NBA 2020 Draft Prospects Thread

[Catchall]

Wing defense is a huge need for every team in the league, and Royce is one of the 10 best wing defenders. He has value.

As for what the Spurs do at #11, I think Patrick Williams or Isaac Okoro would be their priority.

No Royce is not a top 10 perimeter defender in the league. There is a reason why perimeter players regularly destroy this team and that is because we don't have an elite perimeter player to put on the opposing teams top players. These are the perimeter players that I feel are clearly better than Royce defensively in my opinion.

Kawhi
PG
Beverly
Danny Green
Jason Tatum
Chris Paul
Torrey Craig
Garry Harris
Jimmy Butler
Ben Simmons
Robert Covington
Eric Bledsoe
Dejounte Murray
Marcus Smart
Lonzo Ball
Kris Dunn
Lowry

Those are the guys that are clearly ahead of him for me. Then you have a bunch of guys like Norman Powell, OG Anunoby, Josh Richardson, Khris Middleton, PJ Tucker, Harkless and a few other guys that I view him similar to. This off-season I think Harkless could probably be had for 4 million a year or less and I think he would be just as effective as O'Neale for us. That doesn't mean that I don't like Royce but to me this elite defender talk doesn't match with the reality of us regularly getting roasted by non elite perimeter players. When you have an elite perimeter player you give him the assignment to cool those guys and we clearly don't have that player right now based on the results on the court.

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I have Royce as a better defender than most of those players. Clearly better, IMO:
Marcus Smart
Kris Dunn
Dejounte Murray
Kawhi Leonard
Paul George
Ben Simmons

That's about it. I don't think Rudy + Royce can entirely make up for the rest of the defensive sieves on the team. We have four positive impact defenders: Rudy, Joe, Royce, and Bradley...that's pretty awful.

Kawhi doesn't play defense like he did 3 years ago. Not sure where he's at these days.

[Catchall]

So I floated the idea of Royce + #23 to the Magic for Aminu + #17. Everyone, except Magic fans, seems to that's a bad deal for the Jazz.

[Catchall]

Jazz have a real shot at getting up to #20 in the draft order, #21 looks likely.

[Catchall]

Tankathon's mock draft showed the Jazz picking at #20 yesterday and taking Kira Lewis Jr. They've had Pokusevski going at either #16 or #19. The Jazz could potentially get up to #19 if Philly wins a few more games.

In the actual draft, I think Kira Lewis Jr. would be gone, but guys available in the 17 - 20 range could include Poku, Maledon, Josh Green, and Saddiq Bey. Plus, someone like RJ Hampton or Tyrese Maxey could slip there. It would give the Jazz some nice options. Those players all have starter potential.

[sipclip]

They did the tiebreakers today and unfortunately we lost to the thunder and rockets so we pick 23.

[Catchall]

They did the tiebreakers today and unfortunately we lost to the thunder and rockets so we pick 23.

To make matters worse, Denver gets Houston's pick this year.

[stitches]

Just FYI, the NBA lottery is today it seems... not that it matters much to us.

[Inigo Montoya]

Just FYI, the NBA lottery is today it seems... not that it matters much to us.

I completely forgot about it, especially after losing the coin toss. Thanks for the heads-up.

[Catchall]

What do you guys think? Stay at #23 and choose from Jaden McDaniels, Theo Maledon, Leandro Bolmaro and Paul Reed?

Or try to move up for a guy like Patrick Williams, Pokusevski or RJ Hampton?

I love Isaac Okoro in the top 10, but other than him I think there's a sweetspot in this draft from 12 - 18.

[sipclip]

I say we stay where we are and if Jaden McDaniels are Jalen Smith are there then we take one of them. Then go after Nwora in the 2nd round.

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[KqWIN]

Finding some players I'm a fan of.

Tyler Bey/Paul Reed - Good hustle players, defensive playmakers. Reed's offensive game looks like he's vomiting stuff up and hoping things work. Bey is more of a wing who doesn't shoot, and I'm hearing that his decision making is poor. Explains his high turnovers. If either can play offense they'd be a nice player to have.

Killian Tillie - Injury concerns, but he can play. Very good numbers and role player potential.

