2021 Draft thread. Woo! 15th pick here we come! Hoo. Ray.

[Ruzious]

BPM leaders:

1. Jared Butler 13.8
2. Evan Mobley 13.2
3. Luke Garza 12.4
4. Chris Duarte 12.0
5. Jay Huff 11.9
6. Jack Ferguson 11.9
7. Franz Wagner 11.7
8. Neemius Queta 11.6
9. Corey Kispert 11.6
10. Grayson Murphy 11.1
11. Davion Mitchell 11.0
12. Isaiah Livers 10.8
13. Cameron Krutwig 10.5
14. Drew Timme 10.2
15. Jalen Suggs 10.2
16. Gaige Prim 10.1


There are two freshman on this list (Mobley&Suggs), but Wagner is actually younger than both. Duarte really stands out as a guy playing on a pretty weak Oregon team. Gonzaga, Michigan, and Baylor are all loaded.

I'm starting to like your guy, Queta. Bouncy athlete, great frame, very long, gets steals - not just blocks, more assists than to's, creates space to score inside, rebounds. He's not going to be a 3 point shooter, but whadya expect from someone who's not rated a 1st rounder on most mocks - though I think he will be a pick around 25. Looks like he can be a sturdy rim protector. Get an extra late 1st to pick him? Or pick Huff in the 2nd round. Huff can step in and play as a rookie and play as well as Lopez.

[NatP4]

Jared Butler just totally saved this game for Baylor. Super clutch layup, steal, and clutch free throws.

Everyone looked pretty bad for Baylor after not playing or practicing for weeks, but Butler was great as usual. 18-3-3-3 on 10 shots.

Butler isn’t quite the level of prospect that Haliburton was, but he is really close.

[pcbothwel]

James Bouknight with back to back 20 & 10 games against Villanova & GTown. If this guy falls to the 11-14 range he'll be a steal.
6'5 Sophomore SG out of UCONN.... He's Jeremy Lamb 2.0. Same pros and cons, but he's got a bit more pop.

Good Scorer, good defender, good rebounder.
Not a sharp shooter and not a passer.

I think hes a per36 of 18 & 7 on 45/35/80 shooting his 2nd year in the league.

If we fall out of the top 10, its him, Wagner, Butler, Springer for me.

[doclinkin]

I still like Derek Culver if we fall a bit or pick up an extra 1st round pick. Left hand skilled, uses glass well, rebounds large, has the low post footwork, instincts, and skillset that Rui lacks so he'd be a good model for him to learn from. Has a grown man's game and attitude, tough solid defense since he plays for WVU and they commonly lead the NCAAs in defensive measures. Coach Huggins takes no sh*t when it comes to effort and defense.

[nate33]

I still like Derek Culver if we fall a bit or pick up an extra 1st round pick. Left hand skilled, uses glass well, rebounds large, has the low post footwork, instincts, and skillset that Rui lacks so he'd be a good model for him to learn from. Has a grown man's game and attitude, tough solid defense since he plays for WVU and they commonly lead the NCAAs in defensive measures. Coach Huggins takes no sh*t when it comes to effort and defense.

I haven't seen him play, but looking at the numbers, I just don't see it.

He can't shoot (0 3PA's, 58% FT%) and he doesn't get any stocks. So basically he's just a rebounder/defender. Perhaps he is good at it, but you can't get away with forwards who don't shoot in this league. And as a smallball center he doesn't provide you with anything special either since he doesn't block shots. Finally, the one position where we have an abundance of promising talent is at the 4. It's the one position where I'm not particularly interested in addressing in this draft. Get me a guard, a 3&D wing who can guard 2's and 3's, or a center.

I'd rather just put Yoeli Childs on the court and use the pick on someone else.

[Ruzious]

James Bouknight with back to back 20 & 10 games against Villanova & GTown. If this guy falls to the 11-14 range he'll be a steal.
6'5 Sophomore SG out of UCONN.... He's Jeremy Lamb 2.0. Same pros and cons, but he's got a bit more pop.

