2018 Draft Thread #6

[DanTown8587]

Obviously the hope with Porter is that he's capable enough to be a capable 3 to start games and then move to a four spot (with Lauri starting at the four, moving to the five) so the question of fit is ridiculous.

Secondly, Lauri has flashed a lot but he obviously hasn't shown enough (especially if the last six weeks actually matter in player evaluation as much as the first six) that I would talk myself out of a top five/seven pick in this draft due to "fit". This team is 20 games below .500 and something like 30 games under when Niko hasn't played; I think the fit this team needs is "talent" and if you think that Bagley or Ayton or JJJ is the best talent, you draft him and worry about Lauri later.

My current rankings

Tier 1
1. Doncic
2. Ayton

Tier 2
3. Porter
4. Bagley

Tier 3
5. Bomba
6. Carter
7. Jackson Jr.
8. Young

Tier 4
9. Miles Bridges
10. Sexton
11. Knox
12. Mikal Bridges
13. Z. Smith

[sco]

I'm on board with BPA (for both picks). We're in a dangerous place that we have 3 or 4 guys with potential to be all stars, but none of them have realized that potential yet. The biggest impediment to winning an NBA championship is becoming a "good" NBA team 1st...I say this half-joking, but I still believe you need 3 all stars to compete - and one of them needs to be a HOF talent. You need to be both bad and lucky to get even 2 of those guys via the draft, and hope you get the 3rd via FA.

Regarding the merits of the #1 pick, I think folks are losing the big point of the #1 pick. The statistics that the #1 pick being an all star less then 1/2 time only shows that teams aren't perfect at assessing talent. The key to the #1 pick is that if your team can figure out who the all star is, in the draft, you can draft him and nobody else can take him before you.

[Davell]

Currently, my tiers are this.....

Tier 1- Ayton, Bagley, Doncic

Tier 2- Bamba, JJJ, Porter

Tier 3- Carter, Mikal Bridges, Young

Tier 4- Knox, Walker, Jontay Porter, Gafford

Tier 5- Sexton, Miles Bridges, Hutchison, Robert Williams, Troy Brown, Mitchell Robinson, Musa

[InsideInfo]

Am I crazy for having MPJ number 2 on my list behind Ayton?

I think the dude is a cant miss star. Has and NBA body and skillset. To me he looks like he would be an impact player in his first year and an allstar by year two.

[PaKii94]

Currently, my tiers are this.....

Tier 1- Ayton, Bagley, Doncic

Tier 2- Bamba, JJJ, Porter

Tier 3- Carter, Mikal Bridges, Young

Tier 4- Knox, Walker, Jontay Porter, Gafford

Tier 5- Sexton, Miles Bridges, Hutchison, Robert Williams, Troy Brown, Mitchell Robinson, Musa

Not directed just at you, but why are people putting Bagley so high on their draft board? Tbh I haven't seen any of his game so I don't have an informed opinion but from what I've read he's still raw offensively and underperforming defensively?

[Axolotl]

...why are people putting Bagley so high on their draft board? Tbh I haven't seen any of his game so I don't have an informed opinion but from what I've read he's still raw offensively and underperforming defensively?

He has a good motor, is athletic, can defend multiple positions, is showing versatility on offence, good work ethic. As said, still raw - but hey, he's 18 years old. Great upside, can develop into a dominant 2-way player.

Most others have at least a year on him, many have several.

[jump]

His coach, Mike K, called him the best "can't miss nba prospect" he's ever coached. I don't think he says that often.

[Duke4life831]

Currently, my tiers are this.....

Tier 1- Ayton, Bagley, Doncic

Tier 2- Bamba, JJJ, Porter

Tier 3- Carter, Mikal Bridges, Young

Tier 4- Knox, Walker, Jontay Porter, Gafford

Tier 5- Sexton, Miles Bridges, Hutchison, Robert Williams, Troy Brown, Mitchell Robinson, Musa

Not directed just at you, but why are people putting Bagley so high on their draft board? Tbh I haven't seen any of his game so I don't have an informed opinion but from what I've read he's still raw offensively and underperforming defensively?

20/12 in ACC play and ACC player of the year (2nd time ever a freshman won). He did this while still being very raw skill wise and is extremely athletic. Which tends to mean he still has a ways to get to his high ceiling and he was the most dominant freshman the ACC has ever seen. So it's pretty crazy how dominant he was while being so raw.

