2020 NBA Draft Thread

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Are you happy with the Thunder’s draft night decisions?

Poll ended at Thu Nov 19, 2020 7:08 pm

Yes
4
36%
No
2
18%
Not sure
5
45%
 
Total votes: 11

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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#541 » by ThunderBolt » Thu Nov 19, 2020 7:38 pm

How much oh the draft philosophy changed with Troy weavers departure?
bisme37 wrote:If there were magnets in basketballs so strong they changed the path of the ball as it flew through the air, wouldn't the ball then stick magnetically to the rim when it got there?
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#542 » by spearsy23 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 7:53 pm

mr570 wrote:
spearsy23 wrote:
ThunderBolt wrote:There aren’t many guys in this draft I would have felt much more excited about. Wiseman? Ya. A few others too but not a lot. I like Patrick Williams and he went to the bulls even though he was a bench player for fsu. His sample size is small too.

I guess it depends on what you mean by excited. I'm excited for Maledon because I've kept tabs on him and see a potential NBA player. I would've been excited for Anthony because he's been such a great player right up until an injury riddled season in a poor situation. Most guys you've at least seen flashes and have an idea that they might be able to build off the base they have. With Poku there isn't much there, unless maybe someone has been watching him and can correct me? The highlights aren't stellar, the stats are pretty bad in a bad league (from what I remember he was sub 50% on 2's and 32% on threes), and i haven't seen enough of him to feel like he's flashed. I'm hopeful that he works out, and obviously the thunder have a much better idea of him than me, but it's hard to find something to really be excited about.

Well with Poku you'e projecting right? You're not drafting the player he is right now. You're drafting the player he could be in four years. He doesn't have eye-popping stats or the highlight tape that guys like Westbrook or KD had because he's just not close to his potential yet.

I just don't feel like there's much to base a projection off of. He's going to be good because he's tall and can run/jump is not my idea of a good time. Not many draft hits have had that as their predraft baseline.
“If you're getting stops and you're making threes and the other team's not scoring, that's when you're going to see a huge point difference there,” coach Billy Donovan said.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#543 » by spearsy23 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 7:55 pm

ThunderBolt wrote:How much oh the draft philosophy changed with Troy weavers departure?

Still drafting tall white guys so at least not completely.

Real answer, doesn't seem like much. We've been trending euro the last few years, and we've always liked combo guards.
“If you're getting stops and you're making threes and the other team's not scoring, that's when you're going to see a huge point difference there,” coach Billy Donovan said.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#544 » by Balkman32 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:15 pm

Poku and Maledon are both coming over this year and will be on the roster this season per Givony on the Lowe Post.

The Thunder might want to keep around Adams & Horford to help with this kids development.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#545 » by spearsy23 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:45 pm

Balkman32 wrote:Poku and Maledon are both coming over this year and will be on the roster this season per Givony on the Lowe Post.

The Thunder might want to keep around Adams & Horford to help with this kids development.

Steven Adams will be his calorie development coach.
“If you're getting stops and you're making threes and the other team's not scoring, that's when you're going to see a huge point difference there,” coach Billy Donovan said.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#546 » by ThunderBolt » Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:56 pm

Horford would be a good development guy for someone like Poku if Al were willing to do it. I don’t see what Steven is going to do. Poku isn’t going to be setting killer screens and doing the worlds slowest post ups.
bisme37 wrote:If there were magnets in basketballs so strong they changed the path of the ball as it flew through the air, wouldn't the ball then stick magnetically to the rim when it got there?
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#547 » by ThunderBolt » Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:14 pm

Read on Twitter
bisme37 wrote:If there were magnets in basketballs so strong they changed the path of the ball as it flew through the air, wouldn't the ball then stick magnetically to the rim when it got there?
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#548 » by Dadouv47 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:18 pm

Yeah I definitely hate that trade. Huge overpay for Poku
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#549 » by spearsy23 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 9:36 pm

jake_swivel wrote:
spearsy23 wrote:One final bit of negativity from me. I think there's some validity to asking who does a guy look like, and what successful player does poku remind you of?