Theo Maledon - Don't know why he's dropping in the draft considering the talent at the top. Played a role and played ok in the Euroleague 18.

Grant Riller - Bucket getter...elite rim finisher against less than elite competition. Decent peripheral stats too but a questionable jump shot. Lot of draft nerds love this guy....not the type of player we need but might be the best talent.

Aleksej Pokusevski - He's going to be gone.

Jalen Smith - Super productive, guessing he will be gone too.

[Catchall]

I keep coming back to Pokusevski and Bolmaro, with McDaniels being a wildcard. Jazz need a wing with some size/length and ball skills.

McDaniels badly needs to add some strength, or he's not going to be able to get anywhere on an NBA floor.

[red4hf]

NBAdraft.net has us selecting Daniel Oturu, he looks intriguing.......

[babyjax13]

NBAdraft.net has us selecting Daniel Oturu, he looks intriguing.......

I love Oturo, don't think he makes a ton of sense for us, but I think he is being seriously undervalued. Reminds me a lot of Thomas Robinson, but I think his defensive upside is higher.

[red4hf]

NBAdraft.net has us selecting Daniel Oturu, he looks intriguing.......

I love Oturo, don't think he makes a ton of sense for us, but I think he is being seriously undervalued. Reminds me a lot of Thomas Robinson, but I think his defensive upside is higher.

If during workouts it becomes apparent that he can consistently hit the three, why wouldn't he make sense?

[babyjax13]

NBAdraft.net has us selecting Daniel Oturu, he looks intriguing.......

I love Oturo, don't think he makes a ton of sense for us, but I think he is being seriously undervalued. Reminds me a lot of Thomas Robinson, but I think his defensive upside is higher.

If during workouts it becomes apparent that he can consistently hit the three, why wouldn't he make sense?

Well (a) I don't think he'll be available, but if he is, I think we really would do better drafting someone at a position of need. I don't have an issue with Tony Bradley, at all. If Oturo is the clear BPA, though (he might be, depending on what happens) sure, draft him!

[red4hf]

ESPN has him going 34th...... Of course a lot of things will change between now and the draft...... He looks very interesting to me, but then I know nothing about college basketball, so......

[babyjax13]

ESPN has him going 34th...... Of course a lot of things will change between now and the draft...... He looks very interesting to me, but then I know nothing about college basketball, so......

Tankathon has him around the same, I just don't see it. He's mobile with range out to three and his jumper is VERY fluid. He's also not a sieve defensively, although I don't think he will be incredible on that end.

[stitches]

I feel like this year's mock drafts and evaluations will be all over the map. First because of the pandemic the analysts will have less film and less attention to pay to the prospects before the draft, second there seems to be tons of role-playery types and not enough premier talents and a lot of it will be "in the eye of the beholder" evaltuations and third... there are much fewer in person events where analysts and reporters get info on players and can calibrate what the league and other analysts think about certain players.

In a weird way this might actually be low key great draft to follow and to keep track of in the future, because IMO there will be much less group think with the evaluations and different analysts will actually shine or fail on their own merits and evaluations.

[zero24gravity]

It HAS to be a front court player with length & athleticism. Bless his effort, but if Juwon Morgan is getting meaningful playoff run, your team has a gaping hole. Niang is a good floor spreader, but doesn't give much else, and Ed Davis (other than 2 quarters of awesome last week) has been terrible. Brantley COULD fill that role, but it appears the coaches don't trust him during real games. So, my early input on 2 guys who will likely be available in the mid-20's, that I like are (Achiuwa won't be around, IMO):

1) Jalen Smith, 6'10" PF/C. Has enough range that he can play with Gobert, and can play "Davis minutes" at center, if need be. Long & athletic. To me, checks all the boxes for what the Jazz need.
2) Xavier Tillman, 6'8" F. Needs to work on outside shooting, but can make up for that early in his career as a solid defender. Great NBA body. (Reminds me of Brantley, actually.)

NOT:
Isaiah Stewart. Can't shoot from deep, doesn't defend well outside the paint. No thank you.
Jaden McDaniels. Just no. I don't see why mock drafts have him in the 1st round. Bust or long term project.
Vernon Carey. We already have Tony Bradley, so no need to repeat with another plodding big-man