Start up the tank

[Diop]

Also people keep forgetting we took Salaun to develop into our starting pf. I doubt they would give up on him if given the choice between Harper/Flagg.

If they believe Flagg is best, they aren’t passing because of Salaun.

Hopefully it’s a lamelo situation and we get whichever prospect is left.

I’m not looking forward to reading pages of arguing. (I genuinely thank god Scoot didn’t star straight away as this board would have been horrendous)

[JustBuzzin]

With the way we play I have a hard time believing they would select Flagg over Harper tbh. 3's aren't exactly what Flagg brings to the table.

I'm confident they would take Harper because it's quite clear we need another ball handler/creator besides Melo. I'm salivating at the thought of a Harper/Melo backcourt.

Flagg does everything else that no one on this team does well. 3s are important in a spamming 3 ball league, but so is real basketball. 3 spamming is lame and is ruining the game. Give me the guy to level everything out and bring some balance. I love both, but I like flagg a tad more for everything that isn't a 3. Rebounding, defense, passing, slashing, effort. He will be a fine 3 point shooter in time as he should still be a high school senior at his age. I'll take everything he already does and bet on his improvement from 3.

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I'm just saying the system we run tells me Harper would be a better fit. Yeah Flagg brings defense, slashing, and playmaking. You can also say the same for Harper who's also more advanced as a scorer.

I'm already getting the same vibes I had with Miller/Scoot debate. Not trying to compare Flagg to Scoot because he's obviously better, but if one guy can shoot and the other is still a work in progress with his shooting then you have to favor the less hyped guy. People get caught up on the hype I get it. Flagg was more hyped coming out of highschool. But when you watch both players play and you look at the product on the floor it's clear Harper is going to be a franchise type player. He's already hitting crunch time shots. Flagg has been turning the ball over in those moments. He's very much more raw on offense.

Harper looks like that dude right now.

Saying that if you telling me we get Flagg as a fallback option I wouldn't be mad at that. He's going to be a good player for sure. I'm just more unsure of Flagg because he's a work in progress as a scorer. I view Flagg as more of a connector type piece than a franchise player. I could be wrong just from what I have seen so far I like Harper more.

[JustBuzzin]

Also people keep forgetting we took Salaun to develop into our starting pf. I doubt they would give up on him if given the choice between Harper/Flagg.

Salaun doesn't matter in regards to flagg. He gets deleted or moved back. The dude is trash after and can't play any form of anything that resembles good, let alone mediocre basketball. He's that bad. I don't care about him being 19. The dude is a baby dear in every aspect of his game. To me, he's a nothing burger.

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Yet you used age as an excuse to why Flagg hasn't developed a 3pt shot yet, but you said he will get better lol.

Are you sure you're not just a big Flagg homer? You can't contradict your points when it's convenient for you. Just saying bro you gotta be fair if you using the age excuse.

[MasterIchiro]

I think given their seasons, Harper looks like the most finished, NBA-ready prospect, but I do not believe the Hornets would take him #1 over Flagg.

I would hate to pass on Harper but I wouldn't feel terrible about Flagg.

I hate how we can't like both tough choices the way few did with Miller and Scoot. Last draft it was Sheppard and Castle. While we were busy arguing that, we ended up with Salaün, our new Pepé Le Pew just as the aroma of Nic Batum had finally dissipated.

Hopefully tanking for the top-2 players results in a lottery where we are so fortunate to draft one. And if we don't tank hard enough (putting the ball in the hands of Micić who shot 1-13 last night is tanking artistry), the leftover prospect doesn't make my eyes sting.

We should be looking at about 5 dudes right now, not 2.

[JMAC3]

I'm already getting the same vibes I had with Miller/Scoot debate. Not trying to compare Flagg to Scoot because he's obviously better, but if one guy can shoot and the other is still a work in progress with his shooting then you have to favor the less hyped guy. People get caught up on the hype I get it. Flagg was more hyped coming out of highschool. But when you watch both players play and you look at the product on the floor it's clear Harper is going to be a franchise type player. He's already hitting crunch time shots. Flagg has been turning the ball over in those moments. He's very much more raw on offense.

See I actually would compare Harper to Scoot and Flagg to Miller. As of now I think Harper is a better prospect than Scoot don't get me wrong he is bigger, better shooter than Scoot.

I valued Miller because he had good size, better defensive upside and played a more premium position as a big wing. A lot of that rings true with Cooper who is just a unique player that at 6-9 can handle, score, pass and defend. Yes, shooting is a question mark but if he is going to be a positive impact in all other facets I think he is a positive player in the meantime.

