2023 Draft Discussion Part 4

[OakleyDokely]

I see the appeal. Shifty, 6’9” player who’s only 18 with a scoring mentality. He was the preseason #1 then made a boneheaded decision passing on UNC. He’s in the mold of a Siakam/Randle type which is a hot commodity at the moment.

If I’m the Raps pre-draft I’m leaking a bunch of BS about how they see him as their Siakam replacement and how Masai is infatuated with him hoping someone grabs him before us allowing a better player to drop.

The endless amount of 6'9 athletic dudes with "potential" could fill the Rogers center multiple times over. It's rare that players with his numbers have gone on to become impact players at the NBA level, but maybe he's the exception.

If you think guys with GG’s skills grow on trees you’re lost.

whatever he has hasn't translated into anything tangible at the college level, which is what matters.

[MoneyBall]

I change my mind, I want Portland to draft him. Sharpe - Little - Dick lineup has a nice ring to it.

[ATLTimekeeper]

I see the appeal. Shifty, 6’9” player who’s only 18 with a scoring mentality. He was the preseason #1 then made a boneheaded decision passing on UNC. He’s in the mold of a Siakam/Randle type which is a hot commodity at the moment.

If I’m the Raps pre-draft I’m leaking a bunch of BS about how they see him as their Siakam replacement and how Masai is infatuated with him hoping someone grabs him before us allowing a better player to drop.

The endless amount of 6'9 athletic dudes with "potential" could fill the Rogers center multiple times over. It's rare that players with his numbers have gone on to become impact players at the NBA level, but maybe he's the exception.

If you think guys with GG’s skills grow on trees you’re lost.

The guys with GG's numbers don't succeed. He needs to return. I appreciate Barlowe's work ethic and passion, but he's often in the position of justifying what others see rather than being reasonable. And that's fair, because his business is to create interest in like a 100 draft prospects every year for people like us to click on and follow.

[WuTang_CMB]

Read on Twitter

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Jordan Hawkins | Guard | UConn
One of my favorite prospects throughout the 2023 NBA Draft cycle has been UConn Huskies sophomore Jordan Hawkins. One of the most dangerous movement shooters in this class, Hawkins has the potential to be a lethal weapon at the NBA level. I still believe that there’s much more to Hawkins’s game than just his ability to light defenses up from deep. The off-ball defense has me excited, and he’s shown some flashes of off-the-bounce creativity. But I’m curious as to where Hawkins ends up. Does a team allow him to run wild and come off screens as a rookie? Does he end up in an awesome situation where he can be an extremely fun wrinkle in an offense?

Bilal Coulibaly | Wing | Metropolitans 92
Finally, let’s finish this up with a pair of international talents. Metropolitans 92 wing Bilal Coulibaly has become a sizzling name in NBA Draft circles as of late. After producing impressive numbers with the junior team, Coulibaly spent time playing alongside Victor Wembanyama and the senior team this year. Coulibaly has plenty of tools that will find yourself checking the boxes. He’s going to be a developmental piece, but a team that will stress patience should have a heck of a talent to work with.

[Dalek]

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Jordan Hawkins | Guard | UConn
One of my favorite prospects throughout the 2023 NBA Draft cycle has been UConn Huskies sophomore Jordan Hawkins. One of the most dangerous movement shooters in this class, Hawkins has the potential to be a lethal weapon at the NBA level. I still believe that there’s much more to Hawkins’s game than just his ability to light defenses up from deep. The off-ball defense has me excited, and he’s shown some flashes of off-the-bounce creativity. But I’m curious as to where Hawkins ends up. Does a team allow him to run wild and come off screens as a rookie? Does he end up in an awesome situation where he can be an extremely fun wrinkle in an offense?

Bilal Coulibaly | Wing | Metropolitans 92
Finally, let’s finish this up with a pair of international talents. Metropolitans 92 wing Bilal Coulibaly has become a sizzling name in NBA Draft circles as of late. After producing impressive numbers with the junior team, Coulibaly spent time playing alongside Victor Wembanyama and the senior team this year. Coulibaly has plenty of tools that will find yourself checking the boxes. He’s going to be a developmental piece, but a team that will stress patience should have a heck of a talent to work with.

Thanks for sharing. This is pretty interesting and I agree with the way they slot the players into tiers. Of course Bailey is listed as a wildcard.

