2014 College/Draft Prospects Thread II

[vorbis]

ok, as someone who hasn't really followed the development of prospects since around christmastime when it became clear the bobcats weren't going to get their own pick, permit me a few questions aimed at curing ignorance:

1 regardless of position, and thinking situation neutral, what players in this draft do you guys think could score 30 at least once in their rookie season?

2 what does exum got that stauskas ain't got?

3 could clifford see vonleh as what biyombo should be? or is he sort of jeff green with a slightly more appropriate array of skills?

4 does mcdermott play at a speed/pace conducive to NBA competence? do you think he'll be able to get his jumpshot off against defenders who crowd him?

5 what would it take for you to get on board with a euro pick who maybe doesn't join the hornets in 14/15? who you got?

6 clifford in his exit interview for this past season stressed a)length, b)shooting/scoring and c)"skill level" as areas he wanted to improve on with the roster for next season. what's a prospect maybe not on the radar at 9 that you think might check enough boxes to be drafted higher than expected by the hornets, a la zeller last year?

[vorbis]

of course i put all that thought into a post on page 99 of a soon-to-be-locked thread. maybe i'll find a good place to paste it in a new thread somewhere.

[amcoolio]

ok, as someone who hasn't really followed the development of prospects since around christmastime when it became clear the bobcats weren't going to get their own pick, permit me a few questions aimed at curing ignorance:

1 regardless of position, and thinking situation neutral, what players in this draft do you guys think could score 30 at least once in their rookie season?

2 what does exum got that stauskas ain't got?

3 could clifford see vonleh as what biyombo should be? or is he sort of jeff green with a slightly more appropriate array of skills?

4 does mcdermott play at a speed/pace conducive to NBA competence? do you think he'll be able to get his jumpshot off against defenders who crowd him?

5 what would it take for you to get on board with a euro pick who maybe doesn't join the hornets in 14/15? who you got?

6 clifford in his exit interview for this past season stressed a)length, b)shooting/scoring and c)"skill level" as areas he wanted to improve on with the roster for next season. what's a prospect maybe not on the radar at 9 that you think might check enough boxes to be drafted higher than expected by the hornets, a la zeller last year?

If Saric doesn't come over this year I would absolutely take him at 24 if he was still there. Can't take him at 9, we need at least 20 minutes a night from that pick next season. He isn't getting past the Bulls, though, he is just their type of player.

I think you'll see a lot of rookies hit that 30 point mark this season. Parker, Exum, Randle are near locks to do that. Wiggins, Gordon, McDermott have greater than 70 percent chance in the right situations.

Exum/Stauskas are completely different. Exum is very Magic Johnson-esque/Livingston pre-injury while Stauskas is a spot up shooter with good size for the 2.

I literally know nothing about Vonleh other than reading draft notes and profiles.

[Dr Positivity]

Cheering for you guys to take Stauskas. He is my no 1 prospect in the draft bar none

[vorbis]

Saric looked very good in that Adriatic League Final Four footage. made me wonder if he'll even make it to 9.

[mrknowitall215]

ok, as someone who hasn't really followed the development of prospects since around christmastime when it became clear the bobcats weren't going to get their own pick, permit me a few questions aimed at curing ignorance:

1 regardless of position, and thinking situation neutral, what players in this draft do you guys think could score 30 at least once in their rookie season? Jabari Parker

2 what does exum got that stauskas ain't got? Elite quickness, but that's about it. Exum is rather a mystery

3 could clifford see vonleh as what biyombo should be? or is he sort of jeff green with a slightly more appropriate array of skills? Noah Vonleh isn't comparable to Bismack Biyombo or Jeff Green. Vonleh is probably most comparable to Chris Bosh

4 does mcdermott play at a speed/pace conducive to NBA competence? do you think he'll be able to get his jumpshot off against defenders who crowd him? McDermott is crafty enough to score in the NBA right away, and could easily average 15-plus points per game as a rookie with starter minutes. The question mark on him revolves around what position can he best defend out of SF or PF

5 what would it take for you to get on board with a euro pick who maybe doesn't join the hornets in 14/15? who you got? 2nd rounder (SG Bogdan Bogdanovic or PG Vasilije Micic). I wouldn't draft a international player to stash in the 1st round when Charlotte need players that can contribute immediately