Yes, Harper might be the next star guard if you want to compare him to Harden etc, but that was also the selling point of Scoot that he was going to be this awesome offensive engine. Now we are seeing Scoot isn't this great engine and he is bringing very little value elsewhere in terms of defense and shooting and it is making him pretty worthless. Not saying Harper is that bad, but if we draft him and he is just a good offensive guard in the mold of a Coby White or Jaden Ivey then yeah he won't be a bust but those players are much easier to find in trades, fa and the draft every year.

Guys like Cooper Flagg are much more rare, even if he isn't a superstar he could be Jalen Johnson or Pascal Siakam type.

[GiggitySmalls]

Also people keep forgetting we took Salaun to develop into our starting pf. I doubt they would give up on him if given the choice between Harper/Flagg.

Salaun doesn't matter in regards to flagg. He gets deleted or moved back. The dude is trash after and can't play any form of anything that resembles good, let alone mediocre basketball. He's that bad. I don't care about him being 19. The dude is a baby dear in every aspect of his game. To me, he's a nothing burger.

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Yet you used age as an excuse to why Flagg hasn't developed a 3pt shot yet, but you said he will get better lol.

Are you sure you're not just a big Flagg homer? You can't contradict your points when it's convenient for you. Just saying bro you gotta be fair if you using the age excuse.

Yeah i guess I did. I just see no path for salaun. While I see a clear path for flagg. Personally, flagg fits the profile of the players I've always liked and found impactful on the floor. Versatile forwards are my favorite type of player and the hornets haven't had one in decades. The last one was Gerald Wallace. I just believe a truly Versatile forward is exactly what the doctor would order for this team. Again I like Harper and would ve thrilled with either. But flagg just checks one or 2 more boxes for me. But again, salaun will have no impact on if we draft flagg. I said it since day one. He's a absolute nothing on the court and will be a poor man's PJ Washington at best. He was truly a second round type prospect who got hyped all the way to the 6th pick because of motor and measurements. That's basically it. He's beyond underwhelming. But hey he's good for the tank since he's playing everynight.

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[Lwcasu]

One thing for sure, this draft is top end deep. All the way through the top 7. No one has really mentioned Kasparas but I’ve heard some compare Egor to Doncic. I actually see more Doncic in Kasparas but this is a good draft to tank. And honestly I’m not too worried as long as we pick in the top 7 (Obviously top 3 preferred).

[JMAC3]

One thing for sure, this draft is top end deep. All the way through the top 7. No one has really mentioned Kasparas but I’ve heard some compare Egor to Doncic. I actually see more Doncic in Kasparas but this is a good draft to tank. And honestly I’m not too worried as long as we pick in the top 7 (Obviously top 3 preferred).

Meh I think a lot of guys after Harper and Flagg are getting really overrated. The Cheerleader effect of being able to associate their names with Flagg and Harper and potentially getting them at pick 5.

Egor hasn't topped 10 pts in 3/4 games now that he is playing real competition, he could be Tristian Da Silva.

Kasper has been more impressive but I have a hard time seeing him being this guy that controls the ball at the next level. He seems more like a Austin Reaves type of player to me, which is a good get but think some are really reaching with his ceiling. Not a very good athlete, just 1 dunk this year and that was vs Maryland east shore.

Haven't seen enough of Tre Johnson but looks like a Cam Thomas type of player who is just wired to score and doesn't really add much else. Still would be a good player, but I think you can find guys like him pretty frequently in the 5-10 spots of a draft.

Bailey is probably a guy I think most are too down on. His game is going to translate to the NBA as a valuable big forward who make shots. He isn't going to take over games, but if he is Keegan Murray- MPJ type of player he will look a lot better playing as a 3rd or 4th option then someone like Kasper or Tre Johnson who need the ball to thrive and might not be good enough to earn that role.

Not saying any of these guys are Monk or Bouknight but once it was clear they weren't 15 shots per game good then you quickly realize they are better off the bench because they don't defend. I could see that being the case for Egor, Kasper and maybe Tre Johnson, but too early for me to draw lines in the sand on those guys.

[JustBuzzin]

Risacher was the #1 pick. I have 7 players for sure who I would take over him in this upcoming draft. This draft isn't overrated imo. A lot of high IQ guys with actual skills in this draft at the top.

[Braggins]

I'd like to see the Hornets' sponsors consider why they're part of this team. Spectrum should opt out (but only at the last minute, because of soreness).

Make it the Charlotte Hornets Arena again. Get these guys to try and if they won't try, close out the corporate cashflow. Won't turn the lights off by any means, but it'd be a wake-up call even the absentee owners would catch, and maybe it'd get The Malingering Brothers to take off the band-aid and put forth as much as 40% effort for once.

