Hal’s Draft Thread

[Hal14]

Best Player Available

Who do you think the Best Player Available might be at the 16 spot?

My guess is Garuba or Isaiah Jackson. Garuba is high potential, but still not really great at anything. Jackson is a bouncy 5, whereas his draft peers like Jones and Johnson can shoot and get their own offense. Giddey I like too, but he may be gone by then.

Garuba is arguably the best defender in the draft. From what I've seen, it's either him or Davion Mitchell. Mitchell is better ball defender, but Garuba is better help-side defender and also more versatile defender with ability to guard interior and perimeter.

My guess best player available at 16 will be either Jalen Johnson, kai Jones, Garuba, Springer or Mitchell. Seems like a decent chance at least 1 of them will still be there..

I am thinking Sengun and Giddey will be off the board in the top 15..

[playa-hater]

My guess is Garuba or Isaiah Jackson. Garuba is high potential, but still not really great at anything. Jackson is a bouncy 5, whereas his draft peers like Jones and Johnson can shoot and get their own offense. Giddey I like too, but he may be gone by then.

Jackson is probably the best rim protector in this draft .. I do wonder what kind of perimeter defense he can provide from the center position.. But very very curious to see him get stronger he may be a great pick also

Jackson is intriguing because of his athleticism and rim protection.

But just like with Ziaire Williams, I am scared of Jackson (and not in a good way) because he's too skinny/weak physically. Only 206 lbs as a center in the NBA? and Jackson has to be a center. he can't play the 4 because he has absolutely no perimeter skills (ball handling, driving, outside shooting).

what centers in the league today are 206 lbs or less? I can't think of any.

Claxton is only 215 lbs. claxton put up similar numbers in college but:

a) claxton is 215 lbs, so 9 pounds more than jackson, that 9 pounds makes a difference when you're trying to bang around inside with the big boys
b) claxton at least showed more of an offensive arsenal than jackson. claxton averaged 13 PPG his last year in college compared to only 8 for Jackson. Claxton hit 18 three-pointers his last year of college, so at least he showed some ability to hit outside shots, Jackson was 0/2 from 3 this season. and yet claxton was the 31st pick in the draft. i'm not taking Jackson with the 16th pick..

True but Giannis and even Tatum were able to bulk up nicely. Talent is still there.

[playa-hater]

The Nets are all perimeter players. If we want to get passed them we need a Bigger perimeter defender and shooter. One who is strong and can switch. The series is proving to me a Jalen Johnson type of talent is what we need most IMO.

[Hal14]

Jackson is probably the best rim protector in this draft .. I do wonder what kind of perimeter defense he can provide from the center position.. But very very curious to see him get stronger he may be a great pick also

Jackson is intriguing because of his athleticism and rim protection.

But just like with Ziaire Williams, I am scared of Jackson (and not in a good way) because he's too skinny/weak physically. Only 206 lbs as a center in the NBA? and Jackson has to be a center. he can't play the 4 because he has absolutely no perimeter skills (ball handling, driving, outside shooting).

what centers in the league today are 206 lbs or less? I can't think of any.

Claxton is only 215 lbs. claxton put up similar numbers in college but:

a) claxton is 215 lbs, so 9 pounds more than jackson, that 9 pounds makes a difference when you're trying to bang around inside with the big boys
b) claxton at least showed more of an offensive arsenal than jackson. claxton averaged 13 PPG his last year in college compared to only 8 for Jackson. Claxton hit 18 three-pointers his last year of college, so at least he showed some ability to hit outside shots, Jackson was 0/2 from 3 this season. and yet claxton was the 31st pick in the draft. i'm not taking Jackson with the 16th pick..

True but Giannis and even Tatum were able to bulk up nicely. Talent is still there.

neither of those guys is a center.

Tatum was 6'8", 200 lbs coming out of duke which isn't that bad. jackson isn't anywhere near as talented as tatum or giannis was when they were entering the draft.

[playa-hater]

Jackson is intriguing because of his athleticism and rim protection.

