Everything 2016/17 NBA Draft Thread aka Thank Nation 2.0

[lewro]

Due to luxury tax implications, I think JV is traded this summer, hopefully on draft night. I think New Orleans would be a great spot for him. Hopefully they don't land Okafor! While I don't think JV gets you a 6-10 lottery pick straight up, if Raps could find a 3rd team to take Asik and Raps give them their own draft pick, that would be great. Brooklyn comes to mind with lots of cap space and few draft picks.

If the pick lands in the 6-10 range, I think you can get one of Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, or Jonathan Isaac. Issac would be my preferred pick. That kid is a late bloomer and going to be an absolute star at 6'11" with 7'1" wingspan and speed and agility of a guard. He is going to be a terror on defense.

i wish. they kept their pick last yr to draft hield when i wanted them to package it for vets at two positions of need. i doubt they do it this yr in a much better draft. i dont like dan ferry but i think hes giving del harris better advice. if it was just harris than maybe theyd so something dumb

[Odin]

i wish. they kept their pick last yr to draft hield when i wanted them to package it for vets at two positions of need. i doubt they do it this yr in a much better draft. i dont like dan ferry but i think hes giving del harris better advice. if it was just harris than maybe theyd so something dumb

You never know....Joe Dumars is also helping make decisions.

[The Great One]

This guy is too much wow.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/833351951396040707

[lewro]

This guy is too much wow.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/833351951396040707

the world is flat before this is true

[JamesNaismith]

This guy is too much wow.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/833351951396040707

His dad seriously needs stfu already...not the first time he has said garbage like that.

Not saying that he cant be an elite player LIKE Curry one day but to say he is better right now is just plain stupid.

[DogeLover1234]

His dad seriously needs stfu already...not the first time he has said garbage like that.

Not saying that he cant be an elite player LIKE Curry one day but to say he is better right now is just plain stupid.

I know a couple guys in this draft are really hyped up, but its pretty safe to say none of them will be as good as Curry. Dude revolutionized modern basketball.

[JamesNaismith]

I know a couple guys in this draft are really hyped up, but its pretty safe to say none of them will be as good as Curry. Dude revolutionized modern basketball.

He definitely did.

Although I don't think there is anyone that will change the way the game is played I do think there is some serious potential for a player like Lonzo Ball in particular BECAUSE of that change.

Right now the league follows a pretty simple pattern to contendership....have a dynamic ballhandler that draws in the defence ie/ Curry, LBJ, Harden...Westbrook and Giannis would to if they had the second part which is being surrounded with shooters and then an athletic big in the middle to rebound and defend ie/ Thompson, Capela. The beauty of Ball is that he can be both that ballhandler AND shooter like Steph (obviously not quite the level of shooting but still excellent) but he also rebounds better.

I think any team that drafts him as long as they properly build around him ensures themselves being a 50+W team in a few years because he is a special player and that's why personally I take him over Fultz. Fultz is more talented offensively and has skills to be an elite closer. Both guys will make your team better but because of Ball's style of play I think he will make a team a notch up higher than Fultz. Its like a poormans LBJ vs Kobe debate except imagine LBJ was not as big, more the same size as Kobe BUT is an elite shooter and can close as well. Anyways...sorry for the blab but in principal yeah I agree there is no one as special to actually change the way the game is played like Curry but there is some great talent in the draft and an unbelievable quantity of upside in terms of the number of players with very good upside. We better not include this pick in a trade for anything short of another at least borderline star player like Ibaka, a "Wilson Chandler" will be one that we regret when we see in a couple of years how at least one or two players after our pick end up all-star calibre, I'm confident of that.

[lewro]

So I'll offer my own very early on favorites for our picks...

Malik Pope - SF/PF, very similar measurements to Siakam (6'9 heard maybe 6'10 now and 7'2 wingspan) but far more skilled. He's a kid that was initially in conversation to be a top 10 pick in this monster draft but dropped due to an injury which has fully recovered from. He really fits the modern PF mold. Has a nice 3pt shot, can handle the ball, pretty explosive and plays very much like a SF in a PF's body.

Jonathan Jeanne - PF/C, kid has ridiculous measurements (7'2 and 7'6 wingspan) and huge upside but fear not, he doesn't appear to be Bruno Cabaclo 2.0 but more like a Gobert with offence. This kid has a great PER and is proving himself professionally in France. He is very fluid for a player his size, can handle and shoot the ball from the mid-range and has good form that it appears he should be able to extend to the 3pt line. He also is a fairly good passer. He has huge upside and a player I would keep an eye on, big thing is he needs to add strength as he has a slight frame.

