2018 NBA Draft Thread - No Deacons Drafted

2018 NBA Draft Thread - Will Moore or Crawford get drafted? Find out Thursday night!

1. Doncic

2. Ayton
3. Jackson

Everybody else.

Bagley doesn’t have a position, doesn’t defend, can’t shoot, and has no right hand. He’ll put up some decent stats, but he’ll never be a top 2 player on a good team.

Pilchard said:

Just heard an NBA Draft expert claim that BC's Jerome Robinson stock is on the rise. Will be a 1st round pick. Maybe even a lottery pick.

Robinson is from Raleigh. How/why did none of the 4 ACC NC schools not covet him?

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Had a pretty late growth spurt and has worked his way into being a really good player. Fits what the NBA is looking for right now to a T. Sounds like he's killed the workouts and interview process.

Wrangor said:

The recent news is Schroeder being on the block has to mean that Doncic goes at 3. Hawks would be fools not to take him imo. You can make a good argument for him at #1. Top 5 picks this year will be very interesting to follow. I predict Bagley has the worst career of the 5. My top 5.

1. Doncic
2. Bamba
3. Ayton
4. Jackson
5. Bagley

I think Ayton and Bagley are more ready early but I like other 3’s career after the first couple of years.

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Two things I don't understand this draft cycle are the hate that Bamba has gotten (especially for being bright and having interest outside of basketball) and the love Trey Young has been getting. I've heard multiple pundits talking about how 6-7 teams should jump all over him if he drops to them. I just don't see it. Every single PG picked in the top 15 of last years draft would work him until he cried every day in practice if they were to be on the same team.

I'm sure this will look incredibly stupid in 2 years but I just don't see the lack of interest in Bamba and the Trey Young love.

It’s hard to shake that “next Steph” love Young got early last season. If he falls past 10, he’s a “high ceiling” guy who is worth the risk.

Bigs do not matter in the NBA. Davis is a monster and nowhere close to a title. I have no idea why Ayton is going number 1.

Deacon said:

Bigs do not matter in the NBA. Davis is a monster and nowhere close to a title. I have no idea why Ayton is going number 1.

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GMs think they are getting the next Embiid- a big who can shoot threes. They will be wrong - and fired.

I think the death of bigs in the NBA is a bit overstated. There haven't been many bigs who can protect the rim and play above average on the offensive side lately -- a lot of either/or. A guy who can do both is very valuable. Capela, for example, was a vital part of the Rockets' success.

Coaches are always adapting and finding new ways to exploit trends. Somebody's gonna figure out a way to take on small ball. I think the pendulum swings back some before too long.

JuiceCrewAllStar said:

I think the death of bigs in the NBA is a bit overstated. There haven't been many bigs who can protect the rim and play above average on the offensive side lately -- a lot of either/or. A guy who can do both is very valuable. Capela, for example, was a vital part of the Rockets' success.

Coaches are always adapting and finding new ways to exploit trends. Somebody's gonna figure out a way to take on small ball. I think the pendulum swings back some before too long.

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Agreed. It would have been interesting to see Davis and Cousins in playoffs together.

But I think you are right that Capella model C is the future. Pick and Roll guy who can block shots and rebound.

JuiceCrewAllStar said:

I think the death of bigs in the NBA is a bit overstated. There haven't been many bigs who can protect the rim and play above average on the offensive side lately -- a lot of either/or. A guy who can do both is very valuable. Capela, for example, was a vital part of the Rockets' success.

Coaches are always adapting and finding new ways to exploit trends. Somebody's gonna figure out a way to take on small ball. I think the pendulum swings back some before too long.

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There aren't many bigs who could reasonably be expected to threaten to have 18/20 shooting nights. Once there are, coaches may have to adjust away from all small three point specialists. Find the next Wilt, with better free throw shooting.

DeacdeTejas said:

Agreed. It would have been interesting to see Davis and Cousins in playoffs together.

But I think you are right that Capella model C is the future. Pick and Roll guy who can block shots and rebound.

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Imagine that kind of athlete with a 7’10” wingspan. Just as much mobility and a decent stroke from the foul line. Bamba is going to be a beast by his 3rd year.

Ayton seems to rigid to me. Bagley is going to be a stat stuffer, but defensively he is going to struggle imo. I really like Jackson in today’s NBA and Doncic speaks for himself. I understand why he might fall to three but if I were Phoenix I’d take him 1. 6’7” pg who can pass shoot and defend. 6’6” sg who can absolutely stroke and also has ball skills. You could do worse in starting a modern team.

PhDeac said:

BR article today said the Hawks would take Luka at #3 if available. That would likely put them back in the playoffs after ending their streak last year.

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This is insane. You think a rookie, coming over from Europe is good enough for a 19 game turnaround? The hawks were the worst team in the east, and the wizards finished 8th. You think he makes them better than the wizards?

TUA01576 said:

This is insane. You think a rookie, coming over from Europe is good enough for a 19 game turnaround? The hawks were the worst team in the east, and the wizards finished 8th. You think he makes them better than the wizards?

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Yeah, that was a really bad take by Ph.

The Hawks need to find someone who will take Schroeder and his salary.