Circling back to this. All I’ve seen are highlights which is a terrible way to judge a prospect. And what I’m about to say is ridiculous, but I will anyways. He doesn’t remind me of giannis. He reminds me of a less offensively skilled, more defensively minded (at least to start his career) Durant. He’s more fluid than explosive. He’s extremely comfortable passing and dribbling. Has flair and confidence. If you’re ok with comparing jokic to gasol, I think this is an appropriately leveled reach. Youngest dude in the draft with the most room to improve on his body.

He’s already lifting. There are clips of him doing so in a highlight video. That’s encouraging. But his form is really bad. I want him in a better strength program so he doesn’t hurt himself. I’d prefer he was stashed for a year or two, but not if the current strength program is the one he’d be in. I don’t think he needs to add 40 pounds. 25 seems more realistic. I really doubt being a physical player is in his future. He’s a stretch 4.

I love the pick given the context of this draft. Love the big swings on all the picks. I think presti should gamble with a lot of the upcoming picks and be ok with whiffing.

Again, I’ve just seen highlights but I like all the picks.

I don't see anything resembling Durant besides the size. If I'm really stretching out for a BCS comp maybe Lamar odom?
“If you're getting stops and you're making threes and the other team's not scoring, that's when you're going to see a huge point difference there,” coach Billy Donovan said.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#550 » by jake_swivel » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:29 pm

Are you guys thinking poku will actually be a center? I don’t see it at all except when the other team is going small ball.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#551 » by spearsy23 » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:51 pm

jake_swivel wrote:Are you guys thinking poku will actually be a center? I don’t see it at all except when the other team is going small ball.

I'd figure a 4. The best case is he's athletic and skilled enough to play the 3, but that seems REALLY optimistic.
“If you're getting stops and you're making threes and the other team's not scoring, that's when you're going to see a huge point difference there,” coach Billy Donovan said.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#552 » by ThunderBolt » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:10 pm

spearsy23 wrote:
jake_swivel wrote:Are you guys thinking poku will actually be a center? I don’t see it at all except when the other team is going small ball.

I'd figure a 4. The best case is he's athletic and skilled enough to play the 3, but that seems REALLY optimistic.

Either a 3 or 4. However a lot of the offense in Boston ran through horford. I think that’s where horford can help in ways Adams can’t.
bisme37 wrote:If there were magnets in basketballs so strong they changed the path of the ball as it flew through the air, wouldn't the ball then stick magnetically to the rim when it got there?
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#553 » by Old Man Game » Thu Nov 19, 2020 11:37 pm

I'm much more excited about Maledon than Poku at this point. He looks the part of someone significantly closer to actually being able to go against NBA regulars in the near term. Poku, all I can say is they've got 15 million draft picks so what the hell. If he's Euro Bruno Caboclo then there's always next year.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#554 » by ThunderBolt » Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:43 am

Old Man Game wrote:I'm much more excited about Maledon than Poku at this point. He looks the part of someone significantly closer to actually being able to go against NBA regulars in the near term. Poku, all I can say is they've got 15 million draft picks so what the hell. If he's Euro Bruno Caboclo then there's always next year.

I know it sounds like the laziest comp ever but he really does look like Parker in his highlights.
bisme37 wrote:If there were magnets in basketballs so strong they changed the path of the ball as it flew through the air, wouldn't the ball then stick magnetically to the rim when it got there?
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#555 » by jake_swivel » Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:44 am

spearsy23 wrote:I don't see anything resembling Durant besides the size. If I'm really stretching out for a BCS comp maybe Lamar odom?


I thought the original question was asking who a player looks like. Their body shapes are pretty similar. But he looks like Odom, too. I think he looks about as much like them as Jokic looked like Gasol.

In terms of similarity of their games, Odom seems like a better comparison than Durant. I think Poku is less athletic than both of them. I actually think his handle might be better than Durant's was at that age. But that's probably the only thing he's better at.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#556 » by jake_swivel » Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:45 am

ThunderBolt wrote: I know it sounds like the laziest comp ever but he really does look like Parker in his highlights.


I think he looks more like Shai than Parker. Tony was a lot quicker than him, I thought.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#557 » by ThunderBolt » Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:47 am

jake_swivel wrote:
ThunderBolt wrote: I know it sounds like the laziest comp ever but he really does look like Parker in his highlights.


