College basketball and 2017 draft - One more poll after last game

[jcsunsfan]

OK. After looking at it all. I think I would go this order of preference.

Jackson, Ball, Fultz. But is so close. I will probably change my mind often between now and the draft.

[Zelaznyrules]

OK. After looking at it all. I think I would go this order of preference.

Jackson, Ball, Fultz. But is so close. I will probably change my mind often between now and the draft.

I change my mind about this class almost daily.

I still believe there's a fair chance that Ball will be the best player from this draft but it's kind of like picking the winner of a golf tournament, the field is almost always a much better bet than the favorite. So, realizing that it isn't a slam dunk, I'd gamble on almost any of the other favorites over Lonzo. I just don't want to be mixed up with Ball's dad and his antics. We have far too much baggage with our recent personnel issues and the Sarver rep to willingly go down this road for anything other than a can't-miss, transformational prospect. And I don't see anyone in this class that I'd consider to be a superstar lock.

[MrMiyagi]

OK. After looking at it all. I think I would go this order of preference.

Jackson, Ball, Fultz. But is so close. I will probably change my mind often between now and the draft.

I change my mind about this class almost daily.

I still believe there's a fair chance that Ball will be the best player from this draft but it's kind of like picking the winner of a golf tournament, the field is almost always a much better bet than the favorite. So, realizing that it isn't a slam dunk, I'd gamble on almost any of the other favorites over Lonzo. I just don't want to be mixed up with Ball's dad and his antics. We have far too much baggage with our recent personnel issues and the Sarver rep to willingly go down this road for anything other than a can't-miss, transformational prospect. And I don't see anyone in this class that I'd consider to be a superstar lock.

I'm not entirely certain Lonzo's dad is going to really be much of a factor on the team. He might be loud and say stupid things, but I can't really imagine that impacting on-court or personnel decisions. I also wouldn't underestimate Watson's (sole?) ability to connect with his players. This is something from a recent article on The Ringer:

Earlier this year, as I sat courtside in an empty Suns practice facility with Earl Watson, the team’s 37-year-old head coach told me about The Alchemist, a novel by Paulo Coelho that he tells his players about “if they’re frustrated with the process of things.” The novel concerns a kid who has visions of a treasure hidden in the pyramids in Egypt. “His entire journey, he’s meeting all these great people, having all these great experiences, but he’s not paying attention to the now,” Watson said. “He finally gets to the treasure and realized there is no true treasure that lasts forever. The greatest gift is the journey. Those experiences are more important than the ending.”

Watson’s point was that if the Suns win the championship someday, they’ll have a parade, but it’s the memories made along the way that the players, coaches, executives, and fans will remember. It’s the journey: Devin Booker scoring 70 points, or, as Watson cracked, “Tyler Ulis looking like he was 12.” For the Warriors, it was Stephen Curry scoring 33 against the Clippers in the 2014 playoffs. There’s a Cavs fan out there laughing about how he burned LeBron James’s jersey, then bought another one when he came home. “No one’s ever gonna talk about, ‘Remember when we was in the parade and we were going down First Street?’” Watson said. “It’s the moments that define you moving forward towards your destiny.”

https://theringer.com/the-bad-nba-team-power-rankings-68d6f791e5f4

If worst comes to worst and his dad does interfere, I could totally see Watson talking with Lonzo about being his own man and defining his journey for himself. But honestly, I think Nike/Adidas/Under Armor are going to have a harder time with his dad than whatever team Lonzo goes to.

[Zelaznyrules]

OK. After looking at it all. I think I would go this order of preference.

Jackson, Ball, Fultz. But is so close. I will probably change my mind often between now and the draft.

I change my mind about this class almost daily.

I still believe there's a fair chance that Ball will be the best player from this draft but it's kind of like picking the winner of a golf tournament, the field is almost always a much better bet than the favorite. So, realizing that it isn't a slam dunk, I'd gamble on almost any of the other favorites over Lonzo. I just don't want to be mixed up with Ball's dad and his antics. We have far too much baggage with our recent personnel issues and the Sarver rep to willingly go down this road for anything other than a can't-miss, transformational prospect. And I don't see anyone in this class that I'd consider to be a superstar lock.