OG Anunoby - SF, just seems to fall in line with the kind of picks we've been making lately. He is a 3+D player. His offensive game lacks polish but he has an excellent build, built like a tank and very athletic but has great defensive instincts and isn't a me-first player. Although very premature he is being somewhat likened to Leonard as he can lockdown guards and wings and is 6'8 with a 7'6 wingspan. I really do think there is a good chance we look at him.

Terrence Ferguson - SG/SF, he is a 6'7 guard/forward with insane bounce and a great 3pt shot. The only reason I think he could fall to our pick is because he is going to play internationally due to his grades but he was a real stand out at the McDonald's All American game as he just shot the lights out but the kid has a lot of great raw tools

DJ Hogg - SF, 6'8 forward that is another lights out shooter. The league just seems to be going that way and he seems to be fairly versatile. Looks like a kid with the right attitude and our team obviously seems to be very high on character guys and in desperate need of shooters so I think he could be on our radar

Kostja Mushidi - SG/SF, 6'7 wing that has a good frame. His style of play reminds me of a Pierce. Obviously no one is saying he IS Pierce or will be anywhere near that good but it's just to give an idea of his style of play. He looks very well rounded. Good ball handler, play maker with a fairly decent jumpshot. I can see him fall to end of 1st rd where we'll be or even in the 2nd.


Some HMs that I just doubt will be available when we pick are Bam Adebayo (PF) looks like a Dwight Howard mini me with more range and offensive touch, Lauri Marrkanen (PF/C) an insanely skilled and versatile big man and Isaiah Hartenstein (PF/C) is like Markannen but probably just very slightly less skilled.

Overall I am not one of those posters that believes we should trade these picks for anything short of a YOUNG all-star calibre player because the crazy thing about our team is that we are 50+W team that is almost doing a semi-rebuild because the majority of the roster is fairly young and growing outside of Lowry, Carroll + DD. I would assume that we will start packaging some pieces where we can but I like that we're building assets until we either find the right deal or allow them to develop into good players themselves.

Yo James your big board is toast! Pope fell off a cliff and OG is out for the season. Tournament is starting soon!

[DogeLover1234]

Yo James your big board is toast! Pope fell off a cliff and OG is out for the season. Tournament is starting soon!

Seems like every year people are high on Pope and he consistently underwhelms. I would look at OG even if he isn't ready for predraft stuff.

[JamesNaismith]

Yo James your big board is toast! Pope fell off a cliff and OG is out for the season. Tournament is starting soon!

LOL yeah that's usually what happens with early draft boards especially when you're discussing late 1st rounders.

I still however would be all over drafting OG!

If the kid wasn't out with an injury we likely by year end wouldn't even have had a shot. If he declares himself for the draft we better take him because besides being probably an absolute perfect fit (3&D SF/PF) he has arguably as much upside as any player in the 5-10 range.

A lot of what hurts majority of the other players listed (minus Pope who has fallen off a cliff and I wouldn't look at til the 2nd rd now) is they play internationally so they're not followed as closely and sometimes there is a hard time gauging how good they are when they don't play against other top players or teams. I admit T-Ferg looks more like a spot shooter but imo Jeanne and Mushidi could still be big steals. Hogg is very similar to Justin Jackson (UNC) except he doesn't get the attention on a smaller program. So he could be a nice pick up in the 2nd rd as well.

My current big board would be more like

1st Rd Pick - OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jawun Evans, Anzejs Pasecniks, Justin Patton, Jarrett Allen, Caleb Swanigan
Honourable Mentions if they drop - Miles Bridges, Harry Giles

2nd Rd Pick - Peter Jok, DJ Hogg, Terry Larrier

[lewro]

I like anunoby (kinda reminds me of mkg) and Tyler lydon (can't think of a good comp sorta blend of Frye and Deng but even then...). If he can put on some weight, i really like him for raps. Just checked dx and they moved up out of our range since last yr. Board won't change much by June tho right?
Bam, Tatum, giles lots of sick big men at the top of the draft.

My board is still good from November. Aside from Tatum, 5/6 are somewhere in range, by DX. 😎😋

[JamesNaismith]

My board is still good from November. Aside from Tatum, 5/6 are somewhere in range, by DX. ����

Well you only gave a couple of players in our range (Lydon, OG)

The other 3 are all expected to go well before 20+ in the draft

[lewro]

DX has us taking bam at 21, Giles is 19, og 17 and Lydon 22. The tourney hasn't started so some Malachi richardson guy is gonna rise and OG and Giles might fall bc of injuries. That's pretty on point.
Still miles from June, my board will get toasted soon too!
Wonder if we buy a 2nd at the draft.

[Hotshot]

The 2 picks we send with Sully are said to be future 2nd rounders... so I am assuming this year we are keeping our 2nd round pick?!

[ogi]

The 2 picks we send with Sully are said to be future 2nd rounders... so I am assuming this year we are keeping our 2nd round pick?!

2017 and 2018 pretty sure