2020 NBA Draft Thread

[FlatearthZorro]

I'm really not familiar with this year's draft, but judging by Danny's drafting, I wouldn't want him to draft 2-3 guys. I'd rather have him combined all the picks and get into the top 10 and go for a PG or a big man who's around 6'10 tall.

[Bleeding Green]

Ayo for all the good work we’ve been doing becoming draft experts this is a depressing reminder that we’re 99% drafting Cole Anthony...

I can only get so erect. A point guard who doesn't have to get double-checked at the height requirement sign at Disney.

[SmartWentCrazy]

I'm just the messenger here, lol. I don't see Wiseman going 2nd either.
CHA could trade out if they don't want Ball. 8 & future first or something.

Hard to watch the NBA this year and conclude that you should use a high pick on a big man. I see him dropping.

right? AD, Bam and Jokic are dime a dozen. As are Embid, Ayton, KAT, JJJ, Porzingis and Gobert. Too funny. When you have the opportunity to draft a skilled big and you are in the Eastern Conference, especially, where there aren't any besides Embid, you'd be stupid to pass on the two legit studs at the top of this draft.

None of these bigs project to be like Bam Jokic AD or Embiid. And wake me up when those other bigs do anything worth a damn in this league.

Hint: none of em even lead their teams beyond round 1 [if they even made the playoffs] despite playing with elite options on the perimeter. That should tell you something.

[AgentGreen]

Could Patrick Williams become a taller version of Marcus Smart?

I like Jalen Smith's defense and shooting ability a lot which compliments Brad's system. Teams will be concerned that we have a big who can knock the 3 consistently as well.

But if Williams has the upside to become a taller version of Smart then there is no doubt in my mind, if we go PF, that he should be the pick at 14.

[Celticsfromda6]

Could Patrick Williams become a taller version of Marcus Smart?

I like Jalen Smith's defense and shooting ability a lot which compliments Brad's system. Teams will be concerned that we have a big who can knock the 3 consistently as well.

But if Williams has the upside to become a taller version of Smart then there is no doubt in my mind, if we go PF, that he should be the pick at 14.

definitely Jalen Smith is upgrade to Daniel Theis, and you would have to 2 rim protectors Smith and Robert Williams you can rotate easily.

[100proof]

Hard to watch the NBA this year and conclude that you should use a high pick on a big man. I see him dropping.

Agreed. Semi-related..... I feel the same way about all the short scoring point guards. How are they gonna be any more playable then Kemba? Our D has been wrecked by the Heat hunting him out. He's dropping 20/game, but is at best neutral, if not a negative out there. And he's putting in great effort, it's not like he's dogging it on D or anything. He's just too short and light.

For me, any of the Lewis, Maxey, Anthony, Terry group would have to be legit elite on offense to justify the pick. If they end up Dame, great. But if not, you're talking ride them when they're hot off the bench as long as the abuse down the other end isn't too bad territory during the playoffs. And most guys aren't Dame. RJ has the size at least, maybe one of the other dudes is strong enough to be like a Lowry and stay out there. I dunno.

Am I wrong here?

Lewis is 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan.

Is a better on ball defender than off ball as he can get caught looking when playing off ball defense. Has the speed to close gaps quickly. Doesnt always fully commit to contesting shots.

He needs some coaching on defense, but he is already Kemba level just based on his speed and on his wingspan/size. If he improves under stevens similarly to Kemba and Kyrie before him then he will be well above average defensively.


And on Kemba, IMO, he has always been the wrong PG for this team.

[SmartWentCrazy]

Hard to watch the NBA this year and conclude that you should use a high pick on a big man. I see him dropping.

Agreed. Semi-related..... I feel the same way about all the short scoring point guards. How are they gonna be any more playable then Kemba? Our D has been wrecked by the Heat hunting him out. He's dropping 20/game, but is at best neutral, if not a negative out there. And he's putting in great effort, it's not like he's dogging it on D or anything. He's just too short and light.

For me, any of the Lewis, Maxey, Anthony, Terry group would have to be legit elite on offense to justify the pick. If they end up Dame, great. But if not, you're talking ride them when they're hot off the bench as long as the abuse down the other end isn't too bad territory during the playoffs. And most guys aren't Dame. RJ has the size at least, maybe one of the other dudes is strong enough to be like a Lowry and stay out there. I dunno.

Am I wrong here?

Lewis is 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan.

Is a better on ball defender than off ball as he can get caught looking when playing off ball defense. Has the speed to close gaps quickly. Doesnt always fully commit to contesting shots.