Good Scorer, good defender, good rebounder.
Not a sharp shooter and not a passer.

I think hes a per36 of 18 & 7 on 45/35/80 shooting his 2nd year in the league.

If we fall out of the top 10, its him, Wagner, Butler, Springer for me.

I think Bouknight's more of an alpha type than Lamb. He can definitely score and loves to shoot. I just wonder if he can play an all-around game.

[Ruzious]

Jared Butler just totally saved this game for Baylor. Super clutch layup, steal, and clutch free throws.

Everyone looked pretty bad for Baylor after not playing or practicing for weeks, but Butler was great as usual. 18-3-3-3 on 10 shots.

Butler isn’t quite the level of prospect that Haliburton was, but he is really close.

True - and Hali should be ROY, but watch Ball get it because he makes fancier passes.

[NatP4]

It’s a coin flip. If we re sign Wagner, I bet they draft his brother. If not, there’s 0% chance they pass up on the opportunity to say we have a Turkish player on the roster. Plus, we need a center.

[Ruzious]

It’s a coin flip. If we re sign Wagner, I bet they draft his brother. If not, there’s 0% chance they pass up on the opportunity to say we have a Turkish player on the roster. Plus, we need a center.

Ha, I hadn't thought of that, but yeah - Tommy would be predisposed to take Sengun.

[pcbothwel]

James Bouknight with back to back 20 & 10 games against Villanova & GTown. If this guy falls to the 11-14 range he'll be a steal.
6'5 Sophomore SG out of UCONN.... He's Jeremy Lamb 2.0. Same pros and cons, but he's got a bit more pop.

Good Scorer, good defender, good rebounder.
Not a sharp shooter and not a passer.

I think hes a per36 of 18 & 7 on 45/35/80 shooting his 2nd year in the league.

If we fall out of the top 10, its him, Wagner, Butler, Springer for me.

I think Bouknight's more of an alpha type than Lamb. He can definitely score and loves to shoot. I just wonder if he can play an all-around game.

I think Bouknight is Lamb as an easy comp. But if he takes the next step, he's Beal with a little less playmaking and more defense.

[NatP4]

Kai Jones looked really good in the Kansas-Texas game last night. It was kind of a slopfest, but his hustle and athleticism jumps off the screen. He finished with 10&8 on 5 shots in just 21 minutes. 5 of his rebounds were offensive. He was super active.

Overall, He has to be the most inconsistent prospect I’ve seen in awhile. He basically travels every single time he touches the ball. So indecisive every time he touches it. One game he’s a beast on the glass, next game he’s Rui. He flashes actual perimeter skills sometimes, he’ll put the ball on the floor and attack and dish to teamates. Sometimes he hits stepback off the dribble 3s. There are times he looks like a fluid wing prospect. He can also swat shots at the rim like a rim protecting C, but he can also go into the paint like Bonga and get his own weak attempts swatted. He has all the physical tools in the world but will go to the basket so soft.

His basketball IQ is inconsistent, like a Mo Wagner. There are WTF moments and really impressive moments. You could call him a 3,4, or a 5 position-wise. Definition of boom or bust prospect. Reminds me of Nerlens Noel with a jumpshot. Massive bust potential though.

[NatP4]

Man, I love Jaden Springer. Took 10 free throws tonight. Typical performance from him. 20 points on 8 shots, 3 rebounds 2 assists 3 steals 1 block in 31 minutes.

To be this good at drawing fouls as an 18 year old in college basketball, has to be an indicator of future success.

[doclinkin]

Placeholder for 2nd round pics or players to watch for future years. Search for players with 10 boards/game, 1 steal, 2+ assists, sorted by points.

