2023 NBA Draft Thread 4

[eyriq]

Based on everything we know I think my favorite options are:

No 6. Ausar
No 11. Gradey

We have enough evidence to think this would be a very solid draft.

If Ausar or Amen don't drop to No 6, trade up for Scoot.

[Bensational]

Nothing about Cam strikes me as some elite prospect. Matter of fact, to me, he looks like Cam Reddish. Looks pretty while doing nothing above average and at college plays that quasi- PF position that in nba is impossible to replicate ( basically Winslow's whole draft stock was fabrication of facts and pretending he was college SF that could play SG when he spent whole year playing nothing but PF).

Best case OG/ Rudy Gay-lite.

I love you pepe, but it's time to put your name on at least one prospect you like

Can't just brutalize every single player someone throws out there without offering some sort of suggestion.

You can track down my dislike for Cam way back to start of college season.

There are plenty of prospects i like.

Hendricks.
both twins
Black
Wemby
Miller
NIck Smith
Dick
Nnjai


I don't like some of them in context of Magic

So who are your picks for the Magic? Apart from Wemby, who in this draft are you picking to become a top 2 option for a team?

[drsd]

I asked our old friend ChatGPT to place the players into tiers based on that ESPN Draft Projection Data.

Do you have access to 4 yet?


..

[VFX]

After thinking about it....

I think the best draft outcome would be Cam Whitmore at #6 and Kobe Bufkin at #11.

Why? Both guys are at the top of the draft at getting to the rim and being able to shoot the basketball. Both are also multi positional and decent on-ball defenders.

Ask me tomorrow and I'll have a different answer.

[Def Swami]

I wish I could remember how the past threads were in terms of people saying "I would HATE to end up with (Franz), (Sengun), (insert really good players from past drafts)". All I remember was there was 90% hype in getting Suggs and a lukewarm response to Franz, made even worse by his summer league.

I try not to make grand statements on 19-20 year olds. I have my preferences but my hit/miss rate is just like anybody's.

Had this exact thought after reading the last couple of pages. There's nothing more humbling than the draft.

[thelead]

Based on everything we know I think my favorite options are:

No 6. Ausar
No 11. Gradey

We have enough evidence to think this would be a very solid draft.

If Ausar or Amen don't drop to No 6, trade up for Scoot.

Have you seen Ausar attempt jumpers off the dribble? The Thompson twins have been training ‘professionally’ for years now and it scares me how broken their jumpers are.

[BlueBalls]

I think you take one safe, plug and play type (Hendricks, Hawkins, Walker) and a BPA with high upside (Thompson Twins, Bilal, Dick).

[bigdogdylan5]

Based on everything we know I think my favorite options are:

No 6. Ausar
No 11. Gradey

We have enough evidence to think this would be a very solid draft.

If Ausar or Amen don't drop to No 6, trade up for Scoot.

I don’t think a trade up for Scoot is even possible without including Wagner. The Hornets don’t even want Zion I really doubt they are taking 6,11, and a futur first.

[eyriq]

I asked our old friend ChatGPT to place the players into tiers based on that ESPN Draft Projection Data.

Do you have access to 4 yet?


..

Yeah, I do. It is light and day better than 3.5 too!

[bigdogdylan5]

I wish I could remember how the past threads were in terms of people saying "I would HATE to end up with (Franz), (Sengun), (insert really good players from past drafts)". All I remember was there was 90% hype in getting Suggs and a lukewarm response to Franz, made even worse by his summer league.

I try not to make grand statements on 19-20 year olds. I have my preferences but my hit/miss rate is just like anybody's.

Lukewarm? No one wants to ever wants to acknowledge how bad the Franz **** was. Everyone loved Moody or Bouknight and the borderline stupidity spewed in his draft thread and after his poor summer league it just got way worse.

Everyone of course loves him now

[bigdogdylan5]

I asked our old friend ChatGPT to place the players into tiers based on that ESPN Draft Projection Data.

Do you have access to 4 yet?


..

Yeah, I do. It is light and day better than 3.5 too!

Are they continuing to train it? I thought it’s training material was cut off in like 2021?

Edit: I just read it again and it says you fed it the data from ESPN. That makes sense lol

[SOUL]

I wish I could remember how the past threads were in terms of people saying "I would HATE to end up with (Franz), (Sengun), (insert really good players from past drafts)". All I remember was there was 90% hype in getting Suggs and a lukewarm response to Franz, made even worse by his summer league.

I try not to make grand statements on 19-20 year olds. I have my preferences but my hit/miss rate is just like anybody's.

