Draft Exum at #2?

[smauss]

I know I'm in the minority here but if Orlando drafts Smart, they may be getting the best player in this draft. That said, I have no problem with us drafting Embiid or Exum. I am as worried about about Wiggins passivity as I am about Embiid's potential back issues.

[Max Green]

We have been linked to Embiid. We have been linked to Wiggins. Now we have been linked to Parker and Exum being tops on our board. Impossible to tell at this point what is real and what is smokescreen.

Yep, that's why I said it's gonna be a long month. We will see different reports daily about who we are favoring with the #2 pick.

[theFireBlanket]

We have been linked to Embiid. We have been linked to Wiggins. Now we have been linked to Parker and Exum being tops on our board. Impossible to tell at this point what is real and what is smokescreen.

Yep, that's why I said it's gonna be a long month. We will see different reports daily about who we are favoring with the #2 pick.

I'm pretty sure that Embiid has always been linked to the #1 with Hambone hanging out at Kansas all year, being reported that he was their #1 midseason, and this article did not imply any different. What it does imply is that Parker and Exum are after Embiid.

But the interesting thing to note is that Exum has been included in the mix at #2 by everyone, starting with Chad Ford pre-lottery (something along the lines of "Exum would be in the mix for the Bucks at #1) and post-lottery (Exum is in the mix at #2 for Milwaukee). He mentioned them being high on Wiggins, Exum and Embiid. While there was no mention of Parker in that sense, he said that he would be considered.

This latest bit implies that the owners like Parker, which we already knew. They've also claimed that basketball people will make the roster decisions. Remains to be seen if they're true to their word.

I agree that there will be smokescreens but there should also be some method of discerning what's more likely to be true.

[JayMKE]

Exum would make me sick, we could really of wasted this season for nothing. Exum is a HIGH SCHOOL PG from AUSTRALIA, the guy dominates his competition because he's bigger and faster than them. Think about how amazing Brandon Jenning looked in high school, he even finished strong and played above the rim. Either Wiggins, Embiid, or Parker will be that at #2 and we'll regret not taking them. I don't think Exum is going to shoot a good % in the NBA, I don't think he can run an NBA offense, I don't think he'll be able to finish at the rim against NBA defenders, just because he's 6'6" with long arms and supposedly a PG doesn't mean he's going to be some all world defender. Will he shoot too much, will he force shots? His handle might be good against Australian high schoolers but how will it be against the best players in the world? Exum's floor is lower because as a PG he's asked to do so much more. He's so quick, so was Jennings! Rose, Wall, Westbrook were powerful athletes on whole nother level than Exum.

[EastSideBucksFan]

Exum would make me sick, we could really of wasted this season for nothing. Exum is a HIGH SCHOOL PG from AUSTRALIA, the guy dominates his competition because he's bigger and faster than them. Think about how amazing Brandon Jenning looked in high school, he even finished strong and played above the rim. Either Wiggins, Embiid, or Parker will be that at #2 and we'll regret not taking them. I don't think Exum is going to shoot a good % in the NBA, I don't think he can run an NBA offense, I don't think he'll be able to finish at the rim against NBA defenders, just because he's 6'6" with long arms and supposedly a PH doesn't mean he's going to be some all world defender. Will he shoot too much, will he force shots? His handle might be good against Australian high schoolers but how will it be against the best players in the world? Exum's floor is lower because as a PG he's asked to do so much more. He's so quick, so was Jennings! Rose, Wall, Westbrook were powerful athletes on whole nother level than Exum.

Giannis only dominated high school players in Greece.

I have no idea how he's ever going to be able to play in the NBA.

[JayMKE]

Exum would make me sick, we could really of wasted this season for nothing. Exum is a HIGH SCHOOL PG from AUSTRALIA, the guy dominates his competition because he's bigger and faster than them. Think about how amazing Brandon Jenning looked in high school, he even finished strong and played above the rim. Either Wiggins, Embiid, or Parker will be that at #2 and we'll regret not taking them. I don't think Exum is going to shoot a good % in the NBA, I don't think he can run an NBA offense, I don't think he'll be able to finish at the rim against NBA defenders, just because he's 6'6" with long arms and supposedly a PH doesn't mean he's going to be some all world defender. Will he shoot too much, will he force shots? His handle might be good against Australian high schoolers but how will it be against the best players in the world? Exum's floor is lower because as a PG he's asked to do so much more. He's so quick, so was Jennings! Rose, Wall, Westbrook were powerful athletes on whole nother level than Exum.

Giannis only dominated high school players in Greece.

I have no idea how he's ever going to be able to play in the NBA.

The alternative to taking Giannis was midget Shane Larkin, the alternatives to Exum are multiple time Allstars. We're picking #2 not #15, I'd love Exum at #15.

