2015 NBA Draft Thread

[No-Man]

right now the Suns got the 7th and 14th overall, I got you drafting Stanley Johnson and WCS, however, If I am Phoenix, I'll trade up giving up almost anything needed, 7th, 14th, Goodwin, Ennis, Warren, a mix of those, for a pick that allow me to land Karl Towns.

You have the pieces to make that move, hopefully you will be lucky enough to do so.

[bwgood77]

So as I mentioned above, I think they target a PF. Does anyone here think they go in another direction, like SG? Or if we draft (somehow magically, we make the Playoffs) in the 18-20 range, does position go out the window and we just select the best player on our board?

I know most GMs/HCs will claim that is the way they draft regardless, but honestly, they surely at least narrow it down to two positions, right? I mean, if you are Cleveland and stink to high heaven this year and somehow get lucky in the lottery and draft #1, AND they retain Kevin Love and LeBron, they aren't drafting a PF or SF, right?

Anyway, let's pretend we draft #1 overall, and Len starts the rest of the year and finishes with a season 14/9/1.5(blks)--do we take Mudiay over Okafor? Do we take Towns, Jr. as a PF? How would our draft strategy be affected if we had All-NBA players at PG and Center?

Just curious how you guys think they would draft. Also, if magically, we get the Laker's pick and it's #6 overall, and Mudiay, Towns, Hezonja, Okafor, and heck, Porzingis are all gone. Would they grab Oubre, Justice Winslow or Stanley Johnson at the SF position, knowing we just drafted Warren? Or would they "reach" for Kevon Looney or Cliff Alexander at PF, or D'Angelo Russell at SG and claim he was the highest on our board?

I think we will probably take the best big on the board, unless the overall talent (or what they deem BPA) to be much better than the best big left on the board. I think there is zero chance if we won the lottery or something that we would take Mudiay over Okafor or Towns if the draft were today.

[gaspar]

Not bad.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Looking at that clip reminds me to ask -- can Alex Len jump?

[NavLDO]

Looking at that clip reminds me to ask -- can Alex Len jump?

At 7'1", does he need to? j/k, that's a good question as he didn't get to go through all the pre-draft testing, but just basing off his athleticism he's shown for a big guy, I'd say yes.

But what I do know is that the Lakers just need to keep on winning...they are in line to draft, what, 9th overall right now! Looks like we are going to need to build through the draft, and this year may be our best chance at getting another legit prospect, if the Lakers can win enough, and since we are not winning, we might have two lotto draft picks in which to either trade up, or take two pretty decent prospects.

I wonder at what point do teams start coming to us as a team "willing to trade away" talent, vice a team looking to "acquire" talent, and at what point does McD/Horny decide to start playing our young talent more minutes, basically, understanding we aren't going to make a run this year?

[Revived]

I hope Harrison twins aren't projected to be selected where our picks land.

[thamadkant]

right now the Suns got the 7th and 14th overall, I got you drafting Stanley Johnson and WCS, however, If I am Phoenix, I'll trade up giving up almost anything needed, 7th, 14th, Goodwin, Ennis, Warren, a mix of those, for a pick that allow me to land Karl Towns.

You have the pieces to make that move, hopefully you will be lucky enough to do so.

Absolutely no way anyone will give up a chance to draft a potential star big man for smaller change.

Im sure during Anthony Davis's draft year many teams offered tons of assets too.

It takes 2 to tango, only teams like Thunder with 2 young stars can nab high enough picks... I expect Towns to be top 2.

[bwgood77]

I hope we get one or two premier bigs that can develop as backup PF/C and perhaps grow into starters at some point, but if we can't get those guys, and end up in mid lottery.

