2019 NBA Draft Prep

[kg01]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

What has our vaunted fitness program done for Spellman? Dude had to get sent to the g-league due to fatness despite the clear and obvious need to (a) slim him down and (b) keep him that way.

[Jamaaliver]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

I'm gonna go with a resounding 'NO'.

I don't even think we should want that. He's a front court player in every sense of the word. Taking him down below 250 takes away his greatest strength as a player...literally.

I'd play him as undersized C before moving him to SF.

[jayu70]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

Have you seen Spellman?

[Hazer]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

I just snort-LOL’d at the absurdity of a Zion/Collins/Cousins front court

[Hazer]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

Have you seen Spellman?

TRuuuuuueee, if ole Cal’Omari can trim down Zion can get to 260.

[Hazer]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

I just snort-LOL’d at the absurdity of a Zion/Collins/Cousins front court

Collins and Boogie can both hit the 3, a 20lb lighter Zion at SF teamed with those 2 would be frightening.

[jayu70]

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

I just snort-LOL’d at the absurdity of a Zion/Collins/Cousins front court

Collins and Boogie can both hit the 3, a 20lb lighter Zion at SF teamed with those 2 would be frightening.

I'm really not interested in Cousins.

[Hazer]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

I'm gonna go with a resounding 'NO'.

I don't even think we should want that. He's a front court player in every sense of the word. Taking him down below 250 takes away his greatest strength as a player...literally.

I'd play him as undersized C before moving him to SF.

Zion is 285 and still has crazy hops. Dropping 20 would put him around 265. I’d be afraid he’d jump over the backboard.

[Nathan2331]

Do y'all think Zion could ever play SF for the Hawks? Or would we have to commit to playing small ball with Zion at PF and Collins at C.

My mind won’t stop asking this very same question. Can our fitness/nutrition squad trim 20lbs off Zion and he man the 3? HOT-domighty TrATL, The Huert, Zion, J-Bap, and (Boogie? Porter?) would be some BALL.

I'm gonna go with a resounding 'NO'.

I don't even think we should want that. He's a front court player in every sense of the word. Taking him down below 250 takes away his greatest strength as a player...literally.

I'd play him as undersized C before moving him to SF.

In my mind, he's more than a post player. He attacks the rim as well as anyone and I don't see that changing in the NBA. While I wouldn't put this perimeter game at the same level of LeBron coming to the league, I think his athleticism makes up for it. Honestly if we added a center with a shot, we could try it. If Draymond can play minutes at SF, I don't see why we couldn't try playing Zion 10 a night at SF to see if it can work.

[Hazer]

I just snort-LOL’d at the absurdity of a Zion/Collins/Cousins front court

Collins and Boogie can both hit the 3, a 20lb lighter Zion at SF teamed with those 2 would be frightening.

I'm really not interested in Cousins.

Yeah, turns 29 before next season, still intriguing though. But Jontay Porter seems like a prototypical Schlenk pick, if he somehow gets a late teens/early 20s pick out of a trade or bundle I could see him taking Porter as long term solution at C. Sign Boogie on a shorter deal and develop Porter under his wing? Thinking out loud...

[Jamaaliver]

Zion is 285 and still has crazy hops. Dropping 20 would put him around 265. I’d be afraid he’d jump over the backboard.

Meh.

I've read that he's dropped 10+ pounds just throughout the course of the season. Putting him closer to 270 pounds currently.

I just don't foresee him being able to keep up with top wing players over the course of a full 82 game season if he plays SF.

[jayu70]

Collins and Boogie can both hit the 3, a 20lb lighter Zion at SF teamed with those 2 would be frightening.

I'm really not interested in Cousins.

Yeah, turns 29 before next season, still intriguing though. But Johntay Porter seems like a prototypical Schlenk pick, if he somehow gets a late teens/early 20s pick out of a trade or bundle I could see him taking Porter as long term solution at C. Sign Boogie on a shorter deal and develop Porter under his wing? Thinking out loud...

It is imperative we get another #19 pick.
I don't want any young player 'under Cousins wing'.
Like you said, Cousins is 29 and expecting a BIG payday. If he's the highest paid player he might get the idea that it's his team.
So I'll pass.

[Hazer]

I'm really not interested in Cousins.

Yeah, turns 29 before next season, still intriguing though. But Johntay Porter seems like a prototypical Schlenk pick, if he somehow gets a late teens/early 20s pick out of a trade or bundle I could see him taking Porter as long term solution at C. Sign Boogie on a shorter deal and develop Porter under his wing? Thinking out loud...