He needs some coaching on defense, but he is already Kemba level just based on his speed and on his wingspan/size. If he improves under stevens similarly to Kemba and Kyrie before him then he will be well above average defensively.


And on Kemba, IMO, he has always been the wrong PG for this team.

I see 6’3 with a 6’5.5 wingspan:

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/03/06/kira-lewis-scouting-report/

His biggest problem is that he weighs 165. That size wont cut it on a switch vs a bigger wing. It also hinders him on offense— he only shot 57.9% at the rim.

[100proof]

Agreed. Semi-related..... I feel the same way about all the short scoring point guards. How are they gonna be any more playable then Kemba? Our D has been wrecked by the Heat hunting him out. He's dropping 20/game, but is at best neutral, if not a negative out there. And he's putting in great effort, it's not like he's dogging it on D or anything. He's just too short and light.

For me, any of the Lewis, Maxey, Anthony, Terry group would have to be legit elite on offense to justify the pick. If they end up Dame, great. But if not, you're talking ride them when they're hot off the bench as long as the abuse down the other end isn't too bad territory during the playoffs. And most guys aren't Dame. RJ has the size at least, maybe one of the other dudes is strong enough to be like a Lowry and stay out there. I dunno.

Am I wrong here?

Lewis is 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan.

Is a better on ball defender than off ball as he can get caught looking when playing off ball defense. Has the speed to close gaps quickly. Doesnt always fully commit to contesting shots.

He needs some coaching on defense, but he is already Kemba level just based on his speed and on his wingspan/size. If he improves under stevens similarly to Kemba and Kyrie before him then he will be well above average defensively.


And on Kemba, IMO, he has always been the wrong PG for this team.

I see 6’3 with a 6’5.5 wingspan:

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/03/06/kira-lewis-scouting-report/

His biggest problem is that he weighs 165. That size wont cut it on a switch vs a bigger wing. It also hinders him on offense— he only shot 57.9% at the rim.

Estimated 6’3.5″ height with a +4-inch wingspan differential
Estimated 37.0-37.5″ maximum vertical leap

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/12/07/kira-lewis-jr-scouting-report/

Says he has a +4 inch wingspan. Am I missing something?

And Fox is 6foot3 175. I think he will fill out some too, as he is currently only 18? or 19.

Give him a year off the bench to get stronger and learn the NBA game and he will be a brilliant change of pace guard for the team.

[SmartWentCrazy]

Lewis is 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan.

Is a better on ball defender than off ball as he can get caught looking when playing off ball defense. Has the speed to close gaps quickly. Doesnt always fully commit to contesting shots.

He needs some coaching on defense, but he is already Kemba level just based on his speed and on his wingspan/size. If he improves under stevens similarly to Kemba and Kyrie before him then he will be well above average defensively.


And on Kemba, IMO, he has always been the wrong PG for this team.

I see 6’3 with a 6’5.5 wingspan:

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/03/06/kira-lewis-scouting-report/

His biggest problem is that he weighs 165. That size wont cut it on a switch vs a bigger wing. It also hinders him on offense— he only shot 57.9% at the rim.

Estimated 6’3.5″ height with a +4-inch wingspan differential
Estimated 37.0-37.5″ maximum vertical leap

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/12/07/kira-lewis-jr-scouting-report/

Says he has a +4 inch wingspan. Am I missing something?

And Fox is 6foot3 175. I think he will fill out some too, as he is currently only 18? or 19.

Guessing the most recent report has the better data— the link I posted was from March 2020; yours used estimated data from December 2019.

Its possible he’s grown wingspan wise— the measurement was from 2017. However, the 6’3 height is just his listed Alabama height and I’d guess he’s closer to 6’1 barefoot, if not a shade below.

[100proof]

I see 6’3 with a 6’5.5 wingspan:

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/03/06/kira-lewis-scouting-report/

His biggest problem is that he weighs 165. That size wont cut it on a switch vs a bigger wing. It also hinders him on offense— he only shot 57.9% at the rim.

Estimated 6’3.5″ height with a +4-inch wingspan differential
Estimated 37.0-37.5″ maximum vertical leap

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/12/07/kira-lewis-jr-scouting-report/

Says he has a +4 inch wingspan. Am I missing something?

And Fox is 6foot3 175. I think he will fill out some too, as he is currently only 18? or 19.

Guessing the most recent report has the better data— the link I posted was from March 2020; yours used estimated data from December 2019.

Yeah, checked some other sites, looking more like 6-5

interesting.

