2023 Draft Discussion Part III

[ItsDanger]

Sidy Cissoko has to shoot the 3 at a very high rate in order to be a rotation player in NBA. Haven't seen enough of him to have a concrete opinion on upside. I'd be concerned Leonard Miller has a higher 3 pt%.

[Psubs]

I think I like his potential more than anyone else that will realistically be available when we draft. There's clearly the potential to be a damn good player there if he develops properly...creativity off the dribble to score, really good bball IQ, great passer and good defender, I don't know what's not to like.

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I remember him being posted in the first 2023 draft thread. Low key, I think if we draft Sidy, OG might actually be traded in the off season.. (well, only if OG REALLY wanted out...of course.)

Assuming we don't make core changes.. we need wing and guard depth. Sidy will take time to develop but will be a good piece off the bench. OG probably stays even if we draft him. Plus Thad corpse likely gone. Porter sneezes and gets injured. I expect Boucher traded.

Poeltl - Koloko
Siakam - Precious
OG - Sidy
Barnes - Trent
FVV - Upgrade

Someone said that Thad has a buyout of $1 million so that's a no-brainer and also a reason why he isn't playing at all anymore.

Sidy is a jumbo creator that lead the U18 French team!!! He shows the vision and creativity of Scottie and can dunk on 1 step like OG. He must be 6'7 at least and is STILLLLLLLLLL only 18 (for another week). He has the most potential and could be a mix of Scottie and OG. I think he's exactly what the Raptors look for.

What makes Hendricks and Jarace better prospects than Sidy? Hendricks is a better 3pt shooter (though he shot a few from beyond the college distance). Jarace is more ferocious? Sidy is more complete and I think more versitile able to guard 1-4. Will Sidy have a better career than Scoot, who also can't shoot well from NBA 3 yet?

I like Cason Wallace as PG/SG Jrue and Sidy Cissoko like Scottie Barnes 2.0.

[dozo]

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[HumbleRen]

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[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Wow so it looks like Jett Howard attempted to finish at the rim 15 times in his first 18 games with Michigan I can't find a stat for the latter games. That's less than 1 attempt at the rim per game where he was getting plenty of minutes and had a green light as the coach's son. How is he going to succeed in the NBA when it matters if teams can play up on him knowing he struggles attacking the rim and also force him to drive left? I've seen multiple instances of him struggling mightily both attacking and defending the pnr.

We already hate how OG struggles putting the ball on the floor but at least he has the functional strength and athleticism to attack the rim and bang down low when necessary in halfcourt sets. When you look at Howard how can you justify taking a guy who is going to be just as weak if not weaker putting the ball on the floor, attacking the rim and incredibly weaker rebounding and defending than OG all in the hopes he shoots the ball 3% better than a guy like OG from downtown in the NBA.

For the record Howard was a 34% deep shooter prior to college so he is very much a project and not some guy with shooting embedded in his basketball DNA and lots of Michigan fans disliked his heroball antics and claimed he plays for himself. When you factor in the awful defense doesn't sound like a Masai pick and I'd bet Masai would go after Max Lewis before Jett.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

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Cason would be a dream fit. I think he undoubtedly is the best fit for the Raptors if you balance both talent and need and he checks all the boxes for what the FO has said they look for in prospects. He is a special player and a winner.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Someone said that Thad has a buyout of $1 million so that's a no-brainer and also a reason why he isn't playing at all anymore.

Sidy is a jumbo creator that lead the U18 French team!!! He shows the vision and creativity of Scottie and can dunk on 1 step like OG. He must be 6'7 at least and is STILLLLLLLLLL only 18 (for another week). He has the most potential and could be a mix of Scottie and OG. I think he's exactly what the Raptors look for.

What makes Hendricks and Jarace better prospects than Sidy? Hendricks is a better 3pt shooter (though he shot a few from beyond the college distance). Jarace is more ferocious? Sidy is more complete and I think more versitile able to guard 1-4. Will Sidy have a better career than Scoot, who also can't shoot well from NBA 3 yet?

I like Cason Wallace as PG/SG Jrue and Sidy Cissoko like Scottie Barnes 2.0.

Kinda moves like Jeff Green. I read that he was seen as a weak defender for most of his career in Spain and has improved with the Ignite, but I think it's also hard to get a good read for that against Gleague competition. He's going to be compared to Black, Rupert, Coulibaly in this draft.

[BoyzNTheHood]

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Scheyer and injuries cost him a lot. He will be a workout riser

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Does anyone else feel Cason Wallace should be drafted top 5? I think there's a definite argument to be made for him to be selected over Jarace Walker who has looked really clumsy to me at times and has frequent mental lapses.

