Mavericks 2017 Draft #9

[Teffer10]

Portland overpaid on Turner/Crabbe. Ezeli was ok. They gave him 1 year, the 2nd year only has 1 million guaranteed. I don't see them trading their first round pick to dump Turner.

Matthews is a good player. I would have never paid to move him or trade him for misfits like Kanter. Now he should actually command positive value back. Thing is, his salary is high, so not exactly easy to work out a trade without you receiving a big salary back.

I would say no to a trade of Turner + pick for Matthews. Turner just doesn't fit. He is a guy that needs the ball in his hands and can't shoot from outside. I don't think it would be a good idea to add a long term salary like that for a guy who doesn't really fit this team. We always believe RC will work magic, but Turner is owed $53,606,557 after this year. That's ridiculous.

Trading Matthews makes some sense though, but only on a favourable deal, you get a pick/prospect plus expiring salary.

I've changed my thoughts about trading Wes. He may be overpaid but he is a great leader and influence on our young core. I honestly think Wes, Dirk, JJ and Devin will be good to have for a few more years until guys like Curry and Barnes clearly take over leadership roles. And its not like Wes is a huge liability like Powell.
Sure I'd trade him for the right deal but not sure taking on a horrible contract and giving up Wes is worth a mid-round draft pick....even in this draft.

I agree. Those four veterans and Rick Carlisle providing strong leadership is what differentiates the Mavs from teams like Minnesota and Philadelphia. Matthews isn't an above the rim player anymore and should be able to contribute for another six years or so. He Is better than anyone that we could draft late first round.

Powell isn't horrible as people make him out to be but with Dirk,Noel,Barnes,Mejri getting all the PF/C minutes he is the odd man out. I would think a team needing a backup PF/C, 18-22 minutes, would be happy to take Powell.

The better we play down the stretch the more I think we'll try to trade our pick on draft day.
For instance, I could see the Mavs making a move to trade our pick and Powell for someone like Bledsoe if Suns take Ball and I'm not so sure that wouldn't be a bad idea for us if Suns would do it.

[k-lynch201]

I've changed my thoughts about trading Wes. He may be overpaid but he is a great leader and influence on our young core. I honestly think Wes, Dirk, JJ and Devin will be good to have for a few more years until guys like Curry and Barnes clearly take over leadership roles. And its not like Wes is a huge liability like Powell.
Sure I'd trade him for the right deal but not sure taking on a horrible contract and giving up Wes is worth a mid-round draft pick....even in this draft.

I agree. Those four veterans and Rick Carlisle providing strong leadership is what differentiates the Mavs from teams like Minnesota and Philadelphia. Matthews isn't an above the rim player anymore and should be able to contribute for another six years or so. He Is better than anyone that we could draft late first round.

Powell isn't horrible as people make him out to be but with Dirk,Noel,Barnes,Mejri getting all the PF/C minutes he is the odd man out. I would think a team needing a backup PF/C, 18-22 minutes, would be happy to take Powell.

The better we play down the stretch the more I think we'll try to trade our pick on draft day.
For instance, I could see the Mavs making a move to trade our pick and Powell for someone like Bledsoe if Suns take Ball and I'm not so sure that wouldn't be a bad idea for us if Suns would do it.

But the better we play, the lower our pick is..so what exactly can we get for lets say a 15th pick? Attaching Powell isnt attractive at all, his value is in the dumpster due to his playing time. IMO the best thing for us is to get a top 10 pick, and keep it, hopefully that player becomes part of our future core.

[JamesConway]

What do you guys think of Ntilikina? Especially on offense? Do you expect him to be able to develop into a capable ballhandler to be able to be a legitimate PG/shot creator? 'Cause I have some concerns about that aspect of his game, but right now he's probably my best bet if we're talking about somewhat realistic draft candidates. Chad Ford has stated a few times that our scouting department thinks highly of him and we're known to always keep an eye on the international draftees.

Right now DX has him at #11, nbadraft.net at #10, Ford had him at #11 recently and tankathon at #7 with Fox going to us at #10.

[Dirk]

What do you guys think of Ntilikina? Especially on offense? Do you expect him to be able to develop into a capable ballhandler to be able to be a legitimate PG/shot creator? 'Cause I have some concerns about that aspect of his game, but right now he's probably my best bet if we're talking about somewhat realistic draft candidates. Chad Ford has stated a few times that our scouting department thinks highly of him and we're known to always keep an eye on the international draftees.

