Draft Discussion Part 3

[NTB]

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[Dambo]

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Make it happen McD!!

[WeekapaugGroove]

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Pretty sure Schultz is being fed BS by some executive for a while now but this would make the draft interesting.

Schultz certainly throws alot of **** at the wall hoping some sticks but I don't see it as some absolute lock the lakers take ball. Just because he wants to go there doesn't mean the lakers have any obligation to grant his wish. Not only is there the family circus aspect but he's not the cleanest prospect on the floor either.

Keep an eye who he works out for. If he does end up doing a workout for the sixers and/or suns that will tell me he's getting doubts the lakers will take him.

Im FAR from a ball fan and would be super scared if the suns took him but as I said pre lotto I might be able to talk myself into humbled chip on his shoulder lonzo whos jilted by the lakers and goes from laker super fan to laker hater.

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[Waylay13]

4. PHX - Fox
--- For several reasons, but mostly because the other young talent worthy of a pick this high (Tatum) is at a position at which the Suns are overloaded. I think Fox is the pick here, and I would think the Suns would have a plan in place to complete youth transition by moving Bledsoe on draft day after making this pick.

Really you think that the small forward is a position at which the Suns are loaded? We have Warren and Derrick Jones Jr. both of which are not star level players. While at point guard the Suns have Bledsoe, Knight, and Ulis with both Bledsoe and Ulis being quality players. Cosmo arent you letting your dislike of Jackson FT% warp your view of the team?

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

4. PHX - Fox
--- For several reasons, but mostly because the other young talent worthy of a pick this high (Tatum) is at a position at which the Suns are overloaded. I think Fox is the pick here, and I would think the Suns would have a plan in place to complete youth transition by moving Bledsoe on draft day after making this pick.

Really you think that the small forward is a position at which the Suns are loaded? We have Warren and Derrick Jones Jr. both of which are not star level players. While at point guard the Suns have Bledsoe, Knight, and Ulis with both Bledsoe and Ulis being quality players. Cosmo arent you letting your dislike of Jackson FT% warp your view of the team?

Jackson wasn't available.

But in terms of core talent, your lists are way off. At the PG, we have Ulis. At SG, Booker. Knight is only nominally a Sun and Bledsoe is admittedly not part of the core. But at SF, we have not only Warren and DJJ, but also Dragan and to some degree even Chriss and Booker - each of whom can guard some of the league's SFs. In terms of core talent, this is how I see our depth chart:

Ulis
Booker/DJJ
Warren/DJJ/Bender/Booker/Chriss
Chriss/Bender/DJJ
Williams/Chriss/Bender

If you want to include Bledsoe, you also have to include Dudley in the SF discussion, considering he's under contract for just as long as Bledsoe. I opt to include neither.

[NTB]

Bender is not SF imo.

from B-ref

[Waylay13]

Booker is a shooting guard only, Bender is a power forward maybe in time center, Chriss is a power forward in time might be able to play center. DJJ doesnt have any range to play shooting guard. Dudley was brought in to play power forward but more importantly be a vet presence on the team. Small forward is our biggest need and it is the position that has the most talent when we pick by far.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Booker is a shooting guard only, Bender is a power forward maybe in time center, Chriss is a power forward in time might be able to play center. DJJ doesnt have any range to play shooting guard. Dudley was brought in to play power forward but more importantly be a vet presence on the team. Small forward is our biggest need...

I disagree with all that. If you want to qualify various of those statements by inserting the word "starting" in there, than sure, I guess. Personally, I think Dragan and Chriss could eventually be our starting forwards, whether you call one "small" and the other "power" is up to you. You can play DJJ as a backup SG if your other wing and your PG can shoot. Booker will and does play SF when other teams go small. And I'm under the impression that there are several small forwards whom Chriss and/or Dragan can stick. I liked how Dragan played KD, for what it's worth.

and it is the position that has the most talent when we pick by far.[/quote]

Bender is not SF imo.

from B-ref

Half the league is playing SFs at PF. When Bender's on the court, I see a super-tall SF. He likes to make interior passes rather than to have interior passes made to him. He likes to curl around screens and hit quick threes. He likes to handle the ball on the perimeter. He doesn't work best as the biggest guy on the court, unless the other team is going super small, in which case, yes, we'll play Dragan at "center" and have him guard Draymond Green.