But just like with Ziaire Williams, I am scared of Jackson (and not in a good way) because he's too skinny/weak physically. Only 206 lbs as a center in the NBA? and Jackson has to be a center. he can't play the 4 because he has absolutely no perimeter skills (ball handling, driving, outside shooting).

what centers in the league today are 206 lbs or less? I can't think of any.

Claxton is only 215 lbs. claxton put up similar numbers in college but:

a) claxton is 215 lbs, so 9 pounds more than jackson, that 9 pounds makes a difference when you're trying to bang around inside with the big boys
b) claxton at least showed more of an offensive arsenal than jackson. claxton averaged 13 PPG his last year in college compared to only 8 for Jackson. Claxton hit 18 three-pointers his last year of college, so at least he showed some ability to hit outside shots, Jackson was 0/2 from 3 this season. and yet claxton was the 31st pick in the draft. i'm not taking Jackson with the 16th pick..

True but Giannis and even Tatum were able to bulk up nicely. Talent is still there.

neither of those guys is a center.

Tatum was 6'8", 200 lbs coming out of duke which isn't that bad. jackson isn't anywhere near as talented as tatum or giannis was when they were entering the draft.

their playing position isn't my point. It's that a very lean body like theirs can still gain 20+ pounds of muscle.

Not the best example but Marcus Camby was super skinny and still made big impacts on the game.

[Hal14]

The Nets are all perimeter players. If we want to get passed them we need a Bigger perimeter defender and shooter. One who is strong and can switch. The series is proving to me a Jalen Johnson type of talent is what we need most IMO.

i agree that this series (and just the way the league is these days in general) is that perimeter players are more valuable than traditional bigs like Thompson.

not sure if what you describe though is our biggest need.

I just think this series is showing us that we simply are not as talented as the nets. we need talent. we need better shooting, better defense - particularly versatile defenders who can defend multiple positions (to your point) but we need more quickness and we also need dudes who can pass and create offense for teammates, like a legit play maker. We also need to get bigger overall, since often times we're undersized.

Talent
Quickness
Passing/play making
Defense (especially defensive versatility)
Shooting
Size

We need all of those things. Not sure which of them we need more than the other things. We need to draft a guy who rates as high as possible in as many of those things as possible.

But yeah, Jalen Johnson does seem to check literally every 1 of those boxes. I don't think anyone would complain if we picked him at 16. Not sure he will still be on the board, though..

[playa-hater]

The Nets are all perimeter players. If we want to get passed them we need a Bigger perimeter defender and shooter. One who is strong and can switch. The series is proving to me a Jalen Johnson type of talent is what we need most IMO.

i agree that this series (and just the way the league is these days in general) is that perimeter players are more valuable than traditional bigs like Thompson.

not sure if what you describe though is our biggest need.

I just think this series is showing us that we simply are not as talented as the nets. we need talent. we need better shooting, better defense - particularly versatile defenders who can defend multiple positions (to your point) but we need more quickness and we also need dudes who can pass and create offense for teammates, like a legit play maker. We also need to get bigger overall, since often times we're undersized.

Talent
Quickness
Passing/play making
Defense (especially defensive versatility)
Shooting
Size

We need all of those things. Not sure which of them we need more than the other things. We need to draft a guy who rates as high as possible in as many of those things as possible.

But yeah, Jalen Johnson does seem to check literally every 1 of those boxes. I don't think anyone would complain if we picked him at 16. Not sure he will still be on the board, though..

Well we have only one 1st rder, can't fill it all. JJ at least might be able to fill some or most of it.

[Hal14]

True but Giannis and even Tatum were able to bulk up nicely. Talent is still there.

neither of those guys is a center.

Tatum was 6'8", 200 lbs coming out of duke which isn't that bad. jackson isn't anywhere near as talented as tatum or giannis was when they were entering the draft.

their playing position isn't my point. It's that a very lean body like their can still gain 20+ pounds of muscle.

Not the best example but Marcus Camby was super skinny and still made big impacts on the game.

