Raps 2020 Picks (Prospect Watch, Update: Vecenie Mock Released)

[HeadtopChunes]

When I watched Garza I didn't see an NBA quality backup center defensively. Not a plus shotblocker and doesn't move his feet that well. I think his type of center probably better off in Europe and the guys who can move their feet but don't have anywhere near his impressive offensive skills make better backup 5s these days. Like if he's Willy Hernangomez is that helpful? Rather look for a Daniel Theis type, and guys like that will still be available in late 2nd round or undrafted for a couple more years I would guess.

Great touch though, hell of an offensive player.

Yeah Garza wasnt even a defensive positive at the college level, don’t think he will work out in the NBA. He’s far slower than guys like Baynes despite appearing in fine shape. Not much upside there.

I don’t really see the point in drafting bigs that either don’t offer versatility or some have some elite skill. Wouldn’t use a pick on guys like that.

Zeke Nnaji is far more interesting to me because he can move really well, already a good pnr defender, probably will shoot, good athlete for his size (6’11), and has decent iq. That’s the type of big using a first would be good value.

Although I’d still lean towards drafting a gaurd or a wing over a big at 28.

[Psubs]

Rich man's FVV = Malachi Flynn.

Malachi Richardson + Johnny Flyyn = Malachi Flynn

[Karanpal]

These are the guys I like so far

Wings

Elijah Hughes from Syracuse. Looks like one of the best scorers in this draft. I like his ability to get off his shot and has very deep range. Don't know much about his defence because of the zone Syracuse plays

Tyshon Alexander from Creighton. Strong guard who shoots the three very well. Can score on the move and c&s. Defence is solid as well. Not athletic vertically which will cause problems finishing but is pretty strong and long.

Chris Smith from UCLA. Great length and is a very underrated scorer. I think with more space he will be able to get his shots off alot more effectively. His defence can improve and his passing but alot of potential there

Desmond Bane from TCU. Underrated athlete imo I've watched a couple games and have seen this kid dunk on people. Very patient player with good IQ. Never forces anything. Shoots the ball very well on of the best in the draft. His shorts arms might be a big problem for him to defend in the NBA but he is very strong which helps negate some of that.

[Psubs]

When I watched Garza I didn't see an NBA quality backup center defensively. Not a plus shotblocker and doesn't move his feet that well. I think his type of center probably better off in Europe and the guys who can move their feet but don't have anywhere near his impressive offensive skills make better backup 5s these days. Like if he's Willy Hernangomez is that helpful? Rather look for a Daniel Theis type, and guys like that will still be available in late 2nd round or undrafted for a couple more years I would guess.

Great touch though, hell of an offensive player.

Yeah Garza wasnt even a defensive positive at the college level, don’t think he will work out in the NBA. He’s far slower than guys like Baynes despite appearing in fine shape. Not much upside there.

I don’t really see the point in drafting bigs that either don’t offer versatility or some have some elite skill. Wouldn’t use a pick on guys like that.

Zeke Nnaji is far more interesting to me because he can move really well, already a good pnr defender, probably will shoot, good athlete for his size (6’11), and has decent iq. That’s the type of big using a first would be good value.

Although I’d still lean towards drafting a gaurd or a wing over a big at 28.

What about Cassius Stanley? He doesn't have a great wingspan but has the most elite hops, and a decent 3pt shot / finish in the lane with contact.

[HeadtopChunes]

When I watched Garza I didn't see an NBA quality backup center defensively. Not a plus shotblocker and doesn't move his feet that well. I think his type of center probably better off in Europe and the guys who can move their feet but don't have anywhere near his impressive offensive skills make better backup 5s these days. Like if he's Willy Hernangomez is that helpful? Rather look for a Daniel Theis type, and guys like that will still be available in late 2nd round or undrafted for a couple more years I would guess.

Great touch though, hell of an offensive player.

Yeah Garza wasnt even a defensive positive at the college level, don’t think he will work out in the NBA. He’s far slower than guys like Baynes despite appearing in fine shape. Not much upside there.

