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HORNETS REALGM BIG BOARD

1. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Kansas
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
3. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke
4. Dante Exum, PG/SG Australia
5. Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana
6. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky
7.

Stauskas




Forum Big Board:----------------------------------------------Slam's Big Board:
1. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Kansas---------------------------1. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas--------------------------------------2. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke
3. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke--------------------------------3. Dante Exum, PG/SG, Australia
4. Dante Exum, PG/SG Australia-----------------------------4. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Kansas
5. Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana--------------------------------5. Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana
6. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky---------------------------------6. Nik Stauskas, G, Michigan

I was also considering Stauskas but voted for Smart. If we were sitting at 7 it would be a tough decision. Smart has the potential to be an impact player someday. In this scenario, I'd probably try to trade down and get my preferred player at better value.

Smart has the highest upside of anyone left. Really like Stauskas and McDermott, but I have to vote Smart here since he is still on the board. Too much to pass up.

Stauskas. I'm not Smart's biggest fan and I think Nik is a much better fit.

ARHornet's Board
1. Embiid
2. Wiggins
3. Parker
4. Exum
5. Vonleh
6. Randle
7. Stauskas

just to make sure i'm doing this right - i am picking the best available player for the Hornets, not necessarily my favorite player available. right?

Smart is a vastly overrated combo guard. The right answer is White Jamison, Doug McDermott.

Toss up between Lavine and Stauskas for me. Probably Lavine.

In the current poll choices, Smart would be dead last for me. Even after Saric.

vorbis wrote:just to make sure i'm doing this right - i am picking the best available player for the Hornets, not necessarily my favorite player available. right?

Just pick who you would draft for the Hornets yeah.

Sent from my SM-N900V using RealGM Forums mobile app

BigSlam wrote:Stauskas




Forum Big Board:----------------------------------------------Slam's Big Board:
1. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Kansas---------------------------1. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas
2. Joel Embiid, C, Kansas--------------------------------------2. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke
3. Jabari Parker, SF/PF, Duke--------------------------------3. Dante Exum, PG/SG, Australia
4. Dante Exum, PG/SG Australia-----------------------------4. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Kansas
5. Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana--------------------------------5. Noah Vonleh, PF/C, Indiana
6. Julius Randle, PF, Kentucky---------------------------------6. Nik Stauskas, G, Michigan

Stauskas as well and my big board matches yours except move Wiggins to 2.

Biz Gilwalker wrote:Toss up between Lavine and Stauskas for me. Probably Lavine.

In the current poll choices, Smart would be dead last for me. Even after Saric.

Agreed on Smart the only thing is I would still put him above Randle. I think Randle is a fired GM waiting to happen.

Smart for me, still has way too much upside to pass on at this point and would be a nice 6th man until his shooting improved enough to take Henderson's spot. Smart is very Wade like with his defense and the way he uses his big body to get to the front of the rim. Think his shot is very fixable, worlds better form than my man MKG.

Stauskas would be my next choice tho.

JMAC3 wrote:Smart for me, still has way too much upside to pass on at this point and would be a nice 6th man until his shooting improved enough to take Henderson's spot. Smart is very Wade like with his defense and the way he uses his big body to get to the front of the rim. Think his shot is very fixable, worlds better form than my man MKG.

Stauskas would be my next choice tho.

Stauskas is worth investigating whether or not he deserves the bump over Smart.

The Hornets had trouble shooting free throws this year as a unit. They finished the year finished 24th in the league at a 73.7% FT%. The Trailblazers finished first overall with an 81.5% clip, creating quite a large margin. Marcus Smart shot 72.8% this year (per ESPN) while Stauskas handily beat him with an 82.4% FT%. Anyone who watched the majority of our games this year can agree we lost about 4 games this year because our guys couldn't hit free throws in crunch time, leaving the door open. (Pero Antic anyone?) Stauskas would certainly help in this department.

Second, it is absolutely no mystery that we had a hell of a time hitting the trey ball. The Hornets took the 4th least amount of threes this season in the NBA and making the 6th least amount. Our team 3PT? Comes in at a subpar 35.1%, good for 23rd in the league. Stauskas hit the three ball with a 44.2% frequency this season, while Smart pulled in at 29.9%, yes you read that correctly. Smart is nearly a detriment to the longball, which we desperately need in our offense if we expect to make it back to the playoffs and actually make it mean something.