Camby was 223 lbs. coming out of college. That's 17 lbs. more than jackson. that 17 lbs makes a difference. camby was also the college player of the year in 96. jackson wasn't anywhere close to as good a college player as camby.

jackson and ziaire williams might be able to put on 20 lbs of muscle but they might not. I just don't want to roll the dice, take the chance and hope they do when there's other guys who are safer choices..

[playa-hater]

neither of those guys is a center.

Tatum was 6'8", 200 lbs coming out of duke which isn't that bad. jackson isn't anywhere near as talented as tatum or giannis was when they were entering the draft.

their playing position isn't my point. It's that a very lean body like their can still gain 20+ pounds of muscle.

Not the best example but Marcus Camby was super skinny and still made big impacts on the game.

Camby was 223 lbs. coming out of college. That's 17 lbs. more than jackson. that 17 lbs makes a difference. camby was also the college player of the year in 96. jackson wasn't anywhere close to as good a college player as camby.

jackson and ziaire williams might be able to put on 20 lbs of muscle but they might not. I just don't want to roll the dice, take the chance and hope they do when there's other guys who are safer choices..

I'm too lazy to look but I think Camby was a junior maybe even a senior when he came out so that's a couple of more years to bulk up

[Hal14]

their playing position isn't my point. It's that a very lean body like their can still gain 20+ pounds of muscle.

Not the best example but Marcus Camby was super skinny and still made big impacts on the game.

Camby was 223 lbs. coming out of college. That's 17 lbs. more than jackson. that 17 lbs makes a difference. camby was also the college player of the year in 96. jackson wasn't anywhere close to as good a college player as camby.

jackson and ziaire williams might be able to put on 20 lbs of muscle but they might not. I just don't want to roll the dice, take the chance and hope they do when there's other guys who are safer choices..

I'm too lazy to look but I think Camby was a junior maybe even a senior when he came out so that's a couple of more years to bulk up

he was 22 when he got draft, so 3 years older than jackson. yes, jackson might bulk up over the next 2-3 but a) maybe he doesn't and b) does that mean he's unplayable during his first 2-3 seasons while wait wait for him to bulk up?

again, i think jackson and ziaire have some good potential but i think in the 16 spot there are better choices. if we were picking in the 20-30 range then sure, maybe take a flier on jackson or ziaire..

[Half-Full]

Always interested in players that might be flying under the radar. Here's one that might be available with our second pick.

https://www.wyexpect.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-sleepers-st-johns-julian-champagnie-is-hiding-in-plain-sight

[Half-Full]

Kessler Edwards is another candidate for our second round pick. He is very similar to Julian Champagnie. In addition to the attributes mentioned here, Edwards is also an 88% free throw shooter.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NBA_Draft/comments/kq1qck/kessler_edwards_of_pepperdine_is_95th_percentile/

[Half-Full]

Another big that looks very intriguing is Western Kentucky's Charles Bassey. NBADraftNet's mock has him going at pick #27, while Tankathon's mock has him way down at pick #58. Might he be available when the Celtics pick in round two? Anyway, among the good things in his scouting report here is that he shot 75% from the free throw line.

https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/02/06/nba-draft-2021-evaluation-western-kentucky-center-charles-bassey/

[GoGreen]

Can't see JJ falling to 16. Color me shocked if he does. I swear this pick has Garuba or Jackson written all over it. Thompson has one year left, Rob is injury prone and also has one year left. Cs might need a 5 and they can both play that position, though Garuba is also a much needed 4, which makes me lean more towards him.

We will see, hope I'm wrong because there's a couple other guys I'd love to see there at 16, but it is what it is.

[playa-hater]

Always interested in players that might be flying under the radar. Here's one that might be available with our second pick.

https://www.wyexpect.com/stories/2021-nba-draft-sleepers-st-johns-julian-champagnie-is-hiding-in-plain-sight

For rd 2 he looks damn good.

[playa-hater]

Kessler Edwards is another candidate for our second round pick. He is very similar to Julian Champagnie. In addition to the attributes mentioned here, Edwards is also an 88% free throw shooter.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NBA_Draft/comments/kq1qck/kessler_edwards_of_pepperdine_is_95th_percentile/

Another player who fills my want list. Multi-positional player and skilled player with some size.

will be happy to look into both choices closer soon enough.