It is imperative we get another #19 pick.
I don't want any young player 'under Cousins wing'.
Like you said, Cousins is 29 and expecting a BIG payday. If he's the highest paid player he might get the idea that it's his team.
So I'll pass.

NBADraft has, yep, Porter slotted at #19. Agreed, keep the streak alive and snag Jontay with an acquired 19th pick.

[Hazer]

Yeah, turns 29 before next season, still intriguing though. But Johntay Porter seems like a prototypical Schlenk pick, if he somehow gets a late teens/early 20s pick out of a trade or bundle I could see him taking Porter as long term solution at C. Sign Boogie on a shorter deal and develop Porter under his wing? Thinking out loud...

It is imperative we get another #19 pick.
I don't want any young player 'under Cousins wing'.
Like you said, Cousins is 29 and expecting a BIG payday. If he's the highest paid player he might get the idea that it's his team.
So I'll pass.

NBADraft has, yep, Porter slotted at #19. Agreed, keep the streak alive and snag Jontay with an acquired 19th pick.

The knee injury is a concern though. Especially given that older brother Michael has the nagging back injury. That aside, here’s what may scare me away from Jontay more: just read where Michael and Jontay’s 2 sisters were also college hoopers. Both are now medically retired with knee ligament injuries. If it’s genetic, which it appears to be, big red flag.

[EazyRoc]

RJ Barrett is someone I’m starting to see as a high potential pro player. He’s still got big strides to make with his ball handling and become more reliable as a set shooter, but I think he can play really well here and could see an All NBA team in his career. He’s going to take a season or two in the pros like PG. He has legit two way potential though, plays with heart, has an elite first step, is already a good pull up jump shooter, and has that dog in him. He’s got to improve his handles and consistency with his jumper, but the foundation to be an elite NBA wing is clearly there.

I also think we need a combo forward too. I think TP doesn’t exactly fit that bill and prefers being perimeter oriented. Sekou Doumbouya, DeAndre Hunter, and Kezie Okpala could all be options with our second (hopeful) lottery pick.

I'm not sure Barrett is a fit with us more than Huerter is. He's not a defender, at all, so I'm not sure there is 2-way potential there (low athleticism). JMHO so I hope it's clear that I'm not knocking yours.

He potentially has the makings of an ability to get a shot when you need it. That's the only draw he has for me. The problem is I foresee a lotta poor 1-on-1 offense from him amidst all that. He seems like a poor-shooting Devin Booker which turns my stomach (I can't stand Booker - he's a winning-stat/losing-game player to me).

I agree with the second part about the need for a combo-forward type. I'm sour on Hunter though. I'm low on UVA players overall. They have a 'type'. Super solid, heady. Better served as low 1sts/2nd rounders, not lotto guys.

I see him as a compliment to Huerter not someone taking his spot. I look at RJ as a SF in the league and he isn’t someone I consider to be a low-athleticism player like Trae and Luka looked. He’s a solid NBA athlete in my eyes.

You need guys who can get a shot reliably when you need them. In our system where guys catch, attack, and kick I think Barrett would be a Star. The system is built for a guy like that. I don’t think what we are seeing at Duke is the best projection on the type of player he’ll be in the NBA.

But I can see where you’re coming from based on how he’s playing at Duke. I felt the exact same way earlier in the season. But then I thought about the kind of player he would be if he improved his ball handling and extended his range. The Demar Derozan comparisons aren’t the best IMO. He’s better than Derozan at the same point and has intangibles that Derozan doesn’t.

[kg01]

RJ Barrett is someone I’m starting to see as a high potential pro player. He’s still got big strides to make with his ball handling and become more reliable as a set shooter, but I think he can play really well here and could see an All NBA team in his career. He’s going to take a season or two in the pros like PG. He has legit two way potential though, plays with heart, has an elite first step, is already a good pull up jump shooter, and has that dog in him. He’s got to improve his handles and consistency with his jumper, but the foundation to be an elite NBA wing is clearly there.

I also think we need a combo forward too. I think TP doesn’t exactly fit that bill and prefers being perimeter oriented. Sekou Doumbouya, DeAndre Hunter, and Kezie Okpala could all be options with our second (hopeful) lottery pick.

I'm not sure Barrett is a fit with us more than Huerter is. He's not a defender, at all, so I'm not sure there is 2-way potential there (low athleticism). JMHO so I hope it's clear that I'm not knocking yours.

He potentially has the makings of an ability to get a shot when you need it. That's the only draw he has for me. The problem is I foresee a lotta poor 1-on-1 offense from him amidst all that. He seems like a poor-shooting Devin Booker which turns my stomach (I can't stand Booker - he's a winning-stat/losing-game player to me).

