Wizards 2019 Draft Thread - Part II

[payitforward]

Sekou is still about my 5th or 6th choice at 9. I think he'll be rotation worthy player but I don't see Siakam.

If Bol plays 60 games a season he'll be a more impactful player.

I still like Goga as the safe choice in a trade down. Bol is riskier with a higher ceiling.

Herro doesn't get a lot of talk but he's a sleeper. The best shooter in the draft. He's the safest perimeter player available. He's not just a spot up shooter either. He can shoot off the dribble or on the move. Has some playmaking skills as well. Can run a P&R.

Clarke is still the hardest guy for me to peg but his defense and rebounding will translate.

I could live with P.J. Washington. He's the safest guy at a position of need. Old school with 3 pt range and a high motor. Should be a bigger & better version of P-Pat earlier in his career.

Anyone else is kinda disappointing.

Jaxson Hayes is completely redundant and unnecessary with Bryant. Low skilled rim runners can be found on the cheap.

Cam Reddish is my biggest worry. Nassir Little's lack of feel is 2nd. Romeo Langford's broken shot and decision making is 3rd. Rui Hachimura is Mike Scott without the edge or tattoos and if Kevin Porter Jr has a career as distinguished as Nick Young, he'll be lucky.

Agree point by point -- with the one difference being that dat's reasoning argues for us to trade down. One of Washington, Clarke, Goga & Herro will almost certainly be there at 14 (unless you actually think every last one of them goes from 9-13, which is extremely low likelihood).

Grant Williams is another conservative choice, a guy who looks very likely to contribute -- & right away. If we traded down & had Atlanta's 17 he would be a safe choice. & if the plus was that we also had 35, 41 & 44, I'd say we had scored!

There are no sure things in this or any draft -- & absolutely not at #9! -- so create the possibility to be surprised by someone. B/c of the room on our roster, this is something we can do that most teams cannot do.

[payitforward]

I'm with you on Herro. I'd honestly be ok with them taking him at 9.

No. Either Herro will be available at 14, or someone better than Herro will be.

It's a given that #9 is worth more than #14, hence Boston will absolutely be willing to give #14 & something for our #9. If all that something is turns out to be a couple of R2 picks next year & the following year, it would still make sense.

Focusing on one guy in the draft is never, ever a good approach. This is how we managed to pick Vesely when Kawhi was on the board.

[Illmatic12]

Nassir Little, perhaps?

If the Zards stay at #9 (and assuming Garland and Hunter are gone), I’d like to see them draft Doubmbouya. But if Sekou is gone, Little is at or near the top of my short list…along with Clarke and PJ Washington.

Concerns about Little’s bball IQ and undeveloped offensive game are legit…but his athleticism, effort, defensive prowess and length (7-1 wingspan) are the real deal. Little averaged 4.6 rebounds in very limited minutes at UNC, which some folks on this board say is one indicator of success at the next level.

His rebounding is indeed solid, and his FT shooting isn't bad for a freshman, but that's about all he has going for him. He's not even THAT great of athlete. He had one of the slowest lane agility scores in the draft class, and his sprint and vertical leap are only modestly above average for this draft class.

Don't discount the importance and value of effort, energy and playing hard. Those "skills" are often more important than numbers at a combine.

Never draft a prospect who's only notable skill is "effort" and "playing hard".. that means you're probably getting a bust.

Trade down scenarios are never guaranteed, and truthfully a lot of teams will not value trading up in this draft because the class is so flat after the top 4-6 guys. If there's someone you really want in the top 5 then it makes sense to trade up. But I don't see the point for a team like Boston trading worthwhile assets to move up to like, the 9th pick when they can probably get similar level prospects later on.

Most likely I'd bank on the Wizards staying at #9. If Doumbouya isn't there OR there are certain red flags with him (that we don't know about yet), I think I would go ahead and take Brandon Clarke

[Illmatic12]

Sekou might turn out to be a terrific player; he really might. & if we are stuck at #9, in the sense that we don't find an attractive trade down, I'll be happy if we pick him, assuming he's available.

OTOH, this tale of the tape stuff is just silly. How many guys in the league do you think have similar measurements to Siakam & Doumbouya? How many guys who *aren't* in the league, for that matter? How about 6'9", 236, 9'1" standing reach? Better yet, right? That's Trey Lyles at the Combine. Or would you rather have a 9'2" reach? Like Chris McCullough....

