Official 2021 NBA Draft Thread

[Nyce_1]

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[KillMonger]

We know how to use youtube. What do you like? Any comments? Fit? Player comparison? etc etc

didn't know i had to scout for you....let's see....positional size and length.....shooting potential despite numbers....good looking shot, nice follow through on balance and hard to block...not broken so that can be worked with....like his ball-handling ability, he definitely has some shake to his game so there could be potential as a scorer....shows some dog at times defensively but might gamble a bit in passing lanes for my liking......moves surprisingly well laterally so much so he might be able to check guards and not get all the way cooked if switched......for me most importantly he has IQ based off some of his reads....has to work on filling out his frame....comp...maybe a diet Danny Granger?

You don't have to scout... but you should have a point to say instead of just posting a video.

well....brotha sometimes i have something to do outside of this so i was going to post it quick and edit it later after work but if that's what i got to do then i'll keep it mind next time...........

[thelead]

Can't wait for last month before draft when people get exited about center shooting 3s over broomsticks, on 10 second long video, that took 5 hours to film because that guy couldn't make 3 threes in a row

Mo Bamba - life story

I remember leading up to the draft i kept saying that i had no idea why Bamba was so highly rated, wasnt that good, was lazy (funny how thats still the argument), but i knew we were gonna take because of WeHam, so i tried to convince myself he was good, and couldnt do it til about a week before the draft, a short documentary\fluff piece came about him working out with KG, with KG teaching him post moves and shooting etc and KG saying how he could be great and all that stuff....

Watch on YouTube

That was the video that made me say "fine maybe im wrong about him"...........

Here's the thing though, the talent is all there with Bamba. The real question is between his ears. He seems to be an intelligent person but does he WANT to be a basketball player? That's tough to scout sometimes.

[Knightro]

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I think he fits really well with a team like the Wolves.

Slot him in as the 5th starter with Russell-Beasley-Edwards-Towns and utilize him as a defender and passer for the scorers?

[Nyce_1]

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I think he fits really well with a team like the Wolves.

Slot him in as the 5th starter with Russell-Beasley-Edwards-Towns and utilize him as a defender and passer for the scorers?

ohhh yesss. that would be so beautiful to watch. A Barnes/McDaniels wing combo would also be intriguing for them.

[pepe1991]

Can't wait for last month before draft when people get exited about center shooting 3s over broomsticks, on 10 second long video, that took 5 hours to film because that guy couldn't make 3 threes in a row

Mo Bamba - life story

I remember leading up to the draft i kept saying that i had no idea why Bamba was so highly rated, wasnt that good, was lazy (funny how thats still the argument), but i knew we were gonna take because of WeHam, so i tried to convince myself he was good, and couldnt do it til about a week before the draft, a short documentary\fluff piece came about him working out with KG, with KG teaching him post moves and shooting etc and KG saying how he could be great and all that stuff....

Watch on YouTube

That was the video that made me say "fine maybe im wrong about him"...........

Here's the thing though, the talent is all there with Bamba. The real question is between his ears. He seems to be an intelligent person but does he WANT to be a basketball player? That's tough to scout sometimes.

Talent?

He is 23 years old center without single post move who jumps on every pumpfake ( despite being long enough to contest shot or even block shot without ever jumping ) ,he thinks he can shoot, but really can't and he refuses to assert himself as pick&roll option and roll to rim in general.

It's hilarious that some posters spent 3 years blaming Vučević and Clifford for all Bamba's shortcommings, but now, since he got more time to "prove himself" he is being outclassed by player that is younger than him.

Bamba is player that never had to learn anything about basketball to get to nba. Being tall and with 7'10 wingspan was enough. NBA simply exposed his lack of basketball skills and talent.

[RookieStar]

We have shooters though? His jumper is wet and the stats back it up. And I haven't really scouted him defensively but his comp on nbadraft is Marcus Smart and is rated a 9/10 defensively. I don't need a sure-fire star with the bulls pick if we have a top 5 pick of our own. Plus, I see a little bit of Booker in his play. I just love efficient players. Especially when they're freshmen.

is it? he didnt even take 2 FGA from 3 last year. I just think we have enough guard prospects, i would like an offensive SF to develop rather than another guard to compete with RJ, Cole, Fultz and our #1 pick (who i think will be a guard).

You take BPA always. There are not many SF available in the 10-25 range from what I'm seeing and the ones that are there, I'm not fond of besides maybe Jalen Johnson. But his FT % is a bit alarming for someone so efficient otherwise (52/44/63 splits).

No one on our team would preclude me from taking a talented freshman.