[playa-hater]

Can't see JJ falling to 16. Color me shocked if he does. I swear this pick has Garuba or Jackson written all over it. Thompson has one year left, Rob is injury prone and also has one year left. Cs might need a 5 and they can both play that position, though Garuba is also a much needed 4, which makes me lean more towards him.

We will see, hope I'm wrong because there's a couple other guys I'd love to see there at 16, but it is what it is.

The bold may be true. but I still feel someone I like that we can use will be available. Someone who no one has talked about will go top 10 and push everyone down a spot as it happens every year.

[threrf23]

Another big that looks very intriguing is Western Kentucky's Charles Bassey. NBADraftNet's mock has him going at pick #27, while Tankathon's mock has him way down at pick #58. Might he be available when the Celtics pick in round two? Anyway, among the good things in his scouting report here is that he shot 75% from the free throw line.

https://bustingbrackets.com/2021/02/06/nba-draft-2021-evaluation-western-kentucky-center-charles-bassey/

Seems comparable to Derrick Favors IMO. Much more suited as a traditional big than the modern big people want him to be, but he shows some upside as a jump shooter. Good rebounder in college and is known to play with a high motor. We could do a lot worse at ~16 IMO, though if he was available in the 2nd round I would assume there was a reason.

[Patsfan1081]

Can't see JJ falling to 16. Color me shocked if he does. I swear this pick has Garuba or Jackson written all over it. Thompson has one year left, Rob is injury prone and also has one year left. Cs might need a 5 and they can both play that position, though Garuba is also a much needed 4, which makes me lean more towards him.

We will see, hope I'm wrong because there's a couple other guys I'd love to see there at 16, but it is what it is.

The bold may be true. but I still feel someone I like that we can use will be available. Someone who no one has talked about will go top 10 and push everyone down a spot as it happens every year.

Maybe this will be a chance to clean up some of the roster. Grant nor Langford would prob not even move you up a spot but maybe somone would bite on Timelord and you could package another young player to open up another roster spot. If they could grab one of JJ/Barnes(prob very unlikely)/Sengun with their first pick then grab a big with a okay floor like Bassey/Quetta with their second I’d be happy.

[Hal14]

Roko Prkacin could really be a nice sleeper pick. Looks like a really nice stretch 4 who can handle the ball, drive on people, shoot it from the outside, has some post moves, good rim runner, can lead the break or finish on it, solid passer. Really the whole package offensively as a stretch 4. Seems to be better on offense than he is on defense but definitely not a liability on D. The size, skill set and sturdy frame are all very impressive for a kid who's only 18 and posted solid numbers across the board in his first season playing professionally overseas.

6'9" with a 7'0" wingspan, 220 lbs..shot 39.4% from 3 this past season. Had a 38 point, 10 rebound game on high efficiency.

You see him handle the ball quite a bit out on the perimeter, creating offense for himself and teammates. He leads the break too so he's kind of like a Point Forward / Stretch 4 / Small Ball 5. Defends well inside but can also switch onto guards. There's a play in the 2nd video below where he switches onto a PG, the PG tries to take Roko off the dribble, Roko stays with him nicely and then blocks the shot.

This dude makes some unreal passes too - in transition, from top of key and out of the high post hitting cutters.

I'm seeing a shorter version of Nowitzki but with better passing and better defense. And Nowitzki would have gone no. 1. in a draft of the 98 class. Maybe not quite as good as Nowtzki cause Dirk averaged 19 PPG professionally overseas at age 18, compared to 13 PPG for Roko, but again - Roko is also a better passer and better defender. Even if Roko doesn't end up being quite as good as Dirk, that's ok - Dirk is considered by many to be a top 20 player in NBA history. Celtics could have a major steal if Roko can even come close to that level.

I can see Roko as being a guy who shoots up big boards as we get closer to the draft and could even be a solid pick at 16, depending on who's available when we're up..

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