2021 NBA Draft Thread

[ThunderBolt]

Greg Brown has really improved after a slow start. He's a guy outside the top 5 main guys that is very talented. One of the better athletes in the draft.

[getrichordie]

Don't know if I already mentioned this guy, but Both Gach out of Minnesota is a incredibly interesting second round target.

[jambalaya]

Boston over-ranked (and likely way over-ranked) by Vecenie and Schmitz. Same with Z Williams probably before season and more certainly at this point.

The "potential" assigners / freaks over do it a lot.

[ThunderBolt]

He seems to have a passes each game that impress me.

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[thedoppelganger]

Vecenie released his latest mock this morning, lottery rankings and Thunder picks below (his standings projections are based on over/under win totals).

1 - Cade (OKC)
2 - Suggs
3 - Mobley
4 - Kuminga
5 - Jalen Green
6 - Ziaire Williams
7 - Scottie Barnes
8 - James Bouknight
9 - Corey Kispert
10 - Jalen Johnson
11 - Keon Johnson
12 - David Johnson
13 - Moses Moody (OKC via HOU)
14 - Kai Jones

Other OKC picks
31 - Jared Butler (Baylor)
37 - Davion Mitchell (Baylor)
53 - David Duke (Providence)

[Dadouv47]

Vecenie released his latest mock this morning, lottery rankings and Thunder picks below (his standings projections are based on over/under win totals).

1 - Cade (OKC)
2 - Suggs
3 - Mobley
4 - Kuminga
5 - Jalen Green
6 - Ziaire Williams
7 - Scottie Barnes
8 - James Bouknight
9 - Corey Kispert
10 - Jalen Johnson
11 - Keon Johnson
12 - David Johnson
13 - Moses Moody (OKC via HOU)
14 - Kai Jones

Other OKC picks
31 - Jared Butler (Baylor)
37 - Davion Mitchell (Baylor)
53 - David Duke (Providence)

I'm fine with a top 3 pick and the #13 pick.

I would pick Kuminga over Mobley at 3 but not so sure..

We badly need a top 5 pick (or top 4 ideally)

[thedoppelganger]

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Watched most of this game last night, and it really stood out how Mobley can alternate between being invisible for stretches to completely taking over. He'll need to put some weight on ASAP, was getting tossed around a bit and sealed off in the post by the Arizona freshman a number of times.

[ThunderBolt]

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Watched most of this game last night, and it really stood out how Mobley can alternate between being invisible for stretches to completely taking over. He'll need to put some weight on ASAP, was getting tossed around a bit and sealed off in the post by the Arizona freshman a number of times.

I think his floor is pretty high but I see what you mean. I'm still pretty high on him however after reading Vecenie's article, Kai Jones is an intriguing prospect. Mobley is the only big I would take in the top 5 but there are some guys later in the draft that seem like good prospects.

[retrobro90]

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Watched most of this game last night, and it really stood out how Mobley can alternate between being invisible for stretches to completely taking over. He'll need to put some weight on ASAP, was getting tossed around a bit and sealed off in the post by the Arizona freshman a number of times.

I think I'm slowly falling off the Mobley as a top 5 pick train even if his floor is maybe higher than guys like Suggs/Green/Kuminga. Think he's incredibly talented and is probably going to be a key foundational piece for any team that drafts him but I just don't see the necessary tools as a self creator for him to be in the Jokic/Embiid/AD tier of best player on a good team centers. It's clear he's going to be able to block shots, shoot 3s and make passes out of the short roll but his overall need for a table setter is what concerns me most. I think the physicality stuff with him will come with any NBA strength and conditioning program (though he will surely never reach the requisite strength to bang with the leagues enforcers at the 5) but the lack of that instinctual bucket getting mentality/feel makes me think he's destined to either be a high level role player or a bottom tier all star.

[retrobro90]

Also looks like FSU will be back tomorrow. Excited to watch Barnes again. I think I mentioned this much earlier in the thread but Barnes is still my favorite prospect outside of the top 5. Think his athleticism/defense is really getting undersold by evaluators (mostly those on the draft board) who've been spoiled by watching Giannis these past few years.

[ThunderBolt]

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Watched most of this game last night, and it really stood out how Mobley can alternate between being invisible for stretches to completely taking over. He'll need to put some weight on ASAP, was getting tossed around a bit and sealed off in the post by the Arizona freshman a number of times.

I think I'm slowly falling off the Mobley as a top 5 pick train even if his floor is maybe higher than guys like Suggs/Green/Kuminga. Think he's incredibly talented and is probably going to be a key foundational piece for any team that drafts him but I just don't see the necessary tools as a self creator for him to be in the Jokic/Embiid/AD tier of best player on a good team centers. It's clear he's going to be able to block shots, shoot 3s and make passes out of the short roll but his overall need for a table setter is what concerns me most. I think the physicality stuff with him will come with any NBA strength and conditioning program (though he will surely never reach the requisite strength to bang with the leagues enforcers at the 5) but the lack of that instinctual bucket getting mentality/feel makes me think he's destined to either be a high level role player or a bottom tier all star.

Banned.

[ThunderBolt]

Spoiler:

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Watched most of this game last night, and it really stood out how Mobley can alternate between being invisible for stretches to completely taking over. He'll need to put some weight on ASAP, was getting tossed around a bit and sealed off in the post by the Arizona freshman a number of times.

