Poeltl & Pascal - The 2016 Draft

[Apollo]

Agreed. I remember that Al Jefferson had never lifted weights before he got drafted, but he was as strong as an ox and has had a very solid career.

Ellenson strikes me Asa good basketball athlete - doesn't look like much but gets
It done on the court. His rebounding numbers back this up I think.

When it comes down to it, I'm seeing a lot of bias against white American big men. Byron Mullens? That isn't even in the right ballpark as a comparison. Ellenson is a lot closer to someone like Lamar Odom than he is to Mullens. And people keep sneering at Kevin Love like he wouldn't be a great pick for this team at 9.

Hate to tell you but most people who do not lift aren't strong.

Durant couldn't bench 125

Is Durant slugging it out in the paint against big, strong men?

[Barolt]

Funny, we had a 10 year vet get 75 games where he failed to prove himself as a starter, and he never got benched.

All this "nothing is handed to you" nonsense is how bad teams operate. Put the best combination of players on the floor, the players who help you win. Don't tell guys they've got a handful of games to go get their own or they are back on the bench. That's ridiculous.

As for being given a shot? Patterson was our only even borderline starting quality PF on the roster this season and was given ZERO regular season games to prove that he deserved it. Even though he was clearly the best option. By far.

And then we went to him as a starter in the postseason, and were somehow completely shocked that our bench got worse when you took out the one constant from the bench, all season.

[lewro]

If either Murray or Bender are there I'm all over that.

i told you we share a brain. i'll just add a caveat that im willing to throw all that at murray but less for bender.
9/ross/27 as the base. they can have our pick next year but i'd have to be really sure of bender to give them delon or the clips pick and they def. cant have both.

blake thinks this is a ripoff for the raps but 9/ross/27 for redick is a ripoff for the clips. i don't want that deal for us but def. not a ripoff for the clips, imo. if you are reading this blake, u r the man but i need another opinion to perpetuate my fantasy for the next two weeks.

[lewro]

also, celtics blog had a poll for the #3 pick. 5k people responded. 51% chose bender. the rest were all equal around 15%. we'll see what happens when bender works out. i voted for hield 'cause fuck boston.

[Maury]

also, celtics blog had a poll for the #3 pick. 5k people responded. 51% chose bender. the rest were all equal around 15%. we'll see what happens when bender works out. i voted for hield 'cause fuck boston.

I think hield is gonna be good. He's getting the steph curry treatment.

[JamesNaismith]

also, celtics blog had a poll for the #3 pick. 5k people responded. 51% chose bender. the rest were all equal around 15%. we'll see what happens when bender works out. i voted for hield 'cause fuck boston.

That would incredibly interesting if they did because suddenly PHX wouldn't have a clear cut fav.

With Bledsoe, Knight and Booker this is where the rumors of Chriss fluking into the top 5 could suddenly have some merit and also make the chances of Murray slipping a huge possibility...

PHI - Simmons
LAL - Ingram
BOS - Bender
PHX - Chriss?!
MIN - Dunn (based on Thibs loving defence and needing a clear PG n leader)
NOP - Hield (I think NO is gonna want a scorer that is ready NOW to help AD)
DEN - ???
SAC - ???

Denver has Mudiay and if you make Murray play SG he's gonna look very similar to Gary Harris (but probably shoot slightly better percentages but not much) and then they have Barton too at SG so you would think they would lean towards Brown but I also think Valentine could come into play because they need another distributor. Then with SAC I could definitely see them liking Murray with Vivek's love for UK products not to mention the need for a PG, high character and shooting BUT Valentine again can give a lot of the same but be more NBA ready which SAC desperately needs so if they do in fact take Murray I think there's a good darn chance we could negotiate a trade with either DEN or SAC, IF need be....

Crazy how so much hinges on Bender and BOS

[KeonClark]

And if you asked Masai if he wants LeBron James on his team, he'd say 'yes'. The context to these questions is the cost of the assets, and whether they're even available.

Haha exactly. Upon a closer look at the list of quality bigs with the added caveat that they can stretch the floor, there actually aren't as many as one would think that are a real upgrade on 2pat (less than 7 mill per year 2pat might I add) add in the further caveat of stretch 4s better than 2pat actual available, and it becomes a very very daunting task. We tried to do it last summer too.

