2020 Pre-Draft Discussion

[UNCNYC]

With the draft being tomorrow it kinda feels like Santa Claus is coming. Christmas Eve. I hope we get a good present.

[LofJ]

Edwards might drop out of the top 5, we need to move up for Wiseman. I hope you do well in Minnesota Miles.

[yosemiteben]

Spoiler:

bruh

"To be honest," he says, "I can't watch basketball."

He retells the story about the first time he dunked and how it signaled to him that he was talented and could accomplish something he might not have been able to in football, which was his first love. So that's the direction he went, simple as that, hanging up his cleats. "That's all I needed to see," he says.

So when after that did he get into basketball?

"I'm still not really into it," he says. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."

He's not entirely convincing. He says if he were drafted by the NFL tomorrow, he'd let basketball go. "Because you can do anything on the field," he explains. "You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff." In the NBA, he says, "you can't do any of that. You'll get fined."

He goes on to say that he's an aspiring rapper. He's already recorded a few tracks with his older brother Bubba. So, like Damian Lillard? "But I really can rap," he says. "Dame, talking about -- I don't know what he's talking about. I'm rapping like Lil Baby." He says he won't release any songs until he's established in the NBA.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30321844/the-pain-promise-top-nba-draft-prospect-anthony-edwards

let me like you edwards wtf

He has to be trying to drop in the draft, right? Because that is just too much.

[SWedd523]

I'm going to cheat

Worst Case Scenario

A: Trading future assets to move up
B: Trading down for a lesser prospect
C: Trading for Westbrook

What are we giving up for Westbrook? I'm going to assume it's just a salary dump on our end, at the absolute worst we flip Rozier and Batum for Russ. But they seem hell-bent they will only move him for assets.

I think the easy choice here is answer A. We are finally in a decent situation. There is no point in moving up in this draft, last year there was a clear gap in pick 1 and pick 3. Not this year. We have all our picks and a clean cap sheet coming up. But we still are a long way off from building a contender. So giving up assets in THIS draft would be an embarrassing decision.

Giving up assets for Russ would be a million times worse, though.

I think you misunderstood my post

All three of those scenarios equate to worst case scenario for me.

Trading literally anything for Westbrook = worst case scenario. I didn't put any qualifiers for a reason.

If any of those three things happen, the Hornets **** up on draft night.

The right answer is simple:

1. Stay at three
2. Pick whichever guy you think has the best chance of performing at a high level


That's it. Don't try and outsmart yourselves or other teams, don't try and be cute, don't try and please Mike, just draft at three and be done.

[Rays Pompadour]

Are we really THAT scared the Hornets will find a way to screw this up?

[Vanderbilt_Grad]

Spoiler:

bruh

"To be honest," he says, "I can't watch basketball."

He retells the story about the first time he dunked and how it signaled to him that he was talented and could accomplish something he might not have been able to in football, which was his first love. So that's the direction he went, simple as that, hanging up his cleats. "That's all I needed to see," he says.

So when after that did he get into basketball?

"I'm still not really into it," he says. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."

He's not entirely convincing. He says if he were drafted by the NFL tomorrow, he'd let basketball go. "Because you can do anything on the field," he explains. "You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff." In the NBA, he says, "you can't do any of that. You'll get fined."

He goes on to say that he's an aspiring rapper. He's already recorded a few tracks with his older brother Bubba. So, like Damian Lillard? "But I really can rap," he says. "Dame, talking about -- I don't know what he's talking about. I'm rapping like Lil Baby." He says he won't release any songs until he's established in the NBA.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30321844/the-pain-promise-top-nba-draft-prospect-anthony-edwards

let me like you edwards wtf

He has to be trying to drop in the draft, right? Because that is just too much.

What happened to Zen mode?

[SWedd523]

Are we really THAT scared the Hornets will find a way to screw this up?

No not really

The question was asked. I gave a response.

[316Hornets]

Spoiler:

bruh

"To be honest," he says, "I can't watch basketball."

He retells the story about the first time he dunked and how it signaled to him that he was talented and could accomplish something he might not have been able to in football, which was his first love. So that's the direction he went, simple as that, hanging up his cleats. "That's all I needed to see," he says.

So when after that did he get into basketball?

"I'm still not really into it," he says. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."

He's not entirely convincing. He says if he were drafted by the NFL tomorrow, he'd let basketball go. "Because you can do anything on the field," he explains. "You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff." In the NBA, he says, "you can't do any of that. You'll get fined."

He goes on to say that he's an aspiring rapper. He's already recorded a few tracks with his older brother Bubba. So, like Damian Lillard? "But I really can rap," he says. "Dame, talking about -- I don't know what he's talking about. I'm rapping like Lil Baby." He says he won't release any songs until he's established in the NBA.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30321844/the-pain-promise-top-nba-draft-prospect-anthony-edwards

let me like you edwards wtf

He has to be trying to drop in the draft, right? Because that is just too much.

