2020 NBA Draft Thread, Part 2 -- (8PM, Wed, Nov. 18, ESPN)

[Jammer]

So, who are the 8 players the Celtics have worked out?

Teams are only allowed 10 IN-PERSON workouts.

Confirmed:
R. J. Hampton (New Zealand Breakers)
Precious Achiuwa (Memphis)
Theo Maledon (France - ASVEL)
Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt)
Devin Vassell (Florida State)

Possibly
Saddiq Bey (Villanova)


Virtual Meeting, i.e. Zoom (Doesn't count against limit of 10 workouts)
Cole Anthony (North Carolina)
Desmond Bane (TCU)
Nate Hinton (Houston)
Zeke Nnaji (Arizona)
Daniel Oturu (Minnesota)
Payton Pritchard (Oregon)
Immanuel Quickley (Kentucky)
Paul Reed (DePaul)
Jay Scrubb (2 meetings) - maybe he should change his last name considering his desired profession. Was consensus JUCO College Player of the Year, and scheduled to transfer to Louisville if he didn't stay in the NBA Draft.
Lamar Stevens (Penn State)
Tyrell Terry (Stanford)
Killian Tillie (Gonzaga)

[Jammer]

Some of the mocks today have Vassell being jumped by Nesmith, I like both guys. would be fine with either one at 14.

Doubt they last that far. This year, like last year, #13 is way better than #14.

I took a look about 12 years ago where players were found.

Quality, Starting level SG's stopped at #13. Where Tyler Herro went last year. Kobe Bryant was a #13, but he talked the Nets out of taking him at #8 by telling them that East Rutherford, N.J. (where the Nets then played) was too far from his home in Philadelphia.

P.S. Kobe also declined to travel to the Nets Facility, forcing the Nets to meet him at a motel in Southern New Jersey along I-95. Kobe actually visited the Celtics. I believe Boston was one of his two preferred destinations (behind L.A., of course). Vlade Divac faked Charlotte out. They gave up their #13 pick for Divac, who played one season, re-signed for a big number, and then forced a trade to Sacramento. Got Divac paid, and back on the West coast. And Divac helped the Lakers land Kobe.

[themoneyteam2]

im a draft expert but;

okoro to me looks like a classic ainge pick. just from style/physique

I don't really get the appeal. I think P Williams is a much better prospect.

If you draft Patrick Williams you're just drafting his body. He looks so uncomfortable shooting and isn't skilled but yeah you hope his upside is highest in draft

Kevin O'Connor and Russilo had a really good podcast about prospects in this draft FWIW

[Gomes3PC]

im a draft expert but;

okoro to me looks like a classic ainge pick. just from style/physique

I don't really get the appeal. I think P Williams is a much better prospect.

Then you didn't watch the two play. Williams is all about potential and seeing through a tough fit at college to grow into potential. Think Jaylen Brown or Jeff Green without the baggage.

Okoro, meanwhile, is a MFer. Just a dude. Anyone in the SEC will tell you he was the toughest guy to deal with out there. The kid has been a winner his whole career.

Neither are competent shooters yet, but Okoro is already super adept at getting to the rim at will, finishing, and drawing fouls. Both are good, intelligent, athletic defenders but I think I value Okoro's perimeter D more than Williams as a tweener big who will never be big enough to be a 5.

[themoneyteam2]

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[Gomes3PC]

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Ainge loves him top-ranked recruits who seem to be sliding relative to their pre-college rankings. Hampton, Anthony, Maxey, Stewart all fit that bill. Would be surprised if we don't draft any of those guys.

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Ainge loves him top-ranked recruits who seem to be sliding relative to their pre-college rankings. Hampton, Anthony, Maxey, Stewart all fit that bill. Would be surprised if we don't draft any of those guys.

At times like this it's interesting to recall that Ainge was one of the most decorated athletes in high school team sport history.

(Has anybody to this day matched him in making All-American in all of baseball, football and basketball?)

[Spin Move]

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Ainge loves him top-ranked recruits who seem to be sliding relative to their pre-college rankings. Hampton, Anthony, Maxey, Stewart all fit that bill. Would be surprised if we don't draft any of those guys.

I have been saying for weeks that Anthony not Hampton is the ainge type pick, 1. He was a higher rated prep then the likes of Hampton (him and stewart were back and fourth in the ratings. 2. he was coming of injury last year and still performed relatively well, shades of Romeo. I think he can be a good NBA PG.

From the Stepian

athleticism / Frame Overview: Good and strong athlete. Quick feet laterally, fast in a straight line, and very quick reaction times. Love his hip turns – very fluid here. Quick hands. Has solid burst (first step), but not great – some nice flashes from a standstill / going downhill, but it’s not consistent.