I don’t really see the point in drafting bigs that either don’t offer versatility or some have some elite skill. Wouldn’t use a pick on guys like that.

Zeke Nnaji is far more interesting to me because he can move really well, already a good pnr defender, probably will shoot, good athlete for his size (6’11), and has decent iq. That’s the type of big using a first would be good value.

Although I’d still lean towards drafting a gaurd or a wing over a big at 28.

What about Cassius Stanley? He doesn't have a great wingspan but has the most elite hops, and a decent 3pt shot / finish in the lane with contact.

Yeah Stanley I like, hes crazy athletic and can shoot, maybe has a ceiling similar to Norm. Same weakness too, handle, decision making, off ball defense.

[Psubs]

Yeah Garza wasnt even a defensive positive at the college level, don’t think he will work out in the NBA. He’s far slower than guys like Baynes despite appearing in fine shape. Not much upside there.

I don’t really see the point in drafting bigs that either don’t offer versatility or some have some elite skill. Wouldn’t use a pick on guys like that.

Zeke Nnaji is far more interesting to me because he can move really well, already a good pnr defender, probably will shoot, good athlete for his size (6’11), and has decent iq. That’s the type of big using a first would be good value.

Although I’d still lean towards drafting a gaurd or a wing over a big at 28.

What about Cassius Stanley? He doesn't have a great wingspan but has the most elite hops, and a decent 3pt shot / finish in the lane with contact.

Yeah Stanley I like, hes crazy athletic and can shoot, maybe has a ceiling similar to Norm. Same weakness too, handle, decision making, off ball defense.

I see him as possibly raw like Derozan was out of USC but with NBA 3pt range. That's a good gamble.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Rich man's FVV = Malachi Flynn.

I posted about him closer to the start of this thread. He's really solid, but I doubt he's a rich man's FVV.

[Psubs]

Rich man's FVV = Malachi Flynn.

I posted about him closer to the start of this thread. He's really solid, but I doubt he's a rich man's FVV.

He has good stats and lead his team to 30-2 and #6 ranking in the country. Nice handles, quick shot with Trae Young / Curry range. I think he's at minimum Bayless with better A/T.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Ah, comments had a good comparison to Seth Curry. Actually, I think more like White Chocolate with 3pt shooting.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Mason Jones is a certified bucket. He's definitely not James Harden, but he scores in a similar fashion. I can see him having a Tobias Harris type of career in the NBA.

Read on Twitter

[Ell Curry]

A positive mark for Garza is that he said he won't come out unless the fit is right for him, which means he might be available at 58 if we offer him a guaranteed deal and suggests he knows he'd need a ton of work and roster help to survive defensively on an NBA floor. A 2nd unit lineup of Garza-Boucher-Powell-Davis and one starter from Lowry/VanVleet/Siakam on the floor to help Powell might be able to accommodate him if he's at least a Kanter level offensive player albeit more like a poor man's Karl Anthony Towns with bulk and shooting touch than a uh poor man's Moses Malone like Kanter.

We haven't talked about Tre Jones much, but he shot it better this year and has good size and plays D well which Masai seems to like. If we think he's Cory Joseph for 4 years on a cheap deal that might be worth it for years 2-4 since Lowry could be gone and Fred maybe too. I literally didn't watch Duke once this year so no strong takes. But I do think us taking a PG is more possible than people seem to think.

[Psubs]

A positive mark for Garza is that he said he won't come out unless the fit is right for him, which means he might be available at 58 if we offer him a guaranteed deal and suggests he knows he'd need a ton of work and roster help to survive defensively on an NBA floor. A 2nd unit lineup of Garza-Boucher-Powell-Davis and one starter from Lowry/VanVleet/Siakam on the floor to help Powell might be able to accommodate him if he's at least a Kanter level offensive player albeit more like a poor man's Karl Anthony Towns with bulk and shooting touch than a uh poor man's Moses Malone like Kanter.

