Absurdly early 2018 NBA Draft Thread

Post #1981 » by **ATL Boy** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 4:06 pm

I'll be devastated if we take Jaren Jackson with this immensely important pick. I've officially put him lower than Bagley oh my list. Dude is too much of a project and hasn't proven the ability to score on the pick & Roll.

If we don't have a top 3 pick, I'm all aboard the Mohamed Bamba train.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Spud2nique · Post #1982 » by **Spud2nique** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 4:22 pm

ATL Boy wrote:I'll be devastated if we take Jaren Jackson with this immensely important pick. I've officially put him lower than Bagley oh my list. Dude is too much of a project and hasn't proven the ability to score on the pick & Roll.

If we don't have a top 3 pick, I'm all aboard the Mohamed Bamba train.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Agreed. I’m not sure why people are sleeping on Bagley. I still don’t get it. They keep saying he’s overpowering skinny white kids, but why don’t they say that about Ayton. Plus, he’s got a crazy motor and was deemed a generational player only a couple years back. He produces double doubles every night.

Bagley>>>>JJJ

thr3ep01nte4 · Post #1983 » by **thr3ep01nte4** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 4:26 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Man, the hype would rise to an unreal level if this young man ends up in NY:

Read on Twitter

Hype only unless Dolan and his minions are gone.

Spud2nique · Post #1984 » by **Spud2nique** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 5:13 pm

I’m hoping Villanova and Duke meet soon. There would be about 5 or 6 prospects to watch. Also nice to see how Bridges and Bagley handle the pressure. Kansas stands in the way as the major threat to break this party up.

Post #1985 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 5:58 pm

Spud2nique wrote:I’m hoping Villanova and Duke meet soon. There would be about 5 or 6 prospects to watch. Also nice to see how Bridges and Bagley handle the pressure. Kansas stands in the way as the major threat to break this party up.

I JUST WANT Duke to actually be challenged before the Final Four. They've had an exceptionally easy road thus far.

(I feel robbed we didn't get to see Duke-Michigan State featuring JJJ/Miles Bridges vs Bagley/Mr. Wendell.

Spud2nique · Post #1986 » by **Spud2nique** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:27 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:
Spud2nique wrote:I’m hoping Villanova and Duke meet soon. There would be about 5 or 6 prospects to watch. Also nice to see how Bridges and Bagley handle the pressure. Kansas stands in the way as the major threat to break this party up.

I JUST WANT Duke to actually be challenged before the Final Four. They've had an exceptionally easy road thus far.

(I feel robbed we didn't get to see Duke-Michigan State featuring JJJ/Miles Bridges vs Bagley/Mr. Wendell.

I feel the same with all those guys that could land around our area...Porter, Young and Ayton as well.

I have a question about Ayton that we have possibly addressed here before but if he turns out to be a really good big with really good stats and occasionally but up 20/20 double doubles...wouldn’t he be almost like an Andre Drummond? We’ve seen what the Pistons have done and many of us don’t like it. Is is Stan? Is it the new nba? Is it the Pistons supporting cast around Drummond? Could Bud turn a player like Drummond as his top 2 player, and have that team consistently win?

I wonder if the team with the first pick would have the ping pong balls to pass on Ayton. Wow. I don’t know if it’s scouting or luck but if this team is us, we can’t screw up. I mean, I guess with luck a lot of it can’t be anticipated.

I will say this for us though, our team’s infrastructure per say wasn’t what it is today. If I had to compare us to an organization by then it would probably we the Magic or the Knicks. We didn’t have the support we do today to groom a Marvin Williams or even a cp3.

I think we need to give ourselves a pat on the back. We’ve come a long way...over a decade and we seem to have finally given ourselves a chance from top to bottom and a lot of that if not all of it has to be Bud. There is a different energy with him at the helm. We are lucky to have him.

macd-gm · Post #1987 » by **macd-gm** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:55 pm

Spud2nique wrote:
ATL Boy wrote:I'll be devastated if we take Jaren Jackson with this immensely important pick. I've officially put him lower than Bagley oh my list. Dude is too much of a project and hasn't proven the ability to score on the pick & Roll.

If we don't have a top 3 pick, I'm all aboard the Mohamed Bamba train.

Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

Agreed. I’m not sure why people are sleeping on Bagley. I still don’t get it. They keep saying he’s overpowering skinny white kids, but why don’t they say that about Ayton. Plus, he’s got a crazy motor and was deemed a generational player only a couple years back. He produces double doubles every night.

Bagley>>>>JJJ

It's because Ayton has show a variety of offensive tools and Bagley, outside of a few 3s, scores almost exclusively on dunks and putbacks. That's based on seeing a limited number of games. But I'll be honest I have the same concern with both. That they are getting rich against lesser athletes. Bagley is more interesting to me than he was earlier but I'm still wary of a NC based prospect named Marvin who has "all the physical tools to be a star"

MaceCase · Post #1988 » by **MaceCase** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:27 pm

I've always seen Ayton as LaMarcus Aldridge. Similar frame and length, good in the post, knockdown from midrange, questionable drive. If he develops the 3 more then he's closer to KAT. A good skills base even if the effort or IQ isn't always there.

More I look at Bagley he reminds me of young Blake Griffin. Not the same ballhandling and passing but is more than confident pushing the ball in transition and is relentless around the rim and slashing. That relentlessness eventually took a toll on Griffin though and he's had to rely more on a skill base since which has been hit or miss.

jayu70 · Post #1989 » by **jayu70** » Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:19 pm

What's the word on this kid...

Read on Twitter

thr3ep01nte4 · Post #1990 » by **thr3ep01nte4** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:50 am

Spud2nique wrote:I have a question about Ayton that we have possibly addressed here before but if he turns out to be a really good big with really good stats and occasionally but up 20/20 double doubles...wouldn’t he be almost like an Andre Drummond? We’ve seen what the Pistons have done and many of us don’t like it. Is is Stan? Is it the new nba? Is it the Pistons supporting cast around Drummond? Could Bud turn a player like Drummond as his top 2 player, and have that team consistently win?

There is a good article here on Drummond and his lack of positive influence on the game despite having an amazing physique.

When evaluating Drummond’s physical prowess for a piece this past April, ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh wrote that Drummond “might be the most mechanically perfect body in the NBA.” Haberstroh based that hyperbolic-sounding sentiment off of the results from Drummond’s summer trip to sports science lab, P3 Peak Performance, where it was discovered Detroit’s big man actually moves with the dexterity of a much smaller player:

"He checks off all the same boxes that the perimeter players do," Dr. Marcus Elliott, the founder and lead scientist at P3, told ESPN. "That's super rare for a big man. You almost never have a guy that big who's comparable to a 200-pound guy. There's usually a give back."

The main issue of Drummond was covered in detail in the article. His primary problem is that he's not very good at playing good defense. Currently, he ranked 30th in Defensive Real Plus Minus according to ESPN, which is worse than Jokic at 28th, but better than Towns at 63rd.

He has trouble recognizing defensive schemes, communicating with teammates, and tends to overplay. He's also not a good pick-and-roll defender and struggles to keep up with big men who can shoot from outside. For his physical gift (7-0 height, 7-6 wingspan, and phenomenal leaper), he has trouble protecting the rim.

Drummond's problems are quite similar to the issues with Ayton. Acutally, Drummond's steal and block rates in college are both better than Aytons, STL%: 1.8 to 1.0, BLK%: 9.9 to 6.1. Drummond has been in the NBA for 6 years, his defensive awareness has not improved much. I think there are some legit concerns about Ayton's defense. However, Ayton does have some advantages over Drummond on offense in terms of post footwork and outside shooting. As for some high level off-the-dribble shooting, face-up game in the midpost, Ayton has a long way to develop.

The bottom is, if Ayton is going to be a guy who only produces numbers and doesn't make people around him better defensively or offensively (e.g., pre-Memphis Zach Randolph), then he's not worth the no.1 pick. If he can develop into a Duncan/Embiid type playmaking defensive anchor, then yeah, definitely the no.1.

thr3ep01nte4 · Post #1991 » by **thr3ep01nte4** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 1:03 am

MaceCase wrote:More I look at Bagley he reminds me of young Blake Griffin. Not the same ballhandling and passing but is more than confident pushing the ball in transition and is relentless around the rim and slashing. That relentlessness eventually took a toll on Griffin though and he's had to rely more on a skill base since which has been hit or miss.

