He's an ideal 31st pick on the ole (new?) 4-year contract with first two years guaranteed and cheap team options for the 3rd and 4th.
The 15-man rosters allow for a flyer like this in the early 2nd.
2016 NBA Draft
- Thread starter Kliq
- Start date
The 15-man rosters allow for a flyer like this in the early 2nd.
In this year's draft, yes. In last year's draft (with this year's improved skills), he's a late-lottery pick.
Agreed, although I would rather go Euro bigs for the 31st and 35th picks (Zubac/Zizic/Cornelie) and stash them overseas for a year or two. Assuming they sign a FA (Horford?), they will have the three 2015 picks, IT, AB, Crowder, Young, Smart, KO and the three 2016 first rounders. That's already 13, not including the possibility of Amir, Jerebko, Sully, Zeller or ET returning. I assume one of the five will return, leaving one roster spot open for 2nd rounders or, more likely, a FA (absent one or more trades to free up additional roster spots, especially at the SG spot).
I think Diallo will end up being a perfect pick for a team like San Antonio or Golden State at the end of the first round, where he can have a redshirt year.
On Hield? I'm probably going to have him around 6-8 in my mock. I see his upside as a Hersey Hawkins type which is a solid complementary guy. I don't see the superstar potential no but he could be a late bloomer like a Jimmy Butler so I wouldn't discount it completely......I wouldn't bet on it over any of the top 3-4 guys though.
I don't expect any of that group to return with the possible exception of Sully if we strike out with Horford. In addition I don't expect Young or Hunter to be here and we are currently only at 14. There will be plenty of spots available from 12-15 for player development guys.
I would say he was the same mid lottery pick last year. I certainly hope people would take him over Mario Hezonja and Tank Kaminsky. He might not be as good defensively as Stanley Johnson, but he's a lot better on the other end.
He's a tier below Stanley Johnson for me as a prospect. Pretty much the same as Hezonja and Kaminsky. Honestly, I'd probably take Kaminsky ahead of him too, but I don't feel strongly.
That's where I'd place Hield as well. He and Dunn were both looking to be borderline lottery guys ranked behind Johnson, Hezonja and Kaminsky last year. Nobody was discussing Hield mid lottery or higher in that awesome class at the time.
I'd rather have Hezonja, he's got much better size and he's more than a year younger. In the early-mid lottery I'd rather have the guy with star potential than the guy who's ceiling is likely bench gunner.
That's probably fair. I didn't like Hezonja much as a prospect to start with, but he's the highest upside guy of the group without a doubt. I just didn't like the JR Smith comparisons with him. I'm probably more focused on defensive potential for prospects these days than offensive, since it seems like more guys develop into capable offensive weapons than develop into capable defenders. That's just anecdotal however.
I've watched enough Magic games this year that I'd want no part of Hezonja. To be brutally frank, I think his upside is bench gunner and I'll be stunned if he ends up being a better player than Hield. One of those two guys has worked his ass off to get as good as he has, and shows no sign of letting up. The other one has a misplaced sense of entitlement that oozes from his pores like the alcohol on Tom Waits on a Sunday morning.
I'm really interested to see where he goes off the board. The last senior SG to go in the lottery was Redick in '06. His elite range is the most important skill for a SG, and his vast improvement this year driving and getting to the line bode well for his prospects as a scorer, but even if I peg him as an elite NBA shooter who can provide spacing and create for himself, how much of that is offset by his limitations on D and as a distributor? I can't really think of any high-usage guards who can't pass, turn the ball over a lot, and don't play plus-defense that I'd be excited about having on my team, even if they can score from anywhere.
Generally, I prefer versatile two-way players over elite specialists (I'd take Stanley Johnson over him in a heartbeat) and like Cellar-Door, I'd want star potential with an early lottery pick. If the Celtics are going to draft a senior SG, I'd be much happier with LeVert in the second after Bender in the lottery.
Generally, I prefer versatile two-way players over elite specialists (I'd take Stanley Johnson over him in a heartbeat) and like Cellar-Door, I'd want star potential with an early lottery pick. If the Celtics are going to draft a senior SG, I'd be much happier with LeVert in the second after Bender in the lottery.
