The Official 2023 Draft Thread

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Wenbayama dreaming. I want the double unicorn. The Duocorn

[Ruzious]

We're destined to pick 9th or 10th every year chasing that coveted 10th seed. Wenbayama is the most interesting prospect... maybe ever.

[nate33]

Scoot Henderson

Watch on YouTube

[Dat2U]

Scoot is a decent consolation prize but Wemby is freak and insanely skilled

[doclinkin]

Scoot Henderson

Watch on YouTube

Same game tho:

Watch on YouTube

Wembanyama looks like a genetic experiment with the DNA of Kareem and T-Mac.

Funny looking at highlights of various players it is always the Wiz who are featured as the opponent. Okay 'funny' like 'does this taste funny to you?'.

Watch on YouTube

[mhd]

Note to Turd...This is why you tank!

[nate33]

Scoot is a decent consolation prize but Wemby is freak and insanely skilled

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that Scoot is Wemby tier. But Scoot might be at least Ja Morant tier, if not better. He would go #1 in a lot of drafts. I really like that moment at the 46 second mark when he is getting ready to dunk on a relatively open fast break. His last two steps before leaping show an incredible mount of acceleration. It's like the camera went into fast forward for a second. That guy is explosive!

[FAH1223]

Note to Turd...This is why you tank!

Yep years like this are the years you tank

San Antonio is doing it the right way

[queridiculo]

Inevitable outcome, Wizards will end up reaching for another nice guy.

[mhd]

Don't worry, we'll end up taking a try-hard good "character" player instead anyone with above-average athleticism.

[Rafael122]

I've been listening to Lowe and Simmons this past week since the Victor/Scoot game, and I don't think people realize just how bad the tanking will be this season. Hornets already ruled Ball out for a few weeks, the tanking isn't going to start in March like it normally does, it will probably start right off the gate and if a team like the Jazz get off to one of those 5-2 starts, Ainge is just gonna start trading folks left and right.

[machu46]

Wemby and Scoot obviously put on a show in Vegas but I’m personally going to slow play my opinions on them. Scoot shot 17% from 3 last year…that’s just not gonna fly at the NBA level. He looks more comfortable shooting than that though.

Wemby mostly struggled in France last year but was obviously absurdly dominant against Ignite. I just want to see him do it for more than two exhibition games.

Very promising start to the year for both these guys but I’m just not ready to proclaim stuff like Wemby being a better prospect than Lebron like we’re hearing from Bill Simmons types.


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[badinage]

I've been listening to Lowe and Simmons this past week since the Victor/Scoot game, and I don't think people realize just how bad the tanking will be this season. Hornets already ruled Ball out for a few weeks, the tanking isn't going to start in March like it normally does, it will probably start right off the gate and if a team like the Jazz get off to one of those 5-2 starts, Ainge is just gonna start trading folks left and right.

It’s absolutely terrible for the league, what’s been happening over the past 7-8 years. I wish the NBA cared more about it.

Teams trying not to win. Actively, shamelessly. So that fans go into a season knowing that there are 8-10 teams who aren’t really trying.

I think the NBA has to fine these teams, to preserve the integrity of the sport. Take away a FRP for any team that makes moves to lose. That’ll learn them.

The reason it doesn’t is — two things. 1, that it can be argued that intent is hard to pinpoint. (But it’s actually not.) And B, it generates a lot of fan interest when Ainge and Presti do this sort of thing.

You can say that the rules are gray. And they are. Spirit of the law vs. letter of the law — sure. It’s obviously — not smart, we’re not in the realm of Martha Nussbaum — but cunning to go the Ainge and Presti route. But a team like the Wizards should be rewarded for being ethical and doing the right thing by the league. You can argue that they’re not cunning, fine — but they aren’t undermining the game. And that has my respect.

[Rafael122]

I've been listening to Lowe and Simmons this past week since the Victor/Scoot game, and I don't think people realize just how bad the tanking will be this season. Hornets already ruled Ball out for a few weeks, the tanking isn't going to start in March like it normally does, it will probably start right off the gate and if a team like the Jazz get off to one of those 5-2 starts, Ainge is just gonna start trading folks left and right.