He is my second choice though just the same at 14, with the first being Hallibuton. See him being alot like Brogdon. Well I guess my third or 4th choice. I have Edwards and Wiseman as choices 1 and 2 .

[TheMartian]

I like Jalen Smith at 14 if he's still available. God knows how much we need a big taller than 6'8". Adding another athletic big who can defend and shoot the 3 to compliment Theis and Timelord would be a welcome addition.

[djFan71]

Spoiler:

Agreed. Semi-related..... I feel the same way about all the short scoring point guards. How are they gonna be any more playable then Kemba? Our D has been wrecked by the Heat hunting him out. He's dropping 20/game, but is at best neutral, if not a negative out there. And he's putting in great effort, it's not like he's dogging it on D or anything. He's just too short and light.

For me, any of the Lewis, Maxey, Anthony, Terry group would have to be legit elite on offense to justify the pick. If they end up Dame, great. But if not, you're talking ride them when they're hot off the bench as long as the abuse down the other end isn't too bad territory during the playoffs. And most guys aren't Dame. RJ has the size at least, maybe one of the other dudes is strong enough to be like a Lowry and stay out there. I dunno.

Am I wrong here?

Lewis is 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan.

Is a better on ball defender than off ball as he can get caught looking when playing off ball defense. Has the speed to close gaps quickly. Doesnt always fully commit to contesting shots.

He needs some coaching on defense, but he is already Kemba level just based on his speed and on his wingspan/size. If he improves under stevens similarly to Kemba and Kyrie before him then he will be well above average defensively.


And on Kemba, IMO, he has always been the wrong PG for this team.

I see 6’3 with a 6’5.5 wingspan:

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/03/06/kira-lewis-scouting-report/

His biggest problem is that he weighs 165. That size wont cut it on a switch vs a bigger wing. It also hinders him on offense— he only shot 57.9% at the rim.

Yeah, that's it for me. Whereas Ringer says this about Maxey:

Excellent on-ball defender with a strong frame and long arms. He plays hard, shifts his feet, and flips his hips to move well laterally and defend pick-and-rolls. He’s strong enough to power through screens or defend larger wings.

Off-ball defense: Stays engaged, rotates well, and anticipates where the ball will be to beat opponents to their spots.

If Lewis ends up being elite offensively and puts on weight, etc, then sure. But:

Not a switchable defender due to his size: He’s incredibly light, and lacks a frame to support much more weight.

[SmartWentCrazy]

Spoiler:

Lewis is 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan.

Is a better on ball defender than off ball as he can get caught looking when playing off ball defense. Has the speed to close gaps quickly. Doesnt always fully commit to contesting shots.

He needs some coaching on defense, but he is already Kemba level just based on his speed and on his wingspan/size. If he improves under stevens similarly to Kemba and Kyrie before him then he will be well above average defensively.


And on Kemba, IMO, he has always been the wrong PG for this team.

I see 6’3 with a 6’5.5 wingspan:

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/03/06/kira-lewis-scouting-report/

His biggest problem is that he weighs 165. That size wont cut it on a switch vs a bigger wing. It also hinders him on offense— he only shot 57.9% at the rim.

Yeah, that's it for me. Whereas Ringer says this about Maxey:

Excellent on-ball defender with a strong frame and long arms. He plays hard, shifts his feet, and flips his hips to move well laterally and defend pick-and-rolls. He’s strong enough to power through screens or defend larger wings.

Off-ball defense: Stays engaged, rotates well, and anticipates where the ball will be to beat opponents to their spots.

If Lewis ends up being elite offensively and puts on weight, etc, then sure. But:

Not a switchable defender due to his size: He’s incredibly light, and lacks a frame to support much more weight.

Maxey is a fighter. Dude is 190 and gets after it hard. No doubt he holds up physically at the next level.

[100proof]

Spoiler:

I see 6’3 with a 6’5.5 wingspan:

https://www.thestepien.com/2020/03/06/kira-lewis-scouting-report/

His biggest problem is that he weighs 165. That size wont cut it on a switch vs a bigger wing. It also hinders him on offense— he only shot 57.9% at the rim.

Yeah, that's it for me. Whereas Ringer says this about Maxey:

Excellent on-ball defender with a strong frame and long arms. He plays hard, shifts his feet, and flips his hips to move well laterally and defend pick-and-rolls. He’s strong enough to power through screens or defend larger wings.

Off-ball defense: Stays engaged, rotates well, and anticipates where the ball will be to beat opponents to their spots.

If Lewis ends up being elite offensively and puts on weight, etc, then sure. But:

Not a switchable defender due to his size: He’s incredibly light, and lacks a frame to support much more weight.