What about experience? Both guys only stayed two years in college before heading to the big lights of the NBA. Having the pressure and answering the bell is apart of playing at the next level too. Anybody remember Marcus Smart in the Elite Eight this year? I don't either because he was eliminated in the first round by Gonzaga. Stauskas? He made the Elite Eight before falling to the National Runner-up Kentucky team. The year before that? Oh yeah, Stauskas led his team to the National Championship before losing to Pitino's Louisville Cardinals. Seems to me like Stauskas has been introduced to the big stage, and knows how to win when he gets there too.

Maybe I'm being too critical of Smart, because he is definitely a good player no doubt. Yes, it also depends on the team you play on and the seeding on how far you make it in the NCAA tourney. I'm not saying if Smart played Wofford like Stauskas he would have lost in the first round, but I don't think on the same team, Smart outperforms Stauskas and takes Michigan to the Elite Eight. The draft is about targeting weakness and making it a strength. Our weaknesses this year were definitely not on the defensive side, but glaring holes in our 3 point shooting and free throw percentage really make me thing Stauskas isn't just our #7 but he should be our top candidate (eliminating the top 5 which we have no realistic shot at in the #9 position)

lmcguir5 wrote:

JMAC3 wrote:Smart for me, still has way too much upside to pass on at this point and would be a nice 6th man until his shooting improved enough to take Henderson's spot. Smart is very Wade like with his defense and the way he uses his big body to get to the front of the rim. Think his shot is very fixable, worlds better form than my man MKG.

Stauskas would be my next choice tho.

Stauskas is worth investigating whether or not he deserves the bump over Smart.

The Hornets had trouble shooting free throws this year as a unit. They finished the year finished 24th in the league at a 73.7% FT%. The Trailblazers finished first overall with an 81.5% clip, creating quite a large margin. Marcus Smart shot 72.8% this year (per ESPN) while Stauskas handily beat him with an 82.4% FT%. Anyone who watched the majority of our games this year can agree we lost about 4 games this year because our guys couldn't hit free throws in crunch time, leaving the door open. (Pero Antic anyone?) Stauskas would certainly help in this department.

Second, it is absolutely no mystery that we had a hell of a time hitting the trey ball. The Hornets took the 4th least amount of threes this season in the NBA and making the 6th least amount. Our team 3PT? Comes in at a subpar 35.1%, good for 23rd in the league. Stauskas hit the three ball with a 44.2% frequency this season, while Smart pulled in at 29.9%, yes you read that correctly. Smart is nearly a detriment to the longball, which we desperately need in our offense if we expect to make it back to the playoffs and actually make it mean something.

What about experience? Both guys only stayed two years in college before heading to the big lights of the NBA. Having the pressure and answering the bell is apart of playing at the next level too. Anybody remember Marcus Smart in the Elite Eight this year? I don't either because he was eliminated in the first round by Gonzaga. Stauskas? He made the Elite Eight before falling to the National Runner-up Kentucky team. The year before that? Oh yeah, Stauskas led his team to the National Championship before losing to Pitino's Louisville Cardinals. Seems to me like Stauskas has been introduced to the big stage, and knows how to win when he gets there too.

Maybe I'm being too critical of Smart, because he is definitely a good player no doubt. Yes, it also depends on the team you play on and the seeding on how far you make it in the NCAA tourney. I'm not saying if Smart played Wofford like Stauskas he would have lost in the first round, but I don't think on the same team, Smart outperforms Stauskas and takes Michigan to the Elite Eight. The draft is about targeting weakness and making it a strength. Our weaknesses this year were definitely not on the defensive side, but glaring holes in our 3 point shooting and free throw percentage really make me thing Stauskas isn't just our #7 but he should be our top candidate (eliminating the top 5 which we have no realistic shot at in the #9 position)

Poetry right there.

Shall we move on to 8? I was about to make a thread but didn't want to jump the gun.

BlackOutBobcat wrote:Shall we move on to 8? I was about to make a thread but didn't want to jump the gun.

I agree. Think Smart takes this one.