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

[Ruzious]

Here's what sets Davion Mitchell apart - though he is an older prospect - which will cause him to fall to late 1st:

Read on Twitter

If I were a GM, I would trade down and select Mitchell and Bassey or best player available among really big, athletic, defensive and complete players. Arkansas has some impressive, passing big men.

I could care less about age. Guys like Larry Bird were grown assed men before they ever got in the league. A 24-year old is still a very young man. Xavier Tillman. He might’ve been older on draft night than Mitchell will be.

I love Jared Butler but I think Davion Mitchell impacts the game even more because he’s dammed disruptive defensively. Butler is a scorer mostly. A really good one, too.

And at least drafting Mitchell and Bassey would finally indicate some commitment to playing defense - rather than a commitment toward picking overseas players.

[nate33]

Here's what sets Davion Mitchell apart - though he is an older prospect - which will cause him to fall to late 1st:

Read on Twitter

If I were a GM, I would trade down and select Mitchell and Bassey or best player available among really big, athletic, defensive and complete players. Arkansas has some impressive, passing big men.

I could care less about age. Guys like Larry Bird were grown assed men before they ever got in the league. A 24-year old is still a very young man. Xavier Tillman. He might’ve been older on draft night than Mitchell will be.

I love Jared Butler but I think Davion Mitchell impacts the game even more because he’s dammed disruptive defensively. Butler is a scorer mostly. A really good one, too.

It depends where you are trading down from.

There is definitely value to drafting older, ready-to-play guys because they give you 3 or 4 quality years while still on their rookie contracts. Having a few cheap guys like that is what allows you to be competitive while still generating max cap room for a top tier free agent.

The reality is, unless the guy you draft ends up being a quality starter worth more than the MLE, then you don't really have leverage to keep him after his rookie deal. So drafting a young, not-ready-to-play prospect with the intent on grooming him to be a mere role player is a bad strategy. You lose him just as he becomes good enough to play. If you draft a role player, make it an older, ready-to-play guy so at least you get the benefit of 3-4 quality years while he is on his cheap rookie deal.

On the other hand, Mitchell doesn't look like he has star potential. He is a role player in the George Hill/Eric Bledsoe/Patrick Beverley mold. Those guys should be the 4th or 5th best player on your team. You can't rely upon them to create offense and bend a defense. So if you have the opportunity to draft a guy with All-Star potential you don't trade down for Mitchell.

[Ruzious]

Here's what sets Davion Mitchell apart - though he is an older prospect - which will cause him to fall to late 1st:

Read on Twitter

If I were a GM, I would trade down and select Mitchell and Bassey or best player available among really big, athletic, defensive and complete players. Arkansas has some impressive, passing big men.

I could care less about age. Guys like Larry Bird were grown assed men before they ever got in the league. A 24-year old is still a very young man. Xavier Tillman. He might’ve been older on draft night than Mitchell will be.

I love Jared Butler but I think Davion Mitchell impacts the game even more because he’s dammed disruptive defensively. Butler is a scorer mostly. A really good one, too.

It depends where you are trading down from.

There is definitely value to drafting older, ready-to-play guys because they give you 3 or 4 quality years while still on their rookie contracts. Having a few cheap guys like that is what allows you to be competitive while still generating max cap room for a top tier free agent.

The reality is, unless the guy you draft ends up being a quality starter worth more than the MLE, then you don't really have leverage to keep him after his rookie deal. So drafting a young, not-ready-to-play prospect with the intent on grooming him to be a mere role player is a bad strategy. You lose him just as he becomes good enough to play. If you draft a role player, make it an older, ready-to-play guy so at least you get the benefit of 3-4 quality years while he is on his cheap rookie deal.

On the other hand, Mitchell doesn't look like he has star potential. He is a role player in the George Hill/Eric Bledsoe/Patrick Beverley mold. Those guys should be the 4th or 5th best player on your team. You can't rely upon them to create offense and bend a defense. So if you have the opportunity to draft a guy with All-Star potential you don't trade down for Mitchell.

But with Mitchell, you're talking about the 2nd piece in what you'd get - as he projects to be a late 1st - at least I think he does. The 1st piece would be Bassey - making him the more important piece as far as value. And the late 1st presumably wouldn't cost a whole lot after his 1st contract. If he does, then he must do very well in his 1st 4 years - which is a good thing. And really, projecting 4 or 5 years after the draft - you don't know what the team's cap situation will be.

