2022 NBA Draft Thread – (June 23rd, 8PM, ESPN)

[1st banana]

Impressed with the "german" not so much about Kai. Feel Kai can not defend at all.

Will hukporti even be around when we pick? He looks really good actually very raw but moves well for a guy that size. Also he’s only 18? Is he gonna enter the draft this year?

I am also not feelin kai doesn’t move well in anyway reminds me of tacko.
Edit: watched that nbl vid of Kai he does move significantly better now I could maybe get on board I can imagine he’d ever play here tho.

Hukporti actually just turned 20 yrs old, 2 days ago.

There was an old video that was posted, where he was only like 17 or 18 in the video.

He's going late 2nd round or undrafted in most mocks I've seen. Decent chance he'll still be there when we pick, if we decide to go with a big man..

Yea I’m kind of torn on which direction I want us to go I mean it’s only a second rounder so like BFD. Just BPA would be probably the direction.

I want a big with decent size that can be moderately switchable but those aren’t a dime a dozen obvi.

Hukporti has the size I like and he moves well possibly could fit that mold with nba trainers and regiment. Has an evolving offensive game too that I like.

Other direction would be just another lengthy wing/4 type. Either a shooter who you hope to develop defensively or a defensive guy you hope to teach to shoot.

[batabatuta]

Will hukporti even be around when we pick? He looks really good actually very raw but moves well for a guy that size. Also he’s only 18? Is he gonna enter the draft this year?

I am also not feelin kai doesn’t move well in anyway reminds me of tacko.
Edit: watched that nbl vid of Kai he does move significantly better now I could maybe get on board I can imagine he’d ever play here tho.

Hukporti actually just turned 20 yrs old, 2 days ago.

There was an old video that was posted, where he was only like 17 or 18 in the video.

He's going late 2nd round or undrafted in most mocks I've seen. Decent chance he'll still be there when we pick, if we decide to go with a big man..

Yea I’m kind of torn on which direction I want us to go I mean it’s only a second rounder so like BFD. Just BPA would be probably the direction.

I want a big with decent size that can be moderately switchable but those aren’t a dime a dozen obvi.

Hukporti has the size I like and he moves well possibly could fit that mold with nba trainers and regiment. Has an evolving offensive game too that I like.

Other direction would be just another lengthy wing/4 type. Either a shooter who you hope to develop defensively or a defensive guy you hope to teach to shoot.

I'm on the Kai Sotto train. He's good for our pick if he's available or hopefully, he will be available as undrafted. He's 19 yr old 7'3 who is a 3 point shooter and has a high BBIQ. He can create his own shot but the problem is he doesn't have the license to shoot. He is raw and soft but as a developing center, he has high potential, moves well for his height and he'll fit well with Ime's system.

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[Hal14]

Will hukporti even be around when we pick? He looks really good actually very raw but moves well for a guy that size. Also he’s only 18? Is he gonna enter the draft this year?

I am also not feelin kai doesn’t move well in anyway reminds me of tacko.
Edit: watched that nbl vid of Kai he does move significantly better now I could maybe get on board I can imagine he’d ever play here tho.

Hukporti actually just turned 20 yrs old, 2 days ago.

There was an old video that was posted, where he was only like 17 or 18 in the video.

He's going late 2nd round or undrafted in most mocks I've seen. Decent chance he'll still be there when we pick, if we decide to go with a big man..

Yea I’m kind of torn on which direction I want us to go I mean it’s only a second rounder so like BFD. Just BPA would be probably the direction.

I want a big with decent size that can be moderately switchable but those aren’t a dime a dozen obvi.

Hukporti has the size I like and he moves well possibly could fit that mold with nba trainers and regiment. Has an evolving offensive game too that I like.

Other direction would be just another lengthy wing/4 type. Either a shooter who you hope to develop defensively or a defensive guy you hope to teach to shoot.

Good news is some of the lengthy wing/4 type guys who could be available at our pick can already shoot AND defend. Gabe Brown, Kevin McCullar, Fabian White, Julian Champagnie, Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker are some..