6 clifford in his exit interview for this past season stressed a)length, b)shooting/scoring and c)"skill level" as areas he wanted to improve on with the roster for next season. what's a prospect maybe not on the radar at 9 that you think might check enough boxes to be drafted higher than expected by the hornets, a la zeller last year? James Young. A 6'7" shooting guard with a 7'0" wingspan that weigh around 220 with deep 3-point range and the ability to put the ball on the floor don't grow on trees. I believe Young will be the Klay Thompson-like prospect (but better) of this draft that fall to the late lottery, while his aggressive offensive style of play will allow him to be a contributor right away even if he's a little inefficient

[No-Man]

My first mock after the lotto look like this,



Explanations:

If I were the GM of each team at the moment of the pick,

I got Embiid 1st, the Cavs need a long-term answer at the Center spot and a two way player, Embiid potential is as high as anybody in this class and the other players got some fit questions, Wiggins makes sense but Irving and Waiters are too ball dominant, you can easily just get a 3&D SF to fill that role, plus Bennett will need shots if you want him not to be a total bust, I get that the team Canada thing could be appealing, but Embiid is the easiest way.
They can also try to lure LeBron or re-sign Deng to be their SF this way.

Wiggins go just after, like Pitino predicted, two Jayhawks, again fit is an issue, Exum or Parker will be options, but Wiggins got too much potential as a two way player and he can play both wings spots, Parker can't, and you already got Giannis and Middleton that are good SFs, is close between Exum and Wiggins, but Exum seems to be into something with big market or nice places, and we all know Milwaukee, at least is close to Toronto/Canada, maybe Wiggins won't leave in a few years, the team got the potential to be a destroyer on defense, Knight, Wiggins, Antetokounmpo, Henson, Sanders... freakish length.

Then goes Parker, his offensive set and shot fits pretty well with MCW and Noel skillsets, plus he can interchange spots with Young, if they keep him, is just a no-brainer for Philly, I know they will consider Exum plus the connections with BBrown and Australia, but I don't see it working with Carter-Williams and Wroten over there, they need a scorer, an alpha male and a guy that is a shooter also, Parker is everything they need.

Orlando got their guy at 4th, and Exum got to go where he wanted, Florida or LA, dynamic backcourt with Oladipo, and they shouldfill the team with shooters and defenders, they got enough picks going forward and young pieces to build that roster, another no-brainer at this point. They will probably consider Smart, but Exum is a better talent and fits better with Oladipo also.

Here it gets tricky, Utah could move Kanter and go with Randle, but I think if I were the GM I'd go with Smart, you need somebody to throw and defend the elite Guards in the West and Smart could easily play SG, he is a bully and long enough, I see him as a LStephenson type of guy, he will get help from Burke and Hayward, so he won't struggle that bad in offense, they will need some shooters from the bench, but all 3 of them can shoot the deep ball, they need a coach to make it work, but that's a nice well balanced core, they can be like the Pacers of the West in a few years.

Boston got a difficult position, I'm not considering trades, if so Utah will be a candidate to trade down, and Boston to trade out, they need either a wing scorer or a Center, and there is nothing like that here, the closest thing is McDermott, but I don't think they will risk it, I think Vonleh is reasanoble at this point, State kid that got the length to help their interior D, and can rebound, he got a nice ceiling also and can play some Center with the 2nd unit, he is not a sexy pick, but it is what it is, I like him and Olynyk as a potential pair.

Randle is the guy that falls the most in my scenario, but LA take him, either to trade for somebody, highest value at this point, or to keep him, he could benefit a lot of playing with Gasol, if they keep him, and Bryant, and he got the potential to be a pretty good player, not as good as Love, but still, if LA is looking for a long-term PF, they just can pick that in this Draft.

Sacramento got screwed like Boston, their needs have being Guard play and shot blocking, defense for a while, they won't get none here, but at least they can try, I don't like Aaron Gordon but he makes sense as a glue guy here, he can pass the ball and is a guy with a high motor and defensive skills, he is not as long but reminds me of Andrei Kirilenko a little bit, the Kings could use a guy like that, he is also a California kid, the downside is that he got some stuff in common with Derrick Williams, and that the Kings got a longjam at the PF spot already, but none of them are good enough. I will try to trade the pick for a vet probably, but is a difficult move to pull off.

Poor Pistons, but I'm glad for the Hornets, I could understand them going with either Doug McDermott or James Young here, I will probably go with Doug, cause they need more of a sure thing as a shooter, and Young is still pretty raw, plus they can try to adress their SG situation in the FA, with Stephenson and Hayward there, or trying to trade for a vet, Afflalo, and McDermott could be a really good weapon with Walker and Jefferson there, playing both forward spots as a back-up.

