2018 NBA Draft pt 2 - NOW WITH A POLL

[RealBucksFan]

My mind thinks of Young as ball dominant, small, inefficient, but also tough, tenacious, and really pretty skilled. That's kind of how I thought of AI. Any team with either as their best player probably has limited potential, but I think Young with Giannis would be pretty wild.

Orlando really has no star offensive players, and they have a ton of defensive/finisher types that could compliment Young. While Young may not fit Hammond's mold, I think as an organization they need someone that will generate buzz, and would likely weight that heavily.

I don't think we know if someone else in that mold but probably on a higher tier, Kyrie Irving, helps a team win in the 2010's. But teams were eventually able to win with him.

You could be right that if drafting Young serves anyone well it's Orlando with their complementary roster construction. Bucks already have some more efficient firepower than him, and have not proven to be defensive juggernauts. Think it'd be wild, but not in a good way. Either I think the Bucks should add off ball shooters to open up the lane for Giannis or another beast creator who can shoot semi efficiently at least and hold his own defensively. I don't think that's what Young is, but I could be wrong.

I think the Bucks have a massive need for a shot creator that shoots threes off the dribble. They have guys that can hit spot-up threes already. Their spacing can be boosted way more by players that can hit on the move, especially in PnR/off dribble handoffs.

That is what Giannis needs next to him. A guard that can drill threes off the dribble after Giannis screens for him. This can lead to teams having to trap said guard or switch and switching means small guards will be unable to stay on court vs. Bucks, meaning things get easier on defensive end.

I have concerns about Trae Young's defense, but he is absolutely what they need on offense. More Tony Snell's aren't gonna add spacing, Bucks need guys that can hit pull-ups.

The only players in this draft that seem like they have the potential to meaningfully change the spacing for the Bucks and Giannis in particular are Young and Okobo and I'm being generous to Okobo there. Mikal Bridges is great, but he doesn't change what sets Bucks can run and won't affect what the defense does to defend Giannis. Trae Young, if he panned out, would fundamentally change Bucks offense and completely change how you can defend it.

[Frank Nova]

I still like Gary Trent Jr a lot. Not sure why he gets no love around here but I'm pretty confident he will be a huge boost to our guard rotation. He kinda reminds me of Devin Booker and I really like that.

Sent from my SM-N950U using RealGM mobile app

[Gam]

My mind thinks of Young as ball dominant, small, inefficient, but also tough, tenacious, and really pretty skilled. That's kind of how I thought of AI. Any team with either as their best player probably has limited potential, but I think Young with Giannis would be pretty wild.

Orlando really has no star offensive players, and they have a ton of defensive/finisher types that could compliment Young. While Young may not fit Hammond's mold, I think as an organization they need someone that will generate buzz, and would likely weight that heavily.

I don't think we know if someone else in that mold but probably on a higher tier, Kyrie Irving, helps a team win in the 2010's. But teams were eventually able to win with him.

You could be right that if drafting Young serves anyone well it's Orlando with their complementary roster construction. Bucks already have some more efficient firepower than him, and have not proven to be defensive juggernauts. Think it'd be wild, but not in a good way. Either I think the Bucks should add off ball shooters to open up the lane for Giannis or another beast creator who can shoot semi efficiently at least and hold his own defensively. I don't think that's what Young is, but I could be wrong.

I think the Bucks have a massive need for a shot creator that shoots threes off the dribble. They have guys that can hit spot-up threes already. Their spacing can be boosted way more by players that can hit on the move, especially in PnR/off dribble handoffs.

That is what Giannis needs next to him. A guard that can drill threes off the dribble after Giannis screens for him. This can lead to teams having to trap said guard or switch and switching means small guards will be unable to stay on court vs. Bucks, meaning things get easier on defensive end.

I have concerns about Trae Young's defense, but he is absolutely what they need on offense. More Tony Snell's aren't gonna add spacing, Bucks need guys that can hit pull-ups.

The only players in this draft that seem like they have the potential to meaningfully change the spacing for the Bucks and Giannis in particular are Young and Okobo and I'm being generous to Okobo there. Mikal Bridges is great, but he doesn't change what sets Bucks can run and won't affect what the defense does to defend Giannis. Trae Young, if he panned out, would fundamentally change Bucks offense and completely change how you can defend it.