I think it would be cool if Eric Collins was given ownership of the team (not pay for it or anything). He could change the name of the arena to Eric's Palace, which he would also own. For every home game he would stand at the entrance of the stadium and greet everyone as they entered. Then he would call the game like he normally does and afterwards he would say a few words reflecting on the events of the night and then lead the crowd out of the stadium.

[JMAC3]

Risacher was the #1 pick. I have 7 players for sure who I would take over him in this upcoming draft. This draft isn't overrated imo. A lot of high IQ guys with actual skills in this draft at the top.

I think outside of Flagg and Harper it is very normal.
I also wouldn't compare to last years draft because it was seen as horrible at the time and might even be worse in reality thus far.

My guy Topic is looking like the best chance to save the day because everyone who has played has looked very meh thus far.

[Rich4114]

We aren't going to get a top 3 pick so we can get the idea of Flagg or Harper out of our heads. We know how this goes by now. I think we need to focus on a guy who we know has good defensive upside like VJ.

However if I'm somehow wrong and we do land top 2, the board should be Flagg and then Harper. Don't get cute. They're both going to be good and we do NEED ball handling/rim penetration you cannot pass up a prospect like Flagg that adds size and two-way potential.

Also just a reminder, no rookie (or sophmore for that matter) is putting this team in the playoffs. So for anyone who thinks winning the lottery = playoffs anytime soon - it's going to take a lot more than that.

[Braggins]

They literally got LaMelo and Brandon Miller with top 3 picks. Theres no reason to get weird about this stuff. The lottery odds are public information. We don't know what their record will be at the end of the season, but if the lottery were today they would have a 24.7% chance of picking top 2. They would have a 48.1% chance at top 4.

I don't think there aren't any obvious home run picks besides Flagg and Harper, but this is not a bad draft like last years. There are at least a handful of pretty strong prospects after the top 2 and the Hornets currently have an 81% chance of picking top 6 (current floor is 8). They are in a strong position with this upcoming draft and their overall draft pick situation moving forward.

[KembaWalker]

Wow this thread went from light humor about how bad we are and a bit of fun about draft picks, to grown men just bickering about basically nothing that matters. This season freaking sucks. Let's atleast pretend we are talking for flagg or Harper, and imagine what that could look like for us.

I'll start

Flagg would look great next to Williams on defense, and he's also a connector. He can pass and make plays while probably being the 3rd option in year one. Would be our best defender, and Grant Williams could be a good vet for him. Also a miles replacement and change in culture. Especially if we get something decent for miles.

Harper. Wow, could you imagine the offense that Melo, Miller, and Harper could produce if they can be on the court together for a significant amount of time and a lot of games. Man, that would be freaking awesome!

There thread reset. Ready set go!

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I mean, you’re the one swerving the thread off topic, there’s already a draft prospect thread. Laughing at absurd delusions about the quality of the current stable of talent on this team and coaching staff is a lot more on topic than Cooper Flagg


https://www.reddit.com/r/NYKnicks/s/fNXIrwQaiL

[Bassman]

When we are winding up like this, with a crap record and continued injury issues, I LOVE ME SOME TANK! Bring it on, sink on down baby. I want Flagg or Harper, thrilled with getting either. But top end is solid; even if we miss on those stars we get a player with potential to become a key rotation piece.

[GiggitySmalls]

Wow this thread went from light humor about how bad we are and a bit of fun about draft picks, to grown men just bickering about basically nothing that matters. This season freaking sucks. Let's atleast pretend we are talking for flagg or Harper, and imagine what that could look like for us.

I'll start

Flagg would look great next to Williams on defense, and he's also a connector. He can pass and make plays while probably being the 3rd option in year one. Would be our best defender, and Grant Williams could be a good vet for him. Also a miles replacement and change in culture. Especially if we get something decent for miles.

Harper. Wow, could you imagine the offense that Melo, Miller, and Harper could produce if they can be on the court together for a significant amount of time and a lot of games. Man, that would be freaking awesome!

There thread reset. Ready set go!

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I mean, you’re the one swerving the thread off topic, there’s already a draft prospect thread. Laughing at absurd delusions about the quality of the current stable of talent on this team and coaching staff is a lot more on topic than Cooper Flagg


https://www.reddit.com/r/NYKnicks/s/fNXIrwQaiL

Isn't the purpose of talking to get the highest pick possible? I'm pretty sure it is. Soooo it goes hand in hand.... not a hard concept. I was just tired of grown men pissing and moaning. Geez cool down. You're one of those dudes. Pop a pill and even out. Wtf??

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[KembaWalker]

Wow this thread went from light humor about how bad we are and a bit of fun about draft picks, to grown men just bickering about basically nothing that matters. This season freaking sucks. Let's atleast pretend we are talking for flagg or Harper, and imagine what that could look like for us.