I agree with the second part about the need for a combo-forward type. I'm sour on Hunter though. I'm low on UVA players overall. They have a 'type'. Super solid, heady. Better served as low 1sts/2nd rounders, not lotto guys.

I see him as a compliment to Huerter not someone taking his spot. I look at RJ as a SF in the league and he isn’t someone I consider to be a low-athleticism player like Trae and Luka looked. He’s a solid NBA athlete in my eyes.

You need guys who can get a shot reliably when you need them. In our system where guys catch, attack, and kick I think Barrett would be a Star. The system is built for a guy like that. I don’t think what we are seeing at Duke is the best projection on the type of player he’ll be in the NBA.

But I can see where you’re coming from based on how he’s playing at Duke. I felt the exact same way earlier in the season. But then I thought about the kind of player he would be if he improved his ball handling and extended his range. The Demar Derozan comparisons aren’t the best IMO. He’s better than Derozan at the same point and has intangibles that Derozan doesn’t.

Hmm, that is interesting.

Not sure why I neglected to acknowledge that he'll clearly be a different player in the NBA than he is at Duke. That's always the case with their players.

I do think he'd be fine athletically at the NBA level. I just don't think he'll out-athlete guys. He'll just be 'ok' which, to me, could be an issue considering his "elite" skill would be that ability to get a bucket. He kinda reminds me of Sexton a bit too in that regard.

Agree he's better than Derozan at this stage but I do think that could be a good comp for what type of player he'd be. And that's not necessarily a knock. Derozan is a guy who carved out a good niche despite lacking high-end athleticism/speed.

I'm gonna keep watching him though. See how he does in tourney play.

Honestly though, it might be all for nothing. Not sure we'll end up in position to get him anyway. That's why I've focused on that next tier for our pick. Culver and guys at that tier.

[Jamaaliver]

I look at RJ as a SF in the league and he isn’t someone I consider to be a low-athleticism player like Trae and Luka looked. He’s a solid NBA athlete in my eyes....I think Barrett would be a Star.

I do think he'd be fine athletically at the NBA level.

I'm gonna keep watching him though. See how he does in tourney play.

Controversial statement that could make me look like a bozo in a few years:

I think RJ Barrett is on pace to be the most productive player from this entire draft.

Easily.

Will it be efficient? Will it be conducive to winning? IDK. But he's a guy who'll get 20+ ppg for a number of years.


There's definite trade value for a guy like that. I just don't want him to wreck team chemistry and offensive flow on a team like ours where a hierarchy is already forming.

[Hazer]

I look at RJ as a SF in the league and he isn’t someone I consider to be a low-athleticism player like Trae and Luka looked. He’s a solid NBA athlete in my eyes....I think Barrett would be a Star.

I do think he'd be fine athletically at the NBA level.

I'm gonna keep watching him though. See how he does in tourney play.

Controversial statement that could make me look like a bozo in a few years:

I think RJ Barrett is on pace to be the most productive player form this entire draft.

Easily.

Will it be efficient? Will it be conducive to winning? IDK. But he's a guy who'll get 20+ ppg for a number of years.


There's definite trade value for a guy like that. I just don't want him to wreck team chemistry and offensive flow on ateam like ours where a hierarchy is already forming.

I think CLP and Jent could mold RJ right, turn him into an All-Star. He ain’t dropping below 3rd though. Follow the bouncing balls...

[kg01]

I look at RJ as a SF in the league and he isn’t someone I consider to be a low-athleticism player like Trae and Luka looked. He’s a solid NBA athlete in my eyes....I think Barrett would be a Star.

I do think he'd be fine athletically at the NBA level.

I'm gonna keep watching him though. See how he does in tourney play.

Controversial statement that could make me look like a bozo in a few years:

I think RJ Barrett is on pace to be the most productive player form this entire draft.

Easily.

Will it be efficient? Will it be conducive to winning? IDK. But he's a guy who'll get 20+ ppg for a number of years.


There's definite trade value for a guy like that. I just don't want him to wreck team chemistry and offensive flow on ateam like ours where a hierarchy is already forming.

I don't think there's anything "controversial" about that statement.

I said he could be a Devin Booker-type (with worse shooting). Agree his contribution to winning is not assured.

[Jamaaliver]

I've seen limited game footage of this kid, but I'd strongly advocate a closer eye on him by our scouts. His size, athleticism and skill set seems exactly what we need to counter the star wings in the East.

NOTE: Trav has shown little interest in foreign prospects over the past 2 drafts.

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