Also their lack of length and subpar defense. 8-)

GSWNation20 · Post #1992 » by **GSWNation20** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 5:49 am

Hahaha look at you guys huh. After years as a middling playoff team back to being one of the worst teams in the league. What have you got? Dennis Schroader? Lol is that your best player? Can't shoot and can't defend. Ah sorry I forgot you got that budding superstar Prince as well right? Enjoy being one of the worst teams in the NBA for a long time to come. Better hope you hit on your next 3 high lottery picks lol

MaceCase · Post #1993 » by **MaceCase** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 7:06 am

GSWNation20 wrote:Hahaha look at you guys huh. After years as a middling playoff team back to being one of the worst teams in the league. What have you got? Dennis Schroader? Lol is that your best player? Can't shoot and can't defend. Ah sorry I forgot you got that budding superstar Prince as well right? Enjoy being one of the worst teams in the NBA for a long time to come. Better hope you hit on your next 3 high lottery picks lol

I'm sure we'll manage better than one playoff appearance in 18 years. Oh, you were a Laker fan then?

Spud2nique · Post #1994 » by **Spud2nique** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 7:10 am

MaceCase wrote:
GSWNation20 wrote:Hahaha look at you guys huh. After years as a middling playoff team back to being one of the worst teams in the league. What have you got? Dennis Schroader? Lol is that your best player? Can't shoot and can't defend. Ah sorry I forgot you got that budding superstar Prince as well right? Enjoy being one of the worst teams in the NBA for a long time to come. Better hope you hit on your next 3 high lottery picks lol

I'm sure we'll manage better than one playoff appearance in 18 years. Oh, you were a Laker fan then?

now you guys might understand why I think the way I do about scrub fans...smh.. :nonono:

Spud2nique · Post #1995 » by **Spud2nique** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 7:28 am

Updated mock has us taking Porter jr. (kg... :rockon:

)

http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft

atlantabbq99 · Post #1996 » by **atlantabbq99** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 8:33 am

Spud2nique wrote:Updated mock has us taking Porter jr. (kg... )

http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft

Hawks pass on Luka Doncic and take Porter...

atlantabbq99 · Post #1997 » by **atlantabbq99** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 11:55 am

Biggest problem with Bagley is that he could be a "Justice Winslow/Okafor bust". Overhpyed, in a good system, inflated numbers with really bad free throw shooting

kg01 · Post #1998 » by **kg01** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:26 pm

MaceCase wrote:
GSWNation20 wrote:Hahaha look at you guys huh. After years as a middling playoff team back to being one of the worst teams in the league. What have you got? Dennis Schroader? Lol is that your best player? Can't shoot and can't defend. Ah sorry I forgot you got that budding superstar Prince as well right? Enjoy being one of the worst teams in the NBA for a long time to come. Better hope you hit on your next 3 high lottery picks lol

I'm sure we'll manage better than one playoff appearance in 18 years. Oh, you were a Laker fan then?

Heh.

His comeback was like, "18 years? Nuh-uhn, we won titles with Kobe and Shaq and .... uhm ... {delete}, {delete}, {delete}..."

kg01 · Post #1999 » by **kg01** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:29 pm

Spud2nique wrote:Updated mock has us taking Porter jr. (kg... )

http://www.nbadraft.net/2018mock_draft

As of now, it's a toss up between Porter and Bamba for me.

I certainly want no parts of Yurtseven in the 2nd. That's a dude that should've gone straight to the draft, not cbb. Playing at NCSt exposed him IMHO.

jayu70 · Post #2000 » by **jayu70** » Fri Mar 23, 2018 12:37 pm

GSWNation20 wrote:Hahaha look at you guys huh. After years as a middling playoff team back to being one of the worst teams in the league. What have you got? Dennis Schroader? Lol is that your best player? Can't shoot and can't defend. Ah sorry I forgot you got that budding superstar Prince as well right? Enjoy being one of the worst teams in the NBA for a long time to come. Better hope you hit on your next 3 high lottery picks lol

I'm not sure why that's funny since that was the explicit intent in not resigning Millsap and getting rid of Howard for Plum the Bum. Hawks haven't had their OWN lottery pick since Al Horford. Hawks are in year ZERO of their rebuild.
Make fun because we're middling, so they decide to go in a different direction and get a high lotto pick still make fun - make up your mind.

Are you happy with the draft?