The Official 2023 Draft Thread

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The piece I link to below is super interesting -- & even the comment thread below the article is filled with interesting stuff!

https://theathletic.com/4622872/2023/06/20/washington-wizards-draft-preview/

[FAH1223]

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[closg00]

Re Utah looking to jump a couple of spots to get Black, how-many spots did we drop in the draft due to the stupid wins at the end of the season?

[gambitx777]

Hot take. I'm not really big on Tristan Vukcevic. I wouldn't be mad but I just don't see it in the numbers. The advanced stats like him but I just don't like what I'm seeing. I don't see the handles I don't see the rebounding. I just don't see the scoring potential.


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[FAH1223]

Re Utah looking to jump a couple of spots to get Black, how-many spots did we drop in the draft due to the stupid wins at the end of the season?

Just needed to lose one more to be lower than Indiana

Lose 2 more to be tied with Portland

[Dat2U]

KOC

KOC keeps pushing Kobe Bufkin. I don't quite get the huge upside there but if there is no Thompson, I guess getting a Tyrese Maxey-type isn't the worst thing at No. 8.

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/mock-draft

Terrible value. Maxey was a better athlete (build + first step) and while Bufkin looks solid, you cant take him in the top 10 as a rebuilding team.

We need to keep CP3 until the deadline, trade Morris, and draft Black. If Black can be Lonzo Ball with a Keldon Johnson body/frame... then you have the beginning of a core.

I'm not sure what is the determining factor used to say you can draft Anthony Black in the top 10 but not Kobe Bufkin. One guy is a 3-level scorer and it isn't Black.

[NatP4]

Nadir Hifi- french kid 20 . Has put up good numbers in 30 some games this season. Looks really decent I'd take him with 57 all day over some of the older dime a dozen college Sr guys you can get as an UDFA.

Terquavion Smith and Emoni Bates look like boom or bust second round picks that could pay off but might just not have that it to propem their huge talent.

Some under 20 year olds that should be available after 40 that have talent and athletic ability but don't have the numbers.

Amari Bailey, Julian Phillips, Jordan Walsh Alex Fudge, Charles Bediako, Chris Livingston, Jazian Gortman.

All these guys should be available after 40
Do we go for youth and up side of do we go for 22-23 year old Sr?

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Yeah Hifi seems to be flying under the radar. He’s played in the French pro league for a couple years now.

20 points on 59% TS at 20 years old in a good professional league. Gotta be worth a late 2nd. Probably a stash guy that will be playing for Paris against great competition. Can see him being a quality combo guard off the bench.

[NatP4]

Podziemski is way better than Bufkin.

[TGW]

I'll repeat: YODA had Bufkin as a late first/second round prospect. I agree.

His numbers, despite big minutes, are pedestrian at best. Black was even worse from a production standpoint. Ton of minutes, nothing to show except a lot of free throw attemps (which he hit at only a 70% clip). Neither of them jump off the page from an anthro perspective.

I'm on-board with all the french prospects. If your name is french, draft him. Let's become les wizards.

[gambitx777]

I'll repeat: YODA had Bufkin as a late first/second round prospect. I agree.

His numbers, despite big minutes, are pedestrian at best. Black was even worse from a production standpoint. Ton of minutes, nothing to show except a lot of free throw attemps (which he hit at only a 70% clip). Neither of them jump off the page from an anthro perspective.

I'm on-board with all the french prospects. If your name is french, draft him. Let's become les wizards.

I would rather draft Amari Bailey or Terquavion Smith in the second round that touch buffkin in the top ten.

I think if the draft happens today and we do get 52 form.the suns in the final deal

#8 Bilal
#42 Tristan Vukcevic/Terquavion Smith/Amari Bailey
#52Terquavion Smith/Amari Bailey
#59(57) Nadir Hifi

I think Bilal is the best wing prospect in the draft. I don't think we even consider some one else at this point. Because he should be in conversation with miller and scoot but he was over shadowed and under the radar.

