NBA draft & NCAA basketball

[Moooose]

Euros - I think this year's a weak one for the Euros. Aside from Doumbouya and Bitazde, there are no other legit 1st to mid-2nd rounder international prospects this year. I have been seeing Samanic getting mentioned a lot as a possible early second rounder but the kid is still quite raw to me. He's got potential but he'd be a long project, it seems. Yovel Zoosman and Servydis are not getting much attention and I personally think they're way better prospects than Samanic at this point.

Just gut instinct, but with teams like Boston, San Antonio, Cleveland, and Brooklyn have multiple picks, and with their extra picks being late 1sts, I think if they can't move around the board a bit or trade them for future 1sts, they'll end up taking Euro draft and stash prospects that may not be 1st round caliber, but allows them to keep the "prospect" while not having to pay them so soon.


But all this will change mightily with the combine and workouts.

I definitely agree.

[Vorda]

We have to take Goga Bitadze if he will be available... he might be dark horse of the draft like Jokić was... he is quick, good rebounder, rim protector, he can shot.... it will be big mistake if we pass him...

[Scoot McGroot]

We have to take Goga Bitadze if he will be available... he might be dark horse of the draft like Jokić was... he is quick, good rebounder, rim protector, he can shot.... it will be big mistake if we pass him...

He does seem very talented, and I'd probably consider him a top 2 center in this draft in terms of whom I'd consider drafting. The tough part is that a lot of the scouting websites and mock drafts aren't really updated on Bitadze from 2017. There is a good amount of video, and he has played well against Kentucky and Michigan when they took pre-season foreign tours. I've always seen all the descriptions of him as mobile, but not so quick. Has he markedly improved in the last year and a half in that regards?

[Vorda]

Well, I dont know how quick he is for NBA standards... but he has a lot of potencial... very skilled player...

[Scoot McGroot]

Well, I dont know how quick he is for NBA standards... but he has a lot of potencial... very skilled player...

Yeah, I’d really look at him and Jaxson Hayes as the two top centers in this draft when it all comes down. I just don’t see Bol Bol with his length providing a long career impact. The height is probably both a blessing and a curse for him.

[Moooose]

Has he markedly improved in the last year and a half in that regards?

I am no expert in European players nor I keep tabs on them, but last year's Bitadze is different from this year. Good thing he backed out last year because he would have been a late 2nd rounder at best.

The world cup qualifiers were on my Youtube subscription and there was a game between Bitazde's Georgia Team against Zoosman's Israel team back in September last year. I watched it because of Zoosman but it was Bitadze who dominated that game. I was kind of surprised to see that fast of a development in maybe 3 to 4 months time, and thought this kid might've been just quite "unripe for the picking" at the time of the 2018 draft. Now, I think his stock is peaking.

And though Zoosman played average in that tournament, I was still impressed.

[pacers33granger]

I feel like if Bol is there we could get a nice return. He seems like the type of guy some team will have talked themselves into and either won't want to use their higher pick on him or knows he will be gone by the time they pick.

Would Boston do 20 and 22? Would a team do a later pick and a future pick?

[Scoot McGroot]

Wow! Zion to New Orleans! Maybe AD sticks around now with jrue? And Memphis gets the two, so either Conley sticks around to tutor Ja, or Conley is on the go to let Ja take over?

But with LA getting the 4, I would bet that pick could be on the move. Maybe a Dom/18 for 4? If so, who’s the target?

[Wizop]

if theathletic post lottery mock is close, we'll have several good wings to choose from.

if Memphis takes Ja, they could keep Connelly as a mentor and deal the backup.

Sent from my phone.

[Scoot McGroot]

if theathletic post lottery mock is close, we'll have several good wings to choose from.

if Memphis takes Ja, they could keep Connelly as a mentor and deal the backup.

Sent from my phone.

Hard to say. Vecenie’s mock there is wildly different from SI’s, who’s mock is wildly different from Nbadraft.net, different from The Ringer, different from Cbssports, etc. This is a wide open field and the combine can’t come soon enough to start shaking these guys out. Though, I’m sure there will still be someone falling from top 10 around us that we’d still pass on as I think everyone’s views on this flat draft will be in conflict with each other.


I’ve seen Goga Bitadze jump into the lottery on several mocks though.

[Moooose]

Wow! Zion to New Orleans! Maybe AD sticks around now with jrue? And Memphis gets the two, so either Conley sticks around to tutor Ja, or Conley is on the go to let Ja take over?

But with LA getting the 4, I would bet that pick could be on the move. Maybe a Dom/18 for 4? If so, who’s the target?

