Snapbacks and Handshakes: The 2017 Draft (Raps pick #23)

[Ian4]

Dennis smith Jr. looks just like kyle lowry to me.

that is all carry on.

[OAKLEY_2]

Agreed.

With prety much everyone's thoughts here. For example, flame away but there isn't a single name in the 9-15 range I would take Poeltl over. In fact I could VERY easily see Yak being a player available around our pick like Rabb is this year. I arguably think Rabb was/is the better player but yet there he is and that should give people some perspective on this draft.

You can't generalize when trying to determine the proper valuation of an asset. This #23 pick is far more on par with many other drafts' 10+ range which of course isn't likely you get a superstar but you do likely have an opportunity to find a real gem. Just thinking of some of the names likely available in our range...

Bam Adebayo
Ivan Rabb
Harry Giles
Frank Jackson
Jawun Evans
Jonah Bolden
Terrence Ferguson
Ike Anigbogu
Isaiah Hartenstein
Jarrett Allen

HM: possibly OG Anunoby...that entire list could EASILY have gone in the 8-15 range in most other drafts. If we don't go with garbage like Leaf, Lydon etc we have plenty of opportunity to add a nice prospect that I can see having a similar or better impact than Powell has had.

Garbage like Leaf...? G-T-F-O. Already.

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

[HeadtopChunes]

No Diallo. I'll just take Pasecniks and be done with it.

Considering this pick should be defending a title in Mississauga, there are some half decent prospects to go to 905 school.

1. Semi
2. Leaf
3. Ferguson
4. Bam
5. Bolden
6. Evans
7. Frank Mason JR
8. Sindarius

All these players would be intriguing as hell at the Hershey Centre. None will be making the rotation in 2017-2018. None. Maybe Bam could make it displacing Bebe.

You never know could get some break out minutes towards the end of the season like Norm. Especially the more NBA ready guys.

[nabbs]

Watching some UCLA games now and TJ Leaf has good feel for the game and instincts. One play in particular where Lonzo was pressured so he through a cross court pass to the weak side wing towards Alford. TJ was in the weak side corner and as the pass was thrown to Bryce, he cut directly to the basket knowing that Bryce would have to catch a difficult pass and throw it to an open cutter.

You can't teach that kind of stuff. He basically read a play before it even happened. I still see his ceiling as an elite role player but we need a stretch big that can make some plays on the fly

[HeadtopChunes]

Watching some UCLA games now and TJ Leaf has good feel for the game and instincts. One play in particular where Lonzo was pressured so he through a cross court pass to the weak side wing towards Alford. TJ was in the weak side corner and as the pass was thrown to Bryce, he cut directly to the basket knowing that Bryce would have to catch a difficult pass and throw it to an open cutter.

You can't teach that kind of stuff. He basically read a play before it even happened. I still see his ceiling as an elite role player but we need a stretch big that can make some plays on the fly

Definitely that's a very rare skill at his size. Could be valuable if he can overcome his negatives

[Mikistan]

Garbage like Leaf...? G-T-F-O. Already.

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

interesting, does he have the foot speed to stay with guys at small forward in the NBA?

at 6'10 SF hes gotta defend Durant, will that ever work you think?

[HeadtopChunes]

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

interesting, does he have the foot speed to stay with guys at small forward in the NBA?

at 6'10 SF hes gotta defend Durant, will that ever work you think?

No he doesn't have the lateral quickness to guard on the perimeter. He has trouble in the PnR too. He's also not very strong but he's young so you can assume that gets better.

[DG88]

DX updated their mock draft after the fallout of players that decided to drop out of the draft.

Still have Raptors picking TJ Leaf.

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

[Mikistan]

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

interesting, does he have the foot speed to stay with guys at small forward in the NBA?

at 6'10 SF hes gotta defend Durant, will that ever work you think?

No he doesn't have the lateral quickness to guard on the perimeter. He has trouble in the PnR too. He's also not very strong but he's young so you can assume that gets better.

Yeah I dunno - i understand the whole picking role players and NBA ready skill

but i think i would ALWAYS pick players who can impact the game on every single possession- whether it be on offense or defense - if the aren't two way players, or playmakers/gamers all over the court, you can always sign some veteran who alread pidgeon holed himself a spot in the league.

the more i look at other prospects the more i like Bolden's physical profile along with stats hes putting up
"At 6’10” and 215 pounds with at least a 7’3” wingspan, Bolden has the physical and athletic attributes to play either forward spot at the next level, and defend multiple positions. Whil shooting over 4 3's per game on 40+ percent."

I'm actually going to talk about Bolden less now so no other teams pick him, keep the hype low

[execoftheyear]

Garbage like Leaf...? G-T-F-O. Already.

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

you can't say a player is a certain position if he can't guard that position. TJ Leaf is a mobile big man, not a small forward.

[OAKLEY_2]

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

interesting, does he have the foot speed to stay with guys at small forward in the NBA?

at 6'10 SF hes gotta defend Durant, will that ever work you think?

Good question. At age 20 and as a freshman coming to the pros the answer is no. Might as well throw Lebron in their too and watch anyone we pick flounder out of the gate. Especially freshmen prospects.

[Slo]

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

you can't say a player is a certain position if he can't guard that position. TJ Leaf is a mobile big man, not a small forward.

