2019 Draft Thread

[Jamaaliver]

So, it's looking as if the Grizzlies will indeed get to keep their draft pick this year.

Time to give some greater thought into who Memphis should consider with their pick.

[Jamaaliver]

2019 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Ja Morant to Knicks, Jarrett Culver Jumps Into Top Five

6. Memphis Grizzlies: Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt

Height: 6'3" | Weight: 170 | Freshman | Last: 9

That Garland, who has been out since November with a torn meniscus, might climb this high is partially due to need—the Grizzlies will eventually move on from Mike Conley—but also a reflection of how fickle this range of the draft appears at a glance. Garland’s deep shooting and potential to playmake and initiate in a ball-screen focused offense makes him an intriguing target here. He relies on change of pace to compensate for lack of explosion, and his lack of physicality may hamper his upside, but he has the overall chops to become a useful NBA guard. The adjustment may be steep, but the Grizzlies would probably do well to take a chance here. If Memphis can play its way out of the top eight, this pick will go to the Celtics, but it’s looking likely they end up having to keep it.

SI.com

[Jamaaliver]

From Bleacher Report:

2019 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Projections 2 Weeks Before March Madness

6. Memphis Grizzlies: Jarrett Culver (Texas Tech, SG, Freshman)



The Memphis Grizzlies won't favor any position heading into the draft process. They're building around Jaren Jackson Jr., who can play either frontcourt spot, anyway.

But the best-player-available search will likely lead to a guard or wing at No. 6, with Jarrett Culver and Virginia's De'Andre Hunter both worthy of consideration.

Culver could ultimately appear more attractive for his scoring and playmaking versatility. He's averaging 17.9 points, and that's while only shooting 33.0 percent from three, a number that will likely rise based on his freshman shooting (38.2 percent) and the eye test on his shot-making ability.

Improvement as a ball-screen facilitator (3.7 assists per game overall) could ultimately help tip the scale toward Culver, a well-rounded, two-way 2-guard.

[Jamaaliver]

I'm thinking this could be a really good draft to trade back in. After the top-5 players, the talent level really flattens out a bit.

Maybe move #6 to Boston for #14 and #19 (from Sacramento and LA Clippers).

You would still likely have multiple shots at guys like Rui Hachimura, KZ Okpala, Keldon Johnson, Jontay Porter and Grant Williams. Higher floor but lower ceiling than the top-10 guys.




NOTE: Obviously, if you guys jump into the top-4, you'd keep the pick though.

[Jamaaliver]

Fansided weekly Mock Draft:

6. Memphis Grizzlies -- Darius Garland | PG | Vanderbilt



NCAA scouts have raved about Garland's ability to make something out of nothing, particularly in the pick-and-roll:


"They didn’t have to run a ton of stuff because he can make so many plays out of the simple stuff they were doing. He just makes those guys a lot better by being on the floor.

He has unlimited range. He can shoot from NBA 3 and beyond, and would shoot from there. We were really concerned there.

Just great feel, pace. Incredible quickness. Can shoot it. He would have stolen the hearts of college basketball this year, given the climate. And they’re not respectable without him. He’s so special."
-Anonymous Scout #1


“He’s wise beyond his years on the court. He doesn’t play like a freshman. He can score in so many different ways. Guys can’t keep him in front. But he’s also able to make shots. … The shot-making with the quickness and feel is really impressive."
-Anonymous Scout #2


These are the same assistants who will be in contact with teams after the season and likely already are as NBA scouts do their homework. Garland is rehabbing a torn meniscus but already signed with Klutch Sports and looks well on his way to changing a franchise like the Grizzlies right away.

[Jamaaliver]

New Mock Draft from CBS Sports:

6. Grizzlies

Darius Garland | Vanderbilt | Fr | PG | 6-2

The Grizz kept Mike Conley through the trade deadline, but will likely shop him again this offseason while committing to a full and necessary rebuild. In other words, Memphis needs to find its point guard of the future. (Jevon Carter isn't it.) So selecting Garland would make a lot of sense — even if he is coming off of season-ending knee surgery, which is less-than-ideal for a franchise that is still dealing with the Chandler Parsons' contract that's a mistake because of, you guessed it, bad knees. It might be a hard sale for the fans. But Garland is such a fabulous talent he'd have to be considered. Great with the ball. Tremendous shooter. If he develops into an All-Star, it won't surprise me.

[Whole Truth]

With Memphis picking top 8.