This is where I'm at as well. The only thing I disliked more about Hezonja's game on the clips were the scouting reports about his cluelessness of his the game and his shot selection. The latter two have shown to be accurate. I see Hezonja being the bench gunner......what other role could he assume?
The comparison came to mind for me as well. As for Bender, if 4 minute mixtape highlight reels on Youtube don't get you amped up, I don't know what to tell you. Plus, Kristaps Porzingis is also a tall guy from Eastern Europe who plays basketball, and he's pretty good! But seriously, he's 19, tall, fluid and he can pass and shoot. And maybe do other things, at some point down the line. I dunno, it's a weak draft.
Both of these are fair, but I like the guy who has the tools. Hezonja has time to get some maturity as he takes his licks in the league, and people who cover the Magic have talked about his defense improving as the season has gone on. I also don't want to get on a guy too much when he's on that roster with that bumbling incompetent as a coach. Skiles has been brutal in his mishandling of Hezonja (topped only by the Harris disaster).
I love Hield's work ethic and his ability to improve in college, but his weaknesses are mostly physical, and I'd count on Hezonja learning defensive schemes and shot selection over Hield having a growth spurt, improvements to agility or significantly improving his passing at this point.
Redd isn;'t a bad comp except that he's bigger a good 2 inches in height advantage.
Ben Gordon as mentioned upthread might be a good one as well, but I think Hield isn't as good a ball handler or quite as explosive, but that is likely his role.
I think JJ Reddick might be the best comp in terms of long term role. He;s gonna have to crush 3s.
Bender from what people who have really scouted him say is exciting because:
He's a 7'1" SF/PF.
He just turned 18.
He remade his shot in the offseason and went from a non-factor outside 12 feet to a very good 3pt shooter.
He's supposedly a pretty good defender 3-5 (though he lacks weight for the really strong C)
he needs work, but he's got loads of potential.
How has Skiles mishandled Hezonja? There isn't a player in the league with worse shot selection and he breaks off the offensive sets to look for his own (generally awful) shot. I'm short, he is clueless. This was the knock on him a year ago from those who had these concerns.
The re-evaluation of Buddy Hield begins. For instance, see: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2016/03/31/nba-draft-scouts-missing-buddy-hields-talent-just-like-they-did-steph-curry/82470198/. Snippet:
It's funny that in a copycat league and a league that is centered around 3s, the NBA seems to be turning up its nose at the best shooter in college basketball.
Not really.
I mean he's a shooter for sure, but in a JJ Reddick way.
Comparing him to Steph isn't fair to him, he doesn't have Steph's PG skills at all, and he isn't as quick in space as Steph.
People who have him top 10 have him pegged pretty well. He's a very good shooter who may struggle with other aspects of NBA shooting guard due to his size and athleticism.
Marcus Smart could create his shot against smaller college players as well. He creates just enough separation at this level to get his shot off......which is far different than being able to do so when the length and athleticism are far greater. I disagree with Thompson that he's an elite shot creator at the next level to reach star status.
Big news- it looks like Thon Maker will attempt to enter this year's draft. HRB, Nighthob or anyone else wanna speculate as to where he slots in this year?
Not sure he's even a first round pick, at the moment. Maybe a team will roll the dice late first, but I don't think he impacts the lottery at all.
Maker has gained some detractors over the past 18 months. After scouts watched Skal and especially Diallo struggle to adjust to the college game I can't imagine him going any higher than late 1st but more likely early in the 2nd round.
It will have to be from a team with a GM in a stable position to where he doesn't necessarily need production for several years. It will probably be 3-4 years until he even sees an NBA court for meaningful minutes.
His kid brother has passed him as a prospect, he's painfully thin and really needs to get up into the 240-250 range. His offensive game hasn't developed any, so there's a lot of risk there. I think he's one of those guys that goes in the 25-45 range simply because you can't teach a player to be 7'1" and athletic. But he's going to spend next year in the weight room building mass.
Yup. Body like KG with the basketball understanding of a Jerome Moiso. Not nearly as fluid athletically as I expected, at least based off of the Draft Express videos.
Bender is apparently available for a buyout this year for 1mm so he'll be much more plausible at three for a lot of teams now.
I think Hield is a somewhat less skilled version of Ray Allen as much as anything else. He's a great shooter, and one with plus-plus range and some guts. Can handle a bit and drive, but not a great penetrator. Probably less evolved as a passer than Allen, similar defender.