Cason gives me Kawhi vibes in strict terms of his laser focus and intensity and how he approaches the game. It's easy to get excited about him as a potentially elite NBA iso defender and he's very smart in everything he does on the offensive end.

[grant101]

Someone said that Thad has a buyout of $1 million so that's a no-brainer and also a reason why he isn't playing at all anymore.

Sidy is a jumbo creator that lead the U18 French team!!! He shows the vision and creativity of Scottie and can dunk on 1 step like OG. He must be 6'7 at least and is STILLLLLLLLLL only 18 (for another week). He has the most potential and could be a mix of Scottie and OG. I think he's exactly what the Raptors look for.

What makes Hendricks and Jarace better prospects than Sidy? Hendricks is a better 3pt shooter (though he shot a few from beyond the college distance). Jarace is more ferocious? Sidy is more complete and I think more versitile able to guard 1-4. Will Sidy have a better career than Scoot, who also can't shoot well from NBA 3 yet?

I like Cason Wallace as PG/SG Jrue and Sidy Cissoko like Scottie Barnes 2.0.

Kinda moves like Jeff Green. I read that he was seen as a weak defender for most of his career in Spain and has improved with the Ignite, but I think it's also hard to get a good read for that against Gleague competition. He's going to be compared to Black, Rupert, Coulibaly in this draft.

My main concern with Sidy is: where does he play? What value does he add?

He's not great on the ball (nor will he get much opportunity to play with the ball in his hands on this team), I don't trust his shooting, he has a tendency to float on the perimeter, and at the moment he's a average defender. What separates him from someone like Ron Harper Junior?

He's a decent athlete, has a nice frame and every now and then throws a flashy pass. I just don't see how he contributes to winning or fills any gaps on this team. Maybe, after a few years development, but there are other upside bets I'd prefer the team to take

[WuTang_CMB]

Charlotte will draft one of the bust thompson twins. Thank god we don't have dumb management to pick any of those dudes.

[WuTang_CMB]

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[Dalek]

I remember him being posted in the first 2023 draft thread. Low key, I think if we draft Sidy, OG might actually be traded in the off season.. (well, only if OG REALLY wanted out...of course.)

Assuming we don't make core changes.. we need wing and guard depth. Sidy will take time to develop but will be a good piece off the bench. OG probably stays even if we draft him. Plus Thad corpse likely gone. Porter sneezes and gets injured. I expect Boucher traded.

Poeltl - Koloko
Siakam - Precious
OG - Sidy
Barnes - Trent
FVV - Upgrade

Someone said that Thad has a buyout of $1 million so that's a no-brainer and also a reason why he isn't playing at all anymore.

Sidy is a jumbo creator that lead the U18 French team!!! He shows the vision and creativity of Scottie and can dunk on 1 step like OG. He must be 6'7 at least and is STILLLLLLLLLL only 18 (for another week). He has the most potential and could be a mix of Scottie and OG. I think he's exactly what the Raptors look for.

What makes Hendricks and Jarace better prospects than Sidy? Hendricks is a better 3pt shooter (though he shot a few from beyond the college distance). Jarace is more ferocious? Sidy is more complete and I think more versitile able to guard 1-4. Will Sidy have a better career than Scoot, who also can't shoot well from NBA 3 yet?

I like Cason Wallace as PG/SG Jrue and Sidy Cissoko like Scottie Barnes 2.0.

I don't know, Jarace and Taylor all shoot it better than Sidy, are 20 lbs heavier and look the part of multi-positional defenders. Sidy can pass the ball at a G-League level, but I don't know his language skills and ability to pick up defense schemes. Toronto is a very tough learning curve and he has no outlier skills to add to the team.

My low bar is he any better than Banton? Banton dominates the G-League when playing, but is in plains clothes most of the time in Toronto because he can't defend and keep his turnovers down. We had Isaac Bonga who is a similar to Cissoko, and he never could make it past camp.

To me, Sidy is in a similar position to Max Lewis or Ryan Rupert. Definitely in the Raptor's range, but they all have their flaws.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Cissoko is French, played pro in Spain and now in the U.S. I wouldn't be worried about language getting in the way. Banton dominates the Gleague, but he is older. There's not a lot of 19 year olds in the Gleague, let alone 18 year olds. It's not an easy league to evaluate at all.

[dozo]

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Interesting...

P.S Why no love for Podz in these mock drafts?!

Any mock draft that has JHS in the top 10, GG Jackson in the top 20, Black ahead of Wallace, etc. clearly isn't looking at stats or numbers.

Black is high on most boards and mocks. I have Hendricks,Dick,Wallace in my top 10. All three showed consistency and were the best players on their teams. I'm not a fan of JHS offensive game, he isnt a scorer or playmaker. If GG can play defense he could develop into a Marcus Morris.