I don't know if Myles Turner, projected to go at 12 on DX, would be a fit or not. I may be able to watch him a bit living in Austin but he hasn't gotten a ton of minutes yet. He's 6'11. Here is his bio:

Strengths
-Excellent size, frame and length for a center.
-Great instincts as a shot blocker. Rotates well. Alters shots. Very good timing.
-Good offensive rebounder.
-Very good shooting touch. Capable out to 3-point range. Comfortable in mid-range spots.
-Upside offensively. Can get to a turnaround jumper comfortably. Fundamentally sound rip-through from 17 feet. Pretty good touch on right handed jump hook.
-High IQ. Good passer. Knows where to be on the defensive end.
-Good hands.
-Plays with great effort. Works hard on the glass.

Weaknesses
-Lacks mobility. Struggles getting up and down with fluidity. Runs awkwardly.
-Huge feet slow him down. Has issues hedging and recovering.
-Average body.
-Lacks explosiveness. Not an above the rim guy.
-Not comfortable turning over his right shoulder.
-Lacks go-to moves on the block. Doesn't get deep position.
-Foul prone.

Outlook Turner has an intriguing blend of shooting ability, basketball IQ, shot blocking instincts and rebounding ability for a near-7-footer. The Texas-bound big man does some nice things on the floor that should translate well to the next level. Turner's potential is a bit limited by his lack of mobility and explosiveness, however. He's not exactly great in one area and although he certainly has some NBA-level skills and tools, he struggles to get off the ground quickly, keep quicker bigs in front and hedge and recover in the pick and roll. Turner figures to face questions about his long-term durability due to his abnormally large feet and awkward running style. Turner certainly has the tools to contribute at Texas and eventually parlay that into a potential lottery selection in the 2015 draft. But because of Turner's lack of athleticism along with questions about his long-term durability, he doesn't quite have the star potential people may have envisioned in the past.

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz3M2ZFvIdP
http://www.draftexpress.com

The running awkwardly is worrisome, but the alters shots, rebounding, and having three point range sounds like it would fit our offense perfectly and give us much needed interior presence.

I haven't seen Kevin Looney play either, but I will see him at least twice when UCLA plays AZ. He's 6'9 and may be a tweener though. He's projected to go 9th.

Strengths:
-Solid frame. Big shoulders. Should be able to fill out nicely
-Good wingspan (7-1)
-Plays extremely hard
-Excellent rebounder
-Very competitive defensively
-Guards multiple positions
-Gets in passing lanes. Blocks shots
-Decent shooting mechanics. Can make a spot-up 3-pointer
-Uses shot fakes to open up driving lanes
-Unselfish player. Does all the little things. Doesn't mind doing the dirty work

Weaknesses:
-Somewhat stuck between the 3 and the 4 offensively
-Doesn't have a consistent means of scoring right now except via offensive glass
-Flat-footed jumper with a slow release
-Average ball-handler
-No left hand
-No real post game

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz3M2a4DZy0
http://www.draftexpress.com

I LOVE Stanley Johnson though. You can tell this guy is a winner. I've watched him in multiple games. The dude does everything and is just huge. He has the size to play PF but he might be more of a wing. I have a feeling he will be a stud in the nba though. He has LeBron size and won four state championships in high school.

I think he could probably share time with Warren at the 3 and maybe each could play some 4 at times. He's projected to go 8th.

Strengths:
-Very good size for a wing at 6-7 ½ in shoes. Good wingspan (6-10 1/2)
-Outstanding frame—absolutely chiseled at 243 pounds
-Terrific athlete. Strong, explosive, a highlight reel waiting to happen
-Very physical defender. Takes great pride in his work on this end of the court. Has the versatility to guard multiple positions, Defends all five positions at the high school level. Should be able to defend at least three in college (2-4) and possibly beyond
-Does a great job getting to the passing lanes
-Tremendous rebounder for his position, on both ends of the floor. Averaged over 14 rebounds per-40 at the Nike EYBL. Same story in every other setting he's played in
-Extremely aggressive in the open floor. Puts pressure on the defense. Takes the ball strong to the basket. Relishes contact inside the paint
-Solid ball-handler. Has a strong and quick first step. Can overpower defenders knifing through the lane
-Finishes with power
-Can post up a bit. Has the size, strength and desire to impose his will on opponents inside the paint
-Not a non-shooter. Can make an outside shot with his feet set, or sometimes even off the dribble
-Highly competitive player. Plays with emotion. Doesn't take plays off. A winner. Plays for the team. Sets the tone for his teammates with his intensity, swagger and toughness
-Makes extra pass. Not a selfish player. Finds the open man with solid vision