I get a little bit of Jamal Crawford as well, but big difference in PG/ball handling skills.
For me, he's got more of a scoring/make the play mentality and game than Reddick, who is really a role player.
I get a little bit of Jamal Crawford as well, but big difference in PG/ball handling skills.
For me, he's got more of a scoring/make the play mentality and game than Reddick, who is really a role player.
Underclassmen declaring for the draft (*signed or plans to sign with an agent) (103 and counting, of which 37 are committed)
*Goodluck Okonoboh, Arizona State
Moses Kingsley, C, Arkansas
*Kareem Canty, PG, Auburn
*James Webb III, SF/PF, Boise State
*Jaylen Brown, SF, California
Jaron Blossomgame, SF, Clemson
Amida Brimah, C, Connecticut
*Daniel Hamilton, SG/SF, Connecticut
Rodney Purvis, SG, Connecticut
Maurice Watson Jr., G, Creighton
Charles Cooke, SG, Dayton
*Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke
Devin Robinson, Florida
Marc-Eddy Norelia, PF, Florida Gulf Coast
*Malik Beasley, SG, Florida State
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, PG, Florida State
*Domantas Sabonis, PF, Gonzaga
*Stefan Jankovic, PF/C, Hawaii
Aaron Valdes, Hawaii
Ethan Telfair, PG, Idaho State
Troy Williams, PF, Indiana
Peter Jok, SG, Iowa
Cheick Diallo, PF/C, Kansas
*Brannen Greene, SG/SF, Kansas
*Wayne Selden, SG, Kansas
Jimmy Hall, Kent State
*Jamal Murray, PG/SG, Kentucky
*Skal Labissière, PF/C, Kentucky
*Tyler Ulis, PG, Kentucky
Isaiah Briscoe, PG/SG, Kentucky
Jonny David, SG, Kentucky
E.J. Floreal, SG, Kentucky
Dominique Hawkins, PG, Kentucky
Marcus Lee, PF/C, Kentucky
Charles Matthews, SG, Kentucky
Mychal Mulder, SG, Kentucky
Dillon Pulliam, G, Kentucky
Derek Willis, PF, Kentucky
Chinanu Onuaku, C, Louisville
*Ben Simmons, SF/PF, LSU
*Tim Quarterman, SG, LSU
*Henry Ellenson, PF, Marquette
*Robert Carter Jr., PF, Maryland
*Diamond Stone, C, Maryland
Melo Trimble, PG, Maryland
Dedric Lawson, F, Memphis
*Deyonta Davis, PF/C, Michigan State
Malik Newman, SG, Mississippi State
Andrew White III, SG, Nebraska
Cam Oliver, PF, Nevada
Elijah Brown, New Mexico
Ian Baker, PG, New Mexico State
Pascal Siakam, F, New Mexico State
Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina
Abdul-Malik Abu, PF, North Carolina State
*Anthony "Cat" Barber, PG, North Carolina State
Dallas Moore, G, North Florida
*Demetrius Jackson, PG, Notre Dame
V.J. Beachem, SF, Notre Dame
*Kay Felder, PG, Oakland
Antonio Campbell, Ohio
Trevor Thompson, C, Ohio State
Dillon Brooks, SF, Oregon
Tyler Dorsey, SG, Oregon
*Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
Ben Bentil, PF, Providence
Caleb Swanigan, PF/C, Purdue
Vince Edwards, SF, Purdue
Corey Sanders, G, Rutgers
*DeAndre Bembry, SF, Saint Joseph's
Malik Pope, PF, San Diego State
Isaiah Whitehead, SG, Seton Hall
Jahmal McMurray, PG, South Florida
Tony Anderson, PF, Southeast Missouri State
Chris Obekpa, PF/C, St. John’s
Rosco Allen, SF, Stanford
Malachi Richardson, SG, Syracuse
*Isaiah Taylor, PG, Texas
Mamadou Ndiaye, C, UC Irvine
*Stephen Zimmerman, PF/C, UNLV
*Pat McCaw, SG, UNLV
*Derrick Jones, SF, UNLV
Julian Jacobs, PG, USC
Nikola Jovanovic, PF/C, USC
*Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
