2021 Draft Thread

[Wizop]

When I looked at mock drafts a month ago, I saw a lot of power forwards near our pick. Now our pick is better, but the 4s are gone.

I like Franz Wagner but he hasn't declared. Perhaps I should be looking in Europe. I am looking there in the second round.

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[Topofthekey]

I still wish the Bulls would go on a winning streak so that we swap positions with them

Getting a top 4 pick is franchise altering. Even if they don't win a top 4 pick, they still get to choose from one of the second tier prospects

[Wizop]

I still wish the Bulls would go on a winning streak so that we swap positions with them

Getting a top 4 pick is franchise altering. Even if they don't win a top 4 pick, they still get to choose from the one of the second tier prospects

Myles and Reggie both picked at 11.

Edit: Sabonis also an 11 pick.

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[Topofthekey]

I still wish the Bulls would go on a winning streak so that we swap positions with them

Getting a top 4 pick is franchise altering. Even if they don't win a top 4 pick, they still get to choose from the one of the second tier prospects

Myles and Reggie both picked at 11.

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And one wore number 31, the other wears 33. If Pacers select someone at 11 again, maybe have him wear 35, maybe it'll help to continue the streak of hitting with the 11th pick

[Wizop]

Granger was also 33. Harrington was 32. 30, 31, and 34 are all retired. The 30s have done well. I posted something years ago pointing out to Danny and Al that their numbers would complete the sequence.

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[Scoot McGroot]

Granger was also 33. Harrington was 32. 30, 31, and 34 are all retired. The 30s have done well. I posted something years ago pointing out to Danny and Al that their numbers would complete the sequence.

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Dale was 32 and AD was 33, also.

[pacers33]

Watch on YouTube

Nothing in this draft screams sure thing, especially after the 7th-8th pick. So I wouldn't mind taking a chance on a mysterious European, see if we can find ourselves a Poku.

[Scoot McGroot]

Watch on YouTube

Nothing in this draft screams sure thing, especially after the 7th-8th pick. So I wouldn't mind taking a chance on a mysterious European, see if we can find ourselves a Poku.

Mentally, I’m picking him apart pretty easily, until I realize he’s only turning 19 around the draft. He’s essentially a HS senior here. He’s got talent, a bit of mobility, and appears to have some grown man strength already. He’s not much of a dribble game at all, an though his 3 point shot looks fluid, and the video showed 3 or 4 3 point makes, those were literally ALL of his makes last season (he went 4 of 20).

Ultimately, with Goga starting to put it together too, I don’t see a center being a possibility in the draft, unless we deal either Turner or Sabonis, and really maybe not unless we trade both. Would seem like inefficient roster management. But I don’t see any Poku to his game at all. Poku is young and tall, but he’s much more of a ball handling guard/wing. Sengun is much more of a straight line classic center who has a move or two with his back to the basket, but doesn’t have the handle or pass like a Poku at all.

[Topofthekey]

I just realised that Pacers has 3 2RP in this draft

Nothing very exciting, but it may help the them fill up the roster cheaply, so they have more money to spend on guys #1-12 on the roster

Hoping that this means they can somehow afford to re-sign both Doug and TJ

[pacers33]

Watch on YouTube

Nothing in this draft screams sure thing, especially after the 7th-8th pick. So I wouldn't mind taking a chance on a mysterious European, see if we can find ourselves a Poku.

Mentally, I’m picking him apart pretty easily, until I realize he’s only turning 19 around the draft. He’s essentially a HS senior here. He’s got talent, a bit of mobility, and appears to have some grown man strength already. He’s not much of a dribble game at all, an though his 3 point shot looks fluid, and the video showed 3 or 4 3 point makes, those were literally ALL of his makes last season (he went 4 of 20).

Ultimately, with Goga starting to put it together too, I don’t see a center being a possibility in the draft, unless we deal either Turner or Sabonis, and really maybe not unless we trade both. Would seem like inefficient roster management. But I don’t see any Poku to his game at all. Poku is young and tall, but he’s much more of a ball handling guard/wing. Sengun is much more of a straight line classic center who has a move or two with his back to the basket, but doesn’t have the handle or pass like a Poku at all.

I should've been clearer about the Poku comparison, I meant it in the sense he's not the biggest name out there, young and has potential. Sengun has grown man post moves and footwork. Worth mentioning that I do see Turner getting dealt in the future.

[Scoot McGroot]

Watch on YouTube

Nothing in this draft screams sure thing, especially after the 7th-8th pick. So I wouldn't mind taking a chance on a mysterious European, see if we can find ourselves a Poku.

Mentally, I’m picking him apart pretty easily, until I realize he’s only turning 19 around the draft. He’s essentially a HS senior here. He’s got talent, a bit of mobility, and appears to have some grown man strength already. He’s not much of a dribble game at all, an though his 3 point shot looks fluid, and the video showed 3 or 4 3 point makes, those were literally ALL of his makes last season (he went 4 of 20).

Ultimately, with Goga starting to put it together too, I don’t see a center being a possibility in the draft, unless we deal either Turner or Sabonis, and really maybe not unless we trade both. Would seem like inefficient roster management. But I don’t see any Poku to his game at all. Poku is young and tall, but he’s much more of a ball handling guard/wing. Sengun is much more of a straight line classic center who has a move or two with his back to the basket, but doesn’t have the handle or pass like a Poku at all.

