2020 Draft

[payitforward]

Thanks, doc -- clear & compelling!

[WizarDynasty]

Here's a question that just occurred to me -- I wonder if anyone has a take on this:

Precious is a very promising player, no question. But, isn't Isaiah Stewart also quite promising?

Both guys are coming out after their Freshman year, but Precious is an "old" Freshman at 21, while Stewart is 19 -- almost 2 full years younger than Achiuwa. Both guys played a lot & put up very good numbers for Freshman. They're both described as stellar athletes as well.

Yet, Achiuwa is routinely mocked between 9-14 (usually closer to 9), while in those same mocks Stewart usually goes somewhere in the late 20's.

I don't have an opinion about this, I'm just interested in anyone's take on why this should be so.

I brought up Stewart as a target. He's one I'm excited about as a sleeper, I'd love to pick up that late 1st to grab him. The distinction between them is role and versatility, upside. Achiuwa has a looseness and ease in his movements, he's fluid laterally and as an all court defender. On defense Achiuwa showed he is playable 3-5, switching on the perimeter and also playing bigger than anticipated on the interior. Versatility nowadays is key in defense and ultimately leads to minutes. Achiuwa has better verticality as well, opening up passing lanes above his head and allowing him to play bigger than he is.

Stewart is big, doesn't have to play bigger than he is. He looks shorter than he is because he has the no neck bulldog build. But his wingspan will show up as if he were 4-5 inches taller. Powerful, strong, significantly energetic. He showed an unmatchable energy level, often being the first down the court even after catching the rebound under the basket. You can't teach energy. Can't teach size. He showed more versatility in his highschool highlights than the role he was asked to play in college, where he was commonly jammed under the basket and double and triple teamed down low. That said he did fine with that. WIth the NBA three second rule he will have to show a little more movement in his polka in the paint, so scouting concerns would be that he has a traditional throwback game only as an interior player without dominating ups.

But as you mention he is young. Young and energetic and powerful with a willingness to work suggests he has not reached his peak. His weight room work has clearly been focused on his upper body, so there is room for improvement in his laterality and footwork, but the desire to work is a talent, and that level of hustle as a baseline suggests his ceiling is higher than he has currently been asked to play. In high school he showed a bit of a face-up game, nice balance and repeatable form on a jumper out to 3pts, and his FT shooting is close to 80%. No matter what though he will have a positive effect on the game, even as a rookie and coming off the bench. He works too hard and is too strong. If he is asked to simply run out there, hustle for rebounds and putbacks, and bang on back ups he will be a load to handle even as a rookie. As his game develops I get the feeling he will earn starters minutes in a 4-5 role. On defense however he will only be asked to defend on the interior or in Pick and Roll D, where Achiuwa seems like he will earn time both switching on the outside and dropping underneath.

So. Defensive versatility distinguishes them.

My main problem with him is he has very poor explosive vertical. He doesn't get off his feet quickly, and he doesn't elevate and get above the rim with his release points. That permanently limits his ceiling. We have seen these players before. Javale McGee, Kevin Seraphin were that last guys that the grunfeld/shepherd office fell in love with. He had the same problems, could not elevate quickly and definitely didn't have not have 30 inch vertical.
Getting a big with 30 inch vertical bare minimum, with very little load time, light on feet, bulk and 9'2 standing reach are... the type of players that you stock pile on. Guys who are pulling themselves on the rim when they dunk..is a huge red flag.

Quick twitch vertical is something that you can't teach, and unfortunately, Isaiah was not born with it. If everybody was born with, then elite nba players would not make millions of dollars.

[payitforward]

Here's a question that just occurred to me -- I wonder if anyone has a take on this:

Precious is a very promising player, no question. But, isn't Isaiah Stewart also quite promising?

Both guys are coming out after their Freshman year, but Precious is an "old" Freshman at 21, while Stewart is 19 -- almost 2 full years younger than Achiuwa. Both guys played a lot & put up very good numbers for Freshman. They're both described as stellar athletes as well.

Yet, Achiuwa is routinely mocked between 9-14 (usually closer to 9), while in those same mocks Stewart usually goes somewhere in the late 20's.

I don't have an opinion about this, I'm just interested in anyone's take on why this should be so.

