2019 NBA Draft thread

[jambalaya]

Horton-Tucker probably wants to be like Harden. Or Barkley. He is probably more like a poor man's DeRozan.

He would make little sense on a win now with current design Thunder. Maybe if he replaced Ferguson or played backup SF but I don't see better than meh results in year 1. More likely less.

Other sources say his defense sucks.

Could he play PF? I would think about that.

I dunno if he'll develop and make sense in NBA long-term (would need to get a better feel for him as a person) but he probably makes more sense as a basement team flyer than a rotation add to a good team.

[jambalaya]

I doubt the Thunder would actually try and succeed in getting into top 5 of draft.

Could they get up enough to get Doumbouya? That might be worth the risk. I dunno how high you will have to go to do that. I doubt I'd try that hard to trade up for anybody else. Maybe Coby White.

[ThunderBolt]

This would be more than ok with me.
https://www.si.com/nba/2019/06/17/nba-mock-draft-anthony-davis-trade-zion-williamson-ja-morant-rj-barrett-jarrett-culver-pelicans-grizzlies-knicks-lakers

[Kizz Fastfists]

Could they get up enough to get Doumbouya? That might be worth the risk. I dunno how high you will have to go to do that. I doubt I'd try that hard to trade up for anybody else. Maybe Coby White.

No. Doumbouya goes in the top 8 and OKC isn't getting into the top 10 unless they are trading PG.

[spearsy23]

This would be more than ok with me.
https://www.si.com/nba/2019/06/17/nba-mock-draft-anthony-davis-trade-zion-williamson-ja-morant-rj-barrett-jarrett-culver-pelicans-grizzlies-knicks-lakers

PJIII v2.0

[Balkman32]

The #23 pick in the draft Darius Bazley. Here is a nice little read on the newest member of the Thunder.

https://nypost.com/2019/06/19/inside-darius-bazleys-year-off-that-turned-him-into-nba-draft-mystery/

[hardenASG13]

Loving the bazely pick the more I watch him. He’d almost definitely have been a lotto pick if he played in college. He’s a big time finisher in transition, has moves off the dribble and looks like he could guard wings and stretch 4s. Should almost immediately pass Roberson and Patterson in the rotation, looks ready for 15 min a night out of the gate to me.

[slick_watts]

Loving the bazely pick the more I watch him. He’d almost definitely have been a lotto pick if he played in college. He’s a big time finisher in transition, has moves off the dribble and looks like he could guard wings and stretch 4s. Should almost immediately pass Roberson and Patterson in the rotation, looks ready for 15 min a night out of the gate to me.

the 19 year old who hasn't played competitively in a year is ready for 15 minutes per game in the nba huh. maybe westbrook should go intern at FILA for a season and come back-- he'd win another mvp.

[spearsy23]

Loving the bazely pick the more I watch him. He’d almost definitely have been a lotto pick if he played in college. He’s a big time finisher in transition, has moves off the dribble and looks like he could guard wings and stretch 4s. Should almost immediately pass Roberson and Patterson in the rotation, looks ready for 15 min a night out of the gate to me.

the 19 year old who hasn't played competitively in a year is ready for 15 minutes per game in the nba huh. maybe westbrook should go intern at FILA for a season and come back-- he'd win another mvp.

To be fair, assuming we don't make any upgrades (and Roberson doesn't make a miraculous recovery), all he has to do is be better than Nader, which is possible.

[hardenASG13]

Loving the bazely pick the more I watch him. He’d almost definitely have been a lotto pick if he played in college. He’s a big time finisher in transition, has moves off the dribble and looks like he could guard wings and stretch 4s. Should almost immediately pass Roberson and Patterson in the rotation, looks ready for 15 min a night out of the gate to me.

the 19 year old who hasn't played competitively in a year is ready for 15 minutes per game in the nba huh. maybe westbrook should go intern at FILA for a season and come back-- he'd win another mvp.

Yea, no 19 year olds have come in ready to play 15 mpg in the last few years.....oh wait, a bunch have!