I should've been clearer about the Poku comparison, I meant it in the sense he's not the biggest name out there, young and has potential. Sengun has grown man post moves and footwork. Worth mentioning that I do see Turner getting dealt in the future.

Ah. I don’t think either Poku or Sengun are really “not the biggest name out there”. To you and me, sure. To reporters and GM’s, they’re pretty well known and watched. Sengun is mocked in the 8-15 range pretty universally. Poku was pretty well written about last year.

As for Sengun and his grown man post moves...yes. The problem is, unless the game overall regresses about 15-20 years quick, he’s going to be left behind, and very hard to get playing time. ESPECIALLY if we still have Sabonis on the roster.

But even if we deal Turner, as you suppose, then at best, Sengun is competing with Goga for backup minutes at the 5 behind Sabonis. We’d be drafting a 3rd string C, and a classic old school one at that, with several other holes on the roster. I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand, but I’d say we’d be one of the least likely teams in the league to draft Sengun due to construction already.

[Scoot McGroot]

I just realised that Pacers has 3 2RP in this draft

Nothing very exciting, but it may help the them fill up the roster cheaply, so they have more money to spend on guys #1-12 on the roster

Hoping that this means they can somehow afford to re-sign both Doug and TJ

If we end up in the lottery, our 2nd rounder goes to Brooklyn from the old Thad trade. Otherwise, we have Milwaukee’s and Utah’s 2nds, both likely to be amongst the final 5 picks overall in the draft. If anything, they’re possibly being sold off, or used for 2 way/exhibit 10 guys. We feel pretty good about Cassius Stanley from last year’s draft, but I don’t know that he’s ready for a main roster spot.

Doesn’t hurt to have those picks, but they aren’t also to be counted on as building blocks in any real way, shape, or form.

[Wizop]

Usman Garuba is another Euro some mock in the mid-first.

[Wizop]

Gonzaga bigs look slow tonight.

[Scoot McGroot]

Usman Garuba is another Euro some mock in the mid-first.

Another guy who projects to be a pure 5. Right now, his best projection is that he's a Bismack Biyombo type. A guy that can defend a bit all over, but has terrible hands and no shot. I don't know he'd be a possibility unless we trade one of Turner/Sabonis, as well as Goga, or else we have 4 guys that all project best at the 5 spot, 2 developed, and 2 competing with each other for developmental minutes.

[Wizop]

Usman Garuba is another Euro some mock in the mid-first.

Another guy who projects to be a pure 5. Right now, his best projection is that he's a Bismack Biyombo type.

If he comes out, I like Franz Wagner.

[Wizop]

When I looked at mocks a month ago, the mid-first had 4s. Now they've all fallen. I don't even see what we'd gain by falling out of the playoffs.

May you live in interesting times is a Chinese curse.

Sent from my phone.

[Topofthekey]

When I looked at mocks a month ago, the mid-first had 4s. Now they've all fallen. I don't even see what we'd gain by falling out of the playoffs.

May you live in interesting times is a Chinese curse.

Sent from my phone.

Vastly improved odds at a top 4 pick

Not saying Pacers should intentionally drop out of the playoffs. But Raptors are doing this "not tanking" thing better than Pacers are

They are in great position to bounce back nicely next season, if they indeed do get lucky in the lottery

[Scoot McGroot]

When I looked at mocks a month ago, the mid-first had 4s. Now they've all fallen. I don't even see what we'd gain by falling out of the playoffs.

May you live in interesting times is a Chinese curse.

Sent from my phone.

Vastly improved odds at a top 4 pick

Not saying Pacers should intentionally drop out of the playoffs. But Raptors are doing this "not tanking" thing better than Pacers are

They are in great position to bounce back nicely next season, if they indeed do get lucky in the lottery

Raptors are competing for the playoffs, and got kicked out of their country. They also had a major Covid outbreak rip through their entire staff. They’ve suffered through the weirdest season in most any team history in the nba. I don’t think we can say they’re “not tanking well”. They’re suffering terribly.

[Topofthekey]

When I looked at mocks a month ago, the mid-first had 4s. Now they've all fallen. I don't even see what we'd gain by falling out of the playoffs.

May you live in interesting times is a Chinese curse.

Sent from my phone.

Vastly improved odds at a top 4 pick

Not saying Pacers should intentionally drop out of the playoffs. But Raptors are doing this "not tanking" thing better than Pacers are

They are in great position to bounce back nicely next season, if they indeed do get lucky in the lottery

Raptors are competing for the playoffs, and got kicked out of their country. They also had a major Covid outbreak rip through their entire staff. They’ve suffered through the weirdest season in most any team history in the nba. I don’t think we can say they’re “not tanking well”. They’re suffering terribly.

I mean, we have a lot working against us too

Warren missing the season. Trading Vic 10 games into the season. LeVert missing half the season. New coach who is a first time head coach. Entirely new coaching staff. Players who are a mismatch with the new coach's defensive game plan

But we have somehow managed to squeeze out 4 or 5 more wins than them

Normally, in a vacuum, that is a good thing

But in the bigger scheme of things, in a transitional season where the team is just trying to get its bearings, painstakingly squeezing out a few extra wins compared to the Raptors just means they are positioned much better for the draft than we are

But it is what it is

Let's just hope Aaron and Sumner and Goga get plenty of playing time for the remaining 20 games or so

And as you said previously, hopefully even guys like Kelan Martin and Brian Bowen get a few minutes each game