We haven't talked about Tre Jones much, but he shot it better this year and has good size and plays D well which Masai seems to like. If we think he's Cory Joseph for 4 years on a cheap deal that might be worth it for years 2-4 since Lowry could be gone and Fred maybe too. I literally didn't watch Duke once this year so no strong takes. But I do think us taking a PG is more possible than people seem to think.

He's okay. I'd rather take Cassius Stanley from Duke.

For PG's Terry (younger and shoots 90% FTs) and Flynn (electric) are 2 interesting choices, that I would take over Tre Jones. I assume this is to reduce FVV's leverage.

[rapsdotcom]

A positive mark for Garza is that he said he won't come out unless the fit is right for him, which means he might be available at 58 if we offer him a guaranteed deal and suggests he knows he'd need a ton of work and roster help to survive defensively on an NBA floor. A 2nd unit lineup of Garza-Boucher-Powell-Davis and one starter from Lowry/VanVleet/Siakam on the floor to help Powell might be able to accommodate him if he's at least a Kanter level offensive player albeit more like a poor man's Karl Anthony Towns with bulk and shooting touch than a uh poor man's Moses Malone like Kanter.

We haven't talked about Tre Jones much, but he shot it better this year and has good size and plays D well which Masai seems to like. If we think he's Cory Joseph for 4 years on a cheap deal that might be worth it for years 2-4 since Lowry could be gone and Fred maybe too. I literally didn't watch Duke once this year so no strong takes. But I do think us taking a PG is more possible than people seem to think.

I think Tre is going to be a better pro than his brother, but yeah he’s probably a career backup. Potentially a very good one though so that could represent good value at 28.

[rapsdotcom]

A positive mark for Garza is that he said he won't come out unless the fit is right for him, which means he might be available at 58 if we offer him a guaranteed deal and suggests he knows he'd need a ton of work and roster help to survive defensively on an NBA floor. A 2nd unit lineup of Garza-Boucher-Powell-Davis and one starter from Lowry/VanVleet/Siakam on the floor to help Powell might be able to accommodate him if he's at least a Kanter level offensive player albeit more like a poor man's Karl Anthony Towns with bulk and shooting touch than a uh poor man's Moses Malone like Kanter.

We haven't talked about Tre Jones much, but he shot it better this year and has good size and plays D well which Masai seems to like. If we think he's Cory Joseph for 4 years on a cheap deal that might be worth it for years 2-4 since Lowry could be gone and Fred maybe too. I literally didn't watch Duke once this year so no strong takes. But I do think us taking a PG is more possible than people seem to think.

He's okay. I'd rather take Cassius Stanley from Duke.

For PG's Terry (younger and shoots 90% FTs) and Flynn (electric) are 2 interesting choices, that I would take over Tre Jones. I assume this is to reduce FVV's leverage.

I’m with you that terry and Flynn are higher upside picks than Jones, but I’m not sure they’ll be around at 28. Terry in particular I can see going in the top 20.

[mademan]

A positive mark for Garza is that he said he won't come out unless the fit is right for him, which means he might be available at 58 if we offer him a guaranteed deal and suggests he knows he'd need a ton of work and roster help to survive defensively on an NBA floor. A 2nd unit lineup of Garza-Boucher-Powell-Davis and one starter from Lowry/VanVleet/Siakam on the floor to help Powell might be able to accommodate him if he's at least a Kanter level offensive player albeit more like a poor man's Karl Anthony Towns with bulk and shooting touch than a uh poor man's Moses Malone like Kanter.

We haven't talked about Tre Jones much, but he shot it better this year and has good size and plays D well which Masai seems to like. If we think he's Cory Joseph for 4 years on a cheap deal that might be worth it for years 2-4 since Lowry could be gone and Fred maybe too. I literally didn't watch Duke once this year so no strong takes. But I do think us taking a PG is more possible than people seem to think.

He's okay. I'd rather take Cassius Stanley from Duke.

For PG's Terry (younger and shoots 90% FTs) and Flynn (electric) are 2 interesting choices, that I would take over Tre Jones. I assume this is to reduce FVV's leverage.

