Here is just a ranking from a pure potential point of view, with potential defined as likely median outcome 3-5 years down the line.
1. Mobley - Really the only one with top 15 potential two way player. Slowed down a bit, but he is still generational on defense. I'm goign to write what I wrote last year, I don't care about his offense because his defense is just so damn elite.
2. Wagner - Franz is everything you want in a lotto pick. He shoots, defends (very well), and can pass the ball all in a 6'10" package. Probably a bit underrated pre-draft.
3. Green - Good shot jacker hasn't shown consistency on defense; when locked in his defense is quite good given his solid basketball IQ and elite atheleticism in terms of both fluidity and explosiveness. His high end outcome is a Booker, good player but not MVP candidate. Has show recent improvements in passing. We'll need to see if this can hold up long term. If he passing turns on, it really elevates his ceiling from a one way shot maker to a solid SG prospect.
4. Cade - People like to call him a floor raiser, but he isn't raising anything with his low assist rate, high turnover issues. Cade's supposed vision is one of the most overrated things in this league with no passing metrics that can back this up in the NBA or in college. Cade's value is not playing point guard but playing as a secondary ball handling SG. His complete lack of burst atheleticism limits his ceiling. His shot is rough right now, but I believe the shooting will come eventually. Cade's trajectory is safetly a top 25-40 type of player, best player on a team, but no where near all-NBA level.
5. Barnes - Scottie need to show that he isn't hitting a rookie wall hard and need to bounce back from the bad shooting streak, would take him #3 if/when he does given he has shown a lot during his rookie year. You usually want second year players to improve, but playing your best basketball your first year isn't something completely unheard of.
And I would probably draft Giddey and Sengun at #6/7, but wouldn't be too opposed to them being drafted at #5 in front of Barnes.
Yoshun wrote:I think it's worth noting that Mobley is doing what he's doing on a pretty good team (3rd in the East), and he's a big part of the reason why they're pretty good. There aren't too many teams in the league where Mobley wouldn't get significant playing time.
Ding ding ding ding kabboom. Thank you for noticing. He is co-anchoring the defense of a statistically the 2nd best team in the league right now. Rookies just don't turn team around with perimetes sieves like Garland and Mitchell.
*INGRAM*ALLSTARSEASON* Wemby is HIM