The 2nd 76ers pick is full of options also, if they move Young I could understand Saric here as a long-term option, but I will probably try to build the roster, they have 0 depth, James Young or Gary Harris makes sense, Young versatility and higher ceiling make him the pick, you can go big with MCW-Young-Parker in the perimeter, or put Young at SF and Parker at the PF with another guy at the 2, plenty of options.

After the top10, there are many factors, for example the Nuggets, other than the PG spot, they could pretty much draft anybody, so I'm going with a boom pick for them, with Jusuf Nurkic, if they are patient and don't mind waiting, they should, they got enough depth already with everyone healthy, also they could draft Kyle Anderson if they want another creator to help Lawson and they don't trust Gallinari health, both of them make sense here for me, Gary Harris could, but Randy Foye is similar and I really like Fournier, or Dario Saric.

The Magic in my mind should target a PF with elite defense to pair with Vucevic, but there is nobdoy like that here, so I will go with a shooter for the SF spot, that rules out Stauskas, that makes no sense with Exum and Oladipo already there, Rodney Hood could be seen as a reach by some here, but not for me, he is smart, plays hard, can play on and off the ball, makes plays for others and is a terrific shooter, will be a nice piece to move forward, they should really try to package Afflalo with Nicholson and give the 6th man/back-up PF/comboforward spot to Tobias Harris, get a stud at PF with that package, or future picks and assets and sign a good fit like Ed Davis for cheap.

The Timberwolves need perimeter D, and not guys that gamble like Rubio or Brewer, their interior defense is terrible, and they can get a piece here, of course if they trade Love they could seek a PF, but there is not really anybody that I see as a good fit with Pekovic, Anderson is not, and Payne will be a reach for me here, so I am going safe with Gary Harris, can shot the ball and will make a pretty good defensive backcourt with Rubio, that got the length to switch in case Harris is not big enough for some Guards.

Phoenix needs to upgrade their forwards for the future, but they don't need Saric to come right over, I can see them just opting for draft&stash with all the picks they have, next summer they could just let somebody go and bring Dario over, ortwo summers from now, Stauskas could fit there as a shooter, or Jerami Grant as a defensive forward, that they also need.

Atlanta here is another team I got going boom or bust, they need an upgrade in their wings, Carroll and Korver can play SF, but Jenkins has been bad so far and Lou Williams is not the same after the injury, Zach LaVine is my pick here, they have time and can let him grow in coach Bud system, that actually fit his strengths, they could have a pretty good backcourt going forward with him and Schröeder if both develop, a SF like Grant is another option, they really need length and D.

Chicago at 16, with Nurkic gone, will go after a shooter, I have Stauskas here, I can see the Bulls going PG or SF also, drafting Grant or Anderson can make sense, especially Grant, perfect fit next to Mirotic, and if they don't believe they can bring Augustin and Hinrich back, a PG could be an option too.

Well, after getting Vonleh, the Celtics could decide to go into full rebuild mode by trading Rondo, and maybe picking a PG could be an option, I got Elfrid Payton here, since he is my next best Guard available, they will love Stauskas here if possible, but Payton makes some sense even if Rondo stays for another season, they can work with him, and even play him at Bradley's role if they don't keep him.

Lucky Suns got Jerami Grant also after considering him at 14, Grant can fit right in and improve the defense of that team, the run&gun system will hide his offensive flaws and he can play both forward spots, they could let PJ Tucker go and roll the dice with Grant, his shot could be a problem, but the Suns are loaded with shooters.

The Bulls again, plenty of options here, probably is not the best fit since you need more of a banger, but I think the ceiling is high enough to call it, Kristaps Porzingis the latvian guy will be my pick here, he is still a work in progress and probably will never play Center, but he is 7'0 tall has pretty good shot blocking instincts and has a nice skill set on offense, looks like a taller Kirilenko sometimes, pretty athletic, I understand Kyle Anderson as a 2nd ball handler, but I don't really see him with Mirotic and I don't see the Bulls playing more than 1-2 rookies, so an euro draft&stash makes sense, Damien Inglis, Tyler Ennis, and Shabazz Napier could be in play also.

Toronto goes with Anderson, they need another forward, if they are keeping Lowry like they seem, and Anderson can play both forward spots from the bench, they got trash right now there, Fields, Novak, Hansbrough... and another guy that can pass and create will help the team tremendously, their offense was just quite poor and Casey is not really an offensive mind, and guy like Anderson will help them.