[ThunderBolt]

Loving the bazely pick the more I watch him. He’d almost definitely have been a lotto pick if he played in college. He’s a big time finisher in transition, has moves off the dribble and looks like he could guard wings and stretch 4s. Should almost immediately pass Roberson and Patterson in the rotation, looks ready for 15 min a night out of the gate to me.

Where are you finding video of Bazley? There's virtually nothing available excepts a few videos on twitter and you tube that look like they were filmed with a flip phone.

[acheema0]

Loving the bazely pick the more I watch him. He’d almost definitely have been a lotto pick if he played in college. He’s a big time finisher in transition, has moves off the dribble and looks like he could guard wings and stretch 4s. Should almost immediately pass Roberson and Patterson in the rotation, looks ready for 15 min a night out of the gate to me.

Where are you finding video of Bazley? There's virtually nothing available excepts a few videos on twitter and you tube that look like they were filmed with a flip phone.

Maybe he watched the same 39 second video clip 100 times.

[hardenASG13]

Loving the bazely pick the more I watch him. He’d almost definitely have been a lotto pick if he played in college. He’s a big time finisher in transition, has moves off the dribble and looks like he could guard wings and stretch 4s. Should almost immediately pass Roberson and Patterson in the rotation, looks ready for 15 min a night out of the gate to me.

Where are you finding video of Bazley? There's virtually nothing available excepts a few videos on twitter and you tube that look like they were filmed with a flip phone.

Yea there isn’t a ton outside of draft combine workouts and the McDonald’s all American game. I think he has the size and athleticism that will translate well to the nba. By all accounts he has worked on his weaknesses, shooting, and ball handling, to complement his elite finishing ability and defensive versatility. He was a can’t miss guy coming out of high school, just decided not to let the ncaa exploit him and just worked on refining his game for a year. Looks competent to me to step onto an nba floor, especially compared to some of the scrubs okc rolls out year after year.

[slick_watts]

i've never seen gentler ways of describing a young player taking a year off from basketball. it's interesting how in some contexts the eye test gurus will claim that playing time is most important to a young player's development. yet here we are, extolling the virtues of not engaging in competitive basketball for an entire year and calling it a sound strategy.

[Kizz Fastfists]

It is interesting. I guess since playing time doesn't matter then the development issues of PJ3, Lamb and other former Thunder players that failed to develop had nothing to do with a lack of playing time.

[jambalaya]

Bazely strategy increased chance he'd go in late first and therefore more likely to a good team. But they might have been hoping for a different team.

The Bazely strategy is a lot about Rich Paul and New Balance. They both can benefit big from this strategy. Bazely was their first test, but whether he works out big, they are likely to do it again and again.

For Bazely, he avoided injury risk and possible negative talk from playing against stronger opponents that he might not have been ready for.

Right or wrong, Presti is quite impressed by high school recruiting rank and arrangements that make him look like a different thinker, a sharp.

[PerkinsFor3]

Bazley took a year off from organized basketball, and showed up to the combine at 3.6% bodyfat (2nd lowest measured), 6th OVERALL in shuttle run. And among PF's/C's (incl Grant Williams): 3rd in lane agility, 4th in three quarter sprint, 4th standing vertical, 2nd max vetical.

[ThunderBolt]

Is 3.6% body fat even healthy?

I don't have high expectations for Bazley but the more I've read, the more I understand the pick. Both he and Dort are players that have high ceilings if they develop.

[PerkinsFor3]

Is 3.6% body fat even healthy?

I don't have high expectations for Bazley but the more I've read, the more I understand the pick. Both he and Dort are players that have high ceilings if they develop.

No, and I dont think they measure correctly.

[Andre Roberstan]

Bazely strategy increased chance he'd go in late first and therefore more likely to a good team. But they might have been hoping for a different team.

The Bazely strategy is a lot about Rich Paul and New Balance. They both can benefit big from this strategy. Bazely was their first test, but whether he works out big, they are likely to do it again and again.

For Bazely, he avoided injury risk and possible negative talk from playing against stronger opponents that he might not have been ready for.

Right or wrong, Presti is quite impressed by high school recruiting rank and arrangements that make him look like a different thinker, a sharp.

There are enough Rich Paul clients on the Thunder that I think there may be some sort of relationship there.