The only 4 guys in this draft that can really shoot off the dribble well enough and run the P&R well enough to "unlock Giannis" are Young, Okobo, Sexton, and maybe Brunson. Hence why I'm shilling for Okobo.

Edit: Doncic totally slipped my mind for some reason, but he obviously also fits this.

[Bernman]

What do you like about Brown other than being young and having a nice frame? He reminds me of a less athletic Evan Turner, and what I've heard from Oregon fans is that he's nothing special. He's one of the last wings I'd want that is projected around our range.

Don't see a lot of chatter about Troy Brown Jr. I think there may be an outstanding NBA player there in the end.

It comes down a lot to the jumper. But his form is pretty strong. And he's real young. Not even 19 by draft time.

Appears to have excellent court vision/bball i.q. That's important to me. As is being able to slither through cracks. Not fast, but fluid athlete, can elevate. He's ambidextrous. Alert off ball defender. Reads the ball off the glass and can bang a bit in the post.

Good frame and measurements already. 8'9 standing reach, 6'10+ wingspan, 6'7 height, and solid. Given his age, could potentially still grow a little. Fits positionless basketball mold rather well.

One whose future I could get excited about if the Bucks selected him.

I'd add that he appears capable of playing on and off the ball. So he provides flexibility on offense.

I hadn't read what Ducks' fans have said about him. Seems like a combo of thinking he has talent but wasn't ready and annoyance they didn't get more years out of him.

I have him 4th behind Spellman, Okobo, and Okogie. Could lean Hutchison over him in the end out of conservatism.

[leroyjw10]

No doubt there are exceptions to every rule, but I'd bet there are a lot more players who enter the NBA as poor shooters and remain (or leave) poor/below average shooters. Just recently, Josh Jackson, DeAaron Fox, Jonathan Isaac, Justin Jackson, Ben Simmons, Kris Dunn, DeAndre Bembry, Emmanuel Mudiay, Justice Winslow, Jerian Grant, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Justin Anderson all had questions around their shooting that remain to this day.

My point is that I'd much rather spend a pick on a guy who has proven he can shoot at a high level. Too risky otherwise. There are a lot of guys (Frazier, Okobo, Evans, Huerter, Hutchinson, Diop, Holiday, Thomas) likely available at 17 who have shot at at least an average rate that I'd rather draft. Shooting should be a top priority.

There are too many counter-examples to where you can't really call them exceptions. It's a mixed bag. Shooting is something most players can develop with form, repetition, and not changing their muscle memory too severely. You have to project based on those factors. Otherwise you'll miss out on some of the best players in the NBA, like LeBron.

First year LeBron came out shooting 29% from 3. But he was very young, had good form, and work ethic. So I'm not going to dismiss Troy Brown just on that basis when he's shooting similarly, is very young, has good form, and work ethic. I agree that it's a bit of a risk. But IMO there's a far greater chance he grows into an impact player than a Huerter you almost solely are drafting for the shooting. He'd need to be an elite shooter, and then there's still what, 80 players in the NBA better than Korver or a lesser 3+d like Bowen. You can land these guys in the 2nd round. Like Brown last year, or Alkins this one.

I'm not really a Huerter fan, either, at least not at 17. Generally, I'd stay way from tournament/combine darlings who suddenly get crazy pre-draft buzz. I had barely heard of him until the last few weeks. I lean more toward guys who produced year-round at major programs, such as Diop, Holiday and Thomas.

[emunney]

The only 4 guys in this draft that can really shoot off the dribble well enough and run the P&R well enough to "unlock Giannis" are Young, Okobo, Sexton, and maybe Brunson. Hence why I'm shilling for Okobo.

How about Shamet?

[StickeeFingaz]

I listened to the Ode to Oden (The Stepien’s NBA Draft pod) podcast episode where they discussed Troy Brown Jr and their analysis completely turned me off of him. He’s one player I don’t want the Bucks to draft.

They really hammered on his poor athleticism, not a good shooter, and looks like a poor rebounder on film even though his rebounding percentage says he’s decent.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BucksFanSD]

I still like Gary Trent Jr a lot. Not sure why he gets no love around here but I'm pretty confident he will be a huge boost to our guard rotation. He kinda reminds me of Devin Booker and I really like that.

