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

[Lukeem]

What do you guys think of DJ Wilson

Sent from my SGH-I337M using RealGM mobile app

i love his potential question is would we get march madness dj or rest of the year dj

march madness dj is flirting with lotto pick rest of the year dj should be going back for another year or undrafted.... throughout the year watching him he looked like he might be a good college next year and be able to make a trey burke, nik stauskas type jump

[OAKLEY_2]

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

The history of weight problems scares me.

[Syd-TK3]

What do you guys think of DJ Wilson

Sent from my SGH-I337M using RealGM mobile app

i love his potential question is would we get march madness dj or rest of the year dj

march madness dj is flirting with lotto pick rest of the year dj should be going back for another year or undrafted.... throughout the year watching him he looked like he might be a good college next year and be able to make a trey burke, nik stauskas type jump

I've never seen him play just saw that he's mocked in our range. And watched videos
Thought he looked good
I can understand the soft comments though cause he averages low rebounds and has no post game

[Mikistan]

this guy looks better

Watch on YouTube

Wish we still had our other 1st RD pick T_T

The history of weight problems scares me.

apparantly he matured like craz after his first year as he tried to declare and didnt do well in any workouts
his assist and block numbers actually got better by the end of the year in strings of games, his first 10 or so games are bringing the averages down - likely adjusting into the new role as the defesive anchor (ive heard)

[HeadtopChunes]

What do you guys think of DJ Wilson

Sent from my SGH-I337M using RealGM mobile app

i love his potential question is would we get march madness dj or rest of the year dj

march madness dj is flirting with lotto pick rest of the year dj should be going back for another year or undrafted.... throughout the year watching him he looked like he might be a good college next year and be able to make a trey burke, nik stauskas type jump

Looks like the Jazz gave Wilson a promise at 30

[Syd-TK3]

What do you guys think of DJ Wilson

Sent from my SGH-I337M using RealGM mobile app

i love his potential question is would we get march madness dj or rest of the year dj

march madness dj is flirting with lotto pick rest of the year dj should be going back for another year or undrafted.... throughout the year watching him he looked like he might be a good college next year and be able to make a trey burke, nik stauskas type jump

Looks like the Jazz gave Wilson a promise at 30

Yeah I seen that

[Lukeem]

What do you guys think of DJ Wilson

Sent from my SGH-I337M using RealGM mobile app

i love his potential question is would we get march madness dj or rest of the year dj

march madness dj is flirting with lotto pick rest of the year dj should be going back for another year or undrafted.... throughout the year watching him he looked like he might be a good college next year and be able to make a trey burke, nik stauskas type jump

Looks like the Jazz gave Wilson a promise at 30

with his size, skill set and nba trends hes definitely in play earlier

[Kevin Willis]

Wilson or Bolden are good choices for 2Pat replacement. Longer, younger, more athletic and better shooter. They can learn enough defense to fit in time and both around 21 yrs old.

[Anatomize]

Wilson or Bolden are good choices for 2Pat replacement. Longer, younger, more athletic and better shooter. They can learn enough defense to fit in time and both around 21 yrs old.

Patterson in recent years has really been overrated around here.

When he's on he does the 3 + D role justice, but similar to Amir Johnson, he's putting up a lot more dud lines than he is good ones, despite what advanced metrics might say..

One look at his gamelog and he's really unappealing.

You have a guy who in 24 mpg averaged a meager 6.8 ppg, 4.5 rebounds, .6 steals, and .4 blocks, he basically only does one thing decently well (1.4 made 3's on 37% FG).. I don't really care how you slice it, there really aren't that many bigs in the league who average those kinds of minutes and manage to basically have close to no statistical impact the way he does; the bad part? He's been regressing for the better part of 3 seasons now. He was very good when we got him - and I like many others was very happy with the acquisition - but there is zero reason to keep him around at this point.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Wilson or Bolden are good choices for 2Pat replacement. Longer, younger, more athletic and better shooter. They can learn enough defense to fit in time and both around 21 yrs old.

Patterson in recent years has really been overrated around here.

When he's on he does the 3 + D role justice, but similar to Amir Johnson, he's putting up a lot more dud lines than he is good ones, despite what advanced metrics might say..

One look at his gamelog and he's really unappealing.

Nah, he hits way more 3s than Amir. There's only a few non-stars over 6"9 that shoot as many 3s efficiently than 2Pat over the past few seasons. Proves he's consistent year to year, and he tends to always improve our defense. He'll be tough to replace. Guys that can put up dud lines but still have a positive impact on the floor are good players you want to have on your team.