OKC has to think about the future, because they keep getting guys that they don't use over the years, but still, they need wings, Butler is a vet that is mostly done, Sefolosha looks like he will leave, Lamb has not panned out so far, I'm still a believer, and Fisher will retire, Roberson is pretty much a defensive tool, I will go with PJ Hairston here, already an NBA body and one skill that will translate, his shooting, he can play both wing spots and improve OKC bench right away, is a solid pick at this point, Jordan Adams could be an option but his limitations as an athlete and his poor combine will hurt him.

Memphis needs an scorer and a SF, this is pretty much a perfect fit, TJ Warren will improve their offense with his ability to buy buckets anytime and anyway, can play both forward spots from the bench, especially next to big guys like Koufos or Gasol, I will go differently if I'm Memphis, I believe Gasol will leave in 2015, but they will probably continue with the very same model.

Utah get Adreian Payne here, a stretch big that can finish, they got enough playmakers to not worry about his mental lapses because he won't get enough ball to think, he can play next to both Favors and Kanter, and play right away, Jeremy Evans did okay but he is just too limited, and I won't pay Marvin Williams if I can just put a young guy to do the same thing, I will look at Damien Inglis closely if I'm Utah here also.

Shabazz Napier, the Hornets keep doing it simple picking guys that will be productive and useful in their system, Napier can play the back-up role for Kemba and even play with him some minutes, he is a good defender with shooting range, his personality also will be a good add to that locker room that has strong characters, this keeps the door open to sign a starting SG this summer also. Jordan Adams, Tyler Ennis, and Micic should be options here.

Is a rookie playing a role in Houston next season? they already have Canaan, Daniels and Covington as players they've developing and probably will get some burn, same with Jones and Motiejunas, plus the rest of the roster, they need vets and defense, I go with long-term here and Damien Inglis, he is a SF, that has the size to play the PF too, with good ball handing skills, strength and defensive potential, even if he is not a great athlete, Houston could lose Parsons via trade or next summer in the FA, a guy like Inglis can come over in a year or two and make an impact, they've done it before with others like Papanikolau and Llull.

Tyler Ennis falls all the way to 26th, this is the lowest I got him in any mock, but I can really see him dropping, he really does not make much sense in any team for me, could be an option for Chicago/Boston, but there are better players on board. Miami go BPA here with a guy that could run their 2nd unit for cheap, they might need to pass on re-signing either Chalmers or Cole this summer for finantial reasons and Ennis poise and leadership will be appreciated.

Jordan Adams is another one that falls here, I've gotten him in the late lotto before, but his combine numbers were terrible and I am still concerned about his game, he does a little bit of everything but he is not good enough at anything at this point, I don't see a skill that will translate for sure, he got potential and he is pretty young, so I can see a team like the Suns trying, they can use some Guard depth after Bledsoe and Dragic, and you never know what will happen with guys like Gerald Green, or you could want to let them go, Archie Goodwin is too raw also, plus Adams is pretty much the BPA here.

I hope McGary goes to the Clippers and I hope the Clippers get McGary, if he's healthy, he is all they need and they are missing, intelligent though player that can play both interior spots from the bench and play from day 1, is just a perfect fit for that team and for him to grow into a quality rotation player with no urgencies.

OKC has another pick here and I believe they will at least stash an euro, Vasilije Micic is my option here, heady PG with a mature offensive game, reminds of JKidd with some of his moves, he is big also, so he can play some minutes with Westbrook, and they actually could use a PG that can control the pace and play at a different one sometimes, he won't come right over, but if somebody overpays Jackson in 2015, he can step right in and get the job done.

Finally the Spurs with another stash of a guy from the french league, I don't really like Capela, he is not a basketball player just yet, but his physical tools are beast-like and the Spurs need depth in that frontcourt going forward, they already have a couple of forward prospects, and they are set at the backcourt, so going with a post player makes the most sense, Capela should pray for this to happen, he needs to learn badly. I'm not so sure the Spurs will go for it, they normally know who fits their system and just go for that instead of trying to re-educate dumb players, but Capela potential could be appealing and worth a gamble.

Sorry for the long post, I'd like the feedback good or bad!

[mrknowitall215]

Jarnell Stokes is my favorite target at #24

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy-sewfMJkA[/youtube]

[LofJ]

I'd loooove to get Stokes at 24, that would be a great pick.

