College/prospects thread 17-18

[Liver_Pooty]

I draft Bagley and finally, finally lock up out 4 spot after trying for years to do so with Cody Frank and Vonleh

[Kembastockton]

Maybe we should not be looking at the guys at the top of the draft when we are much more likely to be drafting from the middle to the back of the lottery.

[No-Man]

Maybe we should not be looking at the guys at the top of the draft when we are much more likely to be drafting from the middle to the back of the lottery.

Yeah projected to pick 10-11th as of now by most sites

In that range if they are there I'd like Sexton or Knox

Moving Kemba should def be a thing to consider and Monk would work well with Sexton I feel like.

[Braggins]

Bamba hasn't really progressed as much as I was expecting, but he did just have one of his best games against Kansas.

His catch range on lob passes...

Watch on YouTube

Anyways, I'm honestly too intrigued with Doncic to pay much attention to other prospects atm. Serious question, is Doncic the best 18 year old basketball player since Lebron?

[Lwcasu]

Bamba hasn't really progressed as much as I was expecting, but he did just have one of his best games against Kansas.

His catch range on lob passes...

Watch on YouTube

Anyways, I'm honestly too intrigued with Doncic to pay much attention to other prospects atm. Serious question, is Doncic the best 18 year old basketball player since Lebron?

A guy like Trae Young or Sexton would probably be of more immediate impact, because of their ability to score and energize the second unit and because they automatically take out MCW. That being said, Bamba is one of the more underrated top 6 guys. I doubt we get a top 6 draft pick, but if we do and he's on the board, I'd be incredibly frustrated if we didn't take him. I like him more than Michael Porter.

[Diop]

I wouldn't mind using a 2nd round pick on Matur Maker, Thon's brother.

he's been playing as a 6'10 point forward, looks sort of awkward and slow but is still beating others around the court.

also his nick name is "Baby Maker", that's enough for me

[chellis]

Been digging around Mikal Bridges based on where we are slatted. The more I read on him, advanced stats, and highlights I watch, I really feel this guy has some staying power as a 3&D player in this league. Someone else I wouldn’t mind considering if we stay where we are in the draft.

[Diop]

Anyways, I'm honestly too intrigued with Doncic to pay much attention to other prospects atm. Serious question, is Doncic the best 18 year old basketball player since Lebron?

seriously, he's kicking ass in a grown ass mans league. Scoring 30 odd points and winning Euroleague player of the month awards.

Less athletic Ben Simmons, but with a 3 point shot and a whole lot of savvy.

Here's a disgusting thought, imagine if Cleveland keep the Nets pick and Doncic somehow fell into their lap.

[bravor]

He is not that great. Remember that Gallinari was highly sold by EL and italian league (at that time, italian league was arguably at the same level as the ACB, spanish league). That was the same with Ibaka, Mirotic, hell, even Hezonja...I almost forgot Vesely here.
Imo guys like Kirilenko, Gino.. were way better than he is, even though they were a little older when they landed in this league.

Defensively, he will be exposed quite badly, and he will need to knock down at a very high percentage to compensate.

Imo guys like Sedekerskis will have a much better impact. Without all the hype (well you know, even in EL and ACB they have marketing departments)

[yosemiteben]

Board survey - how many college ball games have you watched this season? For me I think the answer is 4, and I don't think I watched any from start to finish.

[catch20two]

About 3 tops and I don’t think I thoroughly watched any start to finish. 2 of them were Trae Young games. I’ve tried to look at many before losing interest after a minute or so. Maybe I’d watch more if I had a favorite college basketball team like that.

College basketball just not what it once was.

[chellis]

Board survey - how many college ball games have you watched this season? For me I think the answer is 4, and I don't think I watched any from start to finish.

I’ve watched 12 UNC games (alum) and about 25 other games (not all start to finish since some were blowouts in the final minutes). I tend to favor watching ACC and Big 10 since I was raised in ACC country and wife was raised in Big 10 country.

[HornetJail]

0

Anything I say about college basketball between now and March is probably bull $@*%

[316Hornets]

Bits and pieces of a few, I'm just not really interested in college basketball until around mid. Feb when we start to get a clearer picture of the top teams and who is hoping to get into the tournament.

[Eoghan]

Bits and pieces of a few, I'm just not really interested in college basketball until around mid. Feb when we start to get a clearer picture of the top teams and who is hoping to get into the tournament.

Same.

[TheKingofSting]

It looks like we still may have a legit chance at Miles Bridges. #Slamwillbestoked

I don't want anything to do with Kevin Knox. If we could get up far enough Porter would be a steal if his medicals checkout (where have we heard that before)?

Any of Bagley, Young, Ayton or the Bridges from Nova would be the dream but we won't stink that bad.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TheKingofSting]

6. Sacramento Kings: Michael Porter Jr.
Forward, Missouri, freshman (6-foot-10, 215 pounds, 19 years old)

O’Connor: Porter was the fourth pick the last time we did a mock draft because of his shot-making upside at the forward spot. The reason he’s slipped to sixth has nothing to do with his performance, because he hasn’t stepped on the floor since November 10, when he played two minutes in his Missouri debut before getting pulled. Later that month, he had spinal surgery that could sideline him for the entire season. It’s been a missed opportunity for Porter to improve areas of need against higher-quality competition than what he faced at Nathan Hale High School. Most notably: his ball-handling ability, which would enhance his go-to scoring potential at the NBA level. Instead, Porter will need to answer questions about his medical outlook. Porter has the ideal size of a versatile forward and the potential to become a star scorer, but availability is the best ability.

