And Then There Was One: Thank Nation 2. Raps pick 23rd

[Wraps_fan]

I wouldn't mind a guy like Justin Jackson. His flaws are obvious, he's not very athletic and he'll be 22 by the time of the draft. His jump shot is a small issue, but when you see his shooting form and mechanics there's reason to be optimistic that he can be a 36-37% 3pt shooter.

As a Duke fan, I watched a lot of North Carolina games and the easiest comparison for Jackson is Nicolas Batum, but not as good defensively as Batum. He's a good passer, he's smart with the basketball (only 1 turnover per game last year in 28.5 MPG). He's already a decent spot up shooter, but if he can improve his jump shot more which like I said earlier is very possible due to his mechanics being good, I think he can be a solid role player either off the bench or a DeMarre Carroll replacement in 2 years. All he needs to do is improve that 3pt shot a bit and he can be one of those guys that average something like 12/4/4 in a season, which doesn't sound amazing but with a 25-30th overall pick it would still be a good addition. Did I mention he has almost a 7 foot wingspan?

[CoachJReturns]

Gonna be ticked off at a bunch of Clippers wins this year!

Let's hope Westbrook shows us some love tonight to break their undefeated streak.

[LJKO]

Im up for thank national 2 but I think the clip pick will be package out to be herd. We need shooters now not next year

[CoachJReturns]

Im up for thank national 2 but I think the clip pick will be package out to be herd. We need shooters now not next year

We do, but we also need a long term upgrade at PF. If a trade doesn't get us that, I wouldn't move the pick myself. Masai, in his time here and in Denver, has never been a guy to trade away picks, so suspect it would have to be for one heck of a player for him to put a package together.

[slothrop8]

I wouldn't mind a guy like Justin Jackson. His flaws are obvious, he's not very athletic and he'll be 22 by the time of the draft. His jump shot is a small issue, but when you see his shooting form and mechanics there's reason to be optimistic that he can be a 36-37% 3pt shooter.

As a Duke fan, I watched a lot of North Carolina games and the easiest comparison for Jackson is Nicolas Batum, but not as good defensively as Batum. He's a good passer, he's smart with the basketball (only 1 turnover per game last year in 28.5 MPG). He's already a decent spot up shooter, but if he can improve his jump shot more which like I said earlier is very possible due to his mechanics being good, I think he can be a solid role player either off the bench or a DeMarre Carroll replacement in 2 years. All he needs to do is improve that 3pt shot a bit and he can be one of those guys that average something like 12/4/4 in a season, which doesn't sound amazing but with a 25-30th overall pick it would still be a good addition. Did I mention he has almost a 7 foot wingspan?

A Duke fan with a Tyler Hansbrough Avatar advocating for a UNC player with our pick. I have so many questions I don't even know where to begin! I will say you're a better person than me - I'd rather the Raptors forfeit their pick than use it on a Duke player. Why the Hansbrough avatar?

As for Jackson - I like him as a player - and the shooting form is good - but the actual shooting hasn't been. He's been shaky from college 3 range, and I'm worried about how that'll translate to the NBA level. He actually isn't even that great a Free Throw shooter - not terrible - but sub-70% in his college career. He plays in a system that gets him lots of easy looks in transition and UNC piles up lots of points on overmatched opponents at times through the season - yet he was only 52% TS last year. It's a little concerning to me when projecting him to the next level. We'll obviously learn more this season - with Paige and Brice Johnson gone - Jackson will need to be a bigger part of the UNC offense this year. We may see his offensive game take a leap this year when asked to shoulder more the load - we'll see. I'd want to see him a spike in his college 3 pt shooting % and overall shooting efficiency before I spent an NBA 1st rounder on him - but it's certainly possible we'll see that this season.

[LJKO]

Im up for thank national 2 but I think the clip pick will be package out to be herd. We need shooters now not next year

We do, but we also need a long term upgrade at PF. If a trade doesn't get us that, I wouldn't move the pick myself. Masai, in his time here and in Denver, has never been a guy to trade away picks, so suspect it would have to be for one heck of a player for him to put a package together.

What I mean by shooters doesnt only have to be a SF; A stretch 4 would be nice ^_^

[Wraps_fan]

I wouldn't mind a guy like Justin Jackson. His flaws are obvious, he's not very athletic and he'll be 22 by the time of the draft. His jump shot is a small issue, but when you see his shooting form and mechanics there's reason to be optimistic that he can be a 36-37% 3pt shooter.

