2019 NBA Draft Prep

[atlantabbq99]

I'm not a fan of Hachimura, but he just made a name for himself in a big way on the national stage by just beating the super hyped Duke team and out playing RJ Barrett

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[Jamaaliver]

Rui

Hachimura!!!

Three year collegiate. Do it all combo forward with the Dallas Pick.

Glad to see a real team of upper class men hand the Diaper Dukies their first loss this season.

Hopefully they meet again in the tourney for a rematch when Killian Tillie is healthy.

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[tbhawksfan1]

Anyone get a little nervous with some of these recent draft picks totally busting / freaking out (Fultz).....

TS did good with Trae. Hope he is as good at judging character and or lunacy and bball skills in the future as he was with Trae

[Jamaaliver]

Anyone get a little nervous with some of these recent draft picks totally busting / freaking out (Fultz).....

TS did good with Trae. Hope he is as good at judging character and or lunacy and bball skills in the future as he was with Trae

It is indeed a little nerve wracking. It's why Travis has seemingly refused to put all his eggs in any single basket.

The decision to pass on Luka is looking...questionable. But the selections of Collins, Trae and even Huerter are all encouraging.

TS clearly has an eye for talent. Though, next year's selections might be the most important of his tenure.

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[atlantabbq99]

Anyone get a little nervous with some of these recent draft picks totally busting / freaking out (Fultz).....

TS did good with Trae. Hope he is as good at judging character and or lunacy and bball skills in the future as he was with Trae

This is why i value free throw shooting in college so much (and shooting form). It can tell alot about a player and their future. Just look at Fultz, Lonzo, and Tatum's free throw shooting in college. Their NBA careers so far has been no surprise to me.

[Jamaaliver]

I still don't see it. I think this benefits us one way or another.

NBA draft scouting: What's changed in the No. 1 pick race?



Zion Williamson is settling in as the No. 1 prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft class.

Williamson's blend of skill, size, strength and athleticism makes him one of the most unique prospects in recent memory.
"Don't overthink this one," said one high ranking executive.
"Don't pass up on another unicorn," said another.
Williamson has exceeded expectations over his first few weeks with Duke.Via Mike Schmitz/ESPN

Wiretap

[Jamaaliver]

Is Romeo Langford a first-round NBA Draft prospect?

Romeo Langford looked like a good 3-and-D prospect in high school but has struggled at both at Indiana. Can he still prove himself to be a valuable prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft?

So far, Langford’s two biggest struggles have been the things he projected to do best — 3-point shooting and defense. But he has still looked brilliant for Indiana, averaging 23.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per 40 minutes. Indiana is 4-1 and has the 23rd-rated offense and 21st rated defense per KenPom.

That shooting reputation was well justified during his high school career — especially during the real high school season, where Langford hit 38 percent on over 200 attempts as a senior. He supplemented that with a strong shooting performance on the high school circuit, showing a lot of comfort and poise shooting off the catch and off movement competing with his peers.

Langford’s release still appears to be pretty inconsistent, a surprise for someone with as many attempts under his belt as he has. Langford’s footwork coming off screens and moving off-ball is good, which is promising for his transition to the NBA. That is one of the harder aspects to get down in developing as a shooter. And while his shooting motion is somewhat all over the place, that has plenty of time to stabilize.

His defensive performance has been deeply problematic for his survival at the NBA level. While he’s put up good numbers so far (2.0 steals per 40 minutes, 5.6 Defensive Box Plus-Minus), his tape shows some severe flaws that worry many scouts about his ability to perform at the next level.

The biggest concern is in off-ball defense. Many college players are bad and occasionally lose track of their man off the ball, but Langford’s passiveness on the defensive end is particularly concerning. Langford’s issues mostly stem from awareness — he seems to struggle with reading the offense’s developments, and he loses track of his man continually off the ball. He rarely makes rotations when needed, and he seems to avoid situations where he might foul.

This all puts Langford’s 2019 NBA Draft prospects into a little bit of flux. It’s hard to really see him as a 3-and-D prospect with his performance so far, and he hasn’t really shown himself to be elite in any other skill. But he has shown things to build off of, and he’s certainly not dead in the water as a prospect.

