2023 Draft Discussion Part III

[ATLTimekeeper]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

[Dalek]

Tankathon updated their mock and Bufkin has moved up from 38th to 21st pick. Would not be surprised to see him mocked more in our range going forward.

I honestly trust Bleacher Report, the Athletic and ESPN more than other sites because they have the most resources to get intel and also scout prospects.

BR has us drafting Bufkin at 14
https://www.nba.com/news/bleacher-report-2023-latest-mock-draft-ncaa-tournament-ends

ESPN from earlier in March had Jett Howard ; Bufkin up to 21
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/35798437/2023-nba-mock-draft-12-prospects-likely-playing-last-ncaa-games

The Athletic has the Raptors with Cason Wallace; Bufkin up to 21

All the big sites seems to be moving Bufkin up their boards. I really like the kid because he competes well and has a balanced game. I couldn't help but think about him when watching James Bouknight last night. Here was a 20 PPG elite college scorer with similar size dimensions to Kobe. He is not on a great team and has had offcourt issues, but to me he struggles with the physicality of the NBA and his game is taking long to translate.

The other big comp for him, Jordan Poole took a couple years to get to where he is now, but also had a lot of mentoring from Curry. Anfernee Simons also had a similar rise, but he had Lillard and CJ guiding him. Toronto has no one to mentor him in his role. What he could end up like on Toronto is a Jeff Dowtin Jr. type in our system which is what worries me. At least with Cason and Anthony Black I see huge defensive upside that fits well with Toronto, but with Bufkin he fits no archetype for Toronto.

[Dalek]

That 3 will have to come a long way before sniffing Bridges comparisons , but still love the upside

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Better ceiling comp would be Matisse Thybulle.

To me, he seems like a Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot type. Good defensive rep from overseas, shown a bit of playmaking, but kind of feels like a journeyman type because his offense is behind. The other similar player would be Thabo Sefolosha. Not saying he can't exceed those players in time, but he is a project and I am curious if he would be better served as a stash guy playing in the NBL or Europe.

[dozo]

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The college basketball season may be over, but draft season is just starting to kick into high gear. There will be plenty of chances for prospects to prove themselves, whether in larger-scale events or in individual workouts for NBA squads. There will be plenty of movement up and down boards in the weeks to come, but this is where the No Ceilings collective stands in the aftermath of the end of the college basketball season.

[mademan]

I very much doubt Rupert falls to 24. His measurements are too good and the guys like 19. 6'7 with a 7'3 wingspan is ridiculous. Wings with strong defensive potential are usually worth more than guards, so i see him climbing up and displacing some of these late lotto guards (Brice, JHS, Howard, maybe even Nick Smith Jr who everyone has soured on).

Im not sure if he's a great pickup for us, as we're starving for guard play, but i'd take him as I think he's the best prospect available. Good shooting stroke so no reason he cant become a knockdown shooter

[BoyzNTheHood]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

[mademan]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Thabo could never do half of this stuff.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Thabo could never do half of this stuff.

Thabo literally did all of that. I've been wrong before, but in my opinion Rupert doesn't do anything special.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Thabo could never do half of this stuff.

What exactly can Rupert do that Sefolosha couldn't?

Watch on YouTube

Rupert would be lucky to pull off a performance like that in the NBA one day.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

That wasn't what the poster was concerned about and so it's irrelevant to my reply. If his size/length is the same as Kawhi's it will be an asset in the NBA as well.

As for the second part, if he's Thabo, well, he's one of the best defensive players in the NBA and that's a great pick outside the top 10.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

That wasn't what the poster was concerned about and so it's irrelevant to my reply. If his size/length is the same as Kawhi's it will be an asset in the NBA as well.

As for the second part, if he's Thabo, well, he's one of the best defensive players in the NBA and that's a great pick outside the top 10.

To take a line from a Raptors legend, I have higher aspirations than Thabo Sefolosha.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

Shooting consistency is something that is often developed in the NBA. His form isn't broken. His dimensions are rumoured to be Kawhi's, so of course his length/size will serve him well in the NBA. Overall I'm just saying the stats from the NBL are harder to make predictions on, and that would go for any 16-17 year old playing pro minutes in Europe (even at lower levels).

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

That wasn't what the poster was concerned about and so it's irrelevant to my reply. If his size/length is the same as Kawhi's it will be an asset in the NBA as well.

As for the second part, if he's Thabo, well, he's one of the best defensive players in the NBA and that's a great pick outside the top 10.

Well you kind of misinterpreted my post where I wrote that his length will not carry him in the NBA as much as it has thus far (and not that his length won't serve him well in the NBA).

He isn't Thabo, that's the ceiling IMO. He can max out as a Thabo who, in today's NBA, might be able to hoist up a couple more 3s per game and get to the line just a bit more.

As for whoever brought up Lamelo, I don't remember but I would have assumed that Ball was greenlit to just jack up circus 3 pointers from way downtown in NZ quite often. Not really sure if he was taking open looks close to the line as often as Rupert.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

That wasn't what the poster was concerned about and so it's irrelevant to my reply. If his size/length is the same as Kawhi's it will be an asset in the NBA as well.

