Moderators: bwgood77, lilfishi22, Qwigglez
Damkac wrote:I would rather see Lakers winning the lottery than dropping to 4th and giving the pick to Philly. How bad it would be to trade one of Hield/Bender for Knight
Damkac wrote:I would rather see Lakers winning the lottery than dropping to 4th and giving the pick to Philly. How bad it would be to trade one of Hield/Bender for Knight
carey wrote:Lol. The Knight hate is in every single thread. He is like a RealGM STD right now.
Playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel at 7-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Bender effortlessly glides around the floor like a wing and has the passing vision of the guard.
He can shoot threes, switch onto any position defensively and is too quick off the dribble for any traditional big man.
Bender has all the tools, but the question for all NBA teams is how much of it will translate to the NBA.
The one aspect of his game that most certainly will is his athleticism.
The Croatian might be the fastest seven-footer in NBA history. He takes advantage of his burners often by beating other big men down the floor in transition.
To put it simply, taking the ball on the break is easy for him. He can handle the ball well enough for a wing and his best NBA skill might be his passing, where he has the next level vision scouts are looking for.
If he gets stronger and puts on more weight, this will make him lethal passing out of the post, with his ability to not only see passing lanes, but make the deliveries most bigs aren’t capable of.
His movement directly translates to defense, where he is a far better defender on the perimeter than inside the key protecting the rim. That allows him to switch in any ball screen situation, an absolute treasure in today’s NBA.
bwgood77 wrote:Damkac wrote:I would rather see Lakers winning the lottery than dropping to 4th and giving the pick to Philly. How bad it would be to trade one of Hield/Bender for Knight
Yeah, it sure would be nice to have two picks in the top 5. But at least we have Knight for only 4 more years and $56 million.
bwgood77 wrote:Man, Virginia just collapsed. I was checking into the score from time to time and last I checked they were up by 9. Then I check and Syracuse up by 3 with 9 seconds left.
fromthetop321 wrote:I got Lebron number 1, he is also leading defensive player of the year. Curry's game still reminds me of Jeremy Lin to much.
DirtyDez wrote:bwgood77 wrote:Man, Virginia just collapsed. I was checking into the score from time to time and last I checked they were up by 9. Then I check and Syracuse up by 3 with 9 seconds left.
That was worse than the 05' Elite-8 game. At least Illinois was a 1-seed.
Puff wrote:Haven't seen any interest in Brice Johnson of N Carolina on this board or in the media. Reminds me of a bigger version of The Matrix. If we don't get a shot at the top two guys I would consider him for our pick and surely would with the Washington pick. Quick leaper good shooter and very active. What's not to like?
All the other logical candidates ahead of him appear to be guards or really suspect big guys. I expect he would earn minutes right away. Who knows maybe Chandler's back spasms may last another 3 years.
JMO
Puff wrote:Haven't seen any interest in Brice Johnson of N Carolina on this board or in the media. Reminds me of a bigger version of The Matrix. If we don't get a shot at the top two guys I would consider him for our pick and surely would with the Washington pick. Quick leaper good shooter and very active. What's not to like?
All the other logical candidates ahead of him appear to be guards or really suspect big guys. I expect he would earn minutes right away. Who knows maybe Chandler's back spasms may last another 3 years.
JMO
cosmofizzo wrote:Puff wrote:Haven't seen any interest in Brice Johnson of N Carolina on this board or in the media. Reminds me of a bigger version of The Matrix. If we don't get a shot at the top two guys I would consider him for our pick and surely would with the Washington pick. Quick leaper good shooter and very active. What's not to like?
All the other logical candidates ahead of him appear to be guards or really suspect big guys. I expect he would earn minutes right away. Who knows maybe Chandler's back spasms may last another 3 years.
JMO
I must admit I've totally discounted Johnson because of his age, but the Marion comp really opened my eyes. I absolutely adored the Matrix, and we could really, really use a guy like that. Hmmm...
Yeah, I suppose I'd like him as high as #12. More than Rabb and Davis... oh man. Maybe more than the other PFs on my board as well. He looks like he could play some SF as well due to that quick twitch of his. Sheezus... you've sold me. I want him.
kennydorglas wrote:Tyler Lydon changed the game.
hitting 3's, guarding the rim, securing rebounds
he's a guy to keep an eye on
The NCAA tournament is down to the Final Four and two NBA prospects in our top 30 -- Buddy Hield and Brice Johnson -- are still playing, in addition to the dozen who played in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.
Let's look at how the tourney's top players have fared: Did Brandon Ingram do enough to overtake Ben Simmons as the top prospect? Is Buddy Hield worthy of a top-five pick?
Here's a look at who has helped and hurt their draft status most.
