2023 Draft Discussion Part III

[HumbleRen]

The Raptors don't have a lot of trade bait and shouldn't be trading future firsts in order to gain entry into this one. Do you trade Boucher, a really good bench player on an already thin bench, for a late first where you might be able to get a really good bench player?

They're in a good range now, and there's really nobody outside of Wemby and Scoot I think is worth trading up for (and unless a team with an established PG gets Scoot, #2 is probably not getting traded).

Definitely trade Boucher and hope that Precious can keep improving and take Boucher's minutes. Package Flynn with Boucher to squeeze out a 1st pick?

We'd all be dancing if we could flip Boucher for a 1st lol. I don't even think that's a discussion, Boucher would be gone in a heart beat.

[Psubs]

These are the types of drafts where it should be easier to acquire multiple draft picks if opposing GM’s are weary of the quality of players available. But if you have multiple guys you like it’s worth it to ask because it might not cost as much as you think.

Dallas and Portland look like they want to compete. Portland has the top 5 pick and #23 right now.

What about #23 and Nassir Little for Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn? Portland could use more players than can play the 4 and a bit of 5. After getting Thybulle and Reddish, the SF position is crowded in Portland. Flynn could also be the backup PG.
Toronto that gets a young SF that can shoot the 3 around 35%.

I would like Wallace and Cissoko.

PG FVV - Dowtin/Wallace
SG OG - Trent - Banton/Cissoko
SF Siakam - Little - Harper/Cissoko
PF Barnes - Siakam - OG
C Poeltl - Koloko

Masai needs to be on their butts making them compete for OG and Pascal. The higher bidder gets both. Portland can easily beat anything Dallas has to offer outside of Luka so I’d think they would be the ones to secure a deal. They can send us Simons and Sharpe, but I’d be inclined to send Simons to a third team OR they can keep him and let us keep our pick.

Lillard
Simons/Raps pick SG
OG
Pascal
Nurkic

Looks formidable in the West. I’d say they need one more piece but that’s an excellent core when healthy.

Financially, they need to send at least Simons, if not Nurkic too.

[WuTang_CMB]

Filipowski back at Duke

[BoyzNTheHood]

Dallas and Portland look like they want to compete. Portland has the top 5 pick and #23 right now.

What about #23 and Nassir Little for Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn? Portland could use more players than can play the 4 and a bit of 5. After getting Thybulle and Reddish, the SF position is crowded in Portland. Flynn could also be the backup PG.
Toronto that gets a young SF that can shoot the 3 around 35%.

I would like Wallace and Cissoko.

PG FVV - Dowtin/Wallace
SG OG - Trent - Banton/Cissoko
SF Siakam - Little - Harper/Cissoko
PF Barnes - Siakam - OG
C Poeltl - Koloko

Masai needs to be on their butts making them compete for OG and Pascal. The higher bidder gets both. Portland can easily beat anything Dallas has to offer outside of Luka so I’d think they would be the ones to secure a deal. They can send us Simons and Sharpe, but I’d be inclined to send Simons to a third team OR they can keep him and let us keep our pick.

Lillard
Simons/Raps pick SG
OG
Pascal
Nurkic

Looks formidable in the West. I’d say they need one more piece but that’s an excellent core when healthy.

Financially, they need to send at least Simons, if not Nurkic too.

I’ll gladly take Simons and send our pick back

[BoyzNTheHood]

The Raptors don't have a lot of trade bait and shouldn't be trading future firsts in order to gain entry into this one. Do you trade Boucher, a really good bench player on an already thin bench, for a late first where you might be able to get a really good bench player?

They're in a good range now, and there's really nobody outside of Wemby and Scoot I think is worth trading up for (and unless a team with an established PG gets Scoot, #2 is probably not getting traded).

Definitely trade Boucher and hope that Precious can keep improving and take Boucher's minutes. Package Flynn with Boucher to squeeze out a 1st pick?

Get rid of both Boucher and Precious. They’re both boneheads who are inconsistent. We can win championships with guys like that, in my opinion.

[Bruin]

Watch out for Aday Mara in 2024. He’s an international but heading to NCAA for next season. His game is kinda a hybrid of the Gasol brothers

Awesome passing ability for a 7’3” kid who probably isn’t done growing either (just turned 18 a few days ago)

Watch on YouTube

Really hope we blow up the core this summer and tank. Especially with the fact we only get to keep our pick if it’s top 6

[Yallbecrazy]

Watch out for Aday Mara in 2024. He’s an international but heading to NCAA for next season. His game is kinda a hybrid of the Gasol brothers

Awesome passing ability for a 7’3” kid who probably isn’t done growing either (just turned 18 a few days ago)

Watch on YouTube

Really hope we blow up the core this summer and tank. Especially with the fact we only get to keep our pick if it’s top 6

Tanking would be so bad for Scottie's development and future with this team.

[HumbleRen]

Watch out for Aday Mara in 2024. He’s an international but heading to NCAA for next season. His game is kinda a hybrid of the Gasol brothers

Awesome passing ability for a 7’3” kid who probably isn’t done growing either (just turned 18 a few days ago)

Watch on YouTube

Really hope we blow up the core this summer and tank. Especially with the fact we only get to keep our pick if it’s top 6

Tanking would be so bad for Scottie's development and future with this team.

Rebuilding, not tanking.

[niQ]

Whoever this is, I gotta say, his highlight package is super enticing. He moves like a prototype raptor big wing. No clue if he's actually any good though.