Jalen Moore, SF, Utah State
*Lee Moore, G, UTEP
Alec Peters, SF, Valparaiso
*Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt
*Wade Baldwin, PG, Vanderbilt
Josh Hart, SG, Villanova
Kris Jenkins, SF, Villanova
*Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington
*Dejounte Murray, PG/SG, Washington
Conor Clifford, C, Washington State
Josh Hawkinson, PF, Washington State
Ike Iroegbu, PG, Washington State
Que Johnson, SG, Washington State
*Devin Williams, PF, West Virginia
Nigel Hayes, SF, Wisconsin
Trevon Bluiett, SF, Xavier
*Jalen Reynolds, PF, Xavier
Makai Mason, PG, Yale
20 international players who have declared for the draft
Marko Arapovic
Dragan Bender
Isaia Cordinier
Petr Cornelie
Marko Guduric
Juan Hernangomez
Ognjen Jaramaz
Alpha Kaba
Furkan Korkmaz
Emircan Kosut
Matthias Lessort
Timothe Luwawu
Thon Maker
Georgios Papagiannis
Jordan Shako
Guerschon Yabusele
Rade Zagorac
Zhou Qi
Ante Zizic
Ivica Zubac
20 seniors who are possible draftees
Taurean Prince, SF, Baylor
Dorian Finney-Smith, SF, Florida
Kyle Wiltjer, PF, Gonzaga
Jarrod Uthoff, SF, Iowa
Perry Ellis, SF, Kansas
Shawn Long, PF, Louisiana-Lafayette
Damion Lee, SG, Louisville
Jake Layman, SF, Maryland
Sheldon McClellan, SG, Miami
Caris LeVert, SG, Michigan
Denzel Valentine, SG, Michigan State
Brice Johnson, PF, North Carolina
Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma
Gary Payton II, PG, Oregon State
A.J. Hammons, C, Purdue
Jameel Warney, PF, Stony Brook
Michael Gbinije, SG, Syracuse
Prince Ibeh, C, Texas
Malcolm Brogdon, SG, Virginia
Fred VanVleet, PG, Wichita State
Yet to announce (deadline is April 24th)
Ivan Rabb, PF, California (reportedly leaning toward going back to school)
Paul Zipser
Jonathan Jeanne
Vasilis Charalampopoulos
EDIT: updated for Taylor/Jones signing w/agent, added Poeltl/Brown/international players/seniors, deleted Blakeney, updated Maker status, etc.
*Goodluck Okonoboh, Arizona State
Moses Kingsley, C, Arkansas
*Kareem Canty, PG, Auburn
*James Webb III, SF/PF, Boise State
*Jaylen Brown, SF, California
Jaron Blossomgame, SF, Clemson
Amida Brimah, C, Connecticut
*Daniel Hamilton, SG/SF, Connecticut
Rodney Purvis, SG, Connecticut
Maurice Watson Jr., G, Creighton
Charles Cooke, SG, Dayton
*Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke
Devin Robinson, Florida
Marc-Eddy Norelia, PF, Florida Gulf Coast
*Malik Beasley, SG, Florida State
Xavier Rathan-Mayes, PG, Florida State
*Domantas Sabonis, PF, Gonzaga
*Stefan Jankovic, PF/C, Hawaii
Aaron Valdes, Hawaii
Ethan Telfair, PG, Idaho State
Troy Williams, PF, Indiana
Peter Jok, SG, Iowa
Cheick Diallo, PF/C, Kansas
*Brannen Greene, SG/SF, Kansas
*Wayne Selden, SG, Kansas
Jimmy Hall, Kent State
*Jamal Murray, PG/SG, Kentucky
*Skal Labissière, PF/C, Kentucky
*Tyler Ulis, PG, Kentucky
Isaiah Briscoe, PG/SG, Kentucky
Jonny David, SG, Kentucky
E.J. Floreal, SG, Kentucky
Dominique Hawkins, PG, Kentucky
Marcus Lee, PF/C, Kentucky
Charles Matthews, SG, Kentucky
Mychal Mulder, SG, Kentucky
Dillon Pulliam, G, Kentucky
Derek Willis, PF, Kentucky
Chinanu Onuaku, C, Louisville
*Ben Simmons, SF/PF, LSU
*Tim Quarterman, SG, LSU
*Henry Ellenson, PF, Marquette
*Robert Carter Jr., PF, Maryland