SF

Jonas/Noah
JJJ/Bruno
Draft SF - Barrett, Little, Reddish, Hachimura, Hunter/Anderson
Bradley/Holiday
Conley/Delon

SG

Jonas/Noah
JJJ/Bruno
Anderson/Miles
Draft SG - Porter.JR, K.Johnson, Culver/Holiday
Conley/Delon

PG

Jonas/Noah
JJJ/Bruno
Anderson/Miles
Bradley/Holiday
Draft - JA Morant, Walker, Garland/Delon

Potential primary scoring options - Porter.JR, Morant, Barret,

Potential secondary scoring options - Reddish, Little, Walker, Garland

High end role players - Culver, Hunter, Johnson

Currently my top choices by position

SF - RJ. Barrett
SG - Porter.JR
PG - Ja Morant

If Memphis were in a position for someone like Morant they could cash in on Conley & in combination potentially free up cap space. Maybe Boston gets desperate if Kyrie walks to NY or LA...

[Whole Truth]

On the Grizz message board there seems to be a debate on whether to convey the pick or not. I don't post there but I'm sure some that do, post here as well. So here's my take on whether to convey or not.

Every team, even the defending Champs are building towards being better, every year, it's a continual progression that's fluid to the situation, opportunity that presents itself & or current need. Rebuilding, is a restart to a building process because a team has capped itself out in all possible areas of growth where they can no longer continue to progress & a turn over is needed. Like Gasol for a 26yo C & 2 way combo guard who are entering their primes & still improving. Fortunately for Memphis they got more than what they expected thanks to Jonas being criminally undervalued in Toronto. I could argue, Gasol is already replaced with the combined production of Jonas & Noah. With Jackson at PF, I'd argue your front court is pretty damn good in terms of quality, depth & versatility, Jackon being a potential small ball 5 option. Memphis can use 2nd round picks on bigs with raw talent & internal development to search for added depth & potential replacements for an ageing Noah. A good development program is part reason why a raw Pascal is now a starter for a contender & arguably it's 2nd best player, he was selected late first round.

The position (opportunity) Memphis are at in, in a down season, they can nab a top 8 pick instead of conveying & land a quality wing or PG in this draft to add to their current squad without "having" to tank/lose again for the same purpose next season.

Does this Memphis squad have ability for internal growth?

-Jonas was underutilized in Toronto, he's 26 & entering his prime years, there's still a considerable amount this efficient big man can improve upon to up his value as an asset.
-Prized pick from last season, Jackson has arrived sooner than expected but still has massive room for potential
-Memphis also have several other young players that can potentially show out, improve to become serviceable or at least tradeable assets.

Cap space?

The worse thing a team can do is throw money at players without a solid foundation or core group of players already in place. Memphis can wait out Parsons contract. Taking on bad salary for picks is a rebuilding tactic that has it's negatives. When in a complete rebuild a team can wait out those bad contracts to build an asset base, where Memphis is at they have quality assets that can be of value if retained. Noah, Jonas, Bradley, Delon …. which is where the cap is better spent because these proven assets can also be a potential starting point to building a winning team.

Trade?

-If Memphis make the decision to retain this team/assets, if things go off the rails, they can trade Noah to a contender at the deadline.
-Conley has been raising his value & level of play with this new group. If Memphis were to decide to draft a talented PG top 8, Memphis could cash in on Conley, maybe even get Brown & their pick back from Boston if Kyrie puts them behind the 8 ball & walks to NY or LA. See how progression works? they wouldn't have to convey the pick in this scenario while netting a young SF to boot. Morant/Bradley/Brown/JJJ/Jonas-Noah + their pick back.

As you can see, Memphis are not in a dire position but with low attendance & a few more years trying to tank, it could be. This is still a business before sport. So if you haven't gotten from my post that a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush, I'm saying take advantage of the fact that you're already in a losing season …. keep the pick, do your best to field what you think will be a winning team & go from there.

[Jamaaliver]

On the Grizz message board there seems to be a debate on whether to convey the pick or not.

I thought this was the Grizz message board...

[Jamaaliver]

Draft Targets for Memphis --

2019 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Top 80 Rankings Ahead of NCAA Tournament



6. Darius Garland, PG, Vanderbilt | Freshman

Height: 6'3" | Weight: 170 | Age: 18 | Last Rank: 6

The fact that Garland’s draft situation remains tenable despite his early-season injury points to the high degrees of uncertainty revolving around so many of the projected lottery-caliber prospects. While Ja Morant has made a meaningful case to be the first point guard drafted, it’s likely Garland ends up as the second, with his range hinging more on positional need and the eventual lottery sequence. He is a gifted playmaker and shooter who has consistently gotten the most out of ostensibly average athletic tools, but will need time to further his development as a floor general before he can be fully entrusted to run an offense. The NBA success of skilled, high-IQ guards like Mike Conley (or to a lesser extent, even the longevity of someone like Jeff Teague) helps chart the course for Garland to be successful. There is some concern over how his thin, smallish build will hold up long-term and some degree of debate over where his actual ceiling lies, but Garland should have a good chance to carve out an NBA career after he recovers. He is expected to be ready to work out for teams in the spring.