Sent from my SM-N950U using RealGM mobile app

Yeah, I've mentioned the Devin Booker comparison myself in comparing their freshman years. I have no idea if Trent Jr. will become Booker or not, but if scouts believed so they would mock him a lot higher. Both Booker and Trent Jr. have NBA bloodlines which I do think help prospects with the mental and devotion parts of succeeding at this level.

[BucksFanSD]

http://www.nbadraft.net/team-needs-central-division-8

Milwaukee Bucks
Needs: Bigs
Picks: 17

Milwaukee, as currently constructed, will go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo takes them, and that’s a problem. The young, Greek phenom is outstanding, but he needs some help to get the team to the next level. The biggest weakness the roster has is up front with their big men. The team has the guards to have a really dangerous team, but Thon Maker is still developing, has a tendency to make mental mistakes, and is still fighting to become more consistent. That may come in time, but the team would benefit from bolstering that part of the lineup. Jabari Parker’s injury issues have certainly hurt, but he has deficiencies that prevent him from providing everything Milwaukee needs from their frontcourt. Milwaukee’s draft pick this season doesn’t put them in a great position to fill this need, as there simply aren’t many players in that range that will fix Milwaukee’s rebounding woes. Instead, expect Milwaukee to take the best available player in order to give themselves options moving forward.

I think Mitchell Robinson in time could be a good rebounder and is already a good shot blocker. I'm thinking about him being who we should pick if he's available and R. Williams is not.

[LuessiT]

The only 4 guys in this draft that can really shoot off the dribble well enough and run the P&R well enough to "unlock Giannis" are Young, Okobo, Sexton, and maybe Brunson. Hence why I'm shilling for Okobo.

How about Shamet?

Not the guy you quoted but I think there are a few issues with Shamet personally. I don't really buy the potential on D he's supposed to have. He has good awareness, long arms, knows where to be but he's going to struggle mightily from a physical standpoint. His lack of strength is concerning regarding defending both 1's and 2's (let alone if he gets switched onto an even bigger guy), his lack of quick twitch athleticism leaves me to believe that he's not capable of defending most starting calibre PG's. He can shoot off the dribble which is indeed a nice skill to have but it's not as far along as Okobo's. He's also more of a combo guard that can play some PG. His PG skills he's lack behind Okobo's (both his handle aswell as his passing).
Shamet is going to be a really nice bench player to have during his rookie contract that can play immediately and provide outside shooting, but I just don't see a starter unless he takes an unexpected leap offensively (or defensively if he can change his body). Okobo on the other hand is a player with potential elite offensive skills that even has tools to be a solid defender (though it's much more likely that he's going to be a bad defender).

[Gam]

The only 4 guys in this draft that can really shoot off the dribble well enough and run the P&R well enough to "unlock Giannis" are Young, Okobo, Sexton, and maybe Brunson. Hence why I'm shilling for Okobo.

How about Shamet?

Not the guy you quoted but I think there are a few issues with Shamet personally. I don't really buy the potential on D he's supposed to have. He has good awareness, long arms, knows where to be but he's going to struggle mightily from a physical standpoint. His lack of strength is concerning regarding defending both 1's and 2's (let alone if he gets switched onto an even bigger guy), his lack of quick twitch athleticism leaves me to believe that he's not capable of defending most starting calibre PG's. He can shoot off the dribble which is indeed a nice skill to have but it's not as far along as Okobo's. He's also more of a combo guard that can play some PG. His PG skills he's lack behind Okobo's (both his handle aswell as his passing).
Shamet is going to be a really nice bench player to have during his rookie contract that can play immediately and provide outside shooting, but I just don't see a starter unless he takes an unexpected leap offensively (or defensively if he can change his body). Okobo on the other hand is a player with potential elite offensive skills that even has tools to be a solid defender (though it's much more likely that he's going to be a bad defender).

Yeah, this is basically what I was going to say, Okobo has roughly the same stats at roughly the same age as Shamet, but one was playing in French Pro A and one in the AAC. I really think if Okobo was playing for, say Oklahoma instead of Trae Young, he'd have even better stats than Trae.

[Gam]

The only 4 guys in this draft that can really shoot off the dribble well enough and run the P&R well enough to "unlock Giannis" are Young, Okobo, Sexton, and maybe Brunson. Hence why I'm shilling for Okobo.