Santi Aldama, skilled Spanish big in the Patriot league. 6'11" smooth tall forward. Improving 3FG% (35%). Draft and stash candidate. He looks to be improving, played well in Euro U18

Baylor Scheierman, 6'6" guard. tough rebounding do-it-all shooter in the Summit league. Better than 2/1 ast/TO ratio. 42% 3FG, 85% FT. This years Garrison Mathews sleeper, plus rebounding.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

BPM leaders:

1. Jared Butler 13.8
2. Evan Mobley 13.2
3. Luke Garza 12.4
4. Chris Duarte 12.0
5. Jay Huff 11.9
6. Jack Ferguson 11.9
7. Franz Wagner 11.7
8. Neemius Queta 11.6
9. Corey Kispert 11.6
10. Grayson Murphy 11.1
11. Davion Mitchell 11.0
12. Isaiah Livers 10.8
13. Cameron Krutwig 10.5
14. Drew Timme 10.2
15. Jalen Suggs 10.2
16. Gaige Prim 10.1


There are two freshman on this list (Mobley&Suggs), but Wagner is actually younger than both. Duarte really stands out as a guy playing on a pretty weak Oregon team. Gonzaga, Michigan, and Baylor are all loaded.

I'm starting to like your guy, Queta. Bouncy athlete, great frame, very long, gets steals - not just blocks, more assists than to's, creates space to score inside, rebounds. He's not going to be a 3 point shooter, but whadya expect from someone who's not rated a 1st rounder on most mocks - though I think he will be a pick around 25. Looks like he can be a sturdy rim protector. Get an extra late 1st to pick him? Or pick Huff in the 2nd round. Huff can step in and play as a rookie and play as well as Lopez.

I agree on Jay Huff. He will be a good round two pick.

Here is an extremely detailed scouting report on Jay Huff:

https://basketballscouting.wordpress.com/2020/04/05/jay-huff-scouting-report/

Another really good report:

https://www.nbascoutinglive.com/jay-huff-scouting-report/

Ruzious, This guy is a first round talent. He is a late bloomer and I agree with you he is better than Lopez or lease is good. I believe he might sneak into round one.

[Ruzious]

Placeholder for 2nd round pics or players to watch for future years. Search for players with 10 boards/game, 1 steal, 2+ assists, sorted by points.

Santi Aldama, skilled Spanish big in the Patriot league. 6'11" smooth tall forward. Improving 3FG% (35%). Draft and stash candidate. He looks to be improving, played well in Euro U18

Baylor Scheierman, 6'6" guard. tough rebounding do-it-all shooter in the Summit league. Better than 2/1 ast/TO ratio. 42% 3FG, 85% FT. This years Garrison Mathews sleeper, plus rebounding.

Santi Aldama is a legit prospect.

Problem is - he chose to play for Loyola of Baltimore - a really bad decision for his NBA career, though great for Loyola, lol. And he could have been a great fit for Maryland. Honestly, he should transfer to a school like MD and go pro in the 2022 draft.

Never heard of Scheierman - sounds interesting.

[Ruzious]

BPM leaders:

1. Jared Butler 13.8
2. Evan Mobley 13.2
3. Luke Garza 12.4
4. Chris Duarte 12.0
5. Jay Huff 11.9
6. Jack Ferguson 11.9
7. Franz Wagner 11.7
8. Neemius Queta 11.6
9. Corey Kispert 11.6
10. Grayson Murphy 11.1
11. Davion Mitchell 11.0
12. Isaiah Livers 10.8
13. Cameron Krutwig 10.5
14. Drew Timme 10.2
15. Jalen Suggs 10.2
16. Gaige Prim 10.1


There are two freshman on this list (Mobley&Suggs), but Wagner is actually younger than both. Duarte really stands out as a guy playing on a pretty weak Oregon team. Gonzaga, Michigan, and Baylor are all loaded.