Isaiah Stewart has alot of potential if matched with the right trainers. He is poor and maintaining a strong hip bend for extended periods of time, and loses control of his body. He doesn't have strong feet. And he is vertically challenged. He has similar traits to Okongwu in that he plays below the rim. He does alot of pulling himself up on the rim when he dunks. His low release point will be easily challenged when he goes against defenders in the nba with length, just like Okongwu.
He doesn't have elite first step and hip bend to rely in order to blow past defenders like Achiuwa. and like Okongwu, he shows no ability to be able to shoot off the dribble against slow footed bigs and get them in foul trouble.
If you have specialist to train him for about 3 years, you might be able to develop his leaping skills, his foot strength, his hip bend stamina, his explosiveness off one foot.
He has nice frame to bang inside, looks like good length based how close his hands are to the net when jumping for rebounds. He just doesn't have explosive bounce. He is like wiseman, they need alot of load time when they jump.
They don't explode off the floor quickly kenyon martin, bam, or kevin garnett, anthony davis, --and if you have a standing reach of 9'2. you only need to having a standing vertical or 2 feet or 24 inches to be well above the rim, if you pay attention to his second jump the guy barely gets off the ground, His second quick twitch vertical is like 8 or 9 inches. Really bad.

just start paying attention to how far a guy gets off the ground and how quickly he gets off the ground on second jumps for rebounds.
When you see him jump for dunks, he has to really load hard, and when he does jump he barely gets over the rim lol. I mean, I can't dunk, but for a elite nba player that gets paid millions, this is something you need badly.

just look at 4:30 of video.
https://youtu.be/OCpKDVzWa-E?t=270
3:22 Okongwu video.
His effective vertical is like 10 inches. Look at his shoot compared to the player that is guarding him socks. It's like 10 inches high.
Okongwu does not have explosive quick twitch vertical. His quick twitch vertical is like 15 inches max. An elite player when fully extended with a quick twitch vertical is unguardable, and his release is well above the rim and shooting downward.
so pay attention to quick twitch vertical. You can look at how high the players feet are on quick twitch move to get an idea of how explosive is he. the farther off the ground he gets quickly when doing a move, the higher his draft stock. I told you guys that Okongwu has heavy feet, and you can see it when he runs down the court. That quick rise, especially if you are undersized like he is, is what allows you to reliably get your shot off against length. 3:16 mark in video.
https://youtu.be/l1M1ybiTRPk?t=196
1:36 jumping off one foot after a move, and hip bend. https://youtu.be/T1iR1ncNTfM?t=96

These are the topic points i would like you guys to analyze draft prospect with and maybe you might find that Jokic in europe or not over look guys like Siakam.

Great stuff, WD. & a great point about how powerful these numbers (&, even more, the perspective behind the numbers) are as predictive, analytic tools.

Say more about Jokic, if you can take the time -- interesting case.

[doclinkin]

Isaiah Stewart has alot of potential if matched with the right trainers. He is poor and maintaining a strong hip bend for extended periods of time, and loses control of his body. He doesn't have strong feet. And he is vertically challenged.

Okay fine, I always get dragged into the anthropometrics conversation w th WizNasty. (I am curious when 'bowlegged' changed to 'hip bend'. Are we now in the hip bend era?)

But okay: The league has seen players with his build succeed as defenders and rebounders precisely because they don't have to jump to defend. Think about guys like Draymond and Paul Millsapp. Players who have a thick trunk but long arms. Much of defense is positioning, getting to your spot on the floor and preventing a guy from getting past or through you. Everybody has to land, even the high flying jumpers. Guys who are tough to move and who people bounce off of tend to get more rebounds even than those who can teabag you with flying jumps. Especially if they have the long arms to secure a board within their radius of reach.

I agree with you that Stewart needs a trainer for his footwork. But a high energy Big is a rare player. He will improve simply because he will work and his body should have the capacity to take the work. The only body issue I have concerns about right now are his knees. I would want him with a trainer ASAP who can work on functional supporting strength on his lower body, since they are taking a ton of force with how hard he runs. The fact that in high school he played more above the rim makes me think he is emphasizing the wrong thing in the weight room. Top heavy strength will work against the health of his lower body. I'd work on his legs base and core first, and his footwork in the post. Add a jumper and boom, solid power 4 who ruins back-ups coming off the bench. Contests for starters minutes. Plays in late games anyway due to defense.

