Appropriately early 2020 NBA Draft Thread

[Jamaaliver]

I love this kid!!! I want this guy and Okongwu!!!

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[HMFFL]

I've seen Ant Edwards play 3-4 times this year and he's been hot garbage every single time.

I haven't been impressed with him.
I have reached the point that don't want him a Hawk unless he shows huge improvement. We must have a sure thing.

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[tbhawksfan1]

Hawks are set up for a top pick. Top of the draft looks CRAPPY. Hope TS trades back for a nice role player and future assets. Terrible draft to land top 3

[CP War Hawks]

Hawks only have like a 25% shot at landing pick 1 or 2. There will be like 6-7 teams that will out tank this team so no one should bank on having a top 3 pick.

Stewart outplayed OO and looks noticeably bigger than him at just 18 years old. Oturu has also entered his name into the conversation. Both of those guys are shooting 75% at the line on good volume.

[King Ken]

It's still really early in the process so these are far from final but here's my top 10 so far:

My top 10 is the draft is:

Draft grade/potential

1. Obi Toppin- 8/8.5

2. LaMelo Ball - 6.5/9.5

3. Anthony Edwards- 6.5/9.5

4. Onyeka Okongwu- 7/8.5

5. James Wiseman - 6.5/9

6. Cole Anthony- 7.5/8

7. Tyrese Haliburton - 7/8

8. Killian Hayes - 7/7.5

9. Tre Jones - 7/7.5

10. RJ Hampton - 7/7.5

Note: it's very early in the process. A lot of these guys will show more potential as the season goes along. I tend to be rigid at this point in the draft with the potential of most players, so take it with a grain of salt outside of the ones I've seen a ton of like Edwards, Wiseman, Okongwu, and Ball.

My First Hawks Big Board:

1. Edwards
2. Ball
3. Okongwu
4. Wiseman
5. Cole Anthony
6. Toppin
7. Haliburton
8. Deni A.
9. Tre Jones
10t. Killian Hayes
10t. Jaden McDaniels

[shakes0]

ok, Ant Edwards looked a lot better last night.

Highlight was he had a monster dunk and then there was a guy sitting courtside who was filming it on his phone. Edwards saw him and walked towards him posing. Guy was wearing all white and all white hoodie, couldn't tell who he was, but he walked a good 5 steps onto the court while doing this. I turned to my wife and said that Edwards must know that guy, they must be friends.

A few minutes later they showed that guy from the front and it was Trae Sitting courtside with his good buddy Quavo. Had some nice drip including the ice trae pendant I believe Quavo gave him last year as a gift.

[HMFFL]

Anthony Edwards projected to Hawks with No. 1 pick


https://www.peachtreehoops.com/platform/amp/2020/1/10/21059887/nba-mock-draft-anthony-edwards-atlanta-hawks-georgia-projection-january

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[Jamaaliver]

The Young Prospector: Obi Toppin



Projected draft class-------------2020
Projected draft age---------------22
Measurements--------------------6'9", 220 lbs.
Current Team---------------------Dayton Flyers
Hometown------------------------Brooklyn, New York

At a glance

• Concerns about his shooting. He’s already 22 and the mechanics aren’t great. Sub-70 percent from the free throw line is troubling long-term as well.
  
• He’s more fluid as an athlete than you’d think just by looking at his frame.
  
• A lot of his scoring comes from the post.

By all accounts, 2019 was an excellent year for Obi Toppin. A virtual unknown nationally prior to the season, Toppin’s play at Dayton so far this season has thrust him into contention to be the first big man off the board after Memphis’ James Wiseman. He’s averaging 19.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 62 percent from the floor. Toppin is a bit of a tweener due to his size and skillset. Offensively, he’s best as a small ball 5, but he’s not going to hold up as the primary rim protector on defense.

Upside

There’s not really an NBA archetype for what Toppin is at Dayton, so it’s hard to pinpoint what he’ll bring to the next level. But athletically, he’s going to cause some problems for some centers. He’s quick enough and skilled enough to beat defenders to the spot despite not being super fluid. His ability to switch between the 4 and the 5 makes him an ideal component on a contender in the era of positionless basketball. Toppin is also incredibly explosive — this really stood out in the Colorado game on a number of occasions.

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Perhaps Toppin’s best offensive skill that should translate to the next level is his touch with finishing around the rim. He’s also a good enough passer to make quick decisions as he rolls to the basket.
Downside

I’m not sure how much of what Toppin does will translate to an NBA floor. His post moves are dominant in the A-10, but that won’t matter much at the next level beyond his footwork in the pick-and-roll.

He’s produced great results from behind the 3-point line at Dayton (42.4 percent career on 59 attempts) but I’m skeptical of him being an above average 3-point shooter at the NBA level. For one thing, he’s shooting just 68 percent from the free throw line this year, which indicates his 3-point success could be the result of a small sample size. I also noticed a few inconsistencies in his jumper mechanics — he’ll occassionally lean back or land awkwardly even when he has space to catch-and-shoot. Those should be correctable issues, and I do expect him to shoot 3s in the NBA — just not at a 40-percent clip.
Thunder Fit: Could he play alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

The short answer is yes. Toppin profiles as a really fun pick-and-roll partner for SGA going forward, even if it’s only for spurts. Toppin’s athleticism would make him an interesting fit next to any lead ballhandler, but Shai’s creativity and length make him an especially good candidate.