Read on Twitter

?t=Jeh_7sMaqx7z2LI31lpLrQ&s=19

I wonder how good the competition is in that league.

This year's Vrenz?
(Every year there's a prospect that gets super hyped from a highlight video.)

[ATLTimekeeper]

The Raptors don't have a lot of trade bait and shouldn't be trading future firsts in order to gain entry into this one. Do you trade Boucher, a really good bench player on an already thin bench, for a late first where you might be able to get a really good bench player?

They're in a good range now, and there's really nobody outside of Wemby and Scoot I think is worth trading up for (and unless a team with an established PG gets Scoot, #2 is probably not getting traded).

Definitely trade Boucher and hope that Precious can keep improving and take Boucher's minutes. Package Flynn with Boucher to squeeze out a 1st pick?

I'd rather keep Boucher, who is what you want out of a bench player (always shows up, stable production) and downgrade Precious to a bubble rotation player. I'd trade Boucher for immediate help at the guard position, if that was available, but not for a late first.

[Kevin Willis]

Those who want Hawkins, why? Podziemski seems quite superior as a prospect.
He's a better athlete, defender, vastly superior rebounder, significantly better passer, better around the rim, has a floater, 10 months younger, better passer...not quite the shooter, but not far off.

Different type of players but same height and position. Hawkins is a better athlete - always in motion, he likes to attack the rim but Podz seems better than him in a lot of categories.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA

Watch on YouTube

[ArthurVandelay]

Watch out for Aday Mara in 2024. He’s an international but heading to NCAA for next season. His game is kinda a hybrid of the Gasol brothers

Awesome passing ability for a 7’3” kid who probably isn’t done growing either (just turned 18 a few days ago)

Watch on YouTube

Really hope we blow up the core this summer and tank. Especially with the fact we only get to keep our pick if it’s top 6

Tanking would be so bad for Scottie's development and future with this team.

I don’t disagree.

Whatever happened this year is also bad for his development and future with the team.

I have never seen such a dramatic shift in personality on court. So much joy last year. This year, not at all.

[Bruin]

Watch out for Aday Mara in 2024. He’s an international but heading to NCAA for next season. His game is kinda a hybrid of the Gasol brothers

Awesome passing ability for a 7’3” kid who probably isn’t done growing either (just turned 18 a few days ago)

Watch on YouTube

Really hope we blow up the core this summer and tank. Especially with the fact we only get to keep our pick if it’s top 6

Tanking would be so bad for Scottie's development and future with this team.

Being in no man’s land is even worse for his development. Need to pick a direction

If we tank, Scottie can get more reps as a go to scoring option. If we try to compete, he gets playoff experience. There’s more than 1 way to develop players

If tanking were to hurt development then SGA wouldn’t have become the beast he is now

[HumbleRen]

If you’re a true franchise player, tanking shouldn’t impact your development.

If you’re a role player or destined to be a an above average role player then yeah, it might harm your development.

The cream rises the top, always.

[ItsDanger]

Tanking isn't necessarily bad for development (I prefer the term rebuild). We would be adding another high usage player in trades at least. Plus the draft. This new core would grow together not worrying about contract status and who's going to get votes for all star games and all nba lists. Obviously if you get too many non team players that just chuck constantly and play no defense, its going to be rough.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Best option to me is moving forward with OG-Barnes-Jak and two young guards. It's not a full tank because that team is still a .350 team probably. If we get the right young players in here to form our backcourt then we can grow with OG-Barnes-Jak pretty quickly. If we were to blow it up entirely we become a .200 team and it will take aeons to compete again.

I think no matter what teams that have a good mix of some vets with young players will always be in a better place in terms of development than teams comprised of almost all youngsters. It's always a good idea to mix both.

[OakleyDokely]

The bigger issue is with a complete tank job is having your quality players bolt or ask for trades. Modern day players aren't going to wait years for you to get your act together.

[Ell Curry]

https://theathletic.com/4382121/2023/04/06/bobi-klintman-nba-draft/

I'd never heard of this kid but: 6'10, grew up playing soccer and can hit the 3 and pass. Seems unlikely he goes as high as our pick, but if we trade down or end up with a late first or early 2nd, it's easy to hear his name being called and everyone going "what?", right?

I mentioned him earlier. He’s not ready yet. He can be a lottery pick in 2024.

Most guys mooted as lottery picks the next year end up coming out, though, right? Pacers can promise him #29, their 3rd first rounder, as a high upside forward like him makes a ton of sense for them with their Haliburton-Mathurin-___-___-Turner lineup.

[WuTang_CMB]

We aren't tanking next season. We had a subpar year but now need to hit on this pick. Lots of other work to do on the roster but doing a firesale isn't in the cards.

[Yallbecrazy]

Those who want Hawkins, why? Podziemski seems quite superior as a prospect.
He's a better athlete, defender, vastly superior rebounder, significantly better passer, better around the rim, has a floater, 10 months younger, better passer...not quite the shooter, but not far off.

Different type of players but same height and position. Hawkins is a better athlete - always in motion, he likes to attack the rim but Podz seems better than him in a lot of categories.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=NoCeilingsNBA

Watch on YouTube

Podz finishes better at the rim, rebounds better, gets more steals so I think he might be the better athlete, but it doesn't really matter.

I noticed Podz has a very low release on his jumper, it's very quick, but low. I'm not sure how much of an issue that would be vs longer defenders in the NBA, or even small quick guys that can get up in his face, as he is very crafty and adept at creating space for him to get that shot off.