As a Duke fan, I watched a lot of North Carolina games and the easiest comparison for Jackson is Nicolas Batum, but not as good defensively as Batum. He's a good passer, he's smart with the basketball (only 1 turnover per game last year in 28.5 MPG). He's already a decent spot up shooter, but if he can improve his jump shot more which like I said earlier is very possible due to his mechanics being good, I think he can be a solid role player either off the bench or a DeMarre Carroll replacement in 2 years. All he needs to do is improve that 3pt shot a bit and he can be one of those guys that average something like 12/4/4 in a season, which doesn't sound amazing but with a 25-30th overall pick it would still be a good addition. Did I mention he has almost a 7 foot wingspan?

A Duke fan with a Tyler Hansbrough Avatar advocating for a UNC player with our pick. I have so many questions I don't even know where to begin! I will say you're a better person than me - I'd rather the Raptors forfeit their pick than use it on a Duke player. Why the Hansbrough avatar?

As for Jackson - I like him as a player - and the shooting form is good - but the actual shooting hasn't been. He's been shaky from college 3 range, and I'm worried about how that'll translate to the NBA level. He actually isn't even that great a Free Throw shooter - not terrible - but sub-70% in his college career. He plays in a system that gets him lots of easy looks in transition and UNC piles up lots of points on overmatched opponents at times through the season - yet he was only 52% TS last year. It's a little concerning to me when projecting him to the next level. We'll obviously learn more this season - with Paige and Brice Johnson gone - Jackson will need to be a bigger part of the UNC offense this year. We may see his offensive game take a leap this year when asked to shoulder more the load - we'll see. I'd want to see him a spike in his college 3 pt shooting % and overall shooting efficiency before I spent an NBA 1st rounder on him - but it's certainly possible we'll see that this season.

The Hansbrough avatar is from when Boban Marjonovich lined up beside him and he got all shook, I'm not a Psycho T fan, it's just a coincidence I guess

I don't like UNC, but I watch quite a few of their games and I occasionally like players even if they are on UNC.

[Skeezo]

No more draft picks.

The NBA has this thing called a salary cap. You should look it up sometime.

Draft picks = cheap talent

Especially true now that the cap has spiked considerably. The value of a player on a rookie contract is worth more than it's ever been.

If I'm not mistaken the new CBA will kick in next year, and draft pick salary slot increases have already been agreed upon. As a result a rookie contract isn't worth anymore now then it was prior... Yes, this current year's draft class, and maybe last years draft class will look better because they will still be signed for multiple years under an old salary slot while salary cap kick has already occured. But next year it will all be relative again.

[Skeezo]

I hope under the new CBA we get extended rosters, with the D-league being a part of it. That way we can send down our rookies to develop while still competing...

Your wish is happening... It's already been agreed in the new CBA that roster slots are increasing to 16-17 men, and teams will have a certain amount of two-way contracts (Their salary switches depending on where they are playing)...

So let's say a team has 13 players that are fully guaranteed (probably older players that won't be able to be sent down) but teams will have another 4 players or so that will be able to be interchangeable with the Big roster and the D'League team. Depending on who is playing well or position need, a team can call up certain guys to the 14-15 man active roster while the other 2-3 guys stay in the D'League but now the team still owns the rights to those players and other teams can't just poach them.

[TdotRap4Lyfe]

I hope under the new CBA we get extended rosters, with the D-league being a part of it. That way we can send down our rookies to develop while still competing...

Your wish is happening... It's already been agreed in the new CBA that roster slots are increasing to 16-17 men, and teams will have a certain amount of two-way contracts (Their salary switches depending on where they are playing)...

So let's say a team has 13 players that are fully guaranteed (probably older players that won't be able to be sent down) but teams will have another 4 players or so that will be able to be interchangeable with the Big roster and the D'League team. Depending on who is playing well or position need, a team can call up certain guys to the 14-15 man active roster while the other 2-3 guys stay in the D'League but now the team still owns the rights to those players and other teams can't just poach them.

I'm glad they are adding this, do you have a link to where I can read up on the new CBA? I'd like to see what else is being added or removed.

[S.W.A.N]

I hope under the new CBA we get extended rosters, with the D-league being a part of it. That way we can send down our rookies to develop while still competing...