Weaknesses:
-Average perimeter shooter at best. Hit 31/104 (29%) 3-point attempts in 23 EYBL games this season. Made 31% last season
-Doesn't have the most fluid release on his shot. Short arms many of his attempts
-Shot-selection is not great. Settles for too many guarded attempts. Takes far more 3-pointers than he should considering how much more effective of a driver he is.
-Ball-handling skills are improvable in the half-court. Struggles to get all the way to the rim in the half-court at times if he can't simply blow by his opponent
-Fairly turnover prone. Averaged 4.2 turnovers per-40 in the EYBL.

Outlook: A college coach's dream. Has the body and athleticism of a NBA player, and his improved his skill-level and versatility substantially. Can do a little bit of everything on the floor. Has terrific intangibles on top of that. Competitor who wants to win and is willing to do what it takes to do so.

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz3M2bB9ypi
http://www.draftexpress.com

From what I've seen, he is far more polished than Aaron Gordon was at this time last year and does more things, especially on offense and is just as energetic and WAY tougher.

[bwgood77]

Another mock draft prediction...I know these are meaningless at this point, but if anyone is interested in seeing them, let me know, or I will stop posting stuff no one cares about...this is by Jeff Goodman on espn

Analysis: This was originally the Lakers' pick (dating back to the Steve Nash deal), which goes to the Suns if it's between No. 6 and No. 30. Phoenix has no shortage of guards, and could use a defensive presence in the paint. Right now they are starting Miles Plumlee, and WCS -- while not much further along with Plumlee -- would make a huge difference on the defensive end. Cauley-Stein would also be effective playing the up-tempo Suns' style due to his mobility and athleticism.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/moc ... Mock-Draft

of course he is wrong about our current starting center, but I think WCS might be a decent backup off the bench if Len gets to where we want him too....likely much more disruptive on defense than Plumlee.

With our own pick he has Dekker, who he says does a little bit of everything....not entirely sure we would need him (though I do kind of like him) since we have Marcus locked up and Warren hopefully earning that starting role.

I'm beginning to think Myles Turner might be a good project big to develop behind Len though, and he could be available....he was ranked extremely high on draft boards early (like a year before the last draft) but here is what Ford (or who JDLAW calls fraud) thinks. While I agree with JD on the general nba thoughts and how he overvalues rookies or draft picks in relation to current nba players, I think he has a decent feel on what many GMs feel about draft stock....he has Myles Turner on his big board at 7th, one spot ahead of Willie Caulie Stein and says this...

Turner has been a monster defensively for Texas. As a shot-blocker and rebounder, his numbers are already impressive. He ranks fourth in the NCAA in PER. He absolutely dominated teams like St. Francis (25 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Lipscomb on Tuesday (26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks). However, his poor performance against Kentucky raised some eyebrows. UK has a front line that's bigger than some NBA teams, but Turner really struggled. He was just 1-for-5 from the field, had zero blocks and fouled out in 18 minutes. The other time he faced a legitimate big, UConn's Amida Brimah, he was just 1-for-4 from the field. Scouts will keep watching closely to see if it becomes a trend against other bigs with NBA potential. But before you head to Twitter to protest Turner being ranked ahead of Willie Cauley-Stein, remember this. Cauley-Stein already is 21. He'll be 22 before he plays his first NBA game. Turner doesn't turn 19 until the end of March. That age gap is very, very big in the eyes of scouts.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft/mo ... -Big-Board