I'm starting to like your guy, Queta. Bouncy athlete, great frame, very long, gets steals - not just blocks, more assists than to's, creates space to score inside, rebounds. He's not going to be a 3 point shooter, but whadya expect from someone who's not rated a 1st rounder on most mocks - though I think he will be a pick around 25. Looks like he can be a sturdy rim protector. Get an extra late 1st to pick him? Or pick Huff in the 2nd round. Huff can step in and play as a rookie and play as well as Lopez.

I agree on Jay Huff. He will be a good round two pick.

Here is an extremely detailed scouting report on Jay Huff:

https://basketballscouting.wordpress.com/2020/04/05/jay-huff-scouting-report/

Another really good report:

https://www.nbascoutinglive.com/jay-huff-scouting-report/

Ruzious, This guy is a first round talent. He is a late bloomer and I agree with you he is better than Lopez or lease is good. I believe he might sneak into round one.

I liked this line in the detailed scouting report from your post:

His 11.2% block percentage would be higher than that of any player on ESPN’s top 105, except for James Wiseman, who appeared in just three games in his NCAA career before realizing the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze

Some of his stats are lower than they would be because UVA plays at a slow pace. Btw, he was brilliant yesterday in UVA's loss.

I'm sure people just assume he's not nimble enough to defend pnr's, but I think he's smart enough and works hard enough at it that he'll be fine at it.

[Ruzious]

Man, I love Jaden Springer. Took 10 free throws tonight. Typical performance from him. 20 points on 8 shots, 3 rebounds 2 assists 3 steals 1 block in 31 minutes.

To be this good at drawing fouls as an 18 year old in college basketball, has to be an indicator of future success.

And he seems bigger than the 6'4 195 that he's listed at - I'll be interested to see what he's measured at - at the combine. Not to mention, at 18, he might grow another inch. Hasn't made a 3 in a while, but that's not a problem - since he's still playing well and is clearly a good shooter. No doubt, he's a very talented wing. There's a bunch of them in this draft. I have him ahead of bouknight and right behind Moody. Green ahead of them all at 4th in the draft. All of them are ahead of Ziaire Williams, Flanigan, and Shanon, imo.

[pcbothwel]

Im looking at recent comps like Jamal Murray, SGA, and Coby White... and I dont see how any of them are better than him except for maybe SGA. He's not that natural ball handler that Murray is, but his IQ and defense are MUCH better and he's stronger/more physical. SGA seems like a good comp. SGA with a Brad Beal build...
Also, despite SGA being a Freshman when he came out he turned 20 the week after the draft. Springer wont even be 19 until Pre-Season.

[NatP4]

Makes you wonder what kind of numbers he would put up as the lead guard on that Gonzaga team. Tennessee is pretty brutal on offense.

[pcbothwel]

Makes you wonder what kind of numbers he would put up as the lead guard on that Gonzaga team. Tennessee is pretty brutal on offense.

Agreed. Its why I told you a couple weeks ago that while I like Suggs, I dont see the drop off to Springer or even Butler.

I already mentioned SGA, but its not the best comp. One guy who has the same attribute profile of:
Pros:
- Hardnosed lead guard
- Thickly built
- High level defender
- Great patience
- Elite FTr
- Elite 3Pt shooter
- Good rebounder
- High IQ & Instincts

Cons:
- Seemingly mediocre ballhandling & vision
- Average verticality
- Average AST:TOV ratio
- Small sample size of 3 point Attempts

Kyle Lowry

Springer is the better prospect due to size, athleticism, age, and usage.
While is offensive repertoire and playmaking will take his entire rookie contract to catch up, he'll play high level defense, draw fouls, and hit 3's his first few years to contribute.

Missing out on Mobley is bad enough, but if we fall out of the top 12-14 with a playoff run then the talent really drops off after Springer, Wagner, Butler, Bouknight, and Sengun. We'd be looking at Keon Johnson, Kai Jones, Cooper, Mitchell, Jackson, etc.... Talented guys, but projects and nothing you cant find for the MLE in FA every year.