What you really don't want to do is draft someone very raw at 6 or 7 - where he'll finally be good right before he becomes a free agent.

[nate33]

What you really don't want to do is draft someone very raw at 6 or 7 - where he'll finally be good right before he becomes a free agent.

If he is "really good", as in good enough to be worth well more than the MLE, then the market for him is limited to just 2 or 3 under the cap teams, and your RFA rights allow you to keep him. So it's okay to draft a not-ready project as long as he pans out to be really good.

I don't know if the guys available at 6 or 7 meet that criteria, so maybe a trade down makes sense. But, for example, if I was in position to draft Kuminga or Green at #5, I'd still do it rather than trade down for Mitchell and Bassey. Mitchell and Bassey are almost sure to be better in their first year or two, but I'd gamble on the long term outlook of Green/Kuminga.

[Ruzious]

What you really don't want to do is draft someone very raw at 6 or 7 - where he'll finally be good right before he becomes a free agent.

If he is "really good", as in good enough to be worth well more than the MLE, then the market for him is limited to just 2 or 3 under the cap teams, and your RFA rights allow you to keep him. So it's okay to draft a not-ready project as long as he pans out to be really good.

I don't know if the guys available at 6 or 7 meet that criteria, so maybe a trade down makes sense. But, for example, if I was in position to draft Kuminga or Green at #5, I'd still do it rather than trade down for Mitchell and Bassey. Mitchell and Bassey are almost sure to be better in their first year or two, but I'd gamble on the long term outlook of Green/Kuminga.

Green - yes, but I don't consider him a major project. Kuminga's too much of a project, imo. If we had an organization that was great at developing projects, then I could see it, but we're on the other side of great. Trade down if we pick after 5 in this draft.

[NatP4]

Id much rather have Wagner than Kuminga. A trade down is a must if Suggs&Mobley are off the board.

Imagine what teams would give up for the chance to pick Cunningham.

[NatP4]

Good matchups today:

Suggs vs Reaves&Kispert vs Harkless

Wieskamp vs Duarte

Wagner vs Thomas/Smart/athletic LSU team

Wright vs Barnes

Mobley vs athletic Kansas team


March madness has been wildly entertaining so far. Teams that move the ball and space the floor and shoot a sh**load of 3s have totally dominated.

Oral Roberts&Loyola have been my favorite teams.

[Ruzious]

Good matchups today:

Suggs vs Reaves&Kispert vs Harkless

Wieskamp vs Duarte

Wagner vs Thomas/Smart/athletic LSU team

Wright vs Barnes

Mobley vs athletic Kansas team


March madness has been wildly entertaining so far. Teams that move the ball and space the floor and shoot a sh**load of 3s have totally dominated.

Oral Roberts&Loyola have been my favorite teams.

Very unfortunate that UVA couldn't practice and lost game 1, because they would have fit real well in the tournament and could have given Gonzaga some competition.

Duarte and the rest of Oregon put on a shooting display - upsetting Iowa despite another great offensive game from Garza.

[NatP4]

This gonzaga team is better coached than the wizards.

[NatP4]

I have no clue what the statline shows, but Jalen Suggs is on a completely different level than Cade Cunningham.

Suggs has prime Derrick Rose level explosiveness. If he was on a team that just cleared it out and let him take 20 shots a game, he would put up ridiculous numbers and easily lock up the top pick. He can blow by his man whenever he wants.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Davion Mitchell might be better than Jared Butler.

They’re both future NBA players. Absolutely no doubt in my mind about that.

I was thinking the same thing. Mitchell dominated. He had the 3 point shot going, he was penetrating real well, and what he does better than anyone is harass the other team's ball-handler. Baylor was going with 5 guys who can shoot 3's, handle the ball some, and pass[/spoiler]. And they all play D. They don't need any bigs.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I have no clue what the statline shows, but Jalen Suggs is on a completely different level than Cade Cunningham.

Suggs has prime Derrick Rose level explosiveness. If he was on a team that just cleared it out and let him take 20 shots a game, he would put up ridiculous numbers and easily lock up the top pick. He can blow by his man whenever he wants.