Right now DX has him at #11, nbadraft.net at #10, Ford had him at #11 recently and tankathon at #7 with Fox going to us at #10.

Have you read this article?

His playing time has increased (seems to be starting): http://www.lnb.fr/fr/Pro-A/200010/Stats-Joueurs/A52562/fiche?type=1&from=2016&stat=m Maybe worth checking out one of his next games.

Scout video against Aris
https://youtu.be/fWyeQ5-sTkk

Full game against Aris

Watch on YouTube

Ironically, he kind of feels like the 'ideal' partner to the undersized Curry in the back-court, if he really can shoot.

[JamesConway]

What do you guys think of Ntilikina? Especially on offense? Do you expect him to be able to develop into a capable ballhandler to be able to be a legitimate PG/shot creator? 'Cause I have some concerns about that aspect of his game, but right now he's probably my best bet if we're talking about somewhat realistic draft candidates. Chad Ford has stated a few times that our scouting department thinks highly of him and we're known to always keep an eye on the international draftees.

Right now DX has him at #11, nbadraft.net at #10, Ford had him at #11 recently and tankathon at #7 with Fox going to us at #10.

Have you read this article?

His playing time has increased (seems to be starting): http://www.lnb.fr/fr/Pro-A/200010/Stats-Joueurs/A52562/fiche?type=1&from=2016&stat=m Maybe worth checking out one of his next games.

Scout video against Aris
https://youtu.be/fWyeQ5-sTkk

Full game against Aris

Watch on YouTube

Ironically, he kind of feels like the 'ideal' partner to the undersized Curry in the back-court, if he really can shoot.

No didn't read that article but I'll take a look, thx for posting. Funny, I turned into that full game-clip just yesterday as it was also brought up on the general draft board a while ago in the Ntilikina-thread. That one drive at around 13:25 (even if it was in transition) and the PnR at 19:30 were the two moments I enjoyed the most (granted, I turned off after the 1st quarter 'cause the poster said he didn't do much afterwards). Even if the first scene was in transition he looked more capable off the bounce there than what I sawat the U18 EU tournament in his first group stage game (first and only game I watched of him). It's premature to make a lot of assumptions based on just one game, but that scared me off significantly. But maybe it's not as bad as I thought it is.

The first drive here also looks intrigueing even if it's also not really in a halfcourt setting:

Watch on YouTube

I'm rather skeptical about him ever being the type of shot creator you need at the 1, but he might be a good fit in Carlisle's system alongside a craftier/quicker guard (like Seth, Yogi, JJB) as a secondary playmaker. He's said to be pretty darn good in most PG-skills (passing, court vision, BBIQ), but a lot will come down to if he can become efficient in the PnR. Besides, with Euros you always have to calculate a certain amount of time for players to get adjusted to the NBA three point line. I could see him struggle majorly in the beginning due to all of that on offense. Might be tough for him to get on the court with all those other guards on the team.

I'll try to catch one of his upcoming games. It's certainly promising that he appears to be getting more burn as of late and had a few productive outings.




Edit: quote from the article you posted:

(...) One of the biggest knocks on Ntilikina is that he can be fairly passive on offense, lacking the aggressiveness and take-over mentality of a great scoring guard. That was one of the main themes of Andrew Keh’s excellent profile of Ntilikina in The New York Times. However, I’m not sure if the issue for Ntilikina is mentality as much as it is ability. He’s a good ball handler, but he struggles to create separation off the dribble. When he does attempt to create his own shot, he’s often dribbling in circles, which leads to a dead-end possession when he’s unable to create a crack in the defense.

Even when Ntilikina is switched onto a bigger and slower defender, he has a hard time getting by them at the point of attack. If guys like Dennis Smith Jr. and De’Aaron Fox are sports cars, Ntilikina is a Kia. He has good cruising speed, but when he slams on the gas pedal, he’s not accelerating very quickly. (...)

That's what I meant. Hopefully he'll make major strides as a ballhandler and shooter off the bounce if he ever gets drafted by us. E.g. Jrue Holiday isn't all that quick either, but he's been able to make a career by using angles, his size, handling the ball well in traffic and finishing efficiently in the in betwee-range on offense. That's probably Frank's ceiling on offense I'd think.

