2017 Draft Thread: Clippers select Jawun Evans (39) and Sindarius Thornwell (48)

Ranma · Post #21 » by **Ranma** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 9:58 pm

Apparently, 1 of the 6 draft prospects on the target list is Josh Jackson.

Post #22 » by **thanumba2clippersfan** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 10:52 pm

I love draft night. I know that we don't have a pick in this draft, we'll see if we look to acquire one. I would like it if we didn't buy a pick at the end of the draft like we did a few seasons ago. (Unless we feel like somehow a player could be relevant like Manu or IT)

I'll just sit back and enjoy the process.

Ranma · Post #23 » by **Ranma** » Thu Jun 22, 2017 11:09 pm

I've been preoccupied with with the drafts of other sports, but had been meaning to come back to review. I just haven't had the time and am not as well-versed as I'd like to be. That said, I am reinvigorated by the arrival of Jerry West and I do have some impressions on this particular draft class with my limited look into reference material.

While I think this draft class is fairly deep, I'm not really fond of the talent atop this class. I think PG Markelle Fultz is a safe and solid pick with upside but I'm not excited at his projected ceiling despite some saying he could be the next Dwayne Wade.

Despite his father's antics, I like PG Lonzo Ball's game. He has great court vision and playmaking instincts. My concern is with his shot, scoring, and defense where he could be more one-dimensional than multi-faceted. Is he the next Jason Kidd or another Ricky Rubio, whom I'm a fan of, or a non-scoring Jamal Crawford?

I like what I'm hearing about SF Josh Jackson's all-around game and motor. He has question marks about his shot but that should be easily fixed if prospects have the committed work ethic. Sounds like the kid does. Speaking of which, a good shooting coach makes a world of difference and that is an area that the Clippers actually have to devote time and resources to address. I'll probably touch on that later in another post elsewhere. Another concern is Jackson's legal issues from an incident where he had difficulty with anger management.

I'm hearing that SF Jayson Tatum is the best offensive talent in this class, especially in isolation, so I'm intrigued but I don't really know much about him, to be honest.

SF/PF Jonathan Isaacs has been someone that jumped on my radar even during my limited time paid into the NBA draft. He's got length, athleticism, and reportedly a junkyard-dog mentality. Sounds quite appealing to me.

I really like PG De'Aaron Fox's speed and compete level. He needs work on his shot as well as driving more to his right as a left-hander right-hander who plays as a lefty, but he's someone with big upside if he can work on changing his approach a bit as well as continue to physically mature.

I've been quite intrigued with Harry Giles, but his injuries are concerns that have really hurt his draft stock. He's had multiple knee surgeries with ACL and MCL tears. I've heard that he is potentially the most talented player in the draft, but the key word is "potentially". Sounds like another Jonathan Bender situation as a risky yet sexy proposition.

SG Luke Kennard is probably the best shooter in the draft and he does have some athleticism as well as other skills albeit in limited fashion. I actually like him but he's more in the late-lottery, mid-first-round area.

I like PF/C Jordan Bell's energy, explosive athleticism, and comparisons to Bo Outlaw. Like Outlaw, he's undersized at 6-8 but if he can be as versatile as Bo was with the same non-stop motor, I can't help but love to have him on the Clippers.

Edit: I forgot to mention Josh Jackson's possible anger issues putting him in some legal trouble.

Post #24 » by **mkwest** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 12:10 am

Ranma wrote:I really like PG De'Aaron Fox's speed and compete level. He needs work on his shot as well as driving more to his right as a left-hander, but he's someone with big upside if he can work on changing his approach a bit as well as continue to physically mature.

Good pick-up for Sacramento.

Ranma · Post #25 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 12:16 am

mkwest wrote:Good pick-up for Sacramento.

I agree. Fox may not be the BPA at the draft slot, but it's a good pick for them. I saw a video segment on him and was impressed with how grounded he and his family were. ESPN cited how much teammates are drawn to him as a leader and someone they love to play with. He also was professional and enthusiastic in speaking with Kings officials about playing in Sacramento, which is a significantly underrated aspect for players. I forgot that he's actually a righty (throws right as a quarterback) who plays and shoots as a lefty on the basketball floor.

Ranma · Post #26 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 12:34 am

If the Kings come away with both Harry Giles and Jordan Bell to go along with De'Aaron Fox from this draft, we might have to praise the Kings' organization for a change. :eek2:

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Ranma · Post #27 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 12:56 am

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Ranma · Post #28 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 1:11 am

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Ranma · Post #29 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 1:32 am

As a UCLA alumnus, I like T.J. Leaf. He's a versatile post player. I don't see him as a star player but he's definitely more skilled than the typical big man.

Also, if Jordan Bell gets picked really late in the first round or early second round, it would give me a sense of deja vu in reminding of Ron Artest, Jimmy Butler, and Larry Nance, Jr. Bell may not be as talented as those 3 players but I felt those blue-collared players were drafted lower than their worth at the time of their respective selections. Again, I'm not really familiar with this draft class and I get the appeal of players with more skill and length, but there has to be a place for a young, energetic player like Bell on your team.

Oh, hey. The Kings are arguably doing better than I thought they should in getting Harry Giles with a lower pick and the higher-ranked Justin Jackson instead of Bell.

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ejftw · Post #30 » by **ejftw** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:03 am

Memphis just bought #35 from Orlando.

Love how active we were! :rolleyes:

Post #31 » by **mkwest** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:08 am

ejftw wrote:Memphis just bought #35 from Orlando.

Love how active we were!

Gave up 2019 Brooklyn 2nd in exchange.

Ranma · Post #32 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:13 am

Dagnabbit! I fell for a fake Woj tweet in scrolling through my busy Twitter feed. At least I'm not the only one. I think mkwest deleted my post in question. Thanks. My apologies for the fake news, everyone. At least I'm not the only dunce who fell for it. :banghead:

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Ranma · Post #33 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:17 am

I don't know anything at all about Anunoby other than that he's been generating some pre-draft buzz. This "what if"
posed by Russo is intriguing, though, especially with the viewing material and reaction immediately made available upon his selection.

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Ranma · Post #34 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:30 am

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Ranma · Post #35 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:46 am

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Ranma · Post #36 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:55 am

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Clemenza · Post #37 » by **Clemenza** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 3:05 am

*Crickets* for us on draft night.. smh

Ranma · Post #38 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 3:13 am

Clemenza wrote:*Crickets* for us on draft night.. smh

Unfortunately, it was expected given that talk was that the Clippers were looking to buy a draft pick for $2 million, while everywhere else, I'm hearing picks are not for sale and that the ones that are are in the 2nd half of the second round for at least $3 million. I was hoping West could pull something out of his hat, but that is unfair to him. Who knows maybe we're still talking to Phoenix about a post-draft deal for Josh Jackson.

Ranma · Post #39 » by **Ranma** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 3:23 am

Damn it. Golden State does it again with this year's version of Patrick McCaw. :upset:

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ejftw · Post #40 » by **ejftw** » Fri Jun 23, 2017 3:26 am

Wow.

Just wow.

West gets better, Doc sits on his ass. At this point, I'm starting to think Doc is worse than Sterling was for the franchise