[nate33]

BTW, we dont get back into it on Maxey, but I urge you to reconsider before its too late to get on the train

Here is his and Edwards workout last night... Im sold and have been. Im buying his defense, shot, and overall scoring prowess. As for the intangibles... Off the charts
Guy is a DOG. Up before 5am and busting ass. All of here have watched enough sports know that work ethic and ability to up their game when the lights are on are two attributes that truly make professionals. He locks himself in the gym on off days, and competes every minute on game days.

Somebody gets a steal in the 15-20 range on him.... Sig it.

Maxey was brought up in the Chad Ford/John Hollinger podcast.

Chad thinks he moved up because lots of GM's have noted that Kentucky shooting guards often don't get much opportunity in college to show their skills and end up surprising to the upside when they get in the NBA (think Devon Booker, Jamaal Murray, Tyler Herro). Hollinger poo-pooed the idea, saying that Maxey got all the opportunity he needed this year, but only showed that he's a 6-3 shooting guard who can't shoot.

[nate33]

Top heavy strength will work against the health of his lower body. I'd work on his legs base and core first, and his footwork in the post. Add a jumper and boom, solid power 4 who ruins back-ups coming off the bench. Contests for starters minutes. Plays in late games anyway due to defense.

Hollinger remarked that he is disappointed that the combine stopped doing the bench press test. Hollinger liked it because it was inversely correlated with NBA success. The better your bench, the worse you were as an NBA prospect!

[Ruzious]

Here's a question that just occurred to me -- I wonder if anyone has a take on this:

Precious is a very promising player, no question. But, isn't Isaiah Stewart also quite promising?

Both guys are coming out after their Freshman year, but Precious is an "old" Freshman at 21, while Stewart is 19 -- almost 2 full years younger than Achiuwa. Both guys played a lot & put up very good numbers for Freshman. They're both described as stellar athletes as well.

Yet, Achiuwa is routinely mocked between 9-14 (usually closer to 9), while in those same mocks Stewart usually goes somewhere in the late 20's.

I don't have an opinion about this, I'm just interested in anyone's take on why this should be so.

Isaiah Stewart has alot of potential if matched with the right trainers. He is poor and maintaining a strong hip bend for extended periods of time, and loses control of his body. He doesn't have strong feet. And he is vertically challenged. He has similar traits to Okongwu in that he plays below the rim. He does alot of pulling himself up on the rim when he dunks. His low release point will be easily challenged when he goes against defenders in the nba with length, just like Okongwu.
He doesn't have elite first step and hip bend to rely in order to blow past defenders like Achiuwa. and like Okongwu, he shows no ability to be able to shoot off the dribble against slow footed bigs and get them in foul trouble.
If you have specialist to train him for about 3 years, you might be able to develop his leaping skills, his foot strength, his hip bend stamina, his explosiveness off one foot.
He has nice frame to bang inside, looks like good length based how close his hands are to the net when jumping for rebounds. He just doesn't have explosive bounce. He is like wiseman, they need alot of load time when they jump.
They don't explode off the floor quickly kenyon martin, bam, or kevin garnett, anthony davis, --and if you have a standing reach of 9'2. you only need to having a standing vertical or 2 feet or 24 inches to be well above the rim, if you pay attention to his second jump the guy barely gets off the ground, His second quick twitch vertical is like 8 or 9 inches. Really bad.

just start paying attention to how far a guy gets off the ground and how quickly he gets off the ground on second jumps for rebounds.
When you see him jump for dunks, he has to really load hard, and when he does jump he barely gets over the rim lol. I mean, I can't dunk, but for a elite nba player that gets paid millions, this is something you need badly.

just look at 4:30 of video.
https://youtu.be/OCpKDVzWa-E?t=270
3:22 Okongwu video.
His effective vertical is like 10 inches. Look at his shoot compared to the player that is guarding him socks. It's like 10 inches high.
Okongwu does not have explosive quick twitch vertical. His quick twitch vertical is like 15 inches max. An elite player when fully extended with a quick twitch vertical is unguardable, and his release is well above the rim and shooting downward.
so pay attention to quick twitch vertical. You can look at how high the players feet are on quick twitch move to get an idea of how explosive is he. the farther off the ground he gets quickly when doing a move, the higher his draft stock. I told you guys that Okongwu has heavy feet, and you can see it when he runs down the court. That quick rise, especially if you are undersized like he is, is what allows you to reliably get your shot off against length. 3:16 mark in video.
https://youtu.be/l1M1ybiTRPk?t=196
1:36 jumping off one foot after a move, and hip bend. https://youtu.be/T1iR1ncNTfM?t=96

These are the topic points i would like you guys to analyze draft prospect with and maybe you might find that Jokic in europe or not over look guys like Siakam.