*Diamond Stone, C, Maryland
Melo Trimble, PG, Maryland
Dedric Lawson, F, Memphis
*Deyonta Davis, PF/C, Michigan State
Malik Newman, SG, Mississippi State
Andrew White III, SG, Nebraska
Cam Oliver, PF, Nevada
Elijah Brown, New Mexico
Ian Baker, PG, New Mexico State
Pascal Siakam, F, New Mexico State
Justin Jackson, SF, North Carolina
Abdul-Malik Abu, PF, North Carolina State
*Anthony "Cat" Barber, PG, North Carolina State
Dallas Moore, G, North Florida
*Demetrius Jackson, PG, Notre Dame
V.J. Beachem, SF, Notre Dame
*Kay Felder, PG, Oakland
Antonio Campbell, Ohio
Trevor Thompson, C, Ohio State
Dillon Brooks, SF, Oregon
Tyler Dorsey, SG, Oregon
*Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
Ben Bentil, PF, Providence
Caleb Swanigan, PF/C, Purdue
Vince Edwards, SF, Purdue
Corey Sanders, G, Rutgers
*DeAndre Bembry, SF, Saint Joseph's
Malik Pope, PF, San Diego State
Isaiah Whitehead, SG, Seton Hall
Jahmal McMurray, PG, South Florida
Tony Anderson, PF, Southeast Missouri State
Chris Obekpa, PF/C, St. John’s
Rosco Allen, SF, Stanford
Malachi Richardson, SG, Syracuse
*Isaiah Taylor, PG, Texas
Mamadou Ndiaye, C, UC Irvine
*Stephen Zimmerman, PF/C, UNLV
*Pat McCaw, SG, UNLV
*Derrick Jones, SF, UNLV
Julian Jacobs, PG, USC
Nikola Jovanovic, PF/C, USC
*Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah
Jalen Moore, SF, Utah State
*Lee Moore, G, UTEP
Alec Peters, SF, Valparaiso
*Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt
*Wade Baldwin, PG, Vanderbilt
Josh Hart, SG, Villanova
Kris Jenkins, SF, Villanova
*Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington
*Dejounte Murray, PG/SG, Washington
Conor Clifford, C, Washington State
Josh Hawkinson, PF, Washington State
Ike Iroegbu, PG, Washington State
Que Johnson, SG, Washington State
*Devin Williams, PF, West Virginia
Nigel Hayes, SF, Wisconsin
Trevon Bluiett, SF, Xavier
*Jalen Reynolds, PF, Xavier
Makai Mason, PG, Yale
20 international players who have declared for the draft
Marko Arapovic
Dragan Bender
Isaia Cordinier
Petr Cornelie
Marko Guduric
Juan Hernangomez
Ognjen Jaramaz
Alpha Kaba
Furkan Korkmaz
Emircan Kosut
Matthias Lessort
Timothe Luwawu
Thon Maker
Georgios Papagiannis
Jordan Shako
Guerschon Yabusele
Rade Zagorac
Zhou Qi
Ante Zizic
Ivica Zubac
20 seniors who are possible draftees
Taurean Prince, SF, Baylor
Dorian Finney-Smith, SF, Florida
Kyle Wiltjer, PF, Gonzaga
Jarrod Uthoff, SF, Iowa
Perry Ellis, SF, Kansas
Shawn Long, PF, Louisiana-Lafayette
Damion Lee, SG, Louisville
Jake Layman, SF, Maryland
Sheldon McClellan, SG, Miami
Caris LeVert, SG, Michigan
Denzel Valentine, SG, Michigan State
Brice Johnson, PF, North Carolina
Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma
Gary Payton II, PG, Oregon State
A.J. Hammons, C, Purdue
Jameel Warney, PF, Stony Brook
Michael Gbinije, SG, Syracuse
Prince Ibeh, C, Texas
Malcolm Brogdon, SG, Virginia
Fred VanVleet, PG, Wichita State
Yet to announce (deadline is April 24th)
Ivan Rabb, PF, California (reportedly leaning toward going back to school)
Paul Zipser
Jonathan Jeanne
Vasilis Charalampopoulos
EDIT: updated for Taylor/Jones signing w/agent, added Poeltl/Brown/international players/seniors, deleted Blakeney, updated Maker status, etc.