[DreamTeam09]

Does anyone else feel Cason Wallace should be drafted top 5? I think there's a definite argument to be made for him to be selected over Jarace Walker who has looked really clumsy to me at times and has frequent mental lapses.

Cason gives me Kawhi vibes in strict terms of his laser focus and intensity and how he approaches the game. It's easy to get excited about him as a potentially elite NBA iso defender and he's very smart in everything he does on the offensive end.

He's poor athletically and poor at self creation and creating separation. No he shouldn't go in the top5 at all

[Yallbecrazy]

Does anyone else feel Cason Wallace should be drafted top 5? I think there's a definite argument to be made for him to be selected over Jarace Walker who has looked really clumsy to me at times and has frequent mental lapses.

Cason gives me Kawhi vibes in strict terms of his laser focus and intensity and how he approaches the game. It's easy to get excited about him as a potentially elite NBA iso defender and he's very smart in everything he does on the offensive end.

I think a lot of people have started to arrive there, the issue is he doesn't have one stand out skill. He's only showed to be a decent shooter, he gets to the line okay, but well below average for a high draft pick guard. He's a good passer and defender, but hasn't shown to be elite by any means. Top guards in the NBA often need to be able to score and really need to be able to shoot, he has the tools to develop into a shooter, but it's not a guarantee by any means.

Also, I read somewhere that he had very tiny hands for a NBA player which isn't a good thing for stardom as he probably can't grab the ball with one hand. Not something that will stop him from having success, but it certainly doesn't help.

That being said I haven't put a big board together, but I think he would be top 5 on mine.

[dozo]

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Jones won’t be the “sexiest” pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. But he’s going to be in the running for "how did he go that late?” Some team will have a long conversation about passing him up much earlier than expected.

While many might view Hawkins as a potential three-point specialist, I still believe there’s a lot more to his game that is being teased. Hawkins has some bounce and can get downhill and attack the lane with bad intentions. There have also been some flashes of creativity off the dribble. If Hawkins has all of that potential to turn into a dangerous multi-level scorer, as well as some untapped defensive upside, why aren’t we talking about him becoming a potential Top 10 pick?

Hawkins lottery bound?

He’s one of the most gifted defensive players in this class, with sensational shot-blocking ability and impressive off-ball awareness. Walker also has SERIOUS playmaking upside that was just teased to us throughout his freshman year with Houston. He spent a lot of time at IMG Academy as sort of a “point-center” and the vision and playmaking ability are legit. Teams looking for a connecting piece that can make all of the surrounding pieces better in a number of areas are going to be smitten with the 6’8”, 240-pound forward.

On the defensive end of the ball, there’s some scary stuff developing. Bufkin has the tools to be a pest defensively. Not only is there some intriguing on-ball stuff, but Bufkin also has shown some nastiness when it comes to off-ball awareness, as he will come over for emphatic rejections at the rim.

Cason has shown some intriguing touch in the lane, especially with his floater. He’s also a horrifying defender. Wallace attacks ball handlers like a King Cobra. He’s got lethal hands and is especially quick at the point of attack. Off the ball, he stays active and understands how to anticipate what the offense is trying to do. He’s also got some sensational timing as a shot blocker, which you’ll see on numerous occasions as he’s hustling back for chase-down rejections.

The 6’7”, 205-pound wing decided to return to Gonzaga for his junior year, and I’ve loved the strides in development I’ve seen from Strawther this season. Teams are always hunting for potential 3-and-D guys. That’s just what Strawther can offer, but he’s got some nastiness to his game as well. As he showed throughout the 2022-23 season, Strawther can get hot from outside and completely take over a game. He had a 40-point performance this year against Portland while shooting 14-of-21 from the field and 8-of-12 from three.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Does anyone else feel Cason Wallace should be drafted top 5? I think there's a definite argument to be made for him to be selected over Jarace Walker who has looked really clumsy to me at times and has frequent mental lapses.

Cason gives me Kawhi vibes in strict terms of his laser focus and intensity and how he approaches the game. It's easy to get excited about him as a potentially elite NBA iso defender and he's very smart in everything he does on the offensive end.

He's poor athletically and poor at self creation and creating separation. No he shouldn't go in the top5 at all

I see what you're saying but watching him run the floor in transition he looks pretty fast and also attacking the basket he is sneaky quick.

Just watching his footage it's hard to say he's a poor athlete. Maybe he's below average in relation to what people would expect out of a top 5 pick but I don't see any kind of lack of athleticism that will hold him back from impacting the NBA floor.

[dozo]

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Scheyer and injuries cost him a lot. He will be a workout riser

He should consider participating at this year's draft combine. A good showing could increase his stock back into the lottery.