2018 NBA DRAFT THREAD

[Jakeopp]

Definitely not following this draft closely unless the Lakers start losing games. They're bad, but enough for us to have any realistic shot of getting their pick.

[klemen4]

This draft imo is amazing in top 5...may be one of the best top 5 in history...yes i know people say similar things every year, but...this one will be special.

Doncic at 18 is the best european prospect probably ever. Bagley reqalifying, Ayton talked about years, Porter and Bamba defense.

Man i would love to have a top 5 this year.

[Darth Celtic]

4th gives us a 70% chance at the pick, 5th gives us around 40%, 6-11 is almost all around 7% chance. It's not terrible. Better than say winning 50m in the lotto.

They are tied for 6th worse with like 6 teams, many of whom we expect to win and make the playoffs. It's not impossible to think they could end 4-5.

[DK-All Day]

Bagley and Ayton both super impressive in their debuts. 25/10 for Bagley and 19/12 for Ayton. This pick is absolutely huge for this franchise going forward

I wish we hadn't put such narrow conditions on the Laker pick option because it's looking like top 10 in this draft (2018) could be better than top 5 in the next (2019).

And to me, the Laker pick is looking like 7,8,9 range...

Still think this draft drops off significantly after 5. 2019 in my opinion has a big 3 in Zion, RJ, Cam and some my say big 4 if you add in Bol Bol. The problem with that draft is its mostly versatile wing players in the top and you guys are already set on that. I guess in an ideal world, you could make a trade with Philly for say Okafor and offer one of your 1sts and in return get Okafor and get Philly to give up the restrictions on that LA pick. That way even if the LA pick falls outside of the top 5 say to #7, it would be easier to put together a package to trade up into the top 5 to get one of the bigs.

If Ainge wanted the protections expanded, it would’ve happened when the deal was being negotiated. Ainge clearly sees a drop off after 5.

[Homerclease]

I think Bagley would be the perfect 5 for you guys if Ainge and Stevens want to go all out with the versatility. The jump shot is a work in progress but has good form on it so you gotta hope there is potential there. The combination of size/athleticism/motor is just so fun to watch, the kid is everywhere defensively and on the boards and can be the type of guy that can put up 20 points a game without ever having to draw up a play for him.

The beast which they call Ayton would also be a great fit as well.

Ayton is the guy with Tatums future here likely as a 4 and Horford on the wrong side of 30.

Ayton
Tatum
Hayward
Brown
Irving

Picture that starting 5 in two years with guys like Rozier, Baynes, Theis, Semi and Jabari Bird off the bench. I'd like to keep Horford around a few more years in a bench role after his max deal ends too but obviously for far less than what he currently makes. Pick has to convey this year though, it's the lynchpin for everything otherwise they need to make another trade

[DK-All Day]

I think Bagley would be the perfect 5 for you guys if Ainge and Stevens want to go all out with the versatility. The jump shot is a work in progress but has good form on it so you gotta hope there is potential there. The combination of size/athleticism/motor is just so fun to watch, the kid is everywhere defensively and on the boards and can be the type of guy that can put up 20 points a game without ever having to draw up a play for him.

The beast which they call Ayton would also be a great fit as well.

Ayton is the guy with Tatums future here likely as a 4 and Horford on the wrong side of 30.

Ayton
Tatum
Hayward
Brown
Irving

Picture that starting 5 in two years with guys like Rozier, Baynes, Theis, Semi and Jabari Bird off the bench. I'd like to keep Horford around a few more years in a bench role after his max deal ends too but obviously for far less than what he currently makes. Pick has to convey this year though, it's the lynchpin for everything otherwise they need to make another trade

We would still have multiple first round picks left too.

[Homerclease]

Ho hum another 19/13 line on 9/13 shooting for Ayton. Dominant big man

[ddb]

this draft isn't as deep as the 2017 class, but it's better at the top. The projected Top 5 picks of the draft ALL have a chance at being star players in the league. It could end up being the best Top 5 since the LeBron/Darko/Melo/Bosh/Wade Top 5.

Ayton, to me, is my early favorite. Not because of his first 2 games either. He's always been a freak of nature. 7'1 260 and athletic. He has range....He's like a healthier (knock on wood) and younger version of Joel Embiid.

Bagley concerns me a bit. I thought he was a bit overrated coming in, but he's been outstanding through 2 games. He has a nice touch around the basket...He's very athletic and "bouncy". I worry a bit about his shot selection in the NBA....He tends to get a little over hyped at times. Nonetheless, another excellent prospect.