The biggest area of surprise has been his finishing, particularly as a cutter. Langford struggled at times with length and contact at the rim in high school, and he hasn’t been a forceful finisher at the rim so far. But he is great at finding open space on cuts, and that allows him to load up off two feet, which creates better finishing situations for him.

He clearly has been a successful college player so far thanks to his team performance and his numbers, but he has real impediments towards becoming even a successful role player in the NBA. His consistency on both ends has wavered, and he has real development to make to even become passable on defense. But still, it’s hard to argue against the strengths he’s shown — as a pull-up shooter, as a slasher, and as a rebounder on the defensive end.

Fansided

[Spud2nique]

Romeo is the pick I want with the Mavs pick if it land 6-10ish. This kid can ball.. Derozan like..Kobe lite.

[Jamaaliver]

I gotta say, I'm not a Bol or Mamba fan.

But a less offensively oriented version of Durant (with elite rebounding/shot-blocking tools) is intriguing.

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[Jamaaliver]

If we're really considering moving Collins to Center more often (permanently?), I seriously hope we consider drafting PF Rui Hachimura with that ever-receding Dallas pick.

Spoiler:

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I've made comparisons to Ron Artest in the past, but his offense also reminds me a bit of a young, under-sized, unproven Paul Millsap.

He likely won't be a star at the next level, but he'd make a capable weapon on both ends of the floor.

Best Draft Prospects from the Maui Invitational

Gonzaga: Rui Hachimura

The Japanese forward averaged 22.3 points and six rebounds per game in Maui. He’s been putting up big numbers against strong competition for awhile now, as he put up 24 points for the Japanese national team against an Australian team filled with NBA players. In the Invitational, Rui flashed an improved 3-point shot as well as a heightened feel for the game. He made the right reads on offense and he came up big in the end against Duke on defense, blocking R.J Barrett‘s potential game wining shot. Hachimura stepped up in the Maui Invitational, and is a surefire lottery pick in this year’s draft.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Ball4life32]

Man I was hoping for Bol with the Mavs pick but he continues to rise. He fits perfect next to Collins. ‬

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[kg01]

I hate this for the youngster ...

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He was one that supposedly was good enough to possibly crash into the top 3. Heal up, dude. I'm sure you'll be fine if you keep working.

On Rui, I totally agree with the Millsap comp. I kinda see him having some more wang potential so I'm curious to see if he adds some game off the bounce. Would be a welcome pick at that DAL spot. Certainly more than Bol who, IMHO, is an all-sizzle type of pick.

[Jamaaliver]

I'm sure someone else may emerge as the college season progresses. The Vandy guard could be one to keep an eye on. Not necessarily for us but as someone capable of rising into the top 3 to disrupt the Dook party.

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[Jamaaliver]

Hot off the presses, from the greatest sports writer of our generation of all time:

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While there have been plenty of words assigned to chronicling Williamson’s ridiculous early-season performance, the Blue Devils also have another long-awaited top prospect in R.J. Barrett.

However, there is a third elite prospect in play at Duke and, in short, it wouldn’t be wise to ignore him.

Cameron Reddish entered college with the reputation of a prospect with big-time ability and, in the early going, there is nothing to dissuade those evaluating him from that view. The 6’8 forward has a 7’1 wingspan to go along with elite-level fluidity and athleticism, but Reddish’s calling card at this stage may be his silky-smooth jump shot. He brings a fantastic shooting profile to the table at all levels and, through a handful of college outings, Reddish owns a 61 percent true shooting clip to complement his physical traits.

Defensively, there are also positive signs with the one-and-done forward, as Reddish brings great tools, including the length necessary to defend 4’s at the next level. While his size might be suited for a 3/4 hybrid role in the NBA, Reddish also has guard skills with the ball in his hands, especially if he can refine his footwork in the future.

Reddish probably won’t catch Williamson at the top of the class but, in our inaugural DIME mock draft of the 2019 draft season, we unveil where he may land. Let’s go.

1. Atlanta Hawks – Zion Williamson (F, Duke)



Before the summer, there was real skepticism from scouts (myself included) on Williamson as the top player in the class. He didn’t play against great competition in high school and, more importantly, he has a physical package we’ve just never seen. Then, he looked fantastic on Duke’s trip to Canada and, when the actual season arrived, Williamson exploded with productivity, efficiency and impressive across the board play. It would be a little bit premature to declare the race for No. 1 over but he’s now the clear favorite.