[Lord Cuban]

10/03/2017 Mock Drafts (Mavericks):

DraftExpress: Robert Williams, PF, Texas A&M | Freshman
ESPN: Miles Bridges, SF/PF, Michigan St | Freshman (via Chad Ford's Big Board 4.0)
Bleacher Report: Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona | Freshman
NBADraft.Net: Frank Ntilikina, PG, France | 18
Sports illustrated: Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF, Florida State | Freshman
CBS Sports: Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona | Freshman
NBA Draft Room: Jonathan Isaac, SF/PF, Florida St | Freshman
Tankathon: De'Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky| Freshman
Mynbadraft.com: Lauri Markkanen, PF, Arizona | Freshman

[Lord Cuban]

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[Hadley]

I'd hope we get Markkanen or Hartenstein. We need to gamble on a International and hope for a Porzingis/Jokic Type of Talent. Sadly I really don't see us getting a high pick next year either. We really would need like 2-3 very bad Years to load up on Talent or we will continue to be elimnated the first Round of the POs.

[agentofatlas]

I like Miles Bridges for this team. A little risky especially if you see him as a tweener but the potential is there to be a better Aaron Gordon. The combination of him and Barnes gives the Mavs versatility at the forward spot. Hopefully his shooting translates in the NBA.

[Teffer10]

I'd hope we get Markkanen or Hartenstein. We need to gamble on a International and hope for a Porzingis/Jokic Type of Talent. Sadly I really don't see us getting a high pick next year either. We really would need like 2-3 very bad Years to load up on Talent or we will continue to be elimnated the first Round of the POs.

Markkanen yes, Hartenstein no....don't think Hartenstein has enough between the ears to be a Carlisle guy.

Not sure how Markkanen would fit with Barnes playing so well at the 4. However I think Dirk and Holger could do wonders for Markkanen and turn him into a very good NBA player so I wouldn't be disappointed if he's the guy.

Right now we're most likely around 10 so Markkanen could very easily be gone by then. Personally I wouldn't touch Hartenstein...I'd take Leaf before him.

[Lord Cuban]

My Mavs big board:

1 - Markelle Fultz
2 - Josh Jackson
3 - Jayson Tatum
4 - Dennis Smith
5 - Lonzo Ball
6 - Jonathan Isaac
7 - Frank Ntilikina
8 - Lauri Markkanen
9 - De'Aaron Fox
10 - Malik Monk
11 - Isaiah Hartenstein
12 - Miles Bridges

[JamesConway]

Tried to catch the Strasbourg-game yesterday, but missed most of it and honestly, scouting Ntilikina couldn't be more boring. The guy just dribbles the ball up halfcourt and immediatedly dumps it to one of Lacombe (best player on the floor yesterday) or this stereotypical undersized bench-guard (Walker) they have. Somehow I managed to see all three of Ntilikina's buckets. The first one was a layup in transition, the second one a nice 5-8ft turnaround jumper and the third was a tip-in off a layup. Outside of that he did a ton of standing around, trying to space the floor. Late in the 4th (3-4 mins left) he missed an open corner three and according to the boxscore he also missed another one as well as two FTs (must have been when I didn't watch). He picked up three assists, I only caught one where he made an outlet-pass to an open Strasbourg-player in transition off a defensive rebound.

Overall not all that revealing I'm afraid.

[2011Champs]

I could see Lonzo Ball's stock dropping rapidly with his father's antics. It wouldn't surprise me if he fell to like 8 or 9.

[dirkforpres]

I could see Lonzo Ball's stock dropping rapidly with his father's antics. It wouldn't surprise me if he fell to like 8 or 9.

Nope. Lakers more than likely don't pass him up given the mutual interest between the 2. He will be the 2nd guard taken without a doubt. Anyone in the top 7 would be great, in reality... we just need to get there, is all.

[Pointguard01]

I think Portland will make their pick available for team to take on Evan Turner. I wonder if we're interested. For all his faults, he's only 28 yo. If they trade Turner and their pick for Wes, I think we should at least entertain the offer.

Portland forked out some stupid money to Turner and Ezeli last year. It seemed like everyone made dumb contracts because the increase in cap space was burning a hole into their pocket. The Mavs were guilty of that on Powell ridiculous contract. I wouldn't trade contracts because we need money to keep Seth in 2018. If we have to move a contract to keep Seth, I think Wes Matthews could be moved much easier than Evan Turner.

Portland overpaid on Turner/Crabbe. Ezeli was ok. They gave him 1 year, the 2nd year only has 1 million guaranteed. I don't see them trading their first round pick to dump Turner.

Matthews is a good player. I would have never paid to move him or trade him for misfits like Kanter. Now he should actually command positive value back. Thing is, his salary is high, so not exactly easy to work out a trade without you receiving a big salary back.

