Official 2020 NBA Draft Thread

[Skin]

SG?



Jokes. I love that movie.

To me, his best spot will be where he's the least liability on defense, in the short term. I've seen in his scouting clips that defending the perimeter is a weakness of his. He's more of a weakside recovery shot blocker than anything else, which would suggest PF on most matchups. But if he's not defending an on-ball 3, he could probably handle the matchup. He'd get abused at SG.

Maybe if you had a lineup that could switch to allow him to defend the slowest forward, then on offense he could play whatever 'position' you like. Their defense may not offer up a SG to cover him.

Personally, I'd like to try groom him into a Hedo-esque player. He likely won't be the same. In the footage I've seen, he doesn't have a first step or much burst, and a lot of his moves actually just set up a pass rather than a bucket. That's because he's actually a pretty weak scorer. Can't finish through contact. Can't shoot the 3 consistently. Is mostly at his best on the break, or handling whilst a defense is still settling. He might be able to beat a C off the dribble, and some of the slower-footed 4's. Regardless, he'll be able to see over most defenders, and he has the vision and instincts of who to hit, and can move with the ball enough to find the look or man he needs to.

He needs to find a way to score, other than fast breaks. Gotta tighten that jump shot, or learn to finish through contact. I have hopes for him. But, he would be another shooting challenged player added to the fold - and another big man. I can't imagine the reaction will go down well.

Crazy can be good! Is it insanity....? Uh hell yeah, probably... no doubt the risk of failure exists.... but the experiment could be genius! You just have to be comfortable with plan B.

I said before that I'd even consider playing Okeke as a 2 in certain line ups...or against certain opponents. The playoffs are all about creating mismatches. Unconventional basketball can lead to surprising success. Same reasons why people like Vassell as a 3D off ball SG is the same mold I would experiment with Okeke. Space the floor, provide tough D...

Imagine if Poku could play PG on occasion. My mind gets crazy thinking of out of the box scenarios. If we have players as conventional fits then the exploration of unconventional fits can be more openly accepted. I'm not trying to suggest Poku at Guard is a permanent full time idea. I already said his strength is in giving us roster versatility.

You can call him whatever you want to, but there is no way he ends up guarding PGs or chasing guys around screens. He looks to all the world as someone you want defending off the ball against a Danny Green type where he can use his length and IQ to provide help. He might be alright at the four. He is weak now, but he seems to know how to use the little physicality that he has. He can shuffle his feet a bit. He probably ends up as something comparable to Porzingis defensively. You’ll want to maximize his ability to help and minimize his exposure to anyone that can bully him or draw him out on an island.

Yeah, I'm still trying to learn more about him. I don't really have interest in him if the team projects him as a PF. Much more comfortable with the investment if he's a SF. Moving him around wouldn't bother me in order to experiment. Toughest part of this all is that I just feel like he's years away from arriving and I'm intrigued with some other prospects as well.

[basketballRob]

It's scary looking at Pokusevski's frame, he's so skinny. Maybe he'll be the better player, but he looks like he'll need to work on his body.

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[Knightro]

It's scary looking at Pokusevski's frame, he's so skinny. Maybe he'll be the better player, but he looks like he'll need to work on his body.

This is like the understatement of the year

The more I've looked into him, the bigger Pokuševski fan I've become. I have him 7th on my big board on sheer upside alone. He doesn't even turn 19 for four more months. I think he could become an even funkier version of Porzingis/Jokic.

That said...

I definitely think Pokuševski's path to maximum success in NBA will be as a PF or C and not as a full-time wing which means he going to need at least a year or two to REALLY develop his body since he he's only like 205 lbs right now.

He has an incredibly wide variance to me. I truly believe the upside is there for him to become one of the 20 best players in the entire league as a true playmaking big like Jokic (albeit much different body type), but with as much physical development as he needs, he could also never play a meaningful NBA minute.

I'm in love with his potential though. I'd almost certainly draft him at 15 if he was there.

If Pokuševski weighed 250 lbs right now (and subsequently played with a 250 lb man's strength), I think he'd be No. 1 pick.

[zaymon]

It's scary looking at Pokusevski's frame, he's so skinny. Maybe he'll be the better player, but he looks like he'll need to work on his body.

