2021 Draft thread. Woo! 15th pick here we come! Hoo. Ray.

[pcbothwel]

Paul George was a better shooter, but his overall skills were not near what we see today.
And Kuminga is playing against a much deeper group of talents that have hovered around the NBA & professional leagues overseas.
PG was playing Sacramento State, Seattle, Pacific, USC Upstate, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, Houston Baptist, etc.

Either way. It'll be fun to watch moving forward.

[NatP4]

BPM leaders:

1. Jared Butler 13.8
2. Evan Mobley 13.2
3. Luke Garza 12.4
4. Chris Duarte 12.0
5. Jay Huff 11.9
6. Jack Ferguson 11.9
7. Franz Wagner 11.7
8. Neemius Queta 11.6
9. Corey Kispert 11.6
10. Grayson Murphy 11.1
11. Davion Mitchell 11.0
12. Isaiah Livers 10.8
13. Cameron Krutwig 10.5
14. Drew Timme 10.2
15. Jalen Suggs 10.2
16. Gaige Prim 10.1


There are two freshman on this list (Mobley&Suggs), but Wagner is actually younger than both. Duarte really stands out as a guy playing on a pretty weak Oregon team. Gonzaga, Michigan, and Baylor are all loaded.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Jared Butler is the player the Wizards should draft (outside of the top three.)

https://hoopshype.com/2020/05/10/baylor-jared-butler-nba-draft-stock-interview/

When I was in sixth grade, my AAU team was ranked sixth ithe country. The high school I went to, we won three state championships. Two were in basketball and one was in football. During my senior year of high school, our basketball team went 23-0 at one point. I’ve also had success at Baylor. All of my life, no matter where I’ve gone, I’ve always made an impact on winning. I didn’t do it alone – but the personality that I bring, the accountability, the habits – those are the things I bring to the table.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/jared-butler-1.html

Awesome interview. Dude is a winner. Multi sport athlete with older brothers.

When it’s all said and done, I think Mobley, Suggs, Butler, and Wagner end up the 4 best players from this draft.

Ok I'm sold! Definitely liking what I'm seeing! The way he scores when driving to the basket actually reminds me of Beal. But he's so compact and powerful, he reminds me physically more of Lillard. He'd immediately fit in as 3rd guard for a pretty spectacular backcourt especially if Westbrook continues to regain form. Great situation to bring him in with 2 high character vets he can be rotated in with (Beal/Westbrook, Beal/Butler, Butler/Westbrook), as well as the 3-guard push the pace lineups we'd be able to throw at opponents, basically stepping into Neto's role until he's progressed to eventual starter. So I can see that working out well and him being a good draft pick and fit for us, especially if we fall down a bit in the draft.

I also agree I'm underwhelmed with Kuminga. Just my eye-test first impression of him was obviously very athletic, but seems a bit stiff, doesn't have the smoothness and fluidity I like to see.

If we fall out of top 6 I like Barnes, and I'll put Butler and Wagner (if he is in this draft) up there, followed by Jackson and Garuba all as players I'd be happy to see us come away with. All five of these players have a common thread of high motor and high level competitiveness. In the top 5 i want to come away with either Mobley or Suggs.

Watch on YouTube

;t=18s

Watch on YouTube

[payitforward]

...we trot out Jeremy Lamb as a failure and Nic Batum as a success. Lamb has been an objectively better player than Batum....

I like Jeremy Lamb -- he's terrific & is absolutely an underrated player. But, no, he has most certainly not "been an objectively better player than Batum." On his career, he hasn't been nearly as good as Batum. He's also averaged just under 1200 minutes/year, whereas Batum has averaged just under 2000.

This year, so far, is actually Lamb's best year ever: he and Batum are more or less equally productive overall. Yet, even this year, Batum is playing tons more minutes than Lamb.

But... even if Batum has been the better player, so what?