I'll start

Flagg would look great next to Williams on defense, and he's also a connector. He can pass and make plays while probably being the 3rd option in year one. Would be our best defender, and Grant Williams could be a good vet for him. Also a miles replacement and change in culture. Especially if we get something decent for miles.

Harper. Wow, could you imagine the offense that Melo, Miller, and Harper could produce if they can be on the court together for a significant amount of time and a lot of games. Man, that would be freaking awesome!

There thread reset. Ready set go!

Sent from my SM-F936U using RealGM mobile app

I mean, you’re the one swerving the thread off topic, there’s already a draft prospect thread. Laughing at absurd delusions about the quality of the current stable of talent on this team and coaching staff is a lot more on topic than Cooper Flagg


https://www.reddit.com/r/NYKnicks/s/fNXIrwQaiL

Isn't the purpose of talking to get the highest pick possible? I'm pretty sure it is. Soooo it goes hand in hand.... not a hard concept. I was just tired of grown men pissing and moaning. Geez cool down. You're one of those dudes. Pop a pill and even out. Wtf??

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You’re the only one seemingly emotional here lol, I can handle talking ball and disagreeing with someone, even vehemently disagreeing and I’m sure JMAC can too. It’s not a big deal. If you can’t handle an internet conversation that nobody is asking you to read if you don’t want to without inserting yourself to do nothing but lob insults or contribute, maybe you’re the one needing some help

[MasterIchiro]

Since Charlotte is never a premiere free agent destination, we will always be upgrading through draft, development, and trade.

We were one of the last to market for a Gleague team for development, and that has caused some stagnation and overreliance on high draft position. The rosters have always been thin compared to an organization like the Heat or others who can lose marquee players and replace them with an assortment of discovered talent.

The development piece has handicapped growth.


We walked away from a lengthy draft/development phase making few upgrades through trades, mostly punting the deadline before the GM finally received license to sell big contracts (Rozier, Hayward) which lingered for one (or two or three) too many years.

We are left with LaMelo Ball on a longterm deal, and Brandon Miller and Mark Williams on rookie scale deals. They are still developing and likely behind because ownership has not invested in a marquee coach who might bring assistants, scouts and development staff.

I believe the trade component of small market growth is about to become more relevant to future success (or failure) than the draft/development piece, given the growing readiness and talent of Melo, Miller, and Mark.

I believe our biggest victory on the trade market recently has been Tre Mann. But he's missed a ton of games. We forget he's a restricted free agent. He's currently on a rookie scale deal as well.

After we make our high lottery pick which we definitely need, we will acquire the ability to leverage draft capital to make upgrades through trading.

These teams ahead of us are spending more money which is a huge part of success/wins. But they've also mortgaged future drafts. I just saw the Pelicans only have 2 second round picks over the next 7 years. We have 14. The Lakers are clinging to the periphery of the playoffs and they have just 2 first round picks available for upgrades. They are battling for breathing room below the 2nd apron. Some teams have just 1 like the Suns, and Nuggets. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a team that has 0.

I think however we use the 6 first round picks plus 14 second round picks will contribute more significantly to our fate than the 2025 lottery, and the difference between Dylan Harper and Kasparas Jakucionis, or Flagg vs. Demin or Edgecombe.

Given our draft capital surplus and cap flexibility (we have zero bad contracts), youth and talented (though exclusive) core, I believe this will be the last draft where we're so highly reliant on securing a high lottery pick and nailing it.

And not even Kenny Atkinson and his crew could have survived 3 injury-filled tank years.

It's time to tank, but it's one last time.

[GiggitySmalls]

Toronto and Washington won on the same day. We are edging our way into 3 or 4. I know worst doesn't get the top pick necessarily. But you gotta be close typically.

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[Robot Rock]

I'd like to see the Hornets' sponsors consider why they're part of this team. Spectrum should opt out (but only at the last minute, because of soreness).

Make it the Charlotte Hornets Arena again. Get these guys to try and if they won't try, close out the corporate cashflow. Won't turn the lights off by any means, but it'd be a wake-up call even the absentee owners would catch, and maybe it'd get The Malingering Brothers to take off the band-aid and put forth as much as 40% effort for once.

I think it would be cool if Eric Collins was given ownership of the team (not pay for it or anything). He could change the name of the arena to Eric's Palace, which he would also own. For every home game he would stand at the entrance of the stadium and greet everyone as they entered. Then he would call the game like he normally does and afterwards he would say a few words reflecting on the events of the night and then lead the crowd out of the stadium.

It'd be better than the rude people at the gates, that's for sure.