And Then There Was One: Thank Nation 2. Raps pick 23rd

[BoyzNTheHood]

What about Jo Lual Acuil Jr from Baylor?

He's 7'0" with a 7'3" wingspan and a 9'5.5" standing reach at a SUPER LEAN 210 lbs (source: DX)

Right now, in 28 minutes he's averaging 9.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 4.4 blocks (PER40: 13.6/11.3/6.4)

Watch on YouTube

[Thespianoid]

Read on Twitter

Came across this on twitter. Masai was out scouting luka doncic, apparently he's a 2018 lotto pick

That's one angry look he's giving him. lol. Was he disappointed in what he saw and not happy he flew there?

that's not even Doncic in the picture, that's Jonas Maciulis.

also Doncic is gonna take over the White LeBron moniker from Gordon Hayward. He's not as good a leaper or scorer (still the age of a HS junior though) but has the all-world vision that few have. To be a key piece of an ACB team like Real Madrid at 17, coupled with the type of production he's had, that's unprecedented.

this guy uploads game footage from most of Doncic's games so take a look when you have the time

[OakleyDokely]

Jalen Poyser is having a good year. Averaging 17 points on 44% from the field and 41% from 3.

[Patman]

Read on Twitter

Came across this on twitter. Masai was out scouting luka doncic, apparently he's a 2018 lotto pick

That's one angry look he's giving him. lol. Was he disappointed in what he saw and not happy he flew there?

that's not even Doncic in the picture, that's Jonas Maciulis.

also Doncic is gonna take over the White LeBron moniker from Gordon Hayward. He's not as good a leaper or scorer (still the age of a HS junior though) but has the all-world vision that few have. To be a key piece of an ACB team like Real Madrid at 17, coupled with the type of production he's had, that's unprecedented.

this guy uploads game footage from most of Doncic's games so take a look when you have the time

Wouldn't Ginobili be a more apt comparison, then?

[CoachJReturns]

What about Jo Lual Acuil Jr from Baylor?

He's 7'0" with a 7'3" wingspan and a 9'5.5" standing reach at a SUPER LEAN 210 lbs (source: DX)

Right now, in 28 minutes he's averaging 9.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 4.4 blocks (PER40: 13.6/11.3/6.4)

Watch on YouTube

Someone that tall who's name never seems to come up in mocks is likely undrafted or picked at the tail end of the 2nd round. Masai can just sign him to the 905 if he likes.

[super_balls]

What about Jo Lual Acuil Jr from Baylor?

He's 7'0" with a 7'3" wingspan and a 9'5.5" standing reach at a SUPER LEAN 210 lbs (source: DX)

Right now, in 28 minutes he's averaging 9.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 4.4 blocks (PER40: 13.6/11.3/6.4)

Watch on YouTube

Someone that tall who's name never seems to come up in mocks is likely undrafted or picked at the tail end of the 2nd round. Masai can just sign him to the 905 if he likes.

We already have Walter Tavares on the 905, who is looking pretty good.

[BoyzNTheHood]

What about Jo Lual Acuil Jr from Baylor?

He's 7'0" with a 7'3" wingspan and a 9'5.5" standing reach at a SUPER LEAN 210 lbs (source: DX)

Right now, in 28 minutes he's averaging 9.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 4.4 blocks (PER40: 13.6/11.3/6.4)

Watch on YouTube

Someone that tall who's name never seems to come up in mocks is likely undrafted or picked at the tail end of the 2nd round. Masai can just sign him to the 905 if he likes.

We already have Walter Tavares on the 905, who is looking pretty good.

He's a PF, not a Centre. A PF that blocks shots, rebounds and hits the 3. He's essentially the perfect compliment to JV and DeMar, not a guy who'd be behind JV like Edy. His issue is he had a previous heart issue, which has been cleared. Therefore, there are no records of him prior to this season since he did not play. He's also 22 which mock drafters hate. But with this essentially being his freshman season, I'd say it's pretty impressive and he's a big reason why Baylor is so good right now.

[Kevin Willis]

Read on Twitter

Came across this on twitter. Masai was out scouting luka doncic, apparently he's a 2018 lotto pick

That's one angry look he's giving him. lol. Was he disappointed in what he saw and not happy he flew there?

that's not even Doncic in the picture, that's Jonas Maciulis.

also Doncic is gonna take over the White LeBron moniker from Gordon Hayward. He's not as good a leaper or scorer (still the age of a HS junior though) but has the all-world vision that few have. To be a key piece of an ACB team like Real Madrid at 17, coupled with the type of production he's had, that's unprecedented.

this guy uploads game footage from most of Doncic's games so take a look when you have the time

Looked at some of his uploaded games and Doncic is really good for a 17 year old. He played against OKC and did really well. He's a 6'8" shooting guard. 1 inch shorter than Bruno. Same height as Lebron. Which means he might get even taller. And he's very efficient - very efficient. Still he's another year away so it doesn't matter that much right now.