[ball teacher]

As a guy who has called our last two picks, (MKG at #2 and Cody at #4) I think the player we might be looking to pickup would be a SG. Of the shooting guards in the draft this year, the one I think best fits what we're trying to do and a player who could be considered a Cho guy, is Gary Harris. He can shoot, he's smart, he defends, he's got "intangibles" and he's a hard worker, but most importantly, he can shoot.

At 9, I like
1. Gary Harris
2. PJ Hairston, polished offensive player, with nice size at the 2
3. James Young for his size, scoring ability, and youth
4. Zach Lavine for his athleticism, size and shooting ability
5. Stauskas can shoot, but can he make his own shot on the NBA level?

At 24,
1. DeAndre Kane, polished scorer with range, can make his own shot, and even play point. One of the better overall players in college but will probably drop in the draft due to his age, but if given a chance will be a steal.

2. Adreian Payne, a big that is athletic, plays defense, and can score from inside or out. I dont know why he isn't considered a top 10 type player to be honest.

3.Shabazz Napier, could be the backup PG we need, or maybe if Kemba underperforms this year, could be his replacement long term.

[Liver_Pooty]

As a guy who has called our last two picks, (MKG at #2 and Cody at #4) I think the player we might be looking to pickup would be a SG. Of the shooting guards in the draft this year, the one I think best fits what we're trying to do and a player who could be considered a Cho guy, is Gary Harris. He can shoot, he's smart, he defends, he's got "intangibles" and he's a hard worker, but most importantly, he can shoot.

At 9, I like
1. Gary Harris
2. PJ Hairston, polished offensive player, with nice size at the 2
3. James Young for his size, scoring ability, and youth
4. Zach Lavine for his athleticism, size and shooting ability
5. Stauskas can shoot, but can he make his own shot on the NBA level?

At 24,
1. DeAndre Kane, polished scorer with range, can make his own shot, and even play point. One of the better overall players in college but will probably drop in the draft due to his age, but if given a chance will be a steal.

2. Adreian Payne, a big that is athletic, plays defense, and can score from inside or out. I dont know why he isn't considered a top 10 type player to be honest.

3.Shabazz Napier, could be the backup PG we need, or maybe if Kemba underperforms this year, could be his replacement long term.

I like Harris as well, but this board will FLIP if we select him

[LofJ]

Stauskas is a better prospect in almost every way compared to Harris, we would be foolish to select Harris over him. If we're going for immediate fit he's the guy. If we want to go for potential we draft Lavine.

[ball teacher]

As a guy who has called our last two picks, (MKG at #2 and Cody at #4) I think the player we might be looking to pickup would be a SG. Of the shooting guards in the draft this year, the one I think best fits what we're trying to do and a player who could be considered a Cho guy, is Gary Harris. He can shoot, he's smart, he defends, he's got "intangibles" and he's a hard worker, but most importantly, he can shoot.

At 9, I like
1. Gary Harris
2. PJ Hairston, polished offensive player, with nice size at the 2
3. James Young for his size, scoring ability, and youth
4. Zach Lavine for his athleticism, size and shooting ability
5. Stauskas can shoot, but can he make his own shot on the NBA level?

At 24,
1. DeAndre Kane, polished scorer with range, can make his own shot, and even play point. One of the better overall players in college but will probably drop in the draft due to his age, but if given a chance will be a steal.

2. Adreian Payne, a big that is athletic, plays defense, and can score from inside or out. I dont know why he isn't considered a top 10 type player to be honest.

3.Shabazz Napier, could be the backup PG we need, or maybe if Kemba underperforms this year, could be his replacement long term.

I like Harris as well, but this board will FLIP if we select him

What's the problem the guys have with Harris? He seems to be one of the most polished all around players at the SG spot. Not only can he play, he came from that Michigan St team where they play defense,and he's another "intangible" guy. I think he's a safe pick. He kind of reminds me of Joe Dumars.

[ball teacher]

Stauskas is a better prospect in almost every way compared to Harris, we would be foolish to select Harris over him. If we're going for immediate fit he's the guy. If we want to go for potential we draft Lavine.

Stauskas has good size, and can shoot, but can he make his own shot vs Pro caliber players? His main weakness listed was his overall defense, which is what we are trying to pride ourselves on having. This is the main reason I think Harris would be a better fit. He can shoot, he seems a little better at making his own shot, and not only is he a better defender, but he's a tough intangible guy. Stauskas seems like a one dimensional perimeter shooter from the little that I've seen.

[BigSlam]

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