However, whether or not he’s a great fit OKC depends mostly on whether you believe in his 3-point shot. If Toppin can shoot threes at an average clip for a big, he would be an intriguing fit next to Steven Adams at power forward or as a small ball 5 off the bench. But if he’s not going to be an effective shooter, it will be difficult to play him next to a non-shooter at center or as a stretch 5 since he doesn’t have the size to protect the rim. Sam Presti could still end up drafting him as an upside play, but the fit seems like it would be awkward at first glance.

Making the pick

If Oklahoma City is going to take Toppin, I’d expect it to be with Denver’s first round pick in the mid 20s. I don’t buy the lottery hype for him, even in this draft. He’s an older prospect who likely profiles as an energy big off the bench who can’t really protect the rim. That’s valuable in certain situations, but he’s not a guy that’s going to be universally loved in draft circles.

Daily Thunder

[Jamaaliver]

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[Radioblacktive1]

*cough* punt *cough*

[kg01]

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Tryna tell y'all. We gotta trick someone this year. Trade this pick.

[CP War Hawks]

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Tryna tell y'all. We gotta trick someone this year. Trade this pick.

UGA will struggle against top 5 teams like Auburn especially at their place. I'm a Tech follower, and Antman is a stud no doubt. He chose incorrectly with a team that brings in a freshmen pg among other sub-par players to surround himself with.

[kg01]

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Tryna tell y'all. We gotta trick someone this year. Trade this pick.

UGA will struggle against top 5 teams like Auburn especially at their place. I'm a Tech follower, and Antman is a stud no doubt. He chose incorrectly with a team that brings in a freshmen pg among other sub-par players to surround himself with.

He's a good hs/college player. Folks want to believe they're watching greatness but this year's class is average as cold grits.

True, he chose poorly. And, no, that doesn't mean I think GT would've been much better of a choice. But I'm $ure he'$ happy with hi$ deci$ion.

Kudos to uGA for playing the game.

[Ball4life32]

I’m taking Wiseman(very high on him & think ppl are underrating him). If he’s gone wouldn’t mind trading the pick at all.

[kg01]

I’m taking Wiseman(very high on him & think ppl are underrating him). If he’s gone wouldn’t mind trading the pick at all.

I'd take him if we can acquire an actual starter at C for him to learn under. Oddly, I'd be more ok with us taking Ball otherwise. Don't tell @jammalo I said that.

I still lean towards auctioning off the pick though.

[jayu70]

I’m taking Wiseman(very high on him & think ppl are underrating him). If he’s gone wouldn’t mind trading the pick at all.

I'd take him if we can acquire an actual starter at C for him to learn under. Oddly, I'd be more ok with us taking Ball otherwise. Don't tell @jammalo I said that.

I still lean towards auctioning off the pick though.

I don't watch college basketball so I can't comment on any of these players being good or not. As you indicated, the draft may not hold 'any Lebrons' but I'd only be ok trading the pick (top #3) for a superstar player (bearingin mind doing so also invloves moving 1 maybe 2 of the current core players) I'd be OK trading down to acquire future picks but it'll have to be to a team slated in the high lottery next season, I'd also be ok drafting whoever and filling in the deficit roster spots via FA.
I know you are an advocate of trading the pick, it just has to be for the right deal.

[kg01]

I’m taking Wiseman(very high on him & think ppl are underrating him). If he’s gone wouldn’t mind trading the pick at all.

I'd take him if we can acquire an actual starter at C for him to learn under. Oddly, I'd be more ok with us taking Ball otherwise. Don't tell @jammalo I said that.

I still lean towards auctioning off the pick though.

I don't watch college basketball so I can't comment on any of these players being good or not. As you indicated, the draft may not hold 'any Lebrons' but I'd only be ok trading the pick (top #3) for a superstar player (bearingin mind doing so also invloves moving 1 maybe 2 of the current core players) I'd be OK trading down to acquire future picks but it'll have to be to a team slated in the high lottery next season, I'd also be ok drafting whoever and filling in the deficit roster spots via FA.
I know you are an advocate of trading the pick, it just has to be for the right deal.

I think you're absolutely right ... in theory.

Me? I don't even need it to be a blockbuster situation. My issue is I'm done waiting on development. For me, there's value in not needing a guy to take the customary 2-3 years to become a player.

Thus, trading for even a all-star level player is fine for me. Like a McCollum-type (not him, because I don't like him, just saying someone on his level). That, on it's face, would be a bad value deal. However, for us, I think that would be what we need.

Certainly more than having another 'shiny new toy' to stake Schlank's job security on. The problem with tankin'-GM's is they can always point to 'oh, this guy needs time that's why we suck' as a way of keeping their jobs.

I don't want him to have that eggscuse anymore. Get us some dudes that can play now.