[JBucks]

Exum would make me sick, we could really of wasted this season for nothing. Exum is a HIGH SCHOOL PG from AUSTRALIA, the guy dominates his competition because he's bigger and faster than them. Think about how amazing Brandon Jenning looked in high school, he even finished strong and played above the rim. Either Wiggins, Embiid, or Parker will be that at #2 and we'll regret not taking them. I don't think Exum is going to shoot a good % in the NBA, I don't think he can run an NBA offense, I don't think he'll be able to finish at the rim against NBA defenders, just because he's 6'6" with long arms and supposedly a PH doesn't mean he's going to be some all world defender. Will he shoot too much, will he force shots? His handle might be good against Australian high schoolers but how will it be against the best players in the world? Exum's floor is lower because as a PG he's asked to do so much more. He's so quick, so was Jennings! Rose, Wall, Westbrook were powerful athletes on whole nother level than Exum.

Giannis only dominated high school players in Greece.

I have no idea how he's ever going to be able to play in the NBA.

The alternative to taking Giannis was midget Shane Larkin, the alternatives to Exum are multiple time Allstars. We're picking #2 not #15, I'd love Exum at #15.

I wouldn't lose sleep over it. They will do their due diligence on him, but at the end of the day, no way he's going 2.

[[MIKE C]]

We have been linked to Embiid. We have been linked to Wiggins. Now we have been linked to Parker and Exum being tops on our board. Impossible to tell at this point what is real and what is smokescreen.

Yep, that's why I said it's gonna be a long month. We will see different reports daily about who we are favoring with the #2 pick.

Hammond and his group have always done a pretty good job of keeping things close to the vest and not letting too many secrets out. Making the next month even more frustrating because it really will be hard to know which way Hammond is leaning.

[theFireBlanket]

The alternative to taking Giannis was midget Shane Larkin, the alternatives to Exum are multiple time Allstars. We're picking #2 not #15, I'd love Exum at #15.

Giannis could've gone #1-2 in this draft had he gone to college. Exum could've had the same happen.

Wall, Rose and Westbrook were all a little over a year older when they entered the league, coming out of AAU backgrounds, collegiate program stints; regarding their athletic power.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

lets make our drafts the next 50 pint sized giannis's at #2 and see how that works out for us.

giannis is a 1 in a billion physique/skillset..... can we please not use him as a comparison for some random hs guard from Australia? or every other unknown grainy youtube 18yo next superstar that hasn't played against anybody yet?

[theFireBlanket]

lets make our drafts the next 50 pint sized giannis's at #2 and see how that works out for us.

So you were missing the green font when you were talking about the Exum haters yesterday? He's not a pint sized Giannis. The only comparison is that they've played against lower competition, but there's a caveat in that Exum has played in both FIBA U-19s already, won a national HS championship, and played against all of the top picks in this years class in front of a big crowd.

[Badgerlander]

Exum would make me sick, we could really of wasted this season for nothing. Exum is a HIGH SCHOOL PG from AUSTRALIA, the guy dominates his competition because he's bigger and faster than them. Think about how amazing Brandon Jenning looked in high school, he even finished strong and played above the rim. Either Wiggins, Embiid, or Parker will be that at #2 and we'll regret not taking them. I don't think Exum is going to shoot a good % in the NBA, I don't think he can run an NBA offense, I don't think he'll be able to finish at the rim against NBA defenders, just because he's 6'6" with long arms and supposedly a PG doesn't mean he's going to be some all world defender. Will he shoot too much, will he force shots? His handle might be good against Australian high schoolers but how will it be against the best players in the world? Exum's floor is lower because as a PG he's asked to do so much more. He's so quick, so was Jennings! Rose, Wall, Westbrook were powerful athletes on whole nother level than Exum.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

lets make our drafts the next 50 pint sized giannis's at #2 and see how that works out for us.

So you were missing the green font when you were talking about the Exum haters yesterday? He's not a pint sized Giannis. The only comparison is that they've played against lower competition, but there's a caveat in that Exum has played in both FIBA U-19s already, won a national HS championship, and played against all of the top picks in this years class in front of a big crowd.

he played the equivalent of ONE tourney against any speakable completion. a tourney that's reknowned for setting up busts in the draft. he played a jamoboree allstar game on the same level of intesity of the rookie-sophomore game. a game that made bismack biyombo look like the 2nd coming of wilt. and he won a Australian hs championship in a game I watched in its entirety that made me want to puke for even considering the guy. watch the damn game. he looked AWFUL in every way id not want him too if I was taking this kid seriously.

ive watched his 3 biggest games start to finish and whatever other highlight videos I could get my hands on and count me not impressed. unfortunately there isn't much else besides that. the kid is an unknown.... period. the hell I want him even in the discussion with the #2 pick in this draft. its parker, wiggins, and embiid. that needs to be the end of the discussion.