I’m with you that terry and Flynn are higher upside picks than Jones, but I’m not sure they’ll be around at 28. Terry in particular I can see going in the top 20.

Flynn can very easily drop to the 2nd round. He's 22 years old and he plays pg, which is the position with the most talent in the league. We know how much teams hate these 'old' guards.

[mademan]

Watch on YouTube

Bolmaro's the chit. Good size at SG, great quickness and hands on defense (steals/min are amazing), developing shooter with a good form, good BBIQ and passer.

[Dalek]

These are the guys I like so far

Wings

Elijah Hughes from Syracuse. Looks like one of the best scorers in this draft. I like his ability to get off his shot and has very deep range. Don't know much about his defence because of the zone Syracuse plays

Tyshon Alexander from Creighton. Strong guard who shoots the three very well. Can score on the move and c&s. Defence is solid as well. Not athletic vertically which will cause problems finishing but is pretty strong and long.

Chris Smith from UCLA. Great length and is a very underrated scorer. I think with more space he will be able to get his shots off alot more effectively. His defence can improve and his passing but alot of potential there

Desmond Bane from TCU. Underrated athlete imo I've watched a couple games and have seen this kid dunk on people. Very patient player with good IQ. Never forces anything. Shoots the ball very well on of the best in the draft. His shorts arms might be a big problem for him to defend in the NBA but he is very strong which helps negate some of that.

Desmond Bane is the guy I have been watching a lot of film on. This guy has had steady growth over four years at TCU production wise. The guy is a mediocre athlete with short arms, but he knows how to play and score. The guy he most reminds me of is my personal favorite, Dillion Brooks. Just a good role player who can score, playmake off the dribble and not get killed on defense. Bane is really strong with a good base so he could be a guy you can have defend a few positions. Smart skilled guys can make it. Even Malcolm Brogdon is a similar type of guy to Bane.

For scorers I really like Aaron Nesmith. 6-6, good athlete, shoots 50% from three on 8 attempts per game. His stress fracture might put him at the Raps pick. A guy like Bane may not even get drafted because of his age and athleticism.

[BoyzNTheHood]

These are the guys I like so far

Wings

Elijah Hughes from Syracuse. Looks like one of the best scorers in this draft. I like his ability to get off his shot and has very deep range. Don't know much about his defence because of the zone Syracuse plays

Tyshon Alexander from Creighton. Strong guard who shoots the three very well. Can score on the move and c&s. Defence is solid as well. Not athletic vertically which will cause problems finishing but is pretty strong and long.

Chris Smith from UCLA. Great length and is a very underrated scorer. I think with more space he will be able to get his shots off alot more effectively. His defence can improve and his passing but alot of potential there

Desmond Bane from TCU. Underrated athlete imo I've watched a couple games and have seen this kid dunk on people. Very patient player with good IQ. Never forces anything. Shoots the ball very well on of the best in the draft. His shorts arms might be a big problem for him to defend in the NBA but he is very strong which helps negate some of that.

Desmond Bane is the guy I have been watching a lot of film on. This guy has had steady growth over four years at TCU production wise. The guy is a mediocre athlete with short arms, but he knows how to play and score. The guy he most reminds me of is my personal favorite, Dillion Brooks. Just a good role player who can score, playmake off the dribble and not get killed on defense. Bane is really strong with a good base so he could be a guy you can have defend a few positions. Smart skilled guys can make it. Even Malcolm Brogdon is a similar type of guy to Bane.

For scorers I really like Aaron Nesmith. 6-6, good athlete, shoots 50% from three on 8 attempts per game. His stress fracture might put him at the Raps pick. A guy like Bane may not even get drafted because of his age and athleticism.

Bane is just quality. He reminds me of Wes Mathews. He won't go out there and single handedly win you a game, but he won't cost you the game either. He'll just do his job and play his role effectively.