Amari Bailey | Guard | UCLA
UCLA Bruins freshman Amari Bailey was viewed as a first round selection coming into the 2022-23 season. After a slow start, that idea started to fizzle. But that was until Bailey had a sensational second half of the season. In his last six games, Bailey averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 46.7% from three-point range. He’s become one name to circle when it comes to monitoring the buzz in the upcoming months.

I agree with the write-up and would add he played on a uber veteran team and had to make a big switch to adopt to a more off-ball role. If he measures 6'4/6'5 and has the 40 inch vert, I think he climbs up boards. He just kept getting better as the season went on.

I'd probably have put him on the grit team because of his defense and effort.

[WuTang_CMB]

Colby Jones | Guard | Xavier
It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Xavier junior guard Colby Jones as a prospect. Coming into the year, Jones needed to unlock his three-point shot to cement himself as a legit talent for scouts and evaluators. That’s just what Jones did. Listed at 6’6” and 205 pounds, Jones is going to draw plenty of comparisons to versatile New York Knicks wing Josh Hart. While I love the idea, I do believe that Colby has a lot more offensively to his game. Jones just knows how to play the game and projects to be a winning player at the next level. It wouldn’t shock me if he has PLENTY of fans in front offices.

Really like Colby if we trade down. Going to be a sleeper. Just knows how to play on both ends

[Dalek]

Colby Jones | Guard | Xavier
It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Xavier junior guard Colby Jones as a prospect. Coming into the year, Jones needed to unlock his three-point shot to cement himself as a legit talent for scouts and evaluators. That’s just what Jones did. Listed at 6’6” and 205 pounds, Jones is going to draw plenty of comparisons to versatile New York Knicks wing Josh Hart. While I love the idea, I do believe that Colby has a lot more offensively to his game. Jones just knows how to play the game and projects to be a winning player at the next level. It wouldn’t shock me if he has PLENTY of fans in front offices.

Really like Colby if we trade down. Going to be a sleeper. Just knows how to play on both ends

It just isn't crazy to take Colby at 13. Yes, are going to select him over supposed upside guys, but he would be like other upper classman who went in the lotto which is a trend from recent drafts:

Jalen Williams 2022 (12)
Ochai Agbaji 2022 (14)
Davion Mitchell 2021 (9)
Chris Duarte 2021 (13)

Williams is considered a steal and he was 21 when he was drafted, same as Jones will be. You look at the playmaking, the shooting and the defense and it is a pretty good combo for success and he doesn't have any major flaws. I had Podziemski higher because of his age, but to me Jones is a safer bet because of the size/athleticism factor.

To me this team desperately needs shooting, but the playmaking need is also evident especially with the bench. You could even start Jones at either guard position.

[WuTang_CMB]

Colby Jones | Guard | Xavier
It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Xavier junior guard Colby Jones as a prospect. Coming into the year, Jones needed to unlock his three-point shot to cement himself as a legit talent for scouts and evaluators. That’s just what Jones did. Listed at 6’6” and 205 pounds, Jones is going to draw plenty of comparisons to versatile New York Knicks wing Josh Hart. While I love the idea, I do believe that Colby has a lot more offensively to his game. Jones just knows how to play the game and projects to be a winning player at the next level. It wouldn’t shock me if he has PLENTY of fans in front offices.

Really like Colby if we trade down. Going to be a sleeper. Just knows how to play on both ends

It just isn't crazy to take Colby at 13. Yes, are going to select him over supposed upside guys, but he would be like other upper classman who went in the lotto which is a trend from recent drafts:

Jalen Williams 2022 (12)
Ochai Agbaji 2022 (14)
Davion Mitchell 2021 (9)
Chris Duarte 2021 (13)

Williams is considered a steal and he was 21 when he was drafted, same as Jones will be. You look at the playmaking, the shooting and the defense and it is a pretty good combo for success and he doesn't have any major flaws. I had Podziemski higher because of his age, but to me Jones is a safer bet because of the size/athleticism factor.

To me this team desperately needs shooting, but the playmaking need is also evident especially with the bench. You could even start Jones at either guard position.