I'm not entirely certain Lonzo's dad is going to really be much of a factor on the team. He might be loud and say stupid things, but I can't really imagine that impacting on-court or personnel decisions. I also wouldn't underestimate Watson's (sole?) ability to connect with his players. This is something from a recent article on The Ringer:

Earlier this year, as I sat courtside in an empty Suns practice facility with Earl Watson, the team’s 37-year-old head coach told me about The Alchemist, a novel by Paulo Coelho that he tells his players about “if they’re frustrated with the process of things.” The novel concerns a kid who has visions of a treasure hidden in the pyramids in Egypt. “His entire journey, he’s meeting all these great people, having all these great experiences, but he’s not paying attention to the now,” Watson said. “He finally gets to the treasure and realized there is no true treasure that lasts forever. The greatest gift is the journey. Those experiences are more important than the ending.”

Watson’s point was that if the Suns win the championship someday, they’ll have a parade, but it’s the memories made along the way that the players, coaches, executives, and fans will remember. It’s the journey: Devin Booker scoring 70 points, or, as Watson cracked, “Tyler Ulis looking like he was 12.” For the Warriors, it was Stephen Curry scoring 33 against the Clippers in the 2014 playoffs. There’s a Cavs fan out there laughing about how he burned LeBron James’s jersey, then bought another one when he came home. “No one’s ever gonna talk about, ‘Remember when we was in the parade and we were going down First Street?’” Watson said. “It’s the moments that define you moving forward towards your destiny.”

https://theringer.com/the-bad-nba-team-power-rankings-68d6f791e5f4

If worst comes to worst and his dad does interfere, I could totally see Watson talking with Lonzo about being his own man and defining his journey for himself. But honestly, I think Nike/Adidas/Under Armor are going to have a harder time with his dad than whatever team Lonzo goes to.

I know he may not be a problem. But if you're torn between two players, he's a good enough reason to look elsewhere IMO. I could see his presence impacting free agent decisions down the road and I see the potential for chemistry issues too. And yes, I see the possibility that he'll be nothing more than a mild distraction. I just don't want to take the risk unless we clearly have to take the risk.

If the front office and scouts decide he's clearly the best player and they're not worried about the threat of him leaving for LA after his first deal, then fine. But if Dad gets his way and even if they don't quite pocket their first billion right out of the gate, it would be an easy thing for them to forego the benefits of staying with the team that drafted him. Personally, I don't believe the things he's said to try and explain away his earlier comments. I'm convinced he truly intends to get his son to LA and if we draft him, the best we can hope for is one contract.

[Djedefre]

Interesting front page article on REALGM right now about Fultz having a "slight" edge over Ball.

Personally, I think Ball will drop like a rock on draft day after workouts. I wouldn't be shocked to see him slide to 5/6/7.

-Crazy father
-Lazy defense
-Funky shot
-Slow (especially for the NBA level)

I want nothing to do with him honestly.

I'll laugh my ass off if he goes to NY (imagine the drama with the NY stage + his dad) or Sacramento (imagine the drama with the dysfunctional Kings + his dad).

I do not agree with him being slow, and I really don't think he'll drop.

He is slow. That's a fact. Not just for NBA standards, but also when you compare him to the other 3(maybe all 4, i haven't watched Ntilikina) PG's in this class. He has many virtues, but speed certainly isn't among them. Ofc, he can compensate it with his size and bball IQ, but there's no reason to neglect it as a physical limitation.

[bwgood77]

Read on Twitter

[darealjuice]

Read on Twitter

Romar recruiting with better head coaching and a more prestigious basketball program to market? PAC12 is done.

[bwgood77]

Read on Twitter

Romar recruiting with better head coaching and a more prestigious basketball program to market? PAC12 is done.

Yeah, Fultz would have been nice in AZ this past year.

[gaspar]

Read on Twitter

[LukasBMW]

Read on Twitter

His Dad is going to ruin his career. You think Klutch sports is bad? Just wait? With no Lebron power, BBB is going to become a disaster.

[MrMiyagi]

Interesting front page article on REALGM right now about Fultz having a "slight" edge over Ball.