This is like the understatement of the year

The more I've looked into him, the bigger Pokuševski fan I've become. I have him 7th on my big board on sheer upside alone. He doesn't even turn 19 for four more months. I think he could become an even funkier version of Porzingis/Jokic.

That said...

I definitely think Pokuševski's path to maximum success in NBA will be as a PF or C and not as a full-time wing which means he going to need at least a year or two to REALLY develop his body since he he's only like 205 lbs right now.

He has an incredibly wide variance to me. I truly believe the upside is there for him to become one of the 20 best players in the entire league as a true playmaking big like Jokic (albeit much different body type), but with as much physical development as he needs, he could also never play a meaningful NBA minute.

I'm in love with his potential though. I'd almost certainly draft him at 15 if he was there.

If Pokuševski weighed 250 lbs right now (and subsequently played with a 250 lb man's strength), I think he'd be No. 1 pick.

I have Pokusevski as the highest ceiling player in the draft. I think he will be long gone at 15. I wouldnt be suprised if we trade Gordon to move up for him. He could certainly play 4 in Clifford system where you need to protect the rim as a help defender. If Okeke develops his pull up game ( i saw glimpses), we could go Fultz/Okeke/Pokusevski/Isaac/Vucevic(bamba).
Rim protection everywhere.

[KillMonger]

draft is seems so far away that i'm starting to re-read scouting reports and re-watch scouting videos

[Skin]

It's scary looking at Pokusevski's frame, he's so skinny. Maybe he'll be the better player, but he looks like he'll need to work on his body.

This is like the understatement of the year

The more I've looked into him, the bigger Pokuševski fan I've become. I have him 7th on my big board on sheer upside alone. He doesn't even turn 19 for four more months. I think he could become an even funkier version of Porzingis/Jokic.

That said...

I definitely think Pokuševski's path to maximum success in NBA will be as a PF or C and not as a full-time wing which means he going to need at least a year or two to REALLY develop his body since he he's only like 205 lbs right now.

He has an incredibly wide variance to me. I truly believe the upside is there for him to become one of the 20 best players in the entire league as a true playmaking big like Jokic (albeit much different body type), but with as much physical development as he needs, he could also never play a meaningful NBA minute.

I'm in love with his potential though. I'd almost certainly draft him at 15 if he was there.

If Pokuševski weighed 250 lbs right now (and subsequently played with a 250 lb man's strength), I think he'd be No. 1 pick.

I have Pokusevski as the highest ceiling player in the draft. I think he will be long gone at 15. I wouldnt be suprised if we trade Gordon to move up for him. He could certainly play 4 in Clifford system where you need to protect the rim as a help defender. If Okeke develops his pull up game ( i saw glimpses), we could go Fultz/Okeke/Pokusevski/Isaac/Vucevic(bamba).
Rim protection everywhere.

That's what I was getting at earlier.

The 3 is where I like him most and where I think he could contribute earliest at. Moving him around will be fun for coach too.

[Skin]

It's scary looking at Pokusevski's frame, he's so skinny. Maybe he'll be the better player, but he looks like he'll need to work on his body.

This is like the understatement of the year

The more I've looked into him, the bigger Pokuševski fan I've become. I have him 7th on my big board on sheer upside alone. He doesn't even turn 19 for four more months. I think he could become an even funkier version of Porzingis/Jokic.

That said...

I definitely think Pokuševski's path to maximum success in NBA will be as a PF or C and not as a full-time wing which means he going to need at least a year or two to REALLY develop his body since he he's only like 205 lbs right now.

He has an incredibly wide variance to me. I truly believe the upside is there for him to become one of the 20 best players in the entire league as a true playmaking big like Jokic (albeit much different body type), but with as much physical development as he needs, he could also never play a meaningful NBA minute.

I'm in love with his potential though. I'd almost certainly draft him at 15 if he was there.

If Pokuševski weighed 250 lbs right now (and subsequently played with a 250 lb man's strength), I think he'd be No. 1 pick.

250 sounds too bulky. That's 10 pounds more than Porzingis. I wouldn't want to take away the mobility and agility that makes him an attractive player.

[tiderulz]

It's scary looking at Pokusevski's frame, he's so skinny. Maybe he'll be the better player, but he looks like he'll need to work on his body.

This is like the understatement of the year

The more I've looked into him, the bigger Pokuševski fan I've become. I have him 7th on my big board on sheer upside alone. He doesn't even turn 19 for four more months. I think he could become an even funkier version of Porzingis/Jokic.

