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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jan 4, 2015 1:42:45 GMT -5
We are yet 6 months away from draft day, but I've had time over the holidays to get a peak at some prospects and thought I'd jot down my thoughts now before I dive back into my hectic work schedule.
We've haven't had luck in the lottery, so I'm not betting we're going to land a top 3 pick. But if we do, it's a no brainer for me who I'll take -- if we get the first pick, it'll be Jahlil Okafor. If it's the second, probably Karl Anthony-Towns. If it's the 3rd pick, Emmanuel Mudiay (even though we have Marcus Smart. I'll figure out what to do with the both of them later).
Okafor is a franchise caliber player if all falls into place. Towns is more versatile and athletic, but he's no match for Okafor's low post scoring.
If we get a mid lottery pick somewhere between 4 and 10 (which I'm realistically anticipating we're going to end up with), I'd like to get my hands on Stanley Johnson. I want to keep building a defensive oriented team with hustle players. Though Stanley's upside isn't star level, I'm more than happy to have a defensive role player who can guard premier guards and wing players, provide easy fast break points off of turnovers, slash to the basket without the ball, and hit the occasional 3.
I don't know if the Kansas freshmen Sviatoslav Mykhailuk is going to declare this year (hasn't gotten off the ground yet on a pretty deep Jayhawk team), but if he does, I'm sure he's not going to be drafted drastically high -- which is great because I'd like to get him with the Nets' pick. In time this kid could be a solid scoring guard who can act as a secondary passer in the backcourt. I kind of see him as a better scoring Nik Stauskas.
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jan 4, 2015 1:52:45 GMT -5
I wouldn't be too worried about pairing Mudiay with Smart, at least defensively. I think they are both gifted enough that they can both handle most 1s and 2s in the NBA.
Guys that I'm high on relative to their draft positions
-Prisnaps Porzingis
-Cliff Alexander
-Miles Turner
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jan 4, 2015 2:41:28 GMT -5
Alexander's 6'8" frame is going to cause him to slide, and I think some of his luster has faded since leaving high school. I like Montezl Harrell more at this point.
Myles Turner is a bit soft for my liking, though his shot blocking and three point shooting makes me think he can be a good fit in the frontcourt if we have a studly big man to pair with him. If he falls mid to late lottery, he'll be a nice piece to have, since we do need rim protection. But I don't see the high ceiling.
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jan 4, 2015 7:33:45 GMT -5
I can understand the concern over Alexander's height (and lack of skill for that matter), but I'm still a believer. He has a wingspan that gives him a center-like standing reach. For comparison's sake he has a higher standing reach than Tyler Zellar. And unlike Harrell*, I think Alexander will have the bulk to guard most 5s in the paint, while athletic enough to guard most 4s as well. I just love that kid's motor and tenacity. Plus he has the beginnings of a very good elbow jumper. I could see him putting up a 12pt/10rbd/1.5blk average during his career. Not hall of fame level, but definitely a good player, especially for a guy who should be available around the middle of the draft. And we could really use a guy like him to bring some energy and intensity to this squad. I would love to see us package the LAC first round and some other goodies to nab him.
Myles Turner's skill set is still very intriguing. That jumper is ridiculous. If he could ever master a turnaround jumper in the post he could really put up some good scoring numbers in the post. I know some people are concerned that his gait may lead to long term injury issues, but I'm not going to give it any credence until someone with actual medical training says it. Plus, all you ever hear about the kid is that he has a good BBIQ and that he is a hard worker.
*I like Harrell in this draft, but his lack of size does worry me. That said, the kid plays like a lion. He's not afraid of anything. I could see Louisville going on another tournament run and that exposure will send Herrell soaring up draft boards.
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jan 4, 2015 7:39:23 GMT -5
I'm hoping we can end up picking at least in the top 6 because even if we don't win the lotto it will still give us a good chance to nab Prisnaps Porzingis. The kid is definitely a gamble, and there is an unnerving relation Yi Jianlian, but his skill set is drool worthy, especially at his age. His potential is incredible.
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Post by nateval on Jan 4, 2015 18:09:40 GMT -5
I with you DM on Stanley Johnson he's the guy I want with our first pick. As far as the Clippers pick in no particular order
Frank Kaminsky = Wisconsin
Christian Wood - UNLV
Robert Upshaw = Washington
Like DM said still very early. When it comes to Mykhailuk I believe he will still be to young to declare for the NBA. Lets wait for him until 2016 when we have 4 picks, that draft should have Thon Maker, Ben Simmions, Mykhailuk and more
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Post by Roadrunner on Jan 4, 2015 22:19:23 GMT -5
Not a very deep draft. Right now, BOS is [HASH]9. Probably will be more like [HASH]6 at the end of the season. I like all the top 3 (yeah, DM including the guy from DUKE). What couuld be interesting if Danny trades the selection, plus something from the warchest, in an attempt to be in the top 3.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jan 5, 2015 0:48:24 GMT -5
This year's draft is shallow in star talent, but could produce a number of starters. If we don't land a top 3 pick, I say go after defensive prospects.
Yes, next year's draft is shaping up to be a good one.
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jan 5, 2015 1:14:55 GMT -5
Not a very deep draft. Right now, BOS is [HASH]9. Probably will be more like [HASH]6 at the end of the season. I like all the top 3 (yeah, DM including the guy from DUKE). What couuld be interesting if Danny trades the selection, plus something from the warchest, in an attempt to be in the top 3. With this draft it seems like there is a pretty big dropoff after the top three picks. I think danny would have a tough time convincing a team to trade out of one of those top three spots |
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jan 5, 2015 3:29:32 GMT -5
Alexander is raw, but has tools to work with. Is Clifford Ray available?
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jan 5, 2015 6:43:54 GMT -5
Yeah, Cliff would be the perfect guy to work with a player like Alexander. Cliff made his mark as an undersized center who was all about defense and rebounding, so he'd know all about Alexander's game.
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Post by derrenattheoffice on Jan 7, 2015 20:05:33 GMT -5
Stanley Johnson is a top 4, probably top 3 player for me in this draft. I have Jahlil Okafor as my top player, followed by Karl Anthony-Towns. I had Emmanuel Mudiay as my [HASH]3, but Stanley Johnson has overtaken him I think.
I would rank him higher than Aaron Gordon from a year ago. And that's because unlike Gordon, Stanley Johnson has a perimeter offense. I'd even rank Johnson's one on one defense above Gordon's (and that's some pretty high praise).
Only knock on him, and I hope its only because he's 18 years old, is his focus appears to wane from time to time.
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jan 8, 2015 4:18:35 GMT -5
I've been so fixated on bigs for this upcoming draft class that I've kind of ignored the other player. It looks like there could be a few different wings (Mudiay, Oubre, Winslow, Johnson) that could all be draft around where we will be picking. I need to give these guys a look.
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Post by DERRENMATTS on Jan 8, 2015 5:07:09 GMT -5
Oubre hasn't shown me anything yet.
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Post by freshnthehouse on Jan 8, 2015 5:16:45 GMT -5
I think I mentioned it last year, but Harrell really reminds me of Bo Outlaw. That might not sounds like high praise, but Outlaw played in the NBA for 15 seasons for a reason. Dude would do whatever the coached asked him. He could guard SFs, PFs, and Cs. Could block shots, set, picks, and rebound a bit. The kind of guy every team needs. The only thing that worries me about Harrell is if he's gonna be thick enough to handle 5s at the NBA level.
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