2016 NBA Draft: Who would you have chosen?

kazuneko

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Nov 10, 2006
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Honolulu HI
So the draft is over and it seems that few people are satisfied with Ainge's choices. Of course, there is no way to rule on the success of the draft on the day after the selections. As we all know, there have been many examples of controversial picks that turn into stars and "sure things" that end up busts. Considering this, I thought it might be interesting for people to post for posterity who it is each of us would have picked if we had been in the position of making the final decision. At the very least, it will fix each of us to actual picks and when, years later, we want to review who Danny "should" have taken,we'll also be able to identify if we would have done any better had the decision been ours. .
So...assuming the players available at each slot were available to you on draft day, what picks at which number would you have made. As GM you can only choose one for each slot, so for the purposes of this exercise let's all try to commit to one player for each draft pick (i.e. not "either Luwawu or Murray for pick 23")

My choices:

3) Dunn: The best player available. I think he has a similar ceiling and a far higher floor than Brown. Obviously he is tough match for the roster, but I'm a believer in taking the best player regardless of need and I think in this draft at this position Dunn is pretty clearly that player. This would likely lead to a trade of Smart, but I prefer Dunn to Smart anyway as I see him having a far higher chance of becoming a star.

16) Timothe Luwawu: Great athleticism and wingspan, with good scoring instincts and the potential to be a plus defender. Really liked this guy and ended up pretty disappointed when DA passed on taking him again and again in the first round.

23) Skal Labissiere: Too much potential to pass on with the 23rd pick in the draft.

That's as far as I feel capable of picking as I won't pretend to know enough about the guys in the second round to make guesses at those picks. I would encourage those with a deeper knowledge of the draft to make selections for the later picks as well..
 

Cellar-Door

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Aug 1, 2006
34,397
So this is what I posted as my preferences two weeks ago:
3- Bender (2nd choice Brown)
16- Zizic (Baldwin, Zubac)
23- Hernangomez (DIallo,Onuaku)
31- Onuaku (Qi, McCaw)
35- Beasley (Zagorac, Yabusele, PapaGiannis)
45- Yabusele (Zagorac, Papagiannis, Felder)
51- Papagiannis (Finney-Smith, Carter)
58- Carter (Finney-Smith, Payton)

So this was based off approximately where these guys were mocked, which shows you how much some of the Euros moved.

Obviously based how it went I would have gone Bender still, Zizic still, fine with Yabusele at 23 still.
On the whole I was pretty happy with this draft obviously.
 

kazuneko

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 10, 2006
2,814
Honolulu HI
So this is what I posted as my preferences two weeks ago:
3- Bender (2nd choice Brown)
16- Zizic (Baldwin, Zubac)
23- Hernangomez (DIallo,Onuaku)
31- Onuaku (Qi, McCaw)
35- Beasley (Zagorac, Yabusele, PapaGiannis)
45- Yabusele (Zagorac, Papagiannis, Felder)
51- Papagiannis (Finney-Smith, Carter)
58- Carter (Finney-Smith, Payton)

So this was based off approximately where these guys were mocked, which shows you how much some of the Euros moved.
.
So, if we keep away from pre-draft mocks and commit to a selection of players who were actual available at each slot, it seems like your selections in this draft would have been the following:

3- Bender
16-Zizic
23- Diallo
31 Onuaku
35 Qi
45 Felder
51 Finney-Smith
58 Carter
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,397
So, if we keep away from pre-draft mocks and commit to a selection of players who were actual available at each slot, it seems like your selections in this draft would have been the following:

3- Bender
16-Zizic
23- Diallo
31 Onuaku
35 Qi
45 Felder
51 Finney-Smith
58 Carter
Though for roster reasons I wouldn't. Have to stash multiple guys. That's one reason I'm fine with how it went.
Edit also guys obviously moved so for example I would have moved Yabusele up if I knew he was rising etc. That was based off who was available in a mock, so I knew Yabusele could be had at 45 so I went Qi early it isn't an indication of my preference as I like Yabusele better than Qi, it was about maximizing value.
 
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kazuneko

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 10, 2006
2,814
Honolulu HI
Though for roster reasons I wouldn't. Have to stash multiple guys. That's one reason I'm fine with how it went.
Edit also guys obviously moved so for example I would have moved Yabusele up if I knew he was rising etc. That was based off who was available in a mock, so I knew Yabusele could be had at 45 so I went Qi early it isn't an indication of my preference as I like Yabusele better than Qi, it was about maximizing value.
Of course in the draft that actually happened Yabusele (16) and Qi (43) weren't anywhere close to each other. We'll never know what would have happened had DA not taken him at 16 but for the purposes of this exercise (i.e. "who would you take with the players actually available at each slot") the only way you'd have definitely ended up with Yabusele is if you liked him as much as DA and taken him at 16..