Ayo said:

Yeah, that was a really bad take by Ph.

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It's pretty straight forward. They were tanking last year. Most likely they won't be tanking this year. This isn't a shit bottom dweller franchise. They had the longest playoff streak in the East until last season when they understandably pushed reset on the franchise.

We've seen with our own eyes what happens when John Collins actually starts and plays valuable minutes. Luka is NBA ready. That's a sick young PNR combo.

Here's a good read on Luka that should sell you on him:
https://94feetreport.com/luka-doncic-international-man-of-mystery-9ef7ba9c4368

Plus the Wizards minus Wall for much of the season weren't all that great anyway. You don't have to be "good" to make the EC playoffs.

TUA01576 said:

This is insane. You think a rookie, coming over from Europe is good enough for a 19 game turnaround? The hawks were the worst team in the east, and the wizards finished 8th. You think he makes them better than the wizards?

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The Cavs had an 18 win turnaround the year after drafting Lebron, so it's not completely unheard of.

And Doncic is not just "a rookie" - he's the best basketball player on the planet not playing in the NBA right now. He's a seasoned pro already, the MVP of the EuroLeague and a guy who has already won major international tournaments (EuroBasket where he and Dragic carried Slovenia past Spain and Serbia to win the title). He's going to be worth a lot of wins right away, simply because he's already so damn good. Maybe not 18-19 wins, but I'd bet it's 10+.

Deacon said:

Bigs do not matter in the NBA. Davis is a monster and nowhere close to a title. I have no idea why Ayton is going number 1.

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That is a really poor take. Giannis is a monster and Davis got closer to a title this year than Giannis did, does that mean that completely versatile guys who can play 5 positions are useless in the NBA? Of course not, you would say the opposite. The reason neither is close to a title has nothing to do with their position, it is because nobody is coming close to beating a team with 3 or 4 Hall of Famers, including 2 of the top 5 players in the league. Fucking Kevin Durant wasn't close to actually winning a title until he joined them, that doesn't mean 6'9" guys who can shoot the lights out and handle like a PG do not matter. The only thing that matters are the super teams. Put Davis on the Rockets or Cavs or Celtics and then you'll see that bigs can really matter a lot in the NBA.

The problem isn't that bigs don't matter, it is that there aren't many actual worthwhile bigs the coaches can center their teams around. None of the ones with skill are willing to stick their ass in the low post and dominate, they all want to play like europussies and shoot 3s. Putting aside the Warriors and Rockets who nobody can compete with regardless of makeup, a team with a legit skilled low post big could compete with any other team in the league (as shown by the Pelicans and Sixers).

As to the original question posed by the OP, I think they will, shortly after I get a date with Kate Upton.

PhDeac said:

It's pretty straight forward. They were tanking last year. Most likely they won't be tanking this year. This isn't a shit bottom dweller franchise. They had the longest playoff streak in the East until last season when they understandably pushed reset on the franchise.

We've seen with our own eyes what happens when John Collins actually starts and plays valuable minutes. Luka is NBA ready. That's a sick young PNR combo.

Here's a good read on Luka that should sell you on him:
https://94feetreport.com/luka-doncic-international-man-of-mystery-9ef7ba9c4368

Plus the Wizards minus Wall for much of the season weren't all that great anyway. You don't have to be "good" to make the EC playoffs.

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Stop , please. They were minus Wall and still had a 19 game lead on the hawks . I will bet you right now, If the hawks land Luka, that they won’t be a playoff team.

vadimivich said:

The Cavs had an 18 win turnaround the year after drafting Lebron, so it's not completely unheard of.

And Doncic is not just "a rookie" - he's the best basketball player on the planet not playing in the NBA right now. He's a seasoned pro already, the MVP of the EuroLeague and a guy who has already won major international tournaments (EuroBasket where he and Dragic carried Slovenia past Spain and Serbia to win the title). He's going to be worth a lot of wins right away, simply because he's already so damn good. Maybe not 18-19 wins, but I'd bet it's 10+.

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I will gladly bet that with you as well. Lebron James is possibly the GOAT, at worst a top 5 player of all time. I’m pretty confident Luka will not be that. And the hawks may have been tanking but aside from their first rounder this year, they are not attracting free agents worth a damn this off season. They tanked with below average personnel and will have exactly that again.

PhDeac said:

It's pretty straight forward. They were tanking last year. Most likely they won't be tanking this year. This isn't a shit bottom dweller franchise. They had the longest playoff streak in the East until last season when they understandably pushed reset on the franchise.

We've seen with our own eyes what happens when John Collins actually starts and plays valuable minutes. Luka is NBA ready. That's a sick young PNR combo.

Here's a good read on Luka that should sell you on him:
https://94feetreport.com/luka-doncic-international-man-of-mystery-9ef7ba9c4368

Plus the Wizards minus Wall for much of the season weren't all that great anyway. You don't have to be "good" to make the EC playoffs.

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But Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith, Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, etc. aren't walking through that door, nor is Budenholzer. It's a completely different roster with a different coach and GM, so I don't really get what your point is there. I love me some JC, but he still can't play a lick of defense. They're still just a 28-33 win team with Luka to me. That roster is so, so, so bad.