I think I'm slowly falling off the Mobley as a top 5 pick train even if his floor is maybe higher than guys like Suggs/Green/Kuminga. Think he's incredibly talented and is probably going to be a key foundational piece for any team that drafts him but I just don't see the necessary tools as a self creator for him to be in the Jokic/Embiid/AD tier of best player on a good team centers. It's clear he's going to be able to block shots, shoot 3s and make passes out of the short roll but his overall need for a table setter is what concerns me most. I think the physicality stuff with him will come with any NBA strength and conditioning program (though he will surely never reach the requisite strength to bang with the leagues enforcers at the 5) but the lack of that instinctual bucket getting mentality/feel makes me think he's destined to either be a high level role player or a bottom tier all star.

Banned.

In all seriousness, I do see some of that. Part of it is I don’t think usc does a good job involving him at times. Some of that is probably his own fault but I think the coach needs to do a better job making sure he gets touches. I personally really like his hook shot. I probably would put him third right now behind Cade and Suggs. I am holding Green and Kuminga at 4&5 but it’s hard to say until I see them. I think Cade and Mobley have the highest floors but I could see both of them coming in to the league and making an immediate impact but not making a huge jump after the first couple of years. I’m also on the Scottie Barnes bandwagon.

[retrobro90]

Read on Twitter

Watched most of this game last night, and it really stood out how Mobley can alternate between being invisible for stretches to completely taking over. He'll need to put some weight on ASAP, was getting tossed around a bit and sealed off in the post by the Arizona freshman a number of times.

I think I'm slowly falling off the Mobley as a top 5 pick train even if his floor is maybe higher than guys like Suggs/Green/Kuminga. Think he's incredibly talented and is probably going to be a key foundational piece for any team that drafts him but I just don't see the necessary tools as a self creator for him to be in the Jokic/Embiid/AD tier of best player on a good team centers. It's clear he's going to be able to block shots, shoot 3s and make passes out of the short roll but his overall need for a table setter is what concerns me most. I think the physicality stuff with him will come with any NBA strength and conditioning program (though he will surely never reach the requisite strength to bang with the leagues enforcers at the 5) but the lack of that instinctual bucket getting mentality/feel makes me think he's destined to either be a high level role player or a bottom tier all star.

Banned.

Tough but fair.

[retrobro90]

Spoiler:

I think I'm slowly falling off the Mobley as a top 5 pick train even if his floor is maybe higher than guys like Suggs/Green/Kuminga. Think he's incredibly talented and is probably going to be a key foundational piece for any team that drafts him but I just don't see the necessary tools as a self creator for him to be in the Jokic/Embiid/AD tier of best player on a good team centers. It's clear he's going to be able to block shots, shoot 3s and make passes out of the short roll but his overall need for a table setter is what concerns me most. I think the physicality stuff with him will come with any NBA strength and conditioning program (though he will surely never reach the requisite strength to bang with the leagues enforcers at the 5) but the lack of that instinctual bucket getting mentality/feel makes me think he's destined to either be a high level role player or a bottom tier all star.

Banned.

In all seriousness, I do see some of that. Part of it is I don’t think usc does a good job involving him at times. Some of that is probably his own fault but I think the coach needs to do a better job making sure he gets touches. I personally really like his hook shot. I probably would put him third right now behind Cade and Suggs. I am holding Green and Kuminga at 4&5 but it’s hard to say until I see them. I think Cade and Mobley have the highest floors but I could see both of them coming in to the league and making an immediate impact but not making a huge jump after the first couple of years. I’m also on the Scottie Barnes bandwagon.

In regards to his hook I agree he has nice touch on it as well as his floater. As far as the USC coaching staff I have no real idea so I won't speak on that. I think though when we're projecting Mobley's role as a self creator that there isn't enough in his tool box to initiate a team's offense or at least be a primary guy for stretches where the offense is running THROUGH him. Guys like Jokic/Sabonis can operate delay sets on the secondary break and they're often tasked to quarterback DHOs/post ups the way guard/wing initiators are tasked to play through triple threat. Even though Mobley has demonstrated excellent pass vision I don't see teams handing him the ball on the wing or the extended elbow and letting him go to work the way the Nugs/Cers do with the aforementioned bigs. Should go without saying I don't see Mobley becoming the master screen setter those bigs are either (and he's just not the kind of player that AD/Embiid are so not worth it for me to compare/contrast there). Right now I think Mobley's advantages are all mostly as a play finisher. But like I said, I think the kid is extremely talented. He's thin of frame but supremely nimble. The vision is there. The touch on his J and around the rim is there. He's got the instincts and measurables to be a great rim protector. I just think if OKC is drafting in the top 5 that I'd rather have someone with more foundation as an initiator and I don't see enough of that with Mobley. If they have pick 8 and he slides there then I'm more than happy to take what will more than likely be a starting center with all star potential.

[thedoppelganger]

As an Oklahoma State fan, watching this team get a lead on anyone with a pulse is akin to how Clippers fans must have felt any time they had a lead in the Nuggets series last year. So many huge blown leads, but they pulled this one out at least due to an insane play by Cade at the end.

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[Old Man Game]

As an Oklahoma State fan, watching this team get a lead on anyone with a pulse is akin to how Clippers fans must have felt any time they had a lead in the Nuggets series last year. So many huge blown leads, but they pulled this one out at least due to an insane play by Cade at the end.

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That's unreal. One of the best OSU highlights ever perhaps.

From another angle.

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[Dadouv47]

Gonna be painful if we don't get Cade...and we will only have 14% at best

[Old Man Game]

Gonna be painful if we don't get Cade...and we will only have 14% at best

More dribble drives for Poku, Coach. We demand it!

[namlede]

Cade can do it all.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using RealGM mobile app

[ThunderBolt]

Although disappointing if we don’t get a top 5 pick, I think I’ve talked myself in to being content if we get Scottie Barnes. He’s such a unique player.