Again, I'm in the minority this summer. These things are pendulum-like.

[jcsunsfan]

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Pretty sure Schultz is being fed BS by some executive for a while now but this would make the draft interesting.

Well. That's pretty interesting. Let's just say--for the sake of giggles--that the draft goes like this:

1. Fultz
2. Fox
3. Monk

Who do you want? You have Ball, Jackson, AND Tatum available.

I know I don't take Tatum. I think I take Ball and live with the hassles.

[RaisingArizona]

Luckily, Schultz is probably wrong. Someone check the guys past on NBA rumors. They are way off.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

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Pretty sure Schultz is being fed BS by some executive for a while now but this would make the draft interesting.

Well. That's pretty interesting. Let's just say--for the sake of giggles--that the draft goes like this:

1. Fultz
2. Fox
3. Monk

Who do you want? You have Ball, Jackson, AND Tatum available.

I know I don't take Tatum. I think I take Ball and live with the hassles.

As would I. I think the risk is worth the upside.

[carey]

Huh. I've seen little evidence that DJJ can shoot a basketball and we're talking about playing him at SG? SF is not our biggest need. Technically it's C since we only have 1 under contract.

[batsmasher]

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[ImNotMcDiSwear]

Huh. I've seen little evidence that DJJ can shoot a basketball and we're talking about playing him at SG? SF is not our biggest need. Technically it's C since we only have 1 under contract.

And, in any case, no future starting center.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Some people focus too much on traditional positions. This is oversimplified but I look at the league much less position based and more of a free flowing spread and roll league so when looking for players I'd find guys who fit that more than trying to put them in a 1-5 positional box. Find guys defensively who can switch a p&r and some guys who can come from the weak side and block a shot. On O you need guys who can shoot well enough to space the floor, a couple good guards who can run the p&r, and a couple rim runners for the roll. Thats why a guy like chriss is valuable because if he reaches his potential he gives you shooting and rolling which opens up the pick and pop game too. Now you still need a couple guys who can play a little iso ball when the game slows down and you need a bucket.

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[Villalobos]

DraftExpress now has Fox rising to #4 and Tatum falling one. C'mon, Fox, keep rising buddy. Isaac rose one. Markkanen up to #7. Dennis Smith falling all the way back to #10, which seems crazy to me. Bam rose a lot to #24. Poor Ivan Rabb in the second round now. My boy Derrick White fell past the Suns #32 pick. Josh Hart is still a mid second rounder.

Nets taking a gamble on Jeanne at #22 makes sense.

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

[thamadkant]

Dennis Smith's athleticism and ability to hit the 3pt is nice... but he's pretty much Bledsoe 2.0... which is worth a lottery pick if not top 10. I can see the Kings drafting him or the Knicks.

[WeekapaugGroove]

Dennis Smith's athleticism and ability to hit the 3pt is nice... but he's pretty much Bledsoe 2.0... which is worth a lottery pick if not top 10. I can see the Kings drafting him or the Knicks.

Smith is an enigma to me. On one hand i think dude could be just a monster in the pick and roll from the day he steps on an nba court. He reminds me of lillard. But on the other hand dude didn't even pretend to try on d most of the time at nc state. He's the highest upside after fultz and lowest floor guy in the top 10 when you also factor in the knee.

As much as I like guys like jackson and isaac and would probably draft them over smith i think smith has a better shot at being the top 1 or 2 guy on a championship level than those two.

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[Mulhollanddrive]

Are we working out Fox in Phoenix?

[King4Day]

Are we working out Fox in Phoenix?

I'd have to think we will, along with Tatum, Jackson, and we'll probably aim for ball.
With all this rising hype on Fox, we'd be metal not too