Big man with good size and switchability - guys who could potentially fit that would be like Hukporti, Christian Koloko, Karlo Matkovic and Khalifa Diop.

[zoyathedestroya]

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[playa-hater]

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the timing of this ???? Booo!!

[Hal14]

Draft and stash candidate..

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The next Porzingis?

Edit: just saw a possession where he got switched onto a guard. Yikes, that was bad.

[Patsfan1081]

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the timing of this ???? Booo!!

It still hurts though. Ainge basically gave away a free pick because he miss judged his cap situation.

[Hal14]

According to Keith Smith, it's official. We have the 53rd pick.

Sleeper special for today is Kris Murray. Guess what? Keegan Murray is a consensus top 10 pick. He could even go as high as no. 5 or 6 in the draft.

Keegan's identical twin bother Kris is not as good but he's almost as good! You look at their per 40 mins stats, Kris has higher steals, higher assists, is barely behind Keegan in rebounds, blocks and 3 PT%. Many other categories Kris is not far at all behind Keegan, despite having a much lower usage % than Keegan.

Since they're twins, obviously they have same DOB (they're both 21 and turn 22 in august). Also, they're both 6'8", 225 lbs with 6'11" wingspan.

But Keegan is a projected top 10 pick, whereas most mocks don't even have Kris getting drafted.

I'm telling you. Kris could be a steal. We could potentially get a guy who is damn near close to being as good as a top 10 pick....with the 53rd pick!

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Per 40 mins, Kris scored 21 PPG, shot 38.7% from 3 on 7.1 attempts per 40 mins. That's very good shooting for a dude who's 6'8" with a 6'11" wingspan. Add in good steal, blocks and rebounding numbers (2.6% steals, 5.2% blocks, 13.0% rebounding). The size, skill set and numbers he put up, he probably should be a 1st round pick - he just got overshadowed by his twin brother.

[1st banana]

According to Keith Smith, it's official. We have the 53rd pick.

Sleeper special for today is Kris Murray. Guess what? Keegan Murray is a consensus top 10 pick. He could even go as high as no. 5 or 6 in the draft.

Keegan's identical twin bother Kris is not as good but he's almost as good! You look at their per 40 mins stats, Kris has higher steals, higher assists, is barely behind Keegan in rebounds, blocks and 3 PT%. Many other categories Kris is not far at all behind Keegan, despite having a much lower usage % than Keegan.

Since they're twins, obviously they have same DOB (they're both 21 and turn 22 in august). Also, they're both 6'8", 225 lbs with 6'11" wingspan.

But Keegan is a projected top 10 pick, whereas most mocks don't even have Kris getting drafted.

I'm telling you. Kris could be a steal. We could potentially get a guy who is damn near close to being as good as a top 10 pick....with the 53rd pick!

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Giving me a poor mans mikal bridges vibes. Shots is a little slow but his size def fits brads likes. His defense looks good the way he moved and contested without fouling was impressive.

Of course I know they’re just sizzle reels but for a second rounder he looks good. I can’t imagine he’ll be around tho where’s he being mocked?

[Smart2Nesmith43]

I'm still on the Procida bandwagon but if he's gone by the time we pick, I'd like Vince Williams to be the pick (or get picked up as an UDFA). I don't know what I'm missing because he looks like a NBA 3&D wing to me but he doesn't pop up on too many mock drafts.

He is 6'6, 205lbs with a 7'0 wingspan. 38.7% from three this year (on over 10 attempts per 100 possessions). 41.3% last year (on over 8 attempts per 100 possessions). Around 80% free throw shooter the last three seasons. Over 60% on two point shots this year so he can finish inside a little. Gets to the line a fair amount (especially considering how many outside jumpers he takes).

Way too many turnovers but hopefully in a smaller role in the NBA he won't have to overextend his skillset. Decent rebounding numbers and AST%. This year he has a 3% steal rate and 4% block rate so he wreaks havoc defensively. Insane on/off numbers (like Tatum level fall off a cliff on both sides when he's not in kind of numbers).

He's a senior so wouldn't require as much time to get up to speed but he's also still 21 and getting better every year so there might be some upside left.

