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

[Psubs]

Draftsxpress has us taking Bam 21st. I could live with that. They've still got us taking Mitchell with the 24th pick which obviously makes no sense. We have a surplus of young, average guards.

Taking another C would be just ridiculous at this point

JV might not be part of the future come the off-season if Ibaka is in play; also he can play PF/C so yea

I think you mean Bebe.

[LJKO]

Taking another C would be just ridiculous at this point

JV might not be part of the future come the off-season if Ibaka is in play; also he can play PF/C so yea

I think you mean Bebe.

All 3 of our C are not guarantee to make it back next season; Maybe Poetl

[CoachJReturns]

That would be Lonzo Ball. Or Ball could be Ricky Rubio with Curry range.

An older comparison would be a guy like Dennis Johnson. Played in 5 all star games and did everything other than shoot the 3 ball (career 17 percent 3 point shot). His defense was elite and he even had some good seasons as a scorer.

I'm not saying Melton will have that kind of success but I just think all the younger fans should know that there are great point guards who can't shoot from the perimeter.

There were, but it's becoming much more difficult. Teams just play off them now and go under screens on the PnR when they are handling. Being a successful PG without a viable outside shot is much more difficult than it was even 6-7 years ago - let alone further back than that. Defensive sophistication is much higher, schematically turning a player of that type into a liability is commonplace now. Nothing is impossible for the right talent, but the degree of difficulty is much higher.

Sure, but my thinking is Melton would be a complimentary piece to a dominant offensive player down the road. Also we're talking about an 18 year old kid so he could have a 3 point shot in a few years. And you're right about the reliance on the pick and roll changing things, but there are exceptions to every rule of course.

[CoachJReturns]

I really hope Melton declares because this is turning into a pretty boring season. No chance at a title, likely 1st round exit, no lotto pick, probably more of the same for a few more years.

[Risk101]

Some noteable changes in DX's latest mock.

John Collins jumps from 30 to 16.
OG back up to 17 after being at 24.
Justin Patton keeping afloat at 13
Tyler Lydon dropping to 22
Caleb Swanigan now at 26
Thomas Bryant nose diving into the second round

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

[KL78192020]

Hopefully Ivan Rabb falls to us.

[Risk101]

Hopefully Ivan Rabb falls to us.

Not really high on my list with Jakob and Pascal here. If one of them were to be traded then I would be intrested but only after seeing who else is available.His game is so much similiar to Ed Davis but with a better offensive game. Seems like we could do alot better with our picks.

Isaac Bonga looks intriguing. 6'9" big hands and very long arms, can shoot the 3 and seems pretty advanced for a 17 year old.

Watch on YouTube

[Risk101]

Wondering why Justin Patton went from an unknown to a lottery pick?

Watch on YouTube

[CoachJReturns]

Some noteable changes in DX's latest mock.

John Collins jumps from 30 to 16.
OG back up to 17 after being at 24.
Justin Patton keeping afloat at 13
Tyler Lydon dropping to 22
Caleb Swanigan now at 26
Thomas Bryant nose diving into the second round

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

Thanks for the update. I was going to post some of these, but you put up a couple more than I would have.
Collins jump is not surprising at all. He's younger than some freshman and has the highest PER of any guy in the draft, along with plenty of athleticism to give him long term potential.

I really think we're going to be taking one of Lydon, Collins, Leaf with one of the picks. Lydon makes a lot of sense in terms of overall fit, but I'd be with any of them. I'd still love to see us trade up for Rabb, but of course trading up is less likely than standing pat.

[CoachJReturns]

Hopefully Ivan Rabb falls to us.

He's my preferred target for this draft as well. He's already a solid rebounder, post scorer and has a developing outside shot. He's also a good athlete for a forward. Just seems like a nice combination of potential to be a starter and relatively low bust potential. That's a terrific pick up for a team that has had a hole at power forward pretty much since Bosh left.
I really liked the comparison I saw last year to PJ Brown. He was never a star but always had a positive impact in the win/loss column. I'd be happy to get that kind of player. Anything more than that is a bonus.

[Splinter]

Some noteable changes in DX's latest mock.

John Collins jumps from 30 to 16.
OG back up to 17 after being at 24.
Justin Patton keeping afloat at 13
Tyler Lydon dropping to 22
Caleb Swanigan now at 26
Thomas Bryant nose diving into the second round

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

Very curious as to why OG bounced back. I searched today and couldn't find any report of WHAT specifically happened to his knee. If it was something that can be recovered from by the combine then I can see him jumping back into the lottery...