[bigworld2017]

"
Goodbye one-and-done: With scandals rocking youth basketball, NBA readying to step in
play
Brian Windhorst reports on the changes NBA commissioner Adam Silver is looking to implement in light of the scandals rocking youth basketball. (1:50)
8:00 AM CT

In 2005, then-NBA commissioner David Stern celebrated a victory when he successfully created an age limit -- a player had to be 19 years old or one year removed from his high school class graduation to be drafted -- that accomplished his goal of removing pro scouts from high school gyms.

Now, though, there is turbulence, as the underbelly in the youth and college basketball systems is being exposed. The NBA has watched it unfold. Seeing both a responsibility as the world's leading basketball league and an opportunity to move in on valuable territory, the league is preparing to get involved again with elite high school basketball players, multiple sources told ESPN.

Current NBA commissioner Adam Silver and several of his top advisers have been engaged in listening tours and information-gathering missions with an array of stakeholders for months. That has included formal meetings with the National Basketball Players Association about adjusting the so-called "one-and-done" age-limit rule. But Silver's aim is much more comprehensive than simply re-opening the door for 18-year-olds to play in the NBA, sources said......"

In future years the Draft might become a thing of the past. High school kids might be allowed on to an advanced "G" league. The NBA might start operating like MLB....with farm teams. The kids would get paid, there would be mentoring and advisory services. Elite players would no longer have to go through the motions of a year in College. Colleges would be relegated to recruiting lesser players who stay for 4 years. In the end College Hoops might actually become more interesting. But the bottom line is that the current world we live in is going to be a thing of the past.

[thedarkstark]

Obviously the hope with Porter is that he's capable enough to be a capable 3 to start games and then move to a four spot (with Lauri starting at the four, moving to the five) so the question of fit is ridiculous.

Secondly, Lauri has flashed a lot but he obviously hasn't shown enough (especially if the last six weeks actually matter in player evaluation as much as the first six) that I would talk myself out of a top five/seven pick in this draft due to "fit". This team is 20 games below .500 and something like 30 games under when Niko hasn't played; I think the fit this team needs is "talent" and if you think that Bagley or Ayton or JJJ is the best talent, you draft him and worry about Lauri later.

Never ever draft based on fit, always draft based on talent regardless. This important in most sports but it's ESPECIALLY true in the NBA where the talent pool is extremely thin and the dropoff from a top 10 player to a top 40 player is a vast chasm.

Let's say that the of the 12 teams who passed on Donovan Mitchell 5 did so because of fit. Well guess what, they ****ed up. You could trade him right now for nearly any player in the league, or even fill multiple holes with the return he'd bring you in a trade.

Plus as you said, nobody on this team is untouchable or irreplaceable. Unless your starting lineup is: Curry, Harden, Lebron, Durant, Davis - there's always room for improvement. People make very shortsighted observations when discussing the draft, it blows my mind.

[Dresden]

Am I crazy for having MPJ number 2 on my list behind Ayton?

I think the dude is a cant miss star. Has and NBA body and skillset. To me he looks like he would be an impact player in his first year and an allstar by year two.

I'm in that school of thought as well. I have trouble deciding between Bagley, Porter, Ayton and Doncic for #1 overall. Porter could definitely be KG like player. Not AS good as KG, but someone who can just kill you with their shooting and scoring, plus give you something on defense and the glass.

[Dresden]

Currently, my tiers are this.....

Tier 1- Ayton, Bagley, Doncic

Tier 2- Bamba, JJJ, Porter

Tier 3- Carter, Mikal Bridges, Young

Tier 4- Knox, Walker, Jontay Porter, Gafford

Tier 5- Sexton, Miles Bridges, Hutchison, Robert Williams, Troy Brown, Mitchell Robinson, Musa

Not directed just at you, but why are people putting Bagley so high on their draft board? Tbh I haven't seen any of his game so I don't have an informed opinion but from what I've read he's still raw offensively and underperforming defensively?

He's got a 31 PER as a freshman, that's why.

[Dresden]

"
Goodbye one-and-done: With scandals rocking youth basketball, NBA readying to step in
play
Brian Windhorst reports on the changes NBA commissioner Adam Silver is looking to implement in light of the scandals rocking youth basketball. (1:50)
8:00 AM CT

In 2005, then-NBA commissioner David Stern celebrated a victory when he successfully created an age limit -- a player had to be 19 years old or one year removed from his high school class graduation to be drafted -- that accomplished his goal of removing pro scouts from high school gyms.