I think he looks more like Shai than Parker. Tony was a lot quicker than him, I thought.

From the highlights I’ve seen he’s a much better passer than shai. I do agree that Parker was much quicker.
bisme37 wrote:If there were magnets in basketballs so strong they changed the path of the ball as it flew through the air, wouldn't the ball then stick magnetically to the rim when it got there?
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#558 » by spearsy23 » Fri Nov 20, 2020 1:16 am

jake_swivel wrote:
spearsy23 wrote:I don't see anything resembling Durant besides the size. If I'm really stretching out for a BCS comp maybe Lamar odom?


I thought the original question was asking who a player looks like. Their body shapes are pretty similar. But he looks like Odom, too. I think he looks about as much like them as Jokic looked like Gasol.

In terms of similarity of their games, Odom seems like a better comparison than Durant. I think Poku is less athletic than both of them. I actually think his handle might be better than Durant's Was at that age. But that's probably the only thing he's better at.

Oh,I meant looks as in total package, body type, athleticism, skillset.
“If you're getting stops and you're making threes and the other team's not scoring, that's when you're going to see a huge point difference there,” coach Billy Donovan said.
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#559 » by a-French-Fan » Fri Nov 20, 2020 9:14 am

OKC made very good choices with Pokusevski and Malédon. Vit Krejci, I had never heard about him before draft, I only follow euroleague, french championships and french prospects abroad. Maybe someone who follows spanish championships may help us to understand this choice.

Poku:
Last year he was only playing in greek second division. Seen his body, this is a normal that Olympiacos didn't give him minutes to play in Euroleague. (he played one or two minutes once last year I guess. Maybe an Oly's follower could help). He had interesting stats in greek second division at 17 years old. I'm only worried about his 2pts % (.404). But he is a 18 years (born in december) old seven footer able to shot 3 pts, able to run ... so he is a very very good prospect. Not a NBA player for now, but OKC drafted a very very interesting profile. So let him some time, and you will say in 3 years: "We really got him with 17th pick? what a steal!"

Théo:
I was really disappointed for him, but finally I am happy to see him going to OKC.
Disappointed because #34 is a true scandal. His level is really close to Hayes' level. When Malédon was called with french national team last summer, Hayes was called with U20 national team (he refused, so was suspended, and then went to Ulm because). But ASVEL's aim was to win french championship and to win a maximum of euroleague last year, while Ulm's aim was to be the german KK Mega Leks (so it was to make Hayes drafted higher as possible). At the first mistake Théo was sent to the bench by Mitrovic, while Lakovic could let Killian on the court with 8 turnovers. Moreover, it is like if euroleague and eurocup was the same competition for NBA GMs...

However, Théo is a OKC's player now, and this is a true steal for OKC. His potential his huge. He has proved a lot of things with his first pro year (18 minutes a game in a top eurocup team with a coach that bench you when you make only one mistake). For his second pro year, after a month with french NT, he didn"t go to the world cup, but he joined ASVEL at end of the training camp. Then he had an injury, and when he reached his level COVID happened. And if you watch last ASVEL's games, you will understand that ASVEL game was improving with Malédon and Strazel as leaders! But COVID happened, and GM's only remember this unlucky second year and felt at #34 position. Moreover he is quite shy out the court, and with a virtual pre-draft process that was bad for him.
Finally, he was more alleviated than happy when he heard his name, but he was not disappointed like RJ Hampton. believe me he was certainly thinking: "let's see on the court if I am a second rounder".

So, see you in 3 months to see if OKC made a huge steal. I believe so.
Frank Ntilikina is a play-off player, but he goes to the Hornets.

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Ntilikina - Malédon - Hayes
Coulibaly - De Colo
TLC - Rupert or Risacher
Wembanyama- Yabusele
Embiid- Poirier - Lessort [without Embiid: Fall]
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Re: 2020 NBA Draft Thread 

Post#560 » by WestbrookGOATed » Fri Nov 20, 2020 10:02 am

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Curious to see what we do with him. I think he's a great defender and a pretty cool dude overall. Could be a good mentor. But I bet we send him to a playoff team by the trade deadline for some kind of draft compensation lol.

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