Yeah, I would very easily pick Suggs ahead of Cunningham. One is a true alpha and the other one is not.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Good matchups today:

Suggs vs Reaves&Kispert vs Harkless

Wieskamp vs Duarte

Wagner vs Thomas/Smart/athletic LSU team

Wright vs Barnes

Mobley vs athletic Kansas team


March madness has been wildly entertaining so far. Teams that move the ball and space the floor and shoot a sh**load of 3s have totally dominated.

Oral Roberts&Loyola have been my favorite teams.

I would promise Wieskamp a second round pick draft up.He does some things better than Franz Wagner, who I like in round one.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

This gonzaga team is better than the wizards.

Fixed

(Kidding, but I’d love to see a scrimmage minus the C position)

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Here's what sets Davion Mitchell apart - though he is an older prospect - which will cause him to fall to late 1st:

Read on Twitter

If I were a GM, I would trade down and select Mitchell and Bassey or best player available among really big, athletic, defensive and complete players. Arkansas has some impressive, passing big men.

I could care less about age. Guys like Larry Bird were grown assed men before they ever got in the league. A 24-year old is still a very young man. Xavier Tillman. He might’ve been older on draft night than Mitchell will be.

I love Jared Butler but I think Davion Mitchell impacts the game even more because he’s dammed disruptive defensively. Butler is a scorer mostly. A really good one, too.

It depends where you are trading down from.

There is definitely value to drafting older, ready-to-play guys because they give you 3 or 4 quality years while still on their rookie contracts. Having a few cheap guys like that is what allows you to be competitive while still generating max cap room for a top tier free agent.

The reality is, unless the guy you draft ends up being a quality starter worth more than the MLE, then you don't really have leverage to keep him after his rookie deal. So drafting a young, not-ready-to-play prospect with the intent on grooming him to be a mere role player is a bad strategy. You lose him just as he becomes good enough to play. If you draft a role player, make it an older, ready-to-play guy so at least you get the benefit of 3-4 quality years while he is on his cheap rookie deal.

On the other hand, Mitchell doesn't look like he has star potential. He is a role player in the George Hill/Eric Bledsoe/Patrick Beverley mold. Those guys should be the 4th or 5th best player on your team. You can't rely upon them to create offense and bend a defense. So if you have the opportunity to draft a guy with All-Star potential you don't trade down for Mitchell.

I would trade down if I did not have a top four or five draft pick.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

NATE; paradigm shift moment...Why is it that a guy who plays extremely good defense is never considered a star but the guy who chucks up a lot of shots And scores a ton of points is considered a star?

Dennis Rodman? He was a star in my book.

Davion Mitchell becomes a star on a winning team.

[NatP4]

This gonzaga team is better than the wizards.

Fixed

(Kidding, but I’d love to see a scrimmage minus the C position)

Give Gonzaga Petrusev, who left for Serbia, but still has eligibility, and you might have a good game.

No one even talks about Nembhard, who is also a good player.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Lord, please let the Michigan Wolverines lose to LSU.



I am watching this game right now and it’s 8 to 2.

[NatP4]

NATE; paradigm shift moment...Why is it that a guy who plays extremely good defense is never considered a star but the guy who chucks up a lot of shots And scores a ton of points is considered a star?

Dennis Rodman? He was a star in my book.

Davion Mitchell becomes a star on a winning team.

That is the NBA, CCJ. Fans only care about fancy dribbling and shooting

[nate33]

NATE; paradigm shift moment...Why is it that a guy who plays extremely good defense is never considered a star but the guy who chucks up a lot of shots And scores a ton of points is considered a star?

Dennis Rodman? He was a star in my book.

Davion Mitchell becomes a star on a winning team.

With the exception of centers, being great defensively is only a marginal help because the other team will simply instigate a switch so that the great defender ends up guarding an inconsequential player.

But on offense, you get to dictate what you do, so having one really good offensive player can turn a mediocre offensive team into a really good one. All it takes is one good offensive player to bend a defense, get them into rotation, and ultimately get someone a wide open shot.

The only position where being a great defender can instantly boost your entire team's defense is at center. One Rudy Gobert or Bam Adebayo can make a team of bad defenders play good defense. But really good perimeter defenders like Robert Covington or Jaylen Brown can't really change the fortunes of the team's defense that much.