[BoyzNTheHood]

That's one angry look he's giving him. lol. Was he disappointed in what he saw and not happy he flew there?

that's not even Doncic in the picture, that's Jonas Maciulis.

also Doncic is gonna take over the White LeBron moniker from Gordon Hayward. He's not as good a leaper or scorer (still the age of a HS junior though) but has the all-world vision that few have. To be a key piece of an ACB team like Real Madrid at 17, coupled with the type of production he's had, that's unprecedented.

this guy uploads game footage from most of Doncic's games so take a look when you have the time

Looked at some of his uploaded games and Doncic is really good for a 17 year old. He played against OKC and did really well. He's a 6'8" shooting guard. 1 inch shorter than Bruno. Same height as Lebron. Which means he might get even taller. And he's very efficient - very efficient. Still he's another year away so it doesn't matter that much right now.

We won't be bad enough to get this guy anyways. He's going top-5. So unless we make a trade he's just a dream.

[CoachJReturns]

Someone that tall who's name never seems to come up in mocks is likely undrafted or picked at the tail end of the 2nd round. Masai can just sign him to the 905 if he likes.

We already have Walter Tavares on the 905, who is looking pretty good.

He's a PF, not a Centre. A PF that blocks shots, rebounds and hits the 3. He's essentially the perfect compliment to JV and DeMar, not a guy who'd be behind JV like Edy. His issue is he had a previous heart issue, which has been cleared. Therefore, there are no records of him prior to this season since he did not play. He's also 22 which mock drafters hate. But with this essentially being his freshman season, I'd say it's pretty impressive and he's a big reason why Baylor is so good right now.

No chance Masai picks him in my opinion. Maybe signed to 905, but I think Masai has been turned off raw prospects by Bruno's endless 905 stint. If he were to draft someone raw again, they'd probably have to be pretty special.

[BoyzNTheHood]

We already have Walter Tavares on the 905, who is looking pretty good.

He's a PF, not a Centre. A PF that blocks shots, rebounds and hits the 3. He's essentially the perfect compliment to JV and DeMar, not a guy who'd be behind JV like Edy. His issue is he had a previous heart issue, which has been cleared. Therefore, there are no records of him prior to this season since he did not play. He's also 22 which mock drafters hate. But with this essentially being his freshman season, I'd say it's pretty impressive and he's a big reason why Baylor is so good right now.

No chance Masai picks him in my opinion. Maybe signed to 905, but I think Masai has been turned off raw prospects by Bruno's endless 905 stint. If he were to draft someone raw again, they'd probably have to be pretty special.

I don't mind signing these older prospects to the 905 and letting them develop there. A player looks terrible as a 23 year old draft prospect, but a 23 year old signed from the D-League is very intriguing. Either way, I'm trying to find guys Masai would pick lol. Unless he has a top-10 like last year he seems to come out of left field with his selections.

[SwiftyV]

Just for discussion and not to be taken super seriously, Gary Parrish just released his top 30 prospects.

http://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/duke-freshman-jayson-tatum-headlines-early-list-of-top-30-nba-draft-prospects/

The 2017 NBA Draft is still six months away. But, already, I can promise this: it's going to be dominated at the top by college freshmen. In fact, I think the fist nine picks -- and 11 of the 14 lottery picks -- will be college freshmen, and I currently have Duke's Jayson Tatum projected to go first overall.
Why Tatum?
Because he seems to check every box.
The 6-foot-8 small forward has good size for his position and is an elite scorer thanks to a mid-range game that already looks NBA ready. He's a safe pick but also one with tremendous upside. I really, really like him -- which is not to suggest Tatum is a no-brainer to go first. That's the thing about this draft. It's super-loaded. And I could see any one of three or four different players going No. 1 -- most obviously Washington's Markelle Fultz, Kansas' Josh Jackson or even NC State's Dennis Smith.

[SharoneWright]

It's just too perfect to believe our luck. I want Svi as a late 1st round pick. Dude has length, agility, and shooting ability from the 3 position. He'll be just blossoming into an elite (yep, elite) SF as Carroll's contract is expiring for us. Take Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and don't look back.

[Mister Ze]

Lauri Markkanen the Finnish player from Arizona would be a great fit on this team.

19 year old 7 foot stretch 4/5 averaging 17/7 on 52% shooting, 48% 3-pt shooting (2.1/4.4 3pm/3pa)

Has a quick release from 3, runs the floor well, and extremely versatile. Pretty much the player we wish Bruno was gonna become. Hoping he falls to us... Reminds me of a young Rashard Lewis/Channing Frye

[CoachJReturns]

He's a PF, not a Centre. A PF that blocks shots, rebounds and hits the 3. He's essentially the perfect compliment to JV and DeMar, not a guy who'd be behind JV like Edy. His issue is he had a previous heart issue, which has been cleared. Therefore, there are no records of him prior to this season since he did not play. He's also 22 which mock drafters hate. But with this essentially being his freshman season, I'd say it's pretty impressive and he's a big reason why Baylor is so good right now.