That said...

I definitely think Pokuševski's path to maximum success in NBA will be as a PF or C and not as a full-time wing which means he going to need at least a year or two to REALLY develop his body since he he's only like 205 lbs right now.

He has an incredibly wide variance to me. I truly believe the upside is there for him to become one of the 20 best players in the entire league as a true playmaking big like Jokic (albeit much different body type), but with as much physical development as he needs, he could also never play a meaningful NBA minute.

I'm in love with his potential though. I'd almost certainly draft him at 15 if he was there.

If Pokuševski weighed 250 lbs right now (and subsequently played with a 250 lb man's strength), I think he'd be No. 1 pick.

maybe im missing something. The highlights i see are of him in a lower bball division in Greece, or against smaller (and i have to say it) predominately white players. Thats like saying a guy dominates ClassA high school basketball at 7ft so he should be very good in the NBA.

[Xatticus]

It's scary looking at Pokusevski's frame, he's so skinny. Maybe he'll be the better player, but he looks like he'll need to work on his body.

This is like the understatement of the year

The more I've looked into him, the bigger Pokuševski fan I've become. I have him 7th on my big board on sheer upside alone. He doesn't even turn 19 for four more months. I think he could become an even funkier version of Porzingis/Jokic.

That said...

I definitely think Pokuševski's path to maximum success in NBA will be as a PF or C and not as a full-time wing which means he going to need at least a year or two to REALLY develop his body since he he's only like 205 lbs right now.

He has an incredibly wide variance to me. I truly believe the upside is there for him to become one of the 20 best players in the entire league as a true playmaking big like Jokic (albeit much different body type), but with as much physical development as he needs, he could also never play a meaningful NBA minute.

I'm in love with his potential though. I'd almost certainly draft him at 15 if he was there.

If Pokuševski weighed 250 lbs right now (and subsequently played with a 250 lb man's strength), I think he'd be No. 1 pick.

maybe im missing something. The highlights i see are of him in a lower bball division in Greece, or against smaller (and i have to say it) predominately white players. Thats like saying a guy dominates ClassA high school basketball at 7ft so he should be very good in the NBA.

He isn't piling up stats by playing huge minutes. A guy that doesn't get steals in the NBA isn't going to accrue them at a higher rate just because you match him up against weaker competition. Pokusevski fills up a box score.

It's his feel for the game that is special. He isn't out there abusing little guys. He just reads the game really well. He surveys the floor when he has the ball and he makes some terrific passes. He definitely has high playmaking potential. He isn't as refined as Doncic, but he has just about everything in his toolkit. He throws cross-court skip passes. He'll sling the ball across the court with one arm. He'll lay the ball off to someone at the rim when it looks certain to everyone that he has committed to the shot. He's just really special with the ball in his hands. A big piece of that is his height and length. There are angles available to him that just aren't available to anyone else.

He is graceful in the open court. He handles the ball well in space. He uses behind-the-back dribbles in tight spaces to leave a defender behind. He uses hesitation dribbles to freeze a defender and then blow by. This is advanced stuff. His shot is just okay right now. It's not a weapon yet, but it could become one.

His ceiling is just so high and the foundation for it is his understanding. He looks like a natural. He has to develop the physical tools to allow that to flourish. You'll have to be really patient, but he could become one of the best players in the league. He could also flame out early due to injuries or spend most of his career getting manhandled by lesser talents.

[zaymon]

This is like the understatement of the year

The more I've looked into him, the bigger Pokuševski fan I've become. I have him 7th on my big board on sheer upside alone. He doesn't even turn 19 for four more months. I think he could become an even funkier version of Porzingis/Jokic.

That said...

I definitely think Pokuševski's path to maximum success in NBA will be as a PF or C and not as a full-time wing which means he going to need at least a year or two to REALLY develop his body since he he's only like 205 lbs right now.

He has an incredibly wide variance to me. I truly believe the upside is there for him to become one of the 20 best players in the entire league as a true playmaking big like Jokic (albeit much different body type), but with as much physical development as he needs, he could also never play a meaningful NBA minute.

I'm in love with his potential though. I'd almost certainly draft him at 15 if he was there.

