Fischella's 2018 NBA Draft Big Board

[No-Man]

this would be my top prospects as of now;

Luka Doncic

Michael Porter Jr.
Trae Young
Marvin Bagley III
DeAndre Ayton

Miles Bridges
Mikal Bridges
Kevin Knox
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Collin Sexton

[GimmeDat]

Yves Pons, now that's a name I haven't seen in a while. Very intrigued to see how he looks at Tennessee, but too early for me to put him as high as you're willing to at this stage, Fisch. Love his physical tools though, wow. Plays hard as well.

Mikal Bridges also higher than most places but I could definitely see him playing his way in to that sort of stock. I appreciate that you're really valuing wings, as well. With that in mind I'd have thought you would have Knox a bit higher than he is, though (maybe you think he's a 4).

Not super keen on Andrew Jones that high, otherwise interesting to see all your picks there.

[No-Man]

Knox is just so clueless on offense, I like his tools and he is super young so maybe he puts it together but as of now with what I've seen from him I can't go higher, I don't think he can create and his shooting is only streaky, bad touch in general I feel like.

When he is hitting it looks great, but when he is not...

I'd love to be higher in some other wings, it troubles me to have so many bigs that high, value-wise it isnt a good proposition.

As for Jones, he did better in terms of decision-making and PG stuff than I expected as a frosh and can clearly do things on the court, I agree that he is raw, but shoots well, defends solid, rebounds, can pass some, great in transition, has def the athletic upside and size, and this class is so damn poor in terms of dynamic guards that he has some extra value to his game.

[reanimator]

Don't know that I see Lonnie Walker as 1 and done especially off injury. Saw him live for a game and clearly has quick twitch, size and feel but plays upright and can be a hot/cold scorer.

Also saw PJ Washington and just looked like a bullyball undersized yet unexplosive 4 man with some ballskills. Think he would have to really shoot it well or maybe I'm underrating his quick twitch.

[No-Man]

Don't know that I see Lonnie Walker as 1 and done especially off injury. Saw him live for a game and clearly has quick twitch, size and feel but plays upright and can be a hot/cold scorer.

Also saw PJ Washington and just looked like a bullyball undersized yet unexplosive 4 man with some ballskills. Think he would have to really shoot it well or maybe I'm underrating his quick twitch.

I agree on both, with Walker is just due to the lack of high-end Guards if he shows something he is gonna get hyped, and with PJ I hope he shoots and his length becomes a factor on D, he is a bit PJ Tucker-ish frame-wise

[Justwar]

Diallo is gonna end up top fifteen. Knox had been really good so far. Pj is underrated, he has a lot of the same offensive tools draymond green has just has to put his length and strength to use. I think Vanderbilt would of went high if it wasn't for another injury but there will be concerns. Shai Alexander could go anywhere. They are talking like he will start. Richard's I have no idea. I think we play small ball most of the year,but with cals track record of getting centers to the nba it's hard to say he won't. Wenyen got a lot stronger and aggressive but we will see if he loses confidence.

[islanders11040]

You willing to eat Crow on De'Aaron Fox yet? You always refused to move him from the 20's/late teens on your big board last year.

[No-Man]

You willing to eat Crow on De'Aaron Fox yet? You always refused to move him from the 20's/late teens on your big board last year.

I had him 9th in my last Board mainly due to possible trade value, also, eat crow? after not even 10 games in which he has been basically as even I advertised? not really following your logic

[islanders11040]

Eating crow was based on u keeping Fox in the 20's on your big board. Cause what hes shown in 10 games compared to the rest of his class should be enough to know he shouldn't of been ranked that low. I didnt know you moved Fox from the 20's to 9 late, the month before the draft. If you had him at 9, than thats fine. No crow eating necessary.