[NavLDO]

Another mock draft prediction...I know these are meaningless at this point, but if anyone is interested in seeing them, let me know, or I will stop posting stuff no one cares about...this is by Jeff Goodman on espn

Analysis: This was originally the Lakers' pick (dating back to the Steve Nash deal), which goes to the Suns if it's between No. 6 and No. 30. Phoenix has no shortage of guards, and could use a defensive presence in the paint. Right now they are starting Miles Plumlee, and WCS -- while not much further along with Plumlee -- would make a huge difference on the defensive end. Cauley-Stein would also be effective playing the up-tempo Suns' style due to his mobility and athleticism.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nbadraft/moc ... Mock-Draft" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

of course he is wrong about our current starting center, but I think WCS might be a decent backup off the bench if Len gets to where we want him too....likely much more disruptive on defense than Plumlee.

With our own pick he has Dekker, who he says does a little bit of everything....not entirely sure we would need him (though I do kind of like him) since we have Marcus locked up and Warren hopefully earning that starting role.

I'm beginning to think Myles Turner might be a good project big to develop behind Len though, and he could be available....he was ranked extremely high on draft boards early (like a year before the last draft) but here is what Ford (or who JDLAW calls fraud) thinks. While I agree with JD on the general nba thoughts and how he overvalues rookies or draft picks in relation to current nba players, I think he has a decent feel on what many GMs feel about draft stock....he has Myles Turner on his big board at 7th, one spot ahead of Willie Caulie Stein and says this...

Turner has been a monster defensively for Texas. As a shot-blocker and rebounder, his numbers are already impressive. He ranks fourth in the NCAA in PER. He absolutely dominated teams like St. Francis (25 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Lipscomb on Tuesday (26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks). However, his poor performance against Kentucky raised some eyebrows. UK has a front line that's bigger than some NBA teams, but Turner really struggled. He was just 1-for-5 from the field, had zero blocks and fouled out in 18 minutes. The other time he faced a legitimate big, UConn's Amida Brimah, he was just 1-for-4 from the field. Scouts will keep watching closely to see if it becomes a trend against other bigs with NBA potential. But before you head to Twitter to protest Turner being ranked ahead of Willie Cauley-Stein, remember this. Cauley-Stein already is 21. He'll be 22 before he plays his first NBA game. Turner doesn't turn 19 until the end of March. That age gap is very, very big in the eyes of scouts.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft/mo ... -Big-Board" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So three points I'd like to make, in the spirit of "Buzz" from Home Alone, since we are in the season....

"A", yes, I'd be interested in periodically seeing who the draft "experts" believe we'll target, so please continue.

"Two" -- On what I bolded above, if we spend a top 10 pick on a guy we expect to be a back-up, then I'd be pretty upset. I know we can't expect to get a starter every year in the draft, but when we have a top 10 pick, we need to target a starter, and IMO, we have our future SF in Warren, Len as our starter at the 5, and Bledsoe the starter at the 1. That leaves the 2 and 4. Right now, we have Kieff, but if we are able to grab a "superstar potential" at the 4, and have Kieff as our Bench 4/5, I'd be happy with that. Kieff would still get 25-30 minutes a game, so it's not necessarily about being a starter that's important, it's the impact, and he would be a consistent "6th Man of the Year" contender, and face it, $8M per is not an overpay for that type of contributor. And the 2? Well, if we don't keep Dragic, we're looking at Goodwin "hopefully" developing, or using an IT/EB 2 PG set up, but I'd prefer to actually get a stellar 2, so if in some way we can grab Mudiay, we'd have to do it if Turner, Okafor, and Towns are off the board, which could happen, as well as Stanley Johnson and Kevon Looney might go top 5 as well. Bigs are obviously worth more, so they may go ahead of Mudiay. And before anyone says there is "no way" Mudiay falls to the 6-8 range, remember people said the same thing about Noel and McLemore in 2013, and they went 6 and 7 respectively. But then McD would have to determine if Mudiay would be the better talent than Chris McCullough or Montrezl Harrell at the 4. Regardless, there will be a talent to be had at the 2 or 4 in the 6-10 range...which brings me to point #3...