Well if you wanna know who the SFs are in that range ( for now cuz they might move up )

Zaire
J.Johnson
Wagner
Kispert

Those are the SF-built bodies ( 6'7-6'9). The rest are I think SGs forced to play SFs sometimes

[The Effect]

Can't wait for last month before draft when people get exited about center shooting 3s over broomsticks, on 10 second long video, that took 5 hours to film because that guy couldn't make 3 threes in a row

Mo Bamba - life story

I remember leading up to the draft i kept saying that i had no idea why Bamba was so highly rated, wasnt that good, was lazy (funny how thats still the argument), but i knew we were gonna take because of WeHam, so i tried to convince myself he was good, and couldnt do it til about a week before the draft, a short documentary\fluff piece came about him working out with KG, with KG teaching him post moves and shooting etc and KG saying how he could be great and all that stuff....

Watch on YouTube

That was the video that made me say "fine maybe im wrong about him"...........

Here's the thing though, the talent is all there with Bamba. The real question is between his ears. He seems to be an intelligent person but does he WANT to be a basketball player? That's tough to scout sometimes.

id say all the athletic ability is there, but not sure about "talent"

he doesnt do anything special per se

He needs to develop that talent, and all that goes back to what you were saying, does he have it between the ears....i just dont know, i dont see it, but i hope he proves me wrong, i mean he is still very young and centers tend to take time

[RookieStar]

Watch on YouTube

We know how to use youtube. What do you like? Any comments? Fit? Player comparison? etc etc

Zaire, from before the season was probably the #6 pick. It was supposed to be the accident that sidelined him but when he came back from the injury, he stunk it up and is now around #15

[The Effect]

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I think he fits really well with a team like the Wolves.

Slot him in as the 5th starter with Russell-Beasley-Edwards-Towns and utilize him as a defender and passer for the scorers?

Imagine they actually getting the #1 pick again this year (they DO have the best odds after all)

KAT | McDaniels | Cade | Edwards | Dlo
And still have Beasley and nowell on the bench

Crazy how good that team could be. It really could be the modern version of the thunder with KD\Westbrook\harden\Ibaka

[basketballRob]

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I think he fits really well with a team like the Wolves.

Slot him in as the 5th starter with Russell-Beasley-Edwards-Towns and utilize him as a defender and passer for the scorers?

If he could hit the 3, he'd be the perfect Turkoglu type player, with all NBA type defense.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

[RookieStar]

Anyone else super high on Alperen Sengun? He's one of my top realistic choices for the Chicago pick at the moment.

What he's doing at 18 years old in the third best league in the world outside of the NBA has been incredibly impressive.

Stats (rank in league):
19.3 PPG (2nd)
9.3 RPG (2nd)
1.6 BPG (2nd)
1.3 SPG (16th)
69% TS (1st)
64.5% EFG (1st)
80.6% FT on 6+ FTA/G
26.42 PER (1st / 2nd place coming in at 21.44)

A big knock on him has been his size. He measured in at 6'9 with a 7'1 wingspan at 17 y/o.. I think he comes in at 6'10+ at the combine and thats definitely enough size to play in the interior in the game today.

His athleticism has been questioned too, but watching tape its not really a concern right now. He's up to 240-lb already and carries the weight well. He's light on his feet, has a bit of bounce, more than guys like Hansborough and Kanter who I've seen him compared to.

Watching his tape vs Sweden in February you get a good glimpse of his overall game. You see the hustle on boards and on defense. He shows a few nice post moves. A few good passes, from out of the post and from the perimeter. There's a few good drives where he shows a solid handle and beats his guy to the rim. He even shows good form and hits a step back 3, which isnt in his consistent arsenal yet but if he expands his range out there it takes his game to the next level.

He's a guy i'd take a chance on, and outside of the consensus top 5 I think you can make the argument for him over anyone.

You got that right regarding size. If you play as a C in the league, you better have the athleticism to back it up if you want to be successful. He does have great footwork and post moves though. Sees the court really well too. How much of that will translate when he goes up against 7 footers with way more athleticism and length than he is used to... we don't know. But if he is willing to put in work, why not be a PF and expand his range to the 3pt area. That will make him into a late lotto pick I think.

[RookieStar]

Why isn't efficiency not an important factor to a lot of big boards? Looking through who could be available with the bulls pick, I found Jaden Springer being available in the late teens... He's shooting 47/44/81 as a freshman on a good team. And then I go look at his highlights and I see this:

Watch on YouTube

So far, this is my guy with the bulls pick

You refer him over his guard partner Keon? I haven't heard of anyone preferring him over keon when talking about the TEN guards.