Here's a pre-NCAA tournament write-up with some additional info from USA today:

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vince Williams Jr.

VCU’s Vince Williams is an elite defensive prospect. In fact, opponents are shooting just 4-for-27 (14.8%) on jumpers off the dribble when Williams is the nearest defender, per Synergy.

Among top-100 teams, via KenPom, none are forcing turnovers more often than VCU. He is one of just a few players with a steal percentage above 3.0 percent and a block percentage above 4.0 percent. When you consider both his willingness as a shooter and as a playmaker as well, he joins especially elite company.

Overall, his team has outscored opponents by 15.1 points per 100 when Williams is on the court, per Pivot Analysis, but they are outscored by 9.3 points per 100 when he is off. With a reported wingspan near 7-foot, if there is anyone in this class who may resemble Pelicans rookie Herbert Jones, it is Williams. I expect that he, too, will continue to rise in the pre-draft process.

61. Vince Williams Jr. (VCU: Wing, Senior, 6-6)

12.8 pts, 5.6 reb, 3.1 ast, 9.7 3pa/100, 39.2 3p%, 66.1 rim%, 11 dunks

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nba-mock-draft-march-madness-chet-holmgren-top-prospects

[Hal14]

According to Keith Smith, it's official. We have the 53rd pick.

Sleeper special for today is Kris Murray. Guess what? Keegan Murray is a consensus top 10 pick. He could even go as high as no. 5 or 6 in the draft.

Keegan's identical twin bother Kris is not as good but he's almost as good! You look at their per 40 mins stats, Kris has higher steals, higher assists, is barely behind Keegan in rebounds, blocks and 3 PT%. Many other categories Kris is not far at all behind Keegan, despite having a much lower usage % than Keegan.

Since they're twins, obviously they have same DOB (they're both 21 and turn 22 in august). Also, they're both 6'8", 225 lbs with 6'11" wingspan.

But Keegan is a projected top 10 pick, whereas most mocks don't even have Kris getting drafted.

I'm telling you. Kris could be a steal. We could potentially get a guy who is damn near close to being as good as a top 10 pick....with the 53rd pick!

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Giving me a poor mans mikal bridges vibes. Shots is a little slow but his size def fits brads likes. His defense looks good the way he moved and contested without fouling was impressive.

Of course I know they’re just sizzle reels but for a second rounder he looks good. I can’t imagine he’ll be around tho where’s he being mocked?

IMO he's much closer to a Miles Bridges/PJ Washington type than Mikal. Kris is a stretch 4 (who can play some small ball 5) whereas Mikal is a 3&D wing.

Kris is going undrafted in most mocks I've seen. He's very underrated.

[1st banana]

According to Keith Smith, it's official. We have the 53rd pick.

Sleeper special for today is Kris Murray. Guess what? Keegan Murray is a consensus top 10 pick. He could even go as high as no. 5 or 6 in the draft.

Keegan's identical twin bother Kris is not as good but he's almost as good! You look at their per 40 mins stats, Kris has higher steals, higher assists, is barely behind Keegan in rebounds, blocks and 3 PT%. Many other categories Kris is not far at all behind Keegan, despite having a much lower usage % than Keegan.

Since they're twins, obviously they have same DOB (they're both 21 and turn 22 in august). Also, they're both 6'8", 225 lbs with 6'11" wingspan.

But Keegan is a projected top 10 pick, whereas most mocks don't even have Kris getting drafted.

I'm telling you. Kris could be a steal. We could potentially get a guy who is damn near close to being as good as a top 10 pick....with the 53rd pick!

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Giving me a poor mans mikal bridges vibes. Shots is a little slow but his size def fits brads likes. His defense looks good the way he moved and contested without fouling was impressive.

Of course I know they’re just sizzle reels but for a second rounder he looks good. I can’t imagine he’ll be around tho where’s he being mocked?

IMO he's much closer to a Miles Bridges/PJ Washington type than Mikal. Kris is a stretch 4 (who can play some small ball 5) whereas Mikal is a 3&D wing.

Kris is going undrafted in most mocks I've seen. He's very underrated.