Gotta keep things in context. That 3:16 non-biblical mark in the video is right after he made a full 360 spin move. Just the fact that he's able to do that as a freshman is worth noting.

[WizarDynasty]

Here's a question that just occurred to me -- I wonder if anyone has a take on this:

Precious is a very promising player, no question. But, isn't Isaiah Stewart also quite promising?

Both guys are coming out after their Freshman year, but Precious is an "old" Freshman at 21, while Stewart is 19 -- almost 2 full years younger than Achiuwa. Both guys played a lot & put up very good numbers for Freshman. They're both described as stellar athletes as well.

Yet, Achiuwa is routinely mocked between 9-14 (usually closer to 9), while in those same mocks Stewart usually goes somewhere in the late 20's.

I don't have an opinion about this, I'm just interested in anyone's take on why this should be so.

Isaiah Stewart has alot of potential if matched with the right trainers. He is poor and maintaining a strong hip bend for extended periods of time, and loses control of his body. He doesn't have strong feet. And he is vertically challenged. He has similar traits to Okongwu in that he plays below the rim. He does alot of pulling himself up on the rim when he dunks. His low release point will be easily challenged when he goes against defenders in the nba with length, just like Okongwu.
He doesn't have elite first step and hip bend to rely in order to blow past defenders like Achiuwa. and like Okongwu, he shows no ability to be able to shoot off the dribble against slow footed bigs and get them in foul trouble.
If you have specialist to train him for about 3 years, you might be able to develop his leaping skills, his foot strength, his hip bend stamina, his explosiveness off one foot.
He has nice frame to bang inside, looks like good length based how close his hands are to the net when jumping for rebounds. He just doesn't have explosive bounce. He is like wiseman, they need alot of load time when they jump.
They don't explode off the floor quickly kenyon martin, bam, or kevin garnett, anthony davis, --and if you have a standing reach of 9'2. you only need to having a standing vertical or 2 feet or 24 inches to be well above the rim, if you pay attention to his second jump the guy barely gets off the ground, His second quick twitch vertical is like 8 or 9 inches. Really bad.

just start paying attention to how far a guy gets off the ground and how quickly he gets off the ground on second jumps for rebounds.
When you see him jump for dunks, he has to really load hard, and when he does jump he barely gets over the rim lol. I mean, I can't dunk, but for a elite nba player that gets paid millions, this is something you need badly.

just look at 4:30 of video.
https://youtu.be/OCpKDVzWa-E?t=270
3:22 Okongwu video.
His effective vertical is like 10 inches. Look at his shoot compared to the player that is guarding him socks. It's like 10 inches high.
Okongwu does not have explosive quick twitch vertical. His quick twitch vertical is like 15 inches max. An elite player when fully extended with a quick twitch vertical is unguardable, and his release is well above the rim and shooting downward.
so pay attention to quick twitch vertical. You can look at how high the players feet are on quick twitch move to get an idea of how explosive is he. the farther off the ground he gets quickly when doing a move, the higher his draft stock. I told you guys that Okongwu has heavy feet, and you can see it when he runs down the court. That quick rise, especially if you are undersized like he is, is what allows you to reliably get your shot off against length. 3:16 mark in video.
https://youtu.be/l1M1ybiTRPk?t=196
1:36 jumping off one foot after a move, and hip bend. https://youtu.be/T1iR1ncNTfM?t=96

These are the topic points i would like you guys to analyze draft prospect with and maybe you might find that Jokic in europe or not over look guys like Siakam.

Gotta keep things in context. That 3:16 non-biblical mark in the video is right after he made a full 360 spin move. Just the fact that he's able to do that as a freshman is worth noting.

Quickly elevating on your vertical and getting massive height is far more important for a big than spinning 360.