It might be a stretch at 13 but anything can happen when workouts start. These mocks will shake up when combine rolls around. Jones will be a target though based on being a 2 way guard with leadership with playmaking/shooting severely lacking on this team.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Jones hasn't proven himself as a shooter so taking him at 13 and taking his supposed shotmaking ability for granted would be a mistake. He's really good with his push shots and finishing at the rim when a lane presents itself. As far as 3 point shooting and free throw shooting go, he's been shaky. He can also be turnover prone at times. I still view him as a spot starter type of player who will be ready to see the floor sooner than most prospects and a good overall player to have on your team, but when you start talking about him at 13 that's where he starts to sound extremely overhyped.

[Dalek]

Jones hasn't proven himself as a shooter so taking him at 13 and taking his supposed shotmaking ability for granted would be a mistake. He's really good with his push shots and finishing at the rim when a lane presents itself. As far as 3 point shooting and free throw shooting go, he's been shaky. He can also be turnover prone at times. I still view him as a spot starter type of player who will be ready to see the floor sooner than most prospects and a good overall player to have on your team, but when you start talking about him at 13 that's where he starts to sound extremely overhyped.

I hear what you are saying because he really only shot it well this season and a couple numbers stand out:

65% on freethrows
only 45 made threes

I became more swayed when David Locke discussed Jones' synergy stats:

74th percentile in transition;
88th percentile in pick and roll (2:1 assist to turnover ratio)
64th percentile spot-up;
91th percentile catch and shoot

To me those numbers show that he can be a versatile threat in C&S and can play pick and roll. He shot 54.3% (25-46) on floaters / runners this past season, scoring 1.13 PPP which is in the 95th percentile, you have something interesting.

[Psubs]

I change my mind, I want Portland to draft him. Sharpe - Little - Dick lineup has a nice ring to it.

Sign Rudy Gay and Kevin Love...

Sharpe-Little-Dick-Gay-Love

[Psubs]

I feel like we are on the same wavelength. Cool to see the players I liked when they were out of the lottery moving up so much, like Cason, Hendricks, Cissoko. I just don't think the Thompsons should be that high.

Cissoko at #15. In the video he didn't even mention the sweet playmaking. When I first saw clips of Scottie, I was thinking #10-15 pick. His stats weren't that good at FSU and he was coming off the bench. Really I guess people used the eye-test to see there was something there. Do the same people not see it with Cissoko? Just because Mocks have had him in the early 2nd to late first, doesn't mean it should bias people from rating him higher.

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[grant101]

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https://www.nba.com/news/nba-draft-2023-early-entry-candidates

I like looking at this list, especially the internationals that declare. For example, Miguel Allen is a pretty good player. If we had a late second round pick I would select him. There are also some low key good guys in a lower division. I can see grant101 enjoying finding out more on these type of guys. I will dig into the internationals...

LOL!!. You're right. Always enjoyed these lists. Lots of names (particularly intl) that are new to me, including Miguel Allen, though I see the Ivisic bros are testing the waters again....interesting.

Some intriguing college players to look at in the UDFA market as well. I still believe in Eric Gaines, and Alex Fudge is one of the more gifted defenders I've ever seen (if he can learn to hit a corner 3ptr, he's got DFS potential).

Unrelated to this list, but figured I'd use this post for my weekly plea to the FO to bring in D'Moi Hodge as an UDFA.

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[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Jones hasn't proven himself as a shooter so taking him at 13 and taking his supposed shotmaking ability for granted would be a mistake. He's really good with his push shots and finishing at the rim when a lane presents itself. As far as 3 point shooting and free throw shooting go, he's been shaky. He can also be turnover prone at times. I still view him as a spot starter type of player who will be ready to see the floor sooner than most prospects and a good overall player to have on your team, but when you start talking about him at 13 that's where he starts to sound extremely overhyped.

I hear what you are saying because he really only shot it well this season and a couple numbers stand out:

65% on freethrows
only 45 made threes

I became more swayed when David Locke discussed Jones' synergy stats:

74th percentile in transition;
88th percentile in pick and roll (2:1 assist to turnover ratio)
64th percentile spot-up;
91th percentile catch and shoot

To me those numbers show that he can be a versatile threat in C&S and can play pick and roll. He shot 54.3% (25-46) on floaters / runners this past season, scoring 1.13 PPP which is in the 95th percentile, you have something interesting.