[AkelaLoneWolf]

we're more than 4 months away from the draft. how significant are these mocks right now

[CoachJReturns]

we're more than 4 months away from the draft. how significant are these mocks right now

They can only give us a rough idea of where guys are ranked, but obviously some will rise and some will fall dramatically. A guy like Giles could go anywhere outside the top 10 until the second round. Heck, we've seen very productive and talented guys go undrafted(think Christian Wood) and sometimes we never really know why.
Swanigan is a guy that could be picked all over the map. He can rebound and score inside at a pro level, but he's going to be a terrible defender and is really more of a Al Jefferson type of big, which is not in demand right now as former #2 pick Okafor has shown.
It's also worth noting that it's a particularly strong draft for point guards and with so few teams really needing a point guard, we could see some teams trade up, down or even out of the draft entirely. Some of the forwards could be picked early due to need.
I still think we come away with one of Collins, Leaf or Lydon at the moment, unless Masai trades up. We need a power forward now and in the future and Siakam is just a hustle big by the look of him, who struggles on the boards.

[CoachJReturns]

Some noteable changes in DX's latest mock.

John Collins jumps from 30 to 16.
OG back up to 17 after being at 24.
Justin Patton keeping afloat at 13
Tyler Lydon dropping to 22
Caleb Swanigan now at 26
Thomas Bryant nose diving into the second round

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

Very curious as to why OG bounced back. I searched today and couldn't find any report of WHAT specifically happened to his knee. If it was something that can be recovered from by the combine then I can see him jumping back into the lottery...

They've kept the details of the knee injury a secret. I've looked before myself and there's really no information available. Could be they're trying to do him a favor and not hurt his draft stock more than it already has been.

[CoachJReturns]

Hopefully Ivan Rabb falls to us.

Not really high on my list with Jakob and Pascal here. If one of them were to be traded then I would be intrested but only after seeing who else is available.His game is so much similiar to Ed Davis but with a better offensive game. Seems like we could do alot better with our picks.

Isaac Bonga looks intriguing. 6'9" big hands and very long arms, can shoot the 3 and seems pretty advanced for a 17 year old.

Watch on YouTube

Why the heck would Jakob, a pure center, and Pascal a hustle big change anything? Rabb is a power forward and looks to be working on developing an inside out game. None of our big men have that skillset. Bonga looks great, but is not even eligible to be drafted until next year. Fill the need for a power forward now and small forward next year. Simple.

[CoachJReturns]

Hopefully Ivan Rabb falls to us.

Not really high on my list with Jakob and Pascal here. If one of them were to be traded then I would be intrested but only after seeing who else is available.His game is so much similiar to Ed Davis but with a better offensive game. Seems like we could do alot better with our picks.

Isaac Bonga looks intriguing. 6'9" big hands and very long arms, can shoot the 3 and seems pretty advanced for a 17 year old.

Watch on YouTube

Why the heck would Jakob, a pure center, and Pascal, merely a hustle big, affect us drafing another forward at all? Rabb is a power forward and looks to be working on developing an inside out game. None of our big men have that skillset. Not liking Rabb is fine, but your reasoning is entirely senseless.
Bonga looks great, but is not even eligible to be drafted until next year due to the age rule which you should be familiar with. If he's available in our range in the 2018 draft we can fill the need for a power forward this year and small forward next year. Simple.

[nbafan341]

PLease trade up for lauri or ivan rabb

[nbafan341]

Hopefully Ivan Rabb falls to us.

Not really high on my list with Jakob and Pascal here. If one of them were to be traded then I would be intrested but only after seeing who else is available.His game is so much similiar to Ed Davis but with a better offensive game. Seems like we could do alot better with our picks.

Isaac Bonga looks intriguing. 6'9" big hands and very long arms, can shoot the 3 and seems pretty advanced for a 17 year old.

Watch on YouTube

Why the heck would Jakob, a pure center, and Pascal a hustle big change anything? Rabb is a power forward and looks to be working on developing an inside out game. None of our big men have that skillset. Bonga looks great, but is not even eligible to be drafted until next year. Fill the need for a power forward now and small forward next year. Simple.

Hmm idk about pure center. Jakob just needs a jump shot and he can play PF. he's much better suited at that position than at c. he was always used as a C because he's 7"1. Id still be down to draft Rabb. defensively he's not great but at least he can rebound and shoot a jump shot

[Psubs]

PLease trade up for lauri or ivan rabb

Don't trade up for Rabb. If he falls take him like Labissiere.

[nbafan341]

PLease trade up for lauri or ivan rabb

Don't trade up for Rabb. If he falls take him like Labissiere.

That is quite the fall. Skal was at one point the number 1 pick, what happened to rabb? id prefer lauri over rabb seeing as lauri is a unique talent that we wont find quite often in the league