"and D..."

I'm starting to get the distinct feeling that their is no way we get that LAL pick this year. Now the LAL are going to "rest" Kobe due to "fatigue" for about a week...I'm wondering how often that will happen this season until they are firmly entrenched in the top 5 prior to the Lotto balls begin to do their dance...nope, they'll use that top pick this year, and then miraculously improve next year to get into the playoffs, leaving us with a high-teens/low-20s pick...just "ugh!!!"

[bwgood77]

So three points I'd like to make, in the spirit of "Buzz" from Home Alone, since we are in the season....

"A", yes, I'd be interested in periodically seeing who the draft "experts" believe we'll target, so please continue.

"Two" -- On what I bolded above, if we spend a top 10 pick on a guy we expect to be a back-up, then I'd be pretty upset. I know we can't expect to get a starter every year in the draft, but when we have a top 10 pick, we need to target a starter, and IMO, we have our future SF in Warren, Len as our starter at the 5, and Bledsoe the starter at the 1. That leaves the 2 and 4. Right now, we have Kieff, but if we are able to grab a "superstar potential" at the 4, and have Kieff as our Bench 4/5, I'd be happy with that. Kieff would still get 25-30 minutes a game, so it's not necessarily about being a starter that's important, it's the impact, and he would be a consistent "6th Man of the Year" contender, and face it, $8M per is not an overpay for that type of contributor. And the 2? Well, if we don't keep Dragic, we're looking at Goodwin "hopefully" developing, or using an IT/EB 2 PG set up, but I'd prefer to actually get a stellar 2, so if in some way we can grab Mudiay, we'd have to do it if Turner, Okafor, and Towns are off the board, which could happen, as well as Stanley Johnson and Kevon Looney might go top 5 as well. Bigs are obviously worth more, so they may go ahead of Mudiay. And before anyone says there is "no way" Mudiay falls to the 6-8 range, remember people said the same thing about Noel and McLemore in 2013, and they went 6 and 7 respectively. But then McD would have to determine if Mudiay would be the better talent than Chris McCullough or Montrezl Harrell at the 4. Regardless, there will be a talent to be had at the 2 or 4 in the 6-10 range...which brings me to point #3...

"and D..."

I'm starting to get the distinct feeling that their is no way we get that LAL pick this year. Now the LAL are going to "rest" Kobe due to "fatigue" for about a week...I'm wondering how often that will happen this season until they are firmly entrenched in the top 5 prior to the Lotto balls begin to do their dance...nope, they'll use that top pick this year, and then miraculously improve next year to get into the playoffs, leaving us with a high-teens/low-20s pick...just "ugh!!!"

I agree about needing a starter. If we could get a sharpshooting 2 with size, that would be nice, but I don't know if a projected starter that fits that mold will be available. I'd love Stanley Johnson, and I don't know if TJ and Stanley would work as 3/4 combo since they are both more of wings, but maybe with size in the middle, and the size of Johnson that could work. I still have to watch Looney, but he could be a pick.

I'd actually be pretty disappointed in getting Willey Cauley Stein I think, the more I think about it. He's probably a cross between Noel (who I really don't think is ultimately going to be a quality starter) and Henson, who I am not high on either.

I'm not sure there is a 4 that would be able to start in front of Kieff any time soon. Maybe three years down the road, but even if he was just about as good as Kieff in year 2 or 3 that would be a nice rotation guy.

I just think in general people overestimate how fast these guys can turn into productive nba players. It's rare someone makes and enormous impact quickly like KJ did taking us to 55 wins his second year averaging like 20+ and 11+ his first three years with the team.