[Ruzious]

Isaiah Stewart has alot of potential if matched with the right trainers. He is poor and maintaining a strong hip bend for extended periods of time, and loses control of his body. He doesn't have strong feet. And he is vertically challenged. He has similar traits to Okongwu in that he plays below the rim. He does alot of pulling himself up on the rim when he dunks. His low release point will be easily challenged when he goes against defenders in the nba with length, just like Okongwu.
He doesn't have elite first step and hip bend to rely in order to blow past defenders like Achiuwa. and like Okongwu, he shows no ability to be able to shoot off the dribble against slow footed bigs and get them in foul trouble.
If you have specialist to train him for about 3 years, you might be able to develop his leaping skills, his foot strength, his hip bend stamina, his explosiveness off one foot.
He has nice frame to bang inside, looks like good length based how close his hands are to the net when jumping for rebounds. He just doesn't have explosive bounce. He is like wiseman, they need alot of load time when they jump.
They don't explode off the floor quickly kenyon martin, bam, or kevin garnett, anthony davis, --and if you have a standing reach of 9'2. you only need to having a standing vertical or 2 feet or 24 inches to be well above the rim, if you pay attention to his second jump the guy barely gets off the ground, His second quick twitch vertical is like 8 or 9 inches. Really bad.

just start paying attention to how far a guy gets off the ground and how quickly he gets off the ground on second jumps for rebounds.
When you see him jump for dunks, he has to really load hard, and when he does jump he barely gets over the rim lol. I mean, I can't dunk, but for a elite nba player that gets paid millions, this is something you need badly.

just look at 4:30 of video.
https://youtu.be/OCpKDVzWa-E?t=270
3:22 Okongwu video.
His effective vertical is like 10 inches. Look at his shoot compared to the player that is guarding him socks. It's like 10 inches high.
Okongwu does not have explosive quick twitch vertical. His quick twitch vertical is like 15 inches max. An elite player when fully extended with a quick twitch vertical is unguardable, and his release is well above the rim and shooting downward.
so pay attention to quick twitch vertical. You can look at how high the players feet are on quick twitch move to get an idea of how explosive is he. the farther off the ground he gets quickly when doing a move, the higher his draft stock. I told you guys that Okongwu has heavy feet, and you can see it when he runs down the court. That quick rise, especially if you are undersized like he is, is what allows you to reliably get your shot off against length. 3:16 mark in video.
https://youtu.be/l1M1ybiTRPk?t=196
1:36 jumping off one foot after a move, and hip bend. https://youtu.be/T1iR1ncNTfM?t=96

These are the topic points i would like you guys to analyze draft prospect with and maybe you might find that Jokic in europe or not over look guys like Siakam.

Gotta keep things in context. That 3:16 non-biblical mark in the video is right after he made a full 360 spin move. Just the fact that he's able to do that as a freshman is worth noting.

Quickly elevating on your vertical and getting massive height is far more important for a big than spinning 360.

Have you ever watched Giannis play? 90% of his offense is off of spin moves.

[pcbothwel]

BTW, we dont get back into it on Maxey, but I urge you to reconsider before its too late to get on the train

Here is his and Edwards workout last night... Im sold and have been. Im buying his defense, shot, and overall scoring prowess. As for the intangibles... Off the charts
Guy is a DOG. Up before 5am and busting ass. All of here have watched enough sports know that work ethic and ability to up their game when the lights are on are two attributes that truly make professionals. He locks himself in the gym on off days, and competes every minute on game days.

Somebody gets a steal in the 15-20 range on him.... Sig it.

Maxey was brought up in the Chad Ford/John Hollinger podcast.

Chad thinks he moved up because lots of GM's have noted that Kentucky shooting guards often don't get much opportunity in college to show their skills and end up surprising to the upside when they get in the NBA (think Devon Booker, Jamaal Murray, Tyler Herro). Hollinger poo-pooed the idea, saying that Maxey got all the opportunity he needed this year, but only showed that he's a 6-3 shooting guard who can't shoot.

Neither could Fox, Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Tyus Jones, Terry Rozier, Smart, Clarkson, Morant (Fresh), Troy Brown, Will Barton, etc.

[dckingsfan]

Gotta keep things in context. That 3:16 non-biblical mark in the video is right after he made a full 360 spin move. Just the fact that he's able to do that as a freshman is worth noting.

Quickly elevating on your vertical and getting massive height is far more important for a big than spinning 360.