[No-Man]

Eating crow was based on u keeping Fox in the 20's on your big board. Cause what hes shown in 10 games compared to the rest of his class should be enough to know he shouldn't of been ranked that low. I didnt know you moved Fox from the 20's to 9 late, the month before the draft. If you had him at 9, than thats fine. No crow eating necessary.

If you read my final board on odetooden.com you'd see that mostly I had him 9th due to trade value/potentially value added more than because I believed in him for a championship team, again, he is likely a solid player I always maintained that, even when I had him at 23rd the summer before his draft, just not the type of player I'd want.

10 games are just that, 10 games, it's basically preseason still.

[Mulhollanddrive]

I like Fischella's mocks as there's always a few up / down compared to consensus.

[dms269]

The Minny pick should be Atlanta's as well.

[blazeyo]

can you update it please? I'd like to see Knox higer and Bridges lower for sure. Pons didn't show anything to be in the top 10 yet.. crazy.

[No-Man]

The Minny pick should be Atlanta's as well.

That Minny pick is from OKC, Atlanta has the Wolves pick there.
I am using 538 projections for the order, so whenever I update I look at those that day.

I actualized over the weekend after watching extra tape on the top guys, Pons probably won't declare but I am high on him so I am not dropping him yet, as for Knox over Bridges, not really seeing why, haven't particularly been impressed with Knox lately.

[dms269]

The Minny pick should be Atlanta's as well.

That Minny pick is from OKC, Atlanta has the Wolves pick there.
I am using 538 projections for the order, so whenever I update I look at those that day.

Then it must be the Rockets first then that is missing, which was acquired from the Clippers in the Crawford 3-team trade.

[No-Man]

The Minny pick should be Atlanta's as well.

That Minny pick is from OKC, Atlanta has the Wolves pick there.
I am using 538 projections for the order, so whenever I update I look at those that day.

Then it must be the Rockets first then that is missing, which was acquired from the Clippers in the Crawford 3-team trade.

You are right, that one was indeed missing

[No-Man]

Gonna be regularly tweeting about impressive boxscore guys and analyzing elite prospects in twitter, my handle is @Pesquerj, so whoever enjoy my takes here, please check me out there.

And also, I am not a part of it, but most of my pals are, thestepien.com is live and kicking, so check it out, I might write at times there, although I don't really enjoy writing much.

Also I'd regularly update the 1st post each week with new boards

[CalL]

Bit late to the party but here I am with a team-oriented early board (Order is from 538's NBA projections);

Luka Doncic wing/combo-F Real Madrid
Michael Porter Jr. combo-F/big Missouri
Miles Bridges wing/combo-F Michigan St.
Mohamed Bamba big Texas
DeAndre Ayton big Arizona
Jaren Jackson Jr. big Michigan St.
Lonnie Walker IV guard/wing Miami
Marvin Bagley III combo-F/big Duke
Troy Brown Jr wing Oregon
Collin Sexton guard Alabama
Bruce Brown guard/wing Miami
Nickeil Alexander-Walker guard/wing Virginia Tech
Robert Williams big Texas A&M
Mikal Bridges wing/combo-F Villanova
Oscar da Silva wing/combo-F Stanford
Andrew Jones guard/wing Texas
Wendell Carter big Duke
Gary Trent Jr. wing Duke
Rodions Kurucs wing/combo-F Barcelona
Mitchell Robinson big USA
Hamidou Diallo wing Kentucky
De'Anthony Melton guard/wing USC
Isaac Bonga wing/combo-F Frankfurt Skyliners
Dzanan Musa wing Cedevita
Kevin Knox combo-F Kentucky
Shake Milton guard/wing SMU
PJ Washington combo-F/big Kentucky
Rawle Alkins guard/wing Arizona
Justin Jackson combo-F/big Maryland
DJ Hogg wing/combo-F Texas A&M

So does that mean that da Silva for example would be your 15th pick or did i get it wrong?
I am very surprised that you mentioned him ... he is a nice talent and in my opinion a great "team-player", but his stats never look really special and i doubt that he has a chance to be drafted next year, but i see a good chance that he could be a late first or early second round pick in 2019.
I am also surprised that you mentioned Bonga, i thought that you werent really high on him ... ?
There are a lot of things that he has to work on and i understand that many people doubt if he can be a decent PG in the NBA, but his stats this season are almost on the level of Schröder's stats before he got drafted, although at that time he was 1 year older than Bonga is now.