Now, though, there is turbulence, as the underbelly in the youth and college basketball systems is being exposed. The NBA has watched it unfold. Seeing both a responsibility as the world's leading basketball league and an opportunity to move in on valuable territory, the league is preparing to get involved again with elite high school basketball players, multiple sources told ESPN.

Current NBA commissioner Adam Silver and several of his top advisers have been engaged in listening tours and information-gathering missions with an array of stakeholders for months. That has included formal meetings with the National Basketball Players Association about adjusting the so-called "one-and-done" age-limit rule. But Silver's aim is much more comprehensive than simply re-opening the door for 18-year-olds to play in the NBA, sources said......"

In future years the Draft might become a thing of the past. High school kids might be allowed on to an advanced "G" league. The NBA might start operating like MLB....with farm teams. The kids would get paid, there would be mentoring and advisory services. Elite players would no longer have to go through the motions of a year in College. Colleges would be relegated to recruiting lesser players who stay for 4 years. In the end College Hoops might actually become more interesting. But the bottom line is that the current world we live in is going to be a thing of the past.

Good idea, though it would kill college basketball as we know it. Although maybe some guys would still prefer the one and done route.

[GameBredAPBT]

Obviously the hope with Porter is that he's capable enough to be a capable 3 to start games and then move to a four spot (with Lauri starting at the four, moving to the five) so the question of fit is ridiculous.

Secondly, Lauri has flashed a lot but he obviously hasn't shown enough (especially if the last six weeks actually matter in player evaluation as much as the first six) that I would talk myself out of a top five/seven pick in this draft due to "fit". This team is 20 games below .500 and something like 30 games under when Niko hasn't played; I think the fit this team needs is "talent" and if you think that Bagley or Ayton or JJJ is the best talent, you draft him and worry about Lauri later.

Never ever draft based on fit, always draft based on talent regardless. This important in most sports but it's ESPECIALLY true in the NBA where the talent pool is extremely thin and the dropoff from a top 10 player to a top 40 player is a vast chasm.

Let's say that the of the 12 teams who passed on Donovan Mitchell 5 did so because of fit. Well guess what, they ****ed up. You could trade him right now for nearly any player in the league, or even fill multiple holes with the return he'd bring you in a trade.

Plus as you said, nobody on this team is untouchable or irreplaceable. Unless your starting lineup is: Curry, Harden, Lebron, Durant, Davis - there's always room for improvement. People make very shortsighted observations when discussing the draft, it blows my mind.

I feel this way about Lonnie Walker, lots of teams are gonna pass him up because they don't need a scoring guard but he's gonna prove to be not only elite in that regard, but so much more

[Dresden]

He is plenty big to guard 4s and boards really well, Porter is going to have an easier life both on D and O as a 4, there are like no fours that play inside in the NBA other than Griffin/Davis

I disagree. He's not strong enough. Maybe in 2-3 years, but right now the bigger pf's would just take him into the post (even if they normally don't play there) and abuse him. Like they do Porzingis.

[JohnnyKILLroy]

People making claims on MPJ based on crappy HS competition and nothing he’s done so far at the next level. He’s KG based on zero.

[TheHrvReport]

People making claims on MPJ based on crappy HS competition and nothing he’s done so far at the next level. He’s KG based on zero.

This. I don't know how some of you are calling him a "can't miss prospect" based on Youtube videos of him dunking on boys in high school. The only players who have really proven themselves in this draft are Ayton, Bagley, and if you really want to give the benefit of the doubt to the Euro league then Doncic as well. Everyone else is a gamble in my opinion.

[Dresden]

So you would have drafted Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade over Lebron James?

[Red Larrivee]

So you would have drafted Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade over Lebron James?

LeBron James is a rare case of recognizing a ridiculous talent through HS footage. Kevin Durant and some others fit the bill as well.

[bearadonisdna]

Sometimes i think people need to be more accepting of peoples opinions.
Most of us try to post informed and sensical basketball related ,err stuff.

Usually no one here tries to post in absolutes or like they know everything.
It seems like on this board ppl will fight tooth and nail to rebute even the most consensus of opinions.

Ive learned on this board, whatever your opinion on something is, there is the exact opposite opinion that you will eventually end up reading.