As for the second part, if he's Thabo, well, he's one of the best defensive players in the NBA and that's a great pick outside the top 10.

To take a line from a Raptors legend, I have higher aspirations than Thabo Sefolosha.

I do, too, but I always find it helps to look at drafts 5-6 years out and see what the 10th or so best player actually looks like. It's usually a damned good role player. Can't even guarantee that an 18 year old would be as good as Thabo. I'd be more worried that Rupert isn't an NBA player at all.

[BoyzNTheHood]

That wasn't what the poster was concerned about and so it's irrelevant to my reply. If his size/length is the same as Kawhi's it will be an asset in the NBA as well.

As for the second part, if he's Thabo, well, he's one of the best defensive players in the NBA and that's a great pick outside the top 10.

To take a line from a Raptors legend, I have higher aspirations than Thabo Sefolosha.

I do, too, but I always find it helps to look at drafts 5-6 years out and see what the 10th or so best player actually looks like. It's usually a damned good role player. Can't even guarantee that an 18 year old would be as good as Thabo. I'd be more worried that Rupert isn't an NBA player at all.

For me it’s just that I think I can find 10 guys better than him that would be available when we pick. Like I said though, I’ve been wrong before, but I’m just not feeling Rayan Rupert as a prospect for us.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Without Kawhi's hand size he's just Thabo Sefolosha to me, and I seriously doubt he has Kawhi's hands

Spoiler:

That wasn't what the poster was concerned about and so it's irrelevant to my reply. If his size/length is the same as Kawhi's it will be an asset in the NBA as well.

As for the second part, if he's Thabo, well, he's one of the best defensive players in the NBA and that's a great pick outside the top 10.

Well you kind of misinterpreted my post where I wrote that his length will not carry him in the NBA as much as it has thus far (and not that his length won't serve him well in the NBA).

He isn't Thabo, that's the ceiling IMO. He can max out as a Thabo who, in today's NBA, might be able to hoist up a couple more 3s per game and get to the line just a bit more.

I'm not getting the distinction but I'll leave it be

[ATLTimekeeper]

To take a line from a Raptors legend, I have higher aspirations than Thabo Sefolosha.

I do, too, but I always find it helps to look at drafts 5-6 years out and see what the 10th or so best player actually looks like. It's usually a damned good role player. Can't even guarantee that an 18 year old would be as good as Thabo. I'd be more worried that Rupert isn't an NBA player at all.

For me it’s just that I think I can find 10 guys better than him that would be available when we pick. Like I said though, I’ve been wrong before, but I’m just not feeling Rayan Rupert as a prospect for us.

I'm just saying you probably can't find too many more than 10 players better than Thabo in any draft. I have him 8th in the 2006 draft.

You can not like Rupert for very good reasons. 18 year olds with bad numbers don't pan out all that often, either.

[OakleyDokely]

That wasn't what the poster was concerned about and so it's irrelevant to my reply. If his size/length is the same as Kawhi's it will be an asset in the NBA as well.

As for the second part, if he's Thabo, well, he's one of the best defensive players in the NBA and that's a great pick outside the top 10.

To take a line from a Raptors legend, I have higher aspirations than Thabo Sefolosha.

I do, too, but I always find it helps to look at drafts 5-6 years out and see what the 10th or so best player actually looks like. It's usually a damned good role player. Can't even guarantee that an 18 year old would be as good as Thabo. I'd be more worried that Rupert isn't an NBA player at all.

ya, at that 10-15 range, on average, you will get a good starter, highend role player type.

2016 DRAFT, TOP 15 IN WIN SHARES:
1. Sabonis
2. Siakam
3. Poeltl
4. Simmons
5. Zubac
6. Brogdan
7. J Brown
8. J Murray
9. Ingram
10. Hield
11. D Murray
12. LeVert
13. Beasley
14. Niang
15. Jones

2017 DRAFT, TOP 15 IN WIN SHARES:
1. Tatum
2. Allen
3. Bam
4. D Mitchell
5. Collins
6. Markkanen
7. Fox
8. M Morris
9. D White
10. OG
11. Hart
12. Kennard
13. Bryant
14. Kuzma
15. Hartenstein

2018 DRAFT, TOP 15 IN WIN SHARES
1. Doncic
2. Young
3. M Bridges
4. Robinson
5. Ayton
6. SGA
7. Brunson
8. R Williams
9. JJJ
10. Carter Jr
11. B Brown
12. Miles Bridges
13. Huerter
14. Vanderbilt
15. GTJ

[Son Goku 25]

Give me Cason Wallace

[Dalek]

I think I have a shortlist of guys beyond the top five. If Wallace and Black are gone I think I am settling in for Kris Murray.

This guy is so boring but he scored 20 PPG and 8 REB and can catch and shoot at 40% from outside and has NBA size and length to defend. Every time I watch his film I feel like he is poised and knows who he is on court. Toronto needs high IQ guys like him.

My darkhorse guy is Noah Clowney but he will take time to get on court. Murray will play right away wherever he lands.

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[OakleyDokely]

Colby Jones is going to get the Quentin Grimes, Ayo Dosunmu award for overlooked prospect because he isn't a freshman or soph, but will be super effective in the NBA.