9. De’Andre Hunter, F, Virginia | Sophomore

Height: 6’7” | Weight: 225 | Age: 21 | Last Rank: 14

Hunter has had a stellar individual season, and is one of the few lottery-caliber options where you more or less know exactly what you’re getting. He’s an unflashy all-around player who can defend a variety of positions, has proven he can knock down open jumpers, and won’t hurt you in any one area. While you won’t funnel a ton of offense through him, Hunter has improved his individual game facing up in the mid-post and should be able to take advantage of mismatches. It’s easy to see him thriving playing next to quality playmakers without needing his number called. He should be a bankable NBA role player at worst, and a positive lineup cog with a chance to contribute immediately.

SI.com

[Whole Truth]

On the Grizz message board there seems to be a debate on whether to convey the pick or not.

I thought this was the Grizz message board...

There's a link to that message board 6 or 7 posts in the Jonas discussion thread.

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[VCfor3]

I'm thinking this could be a really good draft to trade back in. After the top-5 players, the talent level really flattens out a bit.

Maybe move #6 to Boston for #14 and #19 (from Sacramento and LA Clippers).

You would still likely have multiple shots at guys like Rui Hachimura, KZ Okpala, Keldon Johnson, Jontay Porter and Grant Williams. Higher floor but lower ceiling than the top-10 guys.




NOTE: Obviously, if you guys jump into the top-4, you'd keep the pick though.

I agree that trading back depending on who is available at our pick could be good though I'd try for a future 1st + later pick in this draft if possible.

[Jamaaliver]

Vecenie: 2019 Mock Draft 2.0 — The pre-NCAA tournament edition

7. Memphis Grizzlies — Darius Garland, Vanderbilt



Garland is a Tennessee kid that the Grizzlies will be familiar with. With the team likely looking to move Mike Conley this offseason, a playmaking point guard will be a position of need. Delon Wright is a good player, but not necessarily the guy you want running the show offensively. Garland is a terrific pick-and-roll playmaker with range well beyond the NBA 3-point line. Pairing him with Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Anderson and Wright as the building blocks of the franchise moving forward would usher in a new era of Grizzlies basketball, and give them some real upside as they continue to fill in around the cracks. The big thing he needs to improve upon is reading his teammates out of the pick-and-roll and working on his game as a distributor, but he’s improved drastically as a facilitator in the last two years and should continue to develop those skills.

The Athletic

[VCfor3]

I agree with your plan but I don't think Coby White/Nassir Little/DeAndre Hunter/Cam Reddish are a JJJ player. Hachimura, if available, is. Let's compete for a year, keep grooming JJJ in a positive environment, erase our pick debt and then blow it up in 2020/2021.

Sounds like a feasible option too especially if there is going to be no market for Conley this summer.

PS I am a fan of Romeo Langford.

What are your rough draft boards? You are welcome to even just put out groups/tiers or a list of who you'd be okay with and who you'd like to avoid. I personally am not that high on Rui and Romeo Langford worries me if he can't get a better 3pt shot going since that is nearly a requirement for guards.

[E S V L]

I agree with your plan but I don't think Coby White/Nassir Little/DeAndre Hunter/Cam Reddish are a JJJ player. Hachimura, if available, is. Let's compete for a year, keep grooming JJJ in a positive environment, erase our pick debt and then blow it up in 2020/2021.

Sounds like a feasible option too especially if there is going to be no market for Conley this summer.

PS I am a fan of Romeo Langford.

What are your rough draft boards? You are welcome to even just put out groups/tiers or a list of who you'd be okay with and who you'd like to avoid. I personally am not that high on Rui and Romeo Langford worries me if he can't get a better 3pt shot going since that is nearly a requirement for guards.

Morant
Zion
Barret
Langford
Culver
Garland
Hunter

In the above order. Have no idea who we should pick at #8 then. What does your list look like?

PS Romeo has a very good shooting mechanic, touch, and release. I believe he will pick up his confidence and as a result his shooting skill. But his size, fluidity, and BB intuition are so impressive to me. I watch him and I like him. That’s simple.

[VCfor3]

Sounds like a feasible option too especially if there is going to be no market for Conley this summer.