I'm not a fan of Vulcevic, I don't see it but at 42 if he is there we need more big man depth so run it. If not I have smith and baily identified as two of the better guard wing prospects under 20 that will be in the second round. Smith is not efficient at all but he is a bucket and he isn't lazy, he is a very good passer and ball handler for someone who is billed as a chucker volume guy. Bailey is green but efficient and his numbers are good , very promising. Hifi is putting up solid numbers and good defence in a really good French pro league and is 20. I think if we walk away with 4 of these 5 guys it's. Good draft.

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[Jay81]

I'll repeat: YODA had Bufkin as a late first/second round prospect. I agree.

His numbers, despite big minutes, are pedestrian at best. Black was even worse from a production standpoint. Ton of minutes, nothing to show except a lot of free throw attemps (which he hit at only a 70% clip). Neither of them jump off the page from an anthro perspective.

I'm on-board with all the french prospects. If your name is french, draft him. Let's become les wizards.

what about Bufkins numbers last 6 weeks of the season---thats the main focus

[NatP4]

Think we end up with 30 from LAC and 52 from Phoenix.

8: Bilal
30: Podziemski (if he’s not there, gotta trade up)
42: Sidy Cissoko
52: Vukcevic? Sanogo? Pickett?
57: Nadir Hifi

[gambitx777]

I like this hifi kid. The more tape I watch on this kid the more I see like a prime healthy Jarret jack plus. Like good starter 12-15 PPG 4-7 assists. A good quality guard.

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[DCZards]

KOC

Terrible value. Maxey was a better athlete (build + first step) and while Bufkin looks solid, you cant take him in the top 10 as a rebuilding team.

We need to keep CP3 until the deadline, trade Morris, and draft Black. If Black can be Lonzo Ball with a Keldon Johnson body/frame... then you have the beginning of a core.

I'm not sure what is the determining factor used to say you can draft Anthony Black in the top 10 but not Kobe Bufkin. One guy is a 3-level scorer and it isn't Black.

I’m gonna check out Bufkin before I comment on him.

But the fact that he’s a better scorer than Black doesn’t move the needle for me given Black’s smarts and vision, his strengths as a passer and playmaker, and his ability to guard multiple positions.

[80sballboy]

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[gambitx777]

KOC

I'm not sure what is the determining factor used to say you can draft Anthony Black in the top 10 but not Kobe Bufkin. One guy is a 3-level scorer and it isn't Black.

I’m gonna check out Bufkin before I comment on him.

But the fact that he’s a better scorer than Black doesn’t move the needle for me given Black’s smarts and vision, his strengths as a passer and playmaker, and his ability to guard multiple positions.

I wouldn't take black in the top ten either considering I look as him as the next Dante Exum .

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[closg00]

Re Utah looking to jump a couple of spots to get Black, how-many spots did we drop in the draft due to the stupid wins at the end of the season?

Just needed to lose one more to be lower than Indiana

Lose 2 more to be tied with Portland

[Dat2U]

I'll repeat: YODA had Bufkin as a late first/second round prospect. I agree.

His numbers, despite big minutes, are pedestrian at best. Black was even worse from a production standpoint. Ton of minutes, nothing to show except a lot of free throw attemps (which he hit at only a 70% clip). Neither of them jump off the page from an anthro perspective.

I'm on-board with all the french prospects. If your name is french, draft him. Let's become les wizards.

Kev is my guy and I like YODA but its not a perfect tool. Nothing is. No one is. Its just another useful resource.

[payitforward]

Off the numbers I do't understand the interest in Kobe Bufkin.

I'm starting to hate our spot in this draft. Unless one of the Thompson twins falls to us or we have the balls to roll the dice on Coulabilly, I'd love to trade down with Brooklyn.

I'd take their 21, 22 & 51 for our 8 with pleasure.

21, 22: Take two of Noah Clowney, Cissoko, Nnaji, Murray, T-J D, & Podziemski.

At 42 I might go for Amari Bailey just on his upside. If he's gone, then oh H#ll let's give Emoni Bates a shot!

Kobe Brown at 51, his teammate D'Moi Hodge at 56.

Then, undrafted, I'm taking Jalen Slawson -- gonna be an NBA player I'm pretty sure. Check him out:

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Took me a while, but I finally got my preferred number of 6 rookies!