Stock up
Brandon Ingram
Duke
Freshman
Forward
One big question on everyone's mind: Did Ingram do enough through the first three rounds of the tournament to overtake Ben Simmons as the No. 1 pick in the draft?
The answer? It's complicated.
Ingram had a terrific tournament and ended it with a solid line of 24 points, five rebounds, three steals and one block against Oregon in a loss. He showed his whole arsenal in that game -- hitting 3s, taking guys off the dribble and making several sweet passes.
But he also displayed some of his weaknesses. He didn't score a field goal in the final 11:50 of the game, was bothered by shot-blockers like Jordan Bell and Chris Boucher and struggled to finish at the rim at times against long, physical defenders. As skilled as he is, he's going to have to get stronger to be efficient at the NBA level.
Throughout much of the tournament, Ingram looked better than Simmons did during the season. He was more aggressive, had a wider scoring arsenal and showed off his defensive versatility. And he's one year younger than Simmons.
But Simmons is a stronger, more athletic player with a unique, developed skill set. After yet another poll of NBA execs in the lottery, I think Ingram is still lagging behind Simmons on most draft boards.
Ingram continues to close the gap, however. He'll be in the mix for the No. 1 pick for virtually every team in the league. But the vast majority of teams still have Simmons No. 1.
Buddy Hield
Oklahoma
Senior
Guard
Hield continued to prove why he is -- without question, in my mind -- the best college basketball player in the country.
But is he worth a top five pick in the draft? That's what scouts were debating after his amazing performance against Oregon.
While his 17 points and 10 rebounds against Texas A&M seemed like a quiet performance, he exploded on Oregon for 37 points, shooting 8-for-13 from behind the arc. Hield's seemingly unlimited range, ability to get separation and fearlessness all draw scouts to his game.
When Buddy gets rolling, he's very hard to stop. But his age, penchant for turnovers, so-so defense and lack of elite size for his position give some scouts pause. Is he closer to Jimmer Fredette than Steph Curry?
Most scouts say neither is the right comparison. I've heard C.J. McCollum a lot lately. They're about the same size, and both can really light it up. Hield's longer and a better athlete than McCollum. But he lacks McCollum's ballhandling and passing ability.
Domantas Sabonis
Gonzaga
Sophomore
Forward
Sabonis had another terrific night against Syracuse in the Sweet 16 game. He scored 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, grabbed 17 boards and had five blocks in a loss. While he isn't the sexiest draft prospect, his strength, fundamentals, rebounding and efficiency in the paint seem to have convinced scouts he should be a lottery pick.
I'm not sure anyone helped their draft stock more than he did in the past two weeks. He's gone from the early 20s to a lottery pick if he declares. He could even end up cracking the top 10.
Demetrius Jackson
Notre Dame
Junior
Guard
Jackson had been slumping a bit at the end of the season, but he really broke out of it in the tournament -- especially in the second half against Wisconsin and a 26-point, four-assist performance against North Carolina in the Elite Eight.
He's strong, quick, a terrific defender and a solid passer. He's also a passable, albeit inconsistent 3-point shooter. While scouts thought he was a lottery pick early in the season, it's looking more like he'll be in the No. 18 to No. 25 range if he declares for the draft.
Brice Johnson
North Carolina
Senior
Forward
Johnson continues to make believers out of scouts who questioned whether he'd be good enough for the NBA. He has recorded three-straight double-doubles, including a 20-point, 10-rebound game against Indiana and a 25-point, 12-board night against Notre Dame. His midrange game has been especially effective this season. Johnson is shooting an impressive 45 percent on 2-point jumpers.
Whether he has the size and strength to defend down low are the biggest question marks. But there seems to be little question that he has played his way into the first round this year. The question is just how high he'll go.
Tyler Lydon
Syracuse
Forward
Freshman
Lydon comes off the bench for Syracuse, but don't let that fool you. He has all the tools of a good stretch 4 at the next level. He's a 6-foot-9. athletic forward who has shot 40 percent from 3 this season and has proven to be an effective shot blocker.
He has been up and down in the tournament, but his strong play against Virginia -- hitting three big 3s and blocking five shots -- caught scouts attention.
He's the prototypical stretch 4 that the NBA is looking for right now and has the numbers as a freshman to back up being a mid- to late-first-round pick if he declares. The fact that he gets to play in the Final Four only helps his chances of improving his stock.
V.J. Beachem
Notre Dame
Junior
Forward
Beachem has done a lot to help his draft stock. He's a long, athletic wing who shot 12-for-22 from 3 in the tournament. While 3-point shooting may be his forte, at times he showed the willingness to attack the basket and when he did, spectacular things happened. I had several scouts mention him as a potential late first rounder if he declared, though most have him in the second.
Combine those picks with some combination of Knight, Chandler, Tucker and Archie (the expendables) and see what you get! 