7. Chicago Bulls: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Power forward/center, Michigan St., freshman (6-foot-11, 242 pounds, 18 years old)

Chau: Jaren Jackson Jr. is a rare big man who needs no astral projection to see into his 3-and-D future. He’s already proficient in both areas. Jackson is shooting 43.5 percent from 3 on 2.7 attempts per game (which, in fairness, was fortified by a 5-of-6 outing against Maryland), and his 14 percent block rate is second behind only Bamba among projected lottery talents.

His skills suggest top-five potential, though he doesn’t appear to have the instincts of a high-level creator, either for himself or others. His upside might not be that of Bagley’s or Ayton’s, but there is a serious demand for players of his ilk, even if his role never expands beyond what it is now. In theory, he combines the two halves of Serge Ibaka’s career into a single player—the first five seasons as a shot-blocking dynamo, and the past four as a dependable long-range threat who plays solid position defense. He’s the perfect player for the Bulls as they begin to consolidate their frontline of the future, which is almost completely devoid of rim protection.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Nets): Mikal Bridges
Small forward, Villanova, junior (6-foot-7, 210 pounds, 21 years old)

O’Connor: Mikal Bridges was a part-time player as a freshman on Villanova’s 2015-16 championship roster. Two years later, he’s the leader of a no. 1 ranked Villanova team with title hopes. Bridges developed into an ace 3-point shooter and is arguably college basketball’s best perimeter defender. With a two-way skill-set, Bridges could help any NBA team immediately. Bridges is a safe bet for the Cavs whether LeBron James stays in Cleveland or not. He’s the kind of 3-and-D swingman that the current Cavs would kill for, and in a potentially LeBron-less future, he’s the kind of player that would serve as a significant building block. We’ve already seen how Bridges has expanded his game after being pushed into larger roles.

9. Phoenix Suns: Collin Sexton
Point guard, Alabama, freshman (6-foot-3, 190 pounds, 19 years old)

Tjarks: The Suns need a point guard of the future after their messy divorce with Eric Bledsoe, and Tyler Ulis isn’t that guy. Sexton was more highly regarded than Young in high school, and he’s had a strong freshman season in his own right at Alabama. Sexton is an extremely athletic guard who lives at the rim at the college level and is currently shooting 38.8 percent from 3; he could develop into a high-level two-way floor general. Circle Alabama’s game with Oklahoma on January 27 on the calendar, when Sexton has the chance to make a statement on the national stage against the biggest star of the season in Young.

The bigger issue for the Suns is whether their fans have the patience to wait for a 19-year-old point guard to acclimate himself to the NBA level. This is a team that may seek to trade out of the lottery to accelerate a rebuilding process that has been stuck in neutral, if not in reverse.

10. Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges
Power forward, Michigan State, sophomore (6-foot-7, 225 pounds, 19 years old)

Chau: Who could’ve predicted that Miles Bridges would (1) not be the first Spartan off the board in most mock drafts or (2) not even be the first Bridges? The second-year star is still a wrecking ball of a physical specimen, but questions about his NBA position have still not been adequately answered; if anything, they’ve been muddied even further.

After spending much of his time playing as a 4 last season, Bridges has shifted primarily to the 3 with the arrival of Jackson. He’s been able to show off his ability to facilitate in motion from the power wing position, and while his 3-point accuracy has dropped off since his freshman year, he’s still shooting well enough for his spot-up shooting to be considered a weapon (and not a fluke). He’s got enough strength and quickness to guard almost every position on the floor, but his explosiveness is expressed in two-footed jumps, which needs time to generate propulsion. Those extra beats could handicap his success at either the 3 or 4 in the NBA, where having quick leaping ability is a premium. Still, Bridges is a smart, versatile talent who may well be a steal at no. 10. The Hornets aren’t in any position not to swing for a high-upside player with a few NBA-ready skills.

11. Utah Jazz: Kevin Knox
Power forward, Kentucky, freshman (6-foot-9, 215 pounds, 18 years old)

Tjarks: The Jazz will be looking to continue their magic in the late lottery from last season, when they hit the jackpot by trading up to obtain Donovan Mitchell. Most of the sure-fire picks are off the board at this point, but that shouldn’t scare a front office with a proven eye for talent. Knox is a role of the dice: an inconsistent shooter who is playing out of position on the wing on a Kentucky team with too much size and not enough 3-point shooting. His situation in college actually mirrors former Jazz forward Trey Lyles’s under John Calipari, though that may not excite Utah fans much. Don’t be surprised if the Jazz swing for the fences on a player no one is talking about, at least not yet.

https://www.theringer.com/platform/amp/nba/2018/1/10/16871398/2018-nba-lottery-mock-draft-january?__twitter_impression=true

We should pick somewhere in this range unless Batum opts for season ending surgery or Kemba gets injured.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BigSlam]

It looks like we still may have a legit chance at Miles Bridges. #Slamwillbestoked
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was watching him yesterday. Still really enjoy his game and I think he has superstar potential and a superstar mindset. I just love the way he attacks the game.

Looks like he’s really working on his body as well and slimming down, shedding his puppy fat.

I still really like him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Diop]

I don't care what we do this season as long as we tank for Bol Bol next season.

Read on Twitter

[Eoghan]

Hell yeah, rebuild around Baby Maker and Bol Bol.