No chance Masai picks him in my opinion. Maybe signed to 905, but I think Masai has been turned off raw prospects by Bruno's endless 905 stint. If he were to draft someone raw again, they'd probably have to be pretty special.

I don't mind signing these older prospects to the 905 and letting them develop there. A player looks terrible as a 23 year old draft prospect, but a 23 year old signed from the D-League is very intriguing. Either way, I'm trying to find guys Masai would pick lol. Unless he has a top-10 like last year he seems to come out of left field with his selections.

The past two years, his picks have been anything but out of left field. Delon was one of the 3-4 guys most likely to be picked at that spot. He was my pick, and several others, the entire year for us. Powell was a second rounder none of us were familiar with, but I don't think he was a shocker where he was selected. Poeltl was the consensus number 9 pick on most boards, Siakam was expected to go a few spots later, but was a 30s pick on draftexpress.com and we did discuss him a bit.
Masai has only made one truly unexpected pick and that was Bruno, who I suspect he regrets taking and he has since changed his approach. He has been very predicatable the past two drafts. He's targeted prospects who were very productive(top PER) in college. If you want a good idea of who he picks, just look for older guys who are unlikely to bust and very productive. Blossomgame and a few others fit the Watson approach to drafting.

[MavCarter]

Haven't done much research yet, how deep is this draft compared to previous years?

[CoachJReturns]

Lauri Markkanen the Finnish player from Arizona would be a great fit on this team.

19 year old 7 foot stretch 4/5 averaging 17/7 on 52% shooting, 48% 3-pt shooting (2.1/4.4 3pm/3pa)

Has a quick release from 3, runs the floor well, and extremely versatile. Pretty much the player we wish Bruno was gonna become. Hoping he falls to us... Reminds me of a young Rashard Lewis/Channing Frye

Projected lotto pick. Would be nice, but we're not getting him. I'd be thrilled if Masai moved up to go after someone he really believed in, but it's always easier said than done. And he's never shown an inclination to offer more than fair value in any trade.

[Mister Ze]

Haven't done much research yet, how deep is this draft compared to previous years?

Almost ever year people hype the draft class saying it's gonna be deep/full of potential AS, but this draft class actually looks like it's gonna be better than any class we've seen in the past 5 years.

Everywhere you look sports websites are claiming the draft class is immensely stacked, especially with guards. I just wish we had a lottery pick, instead, we find ourselves competing for the number 1 spot in the East. Oh well, I'll take it.

[Syd-TK3]

Imagine we had that 9th pick this year..

[BoyzNTheHood]

No chance Masai picks him in my opinion. Maybe signed to 905, but I think Masai has been turned off raw prospects by Bruno's endless 905 stint. If he were to draft someone raw again, they'd probably have to be pretty special.

I don't mind signing these older prospects to the 905 and letting them develop there. A player looks terrible as a 23 year old draft prospect, but a 23 year old signed from the D-League is very intriguing. Either way, I'm trying to find guys Masai would pick lol. Unless he has a top-10 like last year he seems to come out of left field with his selections.

The past two years, his picks have been anything but out of left field. Delon was one of the 3-4 guys most likely to be picked at that spot. He was my pick, and several others, the entire year for us. Powell was a second rounder none of us were familiar with, but I don't think he was a shocker where he was selected. Poeltl was the consensus number 9 pick on most boards, Siakam was expected to go a few spots later, but was a 30s pick on draftexpress.com and we did discuss him a bit.
Masai has only made one truly unexpected pick and that was Bruno, who I suspect he regrets taking and he has since changed his approach. He has been very predicatable the past two drafts. He's targeted prospects who were very productive(top PER) in college. If you want a good idea of who he picks, just look for older guys who are unlikely to bust and very productive. Blossomgame and a few others fit the Watson approach to drafting.

Delon and Jakob were semi-predictable picks. Norm wasn't, although I was very familiar with him and happy with the selection. Siakam was a bit out of left field as he was projected to go late-first, early second round but not necessarily to us. A lot of people were thinking we'd trade for a PF or take guys like Skal, Deyonta Davis, or Dejounte Murray at that spot. Many prospects were discussed at length and Siakam wasn't one of them. He was talked about a little, but quickly brushed aside by many.

I do agree with Blossomgame however. His game is analytically pleasing. However, he doesn't stretch the floor (12% from 3, down from 44% last season ) I'd look more at VJ Beachem who I mentioned earlier in the thread, Robert Williams from Texas A&M, Nigel Hayes, etc. And we should also be brushing up on our International guys as a draft + stash is a high possibility with two late picks.