If Pokuševski weighed 250 lbs right now (and subsequently played with a 250 lb man's strength), I think he'd be No. 1 pick.

maybe im missing something. The highlights i see are of him in a lower bball division in Greece, or against smaller (and i have to say it) predominately white players. Thats like saying a guy dominates ClassA high school basketball at 7ft so he should be very good in the NBA.

He isn't piling up stats by playing huge minutes. A guy that doesn't get steals in the NBA isn't going to accrue them at a higher rate just because you match him up against weaker competition. Pokusevski fills up a box score.

It's his feel for the game that is special. He isn't out there abusing little guys. He just reads the game really well. He surveys the floor when he has the ball and he makes some terrific passes. He definitely has high playmaking potential. He isn't as refined as Doncic, but he has just about everything in his toolkit. He throws cross-court skip passes. He'll sling the ball across the court with one arm. He'll lay the ball off to someone at the rim when it looks certain to everyone that he has committed to the shot. He's just really special with the ball in his hands. A big piece of that is his height and length. There are angles available to him that just aren't available to anyone else.

He is graceful in the open court. He handles the ball well in space. He uses behind-the-back dribbles in tight spaces to leave a defender behind. He uses hesitation dribbles to freeze a defender and then blow by. This is advanced stuff. His shot is just okay right now. It's not a weapon yet, but it could become one.

His ceiling is just so high and the foundation for it is his understanding. He looks like a natural. He has to develop the physical tools to allow that to flourish. You'll have to be really patient, but he could become one of the best players in the league. He could also flame out early due to injuries or spend most of his career getting manhandled by lesser talents.

If we are trading up its for him or Hayes, they just see the game in different way. Maybe you could add Ball, but i dont trust him. You have any strong feelings on other two ?

[Knightro]

maybe im missing something. The highlights i see are of him in a lower bball division in Greece, or against smaller (and i have to say it) predominately white players. Thats like saying a guy dominates ClassA high school basketball at 7ft so he should be very good in the NBA.

You're not wrong. That's exactly what you're seeing. He played this past year against extremely weak competition. Now to be fair, it was players his own age, but it was weak competition.

That said... he's not beating defenders just because of his height. Like if you stuck Mo Bamba against the same competition that Pokuševski faced, he'd dominate as well, but it would be a different type of domination. Bamba would simply overwhelm people with his physical tools which doesn't translate when the size and athleticism is much more even.

What makes Pokuševski so intriguing - at least for me - is his skill set. There just aren't very many 7 footers, at any age or any level, who can handle the ball that well. There aren't many 7 footers who can see the floor and make passes like he can. There aren't many 7 footers who can fluidly come off screens and catch and shoot threes like he can.

If his body develops, I don't see how he's not a really effective player.

[j-ragg]

maybe im missing something. The highlights i see are of him in a lower bball division in Greece, or against smaller (and i have to say it) predominately white players. Thats like saying a guy dominates ClassA high school basketball at 7ft so he should be very good in the NBA.

He isn't piling up stats by playing huge minutes. A guy that doesn't get steals in the NBA isn't going to accrue them at a higher rate just because you match him up against weaker competition. Pokusevski fills up a box score.

It's his feel for the game that is special. He isn't out there abusing little guys. He just reads the game really well. He surveys the floor when he has the ball and he makes some terrific passes. He definitely has high playmaking potential. He isn't as refined as Doncic, but he has just about everything in his toolkit. He throws cross-court skip passes. He'll sling the ball across the court with one arm. He'll lay the ball off to someone at the rim when it looks certain to everyone that he has committed to the shot. He's just really special with the ball in his hands. A big piece of that is his height and length. There are angles available to him that just aren't available to anyone else.

He is graceful in the open court. He handles the ball well in space. He uses behind-the-back dribbles in tight spaces to leave a defender behind. He uses hesitation dribbles to freeze a defender and then blow by. This is advanced stuff. His shot is just okay right now. It's not a weapon yet, but it could become one.

His ceiling is just so high and the foundation for it is his understanding. He looks like a natural. He has to develop the physical tools to allow that to flourish. You'll have to be really patient, but he could become one of the best players in the league. He could also flame out early due to injuries or spend most of his career getting manhandled by lesser talents.

If we are trading up its for him or Hayes, they just see the game in different way. Maybe you could add Ball, but i dont trust him. You have any strong feelings on other two ?