How about Shamet?

He probably deserves to be on the list, can't see him being a 1 in the NBA though.

[emunney]

The only 4 guys in this draft that can really shoot off the dribble well enough and run the P&R well enough to "unlock Giannis" are Young, Okobo, Sexton, and maybe Brunson. Hence why I'm shilling for Okobo.

How about Shamet?

He probably deserves to be on the list, can't see him being a 1 in the NBA though.

Interesting, I can't see him being anything else.

[Badgerlander]

Badger, what does your short list look like of guys that should be available around our pick?

It hasn’t changed much. I still LOVE Melton’s defense, best PG defender in the draft since CP3. Efficient and makes the smart/simple play on offense. Paired with Brogdon at SG our D would be amazing.
I like ZSmith, good D and smart O, does the little things and works hard at improving his game.
Vanderbilt is intriguing. Pretty raw having missed a lot of last year and his senior season but his energy and quickness to the ball is astounding. We need a SF/PF defender to offset Mids/Jabari, and his offensive rebounding.
I could be sold on Okobo, he has gotten quicker with the ball at the end of his season. I think he could be a Schroder level player just more shooter than driver but similar impact. Worse defensively though.
I think Huerter will be ok but we don’t have a PG that can set him up for success.
Freaks like Mitchell Robinson and Simmons are intriguing but no idea where their heads are at.
Evans is a solid player, good enough at everything. Like him.

[emunney]

Draft is two weeks from tomorrow (6/21); moratorium starts 7/1 (free agent negotiations); moratorium ends 7/6.

What fresh hell awaits.

[Badgerlander]

Draft is two weeks from tomorrow (6/21); moratorium starts 7/1 (free agent negotiations); moratorium ends 7/6.

What fresh hell awaits.

Really hope Bud is the voice of reason in our FO

[ReasonablySober]

Okobo is now the 3rd most popular option here, behind a couple 3-D guys I don't really think bring what the Bucks need, at all.

The closer we get to the draft the more I feel Okobo is the one the Bucks absolutely need to land. He can spend a year coming off the bench, then take over when the Bucks let Bledsoe walk.

[Gam]

How about Shamet?

He probably deserves to be on the list, can't see him being a 1 in the NBA though.

Interesting, I can't see him being anything else.

I should have specified starting 1, he's just too slow and weak to defend the point of attack. He should be able facilitate well enough to play the one off the bench though. A lazy comp is FVV.

I would be very happy with him in the 2nd, but he's a few tiers below Okobo IMO, and that's who I'm comparing him to 'cuz he's who I want at 17. And I'm guessing Shamet will be off the board for whatever 2nd(s) we may buy (probably 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 53, 54, 56, 57 58, or 60).

[Gam]

Okobo is now the 3rd most popular option here, behind a couple 3-D guys I don't really think bring what the Bucks need, at all.

The closer we get to the draft the more I feel Okobo is the one the Bucks absolutely need to land. He can spend a year coming off the bench, then take over when the Bucks let Bledsoe walk.

Exactly, look what Bud (and the "Hawks U") did with Schroder, they turned him into a starting quality NBA PG one very quickly, despite (reported) attitude issues.

And IMO, going back and comparing their tape Okobo looks like 5x the player Schroeder did before he came over (tbf Schroder was a bit younger).

[emunney]

He probably deserves to be on the list, can't see him being a 1 in the NBA though.

Interesting, I can't see him being anything else.

I should have specified starting 1, he's just too slow and weak to defend the point of attack. He should be able facilitate well enough to play the one off the bench though. A lazy comp is FVV.

I would be very happy with him in the 2nd, but he's a few tiers below Okobo IMO, and that's who I'm comparing him to 'cuz he's who I want at 17. And I'm guessing Shamet will be off the board for whatever 2nd(s) we may buy (probably 38, 39, 40, 41, 45, 53, 54, 56, 57 58, or 60).

I could see him getting a physical ass kicking most nights in the NBA. I also think he's one of the best fits for us in the draft, and the things he can do would justify minutes right away. It starts with shooting but it's not all shooting -- you could imagine his NBA role being like a Boobie Gibson who can shred hard closeouts and scrambling defenses. Anyway, he wouldn't be my pick at 17, but he'd be a target to buy a pick for in the 2nd if he gets past GS and Brooklyn.