At the very worst I'm also positive we end up with an upgrade on scola, so that's cool

[Chr1s1anL]

Kevin Pelton Chat

Brian (MSP)

What are your projections for Domantas Sabonis? He looked pretty good against Poeltl in the NCAA tourney. What is his draft range?
Kevin Pelton (3:17 PM)

Was saying earlier today to a friend that I think that Gonzaga-Utah game is going to end up leaving a misleading impression of the two players. Not that Sabonis is a bad prospect, but Poeltl was the better college player over the last two years, and comfortably so. I have Sabonis projected in the late teens in terms of value but if the 3-point shooting he's showcased in workouts is legitimate, that could make the case for taking him higher.

[Deino]

That would incredibly interesting if they did because suddenly PHX wouldn't have a clear cut fav.

With Bledsoe, Knight and Booker this is where the rumors of Chriss fluking into the top 5 could suddenly have some merit and also make the chances of Murray slipping a huge possibility...

PHI - Simmons
LAL - Ingram
BOS - Bender
PHX - Chriss?!
MIN - Dunn (based on Thibs loving defence and needing a clear PG n leader)
NOP - Hield (I think NO is gonna want a scorer that is ready NOW to help AD)
DEN - ???
SAC - ???

Denver has Mudiay and if you make Murray play SG he's gonna look very similar to Gary Harris (but probably shoot slightly better percentages but not much) and then they have Barton too at SG so you would think they would lean towards Brown but I also think Valentine could come into play because they need another distributor. Then with SAC I could definitely see them liking Murray with Vivek's love for UK products not to mention the need for a PG, high character and shooting BUT Valentine again can give a lot of the same but be more NBA ready which SAC desperately needs so if they do in fact take Murray I think there's a good darn chance we could negotiate a trade with either DEN or SAC, IF need be....

Crazy how so much hinges on Bender and BOS

Damn Denver,they kept playing/winning late in the season(few more losses would have made the difference in standings and now Raps are stuck with their own pick) cause they knew they are swapping picks with us.
Now with the Murray dilemma MU (smart as he is) with this swap is really getting a taste of his own medicine.

[The Great One]

Sabonis

Ellenson, Skal or Sabonis most likely picks for Raptors. - @chadfordinsider
https://t.co/50hc3vbQSE

— ESPN Insider (@ESPNInsider) June 10, 2016

[BobLoblaw]

Kevin Pelton Chat

I remember a couple years ago there was a center Colton Iverson, a stiff pretty much, but I watched one of his workouts and he took at least a dozen corner threes in one stretch, all of them flat, and he made nearly all of them. Games are very different of course.

[RepTdot]

Ellenson, Skal or Sabonis most likely picks for Raptors. - @chadfordinsider
https://t.co/50hc3vbQSE

— ESPN Insider (@ESPNInsider) June 10, 2016

Out of those 3...trust the in-house development program....i'm still leaning Skal for his length, wingspan, smooth jumper, blocking ability and ceiling.

[koncept]

i wouldn't be opposed to Skal. but i think with 9 we take the BPA or highest ceiling. a lot of good/great players can come from that area of the draft we shouldn't lose this opportunity to position need or scarcity.

Jaylen Brown if he falls, Hield if he falls or even Ellenson.

[3inthekeon]

Don't know if this Ford Stuff has been posted, but here are 4 quotes from GM's I found interesting.

NBA draft chatter from NBA general managers, scouts and agents is arriving constantly via phone, text and email.
And what I'm hearing are provocative comments -- from GMs I trust with strong track records of truth-telling this time of year -- that will help decide how the draft is shaping up.
That includes the latest on the Lakers, Celtics, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray and much more
Here are some of the quotes I've been given this week

:

"The Lakers should take Marquese Chriss at No. 2."

"Jamal Murray may be the best scorer in the draft, but he can't guard anybody."

"If Dejounte Murray played at North Carolina or Duke, he'd be a top-five pick."

"Shooting is obviously really important in our league, but I think the ability to make plays for others is even more important."

[SkywalkerAC]

How is Skal's passing ability?