Lillard might be the current player who became a stud the fastest but I think he played four years in college so had a lot more experience. And AD of course, but it still took him until year 3 to become an absolute stud...or end of year 2.

[MrMiyagi]

With all this talk of us "needing" a stretch 4 to replace Frye, any thoughts on Frank Kaminsky? I think he could be a guy who could play with Kieff as a 5 and Len as a stretch 4. I know people have been talking about Mirotic on the Bulls and I think Frank is a similar player and looks like he could crack the rotation right away while improving.

I think I'm a little higher on Cauley-Stein than you are BW, but I don't think he fits well with our squad. I'd rather stay the course with Len.

As for getting a stud 2, I think Stanley Johnson fits the bill, even if he's listed as a SF. I think that he's really hitting his stride with his 3pt shooting (the arc on it is looking better) and I believe he could be on the court with TJ or Archie down the line. I think his defense is reason enough to justify drafting him, even if we're uncertain of the fit. If he falls to 7 or 8 (wherever the Laker Pick lands) we almost have to take him. I feel similarly about Rondae at our own pick (teens, likely) if we don't grab Stanley. I don't care if my Wildcat bias is showing

[Kerrsed]

Very very very interesting........

http://deadspin.com/espns-chad-ford-has ... 1681631642

Chad Fraud

[bwgood77]

With all this talk of us "needing" a stretch 4 to replace Frye, any thoughts on Frank Kaminsky? I think he could be a guy who could play with Kieff as a 5 and Len as a stretch 4. I know people have been talking about Mirotic on the Bulls and I think Frank is a similar player and looks like he could crack the rotation right away while improving.

I think I'm a little higher on Cauley-Stein than you are BW, but I don't think he fits well with our squad. I'd rather stay the course with Len.

As for getting a stud 2, I think Stanley Johnson fits the bill, even if he's listed as a SF. I think that he's really hitting his stride with his 3pt shooting (the arc on it is looking better) and I believe he could be on the court with TJ or Archie down the line. I think his defense is reason enough to justify drafting him, even if we're uncertain of the fit. If he falls to 7 or 8 (wherever the Laker Pick lands) we almost have to take him. I feel similarly about Rondae at our own pick (teens, likely) if we don't grab Stanley. I don't care if my Wildcat bias is showing

Yeah, Stanley Johnson is looking like a beast lately. He would be a HUGE 2, but he could probably make it work. JJ was a pretty big 2 and I think Artest played some 2.

[bwgood77]

Very very very interesting........

http://deadspin.com/espns-chad-ford-has ... 1681631642

Chad Fraud

What an idiot.

[MrMiyagi]

Ford has Stanley Johnson as the 11th pick in his Lottery Machine. He has 9 Freshman being drafted, along with 3 international players, one Junior and one Senior in the first 14 picks.

[DirtyDez]

D'Angelo Russell is amazing. His game will translate to the NBA perfectly IMO.

KAT has the body Bynum had as a rookie and he's got great attitude/work ethic. Sky is the limit for him.

The team picking #2 might be in the best position this year.

[bwgood77]

D'Angelo Russell is amazing. His game will translate to the NBA perfectly IMO.

KAT has the body Bynum had as a rookie and he's got great attitude/work ethic. Sky is the limit for him.

The team picking #2 might be in the best position this year.

Well, Russell being a combo guard he is tailor made for the Suns. We need more of them. I haven't seen them all, but I don't know if there are any traditional power forwards projected around the late lottery. Though I guess that's what Montrezl Harrell will be.

[bwgood77]

Thanks Sun Devils for waking up this Wildcats team. Too many players had been deferring to Stanley Johnson. I would have never thought that if Johnson only had 3 pts and 3 boards at halftime, the Cats would be up 53-19. About time the other bigs have all played well at the same time...all in double digits.