I would say no to a trade of Turner + pick for Matthews. Turner just doesn't fit. He is a guy that needs the ball in his hands and can't shoot from outside. I don't think it would be a good idea to add a long term salary like that for a guy who doesn't really fit this team. We always believe RC will work magic, but Turner is owed $53,606,557 after this year. That's ridiculous.

Trading Matthews makes some sense though, but only on a favourable deal, you get a pick/prospect plus expiring salary.

Agreed. Evan Turner is really a 8th/9th player on a team, that can hurt you as much as he can help you. Making 17+ million the next 4 years is awful. If Portland found themselves in the top 7, I would consider it, but not for a pick in the #12-#15 range. Their salary cap situation is going to be a struggle in the next 3-years. Yuck.

Markkanen yes, Hartenstein no....don't think Hartenstein has enough between the ears to be a Carlisle guy.

Not sure how Markkanen would fit with Barnes playing so well at the 4. However I think Dirk and Holger could do wonders for Markkanen and turn him into a very good NBA player so I wouldn't be disappointed if he's the guy.

Right now we're most likely around 10 so Markkanen could very easily be gone by then. Personally I wouldn't touch Hartenstein...I'd take Leaf before him.

I agree about Hartenstein from the little I've seen (I need to watch more). He doesn't appear to be much more than a really good role player. I think he actually could fit really well with Barnes and Noel, but I would only consider him if we fall in the #12-#15 range. I wouldn't take him if we stay top 10.

Markkanen also is not someone I am found of. I think we need more of a brusier/rebounder next to Noel.

[daoneandonly]

I see Frank Ntilikina in a lot of mocks, know nothing about his game, but not that excited

[Teffer10]

I see Frank Ntilikina in a lot of mocks, know nothing about his game, but not that excited

I think fans should be excited if we end up with Ntilikina if picking around 10. He has good size at 6'5"with nice PG skills and a smooth game that should complement Curry well in the backcourt.
My only concern is the length of time it might take to develop him as an NBA PG.

If we are picking at 10 and Ntilikina is still available I'd be absolutely shocked if Donnie passes on him.

[Texas Chuck]

We all know what the Mavs are going to do. We are going to trade down at least once and probably end up drafting a guy like Luke Kennard who will be out of the league before his rookie deal expires.

I would love to see us instead try and move up a few spots if there is a player the FO really loves or at the least just stand pat and take the BPA. One of the great things about where the Mavs currently are is that a pick at any position other than a true center makes sense. And yes that is me assuming that we are paying Noel big money this summer to be our center of the now and of the future.

But we can draft at any other position and it works just fine. So go get the best talent. Please. For once.

[Devassa]

We all know what the Mavs are going to do. We are going to trade down at least once and probably end up drafting a guy like Luke Kennard who will be out of the league before his rookie deal expires.

I'd be very surprised... If we do end up trading our pick at all, then it better be either to move up a couple spots in the lottery or out of the first round altogether and for a proven star (Bledsoe). There isn't anyone in free agency worth saving money for by trading down, so what's the point of doing it then?

[Texas Chuck]

We all know what the Mavs are going to do. We are going to trade down at least once and probably end up drafting a guy like Luke Kennard who will be out of the league before his rookie deal expires.

I'd be very surprised... If we do end up trading our pick at all, then it better be either to move up a couple spots in the lottery or out of the first round altogether and for a proven star (Bledsoe). There isn't anyone in free agency worth saving money for by trading down, so what's the point of doing it then?

There is no point. It's just what Dallas does. I mean think about the times we have traded down over the last 5-6 years and how little money we saved doing so. If we really needed to clear the cap space, surely we could have found a better way. I think that we chose moving down in the draft reflected the Mavs' FO belief that the draft wasn't a way worth building through. Sure maybe you find a Josh Howard or a Jae Crowder, but since we mostly found Pavel or Cunningham or DoJo or Bernard James or Larkin it just further cemented their belief that it didn't matter.

I hope those days are finally done. Cuban certainly has been vocal in talking up the importance of the draft over the past year or so. But call me skeptical that they will really change their ways. Especially since the current team has played so much better after the horrible start. Makes me afraid that Cuban will think we aren't as far away as we really are and continue to take a short-sighted approach.

Anyways sorry for the pessimism. I know I tend to be the board realist(well that's my word, some of you might choose "hater" or pessimist or something less positive....), but I've actually been really encouraged by this season and am encouraged by some of the young pieces we have---and we dealt the one I was ready to give up on in Anderson. I just can't trust Mark about the draft yet.