[Anatomize]

Wilson or Bolden are good choices for 2Pat replacement. Longer, younger, more athletic and better shooter. They can learn enough defense to fit in time and both around 21 yrs old.

Patterson in recent years has really been overrated around here.

When he's on he does the 3 + D role justice, but similar to Amir Johnson, he's putting up a lot more dud lines than he is good ones, despite what advanced metrics might say..

One look at his gamelog and he's really unappealing.

Nah, he hits way more 3s than Amir. There's only a few non-stars over 6"9 that shoot as many 3s efficiently than 2Pat over the past few seasons. Proves he's consistent year to year, and he tends to always improve our defense. He'll be tough to replace. Guys that can put up dud lines but still have a positive impact on the floor are good players you want to have on your team.

Except if you look at his stats every single season he's consistently regressed in almost every single statistical category.. .9 FTA on 71% FT? This is a guy who shot 85% FT the year prior (albeit on .4 FTA), I get it..he's not a high usage player, but I'm not willing to overpay or bring back a guy who's no longer effective and his sole purpose is to hit 3's from the 4 spot, I also saw him get burned a lot this year on switches because even though he recovers well and tries to block it he simply isn't able to block it - be it reach or timing or whatever - and the block numbers show that. He's such a poor rebounder at his position, and it's indefensible - similar to Bargnani, so people have to call him out on that.

I like what he does with his positional defense and ability to hedge, but there's plenty of upcoming bigs who are doing the 3 + D thing (and I think Siakam will be among them in due time with development - a fine money ball replacement). There's just more SF / PF tweeners and even PF / C (think Skal over in Sacramento) now who are shooters but can do more statistically speaking with rebounding/blocks. Hell, I'd rather grab a guy like Kyle Anderson for example and play him out of position - I think he's got a far higher ceiling than Pat does and has been underutilized due to the Spurs' depth and system (Anderson has been their lowest usage player the entire season which is unfortunate given his vast skillset).

Similarly to Amir, Patterson also had elbow injuries that have effected his play. Amir's ankle injuries have derailed his play to the point that he basically does nothing statistically speaking for 2-3 seasons now (just look at his recent run in Boston - he's regularly replaced by Olynyk because he's not having any impact on the stat sheet).

I also question Patterson's off-the-court demeanor - he has a lot of extra curricular activities outside of basketball (he went clubbing the exact night we lost to the Cavs as if it was just another day in the office - didn't seem bummed out at all about it) - that was one big reason why I disliked Terrence Ross - always got the feeling he just didn't care much whether we won or lost.

It's going to be a hard sell to convince me that Patterson is more than what he is just with advanced metrics, I'm really unimpressed as of late, but loved what he did in spurts when he was healthier (with his elbow) and more importantly motivated.

Don't get me wrong, there's value in stretching the floor and opening things up (similarly to when we saw Powell step into the starting lineup during the playoffs and the offensive flood gates opened with a small ball approach of Ibaka at C), but I'd rather see if we can get it from someone else who can do more all-around and has a higher ceiling.

I don't know man, call me crazy, but it's become some weird taboo thing around here to call out guys like Patrick Patterson and Amir Johnson in recent years amongst the more veteran posters of this board - they bring up advanced stats and say see, you're wrong! and it's like well I don't know man his stats look pretty god damn awful and he only does a few things mildly well, and I think it's important to weigh both the observational points and even just the flat stats, because on both he fails the test as far as I'm concerned. There's a lot of guys over on the Houston board and also Kings who will tell you that Patterson was crap when he played for them, and that there's a reason he was dealt - he always swaps good seasons with bad ones - but with us its been 3 consecutive years in a row of getting worse.

Color me excited to see a replacement in this regard.

[ATLTimekeeper]

That's fine, but I can tell you that stretch bigs are rare in this league. About 2/3s come from the lottery. Stretch bigs that can also play plus defense are on a really short list. The moneyball approach would be to bring back 2Pat and let Serge walk, probably not happening just given the messaging from Casey and Ujiri the last few weeks. Siakam right now is more of a 5 and his jump shot is slow and not something I'd rely on going forward. They'll probably have to use him as their 2Pat replacement just to keep their payroll from going over into the lux tax, or risk going even smaller with PJ or Carroll at the 4.