Ooh yea the pj comp is a great one surprised he is going undrafted. That size, length and shooting should warrant at least a second round selection.

There seems to be a lot of good talent in the 30-60 range as there has been the last 3-5 years. I wouldn’t mind a second pick in the 50s somewhere maybe brad can buy one without losing anything important.

[Rastas]

Need to grab Jalen Williams (Santa Clara) because the team needs more Jay's and more Williams.

[Hal14]

Need to grab Jalen Williams (Santa Clara) because the team needs more Jay's and more Williams.

haha also, Jalen Williams is really good at basketball! I'm high on him, just not sure he'll make it all the way to our pick..

[Hal14]

I'm still on the Procida bandwagon but if he's gone by the time we pick, I'd like Vince Williams to be the pick (or get picked up as an UDFA). I don't know what I'm missing because he looks like a NBA 3&D wing to me but he doesn't pop up on too many mock drafts.

He is 6'6, 205lbs with a 7'0 wingspan. 38.7% from three this year (on over 10 attempts per 100 possessions). 41.3% last year (on over 8 attempts per 100 possessions). Around 80% free throw shooter the last three seasons. Over 60% on two point shots this year so he can finish inside a little. Gets to the line a fair amount (especially considering how many outside jumpers he takes).

Way too many turnovers but hopefully in a smaller role in the NBA he won't have to overextend his skillset. Decent rebounding numbers and AST%. This year he has a 3% steal rate and 4% block rate so he wreaks havoc defensively. Insane on/off numbers (like Tatum level fall off a cliff on both sides when he's not in kind of numbers).

He's a senior so wouldn't require as much time to get up to speed but he's also still 21 and getting better every year so there might be some upside left.

Here's a pre-NCAA tournament write-up with some additional info from USA today:

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vince Williams Jr.

VCU’s Vince Williams is an elite defensive prospect. In fact, opponents are shooting just 4-for-27 (14.8%) on jumpers off the dribble when Williams is the nearest defender, per Synergy.

Among top-100 teams, via KenPom, none are forcing turnovers more often than VCU. He is one of just a few players with a steal percentage above 3.0 percent and a block percentage above 4.0 percent. When you consider both his willingness as a shooter and as a playmaker as well, he joins especially elite company.

Overall, his team has outscored opponents by 15.1 points per 100 when Williams is on the court, per Pivot Analysis, but they are outscored by 9.3 points per 100 when he is off. With a reported wingspan near 7-foot, if there is anyone in this class who may resemble Pelicans rookie Herbert Jones, it is Williams. I expect that he, too, will continue to rise in the pre-draft process.

61. Vince Williams Jr. (VCU: Wing, Senior, 6-6)

12.8 pts, 5.6 reb, 3.1 ast, 9.7 3pa/100, 39.2 3p%, 66.1 rim%, 11 dunks

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nba-mock-draft-march-madness-chet-holmgren-top-prospects

Yeah, Procida and Vince Williams are certainly guys to consider if they're still available.

Both have good potential, especially on the offensive end. I have some concerns with both in terms of physical profile and defense.

Procida - needs to bulk up a little, get stronger. Otherwise he might have challenges with the physicality of the NBA. On defense he's decent but not great.

Vince williams - sturdy frame, but lacks speed/explosiveness/athleticism which may make it tough to keep up with faster pace and more spacing in NBA. Sometimes he struggles to defend in space vs guards and that's in the mid major conference he's in, let alone the NBA.

Both can definitely shoot the basketball at 6'6"+

[Hal14]

damn, now that Mike Schmitz from ESPN posted this, the cat is out of the bag and Barlow probably won't fall to us at 53. oh well..

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[Hal14]

as I'm watching our team play in these playoff games right now, I'm thinking......

"which prospect who could potentially still be on the board at pick 53 could step in and get minutes on this team right now?"

Let's face it. These first 2 games vs the nets, Udoka played 8 guys. He didn't play Nesmith, he didn't play Hauser, no Stauskus, Kornet, etc.

Ideally, we would have been able to go 9 deep. But we only went 8 deep because udoka only has confidence in those 8 guys right now.