Lukewarm? No one wants to ever wants to acknowledge how bad the Franz **** was. Everyone loved Moody or Bouknight and the borderline stupidly spewed in his draft thread and after his poor summer league it just got way worse.

Everyone of course loves him now

Fair. I was trying to be kind

[davey_wavy]

Black should be the pick. He is a shot away from being a stud, and i don't think he is shot is as bad as the thompsons. It would give us flexibility with Fultz going foward, his 3pt shot has to improve otherwise, seeya! Then take Bufkin/George. Same flexibility with Cole and Suggs going forward. Our backcourt is our biggest issue. has been for years. Keep taking swings until we have our guys there.

I never thought I'd see the day where a point guards future was determined by whether or not he could shoot 3s.

[Def Swami]

The stakes for this draft feel so much less compared to all the past drafts of the last 10+ years. I personally feel like we're playing with house money a little. We're going in with 2 real guys in Paolo and Franz, other young players the rest of the league respects and values, all our future draft picks, and the Denver '25 FRP in a pretty good draft.

If we were a team that desperately still needed players with all-star potential, I'd probably be more nervous going in with #6 and #11. But, I do like elements of a lot of these prospects that I think they could be good and complement what we have going. It's to the point were the Magic could draft any combination of players and I wouldn't really be upset. It's probably the most I've looked forward to a draft in awhile. Even last year, the prospect of picking Jabari Smith #1 to save our franchise didn't sit well with me.

I really like Anthony Black, Cam Whitmore, and Taylor Hendricks. I don't know if I love the fit, but Black is probably my favorite player of that bunch to watch play. He always popped off the screen when I watched Arkansas this year. I'm nervous about a Thompson twin, but I feel like the Magic can take a risk on 1 pick and play it safe at another. I think Dick should be a solid 10+ year pro. He fits like a glove. Bufkin and Hawkins both meet the needs of better shooting out of the backcourt as well. If we play it safe at #6, I'm totally okay with rolling the dice on the Lively or Coulibaly.

IMHO, if we're going to keep both picks, I think the Magic have to take a swing at #6. Just go for the best player available. And then play it safe at #11 and add some shooting.

[tiderulz]

Black should be the pick. He is a shot away from being a stud, and i don't think he is shot is as bad as the thompsons. It would give us flexibility with Fultz going foward, his 3pt shot has to improve otherwise, seeya! Then take Bufkin/George. Same flexibility with Cole and Suggs going forward. Our backcourt is our biggest issue. has been for years. Keep taking swings until we have our guys there.

I never thought I'd see the day where a point guards future was determined by whether or not he could shoot 3s.

center didnt shoot 3's either. the game changes and good teams adapt

[eyriq]

Do you have access to 4 yet?


..

Yeah, I do. It is light and day better than 3.5 too!

Are they continuing to train it? I thought it’s training material was cut off in like 2021?

Edit: I just read it again and it says you fed it the data from ESPN. That makes sense lol

Yeah, still stuck on 2021

[djguevara114]

Utah has had talks with Detroit and Indiana about their picks for 9 and 16 to move up and get Black… Why not us? Most likely because that’s our target?

Anyone else watching mock draft on ESPN 2? Bilas just explained why we shouldn’t draft Dick—“all college teams attacked him, especially in pick-n-roll… That won’t change in the NBA—he must get better”

No Dick!!!!!!!!! I’d rather have Gary Harris and maybe trade for Duncan Robison or sign Max Struss…

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Utah has had talks with Detroit and Indiana about their picks for 9 and 16 to move up and get Black… Why not us? Most likely because that’s our target?

Anyone else watching mock draft on ESPN 2? Bilas just explained why we shouldn’t draft Dick—“all college teams attacked him, especially in pick-n-roll… That won’t change in the NBA—he must get better”

No Dick!!!!!!!!! I’d rather have Gary Harris and maybe trade for Duncan Robison or sign Max Struss…

Also agree 1000% teams are trying to get ahead of us and for who. Anthony Black because they know based of intel he won’t get past 6
I’ve got a feeling Dick is higher on most fans boards but GMs probably have him 12-18 range.

Wouldn’t be shocked to see Hawkins taken before Dick honestly.

[Skin]

Nobody gets me truly excited this year. I hope WeHam makes some trades.

[RookieStar]

Heard their GM say they're going for a "home run" pick and Hendricks seems more like a safe play, even though I think people underrate "high floor" players as not having a good ceiling.

I would bet that they take a swing on Ausar.

Hendricks is nice but he’s not changing your team that’s for sure. I hope this FO does the same thing even if it means having to ruffle the Guard feathers

But DET already has their prospective franchise players in Cade and Ivey... what if they don't want to change their team but instead UNLOCKS the potential of their backcourt with Hendricks?