Snapbacks and Handshakes: The 2017 Draft (Raps pick #23)

[Saciid11]

It sounds like Diallo might be withdrawing from the draft. Nothing definitive, I just saw a tweet.

Good choice ...he could easily go top 10 next years draft. With his quickness and ability to get up ..he needs year or two in college to work on his handles and jump shot ... If he does that I could see him being Vince/Demar type of star in NBA ..

[CoachJReturns]

My problem with Leaf is that right now he has the Enes Kanter/JV weakness of being killed in the PnR. Teams attack that relentlessly and usually makes players unplayable. If he's projected to be a role player not worth the trade-off.

He is a fabulous shooter and really is a 6'10 small forward. High end role player.

It doesn't matter if he can't stay on the floor tho. Also his shooting is overrated he took very few attempts for a supposed " stretch 4" . He's got good size and passing instincts but there's too many question marks for me.

Yeah, I can't get excited about Leaf. His passing is nice, but what position can he defend really? The answer may be none. There have been higher ranked guys who were awful defenders and many struggle to see minutes now as teams seem to have little use for them.

[PhilBlackson]

TJ Leaf looks like one of those unathletic nobodies you see in black n white pics of Bill Russell's era....he might belong on the Huskies but not the Raptors, no friggin thanks.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Watch on YouTube

[HeadtopChunes]

Watch on YouTube

Reminds me of Thon Maker watching some clips. Might be worth the pick

[BoyzNTheHood]

Watch on YouTube

Reminds me of Thon Maker watching some clips. Might be worth the pick

With him it's always an "if he's available" scenario because we all know this is a copy cat league and with the success of his fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert he could be snatched up early.

[raptor jesus]

Looking at Motley after he came in today, definitely seems like a guy "WATSON" would look favourably upon. Experienced, put up monster stats. Actually reminds me of Siakam. Nearly identical measurements; I think Siakam is a slighty better athlete in terms of his fluidity up and down the court and side to side laterally, but Motley seems more polished in terms of perimeter skills and put up similar numbers in a better conference. I think he's a guy to keep an eye on.

[Mark_83]

Jonah Bolden. That is all.

[Anatomize]

I'm all aboard the Jonah Bolden train.. I think someone else said it a few pages back but I can really see it watching his highlights - he has Rudy Gay like tools.. his strides / gait are very similar to Rudy and also his straight up and down jumpshot.. even his fade has that minor kick out like Rudy. There's a lot to like here. 6'10 with a 7'4 wingspan, super athletic, good shot blocker, tip dunker, rebounder, shooter. This type of guy develops handles and look out..he can be the type of guy who already contributes from day 1.

[Anatomize]

Watch on YouTube

Reminds me of Thon Maker watching some clips. Might be worth the pick

With him it's always an "if he's available" scenario because we all know this is a copy cat league and with the success of his fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert he could be snatched up early.

Not necessarily.. It's so hard to project raw skinny toothpick bigs.. Gobert is really really unique in what he's able to do, and in that he's also a very underrated passer aside from his rebounding/shot blocking/finishing ability (he made some incredible Shaq like passes in these playoffs), and he just has a great nose for the ball and amazing hands.. for every Gobert there is an Alexis Ajenica (also french) who's 7'1 with an 8 foot wingspan!

[OAKLEY_2]

TJ Leaf looks like one of those unathletic nobodies you see in black n white pics of Bill Russell's era....he might belong on the Huskies but not the Raptors, no friggin thanks.

That is probably the way you see the game. B+W. He is highly skilled. Is he the kind of player that fends off Jonas' elbows probably not but we are not picking and juicing race horses here. It is a skill league.

[OAKLEY_2]

He is a fabulous shooter and really is a 6'10 small forward. High end role player.

It doesn't matter if he can't stay on the floor tho. Also his shooting is overrated he took very few attempts for a supposed " stretch 4" . He's got good size and passing instincts but there's too many question marks for me.

Yeah, I can't get excited about Leaf. His passing is nice, but what position can he defend really? The answer may be none. There have been higher ranked guys who were awful defenders and many struggle to see minutes now as teams seem to have little use for them.

Love sucks as a defender in some ways but he makes shots and rebounds and he helped bury us. Where the heck were our beasting Siakam clone studs when we got smoked? Answer is nowhere. We could not shoot a lick.

[OAKLEY_2]

TJ Leaf looks like one of those unathletic nobodies you see in black n white pics of Bill Russell's era....he might belong on the Huskies but not the Raptors, no friggin thanks.

Speaking of unathletic nobodies "from Bill Russell's time"

"In a postgame interview, Walton sent a barrage of questions toward T.J. Leaf, but one stuck out to me: “What are you studying here in school, T.J.?”

His response: “I’m undeclared as of now.”

Of course he is. All the guy needs to do is not fail for a couple of quarters and punch his ticket to the pros.