Notice they also didn't mention wingspan in that physical comp. Siakam came in at a 7'3 wingspan, and Doumbouya's most recent measurement was at 6'11.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Doumbouya's people didn't permit his wingspan measurements to be reported from his pro day. Most likely he's at sub-7'0 wingspan which isn't awful or anything, but it would likely drop his stock in the eyes of some measurables-obsessed evaluators.

The main thing I like about Sekou is his shooting potential for his size and defensive switchability. I don't think he'll ever be anything like Siakam in terms of motor or slashing downhill, but he can be a valuable offensive player if he learns to leverage the threat of his jumpshot.

[Dat2U]

Sekou is still about my 5th or 6th choice at 9. I think he'll be rotation worthy player but I don't see Siakam.

If Bol plays 60 games a season he'll be a more impactful player.

I still like Goga as the safe choice in a trade down. Bol is riskier with a higher ceiling.

Herro doesn't get a lot of talk but he's a sleeper. The best shooter in the draft. He's the safest perimeter player available. He's not just a spot up shooter either. He can shoot off the dribble or on the move. Has some playmaking skills as well. Can run a P&R.

Clarke is still the hardest guy for me to peg but his defense and rebounding will translate.

I could live with P.J. Washington. He's the safest guy at a position of need. Old school with 3 pt range and a high motor. Should be a bigger & better version of P-Pat earlier in his career.

Anyone else is kinda disappointing.

Jaxson Hayes is completely redundant and unnecessary with Bryant. Low skilled rim runners can be found on the cheap.

Cam Reddish is my biggest worry. Nassir Little's lack of feel is 2nd. Romeo Langford's broken shot and decision making is 3rd. Rui Hachimura is Mike Scott without the edge or tattoos and if Kevin Porter Jr has a career as distinguished as Nick Young, he'll be lucky.

Agree point by point -- with the one difference being that dat's reasoning argues for us to trade down. One of Washington, Clarke, Goga & Herro will almost certainly be there at 14 (unless you actually think every last one of them goes from 9-13, which is extremely low likelihood).

Grant Williams is another conservative choice, a guy who looks very likely to contribute -- & right away. If we traded down & had Atlanta's 17 he would be a safe choice. & if the plus was that we also had 35, 41 & 44, I'd say we had scored!

There are no sure things in this or any draft -- & absolutely not at #9! -- so create the possibility to be surprised by someone. B/c of the room on our roster, this is something we can do that most teams cannot do.

Yeah I forgot to mention Williams. I'd probably rank him after Doumbouya.

I see a couple of mocks have Goga in the late lottery. He's rising as I expected.

As much as I like Goga, I'm okay risking not getting him by trading down. Herro or Clarke then looks much better at 14. I would avoid drafting two guys at the same position.

[Ruzious]

Sekou is still about my 5th or 6th choice at 9. I think he'll be rotation worthy player but I don't see Siakam.

If Bol plays 60 games a season he'll be a more impactful player.

I still like Goga as the safe choice in a trade down. Bol is riskier with a higher ceiling.

Herro doesn't get a lot of talk but he's a sleeper. The best shooter in the draft. He's the safest perimeter player available. He's not just a spot up shooter either. He can shoot off the dribble or on the move. Has some playmaking skills as well. Can run a P&R.

Clarke is still the hardest guy for me to peg but his defense and rebounding will translate.

I could live with P.J. Washington. He's the safest guy at a position of need. Old school with 3 pt range and a high motor. Should be a bigger & better version of P-Pat earlier in his career.

Anyone else is kinda disappointing.

Jaxson Hayes is completely redundant and unnecessary with Bryant. Low skilled rim runners can be found on the cheap.

Cam Reddish is my biggest worry. Nassir Little's lack of feel is 2nd. Romeo Langford's broken shot and decision making is 3rd. Rui Hachimura is Mike Scott without the edge or tattoos and if Kevin Porter Jr has a career as distinguished as Nick Young, he'll be lucky.

Right, the Sekou to Siakam comp doesn't work. Everyone was thinking that Sekou was going to be a defensive phenom, but I think he might be a better offensive player than defender. He doesn't have the length that guys like Siakam and Leonard have, but he probably has more offensive skills than originally given credit for. Otoh, he'll probably end up bigger than both Siakam and Leonard. His frame looks more like Giannis'. He's not Giannis - lacking the length and crazy offensive agility that Giannis has, but he's got a better jump shot. He's different than all of those guys. I have him at 5, but he won't go that high - Hunter will go before him.

[TGW]

Sekou only has a 6'11 wingspan...that's somewhat disappointing.

[nate33]

If we do end up trading down for two picks, a guy I'd like to target with our later pick is Cameron Johnson. We really don't have a SF with size on the roster. Brown looks like he is being groomed to play guard, and Ariza is probably too old and too expensive to retain.