Your wish is happening... It's already been agreed in the new CBA that roster slots are increasing to 16-17 men, and teams will have a certain amount of two-way contracts (Their salary switches depending on where they are playing)...

So let's say a team has 13 players that are fully guaranteed (probably older players that won't be able to be sent down) but teams will have another 4 players or so that will be able to be interchangeable with the Big roster and the D'League team. Depending on who is playing well or position need, a team can call up certain guys to the 14-15 man active roster while the other 2-3 guys stay in the D'League but now the team still owns the rights to those players and other teams can't just poach them.

I'm glad they are adding this, do you have a link to where I can read up on the new CBA? I'd like to see what else is being added or removed.

Only little tidbits have been leaked. Like length of deal, more money for retired players, same money sharing structure, and the parts about rookie contracts rising and the extender rosters, not much else out there yet. But very soon all should be revealed once they finish wheeling and dealing

[Jer15Jer]

Hard to call it Thank Nation since we know both picks are likely in the 20s.(Clippers pick is lotto protected) Still, it's something else to discuss and we can always dream the Clippers slide a bit.
And just remember we got this pick AND Norman Powell form Milwaukee for Vazquez. Life is good.

Can we get an explanation of the picks in the first post?

What they are, who they belong to and what the restrictions are?

Done brotha.

Thank you, my good man.

[CoachJReturns]

OKC with the narrow and low scoring win over Clippers last night! We'll take it.

[ATLTimekeeper]

OG Anunoby is the guy Masai was born to draft. Nigerian heritage and 7"6 wingspan.

[Bankai]

Im up for thank national 2 but I think the clip pick will be package out to be herd. We need shooters now not next year

We do, but we also need a long term upgrade at PF. If a trade doesn't get us that, I wouldn't move the pick myself. Masai, in his time here and in Denver, has never been a guy to trade away picks, so suspect it would have to be for one heck of a player for him to put a package together.

They sound like eventually they want Siakam to be that long term 4. Or Bruno.

[CoachJReturns]

Im up for thank national 2 but I think the clip pick will be package out to be herd. We need shooters now not next year

We do, but we also need a long term upgrade at PF. If a trade doesn't get us that, I wouldn't move the pick myself. Masai, in his time here and in Denver, has never been a guy to trade away picks, so suspect it would have to be for one heck of a player for him to put a package together.

They sound like eventually they want Siakam to be that long term 4. Or Bruno.

Seems like that's the plan, though we would still need a backup, unless we want to pay Patterson a ton to come off the bench. I'd prefer the pick be a SF, but if none are available, PF will be our next worst position of depth. I already like Poeltl as the backup center.

[Rapcity_11]

Unless Blake or CP3 miss an extended stretch, tracking the Clippers wins/losses seems like a waste of time. They're going to win 52+ and get a mid to late 20's pick. Hell, that can happen with a Paul or Blake injury as they've shown.

[CoachJReturns]

Unless Blake or CP3 miss an extended stretch, tracking the Clippers wins/losses seems like a waste of time. They're going to win 52+ and get a mid to late 20's pick. Hell, that can happen with a Paul or Blake injury as they've shown.

We all expect it in the 20+ range likely around 25. No news there. Some of us like discussing prospects though and it's still not often that this team has a second 1st round pick, so why not have a general draft thread that includes both picks.
I think we've had multiple first round picks twice in the team's history before this season, unless there is a third time I'm forgetting?

[CoachJReturns]

OG Anunoby is the guy Masai was born to draft. Nigerian heritage and 7"6 wingspan.

Good chance he's gone before our picks, but of course if Masai was high on him he could try to trade up. With so many young guys currently on the roster ie. Poeltl, Bruno, Siakam, Norm, Delon, Van Fleet it might be wise to consolidate the two picks.

[Rapcity_11]

Unless Blake or CP3 miss an extended stretch, tracking the Clippers wins/losses seems like a waste of time. They're going to win 52+ and get a mid to late 20's pick. Hell, that can happen with a Paul or Blake injury as they've shown.

We all expect it in the 20+ range likely around 25. No news there. Some of us like discussing prospects though and it's still not often that this team has a second 1st round pick, so why not have a general draft thread that includes both picks.
I think we've had multiple first round picks twice in the team's history before this season, unless there is a third time I'm forgetting?

Oh yeah, in terms of tracking prospects, go nuts. I'll read it. I've seen some posts the past year to date speculating about the pick being better than mid 20's is all.