I've thought since looking at the projected top 10 that they'd target Haliburton if they traded up. Seems like they're kind of player imo.

[zaymon]

He isn't piling up stats by playing huge minutes. A guy that doesn't get steals in the NBA isn't going to accrue them at a higher rate just because you match him up against weaker competition. Pokusevski fills up a box score.

It's his feel for the game that is special. He isn't out there abusing little guys. He just reads the game really well. He surveys the floor when he has the ball and he makes some terrific passes. He definitely has high playmaking potential. He isn't as refined as Doncic, but he has just about everything in his toolkit. He throws cross-court skip passes. He'll sling the ball across the court with one arm. He'll lay the ball off to someone at the rim when it looks certain to everyone that he has committed to the shot. He's just really special with the ball in his hands. A big piece of that is his height and length. There are angles available to him that just aren't available to anyone else.

He is graceful in the open court. He handles the ball well in space. He uses behind-the-back dribbles in tight spaces to leave a defender behind. He uses hesitation dribbles to freeze a defender and then blow by. This is advanced stuff. His shot is just okay right now. It's not a weapon yet, but it could become one.

His ceiling is just so high and the foundation for it is his understanding. He looks like a natural. He has to develop the physical tools to allow that to flourish. You'll have to be really patient, but he could become one of the best players in the league. He could also flame out early due to injuries or spend most of his career getting manhandled by lesser talents.

If we are trading up its for him or Hayes, they just see the game in different way. Maybe you could add Ball, but i dont trust him. You have any strong feelings on other two ?

I've thought since looking at the projected top 10 that they'd target Haliburton if they traded up. Seems like they're kind of player imo.

Haliburton has skill set we value on our wings/ forwards, but i am not sure how much we value this skill set on a guard. Not good on ball defender, no self creation on perimeter, limited driver and finisher.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Finally figured out who Poku reminds me of. He’s a taller version of Ryan Anderson. Shooting and passing are solid but he’s got issues. His foot speed and defensive side is Jokic like. He’s super slow and gets by because he’s so tall. That won’t work in the NBA especially if you’re playing him on the wing.

[tiderulz]

Finally figured out who Poku reminds me of. He’s a taller version of Ryan Anderson. Shooting and passing are solid but he’s got issues. His foot speed and defensive side is Jokic like. He’s super slow and gets by because he’s so tall. That won’t work in the NBA especially if you’re playing him on the wing.

i think i saw one service compare him to Hedo

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Finally figured out who Poku reminds me of. He’s a taller version of Ryan Anderson. Shooting and passing are solid but he’s got issues. His foot speed and defensive side is Jokic like. He’s super slow and gets by because he’s so tall. That won’t work in the NBA especially if you’re playing him on the wing.

i think i saw one service compare him to Hedo

Hedo could turn his hips and defend. If Poku gets beat he’s got semi truck hips and reaches

[Knightro]

I think Haliburton is great and I think he could fit in quite well with Fultz. I'm very interested in him and Hayes.

[Knightro]

Finally figured out who Poku reminds me of. He’s a taller version of Ryan Anderson. Shooting and passing are solid but he’s got issues. His foot speed and defensive side is Jokic like. He’s super slow and gets by because he’s so tall. That won’t work in the NBA especially if you’re playing him on the wing.

I absolutely do not think Poku's a wing in the NBA.

He has the basketball skills (shooting, vision, passing, ball handling) of a wing, but the movement skills (speed, agility, athleticism, lateral quickness) of a center.

That's why I'm not really concerned at all if he eventually adds 30 or 40 pounds because I just don't think more weight is going to negatively affect his basketball skill.

But I very much believe more weight is going to be critical to him being able to play as an NBA big man.

[Def Swami]

I think Haliburton is great and I think he could fit in quite well with Fultz. I'm very interested in him and Hayes.

I think he's my favorite player in the draft. I'm a little skeptical of the shooting stroke, but it goes in. Along with Hayes, I'd take him before both Edwards and Ball.

[tiderulz]

I think Haliburton is great and I think he could fit in quite well with Fultz. I'm very interested in him and Hayes.

I think he's my favorite player in the draft. I'm a little skeptical of the shooting stroke, but it goes in. Along with Hayes, I'd take him before both Edwards and Ball.

wow, NBAdraft.net has his comparisons as Lonzo Ball/Dante Exum.