2018 NBA Draft Talk

[wco81]

They're not going to give up the BK pick for two expiring contracts.

[Ranma]

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[Ranma]

Both Anfernee Simons and Hamidou Diallo are currently projected to be mid-to-late first-round picks, but both have tremendously high upside for opposite reasons. While Diallo has impressive athleticism and lacking fundamentals, Simons is a high-IQ player lacking in physical development.

Simons will need to fill out quite a bit, but if a team develops him properly, he's about one of the safest bets to reach his potential as a sure-shooting guard with versatility. Diallo, on the other hand, is the much riskier proposition and he could theoretically have a higher ceiling than Simons but his poor shot mechanics among other areas in need of improvement limit the feasibility of realizing such potential.

Still, both are worthy of at least investing late first-round picks as high-upside projects with Simons being the better proposition between the two. If the Clippers can acquire more first-round picks to select them both while using others to trade up towards the top of the draft for an Ayton, Bagley III, Young, or Doncic, then we'd come away with quite the draft haul.

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[TucsonClip]

Both Anfernee Simmons and Hamidou Diallo are currently projected to be mid-to-late first-round picks, but both have tremendously high upside for opposite reasons. While Diallo has impressive athleticism but lacking fundamentals, Simmons is a high-IQ player lacking in physical development.

Simmons will need quite a bit of physical development, but if a team develops him properly, he's about one the safest bets to reach his potential as a sure-shooting guard with versatility. Diallo, on the other hand, is the much riskier proposition and he could theoretically have a higher ceiling than Simmons but his poor shot mechanics among other areas of improvement limit the feasibility of realizing such potential.

Still, both are worthy of at least investing late first-round picks as high-upside projects with Simmons being the better proposition between the two. If the Clippers can acquire more first-round picks to select them both while using others to trade up towards the top of the draft for an Ayton, Bagley III, Young, or Doncic, then we'd come away with quite the draft haul.

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Yup, I actually responded to that tweet as well. I'm more of a fan of Simmons right now. No more "fills a role" draft picks. Time for some swings on high upside players.

[Ranma]

Yup, I actually responded to that tweet as well. I'm more of a fan of Simmons right now. No more "fills a role" draft picks. Time for some swings on high upside players.

I've espoused the "swing and miss" philosophy on draft picks for a while now, but sometimes that gets oversimplified. Yes, the term implies going all out for a home-run-or-strikeout but that has to be balanced out against reasonable possibilities of hitting on such picks as well as weighing in the risk and reward aspects of any such proposition. Swinging and actually missing on a high draft pick would actually be a waste of a valuable asset, especially if the likelihood of the draftee realizing his potential was minimal.

That said, Simons seems to be a bit underrated right now except for a select few observers. The kid has a decent chance at being Ray Allen from what I hear and even if he doesn't attain that level of success, there's a good likelihood of him being a solid pro at the NBA level. Barring injury, the only thing holding him back right now is his actual physical development but that's not really a concern at the moment given his age.

I personally think he's worthy of at least a late lottery pick right now and I suspect he'll shoot up draft boards in the days leading up to the draft.

[MartinToVaught]

It's not even a sure thing that Simons will enter the draft when it's all said and done. He hasn't hired an agent and colleges are still recruiting him.

I wouldn't mind drafting Dzanan Musa with one of our picks. Musa is a natural scorer, he's crafty, he's comfortable on and off the ball, and he's played at the 1, the 2 and the 3 in Europe. Defense is his primary issue right now, but his problems on that end are more mental than physical. It could be fixable with proper coaching (assuming we replace Doc with a real coach).

[TucsonClip]

Dont know where Clippers will be picking, but Mikal Bridges would be a good fit for the direction of this franchise if they hold a late lotto pick.

Long, athletic, high IQ, good shooter, good defender. He's a new age NBA-style wing, which is a way of saying a Jerry West player

[TucsonClip]

Was actually watching some film on Chandler Hutchison. I think hes a guy to keep an eye on.