Have you ever watched Giannis play? 90% of his offense is off of spin moves.

I think it is only 80%...

[nate33]

Neither could Fox, Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Tyus Jones, Terry Rozier, Smart, Clarkson, Morant (Fresh), Troy Brown, Will Barton, etc.

C'mon now. Barton, Jaylen Brown and Troy Brown are 6-6 forwards. That's not the same thing.

And Morant was a pure PG, one of the best we've seen in college in years.

It's fair to compare to other undersized SG's like Fox, Mitchell, Jones and Rozier. Here it is:



Mitchell was a much better shooter (way better 3P%, way more attempts) and has a freakish wingspan, so I don't see the comparison there.

Fox, was a much more prolific scorer at slightly better efficiency while also being a real playmaker (almost 6 assists with a 2:1 A/TO ratio). Fox was also hyper athletic - in the John Wall mode. I don't see the comparison there either.

I think Tyus Jones and Terry Rozier might be in the right ball park. Jones is more of a pure PG and less of a scorer. Jones panned out as a backup PG. Rozier is a sub-optimal starting SG. I wouldn't be that thrilled about drafting either of those guys in the mid teens.

[payitforward]

Top heavy strength will work against the health of his lower body. I'd work on his legs base and core first, and his footwork in the post. Add a jumper and boom, solid power 4 who ruins back-ups coming off the bench. Contests for starters minutes. Plays in late games anyway due to defense.

Hollinger remarked that he is disappointed that the combine stopped doing the bench press test. Hollinger liked it because it was inversely correlated with NBA success. The better your bench, the worse you were as an NBA prospect!

LOL !!!

[pcbothwel]

Neither could Fox, Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Tyus Jones, Terry Rozier, Smart, Clarkson, Morant (Fresh), Troy Brown, Will Barton, etc.

C'mon now. Barton, Jaylen Brown and Troy Brown are 6-6 forwards. That's not the same thing.

And Morant was a pure PG, one of the best we've seen in college in years.

It's fair to compare to other undersized SG's like Fox, Mitchell, Jones and Rozier. Here it is:

Mitchell was a much better shooter (way better 3P%, way more attempts) and has a freakish wingspan, so I don't see the comparison there.

I think Tyus Jones and Terry Rozier might be in the right ball park. Jones is more of a pure PG and less of a scorer. Jones panned out as a backup PG. Rozier is a sub-optimal starting SG. I wouldn't be that thrilled about drafting either of those guys in the mid teens.

1) Who the hell cares if they are 3 inches taller? All shot the 3pt% or lower on a decent sample size... and all have improved since.

2) Again, what does Morants PG skill have to do with it? He was a poor shooter as a freshman that improved as a sophomore and carried into the NBA.

3) You are looking at Mitchell as a Sophomore. They were both 19 y/o Freshman and Mitchell was a poor shooter that improved (Similar to Morant). And sure, Mitchell has a long wingspan... But what does that have to do with anything? It certainly doesn't correlate to better shooting, and in fact, longer wingspan correlates to the opposite. Maxey profiles as the better defender and draws more fouls, so the wingspan argument doesn't help you there either... again, not sure of your point.

4) Not a Rozier fan, but he just put up a per36 of 19 / 4.5 / 4 on 42 / 40 / 87 percentages (TS of 55%) as a starter. Those stats plus above average defense is about Van Fleet/Brogdon territory.. If you get that in the mid 1st that is in the top 10-15% of players you could ever get in that range.

Again, the point of my comment is to say that you cant take below average 3pt% as a Freshman and Say "He cant Shoot". You have to account for at least some growth, especially with shooting. And Maxey shows great indicators with his exceptional FT%, 3PA/40 and elite work ethic (Just like Mitchell did).

[nate33]

The wingspan matters because Mitchell can defend the SG position as if he was a full-sized shooting guard and not undersized.

With Maxey's wingspan, he is already at a disadvantage on defense. He'll need to be an exceptional offensive player to be a worthwhile starter. I just don't see any reason to draft him in the teens.

[Frichuela]

The wingspan matters because Mitchell can defend the SG position as if he was a full-sized shooting guard and not undersized.

With Maxey's wingspan, he is already at a disadvantage on defense. He'll need to be an exceptional offensive player to be a worthwhile starter. I just don't see any reason to draft him in the teens.