[JayMKE]

Exum would make me sick, we could really of wasted this season for nothing. Exum is a HIGH SCHOOL PG from AUSTRALIA, the guy dominates his competition because he's bigger and faster than them. Think about how amazing Brandon Jenning looked in high school, he even finished strong and played above the rim. Either Wiggins, Embiid, or Parker will be that at #2 and we'll regret not taking them. I don't think Exum is going to shoot a good % in the NBA, I don't think he can run an NBA offense, I don't think he'll be able to finish at the rim against NBA defenders, just because he's 6'6" with long arms and supposedly a PG doesn't mean he's going to be some all world defender. Will he shoot too much, will he force shots? His handle might be good against Australian high schoolers but how will it be against the best players in the world? Exum's floor is lower because as a PG he's asked to do so much more. He's so quick, so was Jennings! Rose, Wall, Westbrook were powerful athletes on whole nother level than Exum.

awww geez, guess we shouldn't draft Embiid and we really screwed up not taking Schroeder

[Wooderson]

Exum's hype has literally nothing to do with his games against HS competition so it's inane to continually bring it up. Exum played ~600 minutes worth of international ball in the FIBA U-17 / Oceania U-18 / FIBA U-19. Scouts were already super high on him before the U-19. Then he an awesome run in the U-19s against solid competition and his stock continued to rise, enough so that he decided to forgo college in the US next year to enter the draft. Exum isn't comparable to Giannis in terms of being an unknown.

[theFireBlanket]

Exum's hype has literally nothing to do with his games against HS competition so it's inane to continually bring it up. Exum played ~600 minutes worth of international ball in the FIBA U-17 / Oceania U-18 / FIBA U-19. Scouts were already super high on him before the U-19. Then he an awesome run in the U-19s against solid competition and his stock continued to rise, enough so that he decided to forgo college in the US next year to enter the draft.

Right but taking a team to national championship over the course of a two month tournament isn't something to write off (his latest accomplishment in games). This guy was invited to the Australian national basketball team when he was 15 years old, by a Brett Brown coached team. No he didn't play, I'm not sure that would've been legal but he was invited nonetheless.

[eagle13]

We know despite the hype, 1 or 2 of the top ten picks each year are busts. It is not uncommon for 1 of the top 5 to be mediocre. Especially risky this year. Embiid has a bad back. Wiggins’ shot is sketchy. Parker is a tweener. Exum hasn’t played much against tough competition. So instead trade for a young vet that has proven his talent at a critical position like PG and dump a bad contract with it.

Bucks send- #2 #48 Mayo & Delfino –to PHX for- Bledsoe(S&T) & #14

[TroyD92]

We know despite the hype, 1 or 2 of the top ten picks each year are busts. It is not uncommon for 1 of the top 5 to be mediocre. Especially risky this year. Embiid has a bad back. Wiggins’ shot is sketchy. Parker is a tweener. Exum hasn’t played much against tough competition. So instead trade for a young vet that has proven his talent at a critical position like PG and dump a bad contract with it.

Bucks send- #2 #48 Mayo & Delfino –to PHX for- Bledsoe(S&T) & #14

[theFireBlanket]

We know despite the hype, 1 or 2 of the top ten picks each year are busts. It is not uncommon for 1 of the top 5 to be mediocre. Especially risky this year. Embiid has a bad back. Wiggins’ shot is sketchy. Parker is a tweener. Exum hasn’t played much against tough competition. So instead trade for a young vet that has proven his talent at a critical position like PG and dump a bad contract with it.

Bucks send- #2 #48 Mayo & Delfino –to PHX for- Bledsoe(S&T) & #14

Make it to the lottery in a hot year, where the only problem is that these players all have some holes in their game that can be improved only to trade out to the last lottery pick? No thanks.

That has Hammond's ex-bad moves written all over it. It's a bad move to get out of bad moves. It requires Bledsoe wanting to sign with Milwaukee as well.

[old skool]

I don't get how anyone could consider Exum at #2.

From what I hear, he is combo guard who does not have a good shot. He is quite the unknown because he has not played against top competition.

Trying to figure out Hammond's drafting pattern based on recent drafts is silly. There is a huge difference between taking a risk on a 10th-15th pick, very a #2. Most 10th-15th picks never make an All-Star team, while a third of the #2 picks go on to become All-Stars. That is a huge difference. I think Hammond is wise to take risks when drafting in the middle of the first round. He would be dumb to do so at #2.