He has good size (6'7") and length (+6 wingspan). Hes a good athlete, good off one foot, can slash to the rim due to his solid creation ability. Hes a good defender, and can matchup at the 2 or 3. Solid passer

His shot is still developing and a bit slow in the release department. Not great at the FT line, but you can clearly see his shot evolution from a freshman to today. He isnt gonna be a guy who creates offense for you at the next level, and BSU is asking him to do too much IMO. However, but hes a guy I would identify as someone who fits what we are looking for and how we are building.

I know he doesnt fit my "take a swing on high upside," but I think he fits our system, and realistically could be available with one of our picks.

[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

No love for Gary Trent Jr. at the end of the lottery through the 16th pick?

Of similar size and stature to Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler given his height and length.

He’s probably more athletic than Klay and less than Jimmy. I cant see him developing into the scorer either of them are but he’s a freshman. He can develop ball skills. He’s already not afraid to shoot.

He looks way better than he did to start the year.


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[Quake Griffin]

And teams should be picking best player/ prospect available in every draft in every sport. Let the chips fall where they may AFTER that fact.

If you are drafting fit/need, you are doing it wrong.

For some reason, I don’t see that being an issue with this group at the helm.


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[TucsonClip]

No love for Gary Trent Jr. at the end of the lottery through the 16th pick?

Of similar size and stature to Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler given his height and length.

He’s probably more athletic than Klay and less than Jimmy. I cant see him developing into the scorer either of them are but he’s a freshman. He can develop ball skills. He’s already not afraid to shoot.

He looks way better than he did to start the year.


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Not the biggest fan. He's alright, can get to the rack, score, draw fouls, decent shooter. Can't defend. Reminds me of a slightly bigger Allonzo Trier from Arizona.

[Ranma]

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I caught up with draft-eligible combo guard Anfernee Simons after watching him explode for 36 points (seven made 3-pointers) last night against Victory Rock Prep in Florida. As he has previously stated, Simons plans to test the NBA draft waters in hopes of earning an invite to the pre-draft combine and eventually landing a 1st round guarantee. If the smooth 6-3 guard doesn't like the feedback he's getting from NBA teams, he plans to withdraw from the draft and play in the NCAA next season. Both NC State and the Indiana Pacers attended IMG's game last night in Sarasota, and all 30 NBA teams are expected to evaluate Simons by the end of the season. Simons is currently number 23 on our Top 100 draft-eligible prospect rankings. He's an effortless scorer who can get going from the perimeter both off the catch and the bounce. The 18-year-old Florida native is a quick-twitch athlete and shifty ball handler who can finish above the rim in space, play pick and roll, and facilitate in the open court. Simons is still developing into a full-time lead guard, which is likely the key to unlocking his long-term potential. Scouts want to see Simons up his defensive intensity and limit his turnovers, two of the biggest factors in determining how soon he'll be able to contribute at the NBA level.

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[mttwlsn16]

It's obvious now that we are going to be one of the worst teams in the league with Doc's "coaching," so it's time to look towards the draft. We need to lose lots of games to get another superstar to play with Blake. Luckily, with our joke of a "coach," I don't see much winning anytime soon. And since Ballmer is still too oblivious to fire Doc, we can tank our way to a great draft position. #TrustTheProcess #TrustTheLogo

Good call on being one of the worst teams in the league.

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[QRich3]

Hutchison definitely looks like an interesting option, I can see him being a good rotation player at the next level. Mikal Bridges would be awesome, but I don't think he'll be available to us. As would Jaren Jackson, but same thing, too unrealistic.

Which big men are interesting and could be in our range? Can McCoy become a good NBA player? Mitchell Robinson as our new DJ-like project? I've never been a fan of Robert Williams for whatever reason, and I'm not sure how much upside does Yurtseven have left, so I'd rather avoid either.