As you point out, Lamb has made a lot less $$ than Batum, & in a salary-capped league, that matters. You can't simply compare players; you have to compare value compared to what you pay for it. That calculation completely evens the field between them.

Over their careers, that is, not this year when Batum, shockingly, was available at the veteran minimum: presumably people thought he was pretty much cooked, this being his 13th year. Hasn't turned out that way.

[nate33]

It's a damn shame that the Gonzaga/Baylor game today was postponed. I would have loved to have seen Suggs versus Butler

[NatP4]

It's a damn shame that the Gonzaga/Baylor game today was postponed. I would have loved to have seen Suggs versus Butler

Oklahoma state/baylor?? I think Gonzaga plays San Diego

[NatP4]

Dosunmu with another triple double today. 19-10–10

[nate33]

It's a damn shame that the Gonzaga/Baylor game today was postponed. I would have loved to have seen Suggs versus Butler

Oklahoma state/baylor?? I think Gonzaga plays San Diego

Yeah. That's what I meant.

[NatP4]

Hard to even evaluate Suggs. This game is already over with 8 minutes left in the first half.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Suggs is so silky smooth. Timme is putting on a big man clinic. Ayayi is another super quick, super fluid athlete.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Dosunmu with another triple double today. 19-10–10

He’s a very solid player. He’s the most underrated guard I think.

[NatP4]

Dosunmu with another triple double today. 19-10–10

He’s a very solid player. He’s the most underrated guard I think.

Him or Miles McBride

[Ruzious]

Sengun from Turkey is such a good offensive big for an 18 year old. Here is the other day against Sweden (including Jonas Jerebco) in the FIBA EuroLeague tournament:

Watch on YouTube

He's not smooth, and his defense will be the question, but he's a special offensive player.

[pcbothwel]

Sengun from Turkey is such a good offensive big for an 18 year old. Here is the other day against Sweden (including Jonas Jerebco) in the FIBA EuroLeague tournament:

Watch on YouTube

He's not smooth, and his defense will be the question, but he's a special offensive player.

Im high on Sengun.
As far as bigs outside of Mobley, Im high on Sengun, Jackson, Garuba, Bassey, and Timme...
Im low on Jones, Brown, Sharpe, and Huff

[prime1time]

Hmmm, with the recent stretch of wins, I'm going to start looking at prospects in the late lottery. Other than Butler from Baylor who else do people like? Also, what do people think our holes/needs are? Personally, I'd love an athletic big to groom and grow.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Hmmm, with the recent stretch of wins, I'm going to start looking at prospects in the late lottery. Other than Butler from Baylor who else do people like? Also, what do people think our holes/needs are? Personally, I'd love an athletic big to groom and grow.

Garuba is projected NBA DRAFT ROOM mock at 16, and Isaiah Jackson is at 24. I'd like either of them!

[prime1time]

Watching this Michigan Ohio State game. Wagner has done basically next to nothing. Far too many games, he just no significant impact. A top 10 to 15 pick should have a noticeable impact on the game.

[prime1time]

Hmmm, with the recent stretch of wins, I'm going to start looking at prospects in the late lottery. Other than Butler from Baylor who else do people like? Also, what do people think our holes/needs are? Personally, I'd love an athletic big to groom and grow.

Garuba is projected NBA DRAFT ROOM mock at 16, and Isaiah Jackson is at 24. I'd like either of them!

Nice look, I'll check them out.

[NatP4]

Watching this Michigan Ohio State game. Wagner has done basically next to nothing. Far too many games, he just no significant impact. A top 10 to 15 pick should have a noticeable impact on the game.

Wagner has been fantastic as usual. He’s not a 1 on 1 player. His impact is stuffing the stat sheet and making little plays. Being in the right sport on defense and making winning plays.

From what I have gathered from your posts/basketball opinions, I don’t think these are the kind of players/prospects you gravitate towards.

[payitforward]

You guys are forgetting that...

Spoiler:

...the higher your pick the easier it is to trade down.

What?