Mentality Overview: Competitor on both ends of the court and a real “pros pro” – insanely hard work ethic. Someone who brings it every game on both ends – don’t need to worry about taking nights off. Puts pressure on opposing defenses with his engine-style game and gets into players on defense. He flashes the ability to really try and get back in the play if playing from behind on a play, but I would like to see a more consistent effort – doesn’t always try to get back if he thinks he’s dead in the water / if he has teammates looking to help.
https://www.thestepien.com/2020/01/25/cole-anthony-scouting-report-2/

[themoneyteam2]

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Ainge loves him top-ranked recruits who seem to be sliding relative to their pre-college rankings. Hampton, Anthony, Maxey, Stewart all fit that bill. Would be surprised if we don't draft any of those guys.

Spot on. I'd actually love Stewart at 26 if he's still available.

Seems like Celtics haven't had contact with Maxey (maybe because he's a Klutch guy?) but I would not be shocked at all if they take RJ or Cole at 14.

[themoneyteam2]

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[captain green]

Cole and rj to me are the leftovers if we draft them we didn't succeed with our trades and settled.

[themoneyteam2]

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[Gomes3PC]

I do think there is merit in not overanalyzing 20-35 games of college production. It's a SSS and if you have tons of HS/AAU tape that shows a kid with great skill, don't let the small sample fool you. Looking at Brad Beal's college 3PT% alone and you'd never have thought he would be an elite shooter.

[Homerclease]

Cole Anthony is second only to Precious on guys I absolutely do not want at 14. Really hoping they either move up or deal this pick outright

[Bill Lumbergh]

im a draft expert but;

okoro to me looks like a classic ainge pick. just from style/physique

I don't really get the appeal. I think P Williams is a much better prospect.

Then you didn't watch the two play. Williams is all about potential and seeing through a tough fit at college to grow into potential. Think Jaylen Brown or Jeff Green without the baggage.

Okoro, meanwhile, is a MFer. Just a dude. Anyone in the SEC will tell you he was the toughest guy to deal with out there. The kid has been a winner his whole career.

Neither are competent shooters yet, but Okoro is already super adept at getting to the rim at will, finishing, and drawing fouls. Both are good, intelligent, athletic defenders but I think I value Okoro's perimeter D more than Williams as a tweener big who will never be big enough to be a 5.

Patrick Williams reminds me a bit of Jeff Green. Could be a good thing or a bad one. Jeff Green with a motor would have been a hell of a player. I don't know about P Williams motor. Did not watch any FSU games.

[themoneyteam2]

I do think there is merit in not overanalyzing 20-35 games of college production. It's a SSS and if you have tons of HS/AAU tape that shows a kid with great skill, don't let the small sample fool you. Looking at Brad Beal's college 3PT% alone and you'd never have thought he would be an elite shooter.

Yeah for sure but on the other hand he had a picture perfect shooting form and shot 49% 3PT his senior year in high school lol so all the signs were pointing towards him being an elite shooter.

[Gomes3PC]

I do think there is merit in not overanalyzing 20-35 games of college production. It's a SSS and if you have tons of HS/AAU tape that shows a kid with great skill, don't let the small sample fool you. Looking at Brad Beal's college 3PT% alone and you'd never have thought he would be an elite shooter.

Yeah for sure but on the other hand he had a picture perfect shooting form and shot 49% 3PT his senior year in high school lol so all the signs were pointing towards him being an elite shooter.

Yes, that's the point. You have to look at why folks drooled over some of these guys in HS. Sometimes they just have a bad luck year of shooting (Beal), sometimes they don't get to play a role that suppresses their abilities (Kentucky guards), sometimes they are in a terrible spacing offense that makes it hard to see how their skills fit in an NBA setting.

Lots of reasons why you should absorb college data, but taking just a single year and extrapolating that while ignoring HS stats, scouting, etc. is a bad idea.

In short - use all the data points on a kid, not JUST the most recent couple hundred minutes of playing time.

[flintsky21]

So according to this video, Hampton's weaknesses include defense, playmaking, shooting, which... I don't know, JUST the 3 things you're looking for most in a PG.

So what's with the appeal with this guy? It's all about potential?

Watch on YouTube

[yeleven11]

So according to this video, Hampton's weaknesses include defense, playmaking, shooting, which... I don't know, JUST the 3 things you're looking for most in a PG.

So what's with the appeal with this guy? It's all about potential?

Watch on YouTube

People think he has tools to be a good defender so the defense issue is one you can fix within a good developmental system.

People think he can at least be a good drive and kick guy and eventually make pretty good reads, although might never be a huge advanced read guy.

But the main recent development is that he's been working on his shot with Mike Miller and supposedly his jumper looks a lot better.

[Jammer]

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Kira Lewis looks like a good player. It will be interesting to see how high he goes. Doubt he'd last past the Lakers.