I still haven't dived into anyone projected outside of the top picks so I've no clue about the strength of this draft at our positions yet, but it apparently doesn't look that great, does it?

[TucsonClip]

Hutchison definitely looks like an interesting option, I can see him being a good rotation player at the next level. Mikal Bridges would be awesome, but I don't think he'll be available to us. As would Jaren Jackson, but same thing, too unrealistic.

Which big men are interesting and could be in our range? Can McCoy become a good NBA player? Mitchell Robinson as our new DJ-like project? I've never been a fan of Robert Williams for whatever reason, and I'm not sure how much upside does Yurtseven have left, so I'd rather avoid either.

I still haven't dived into anyone projected outside of the top picks so I've no clue about the strength of this draft at our positions yet, but it apparently doesn't look that great, does it?

McCoy has a lot of talent, but is more of an inside, post up center, right now. Not the best defender, but definitely talented. Robinson interests me, but I really havent seen much of him. Williams makes sense, but like you, im not that big of a fan. I think his role in the NBA will help his production, but hes probably another version of Montrezl with some upside. Not a Yurtseven fan either.

[TucsonClip]

After the Clippers game, I tuned in to watch Chandler Hutchison in a great match up with Nevada for first place in the MWC.

Although he struggled shooting the ball, and finishing at the rim against an active defense that was face guarding him and switching ball screens, he still came off quite impressive. Finished 4-14 from the field, 0-5 from three, 5-5 from the line for 14 points, but it was the rest of his game that caught my eye (10 reb, 6 ast, 4 stl, 2 blk).

His shooting is still coming around. His stroke from the FT line looks pure, and you can see his release is high, albeit a bit inconsistent. His base needs some work, he needs to do a better job catching and setting his jumper up via the hop, as it will keep him balanced. Release is a bit sideways at times when he is under duress, and his touch in the lane could use some work. However, he has finished quite well at the rim this season (73%), but struggled tonight driving into traffic.

That said, he did a good job not forcing things and instead driving and kicking to set up his teammates for easy looks. When he did get some space, he showed his self creation tools, plus his body control, weaving through bodies to the rim and finishing with his athleticism and length off one foot.

He has a solid court IQ and vision. He was able to drive, get to the elbow, read where the help is coming from and connect with shooters on the wing. He even caught a double down on a drive, with a kick out to the top of the key for three.

Although Boise sat in a zone a majority of the game, Hutchison was very active on ball and help side. He certainly knows his assignments, and while you cant really see him make any rotations in a zone, his lateral quickness, length, and IQ showed up when he would spot his man on a weak side cut to the rim off a strong side drive. He would drop down, cut off his man and deflect a pass that looked like it was going for a layup.

The play of the night had to be his defense and recovery on a drive to the rim with under a minute left in a tie game. Boise went ma, and Hutchison picked up Nevada's guard who was getting to the rack a will late in the game. High middle ball screen and Hutchison sets up with his hip on the screener so he can immediately chase over, but hoping to turn the screen down. The guard turns down the screen and drives left to the rim. Hutchison opens, slides, recovers, meets him at the rim (he was a step or two behind initially), and rejects him at the apex.

Needless to say, im becoming a fan. He still has a lot to work on. Needs to get stronger to absorb contact, keep working on his jumper, creation skills, and making quicker reads with the ball. However, you can tell he's struggling as the primary creator, especially with defenses keyed on him and clogging the lane, switching him on ball screens, ect. He certainly would benefit from the extra spacing, plus using his creation skills to attack closeouts instead of being the focal point of an offense.

[Quake Griffin]

Is Trae Young dropping in the draft?

If he dropped to like 8-10 and we were there, do you pull the trigger?


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[MartinToVaught]

Is Trae Young dropping in the draft?

If he dropped to like 8-10 and we were there, do you pull the trigger?


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I'd rather not. He's undersized, not super athletic, has a low release point on his shot, plays no defense and is a turnover machine. I think he's more hype than substance at this point.