I have stated multiple times already that Jones will come into the NBA possessing one of the most accurate push shots in the entire league and the numbers back up what's quite evident if you have watched him all year. The low volume 3 point shooting and free throw shooting leave a lot of uncertainty in other regards.

Regardless, I like him but absolutely not at 13. His ceiling is pretty foreseeable. When you're in position to select 13th you go for the home run not the double. There will be someone in this class a lot better than Jones available then and it's up to Masai to identify who that is.

[Landomar]

Since we have the 13th pick, I decided to put together a depth chart of the consensus top 13 players in the draft this year. Some of the guys around the edges are debatable, but it probably would look something like this:

Wembanyama
Hendricks / Walker / Whitmore
Miller / Dick / Sensabaugh
Thompson / Thompson / Hawkins
Henderson / Black / Wallace

I'm still not super excited about very many of these guys. Depending on how management feels about whoever is left to choose from at 13, I could absolutely see us going way off the board.

[Psubs]

Since we have the 13th pick, I decided to put together a depth chart of the consensus top 13 players in the draft this year. Some of the guys around the edges are debatable, but it probably would look something like this:

Wembanyama
Hendricks / Walker / Whitmore
Miller / Dick / Sensabaugh
Thompson / Thompson / Hawkins
Henderson / Black / Wallace

I'm still not super excited about very many of these guys. Depending on how management feels about whoever is left to choose from at 13, I could absolutely see us going way off the board.

Why is Scoot in the 5th tier. Don't think anyone here would put him the 3rd tier or lower. Oh positional depth chart!!!

Wembanyama / Lively
Hendricks / Walker / Whitmore
Miller / Dick / Sensabaugh
Thompson / Thompson / Hawkins / Bufkin
Henderson / Black / Wallace

Who's actually in play for #13? Lively looks like Tyson Chandler 2.0.

Lively
Hendricks / Walker / Whitmore / GG
Ausur / Dick / Sensabaugh / Whitehead
Amen / Hawkins / Bufkin / Colby
Wallace / Black / Cissoko

[Psubs]

Watch on YouTube

I know I've posted this video before but just noticed a pretty insane pass but showing great anticipation.

Start at 2:55 and pause and see Mika as a trailer with 3 red shirts around Sidy.
2:56 he drives between 2 players and drawing the defender under the bucket guarding #4. The defender stays home with #4. So instead of forcing the layup vs 2 defenders, he behind the back passes it knowing Mika will be trailing. He doesn't need to turn his body around looking for a bailout he just has great vision. I think he's the best creator in the draft.

[Rapsfan07]

Colby Jones | Guard | Xavier
It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Xavier junior guard Colby Jones as a prospect. Coming into the year, Jones needed to unlock his three-point shot to cement himself as a legit talent for scouts and evaluators. That’s just what Jones did. Listed at 6’6” and 205 pounds, Jones is going to draw plenty of comparisons to versatile New York Knicks wing Josh Hart. While I love the idea, I do believe that Colby has a lot more offensively to his game. Jones just knows how to play the game and projects to be a winning player at the next level. It wouldn’t shock me if he has PLENTY of fans in front offices.

Really like Colby if we trade down. Going to be a sleeper. Just knows how to play on both ends

Been saying from the start bro. He's going to be one of those guys a few years from now that people wonder how he went so low.

[Psubs]

Colby Jones | Guard | Xavier
It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Xavier junior guard Colby Jones as a prospect. Coming into the year, Jones needed to unlock his three-point shot to cement himself as a legit talent for scouts and evaluators. That’s just what Jones did. Listed at 6’6” and 205 pounds, Jones is going to draw plenty of comparisons to versatile New York Knicks wing Josh Hart. While I love the idea, I do believe that Colby has a lot more offensively to his game. Jones just knows how to play the game and projects to be a winning player at the next level. It wouldn’t shock me if he has PLENTY of fans in front offices.

Really like Colby if we trade down. Going to be a sleeper. Just knows how to play on both ends

Been saying from the start bro. He's going to be one of those guys a few years from now that people wonder how he went so low.

I guess he's a worse shooting Malcolm Brogdon. He should go 15-20.

[Rapsfan07]

The mocks are going to be shaken up quite substantially after the combine.

I'm still hoping we can move back from #13 if Hendricks or Wallace is not there (which I doubt they will be). Potentially a lot of talent later in the first round.