[RookieStar]

That's where I'm at right now as well. If we don't get lucky, we're going to need to try to trade up to grab our scorer. I'm not sure about Suggs scoring abilities but that's another topic altogether. Not that I don't think he can score, more of 'can he be the walking bucket when needed?'

I think that's a legitimate question and one that I've asked myself a lot.

Did Jalen Suggs willingly set up shop as No. 3 in the Gonzaga pecking order because his team was so stacked? They went 31-2 without him last year and were going to be a 1 seed/title contender before COVID. Plus they clearly didn't need him to dominate their shot attempts and usage to still win.

Or did he blend in because that's just the kind of player he is and he'll struggle to adjust in the NBA when a team inevitably asks him to be the No. 1 focal point of their offense?

I've talked myself into thinking it's the former and Suggs won't have much of an issue taking on a bigger role in the NBA, but there's a little bit of wonder in the back of mind how he'll handle it.

Honestly, I think it has more to do with mindset. Suggs has been known to score. However, picking GONZAGA, where the year before they were already a contender for the title AND with so many returning upperclassmen known to be scorers/options. I think it spoke well of Suggs that he deferred to them in the pecking order so to speak.

He knew there were others in the totem pole in a well stacked team. It actually showed the other dimensions of his game like defense, court vision and etc. However I personally believe that if he picked another school where they aren't know to be one of the contenders AND didn't have established scorers, then Suggs would have been forced to score some more.

Look at the FINALS, when Timme and Kispert were being checked, Suggs was the only one driving and scoring, trying to put his team on his back.

[thelead]

Why isn't efficiency not an important factor to a lot of big boards? Looking through who could be available with the bulls pick, I found Jaden Springer being available in the late teens... He's shooting 47/44/81 as a freshman on a good team. And then I go look at his highlights and I see this:

Watch on YouTube

So far, this is my guy with the bulls pick

You refer him over his guard partner Keon? I haven't heard of anyone preferring him over keon when talking about the TEN guards.

From the little bit of ‘scouting’ that I’ve done, I think so but not 100% certain yet. Almost every star in this league came in with a decent shot at the very least. Springer seems to have that and is definitely more crafty than athletic. Keon is an athletic freak from what I’ve seen but he shot 45/27/70. Not terrible but not great either. His ast/TO ratio isn’t great and Springer is supposedly a better defender (I haven’t seen videos for that side of the ball yet and just going by a few scouting reports).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Keon but think I would prefer Springer so far.

[Skin]

Why isn't efficiency not an important factor to a lot of big boards? Looking through who could be available with the bulls pick, I found Jaden Springer being available in the late teens... He's shooting 47/44/81 as a freshman on a good team. And then I go look at his highlights and I see this:

Watch on YouTube

So far, this is my guy with the bulls pick

You refer him over his guard partner Keon? I haven't heard of anyone preferring him over keon when talking about the TEN guards.

From the little bit of ‘scouting’ that I’ve done, I think so but not 100% certain yet. Almost every star in this league came in with a decent shot at the very least. Springer seems to have that and is definitely more crafty than athletic. Keon is an athletic freak from what I’ve seen but he shot 45/27/70. Not terrible but not great either. His ast/TO ratio isn’t great and Springer is supposedly a better defender (I haven’t seen videos for that side of the ball yet and just going by a few scouting reports).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Keon but think I would prefer Springer so far.

I think you just haven't gotten around to studying the other prospects. Springer has things that can attract you, but imo he just doesn't have the ceiling that others do.

[RookieStar]

You refer him over his guard partner Keon? I haven't heard of anyone preferring him over keon when talking about the TEN guards.

From the little bit of ‘scouting’ that I’ve done, I think so but not 100% certain yet. Almost every star in this league came in with a decent shot at the very least. Springer seems to have that and is definitely more crafty than athletic. Keon is an athletic freak from what I’ve seen but he shot 45/27/70. Not terrible but not great either. His ast/TO ratio isn’t great and Springer is supposedly a better defender (I haven’t seen videos for that side of the ball yet and just going by a few scouting reports).

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Keon but think I would prefer Springer so far.

I think you just haven't gotten around to studying the other prospects. Springer has things that can attract you, but imo he just doesn't have the ceiling that others do.

Yeah i was about to say the same. Theres a reason most draft has Springer in the late teens ot 20 at the most. He just seems limited compared to his peers in the lotto

[Xatticus]

That's where I'm at right now as well. If we don't get lucky, we're going to need to try to trade up to grab our scorer. I'm not sure about Suggs scoring abilities but that's another topic altogether. Not that I don't think he can score, more of 'can he be the walking bucket when needed?'

I think that's a legitimate question and one that I've asked myself a lot.