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Could anyone break this draft down in to tiers? Like last year was a 5 player draft where we had the 6th pick. Curious where the drop offs in talent are.
That depends largely upon whom you are speaking with. Based on different draft websites it seems to work something along these lines:
Tier 1 = Ingram/Simmons. There is debate and division over who is #1 and #2.
Tier 2 = Bender.
Tier 3 = Brown, Murray, Dunn and maybe Heild. I think the order in which this group is drafted depends largely upon individual team needs.
Tier 4 = Poetl, Ellenson, and maybe Labissiere.
Tier 5 = Picks 11 through 19/20. A large, seemingly level plateau of talent, mostly looking to be NBA rotation players. Each has a skill and each has a flaw and I am too lazy to list them all.
Tier 6 = Everyone else in the first round.
I am not sure what you were looking for, but hopefully this is helpful. Oh, and you might want to stop by at Draftexpress.com to see more info on them all.
Tier 1 = Ingram/Simmons. There is debate and division over who is #1 and #2.
Tier 2 = Bender.
Tier 3 = Brown, Murray, Dunn and maybe Heild. I think the order in which this group is drafted depends largely upon individual team needs.
Tier 4 = Poetl, Ellenson, and maybe Labissiere.
Tier 5 = Picks 11 through 19/20. A large, seemingly level plateau of talent, mostly looking to be NBA rotation players. Each has a skill and each has a flaw and I am too lazy to list them all.
Tier 6 = Everyone else in the first round.
I am not sure what you were looking for, but hopefully this is helpful. Oh, and you might want to stop by at Draftexpress.com to see more info on them all.
Here are my current thoughts pre-combine/workout:
Tier 1 = Ingram/Simmons. Ingram has passed Simmons on most boards, but it's pretty clear that they are 1-2 in this draft.
Tier 2 = Bender, Brown, Murray, Dunn and Hield. Basically, all of the top guards/wings and Bender. Since the Celtics cannot fall out of the top six, they are guaranteed to have the chance to draft one of the top seven.
Tier 3 = Poetl, Ellenson, Rabb, Chriss, Davis, Sabonis and Labissiere. Basically all of the top frontcourt types.
Tier 4 = Ulis, Jackson, Baldwin, Luwawu, Korkmaz, Valentine. Guards/wings who don't fit into the top two tiers but are legitimate first round talents. Since the Celtics' next four picks are #16, #23, #31 and #35, they are guaranteed to have the chance to draft two players in the top four tiers, plus 2-3 of the tier 5 lotto tickets.
Tier 5 = Stone, Qi, Johnson, Prince, Maker, Jones, Beasley, Zimmerman, Diallo, Zizic, Zubac, Jeanne, Hernangomez, LeVert. Lotto tickets, mostly.
Tier 1 = Ingram/Simmons. Ingram has passed Simmons on most boards, but it's pretty clear that they are 1-2 in this draft.
Tier 2 = Bender, Brown, Murray, Dunn and Hield. Basically, all of the top guards/wings and Bender. Since the Celtics cannot fall out of the top six, they are guaranteed to have the chance to draft one of the top seven.
Tier 3 = Poetl, Ellenson, Rabb, Chriss, Davis, Sabonis and Labissiere. Basically all of the top frontcourt types.
Tier 4 = Ulis, Jackson, Baldwin, Luwawu, Korkmaz, Valentine. Guards/wings who don't fit into the top two tiers but are legitimate first round talents. Since the Celtics' next four picks are #16, #23, #31 and #35, they are guaranteed to have the chance to draft two players in the top four tiers, plus 2-3 of the tier 5 lotto tickets.
Tier 5 = Stone, Qi, Johnson, Prince, Maker, Jones, Beasley, Zimmerman, Diallo, Zizic, Zubac, Jeanne, Hernangomez, LeVert. Lotto tickets, mostly.
I think you are thinking of 2014 draft. And we got Marcus Smart with the 6th, who has turned out to be better than 2 or 3 of the players that got picked ahead of him.
I am not sure if this is appropriate for this thread or a different one but with Thibs being hired in Minny does anyone else think an Bradley+16 for 5 is now in play? Bradley is a perfect Thibs player and is a really good fit for that team. Can play the 2 on offense and guard the 1 on defense (Rubio is big enough and has a long enough wingspan to effectively guard shooting guards).