This team is kind of a mess right now in terms of their outlook. They want more 3s, but are expecting the growth to come from guys who haven't proven they can hit 3s and a change of pace. As it is, they have two of the better two-way stretch bigs bird rights. If they want to compete this way, re-sign both and worry about the lux tax later. Hoping to find a 2Pat replacement in the draft is going to be really hard from the slot we're picking. This draft is loaded with stretch bigs, but the odds suggest that we're unlikely to find a rotation player at our pick. And a lot of mistakes are made when you go into the draft looking for specific skillsets over talent.

[Anatomize]

That's fine, but I can tell you that stretch bigs are rare in this league. About 2/3s come from the lottery. Stretch bigs that can also play plus defense are on a really short list. The moneyball approach would be to bring back 2Pat and let Serge walk, probably not happening just given the messaging from Casey and Ujiri the last few weeks. Siakam right now is more of a 5 and his jump shot is slow and not something I'd rely on going forward. They'll probably have to use him as their 2Pat replacement just to keep their payroll from going over into the lux tax, or risk going even smaller with PJ or Carroll at the 4.

This team is kind of a mess right now in terms of their outlook. They want more 3s, but are expecting the growth to come from guys who haven't proven they can hit 3s and a change of pace. As it is, they have two of the better two-way stretch bigs bird rights. If they want to compete this way, re-sign both and worry about the lux tax later. Hoping to find a 2Pat replacement in the draft is going to be really hard from the slot we're picking. This draft is loaded with stretch bigs, but the odds suggest that we're unlikely to find a rotation player at our pick. And a lot of mistakes are made when you go into the draft looking for specific skillsets over talent.

I know it's just the d-league and you've probably watched this, but hey!

Watch on YouTube

His ceiling looks way higher to me than I initially thought.. look at that face up into a post up, fake hookshot into a counter step through into left handed finish at around 50 seconds in - beautiful (he does almost the exact same move later in the video only this time to finish it with a right handed floater).. not to mention he's running the floor like a small forward, hitting 3's, euro steps.. it's like night and day with his development from his first half of the season with us where he would show flashes but looked way more raw offensively.

Given how mobile he is (he looks like one of the quickest runners in the league up and down the floor at his size), I'm really not sure how you can say he's more fitting as a 5.. I assume you're saying due to his offensive skillset (which is improving rapidly as we can see here).

You're going to see a lot more bigs coming up like Pascal here, and drafts are only getting deeper, so I really disagree that we won't find a good role player at 23 - recent drafts have just been loaded all the way through in comparison to a decade ago let's say. Just don't be surprised if by the time next season rolls around Pascal is already a very spot on 3 point shooter.. Masai is really finding some gems lately.. no one expected Powell to hit 3's the way he's been doing because he had a hitch in his shot and it's all but gone now.

I hear you in terms of asking to fit a square peg into a round hole.. wanting a different concept to fit today's NBA style makes complete sense, but I think we'll see some roster shifts in order to accomplish that - guys like JV are likely gone as well in order to make this happen, and we'll be seeing more Powell and less Cojo (which would be ideal for 3pt purposes), and if Tucker is back a lot more small ball as you alluded to (which may not necessarily be a bad thing with his defense and rebounding capability even at the 4).

Anyway, this is the draft thread and I don't want to derail it any further, but I think looking for Pat's replacement won't be a bad thing.

[Kevin Willis]

That's fine, but I can tell you that stretch bigs are rare in this league. About 2/3s come from the lottery. Stretch bigs that can also play plus defense are on a really short list. The moneyball approach would be to bring back 2Pat and let Serge walk, probably not happening just given the messaging from Casey and Ujiri the last few weeks. Siakam right now is more of a 5 and his jump shot is slow and not something I'd rely on going forward. They'll probably have to use him as their 2Pat replacement just to keep their payroll from going over into the lux tax, or risk going even smaller with PJ or Carroll at the 4.

This team is kind of a mess right now in terms of their outlook. They want more 3s, but are expecting the growth to come from guys who haven't proven they can hit 3s and a change of pace. As it is, they have two of the better two-way stretch bigs bird rights. If they want to compete this way, re-sign both and worry about the lux tax later. Hoping to find a 2Pat replacement in the draft is going to be really hard from the slot we're picking. This draft is loaded with stretch bigs, but the odds suggest that we're unlikely to find a rotation player at our pick. And a lot of mistakes are made when you go into the draft looking for specific skillsets over talent.

I know we're talking about someone's livelihood but don't sign 2Pat. You can slot in Siakam or even Jacob at the PF. You can also put in Carroll or Tucker for small ball. Remember you're looking for a bench guy, not a starter. Then draft one of the 3+D prospects available - either a SF, a PF, a SF/PF or a PF/C. For PG, SG and C we will be fine.