Did Jalen Suggs willingly set up shop as No. 3 in the Gonzaga pecking order because his team was so stacked? They went 31-2 without him last year and were going to be a 1 seed/title contender before COVID. Plus they clearly didn't need him to dominate their shot attempts and usage to still win.

Or did he blend in because that's just the kind of player he is and he'll struggle to adjust in the NBA when a team inevitably asks him to be the No. 1 focal point of their offense?

I've talked myself into thinking it's the former and Suggs won't have much of an issue taking on a bigger role in the NBA, but there's a little bit of wonder in the back of mind how he'll handle it.

but looking now at UCLA taking them to the wire and Baylor, was that Gonzaga team really stacked? or was it just a good team in a so-so conference? Suggs is obviously a great talent, with offers to play QB at Ohio State as well as the 30+ offers for basketball. I personally dont think he will have that much of a problem in the NBA. I think Cade is a more go-to scorer than Suggs, but Suggs is that PG you want that will put your team in the right place, defend great, push the pace and score when needed as well as get you easy baskets.

The statistics tell us that Gonzaga was the best team in the country. They were unscathed in a non-conference gauntlet to start the season and they managed to reach the title game, so it's not as if their resume was dependent on a weak schedule. They lost a game against a tough team. It happens. That win didn't prove that Baylor was a better team any more than did Orlando's win over the Clippers prove that Orlando was a better team. Baylor was the better team in that game, which was all that was necessary. If the two teams played 100 times, Gonzaga would likely win more than they lost.

Suggs isn't anywhere near being a finished product. If you are drafting him for what he will be next year, then you will be sorely disappointed. He will need to develop. He has a lot of deficiencies in his game, but you see the frequency of tantalizing plays combined with his plus size and athleticism and you can envision a special player at some point in the future. He certainly isn't guaranteed stardom, but I'd be happy to watch him develop. I'd be comfortable drafting him with a top-3 pick. If we landed at 4 or 5, I'd prefer to trade down a bit. Mobley makes no sense on our roster and I'd rather have Keon Johnson with some additional value.

[Bensational]

I know Green gets all the hype for being an athletic freak with bunnies and hang time like no other, but Keon Johnson has such a beautiful aerial game. He seems to be moving in slow motion all of the time, and he has amazing timing on using his hang time to reposition.

Phenomenal use of fakes and footwork for a wing, too. I think he’ll be able to get off smart shots at the next level with his offensive patience.

Very early days but Keon Johnson looks pretty special outside the top 5.

[Skin]

I think that's a legitimate question and one that I've asked myself a lot.

Did Jalen Suggs willingly set up shop as No. 3 in the Gonzaga pecking order because his team was so stacked? They went 31-2 without him last year and were going to be a 1 seed/title contender before COVID. Plus they clearly didn't need him to dominate their shot attempts and usage to still win.

Or did he blend in because that's just the kind of player he is and he'll struggle to adjust in the NBA when a team inevitably asks him to be the No. 1 focal point of their offense?

I've talked myself into thinking it's the former and Suggs won't have much of an issue taking on a bigger role in the NBA, but there's a little bit of wonder in the back of mind how he'll handle it.

but looking now at UCLA taking them to the wire and Baylor, was that Gonzaga team really stacked? or was it just a good team in a so-so conference? Suggs is obviously a great talent, with offers to play QB at Ohio State as well as the 30+ offers for basketball. I personally dont think he will have that much of a problem in the NBA. I think Cade is a more go-to scorer than Suggs, but Suggs is that PG you want that will put your team in the right place, defend great, push the pace and score when needed as well as get you easy baskets.

The statistics tell us that Gonzaga was the best team in the country. They were unscathed in a non-conference gauntlet to start the season and they managed to reach the title game, so it's not as if their resume was dependent on a weak schedule. They lost a game against a tough team. It happens. That win didn't prove that Baylor was a better team any more than did Orlando's win over the Clippers prove that Orlando was a better team. Baylor was the better team in that game, which was all that was necessary. If the two teams played 100 times, Gonzaga would likely win more than they lost.

Suggs isn't anywhere near being a finished product. If you are drafting him for what he will be next year, then you will be sorely disappointed. He will need to develop. He has a lot of deficiencies in his game, but you see the frequency of tantalizing plays combined with his plus size and athleticism and you can envision a special player at some point in the future. He certainly isn't guaranteed stardom, but I'd be happy to watch him develop. I'd be comfortable drafting him with a top-3 pick. If we landed at 4 or 5, I'd prefer to trade down a bit. Mobley makes no sense on our roster and I'd rather have Keon Johnson with some additional value.

Agreed on all points. But especially preferring Keon over Mobley. Mobley just makes minimal sense for us.