It’s absolutely terrible for the league, what’s been happening over the past 7-8 years. I wish the NBA cared more about it.

Teams trying not to win. Actively, shamelessly. So that fans go into a season knowing that there are 8-10 teams who aren’t really trying.

I think the NBA has to fine these teams, to preserve the integrity of the sport. Take away a FRP for any team that makes moves to lose. That’ll learn them.

The reason it doesn’t is — two things. 1, that it can be argued that intent is hard to pinpoint. (But it’s actually not.) And B, it generates a lot of fan interest when Ainge and Presti do this sort of thing.

You can say that the rules are gray. And they are. Spirit of the law vs. letter of the law — sure. It’s obviously — not smart, we’re not in the realm of Martha Nussbaum — but cunning to go the Ainge and Presti route. But a team like the Wizards should be rewarded for being ethical and doing the right thing by the league. You can argue that they’re not cunning, fine — but they aren’t undermining the game. And that has my respect.

When was the last time you had at least 2 generational draft prospects in the same draft tho? 2003?

[Dat2U]

Gradey Dick is legit. He pops on screen. Electric on the break. Seems to have a knack for the acrobatic finish. Pure shooter with a quick release. Excellent handle & passer at 6-8. Will be constantly targeted on defense tho. Tankathon has him at 22. I haven't seen everyone but i have a hard time seeing him outside the lottery.

[nate33]

I've been listening to Lowe and Simmons this past week since the Victor/Scoot game, and I don't think people realize just how bad the tanking will be this season. Hornets already ruled Ball out for a few weeks, the tanking isn't going to start in March like it normally does, it will probably start right off the gate and if a team like the Jazz get off to one of those 5-2 starts, Ainge is just gonna start trading folks left and right.

It’s absolutely terrible for the league, what’s been happening over the past 7-8 years. I wish the NBA cared more about it.

Teams trying not to win. Actively, shamelessly. So that fans go into a season knowing that there are 8-10 teams who aren’t really trying.

I think the NBA has to fine these teams, to preserve the integrity of the sport. Take away a FRP for any team that makes moves to lose. That’ll learn them.

The reason it doesn’t is — two things. 1, that it can be argued that intent is hard to pinpoint. (But it’s actually not.) And B, it generates a lot of fan interest when Ainge and Presti do this sort of thing.

You can say that the rules are gray. And they are. Spirit of the law vs. letter of the law — sure. It’s obviously — not smart, we’re not in the realm of Martha Nussbaum — but cunning to go the Ainge and Presti route. But a team like the Wizards should be rewarded for being ethical and doing the right thing by the league. You can argue that they’re not cunning, fine — but they aren’t undermining the game. And that has my respect.

Looking at the standings so far, it doesn't look like there is a lot of blatant tanking going on, at least not yet.

Houston and Detroit obviously suck and figure to be in the mix for the #1 pick, but we knew that going in. Both teams were clearly in a rebuild mode that started long before this season. They're losing now because they are only playing young guys, which is what you should do when rebuilding.

Orlando is another rebuilding team, but they should be a little bit better since they have a lot of guys who are 22 and 23, rather than 19 and 20. They've had some injuries though. I don't know if I'd characterize their 4-10 record as tanking or just sucking.

Charlotte is also 4-11 but they've played the whole season without Martin, 13 games without Ball, and 7 without Hayward. They're 0-5 with both Ball and Hayward out. So when at least one of them play, they're a not-awful 4-6.

Everyone else is 6-9 or better.

The tanking might kick in in earnest by January, but it hasn't happened yet. And remember, tanking gets you only a 14% chance at Wemby whereas trying hard and finishing with the 7th worst record still gets you a 7.5% shot at him.

[dobrojim]

Ball played for CHA in their last game and they won.

[FAH1223]

Read on Twitter

[Ruzious]

I can already tell who the zards pick will be. Who will be the safest yet somewhat low ceiling player in the draft? Yup. Kris Murray. I actually like him - he's just like his brother but a year behind. Might be an even purer shooter]. Can he defend? Probably OK, but just barely. He follows the kispert mold.

e's

[closg00]

Why bother with this thread, seriously