Agreed on the wingspan (and Maxey).

If we can not land Okongwu, my plan B would be -as also quoted in the rumor mill about our front office- to trade down. But trade down for what? I would target a wing first. So if we traded down with Boston, I would pick a Saddiq Bey (or Nesmith), both of whom have plus 3-5 inch wingspans, at #14, and then hope to land a Tillman or Stewart at #26.

[WizarDynasty]

The wingspan matters because Mitchell can defend the SG position as if he was a full-sized shooting guard and not undersized.

With Maxey's wingspan, he is already at a disadvantage on defense. He'll need to be an exceptional offensive player to be a worthwhile starter. I just don't see any reason to draft him in the teens.

Agreed on the wingspan (and Maxey).

If we can not land Okongwu, my plan B would be -as also quoted in the rumor mill about our front office- to trade down. But trade down for what? I would target a wing first. So if we traded down with Boston, I would pick a Saddiq Bey (or Nesmith), both of whom have plus 3-5 inch wingspans, at #14, and then hope to land a Tillman or Stewart at #26.

Explosive first step is more important than wingspan, then wingspan, and and standing reach.
For bigs, standing reach and quick twitch highly elevation second jump---- is more important than wingspan since they guard in the post with outstretched arms. If they bend their arms and contact then foul.

I looked at maxey, he seems like a nice spark off the bench to replace isaiah thomas, but not a starter by wide stretch of imagination. He has no explosive vertical to his game, he does have a nice burst. He plays alot below the rim so i am pretty sure he has a poor standing reach for a shooting guard.
Saddiq Bey, i think i pointed out does not have a quick first step, and no explosion vertically. Not a difference maker without elite first step.

[WizarDynasty]

ok a guy that really stands out to me that if we could get another pick for is Zeke Nnaji. His hip bend is incredible. He is going to be a real steal for whoever grabs him. We needs athletic defending bigs in the worst way. Achiuwa and Nnaji, and then maybe a p/g/ s/g with an explosive first step and 3 point shooting ability. That would be perfect. Still searching and will update.

[nate33]

ok a guy that really stands out to me that if we could get another pick for is Zeke Nnaji. His hip bend is incredible. He is going to be a real steal for whoever grabs him. We needs athletic defending bigs in the worst way. Achiuwa and Nnaji, and then maybe a p/g/ s/g with an explosive first step and 3 point shooting ability. That would be perfect. Still searching and will update.

I watched a little video and I came away unimpressed. He has a good frame, but he's not really that long. Just a 7-1 wingspan for a guy who is 6-11. He's not that explosive either. It takes him a while to gather before he jumps, and when he does jump, it's not very high. Everything about him seemed rather methodical, like he has to think about what he is doing. His lack of explosion and anticipation is evident in his weak steals and blocks numbers. His low assist numbers suggest a lack of court awareness.

He looks like a journeyman big at best - a 13th man if he makes a roster. I actually don't think he will make a roster. He isn't really good at anything. He's just kinda not awful at most things.

[payitforward]

Here's Mike Schmitz on Nnaji:

Pre-Draft Analysis

Strengths
- Physical big man who makes his presence felt on the offensive glass with his strength. Mobile for his size. Versatile athlete. Can step out and hedge ball screens. Solid laterally for a center prospect. Embraces contact on both ends.
- Has touch on jump hooks. Shows potential as a mid-range shooter. Historically a good free throw shooter who should continue to expand his range. Shoots 3s fairly comfortably in practice.
- Noted for his impressive approach to the game. Knows his role and consistently brings energy and intensity to the floor. Type of project you bet on improving every year.

Improvement areas
- Still a work in progress offensively despite his numbers. Not a comfortable ball-handler or facilitator. Lack of reach hurts him around the rim against length at times. Functions as a center offensively but isn't quite dangerous enough of a lob-catcher/finisher or skilled enough as a post scorer. Does a lot of his damage on put-backs.
- Not much of a rim protector. Plays hard but instincts are still developing and lack of elite length hurts him as a defensive anchor. Not the most instinctual defensive rebounder, either. Bobbles boards at times.
- Good feet overall but discipline can improve in 1-on-1 perimeter defense situations. Can be a little bit handsy. Will bite on fakes. You bet on him improving, but can he be more than an energy guy in the NBA?