Maxey is a fighter. Dude is 190 and gets after it hard. No doubt he holds up physically at the next level.

Does maxey last to 14? and he is a terrible shooter.

Edit to Add:

I take RJ Hampton 10/10 times over Maxey.

[SmartWentCrazy]

Yeah, that's it for me. Whereas Ringer says this about Maxey:


If Lewis ends up being elite offensively and puts on weight, etc, then sure. But:

Maxey is a fighter. Dude is 190 and gets after it hard. No doubt he holds up physically at the next level.

Does maxey last to 14? and he is a terrible shooter.

Edit to Add:

I take RJ Hampton 10/10 times over Maxey.

He’s not a terrible shooter; he had a bad 20 game stretch.

In HS, he shot 35% on over 600 attempts. He shot 83%+ from the line. He’ll be fine at the next level.

[djFan71]

Maxey is a fighter. Dude is 190 and gets after it hard. No doubt he holds up physically at the next level.

Does maxey last to 14? and he is a terrible shooter.

Edit to Add:

I take RJ Hampton 10/10 times over Maxey.

What if you had 11 chances?
Not that mocks are ever right, but it seems like both Maxey and RJ fall into the vast wasteland between 14 and 26 in all the ones I've seen.

[100proof]

Maxey is a fighter. Dude is 190 and gets after it hard. No doubt he holds up physically at the next level.

Does maxey last to 14? and he is a terrible shooter.

Edit to Add:

I take RJ Hampton 10/10 times over Maxey.

He’s not a terrible shooter; he had a bad 20 game stretch.

In HS, he shot 35% on over 600 attempts. He shot 83%+ from the line. He’ll be fine at the next level.

People said the same about Romeo.

Give me someone who is more athletic, is stronger, is faster and already shoots with better form. RJ already has a midrange pullup and is perhaps the most lethal of all guards in transition.

[djFan71]

Does maxey last to 14? and he is a terrible shooter.

Edit to Add:

I take RJ Hampton 10/10 times over Maxey.

He’s not a terrible shooter; he had a bad 20 game stretch.

In HS, he shot 35% on over 600 attempts. He shot 83%+ from the line. He’ll be fine at the next level.

People said the same about Romeo.

Give me someone who is more athletic, is stronger, is faster and already shoots with better form. RJ already has a midrange pullup and is perhaps the most lethal of all guards in transition.

I'm in give me none of them mode - sign a DJ Augustine type in FA and load up on young (s)wings in the draft instead. But, if we do take a guard, fine, I just hope they can defend. RJ or Maxey seem like the best options in that respect due to size.

[100proof]

Does maxey last to 14? and he is a terrible shooter.

Edit to Add:

I take RJ Hampton 10/10 times over Maxey.

What if you had 11 chances?
Not that mocks are ever right, but it seems like both Maxey and RJ fall into the vast wasteland between 14 and 26 in all the ones I've seen.

I think RJ might bump up. Might, but I would love to have him at 14. I just think he is getting into the top 10. Both the Knicks and Pistons have already had interviews with him.

SNY's Ian Begley spoke with former NBA shooting specialist Mike Miller, who spent last year as an assistant under Penny Hardaway at Memphis and is now training a potential lottery pick in Hampton. Miller made some noteworthy comments regarding Hampton's shooting, a giant swing skill for the 6'5" combo guard.

"With him and the way he plays, if he shoots—which I'm pretty confident in—in the next two-three years he'll be a high-30s, low-40s percent three-point shooter, he'll be one of the best guards in the league," Miller told Begley.

"The consistencies I've seen with him, the stuff that he's worked on, it's the same stuff that I've worked on with tons of shooters in the league and I've seen the transformation, so I'm not guessing."

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2909528-2020-nba-draft-buying-or-selling-latest-rumors



But then with Danny who know. Might move up or down or draft Jalen Smith at 14 and turn him into Myles Turner.

[SmartWentCrazy]

Does maxey last to 14? and he is a terrible shooter.

Edit to Add:

I take RJ Hampton 10/10 times over Maxey.

He’s not a terrible shooter; he had a bad 20 game stretch.

In HS, he shot 35% on over 600 attempts. He shot 83%+ from the line. He’ll be fine at the next level.

People said the same about Romeo.

Give me someone who is more athletic, is stronger, is faster and already shoots with better form. RJ already has a midrange pullup and is perhaps the most lethal of all guards in transition.

RJ is a worse shooter. Nuclear athlete, but so are many busts like Josh Jackson. No indicators he’ll ever learn how to shoot. Im good.