Draft Watch 2018 Grizzlies Draft

[VCfor3]

Seeing as we currently are on track for a top pick, I felt this thread was appropriate.

We will have to see what happens when Reke comes back, and with our luck we will go on a run to end the season, but our chances at a potential stud rookie look decent. If we end up with the top pick, who do you hope we get?

I think I prefer Doncic over Ayton just because Doncic supposedly loves the game and competes night in and night out. Ayton has questions about his motor but is a beast when dialed in. Doncic also could slot in with Conley and Marc where as Ayton would be behind Marc.

[bwgood77]

Bagley does seem like he'd be a good fit next to Gasol, particularly since Gasol can play away from the basket quite a bit. Porter seems like a decent pick too.

[VCfor3]

Bagley does seem like he'd be a good fit next to Gasol, particularly since Gasol can play away from the basket quite a bit. Porter seems like a decent pick too.

Agreed. I wonder how the Grizzlies see Green (is he a long term piece or not). The two barely came to terms on his two year contract and it was due to him being a RFA. If they see him as someone they want moving forward it would make Bagley a little harder to pick. What the Grizzlies need to do is take the BPA but I just don't know what their thought process is.

I feel like some combination of Ayton, Bagley, and Doncic are their top three choices with Porter at 4 if he looks healthy at workouts. I think JJJ will be good, but he would be just a better Green for our team thus not improving us as much as other prospects probably would. Young could be a decent pick since the Grizzlies could draft him as Conley's backup (though Harrison and Kobi Simmons (2-way) have been playing fairly well of late). Bamba seems like he should be low on our big board but who knows. He seems like a better Deyonta Davis. Defensive specialist whose offense will involve the 5ft around the goal.

So best guess at the FO big board:
Doncic
Ayton
Bagley
Porter
Jackson
Young
Bamba
With the Bridges and maybe Carter potentially being ahead of Bamba and Young and Jackson being a toss up. I also don't know how our FO feels about foreign prospects so I could be totally off on Doncic, but seeing as he fills a hole and is one of the most NBA ready prospects I feel decent about the FO being high on him.

[wco81]

Seems like the Grizzlies have to decide if they will use this pick to start a new core or to complement Gasol and Conley or something in between.

If they draft someone like Ayton, they would be getting someone who could potentially take over for Gasol, who's 33, within a couple of seasons.

Conley isn't that young either as he will turn 31 around the start of next season.

Grizzlies may be tanking on purpose but that Charlotte game may be a sign that the team is further from a return to the playoffs than they'd like to admit. Sure with Conley and Gasol playing all next season, it's not inconceivable that they could win 45-50 games and make the playoffs.

But what would be the better course, to make the playoffs but unlikely to make a deep run or get another high lottery pick next year as well?

Gasol and Conley's prime seasons are running out so it's tough to say that they should be aiming for a full rebuild over the next couple of seasons.

[JMac1]

I think your board is the same as ours. I think the first few picks have to be BPA regardless of need and go from there.

[VCfor3]

Seems like the Grizzlies have to decide if they will use this pick to start a new core or to complement Gasol and Conley or something in between.

If they draft someone like Ayton, they would be getting someone who could potentially take over for Gasol, who's 33, within a couple of seasons.

Conley isn't that young either as he will turn 31 around the start of next season.

Grizzlies may be tanking on purpose but that Charlotte game may be a sign that the team is further from a return to the playoffs than they'd like to admit. Sure with Conley and Gasol playing all next season, it's not inconceivable that they could win 45-50 games and make the playoffs.

But what would be the better course, to make the playoffs but unlikely to make a deep run or get another high lottery pick next year as well?

Gasol and Conley's prime seasons are running out so it's tough to say that they should be aiming for a full rebuild over the next couple of seasons.

That is indeed the decision they have to make. I think Memphis owing a pick to Boston is a large factor though. Memphis fans know that if we come back healthy next year we are at best a first round out and the Charlotte game reinforced that. My best guess is that Memphis will attempt to be competitive next season just to clear that pick and then open them up to tanking properly. At least that way you can watch decent-ish basketball while not having hope in the draft. If we embrace the tank now we will set ourselves up to have a really bad season in the next couple years and not get any draft pick to compensate for the suck.

[wco81]

Ah I didn't know about not having a pick next year.

Ideally they could trade Gasol or Conley or both for picks. Even non lottery or second round picks could become rotation players. Checked awhile back and Dillon Brooks had decent shooting numbers so he could develop into a starter.

But once you get past next year, would the fan base support a tank for a couple of seasons?

[VCfor3]

Ah I didn't know about not having a pick next year.

Ideally they could trade Gasol or Conley or both for picks. Even non lottery or second round picks could become rotation players. Checked awhile back and Dillon Brooks had decent shooting numbers so he could develop into a starter.

But once you get past next year, would the fan base support a tank for a couple of seasons?

I think so purely for the fact that we all know it is coming and don't see any alternative. University of Memphis basketball just hired Penny Hardaway so the people of Memphis will rally behind him as we tank so at least we should still see competitive basketball. I don't know if that will work out good or bad for Memphis but the Grizzlies get a portion of ticket sales since the Tigers use the Forum for their games. That should keep the fans entertained and the finances passable while the young players mature. If UofM gets good though it may be tough for the Grizzlies to win the fans back.