It's actually a deep and coherent thought that I like. It shows that he looks at this as a job and one he has to follow the rules at. Maturity is one of the most important things you want in a high lottery pick.

[cornchip]

Spoiler:

bruh

"To be honest," he says, "I can't watch basketball."

He retells the story about the first time he dunked and how it signaled to him that he was talented and could accomplish something he might not have been able to in football, which was his first love. So that's the direction he went, simple as that, hanging up his cleats. "That's all I needed to see," he says.

So when after that did he get into basketball?

"I'm still not really into it," he says. "I love basketball, yeah. It's what I do."

He's not entirely convincing. He says if he were drafted by the NFL tomorrow, he'd let basketball go. "Because you can do anything on the field," he explains. "You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff." In the NBA, he says, "you can't do any of that. You'll get fined."

He goes on to say that he's an aspiring rapper. He's already recorded a few tracks with his older brother Bubba. So, like Damian Lillard? "But I really can rap," he says. "Dame, talking about -- I don't know what he's talking about. I'm rapping like Lil Baby." He says he won't release any songs until he's established in the NBA.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30321844/the-pain-promise-top-nba-draft-prospect-anthony-edwards

let me like you edwards wtf

He has to be trying to drop in the draft, right? Because that is just too much.

I'll admit I'm big on Edwards but...

Our current owner (also known as the greatest basketball player of all-time) once quit basketball to play baseball, so there's that.





Hey I'm not ready to get off the Edwards bandwagon just yet.

[Diop]

i dont think i can avoid work this year and am going to have to only check in occasionally

[CuseMayne]

Oh man...the draft is finally upon us. Been checking the board every single day since our lotto luck. I really think that we're in good hands with Kupchak. He should have the final say in these moves, as he's the seasoned professional and so far hasn't done us wrong once since coming here.

I do have to say, I'll be really bummed if we end up with LaMelo and keep him, as the ESPN talk today included the idea that LaMelo is the type of player you have to "give the keys of the franchise to" ... and that's a scary thought. I just don't see him becoming the player that some people say he is/will be.

There's definitely red flags for Edwards, but with his talent, NBA body/athleticism, and our developmental approach he could become a solid go to scorer.

Then there's Wiseman, who I want waaaaaay more than the other two. The Hornets have been undersized for far too long. This is our chance to acquire a defensive anchor who gives our defense some much needed length and allows us to match up with the handful of elite big men around the league who have been unstoppable against us for years. The rim running and athleticism could really open up a lot for our offense as well, and he certainly has good form on his jumper so if that becomes a thing that's just a bonus. Realistically, he won't be our 1st or 2nd option on offense barring some giant improvements on his offensive game, but even that isn't impossible. The kid's 19. Seems like he has has a great head on his shoulders and just wants to work and improve, while IMO Ball and Edwards might value fame and vanity a bit too much.

Of course this is the year that we finally get lucky in the lottery in a draft class deemed to be weak. None of these three are guaranteed to be stars, obviously. However, this is another reason why I feel we should find a way to leave draft night with Wiseman. He has the highest floor, and if we went with Ball or Edwards, we'd have to rely on them to be the focal point of the team way more than Wiseman as the league puts so much weight into guards and wings being your best player. Coming away with a very good Center with freakish measurables and a great head on his shoulders isn't only just the safe bet, but there's a chance he has the highest upside too. We'll have to address the Center position at some point anyways, and I think now is a great time to do it, especially with the next few drafts having WAY BETTER options for the positions and team roles Ball and Edwards will be expected to fill.

This leads me to the ugly truth that we'd have to trade up to get Wiseman...and a fair trade to move up with either Minny or GS (more likely Minny) would be to attach Miles Bridges. It really pains me to come to this conclusion, as I'm a huge fan of his. I have a poster of him hanging in my room, and his jersey hanging in my closet. But at the end of the day, long term, him leaving as a sell high move makes sense. His best position is very likely as a PF, and he can't do several things that SFs in the NBA need to bring to the table. He's super fun to watch, but barring a major jump this year his ceiling seems to be a pretty solid 4th offensive option on a middling team. He is young and still could break out, but the more likely route if we keep him would be that he essentially is who he is as a player and we give him a Marvin Williams esque contract. Again, good player and a great guy, but there's a reason why he spent his whole career on middling teams. Furthermore, I think we have several guys on the roster that could conceivably fill those SF minutes, mainly the Martin Twins and McDaniels. I think Cody and Caleb are really solid players and are great glue guys, and I'm really glad we have both of them going into 2020-2021. But I think Jalen McDaniels is a really promising player as a 3&D modern NBA forward. He screams Robert Covington 2.0 to me, who would be a perfect player to model his game and team role after. We could also go small with Graham/Malik/Terry for stretches and/or crunchtime. But, all in all, selling high on Miles now allows us to focus in on who we want to target all of our cap money towards, as we're going to need to find our go to player on the wing in 1-2 years to end the rebuild and start competing. Who could that be? I'm not sure right now, but we need to start thinking about our options to make this all worthwhile.

