Everything Draft 2021

[c-troop]

@saints91: any research you have done on Luka Garza? He lost about 30lbs, to improve movement and agility I guess.

Prolific scorer, questionable defence. His feet sometimes look like they are stuck in mud. Not an elite passer either. Doesn't provide great floor spacing despite his good 3-pt shooting percentage. I like him as a stretch 5 coming off the bench, I could see him going late in the 2nd or a high profile UDFA.

[The Claw Reborn]

Prolific scorer, questionable defence. His feet sometimes look like they are stuck in mud. Not an elite passer either. Doesn't provide great floor spacing despite his good 3-pt shooting percentage. I like him as a stretch 5 coming off the bench, I could see him going late in the 2nd or a high profile UDFA.

Yes I think he is projected as a deep 2nd rounder. Hopefully losing that weight may improve his movement on defense.

[c-troop]

Yes I think he is projected as a deep 2nd rounder. Hopefully losing that weight may improve his movement on defense.

All the negatives aside, he was still really awesome in college. He makes scoring look so easy from practically anywhere on the court.

[inthepaint]

LAC picked him.. and then traded him for George a year later.

You are right, my wording should have been Shai was an 11th pick that OKC got and it turned out great for them.

NBA offences are high-octane in this era, and with that came also an evolution in the defence. Defences in the playoffs are tight and can grind teams to a halt. Teams now need players like Shai who are good and burrowing themselves in the tiny cracks the opposing defence gives and start creating motion in the offence.

[saints91]

@saints91: any research you have done on Luka Garza? He lost about 30lbs, to improve movement and agility I guess.

I watched a little film, but quickly stopped watching. I agree with C-troop he looks stuck in mud. It almost seems like it takes 3 secs for him even to start moving from a stand still position. lol He's a below the rim, very slow player, which is too bad because he has a nice game.

I would be interested to see how he moves with 30lbs. less on him. At the weight he was, he would be run off the floor in the NBA.

[The Claw Reborn]

I watched a little film, but quickly stopped watching. I agree with C-troop he looks stuck in mud. It almost seems like it takes 3 secs for him even to start moving from a stand still position. lol He's a below the rim, very slow player, which is too bad because he has a nice game.

I would be interested to see how he moves with 30lbs. less on him. At the weight he was, he would be run off the floor in the NBA.

I heard he hired a personal chef and dietician

[Kagemusha]

OKC picked Shai at 11th and that turned out to be an outsanting pick for them. They know the recipe now, and are angling to go for Bouknight with their 6th this year. Same height and similar build as Shai, and also an aggressive, crafty shot creator from all areas of the court including midrange. Pair these 2 with Dort and that team starts to look really good.

You mean we'd also trade for Dort?
I like.

#4 for SGA. So tempting.
He is a quiet assassin like Kawhi,
while Suggs can be a vocal and tenacious leader like Lowry.

[magoon]

Having a hard time believing OKC would offer Shai, that kid is the real deal. Look at the numbers he put up last season and that efficiency...guards don't normally score with that kind of efficiency and it was just his 3rd season at that.

Shai is due for his big contract next year and OKC is allergic to giving guards big deals. That's why he's available for the right offer. It's Harden all over again.

[TrueTorontoFan]

You mean we'd also trade for Dort?
I like.

#4 for SGA. So tempting.
He is a quiet assassin like Kawhi,
while Suggs can be a vocal and tenacious leader like Lowry.

I don't think it happens.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Shai is due for his big contract next year and OKC is allergic to giving guards big deals. That's why he's available for the right offer. It's Harden all over again.

I can see him signing the QO

[saints91]

I heard he hired a personal chef and dietician

Well I hope so, he has a chance to make the NBA lol

[Jclaw]

Only 2 days left! That molehill of draft rumours is turning into a mountain. Feels like we are waiting for a shoe to drop. Is that shoe Beal? Lillard? Or is it Lowry that will drive the whole market. In any case, back to the draft.
Fun fact #1. Did you know that over the last 20 years, you would be better off having the third pick than the 2nd pick? The top ten second picks over that span would be, in no specific order, Ja Morant, Brandon Ingram, D'angelo Russell, Victor Oladipo, Kevin Durant, Lamarcus Aldridge, Emeka Okafor, Tyson Chandler, Lonzo Ball and Marvin Williams....it was a stretch to get to ten. For the 3rd picks over that time, you have Luka, Tattum, Jaylen Brown, Embiid, Beal, Harden, Horford, Melo, Deron Williams and Pau Gasol. It was tough to keep it to ten. The 5 duds from the 3rd slot? Morrison, Mayo, Mike Dunleavy, Otto Porter and Jahlil Okafor. Still some useful names. For the 2nd pick you've got Thabeet, Beasley, Darko, Jabari and MKG. Yikes. What does that have to do with our 4th pick? Not much but today it's about #2. Speaking of which......
Fun fact #2. I was there at the Saddledome exhibition game in October of 1996 when our Number #2 pick slipped on some wet patches, on what was a bit of a shoddy court, and was really never the same. We may have won the lottery in 1996 but due to a new rule that perhaps sparked the legend of NBA official anti-Raptor bias, we were dropped to #2. That meant no Iverson. Here's looking at you Marcus.

[planetmars]

Suggs talking to media now (no idea how to access it).

Bring him home

[saints91]

That's what like to see!

[Demographic Shift]

The NBA has announced today that payers can only be traded to either of the LA Lakers or the Golden State Warriors.