Now, my goal for the C's would be trading for one of the stars that could be available (Butler is the one that comes to mind immediately) and I think the potential of 3 top 5 picks (BRK+MIN this year, our picki next year) is a pretty enticing package
Now, my goal for the C's would be trading for one of the stars that could be available (Butler is the one that comes to mind immediately) and I think the potential of 3 top 5 picks (BRK+MIN this year, our picki next year) is a pretty enticing package
That a backup 2-guard who can't shoot is today a top-4 player out of that draft is more damning of the options available that summer than any coup on our part.
And exactly why the Embiid pick wasn't that bad for the Sixers even if he Oden's his way out of the league. The opportunity cost was minimal.
I'd rather have taken the flyer on all 5 guys taken ahead of him and lived with the results. The 3 who are better are looking considerably better, especially as the season went on. Embiid may be a lost cause and Exum too, but missing out on Smart wouldn't have been much of a loss. Hes a back up guard who can't shoot.
Top 15 prospects (ranked by two or more of ESPN.com, nbadraft.net, draftexpress.com, CBS.com (Vecenie & Parrish) post-early entry deadline)
Ben Simmons (1, 1, 2, 1, 2)
Brandon Ingram (2, 2, 1, 2, 1)
Jamal Murray (3, 5, 6, 5, 3)
Kris Dunn (4, 6, 5, 8, 6)
Dragan Bender (5, 4, 3, 3, 5)
Buddy Hield (6, 3, 7, 7, 7)
Henry Ellenson (7, 18, 9, 9, 9)
Marquese Chriss (8, 19, 14, 18, 16)
Jakob Poeltl (9, 9, 8, 6, 10)
Jaylen Brown (10, 8, 4, 4, 4)
Skal Labissiere (11, 13, 10, 17, 11)
Domantas Sabonis (12, 7, 18, 12, 15)
Denzel Valentine (13, 16, 16, 11, 8)
Deyonta Davis (14, 14, 13, 13, 13)
Furkan Korkmaz (15, 12, 17, 15, 17)
Tyler Ulis (17, 35, 19, 14, 14)
Timothe Luwawu (*, 32, 12, 10, 12)
*Not in ESPN's top 20
Ranked top 15 by only one of the five:
Malik Beasley (10, ND)
Dejounte Murray (11, ND)
Demetrious Jackson (11, DE)
Brice Johnson (15, ND)
Wade Baldwin (15, DE)
Ben Simmons (1, 1, 2, 1, 2)
Brandon Ingram (2, 2, 1, 2, 1)
Jamal Murray (3, 5, 6, 5, 3)
Kris Dunn (4, 6, 5, 8, 6)
Dragan Bender (5, 4, 3, 3, 5)
Buddy Hield (6, 3, 7, 7, 7)
Henry Ellenson (7, 18, 9, 9, 9)
Marquese Chriss (8, 19, 14, 18, 16)
Jakob Poeltl (9, 9, 8, 6, 10)
Jaylen Brown (10, 8, 4, 4, 4)
Skal Labissiere (11, 13, 10, 17, 11)
Domantas Sabonis (12, 7, 18, 12, 15)
Denzel Valentine (13, 16, 16, 11, 8)
Deyonta Davis (14, 14, 13, 13, 13)
Furkan Korkmaz (15, 12, 17, 15, 17)
Tyler Ulis (17, 35, 19, 14, 14)
Timothe Luwawu (*, 32, 12, 10, 12)
*Not in ESPN's top 20
Ranked top 15 by only one of the five:
Malik Beasley (10, ND)
Dejounte Murray (11, ND)
Demetrious Jackson (11, DE)
Brice Johnson (15, ND)
Wade Baldwin (15, DE)
You think Jabari has looked considerably better than Smart? I can maybe buy he has more potential, but he's been a pretty fringy NBA player so far.
So, you're saying you'd rather have taken a flyer on 2 guys (Embiid and Exum) that you then call lost causes?
If you're doing this exercise with the value of hindsight, don't you have to acknowledge that lost causes wouldn't have helped at all? You've written Smart's NBA narrative into your reply, as you see it at least (back up guard that can't shoot), why wouldn't you do the same for Embiid and Exum?