Michael Porter JR is a 6'10 shooter/scorer with some handles. People keep saying he's Durant-lite...I don't know about that. He is intriguing for sure, but he's more Ingram than Durant. . It'll be interesting to see how he holds up this year..never a good start to get injured in your first game. Hopefully, it's minor and not a lingering thing.

Luka Doncic- Best international prospect maybe ever...his feel for the game is off the charts. Only downside is he's not overly athletic which in the NBA may or may not be an issue. He has a very high floor. I'll just say that. He's going to be very good. The question is HOW good? Superstar good? All Star good? Or just solid.

Muhammad Bamba- Rudy Gobert with a 3pt shot. Longest player in the draft. Should have an enormous impact defensively with the ability to be good offensively in time as well. Any other draft he'd be considered a Top 3 lock.

[Bobalob]

Even tho im not a Celts fan, i almost want them to luck up and end up with Ayton since its the 1 position they need. Would be a potential GS-killer which im all for. It must be killed.

[Bobalob]

Now that the games are being played and we can SEE these guys my sentiments all along are being confirmed:

Lol @ the thought of taking Doncic over Atyon, let alone Bagley and even Porter.

[akhan786]

I think Ayton will be picked before we get a chance to get him. I think you're an idiot if you don't take a chance on that monster.

But...Bagley has a chance to fall (hopefully in our range 2-5) because right now he is incredibly raw which I don't think people know (and thus are surprised when they watch a full game of his for the first time).

But even with a lot of needed polish, Bagley has been dominant solely off of his dog mentality and Wiggins-level second jump. That sounds like the perfect big for us next year, because he'll have a chance to come off the bench and learn that polish from Horford/Baynes while also contributing within what he is capable of doing (offensive rebounds, lobs, baby hooks). His intensity reminds me of Jaylen Brown.

Irving - Rozier
Brown - Smart
Hayward - Semi
Tatum - Morris
Horford - Bagley

He's better than Tristan Thompson right now as a teenager, and I think he could end up as a KG-level player if he improves in a lot of areas. I'm sure Brad Stevens would salivate at taking on the project of creating the perfect modern versatile NBA-big.

Watch on YouTube

[big-shot-ROB]

I think we do not stand a chance to Ayton and Bagley. I've not been impressed with Bagley, he is a physical monster but that's about it. He does not have any kind of feel for the game, takes bad shots, his handle is suspicious,.. Ayton on the other hand is a monster, he's left behind any kind of criticism about his motor and his revealing to everyone a passing game out of the post nobody thought he had.

Lol at people who would take Porter over Doncic. Porter is the one who impresses me the less. He is a straight line driver with worse handles than Bagley, even worst shot selection and 0 court vision. I like his shot at this stage, but to me right now he is a poor's man Otto Porter/Rudy Gay. I still remember people compared him with Durant.

Who I want the Celtics to get is Mamba, who would be in our range if we snag that Laker's pick. He is so powerful on the defensive side, his shooting form is nice although he is struggling right now with percentatges, specially from 3. What I think impresses me the most and makes me the think he'd be the perfect pick is that he is really mobile, more even than Ayton, has good handles to go along with great passing ability and court vision. I think he fits our system perfectly, more than Ayton.

If we end up with the 4-5 pick, and Ayton, Mamba & Bagley have already been taken, we'd be stupid to pass on Doncic on that position. His floor is so high and he fits Boston that well there'd be no excuse. He is an elite shooter, good pick&roll player, decent rebounder and a great ball handler. He is not bad at defense either, although we should see how his laterall quickness fairs against NBA competition. One of the reasons Bradley was so great last season is because it enabled IT to get his gorgeous off-ball plays going. I do not trust Brown to that, at least right now. Doncic would be a great complement to Kyrie. The combinations you could get with Smart, Tatum, Kyrie, Brown and Doncic in the 1-3 positions would be beautiful.

So for me its Ayton>Mamba>Doncic/Bagley

[Curmudgeon]

The best player in this draft is Luka Doncic. Many people would take Porter, Bagley or Ayton ahead of Doncic, but they would be wrong-- just like the people who thought Fultz was better than Tatum. I got tired of arguing that one.

If Real Madrid played Duke tomorrow, Real Madrid would win by 30-- and that's without Sergio Liull, who tore his ACL and will miss the year.

I just hope we get into the top 5, because the talent drops off quickly after that. A top 5 pick in 2019 won't be worth as much. The best big is Manute Bol's son, a stringbean who is a serious project. And the best player is probably R.J. Barrett, who duplicates Jaylen Brown.