As for Conley and Gasol I just don't know what kind of return we'd be able to get. If a solid offer is available we should take it, but I just don't really see a team giving us much. Conley is going to be seen as a negative contract so letting him lead the young guys isn't a bad idea. Gasol is positive but I haven't really seen an offer proposed that would entice the grizzlies too much. They may have better luck when he is an expiring. The receiving team would have to have a commitment for Gasol to resign, but they could get some salary relief after resigning Gasol to a reasonable deal.

Brooks has been one of the few bright spots this season. He should be a good bench player on a competitive Grizzlies team next season and will likely develop into a decent starter. We have youth on our team, but he is the only one that I could see developing into a starter. Seldon is up and down but I think will likely just be a bench player in the future.

[bobobolas10]

If I were to join the league, id choose starting in a team as the grizzs, with Gasol and Conley as mentors. I believe they both can adapt to the game of a future allstar. So... The grizzs will pick the best player available at the time it is their turn.

Cant say a lot of the other players but Ive watched a lot of Doncic since I live in Spain at the moment. He is a safe option. He can help since day1. Dont want no Hasheem Thabeet no more. Please, thats all I ask. Since Mike in 2007, we havent had a decent player from the draft. Well, Dillon Brooks will be best ever since I believe.

[wco81]

Doncic looks great but Orlando got burned on Mario Hezonja.

He's being touted as a superstar, at the top of the draft. If he merely turns out to be a "good" player, it will be a big squandered opportunity.

[VCfor3]

Doncic looks great but Orlando got burned on Mario Hezonja.

He's being touted as a superstar, at the top of the draft. If he merely turns out to be a "good" player, it will be a big squandered opportunity.

Every player is a gamble though. Doncic could be yet another Euro bust. Ayton has motor questions. Bagley may not have the physical chops to play center and his rim protection was suspect. JJJ disappeared in games. Bamba may never get a real offensive game. Young may never be able to play defense and be Troy Daniels-esque. Porter has a ton of potential but has proven very little and may be hampered by his injury moving forward. I honestly have no idea who will end up being the best of this bunch, but I still think Doncic is my preferred choice though anyone arguing for any of the 7 have valid arguments.

[SD2042]

Doncic looks great but Orlando got burned on Mario Hezonja.

He's being touted as a superstar, at the top of the draft. If he merely turns out to be a "good" player, it will be a big squandered opportunity.

I won't lie, I have my questions about Doncic. In terms of his motor and how and if he'll be able to adjust to the speed of the league itself. When you mentioned Mario Hezonja, for him it has taken time for him to develop some semblance of a game. I wasn't on the Hezonja at the time the Magic drafted him. As he has improve somewhat, it makes me question the timing as he's in a contract year. Because two out of the three seasons he's played for them hasn't been good. Then again playing for a team with revolving coaches doesn't help the player's cause neither.

[wco81]

I'm not saying he can't be a good player but some of the hype is about a generational talent.

But even those who advocate for him say he's average athletically. If he can shoot and make other players better with his passing, he could be like Nash or Curry, who wasn't or aren't elite athletes by NBA standards.

Still, he can be a good starter for a decade or more without being an MVP contender. Grizzlies need infusion of talent.

[VCfor3]

I'm not saying he can't be a good player but some of the hype is about a generational talent.

But even those who advocate for him say he's average athletically. If he can shoot and make other players better with his passing, he could be like Nash or Curry, who wasn't or aren't elite athletes by NBA standards.

Still, he can be a good starter for a decade or more without being an MVP contender. Grizzlies need infusion of talent.

Nash is the comparison I think people like the best. Both Nash and Doncic should be known for their passing. Doncic's shooting is nothing close to Curry though I get you referencing him for his athleticism. I think Doncic will be a decent threat from all three levels though. He needs an NBA workout plan for the summer to work on his lower body and then I'd like to see how his shooting is.

[bobobolas10]

Well, they all are rookies. You can think in all those negatives spect of their games and no one would be drafted. All those players mentioned above might be future stars. Lets think of all those good things they might bright. Who would have thought that Donovan Mitchell could be that good?

[VCfor3]

We have the 4th pick.

My guess is we choose between JJJ and Porter. Ayton, Doncic, and Bagley are likely the three off the board but if one falls I think we'd grab them.

[SD2042]

We have the 4th pick.

My guess is we choose between JJJ and Porter. Ayton, Doncic, and Bagley are likely the three off the board but if one falls I think we'd grab them.

I was not surprise about the result. At this point, I'm thinking of trading down from the pick if the options become available.

[bearadonisdna]

We have the 4th pick.

My guess is we choose between JJJ and Porter. Ayton, Doncic, and Bagley are likely the three off the board but if one falls I think we'd grab them.

I was not surprise about the result. At this point, I'm thinking of trading down from the pick if the options become available.

Would you trade your pick for picks 7 and 22?

[Duke4life831]

We have the 4th pick.

My guess is we choose between JJJ and Porter. Ayton, Doncic, and Bagley are likely the three off the board but if one falls I think we'd grab them.

I think there is a good chance that Bagley is there at #4. He and Collins are very similar players and I dont think they will make the best front court duo. I wouldnt be shocked if ATL views JJJ and Bagley as equal prospects that they would take JJJ because of the better fit. I definitely dont think you draft for fit this high, but if you have 2 guys pretty even, I think that is when fit plays a part.

[BarbaGrizz]

Yesterday was a sad day, I had real high hopes of us getting Doncic. I would try my best to trade for #2, which obviously will not be possible, so I would take however lefts between Bagley and Porter.