Cameron Johnson is a 23-year-old senior with good size (6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan) and deadly shooting. He seems like a plug and play 3&D wing who should be useful right away, even if his ceiling isn't all that high. It sure would be nice to have a rotation-caliber (perhaps starting caliber?) rookie who could give quality minutes for the next 4 years on an ultra-cheap rookie contract.

My dream scenario this draft is to trade the #9 for the #14 and #22, draft one of Clarke/Samanic at #14, and then draft Johnson at #22.

[MDStar]

I feel all of this talk about trading down is interesting and a possible exercise in futility, especially if there is a widely viewed consensus that this draft is a crapshoot after the top 2 and especially after the top 7. If we feel that we have a better chance of selecting a star with two later picks, as opposed to our current selection at #9, why are we so certain that a "trade will be available" to a team that has a later pick? Why would another team give up the draft capital to pick Clark, Reddish or whoever @ #9, when they can stay put and possibly get Clark, Reddish or whoever @ #14, without also giving up the #22 as well? While it makes for a great fantasy discussion, and sure, it is possible that someone could fall in love with a guy that we don't necessarily value as high, but that's far from a guarantee.

Wouldn't it make more sense to try and lock in on who is the best possible prospect at #9, regardless of if other guys "could", "might" or "may" be a better value later in the draft?

[80sballboy]

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/2019-nba-draft-big-board-80-gm-search-continues-wizards-also-face-mystery-ninth-pick

[Ruzious]

If we do end up trading down for two picks, a guy I'd like to target with our later pick is Cameron Johnson. We really don't have a SF with size on the roster. Brown looks like he is being groomed to play guard, and Ariza is probably too old and too expensive to retain.

Cameron Johnson is a 23-year-old senior with good size (6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan) and deadly shooting. He seems like a plug and play 3&D wing who should be useful right away, even if his ceiling isn't all that high. It sure would be nice to have a rotation-caliber (perhaps starting caliber?) rookie who could give quality minutes for the next 4 years on an ultra-cheap rookie contract.

My dream scenario this draft is to trade the #9 for the #14 and #22, draft one of Clarke/Samanic at #14, and then draft Johnson at #22.

Cam's a 2nd round talent. If he lasts till the 2nd round, I'd be fine with the Wiz buying a 2nd rounder to get him. He'd be a bad value as a 1st rounder. Great kid. He made a speech on UNC's senior day that impressed the hell out of me.

[nate33]

If we do end up trading down for two picks, a guy I'd like to target with our later pick is Cameron Johnson. We really don't have a SF with size on the roster. Brown looks like he is being groomed to play guard, and Ariza is probably too old and too expensive to retain.

Cameron Johnson is a 23-year-old senior with good size (6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan) and deadly shooting. He seems like a plug and play 3&D wing who should be useful right away, even if his ceiling isn't all that high. It sure would be nice to have a rotation-caliber (perhaps starting caliber?) rookie who could give quality minutes for the next 4 years on an ultra-cheap rookie contract.

My dream scenario this draft is to trade the #9 for the #14 and #22, draft one of Clarke/Samanic at #14, and then draft Johnson at #22.

Cam's a 2nd round talent. If he lasts till the 2nd round, I'd be fine with the Wiz buying a 2nd rounder to get him. He'd be a bad value as a 1st rounder. Great kid. He made a speech on UNC's senior day that impressed the hell out of me.

Just curious. Why do you think he is just a 2nd round talent? He has legit SF size. He's one of the best shooters in college basketball. Athletically, he has one of the best lane agility scores and his 3/4 sprint and standing vertical are above-average for the draft class. He is known as a sound defender, if not an actual stopper.

It's also worth noting that he's not just a good shooter. He's a legitimately great shooter with an extremely quick release and no windup. His release is reminiscent of Klay Thomson.

I agree that he is limited. He's not going to create separation off the bounce and he is only a so-so rebounder. But why is he a 2nd round talent when a guy like D'Andre Hunter is a consensus top 7 pick?

[80sballboy]

If we do end up trading down for two picks, a guy I'd like to target with our later pick is Cameron Johnson. We really don't have a SF with size on the roster. Brown looks like he is being groomed to play guard, and Ariza is probably too old and too expensive to retain.

Cameron Johnson is a 23-year-old senior with good size (6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan) and deadly shooting. He seems like a plug and play 3&D wing who should be useful right away, even if his ceiling isn't all that high. It sure would be nice to have a rotation-caliber (perhaps starting caliber?) rookie who could give quality minutes for the next 4 years on an ultra-cheap rookie contract.