Also, if the Laker pick doesn't convey, they Celtics will have THREE first round picks in 2019: Kings, Grizzlies and their own. That's too many, especially for a team that will be paying luxury tax if it resigns Kyrie Irving.

[CSL_1904]

Right now I have it like this

1- Ayton
2- Doncic
3- Bamba
4- Porter
5- Bagley


Would be unbelievable if we could get that pick this year. I love all of the top4, don't like Bagley as much, but like some said before, he's still very raw.

[Homerclease]

The best player in this draft is Luka Doncic. Many people would take Porter, Bagley or Ayton ahead of Doncic, but they would be wrong-- just like the people who thought Fultz was better than Tatum. I got tired of arguing that one.

If Real Madrid played Duke tomorrow, Real Madrid would win by 30-- and that's without Sergio Liull, who tore his ACL and will miss the year.

I just hope we get into the top 5, because the talent drops off quickly after that. A top 5 pick in 2019 won't be worth as much. The best big is Manute Bol's son, a stringbean who is a serious project. And the best player is probably R.J. Barrett, who duplicates Jaylen Brown.

Also, if the Laker pick doesn't convey, they Celtics will have THREE first round picks in 2019: Kings, Grizzlies and their own. That's too many, especially for a team that will be paying luxury tax if it resigns Kyrie Irving.

That's 3 years in a row you've gone with a euro and it will be 3 years in a row you will be wrong.

[Curmudgeon]

No, I said Tatum was the best player in the 2017 draft. Last I looked, St. Louis isn't in Europe.

[Duke4life831]

I wish we hadn't put such narrow conditions on the Laker pick option because it's looking like top 10 in this draft (2018) could be better than top 5 in the next (2019).

And to me, the Laker pick is looking like 7,8,9 range...

Still think this draft drops off significantly after 5. 2019 in my opinion has a big 3 in Zion, RJ, Cam and some my say big 4 if you add in Bol Bol. The problem with that draft is its mostly versatile wing players in the top and you guys are already set on that. I guess in an ideal world, you could make a trade with Philly for say Okafor and offer one of your 1sts and in return get Okafor and get Philly to give up the restrictions on that LA pick. That way even if the LA pick falls outside of the top 5 say to #7, it would be easier to put together a package to trade up into the top 5 to get one of the bigs.

If Ainge wanted the protections expanded, it would’ve happened when the deal was being negotiated. Ainge clearly sees a drop off after 5.

I agree that there is a massive drop off after #5. What I was saying was to get rid of those protections so say if the pick lands at 7, it would be much easier for Ainge to trade up into the top 5.

[Curmudgeon]

Still think this draft drops off significantly after 5. 2019 in my opinion has a big 3 in Zion, RJ, Cam and some my say big 4 if you add in Bol Bol. The problem with that draft is its mostly versatile wing players in the top and you guys are already set on that. I guess in an ideal world, you could make a trade with Philly for say Okafor and offer one of your 1sts and in return get Okafor and get Philly to give up the restrictions on that LA pick. That way even if the LA pick falls outside of the top 5 say to #7, it would be easier to put together a package to trade up into the top 5 to get one of the bigs.

If Ainge wanted the protections expanded, it would’ve happened when the deal was being negotiated. Ainge clearly sees a drop off after 5.

I agree that there is a massive drop off after #5. What I was saying was to get rid of those protections so say if the pick lands at 7, it would be much easier for Ainge to trade up into the top 5.

I don't think so, because every other GM also knows there is a steep drop off. The 2019 Memphis pick is top 9 protected, the 2019 Clips pick is top 14 protected (and the way the Clips are playing, may never convey) and Boston's own pick will be mid to late 20's. I doubt if 7, 10 in 2019 and 28 gets you to #5 in this particular draft.

Getting to #5 would cost them Tatum or Brown, or one of their stars (which might also mean taking back dead money). Not worth it.

[Homerclease]

The GM who takes Doncic over Ayton, Bagley, Bamba and Porter Jr is the GM who is going to lose their job. I won't go as far as to say that Doncic will flame out like Darko did but it's the same situation. Lebron, Melo, Wade, Bosh round out your top 5. A GM takes a euro and whiffs on hall of fame talent.

[reload141]

Ayton/Bagley/Bamba/Porter, don't really care which one just give us one thanks. I think with DA picking Tatum over Fultz really shows at the top of the draft he can pick the right player (Yes I know Fultz hasn't played yet but my god how good does this decision look so far?)