Everything 2016/17 NBA Draft Thread aka Thank Nation 2.0

[Chr1s1anL]

Curious why you think Ross had a bad work ethic. Seems like he came into training camp in good shape, he remade his body several times and generally imporved at a skill. I would question why he chose to work on handles, mid range, etc instead of becoming a lethal off ball player like Klay, Korver, Reddick, etc. (I assume some of it has to do with advise from the organization too) but it never seemed like he sat around all summer. I think too many people wanted him to become DeRozan with a 3 pt shot instead of the best off ball scorer in the league, which hurt his development more than anything.

Because on pure talent and skills Deebo/Norm can't compare to Ross. Some how they have both surpassed him as players.

[LJ2]

This is all I'm saying. I'm not saying Semi is a poor DeRozan like defender/bad defender....he just isn't Tucker level. As much as a team may need his scoring I'm sure there are plenty of times in the course of a season they would also need him to lockdown a man if he had the ability to do so. ie/ You see this with LeBron....as we all know LBJ carries not only the scoring load as the leading scorer on each team he's been on but also the additional workload of creating for everyone else BUT when the situation calls for it, he will lockdown a player for different stretches of a game. You'll see other players like Paul George do the same thing.

No one is expecting to see Semi be at Kawhi level both as a lockdown defender and all game consistency. But if he had the ability to defend THAT well as PJ Tucker certainly there would have at least been a handful of examples when he did so. No great defender in a tight game says "oh I'll just kinda defend down the stretch because I have to conserve myself" lol no...they go and attack their man defensively because they want the ball back and they want to close out a win. Semi doesn't do that (period). He's not bad defender, from everything I seen he does a decent job where he's not a total liability but PJ Tucker like he is not, there's no 2 ways about it.

Just to appease Chr1s1anL I will give the benefit of the doubt and say maybe he can get there but right now, he's not there. But I do like Ojeleye and can at least agree that his upside is being like Crowder (who isn't at Tucker's level defensively either imo) but he is still a notch up from Semi defensively as well but at least that's the potential....why I like Semi is offensively I would say he is like Crowder already.

Was PJ a lock down defender coming into the league though? I'm asking because I watched him play for the Raptors when he came into the league, but I never paid attention to things like a players motor back then. If Semi has the tools to be a good defender and has a great work ethic then don't see why he can't learn to be one.

[blackjitsu]

Was PJ a lock down defender coming into the league though? I'm asking because I watched him play for the Raptors when he came into the league, but I never paid attention to things like a players motor back then. If Semi has the tools to be a good defender and has a great work ethic then don't see why he can't learn to be one.

He had the motor, but remember, he played most of his time in college as a PF. So, he could guard out to the perimeter, but was a liability on the perimeter on offense. Sort of how people don't mark Pascal when he was in the corner this past season.

Well, that's how I remember things.

[lewro]

I never said he was PJ like defender. All my comparisons with him has been with Jae Crowder. I'm not the one who brought up the PJ comp. Listen to recent rr podcast they go into detail on how Semi was being used at SMU.

Dane Belbeck? No thanks. Most of what that guy had to say was about measureables and dx videos. there was barely any game insights and or discussion about european guys or players that dont fit a positional need for the raps. he didnt really discuss any guards or upside guys. this is exactly what i think is flawed. it's not just you christian, it's reddit and the rr site too. even the organization seems to be targeting these players. i get it and for financial reasons it makes sense but i think its a terrible strategy and they should trade back, if that's the plan. BPA or trade back, we're nowhere near the talent level of the best teams and the guys behind us are getting better/have lottery picks.

[lewro]

When did I say he was a lock? I just said if I had to put my money on who raps would pick I would go with Semi/Brooks. I'm basing that off Masai's draft history since his been here.

as i said earlier christian, im not just referring to you, its a common mindset in the fanbase, imo.
in terms of masai's history, i think you are relating that to defensive players and again, just bc semi shows fast feet in drills and is built like a tank, doesnt mean hes draymond or a great defender. im not saying he's a bad defender or that he cant/wont be draymond but i dont think theres evidence that he is draymond or even crowder on defense. he does have potential tho.
there's plenty of criticism about his defense and info that he killed it in duke practices from a physical standpoint but it didnt translate to the court (at that time, in that circumstance). it is possible, with his size, age and athleticism, that he beat up on some kids in a crappy conference. if that's true, his defensive stats are even less impressive.
i think many fans are seduced by his muscles, dunks and some belief that he fits a draymond mold so therefore he is draymond. i dont buy that.
i dont have a clear cut guy at 23 but there are certainly players i have ahead of semi on board like bell and evans. i think dx is totally right to have semi at 37.