Other things i noticed:
- You seem to be pretty pessimistic about Ayton, Carter, Knox and Trent Jr. and rather optimistic about Alexander-Walker.
- Why do you think that da Silva is more of a first round prospect than Mushidi or Wagner?
- No love for Pons and Hachimura?

Edit: I realized that you regularly update your mock draft? Are you higher on da Silva/Bonga now than you have been before the start of the season? If so, then what "changed your mind"?

[No-Man]

I was always high on Oscar, just expected him to play less and have no shot at declaring, he probably won't declare honestly, but he has been Stanford 6th guy in PT so far so at least he has that going.

As for his game, if the shooting gets to be good in time, which I expect, he has all the tools you want in a modern wing, and he plays so sound on D already.

on potential alone I had Pons top10 but I don't expect him to declare, he is out of the rotation.
Not a fan of Hachimura, not a fan of his athletic profile and he plays 0 defense, he is a smallball C at this point imo, and he doesn't pass it, honestly not either of Bonga, but his shooting has looked better as of late and there is a chance that he improves athletically with time and added strength, and he has already good feel and some tools, like length.

I am not low on Carter, I am just not sure about his potential and the dynamism of his game, and there are just too many bigs, someone has to fall, him been 17th or whatever means nothing, he is the same tier for me as guys that might 8th or 9th.

Trent Jr. is fairly high I'd say, as for Knox, no, not a fan, I don't think having Ayton 5th qualifies as been low on him.

You can check my twitter feed for more, I update every day and analyze in detail these guys' games.

[CalL]

I was always high on Oscar, just expected him to play less and have no shot at declaring, he probably won't declare honestly, but he has been Stanford 6th guy in PT so far so at least he has that going.

As for his game, if the shooting gets to be good in time, which I expect, he has all the tools you want in a modern wing, and he plays so sound on D already.

on potential alone I had Pons top10 but I don't expect him to declare, he is out of the rotation.
Not a fan of Hachimura, not a fan of his athletic profile and he plays 0 defense, he is a smallball C at this point imo, and he doesn't pass it, honestly not either of Bonga, but his shooting has looked better as of late and there is a chance that he improves athletically with time and added strength, and he has already good feel and some tools, like length.

I am not low on Carter, I am just not sure about his potential and the dynamism of his game, and there are just too many bigs, someone has to fall, him been 17th or whatever means nothing, he is the same tier for me as guys that might 8th or 9th.

Trent Jr. is fairly high I'd say, as for Knox, no, not a fan, I don't think having Ayton 5th qualifies as been low on him.

You can check my twitter feed for more, I update every day and analyze in detail these guys' games.

Great game for Da Silva yesterday. 17 rebounds (6/11) and 12 points for him in 38 minutes. Sadly they lost 61:67 against Eastern Washington and i think their opponents weren't really top class, so who knows what that is worth ...
I am not too familiar with "drafting patterns", but how common is it that players who didn't even make the tournament get drafted (in the first round), considering that Stanford doesn't look too strong (so far)?

About Pons: Still very early in the season, if he doesn't get much more playing time during the course of the season, then he is either injured, has problems with his grades or the coach just doesn't like him ...
One more year of college probably also wouldn't hurt him, considering that he needs to improve certain things about his game that are very hard to learn just in training ...
2019 could be amazing from an international perspective, if Pons doesn't get drafted in 2018:
Barrett, Pons, Hoard and Doumouya are all safe top 10 picks, with the potential to go top 5 + we also have guys like Pecarski or Shi.ttu.