If we ever get to No. 4, Coby White, Darius Garland, and DeAndre Hunter are all possibilities. DeAndre Hunter is like a younger version of Thad Young. All-around guy who does all the little things beyond the stat sheet.

I think there'd be a lot of serious buyers for the 4th pick, though. In my mind I am fantasizing about an Anthony Davis trade to the Lakers for the 4th pick with NOP probably getting Coby White and maybe Kuzma plus freebies.

[Scoot McGroot]

https://www.nba.com/pacers/gallery/pacers-2019-mock-draft-projections-2-0

Pacers have compilations each week of whom the different mocks have them taking. Here’s the current week.

[Wizop]

I found this CBS mock interesting. They have us taking Rui who isn't my first choice because he's a 4, but except for Edwards and Jerome I wouldn't throw things at my TV if we took any of the names they have going 19 to 30. I'm also not high on Goga because I want a 3 not a 4 or a 5. with so many acceptable options, I can see trading down too.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-mock-draft-dukes-rj-barrett-looks-like-a-good-fit-for-the-knicks-at-no-3/

[Scoot McGroot]

I think Goga might be the most talented player available after the top 10, and he really might turn into a Jokic-lite. He looked better, mobility wise, during his pre draft workouts, than Myles did, by quite a bit. Seemed real fluid.

[Wizop]

I think Goga might be the most talented player available after the top 10, and he really might turn into a Jokic-lite. He looked better, mobility wise, during his pre draft workouts, than Myles did, by quite a bit. Seemed real fluid.

fair enough. Vorba tends to fall in love with the guys he's seen in Europe and I might have started to over-compensate for that.

[Scoot McGroot]

I think Goga might be the most talented player available after the top 10, and he really might turn into a Jokic-lite. He looked better, mobility wise, during his pre draft workouts, than Myles did, by quite a bit. Seemed real fluid.

fair enough. Vorba tends to fall in love with the guys he's seen in Europe and I might have started to over-compensate for that.

Fair enough. All old video of Goga was 17 and such and he was real clunky but over the last couple years, he really smoothed out. He looked quite mobile during his workouts that were shared (which obviously are going to show him in the beat light), and his shot was quite smooth and effortless from long range.

[Wizop]

CornRows compiles this summary of the mocks:

Projected Pacers Pick College Mock Draft
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Virginia Tech ESPN (Jonathan Givony), SI.com (Jeremy Woo), USA Today (Jeff Zillgitt), NetScouts
P.J. Washington Kentucky SB Nation (Ricky O'Donnell), NBADraft.net
Keldon Johnson Kentucky NBC Sports (Ben Standing), Yahoo! Sports (Krysten Peek)
Rui Hachimura Gonzaga The Ringer, CBS Sports (Gary Parrish)
Kevin Porter, Jr. USC The Athletic (Sam Vecenie), Basketball Insiders (Jesse Blancarte), Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wasserman)
Tyler Herro Kentucky CBS Sports (Kyle Boone), Basketball Insiders (Drew Maresca), Tankathon
Brandon Clarke Gonzaga The Athletic (Michael Scotto)
Nassir Little North Carolina Basketball Insiders (Steve Kyler), Basketball Insiders (Spencer Davies)

[Scoot McGroot]

CornRows compiles this summary of the mocks:

Projected Pacers Pick College Mock Draft
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Virginia Tech ESPN (Jonathan Givony), SI.com (Jeremy Woo), USA Today (Jeff Zillgitt), NetScouts
P.J. Washington Kentucky SB Nation (Ricky O'Donnell), NBADraft.net
Keldon Johnson Kentucky NBC Sports (Ben Standing), Yahoo! Sports (Krysten Peek)
Rui Hachimura Gonzaga The Ringer, CBS Sports (Gary Parrish)
Kevin Porter, Jr. USC The Athletic (Sam Vecenie), Basketball Insiders (Jesse Blancarte), Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wasserman)
Tyler Herro Kentucky CBS Sports (Kyle Boone), Basketball Insiders (Drew Maresca), Tankathon
Brandon Clarke Gonzaga The Athletic (Michael Scotto)
Nassir Little North Carolina Basketball Insiders (Steve Kyler), Basketball Insiders (Spencer Davies)

In a vacuum, I wouldn’t really argue any of these guys.

[Wizop]

In a vacuum, I wouldn’t really argue any of these guys.

nor would I. in his presser, Pritchard said we are picking 18 and this is a draft where he likes 18 guys. he said he sees the third tier as extending beyond 18. I'd be comfortable with any of these 8 guys. in fact, if all 8 were sitting there at 18, and we could move down to some other place in the top 25, I'd do that knowing I'd still have a shot at one of these guys.

[Jake0890]

Herro seems to be moving up draft boards... can't say I'm the biggest fan.