle but I don't see him learning to put 6 inches of length on his arms so he can be Donovan

I think the last name, number and skin tone got people associating the wrong things.

This was probably Davion's plan all along. One of these GMs is looking at Donovan performing in the playoffs right now and the idea of taking Davion to high based off that association is taking root in his brain.

So according to you it's last name, skin color the reason why people are comparing him to Donovan Mitchell...has nothing to do with his quick first step, ability to stop at dime, change direction, ability to get to the rim with ease..

By the way they said the same thing about Donovan Mitchell coming out of college..he is to small, not skilled enough, etc .. that is why he was picked #13 . But today if that draft was redone, the only player that has case getting picked ahead of him is Jayson Tatum ...

Donovan is "undersized " in height but he has a 6'10 wingspan. Davion does not possess that. Donovan is also freaky athletic which allows him finish amongst NBA size and athleticism. Davion is quick, but he does not have Donovan's athleticism.

I don't see that comparison at all. He's like a Marcus Smart.