It wasn’t like that in Walton’s day. Walton earned a degree in history, and even spent two years at Stanford Law School.

As many championships as Wooden brought to UCLA, winning basketball games was never the main goal. Wooden always said he was a teacher first.

“Once you become a good person,” Wooden said, “then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player.”

Our ties to Wooden are fading. The one year that college stars get isn’t enough to develop their characters in the way that Wooden helped develop Walton’s.

As Bruins, we’re lucky to have a weed-smoking, hippie-dressing color commentator on the sideline. He’s one of the few living connections to Wooden we have left."

So many studs measured for their potential but do they have the grey matter? Sad that with some we won't find out because most of them are rich within 20 minuted unless they end up broke like some you hear about. Drafting people like Wright who got his degree or even Vince makes a lot of sense. Especially moreso at pick 20 plus. If that bodes well for the Semi's so be it.

[ATLTimekeeper]

I like both Hartenstein and Wagner. DX has Wagner out of the top 60, Chad Ford says he's a bubble first rounder. I know he's working out with the Spurs, Utah, OKC... so obviously the worst teams are interested in him. He's not an NBA athlete at the moment and needs NBA training. Highly skilled inside/outside big man.

Hartenstein I like more as a defensive prospect and I just think he has a good feel for the game. Looks like a high IQ player who plays with a bit of fire. His jump shot looks weird, wouldn't rely on it, and his post-game is rough.

[Double Helix]

*SLEEPER ALERT*

Atlanta Timekeeper provided me with the tip on Bolden. After watching this video I'm convinced Bolden is mocked way too low and that after workouts and interviews he will become a late first round pick. He does some Otto Porter stuff in this video and the Adriatic league is a good league that's put out a ton of quality lately. Guys with his length and athleticism and 3 point shooting ability and rebounding ability and net protection are highly coveted as role players and paid a lot on the open market.

Watch on YouTube

Seems like he's had a moment of clarity and that he's coachable.

Watch on YouTube

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[CoachJReturns]

TJ Leaf looks like one of those unathletic nobodies you see in black n white pics of Bill Russell's era....he might belong on the Huskies but not the Raptors, no friggin thanks.

A little harsh. lol.

[whatamoron]

TJ Leaf looks like one of those unathletic nobodies you see in black n white pics of Bill Russell's era....he might belong on the Huskies but not the Raptors, no friggin thanks.

Speaking of unathletic nobodies "from Bill Russell's time"

"In a postgame interview, Walton sent a barrage of questions toward T.J. Leaf, but one stuck out to me: “What are you studying here in school, T.J.?”

His response: “I’m undeclared as of now.”

Of course he is. All the guy needs to do is not fail for a couple of quarters and punch his ticket to the pros.

It wasn’t like that in Walton’s day. Walton earned a degree in history, and even spent two years at Stanford Law School.

As many championships as Wooden brought to UCLA, winning basketball games was never the main goal. Wooden always said he was a teacher first.

“Once you become a good person,” Wooden said, “then you have a chance of becoming a good basketball player.”

Our ties to Wooden are fading. The one year that college stars get isn’t enough to develop their characters in the way that Wooden helped develop Walton’s.

As Bruins, we’re lucky to have a weed-smoking, hippie-dressing color commentator on the sideline. He’s one of the few living connections to Wooden we have left."

So many studs measured for their potential but do they have the grey matter? Sad that with some we won't find out because most of them are rich within 20 minuted unless they end up broke like some you hear about. Drafting people like Wright who got his degree or even Vince makes a lot of sense. Especially moreso at pick 20 plus. If that bodes well for the Semi's so be it.

I agree fully with your post except for Vince's degree, which was for "African Studies".
60 minutes sports did an expose' on African studies courses and most of them amount to kindergarten for college aged athletes
If your interested I'm sure it can be found somewhere on the net

[CoachJReturns]

Now we're talking about what guys studied in college when it was irrelevant given the fact they already knew what their profession would be?
Honestly I know some of us have been posting in this thread all year, so we've naturally run out of things to say, but this is just sad. lol.
Education is important in general, but I really don't care what a pro athlete studied in school.

[Mikistan]

*SLEEPER ALERT*

Atlanta Timekeeper provided me with the tip on Bolden. After watching this video I'm convinced Bolden is mocked way too low and that after workouts and interviews he will become a late first round pick. He does some Otto Porter stuff in this video and the Adriatic league is a good league that's put out a ton of quality lately. Guys with his length and athleticism and 3 point shooting ability and rebounding ability and net protection are highly coveted as role players and paid a lot on the open market.

Watch on YouTube

Seems like he's had a moment of clarity and that he's coachable.

Watch on YouTube

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

This guy is my pick, lets go!!!!!!

[CoachJReturns]

Has it occurred to anyone else that given how low we're drafting, we can just grab anyone who isn't an athletic dud and can dribble a basketball and their odds of success would be the same as anyone else's in our range?