Went a little more in depth than I was planning originally, but there you have it. In short, I think Wiseman is who we need to go after, and if it takes Miles Bridges to secure him, then sadly I think it's a move we should make.

I remember before last season's start, I was pessimistic about the Hornet's future, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised with what we saw in 2019-2020. We have a lot to be excited about, and I hope the next chess moves we make on the board continues this positive momentum. Please feel free to argue any of my points as I'd love to debate them, I'll be on the board a lot leading up to the draft. So excited that it's finally here, we made it fellas!

[amcoolio]

I don't think you guys should be disappointed with Ball. I think in an NBA system with structure he will flourish. It will take a few years to get there, but we should be tanking for the next two drafts anyway.

[UNCNYC]

I forget the name of the player that we traded a first round pick for. Something along the lines of if we were to win the chip I think we owe Golden State or Indiana our first round pick because they sent him to us for that. Too bad fom sure is r us if we win the Chip and too bad for their GM who I am sure is long fired

[Snidely FC]

Happy Draft Day Everyone!

I will be happy with any of these guys:
3
James Wiseman
Lamelo Ball
Onyeka Okongwu
Tyrese Haliburton

DO NOT WANT: Russell Westbrook

32
Xavier Tillman
Kaleb Wesson

56
Sam Merrill
Justinian Jessup
ps: both of these guys are from the Mountain West Conference, from which CHA drafted 3 players last year
Sam Merrill is the best shooter in the draft, ala JJ Reddick

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Justinian Jessup is 6'7 SG shooting specialist ala Duncan Robinson

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

[DY_nasty]

we can't possibly screw this up, right?

[UNCNYC]

Welp it's officially DRAFT DAY. That after 12 stuff doesn't count it only counts when you wake up that day duh lol. These are the players I wanted in order of position. I wish Arturs Zagars was still in it...

PG -
Tyrell Terry, Killian Hayes, LaMeLo Ball, Skylar Mays, Devon Dotson
Anthony Cowen, Tyrese Haliburton, Abdoulaye Ndoye, Jarron Cumberland, Yam Mador

SG -
Isaiah Joe, Devin Vassell, Ty'shon Alexander, Keandre Cook, Karim Mane

SF -
Tyler Bey, Josh Green, Leandro Balmoro, Desmond Bane, Jay Scrubb
CJ Elleby, Elijah Huges,

PF -
Saddiq Bey, JaDen McDaniels, Patrick Williams, Paul Reed, LaMar Stevens
Kristian Doolitle, Jordan Nwora, Naji Marshall, Malik Fitts, Isaiah Mike

C -
Jalen Smith, Rayshaun Hammonds, Daniel Oturu, Zeke Nnaji, Reggie Perry
Kaleb Wesson

-----------------------------------------------
As of now the ONLY player I am 100 percent sure I am taking with pick 3 is Terry. As far as pick 32 goes I am not sure if it's gonna be JOE yet or if I will gamble and see if Joe falls to 56 due to the depth at SG.

PICK 1 - Tyrell Terry, LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes

PICK 2 - Saddiq Bey, Tyler Bey, JaDen McDaniels, Leandro Balmaro, Josh Green, Zeke Naji, Desmond Bane, Paul Reed

PICK 3 - Isaiah Joe, Ty'shon Alexander, CJ Elleby, LaMar Stevens, Keandre Cook, Karim Mane, Skylar Mays, Jay Scrubb

[LofJ]

Speaking of Isaiah Joe, Wasserman said he has a promise from Philly (either at 21 or 34). So UNCNYC, you were right to value him more than the media mocks.

[UNCNYC]

we can't possibly screw this up, right?

I dont think we can, at least not from an optimistic point of view due to the DEPTH of this draft. The DEPTH is the best I have ever seen. We will potentially be at 56 with an option of about 10 guys who could be impact available. (I think we are gonna end up trading 56 tho)

[UNCNYC]

Speaking of Isaiah Joe, Wasserman said he has a promise from Philly (either at 21 or 34). So UNCNYC, you were right to value him more than the media mocks.

Thanks for the shout out. I like Joe quite a bit. He is a good defender and shooter of the 3. Needs to work on his dribble but he has potential to improve in that area as well.

I often agree with your picks so much so it just further ads insurance to the pick for me lol. Thanks for being such an amazing HORNET fan man and enjoy draft day and your Turkey (which is only about 5 days after in this weird year lol)

[DY_nasty]

we can't possibly screw this up, right?

I dont think we can, at least not from an optimistic point of view due to the DEPTH of this draft. The DEPTH is the best I have ever seen. We will potentially be at 56 with an option of about 10 guys who could be impact available. (I think we are gonna end up trading 56 tho)

can't disagree more. this is one of the worst drafts since 2002 lol

in that sense, its impossible to be truly disappointed. or it should be