Wait, by that logic DD aint a shooting guard either

[OAKLEY_2]

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

you can't say a player is a certain position if he can't guard that position. TJ Leaf is a mobile big man, not a small forward.

I guess Derozan isn't a shooting guard because he can't guard a lot of twos and struggles to make threes...

[CoachJReturns]

I don't really see the Leaf love either - at least from a numbers standpoint

he didnt BEAST rebounding in 30 mins per game (serviceable tho), he only shot 11 shots per game, with only 1.7 threes per game - his free throw percentage is poorer than you want for someone you are drafting to be a shooter off your stars.

0.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game don't shout impact at the NBA level either.

his measurements are okay, 6 foot 9 with 6'11 wingspan i guess, but the no-standing vert scares me as a potential rim protector

I admit i need to watch more tape from him too

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

you can't say a player is a certain position if he can't guard that position. TJ Leaf is a mobile big man, not a small forward.

This is how I feel as well. I can't remember what analyst said it, but someone tried to clarify how to define what position a player should be listed as. Since there have always been versatile guys offensively, he argued that the position you most often defend is your actual position. It's not a perfect formula but it's the nest I've come across.
Leaf is a power forward with perimeter skills offensively in my opinion. He'll likely be a poor defender at any position, so it's a question of whether hid offense is good enough to compensate for that.

[OAKLEY_2]

I was skeptical until I watched the myriad highlights. He CAN definitely shoot. He can definitely board. He can block shots. He is not a beast. He is a skilled small forward who is 6'10".

you can't say a player is a certain position if he can't guard that position. TJ Leaf is a mobile big man, not a small forward.

This is how I feel as well. I can't remember what analyst said it, but someone tried to clarify how to define what position a player should be listed as. Since there have always been versatile guys offensively, he argued that the position you most often defend is your actual position. It's not a perfect formula but it's the nest I've come across.
Leaf is a power forward with perimeter skills offensively in my opinion. He'll likely be a poor defender at any position, so it's a question of whether hid offense is good enough to compensate for that.

Remember here we are talking boys entering man's league. There are no constants. If a player works hard and learns they likely will play passable defence. Derozan when not trying to score forty can when it hits him be a capable man to man defender. What I have read with Leaf is "good defensive instincts" "not great lateral quicks", "can stay up on his man including quicker guards", badly lacks core strength" which means he currently struggles defending the post.

[Syd-TK3]

What do you guys think of DJ Wilson

Sent from my SGH-I337M using RealGM mobile app

[Mikistan]

you can't say a player is a certain position if he can't guard that position. TJ Leaf is a mobile big man, not a small forward.

This is how I feel as well. I can't remember what analyst said it, but someone tried to clarify how to define what position a player should be listed as. Since there have always been versatile guys offensively, he argued that the position you most often defend is your actual position. It's not a perfect formula but it's the nest I've come across.
Leaf is a power forward with perimeter skills offensively in my opinion. He'll likely be a poor defender at any position, so it's a question of whether hid offense is good enough to compensate for that.

Remember here we are talking boys entering man's league. There are no constants. If a player works hard and learns they likely will play passable defence. Derozan when not trying to score forty can when it hits him be a capable man to man defender. What I have read with Leaf is "good defensive instincts" "not great lateral quicks", "can stay up on his man including quicker guards", badly lacks core strength" which means he currently struggles defending the post.

this guy looks better

Watch on YouTube

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

What do you guys think of DJ Wilson

Sent from my SGH-I337M using RealGM mobile app

He's supposedly a bit on the soft side, otherwise, in terms of ability, he kind of reminds me of Robert Horry. I could just as easily see Jared Jeffries though.

[WeTheNorth123]

This is how I feel as well. I can't remember what analyst said it, but someone tried to clarify how to define what position a player should be listed as. Since there have always been versatile guys offensively, he argued that the position you most often defend is your actual position. It's not a perfect formula but it's the nest I've come across.
Leaf is a power forward with perimeter skills offensively in my opinion. He'll likely be a poor defender at any position, so it's a question of whether hid offense is good enough to compensate for that.

Remember here we are talking boys entering man's league. There are no constants. If a player works hard and learns they likely will play passable defence. Derozan when not trying to score forty can when it hits him be a capable man to man defender. What I have read with Leaf is "good defensive instincts" "not great lateral quicks", "can stay up on his man including quicker guards", badly lacks core strength" which means he currently struggles defending the post.

this guy looks better

Watch on YouTube

looks kind of like Elton Brand....he is obviously not as athletic or defensive minded/shot blocker but still

[LJKO]

This is how I feel as well. I can't remember what analyst said it, but someone tried to clarify how to define what position a player should be listed as. Since there have always been versatile guys offensively, he argued that the position you most often defend is your actual position. It's not a perfect formula but it's the nest I've come across.
Leaf is a power forward with perimeter skills offensively in my opinion. He'll likely be a poor defender at any position, so it's a question of whether hid offense is good enough to compensate for that.

Remember here we are talking boys entering man's league. There are no constants. If a player works hard and learns they likely will play passable defence. Derozan when not trying to score forty can when it hits him be a capable man to man defender. What I have read with Leaf is "good defensive instincts" "not great lateral quicks", "can stay up on his man including quicker guards", badly lacks core strength" which means he currently struggles defending the post.

this guy looks better

Watch on YouTube

Wish we still had our other 1st RD pick T_T