I like 2Pat. He loves this city. He plays good positional defence and can be a threat. Just because he partied when they lost doesn't mean he didn't care, that was just his way of handling the pain. But from a business point of view it doesn't make sense to pay him the money he can command when you can fill his role internally and draft someone who can fill his role in the future for millions less. There is no way he's re-sigining here, even if Lowry leaves. Draft a Bolden or Wilson and work on their bodies and their mind. Casey is good at instilling work ethic: Powell, DD, Lowry, Siakam, Wright, etc.

[Mikistan]

That's fine, but I can tell you that stretch bigs are rare in this league. About 2/3s come from the lottery. Stretch bigs that can also play plus defense are on a really short list. The moneyball approach would be to bring back 2Pat and let Serge walk, probably not happening just given the messaging from Casey and Ujiri the last few weeks. Siakam right now is more of a 5 and his jump shot is slow and not something I'd rely on going forward. They'll probably have to use him as their 2Pat replacement just to keep their payroll from going over into the lux tax, or risk going even smaller with PJ or Carroll at the 4.

This team is kind of a mess right now in terms of their outlook. They want more 3s, but are expecting the growth to come from guys who haven't proven they can hit 3s and a change of pace. As it is, they have two of the better two-way stretch bigs bird rights. If they want to compete this way, re-sign both and worry about the lux tax later. Hoping to find a 2Pat replacement in the draft is going to be really hard from the slot we're picking. This draft is loaded with stretch bigs, but the odds suggest that we're unlikely to find a rotation player at our pick. And a lot of mistakes are made when you go into the draft looking for specific skillsets over talent.

Both these guys can hit the 3 and have over 7 foot wingspan

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

i would honestly try to get another late pick and draft both of them, play them next to each other and ride off into the sunset with Siakam, Ibaka and Poeltl sprinkled in

[Kevin Willis]

Caleb isn't coming here - he's too weak on D and too slow. Imagine him and JV on the court, my word that's the opposite direction Masai wants to go. Bolden is a much better fit.

[raptor jesus]

Caleb isn't coming here - he's too weak on D and too slow. Imagine him and JV on the court, my word that's the opposite direction Masai wants to go. Bolden is a much better fit.

Yeah I watched about 4-5 games of Purdue near the end of the season, and I think Swanigan is definitely gonna have issues defensively at the next level. Doesn't move quickly or fluidly in a defensive stance.

[Tortiglioni]

DJ Wilson is garbage. Soft as ****, doesn't rebound, prime bust material.

[CoachJReturns]

That's fine, but I can tell you that stretch bigs are rare in this league. About 2/3s come from the lottery. Stretch bigs that can also play plus defense are on a really short list. The moneyball approach would be to bring back 2Pat and let Serge walk, probably not happening just given the messaging from Casey and Ujiri the last few weeks. Siakam right now is more of a 5 and his jump shot is slow and not something I'd rely on going forward. They'll probably have to use him as their 2Pat replacement just to keep their payroll from going over into the lux tax, or risk going even smaller with PJ or Carroll at the 4.

This team is kind of a mess right now in terms of their outlook. They want more 3s, but are expecting the growth to come from guys who haven't proven they can hit 3s and a change of pace. As it is, they have two of the better two-way stretch bigs bird rights. If they want to compete this way, re-sign both and worry about the lux tax later. Hoping to find a 2Pat replacement in the draft is going to be really hard from the slot we're picking. This draft is loaded with stretch bigs, but the odds suggest that we're unlikely to find a rotation player at our pick. And a lot of mistakes are made when you go into the draft looking for specific skillsets over talent.

Both these guys can hit the 3 and have over 7 foot wingspan

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

i would honestly try to get another late pick and draft both of them, play them next to each other and ride off into the sunset with Siakam, Ibaka and Poeltl sprinkled in

Swanigan has huge potential offensively, but he's going to be atrocious on defense. One of the slowest guys I've ever seen on a basketball court. It actually stands out if you watch for a couple minutes. Could be a beast on offense and on the boards though.

[Mikistan]

Caleb isn't coming here - he's too weak on D and too slow. Imagine him and JV on the court, my word that's the opposite direction Masai wants to go. Bolden is a much better fit.

Yeah I watched about 4-5 games of Purdue near the end of the season, and I think Swanigan is definitely gonna have issues defensively at the next level. Doesn't move quickly or fluidly in a defensive stance.

hes going to get drafted by miami - lose 20 pounds and come back as an athletic marvel