If we did go 9 deep during those first 2 games vs the nets, what type of player would it need to be for udoka to put him in there?

That is the type of player we should take with this pick.

Or.......

The other option (especially if Brad looks at his draft board and just doesn't think any prospect left could realistically contribute to this team as a top 9 guy), in that case I think you take a home run swing for the future. You say to yourself, "you know what, it's a late 2nd round pick. Got nothing to lose here. Just take someone who is maybe raw, unpolished, rough around the edges, someone who is not close to contributing now, someone who is going to spend the next year (or 2) either in the g-league or stashed overseas but a year or 2 down the road with some hard work, this is a player who all of a sudden could breakout and become a legit baller.

Guys who fall into the 1st bucket (could potentially compete for mins as our 9th or 10th guy next year)
Jabari Walker, Isaiah Mobley, Julian Champagnie, Kevin McCullar, Gabe Brown, Ron Harper Jr, David Roddy, Kris Murray, Dereon Seabron, Josiah Jordan-James, Jalen Williams

Guys who fall into the 2nd bucket (younger player who is more of a long term project but has high upside)
Dominick Barlow, Josh Minott, Peyton Watson, Patrick Baldwin Jr, Zvonimir Ivisic, Kok Yat, Ryan Rollins, Leonardo Okeke, Tristan Vukcevic

[Hal14]

he is maintaining his college eligibility so a chance that he returns to college. and if he stays in the draft, high chance that he is gone before our pick.

But if he somehow falls to us, you absolutely take him. I've currently got Terry ranked as the no. 14 player on my big board so we would be getting a lottery level player with the 53rd pick

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[Hal14]

Maybe next year we'll get Roko!

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[Half-Full]

I'm still on the Procida bandwagon but if he's gone by the time we pick, I'd like Vince Williams to be the pick (or get picked up as an UDFA). I don't know what I'm missing because he looks like a NBA 3&D wing to me but he doesn't pop up on too many mock drafts.

He is 6'6, 205lbs with a 7'0 wingspan. 38.7% from three this year (on over 10 attempts per 100 possessions). 41.3% last year (on over 8 attempts per 100 possessions). Around 80% free throw shooter the last three seasons. Over 60% on two point shots this year so he can finish inside a little. Gets to the line a fair amount (especially considering how many outside jumpers he takes).

Way too many turnovers but hopefully in a smaller role in the NBA he won't have to overextend his skillset. Decent rebounding numbers and AST%. This year he has a 3% steal rate and 4% block rate so he wreaks havoc defensively. Insane on/off numbers (like Tatum level fall off a cliff on both sides when he's not in kind of numbers).

He's a senior so wouldn't require as much time to get up to speed but he's also still 21 and getting better every year so there might be some upside left.

Here's a pre-NCAA tournament write-up with some additional info from USA today:

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Vince Williams Jr.

VCU’s Vince Williams is an elite defensive prospect. In fact, opponents are shooting just 4-for-27 (14.8%) on jumpers off the dribble when Williams is the nearest defender, per Synergy.

Among top-100 teams, via KenPom, none are forcing turnovers more often than VCU. He is one of just a few players with a steal percentage above 3.0 percent and a block percentage above 4.0 percent. When you consider both his willingness as a shooter and as a playmaker as well, he joins especially elite company.

Overall, his team has outscored opponents by 15.1 points per 100 when Williams is on the court, per Pivot Analysis, but they are outscored by 9.3 points per 100 when he is off. With a reported wingspan near 7-foot, if there is anyone in this class who may resemble Pelicans rookie Herbert Jones, it is Williams. I expect that he, too, will continue to rise in the pre-draft process.

61. Vince Williams Jr. (VCU: Wing, Senior, 6-6)

12.8 pts, 5.6 reb, 3.1 ast, 9.7 3pa/100, 39.2 3p%, 66.1 rim%, 11 dunks

https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/nba-mock-draft-march-madness-chet-holmgren-top-prospects

Check out this scouting report on Vince Williams. He looks to be skilled both on offense and defense. Drafting at pick number 53 it will be hard to find a player that is likely to stick. Vince is definitely worth consideration, and as a four year player has plug and play potential.

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