[Chr1s1anL]

as i said earlier christian, im not just referring to you, its a common mindset in the fanbase, imo.
in terms of masai's history, i think you are relating that to defensive players and again, just bc semi shows fast feet in drills and is built like a tank, doesnt mean hes draymond or a great defender. im not saying he's a bad defender or that he cant/wont be draymond but i dont think theres evidence that he is draymond or even crowder on defense. he does have potential tho.
there's plenty of criticism about his defense and info that he killed it in duke practices from a physical standpoint but it didnt translate to the court (at that time, in that circumstance). it is possible, with his size, age and athleticism, that he beat up on some kids in a crappy conference. if that's true, his defensive stats are even less impressive.
i think many fans are seduced by his muscles, dunks and some belief that he fits a draymond mold so therefore he is draymond. i dont buy that.
i dont have a clear cut guy at 23 but there are certainly players i have ahead of semi on board like bell and evans. i think dx is totally right to have semi at 37.

That's good for Dx but, you should know by now that rankings don't mean anything to our front office. Also the whole Duke thing needs more context. He was in the same high school class as Jabari Parker. I don't know why he committed there. There was no way he would of played over Parker. Both play same position.

I think it says a lot that Larry Brown was one of the first coaches who reached out as soon as he decided to transfer. That's how he ended up at SMU. Larry Browns raves about his work ethic. I'm going to go with the hall fame coach's opinion

"We knew him before he went to Duke. Unfortunately, we couldn't get him right away. But he's a great kid. All those kids are great. They are unselfish and share the ball. He had a year and a half that he had to sit out, and it wasn't easy. But he really worked on his game. And he's got such a passion to learn and get better. I think that's why he's had the success. The people around him allow him to do the things he's capable of doing."

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/col...oaching-future

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[lewro]

Christian, neither of us know where the raps rank semi on their draft board and we already had this discussion that as much as they've gone off board with Bruno and Pascal, they've also gone chalk with yak, norm and Delon.
It's not just Parker, semi couldn't play in his sophomore yr and was usurped by a freshman justice Winslow:
"... Justise Winslow and Amile Jefferson able to play his position, Ojeleye was going to continue to struggle to find minutes.

Ojeleye, who hails from Ottawa, Kan., had won Duke’s strength testing competition in each of the past two seasons, but he was unable to translate that raw ability into on-court results."
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/charlott...le9245492.html

[Chr1s1anL]

Jonathan Jeanne is my sleeper pick.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/20...draft-ver-5-0/
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[SkywalkerAC]

Sounds like Bolden might be movin' on up to the first round...

[SkywalkerAC]

I really think that we can get a player here. My spidey sense tells me Masai will try another guy with length that can switch on pick and rolls and shoot, but is more a natural ball-player than Bruno was/is.

Basically, another piece to the positionless basketball puzzle. Is that Bolden? Semi? Rodions? They seem to each have some elements, hard to say.

[blackjitsu]

Sounds like Bolden might be movin' on up to the first round...

That makes sense. There's a lot of footage of his games in Europe and UCLA. Even if he wasn't scouted, his past ranking made little sense.

Where are you hearing things? Twitter? DX? Somewhere else?

[Chr1s1anL]

Raptors let Lou Will walk and draft Wright/Powell

Raptors let Biz walk they draft Poeltl

Raptors let 2pat walk they draft?

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[SkywalkerAC]

That makes sense. There's a lot of footage of his games in Europe and UCLA. Even if he wasn't scouted, his past ranking made little sense.

Where are you hearing things? Twitter? DX? Somewhere else?

Someone posted some Twitter rumblings on a different site.

[SkywalkerAC]

Raptors let Lou Will walk and draft Wright/Powell

Raptors let Biz walk they draft Poeltl

Raptors let 2pat walk they draft?

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Bruno?

[Cody73]

Raptors let Lou Will walk and draft Wright/Powell

Raptors let Biz walk they draft Poeltl

Raptors let 2pat walk they draft?

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If we let 2Pat walk, it's Swanigan.

If we let Tucker walk, it's Ojeleye.

Note: This is my opinion.