2017 Hornets Big Board - Pick #2

[BigSlam]

We'll keep these up for a day or so.

Who do you take?

1. Markelle Fultz - PG/SG
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

[BigSlam]

Jonathan Isaac

[LofJ]

I went with Fox because of how badly he abused Ball in the tournament. If the Lakers are smart they'll go with him over Ball.

[fatlever]

This one in interesting for so many reasons. Lonzo is the consensus pick, but there are so many questions that would need to be answered.

If we selected him, what is the reaction from him and his father? Does he hold out, refuse to play, fall in line? Do we select him anyway and just trade him for a piece? Hold his rights if he refuses to play? How much of a distraction would his father be on the team and organization? Would MJ be able to shut him up?

He projects to be a better version of Batum, essentially - amazing passer, 3pt threat, size enough to guard wings, enough playmaking and handles to run the team. He'd actually be a good fit next to Kemba, since it would allow Kemba to work off ball more, but Ball has the size to "defend" the SG in the lineup. But does he make Batum redundant? Or can it work with a Kemba, Ball, Batum lineup? Can that lineup defend anyone? Do we simply trade Batum?

Fox on the other hand... does he have the size to pair with Kemba enough to warrant taking him at 2? Can you play him in the same lineup as MKG? Take Fox and look to trade Kemba before his contract is up?

Or go with the MKG clone in Jackson? or like Slam, with the length of Isaac? Or someone else?

If I needed a PG, I think I would take Fox over Ball. I base this only on the little I have seen of both, since, as you know I barely watch college ball these days. But, Ball projects better next to Kemba. I guess I'd gamble on Ball, pray he doesn't become a massive distraction and that he really is a generational passer that can elevate his teammates. See of Ball and Batum can coexist, if not, trade Batum.

[SWedd523]

You have to go with Ball, if for no other reason than to dangle him in trades. He's the second best player in this draft.

[yosemiteben]

I haven't looked at Fultz or Ball all that much because I know we aren't getting them. I'll go with Ball

[fatlever]

I haven't looked at Fultz or Ball all that much because I know we aren't getting them. I'll go with Ball

Same here. I haven't really paid attention to any of those supposed top 5-7. Reminds me of the year we drafted Vonleh. Most of the mocks had him top 5 for most of June. We have barely even discussed him in the month leading up to the draft. It wasn't until about 2 days before the draft that some rumors of him slipping started to surface.

[SWedd523]

I haven't looked at Fultz or Ball all that much because I know we aren't getting them. I'll go with Ball

Same here. I haven't really paid attention to any of those supposed top 5-7. Reminds me of the year we drafted Vonleh. Most of the mocks had him top 5 for most of June. We have barely even discussed him in the month leading up to the draft. It wasn't until about 2 days before the draft that some rumors of him slipping started to surface.

How hard would it be for you to find (and post) the player specific threads for each of our eventual draftees?

I'd like to go back and read the predraft thoughts on Cody and MKG in particular

[Mystical Apples]

I haven't looked at Fultz or Ball all that much because I know we aren't getting them. I'll go with Ball

Same here. I haven't really paid attention to any of those supposed top 5-7. Reminds me of the year we drafted Vonleh. Most of the mocks had him top 5 for most of June. We have barely even discussed him in the month leading up to the draft. It wasn't until about 2 days before the draft that some rumors of him slipping started to surface.

I could see it with Jackson, Tatum, and Smith. JJ and JT won't be available @ 11 but their presumed ranges aren't inevitable, IMO.

[fatlever]

I haven't looked at Fultz or Ball all that much because I know we aren't getting them. I'll go with Ball

Same here. I haven't really paid attention to any of those supposed top 5-7. Reminds me of the year we drafted Vonleh. Most of the mocks had him top 5 for most of June. We have barely even discussed him in the month leading up to the draft. It wasn't until about 2 days before the draft that some rumors of him slipping started to surface.

How hard would it be for you to find (and post) the player specific threads for each of our eventual draftees?

I'd like to go back and read the predraft thoughts on Cody and MKG in particular

I'll see what I can dig up. Some of the player draft threads might have been turned into the 1st player thread that is posted in the index.

That Vonleh draft, I bet 95% of our discussion in June was about 4 players - Stauskas, McDermott, Lavine and Young.

We had a ton of discussion in the MKG draft. We had long threads for MKG, Barnes, Drummond, Robinson and Beal.

[fatlever]

The 1st Cody thread is in the Index
http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1252090#start_here

The 1st Indexed MKG thread was from Draft night. I'll see if I can dig up is pre-draft thread. In the meantime, read our draft day thoughts
http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1190584

Here is Vonleh's pre-draft thread
http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1330254

[fatlever]

Vonleh only had one page of discussion from June 1 to the second we drafted him. Like I said, he was completely off our radar.

[fatlever]

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=1184692

Found the MKG draft thread

[fatlever]

Not gonna lie, reading the MKG threads from summer 2012 is incredibly depressing. Dude is so far off what we had hoped for. Back then we were talking about if it was worth using the #2 pick on a Gerald Wallace type. We'd do back flips today for MKG to be as good as Wallace. We were talking about what if his offense is never better than Corey Brewer. Sad to say, not sure it is.

But at least we didnt take TRob.

[fatlever]

Fats in 2012

that being said, i dont think MKG can live up to #2 hype, but then again, i dont think any of the other 4 guys can either. it will probably be somone outside the top 6 who ends up being the 2nd best player (or even best player) in this draft.

for example (lets take davis out of this). here's the bet - in five years who will be the best player in this draft? you can either choose the group of beal, barnes, drummond, thor and MKG or you can take everyone else. i would choose everyone else.

it's been 5 years.

It's looking something like
Davis
Draymond
Lillard
Beal
Middleton

[JDR720]

going with ball, but his dad still sucks

[BigSlam]

Ball is the pick