PS I am a fan of Romeo Langford.

What are your rough draft boards? You are welcome to even just put out groups/tiers or a list of who you'd be okay with and who you'd like to avoid. I personally am not that high on Rui and Romeo Langford worries me if he can't get a better 3pt shot going since that is nearly a requirement for guards.

Morant
Zion
Barret
Langford
Culver
Garland
Hunter

In the above order. Have no idea who we should pick at #8 then. What does your list look like?

PS Romeo has a very good shooting mechanic, touch, and release. I believe he will pick up his confidence and as a result his shooting skill. But his size, fluidity, and BB intuition are so impressive to me. I watch him and I like him. That’s simple.

I haven't done a deep dive on the draft and so haven't really come up with a true big board but maybe something like:

Zion


Morant

Barrett
Culver (Want to know his true height and length. Some think he is taller than 6-5 but it isn't confirmed)

Garland/Hunter/Clarke (A ton depends on the workouts with these guys. Garland needs to prove health and Clarke would need to show me potential for a 3pt shot plus the ability to hang with tall NBA players. Hunter seems like a good 3&D who may never be anything more.)
Bol Bol/Langford (Langford is good outside of his shot which he can demonstrate an improving shot at workouts. Bol Bol needs to show his health)

As for later picks I like NAW, PJ Washington, Okeke, Killian Tillie (late 2nd round flyer), Coby White, Sekou, Herro, Cam Johnson, Jontay if he declares even though he is injured, Konate if he isn't drafted, and Kabengele though these guys are in no particular order.

People I'd prefer to avoid relative to where they likely will go would be Reddish, KPJ, Rui (aka wouldn't take him before 10), and Little if he doesn't drop.

[E S V L]

Bol Bol

Seriously?

[VCfor3]

Bol Bol

Seriously?

Yep. That is extremely dependent on his workout with us plus I was kinda just trying to find another guy to put on the list. But if he is healthy and looking good then he may be worth the flyer at #9. I'd prefer him a bit later on but 9 is maybe the start of his range (though if it is our scouting/medical team picking him I'm quite worried).

Reading further it sounds like he may not be 100% before the draft/workouts so I'd drop him if that is the case to just outside the lottery.

EDIT: With Bol Bol not likely to be fully healthy, I'd maybe put Jaxson Hayes in his spot though I haven't watched hardly any of his games thus far and his lack of better rebounding worries me due to that being JJJ's weakness as well. Maybe just leave it as TBD haha.

[Whole Truth]

Outside of lucking into Zion or Morant, Keldon Johnson would be my pick.

Top 8

SF - C - Zion, RJ, Hunter
SG - Johnson, Porter, Culver
PG - Morant, Garland

Something about Keldon Johnson's jumper reminds me of Reggie Miller & likewise I assume he will make his mark with his outside shooting at the next level. He has the size & length, is a natural scorer with the creativity & ball handling ability to take the pressure off of Conley. His mid range game & spin moves in traffic are reminiscent of DeRozan's. A nice inside-out dribble, he can take it to the hole with either hand, which DeRozan had to work on for several years as a pro to obtain, refine. He does a good job of changing pace, has good body control and the ability to fool defenders in order to get to the bucket. He's got a nice mid range floater that he uses to score over length which helps him make up for not being an explosive athlete. (I'm curious to see how his agility tests pan out).

In summary, I think Johnson has a DeRozan esque mid range game, with 3pt shooting & better defense.

When I was younger I didn't put enough emphasis in the IQ of a prospect. Johnson has the BBIQ & plays the right way, to win. Memphis have something going on with selfless players, playing for one another … IMO Johnson will fit the team like a glove on & off the court.

Jonas/Noah/Rabb
Jackson/Anderson
Bruno/Holiday/Miles
Johnson/Bradley/Brooks
Conley/Delon/Carter

Bradley could be the 6th man in this scenario or Memphis could cash in on his buyout option & or consolidate some of the depth for future draft asset/s clear up potential depth issues, cut fat. I haven't seen Brooks play to comment, think Holiday has some nice untapped potential worth holding on to & Bradley could be a potential 6th man of the year candidate.

This team can play 4 out to maximize Jonas impact in the paint. They have several players capable of creating their own offense, the depth & versatility to replace Jonas with a former DPOY C in Noah & or the versatility to play Jackson in small ball situations with combo forwards Bruno & Anderson at the 4. If Memphis hit on this pick, I think they could be potentially vying for a playoff spot. If things go wrong, tank for a PG & trade Conley. Win, win, so much better than starting the year out tanking.