PhilBlackson wrote:Indeed wrote:Psubs wrote:I guess Springer could leap like last season's Patrick Williams. We need a couple of those and maybe Kuminga drops to us.
1. Houston - Cade
2. Minnesota - Mobley (pair with KAT)
3. Orlando - Jalen Green or Suggs
4. Detroit - Jalen Green or Suggs
5. Cleveland - Scottie Barnes (to playmake for Garland, Sexton and have Okoro at SF)
6. OKC - Need a gamble here! Maybe Jalen Johnson?
7. Sacramento - Need a gamble here!
Oh I dunno.
I still see Detroit and Cleveland taking a risk for a higher ceiling players with Jalen Green and Kuminga
1. Houston - Cade
2. Minnesota - Mobley
3. Orlando - Suggs (wish for Mobley?)
4. Detroit - Jalen Green
5. Cleveland - Kuminga
6. OKC - Keon Johnson (Perhaps they need guards)
7. Sacramento - Scottie Barnes (Replacing or playing with Holmes)
8. Orlando - Jalen Johnson (Gordon 2.0?)
Anyway, those would be the top 7 regardless their order, I suppose.
And Jalen Johnson, Moody, Kai Jones, Wagner, Springer, Kispert may round out the top 12 or 13?
These would be my guesses if the draft order remained as is (which it won't especially considering since the draft odds have changed at least 2 non top 5 teams have made it in there; of course all praying we're one of those
) but this is how I think it would be if it were to...
1. HOU - Cade: it's really hard to picture any team passing on him, while he may not be Luka, teams will fear being the team to pass on him as others did Luka. Even though he's more Tatum with better passing and floor generalship, he's going to be a flat out stud, hard to picture him not working out
2. MIN - Mobley: I think they would actually love to take Suggs but they've clearly invested in making KAT happy with DLo and Suggs would clearly make him expendable. Towns is sadly an awful defender so I think they'll just look to continue to appease him and take a big to cover up his many faults defensively
3. ORL - Green: I absolutely wish this was us (and that we wouldn't make the mistake of taking Suggs if we were in that position) but I don't see the Magic taking another PG after investing in Fultz and then Anthony. They just moved Evan, T-Ross likely won't be sticking around so it's an easy fit and just hella fortunate to have a box office talent that will get them on TV again a la Pelicans with Zion
4. DET - Suggs: Hayes just suffered a MAJOR hip injury which many athletes never come back looking the same from see Bo Jackson and even little Isaiah Thomas - not to mention he already looked underwhelming. He'd actually be a helluva fit with Bey, Jackson, Stewart, Sekou etc moving forward and give them a much needed floor general which they sorely lack and I think Casey will love him
5. CLE - Kuminga: a very fortunate fit with their glut of PGs, then they can push Okoro over to SG since he's more that size and Kuminga can play SF or alternatively allow both PGs to play and go small ball with Okoro at SF and him at PF as they desperately try to kick Kevin Love out
6. OKC - J.Johnson: they have SGA/Maldeon at PG with Dort emerging at SG, bring in Johnson to help rebound and switch defensively with Poku, I think they'd have an ok young core with obviously a TON more picks to roll the dice on and there's plenty of talent at the SG position that they can take another shot at SG later (Christopher, Mann, Mitchell etc)
7. SAC: Scottie Barnes: they're overloaded at their guard positions, they don't seem to be too in love with Bagley anymore and they just must get better defensively so I think he'll be the pick there which is unfortunate for Barnes lol
8. ORL: Josh Giddey: I think they surprise people and take Giddey. Neither Fultz or Anthony are great distributors and they just cleared the runway at SG for Green with Isaac and Bomba as their post players so Josh should help them share the ball bit better
Then there's us and I think it's one of 3 players...
9. TOR - Kai Jones OR James Bouknight OR Keon Johnson
Bouknight (or K Johnson) because he could become one of the better scoring SGs in time and I like the strategy of in time him growing into a starting position and moving Trent to a PG like role then move Freddy for an upgrade at C but regardless I think he is a very Raptor like pick because he has good defensive instincts but he's also a smart, versatile player I think Nurse will like and almost allow some replication between starters FVV/Trent and Flynn/Bouknight where there isn't much dip (if any in time).
I don't think Keon Johnson is the same personality or "cultural" fit but he has an outside chance because he just has some really nice raw potential that perhaps our scouting department is too tough for them to pass on developing
BUT I could likewise see the Raps taking Kai Jones, although I'm no longer a huge fan of it because I just don't like players with low production. It's generally a bad sign of unassertiveness and likely means he will be another kid that will develop into a heck of a roleplayer that will excite our fans with his flashes of great athleticism, but come Playoff time, I'd just prefer having more guys like Bouknight to get us a bucket than Jones just being another cog in the system. It's not like he's an excellent defender but again I'm sure in time we'd make something of him. I'd just personally like another scoring option for the Playoffs and prefer pursuing Paul Reed (who think is/will be a MUCH better option) in a S&T of Kyle to PHI. If we don't take him I can see him dropping all the way to the Hornets