Personally, I think Ball will drop like a rock on draft day after workouts. I wouldn't be shocked to see him slide to 5/6/7.

-Crazy father
-Lazy defense
-Funky shot
-Slow (especially for the NBA level)

I want nothing to do with him honestly.

I'll laugh my ass off if he goes to NY (imagine the drama with the NY stage + his dad) or Sacramento (imagine the drama with the dysfunctional Kings + his dad).

I do not agree with him being slow, and I really don't think he'll drop.

He is slow. That's a fact. Not just for NBA standards, but also when you compare him to the other 3(maybe all 4, i haven't watched Ntilikina) PG's in this class. He has many virtues, but speed certainly isn't among them. Ofc, he can compensate it with his size and bball IQ, but there's no reason to neglect it as a physical limitation.

Is he John Wall, fastest guy in the league? No, but that doesn't mean he's slow. He's not Andre Miller or Kendall Marshall. I watched UCLA second most to Arizona this season, and never did I see him get left in the dust. Generally, when his man gets separation on defense (like De'Aaron Fox) it's because he doesn't navigate being screened well - frequently going under or getting pinned. That's not a speed thing.

[kennydorglas]

lol Anigbogu declared for the draft too

all those young bigs testing waters

too bad he couldnt fit the 500 minutes minimum. I see a lot of Tristan Thompson on him

[bwgood77]

Three Mavs posters mention they would trade their pick for Bledsoe...

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1491403&p=54117745#p54114391

[Bogyo]

Three Mavs posters mention they would trade their pick for Bledsoe...

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1491403&p=54117745#p54114391

9th pick for Bled is not that sexy at all. But one (or 2) of DSJ, Ntilinka, Monk or Fox will be available there, and if Sunsbums info is legit about his health, we should trade Bledsoe. Get a top 5 pick next year as well, and watch our squad blossom while we fill out holes in the 2019 draft with 2 picks...

[bwgood77]

Three Mavs posters mention they would trade their pick for Bledsoe...

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1491403&p=54117745#p54114391

9th pick for Bled is not that sexy at all. But one (or 2) of DSJ, Ntilinka, Monk or Fox will be available there, and if Sunsbums info is legit about his health, we should trade Bledsoe. Get a top 5 pick next year as well, and watch our squad blossom while we fill out holes in the 2019 draft with 2 picks...

9th pick isn't? I'd be very happy if we could get that kind of return. I certainly don't think we could get any better, and probably much worse, especially if, what was mentioned about him is legit. If it is though, he may not pass a physical with another team anyway.

[kennydorglas]

Kobi is gone too, already signing with an agent.
Looks like a mistake, but who knows?

[MrMiyagi]

Kobi is gone too, already signing with an agent.
Looks like a mistake, but who knows?

He's going to test well athletically. I feel like he's a guy who can out-play his draft position, which will be attractive to both talent-starved teams and "stacked" teams that don't mind developing him.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Three Mavs posters mention they would trade their pick for Bledsoe...

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1491403&p=54117745#p54114391

9th pick for Bled is not that sexy at all. But one (or 2) of DSJ, Ntilinka, Monk or Fox will be available there, and if Sunsbums info is legit about his health, we should trade Bledsoe. Get a top 5 pick next year as well, and watch our squad blossom while we fill out holes in the 2019 draft with 2 picks...

9th pick isn't? I'd be very happy if we could get that kind of return. I certainly don't think we could get any better, and probably much worse, especially if, what was mentioned about him is legit. If it is though, he may not pass a physical with another team anyway.

Yeah, we'd have to take that. And I'm not even that intrigued by the idea of adding two picks this year. The price is right.

[Frank Lee]

Then roll Chandler to Milw for #19 ?


Might as well give this team the 'Logan's Run' treatment.

[kennydorglas]

Kobi is gone too, already signing with an agent.
Looks like a mistake, but who knows?

He's going to test well athletically. I feel like he's a guy who can out-play his draft position, which will be attractive to both talent-starved teams and "stacked" teams that don't mind developing him.

Yeah, same with Anigbogu... VERY RAW prospects with oozing athletic ability.