2. Phoenix Suns – Cameron Reddish (F, Duke)

As noted above, Reddish still has to shed the label (at least from some) that he doesn’t play with enough consistency at this stage. If he can do that, there probably isn’t a player better suited for the No. 2 spot given what the theoretical idea of Reddish is in the future.


6. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas) – Keldon Johnson (F/G, Kentucky)



Mathematically, it is unlikely that the Hawks end up at No. 1 overall (14 percent odds for the NBA team with the worst record this season) but, if they pull off that heist and add this pick from Dallas, look out. Even if it’s not Atlanta, though, Keldon Johnson will be intriguing, as he is a big-time two-way prospect. He’s probably a role player, albeit a high-end one, but there aren’t many boxes he can’t check.


10. Miami Heat – Rui Hachimura (F, Gonzaga)

The country witnessed Hachimura’s breakout against Duke in the Maui Invitational but, even before that, he looked the part of a lottery pick. He’s a tremendous physical specimen with size and athleticism at the forward spots and there is an impressive skill set to boot. Hachimura probably won’t be a star in the NBA but he does a lot of things (very) well.


11. Minnesota Timberwolves – De’Andre Hunter (F, Virginia)

The jury is very much out on whether Tom Thibodeau will be making this pick but, if he does, Hunter is a comically good fit. He has tremendous defensive and rebounding tools to go along with a budding offensive game and, much like fellow returner Daniel Gafford, Hunter could’ve been a lottery pick a year ago. He will be this time around.


28. Milwaukee Bucks – Jontay Porter (C, Missouri)

It was brutal news when Porter suffered a torn ACL that will cost him the entire season. Because of that, Porter’s stock is a bit of a mystery but, at a minimum, he’s the best offensive center in this class. There is a soft landing spot for him as a result and slotting into the Brook Lopez role with the Bucks could make sense.

[Ball4life32]

‪Offensively I see similarities but Millsap is the superior rebounder/defensive player. Rui averages less than a steal/block per game. He’s also not a great rebounder so i don’t think he would fit well next to Collins.

[atlantabbq99]

Ok, I'm officially a full blown Bol Bol fan now. He looks like the real deal. He looks everything like the next Porzingis, I would even dare say Bol looks like a poor man's KG.

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On a side note, Naz Reid looks like a flat out bust.

[Jamaaliver]

On a side note, Naz Reid looks like a flat out bust.

Can a teenager really be a bust three weeks into his freshman season of college?

It's been 7 games...

If anything, he may just need to stick around for a second season of school before declaring for the draft.

(2020 is expected to be an incredibly weak draft year, anyway.)

[Jamaaliver]

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Mike Krzyzewski tells Duke fans to dial back hype around young team

In the aftermath of Duke's first loss of the season last weekend, Mike Krzyzewski is asking fans to dial back the hype that has surrounded the Blue Devils' start to the season and appreciate the growing pains for a still raw group of freshmen.

"Let's get real about this whole thing," Krzyzewski said. "Let's not get spoiled. We've got four 19-year-old kids that are busting their ass trying to learn how to play and have a lot of pressure on them."

After Duke fell to Gonzaga last weekend, however, Krzyzewski thought there was a significant overreaction.

"And Duke fans, just cut it out, man," he said. "These kids aren't perfect. [Barrett] wasn't playing hero's ball. He was playing winner's ball. ... I'll go to war with my guys. He had the heart to do that, Jack [White] had the heart to get the rebound. We lose, I'll lose with them."

ESPN

[Jamaaliver]

ESPN projects us drafting Zion and Kevin Porter Jr in top-10.

Then grabbing Naz Reid in the 2nd round.

I'm...underwhelmed by these selections.

Spoiler:

Stock watch

Kevin Porter | SG | USC

Up from No. 21 to No. 9

Porter entered the season on our list of potential breakout freshmen, thanks to his tremendous talent level as a shifty shot-creator with effortless scoring instincts. But Porter has started to settle in nicely in Los Angeles while wowing scouts with his combination of size, power, shot-making and live-dribble game.

Porter now averages 22.1 points per 40 minutes on 65.6 percent from 2 and 35 percent from 3. But despite his improving stock, Porter has a ways to go in terms of impacting winning. He hasn't played in much structure throughout his career, so concepts such as team defense and offensive decision-making remain fairly foreign.

ESPN