[Karanpal]

These are the guys I like so far

Wings

Elijah Hughes from Syracuse. Looks like one of the best scorers in this draft. I like his ability to get off his shot and has very deep range. Don't know much about his defence because of the zone Syracuse plays

Tyshon Alexander from Creighton. Strong guard who shoots the three very well. Can score on the move and c&s. Defence is solid as well. Not athletic vertically which will cause problems finishing but is pretty strong and long.

Chris Smith from UCLA. Great length and is a very underrated scorer. I think with more space he will be able to get his shots off alot more effectively. His defence can improve and his passing but alot of potential there

Desmond Bane from TCU. Underrated athlete imo I've watched a couple games and have seen this kid dunk on people. Very patient player with good IQ. Never forces anything. Shoots the ball very well on of the best in the draft. His shorts arms might be a big problem for him to defend in the NBA but he is very strong which helps negate some of that.

Desmond Bane is the guy I have been watching a lot of film on. This guy has had steady growth over four years at TCU production wise. The guy is a mediocre athlete with short arms, but he knows how to play and score. The guy he most reminds me of is my personal favorite, Dillion Brooks. Just a good role player who can score, playmake off the dribble and not get killed on defense. Bane is really strong with a good base so he could be a guy you can have defend a few positions. Smart skilled guys can make it. Even Malcolm Brogdon is a similar type of guy to Bane.

For scorers I really like Aaron Nesmith. 6-6, good athlete, shoots 50% from three on 8 attempts per game. His stress fracture might put him at the Raps pick. A guy like Bane may not even get drafted because of his age and athleticism.

Bane is just quality. He reminds me of Wes Mathews. He won't go out there and single handedly win you a game, but he won't cost you the game either. He'll just do his job and play his role effectively.

Bane is one of those guys teams will pass up because of age but he's the perfect player for us to pickup and get late rounder value for. He's a stud

[Kevin Willis]

These are the guys I like so far

Wings

Elijah Hughes from Syracuse. Looks like one of the best scorers in this draft. I like his ability to get off his shot and has very deep range. Don't know much about his defence because of the zone Syracuse plays

Tyshon Alexander from Creighton. Strong guard who shoots the three very well. Can score on the move and c&s. Defence is solid as well. Not athletic vertically which will cause problems finishing but is pretty strong and long.

Chris Smith from UCLA. Great length and is a very underrated scorer. I think with more space he will be able to get his shots off alot more effectively. His defence can improve and his passing but alot of potential there

Desmond Bane from TCU. Underrated athlete imo I've watched a couple games and have seen this kid dunk on people. Very patient player with good IQ. Never forces anything. Shoots the ball very well on of the best in the draft. His shorts arms might be a big problem for him to defend in the NBA but he is very strong which helps negate some of that.

Desmond Bane is the guy I have been watching a lot of film on. This guy has had steady growth over four years at TCU production wise. The guy is a mediocre athlete with short arms, but he knows how to play and score. The guy he most reminds me of is my personal favorite, Dillion Brooks. Just a good role player who can score, playmake off the dribble and not get killed on defense. Bane is really strong with a good base so he could be a guy you can have defend a few positions. Smart skilled guys can make it. Even Malcolm Brogdon is a similar type of guy to Bane.

For scorers I really like Aaron Nesmith. 6-6, good athlete, shoots 50% from three on 8 attempts per game. His stress fracture might put him at the Raps pick. A guy like Bane may not even get drafted because of his age and athleticism.

Here is a video of Nesmith. Interesting prospect, a bit on the thick side like OG. 27:00 for his defense. Vandy was really bad this year though so have to factor that in.

Watch on YouTube

[CrookedJ]

The final four would've been about now - how unfortunate we couldn't use that to see how prospects perform on the big stage.

I think this scenario actually could give an advantage to the teams like Toronto with excellent scouting operations.

All teams will have less information, and will have to rely on in depth team scouting to make good picks.

Or maybe this will save some drafts. Some teams probably have good scouting operations but are overruled based on ownership or a team president wanting the "rising" guy who will sell tickets or some dude that balled out during the final four. This may prevent some teams from making stupid popularity picks designed to win the press conference the next day.