My dream scenario this draft is to trade the #9 for the #14 and #22, draft one of Clarke/Samanic at #14, and then draft Johnson at #22.

Cam's a 2nd round talent. If he lasts till the 2nd round, I'd be fine with the Wiz buying a 2nd rounder to get him. He'd be a bad value as a 1st rounder. Great kid. He made a speech on UNC's senior day that impressed the hell out of me.

Just curious. Why do you think he is just a 2nd round talent. He has legit SF size. He's one of the best shooters in college basketball. Athletically, he has one of the best lane agility scores and his 3/4 sprint and standing vertical are above-average for the draft class. He is known as a sound defender, if not an actual stopper.

It's also worth noting that he's not just a good shooter. He's a legitimately great shooter with an extremely quick release and no windup. His release is reminiscent of Klay Thomson.

I agree that he is limited. He's not going to create separation off the bounce and he is only a so-so rebounder. But why is he a 2nd round talent when a guy like D'Andre Hunter is a consensus top 7 pick?

Somebody brought up Kyle Korver as a comparison with Cam Johnson. Anybody that shoots 45% from 3pt should be considered late first, early second at worst, but he obviously doesn't do much else. Older guys (23yrs old) tend to go in the second round, whether it's right or wrong. Personally, I don't like one-dimensional players but a guy like that would be fine for a team that needs a shooter late in the first round.

[pcbothwel]

If we do end up trading down for two picks, a guy I'd like to target with our later pick is Cameron Johnson. We really don't have a SF with size on the roster. Brown looks like he is being groomed to play guard, and Ariza is probably too old and too expensive to retain.

Cameron Johnson is a 23-year-old senior with good size (6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan) and deadly shooting. He seems like a plug and play 3&D wing who should be useful right away, even if his ceiling isn't all that high. It sure would be nice to have a rotation-caliber (perhaps starting caliber?) rookie who could give quality minutes for the next 4 years on an ultra-cheap rookie contract.

My dream scenario this draft is to trade the #9 for the #14 and #22, draft one of Clarke/Samanic at #14, and then draft Johnson at #22.

Cam's a 2nd round talent. If he lasts till the 2nd round, I'd be fine with the Wiz buying a 2nd rounder to get him. He'd be a bad value as a 1st rounder. Great kid. He made a speech on UNC's senior day that impressed the hell out of me.

Just curious. Why do you think he is just a 2nd round talent. He has legit SF size. He's one of the best shooters in college basketball. Athletically, he has one of the best lane agility scores and his 3/4 sprint and standing vertical are above-average for the draft class. He is known as a sound defender, if not an actual stopper.

It's also worth noting that he's not just a good shooter. He's a legitimately great shooter with an extremely quick release and no windup. His release is reminiscent of Klay Thomson.

I agree that he is limited. He's not going to create separation off the bounce and he is only a so-so rebounder. But why is he a 2nd round talent when a guy like D'Andre Hunter is a consensus top 7 pick?

Exacly... In fact, compare him to Khris Middleton, joe Harris, and Klay.... out side of maybe a year or two, what makes him a lesser prospect?
http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=cameron-johnson--klay-thompson--khris-middleton--joe-harris

All of those guys were considered shooters only that would provide high IQ, though not elite, defense.
Cam is far and away the best shooter and rebounder while playing comparable defense. I wouldnt hesitate to take him outside the top 15-20.

[nate33]

I feel all of this talk about trading down is interesting and a possible exercise in futility, especially if there is a widely viewed consensus that this draft is a crapshoot after the top 2 and especially after the top 7. If we feel that we have a better chance of selecting a star with two later picks, as opposed to our current selection at #9, why are we so certain that a "trade will be available" to a team that has a later pick? Why would another team give up the draft capital to pick Clark, Reddish or whoever @ #9, when they can stay put and possibly get Clark, Reddish or whoever @ #14, without also giving up the #22 as well? While it makes for a great fantasy discussion, and sure, it is possible that someone could fall in love with a guy that we don't necessarily value as high, but that's far from a guarantee.

Wouldn't it make more sense to try and lock in on who is the best possible prospect at #9, regardless of if other guys "could", "might" or "may" be a better value later in the draft?

Trading down for two legit first round picks may indeed be an exercise in futility. But presumably somebody will be willing to trade something to trade up from the mid first to the #9 pick. Maybe that something is just a mid 2nd round pick. But if we really think the guy we want will still be available at #15, then why not?

[Ruzious]

If we do end up trading down for two picks, a guy I'd like to target with our later pick is Cameron Johnson. We really don't have a SF with size on the roster. Brown looks like he is being groomed to play guard, and Ariza is probably too old and too expensive to retain.

Cameron Johnson is a 23-year-old senior with good size (6-8 with a 6-10 wingspan) and deadly shooting. He seems like a plug and play 3&D wing who should be useful right away, even if his ceiling isn't all that high. It sure would be nice to have a rotation-caliber (perhaps starting caliber?) rookie who could give quality minutes for the next 4 years on an ultra-cheap rookie contract.

My dream scenario this draft is to trade the #9 for the #14 and #22, draft one of Clarke/Samanic at #14, and then draft Johnson at #22.

Cam's a 2nd round talent. If he lasts till the 2nd round, I'd be fine with the Wiz buying a 2nd rounder to get him. He'd be a bad value as a 1st rounder. Great kid. He made a speech on UNC's senior day that impressed the hell out of me.

Just curious. Why do you think he is just a 2nd round talent? He has legit SF size. He's one of the best shooters in college basketball. Athletically, he has one of the best lane agility scores and his 3/4 sprint and standing vertical are above-average for the draft class. He is known as a sound defender, if not an actual stopper.

It's also worth noting that he's not just a good shooter. He's a legitimately great shooter with an extremely quick release and no windup. His release is reminiscent of Klay Thomson.

I agree that he is limited. He's not going to create separation off the bounce and he is only a so-so rebounder. But why is he a 2nd round talent when a guy like D'Andre Hunter is a consensus top 7 pick?

Being a 23 year old prospect is generally a major negative; not a positive. Any 23 year old should dominate in college. He played 5 college seasons and didn't average more than 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds till his 5th season. His stats were pedestrian until last season - as a senior playing on a stacked team. He doesn't have the athleticism to match up at any position defensively in the NBA - his team will have to mask his defensive issues. offensively, his only skill is hitting 3's. If he doesn't hit them, he won't stick in the NBA. Btw, Hunter is far stronger and far more athletic and far better defensively and far better at cutting to the basket and finishing. His freshman year was better than Cam's 5th year.

[Ruzious]

One great trade down that included the 9th pick happened in 1998 (aka the Tyronn Lue draft): Bucks traded 9 and 19 for 6. Tractor Traylor was 6, Dirk Nowitzky was 9. Some guy named Pat Garrity was 19. Oh the pain for Bucks fans. No, the lesson isn't to trade down; it's to not be stupid.

[nate33]

Here's a real interesting article on Grant Williams. I'd love to grab him early in the 2nd round:

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/06/09/draft-notes-grant-williams-chosen-24-40-drafts-second-best-play/

Here's a key chart comparing Williams to other NBA players with a similar body type:



Williams is a very young junior, only 20.5 years old. He passes better than everyone but Draymond. He has the best 2P% and a solid Stocks rating. As an 82% FT shooter, it's a good bet he'll develop a 3-point shot.

[Kanyewest]

One great trade down that included the 9th pick happened in 1998 (aka the Tyronn Liue draft): Bucks traded 9 and 19 for 6. Tractor Traylor was 6, Dirk Nowitzky was 9. Some guy named Pat Garrity was 19. Oh the pain for Bucks fans. No, the lesson isn't to trade down; it's to not be stupid.

Some guy named Pat Garrity?! He was a 40% 3 point shooter, scored twice as many points and made twice as much money as Tractor Traylor. Traylor should be designated as "some guy"

[DCZards]

I feel all of this talk about trading down is interesting and a possible exercise in futility, especially if there is a widely viewed consensus that this draft is a crapshoot after the top 2 and especially after the top 7. If we feel that we have a better chance of selecting a star with two later picks, as opposed to our current selection at #9, why are we so certain that a "trade will be available" to a team that has a later pick? Why would another team give up the draft capital to pick Clark, Reddish or whoever @ #9, when they can stay put and possibly get Clark, Reddish or whoever @ #14, without also giving up the #22 as well? While it makes for a great fantasy discussion, and sure, it is possible that someone could fall in love with a guy that we don't necessarily value as high, but that's far from a guarantee.

Wouldn't it make more sense to try and lock in on who is the best possible prospect at #9, regardless of if other guys "could", "might" or "may" be a better value later in the draft?

I agree. Most of us are on board with trading down if the opportunity presents itself. But, imo, the chances of finding a trading partner are small. And it could turn out that the player that the Zards REALLY want is there at 9 and they choose not to trade down.