2019 Draft Megathread

HomeRunBaker

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Johnny Dawkins kid Aubry sure looks the part of an NBA shooting guard, and I'd take a shot with Tacko Fall in the late 2nd.
I've been loving Tacko Fall as a college player for 3 years now......unquestionably one of the most underrated players in the game. I just don't see his game transitioning to the NBA at all. He can't defend outside the rim area and would get torn apart by running hign pick n rolls or pick n pops against him. The other problem defensively is that he doesn't have quick reflexes or foot speed to maintain position which cause him to get into foul trouble even at the college level. One thing I do like about him offensively is that he understands the game and is an underrated passer. I love everything about the kid so I hope someone gives him a shot and he is able to take advantage of it but Euroleague would seem to be in his future.
 

BigSoxFan

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I've been loving Tacko Fall as a college player for 3 years now......unquestionably one of the most underrated players in the game. I just don't see his game transitioning to the NBA at all. He can't defend outside the rim area and would get torn apart by running hign pick n rolls or pick n pops against him. The other problem defensively is that he doesn't have quick reflexes or foot speed to maintain position which cause him to get into foul trouble even at the college level. One thing I do like about him offensively is that he understands the game and is an underrated passer. I love everything about the kid so I hope someone gives him a shot and he is able to take advantage of it but Euroleague would seem to be in his future.
Disagree. I think drafting Fall would be a good idea since it would allow us to field our super big lineup by putting Baynes at the 4 and Horford at the 3, where they are both better suited both offensively and defensively.
 

nighthob

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Disagree. I think drafting Fall would be a good idea since it would allow us to field our super big lineup by putting Baynes at the 4 and Horford at the 3, where they are both better suited both offensively and defensively.
They shouts also draft Daniel Gifford with one of their late firsts so that Horford can finally be moved to the SG spot.
 

amfox1

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Chuma Okeke, of Auburn, looked like he suffered a major knee injury tonight vs. UNC. Okeke had been rising in the draft and was considered a mid-to-late first round pick.
 

BigSoxFan

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Killer injury for him. Now has to sit out most if not all of next year and turns 21 in August. Hopefully he can recover quickly.
 

nighthob

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If he declared anyway I'd sort of hope Boston landed him, I think he has a long career in front of him as a modern 2/3/4. Clearly a depth player, but the ability to be a really good one.
 

HomeRunBaker

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If he declared anyway I'd sort of hope Boston landed him, I think he has a long career in front of him as a modern 2/3/4. Clearly a depth player, but the ability to be a really good one.
He would be wise to declare imo. Healthy he was likely a late 1st rounder. As is, I’m certain there are multiple teams willing to do a 4-year deal with two option years.

It’s a win-win. The player gets paid say $2m to rehab with state-of-the-art facilities and trainers in Year 1, another $2m to showcase himself in Year 2 for the two option years. It also gives him some financial security to reinjury (see: Porter, Jontay). The team has a minimal two-year investment with the upside of having a rotation player on the cheap for up to 3 years.

If for some reason nobody puts this offer on the table he can simply return to school. I’d have to think that with the prognosis of ACL recoveries he’d receive a promise from someone.
 

BigSoxFan

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He would be wise to declare imo. Healthy he was likely a late 1st rounder. As is, I’m certain there are multiple teams willing to do a 4-year deal with two option years.

It’s a win-win. The player gets paid say $2m to rehab with state-of-the-art facilities and trainers in Year 1, another $2m to showcase himself in Year 2 for the two option years. It also gives him some financial security to reinjury (see: Porter, Jontay). The team has a minimal two-year investment with the upside of having a rotation player on the cheap for up to 3 years.

If for some reason nobody puts this offer on the table he can simply return to school. I’d have to think that with the prognosis of ACL recoveries he’d receive a promise from someone.
Yeah, I think this is right. Go pro and do rehab in top facility. It would be a sneaky good play for someone to sign him to such a deal.
 

Kliq

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I've been loving Tacko Fall as a college player for 3 years now......unquestionably one of the most underrated players in the game. I just don't see his game transitioning to the NBA at all. He can't defend outside the rim area and would get torn apart by running hign pick n rolls or pick n pops against him. The other problem defensively is that he doesn't have quick reflexes or foot speed to maintain position which cause him to get into foul trouble even at the college level. One thing I do like about him offensively is that he understands the game and is an underrated passer. I love everything about the kid so I hope someone gives him a shot and he is able to take advantage of it but Euroleague would seem to be in his future.
I could see the right coach/situation where he can be brought in for limited spurts and disrupt the game. He would get exploited on switches against quicker players and get into foul trouble; but if he were used as a 12th man that could be brought in for a 5-8 minute stretch in a game and cause some problems. I could see him kind of similar to how Boban has been used; a limited player but his sheer size forces teams to react. Tacko has solid fundamentals and seems to have good hands; he can catch a pass if he has position and once he has the ball within 6 feet of the basket he is tough to stop.

I always thought Manute Bol was a bit underrated as a defensive force; his rookie season he average 5 bpg in 22 minutes, and for his career he averaged 6.4 blocks per 36. If you watch game videos, he forces so many unusual adjustments as players fear he will swat their shot away. It's a different game now, but I think that kind of player can swing a game or two.
 

tims4wins

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So where does Cam Reddish stand in current projections? He has had a truly disappointing season, but he has length, athleticism, and a very pretty shot. He only shot 33.3 from 3 this year, but he is at .768 from the line so clearly the guy can shoot. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes one of those guys who has more success in the pros than he did in college. I was going to say maybe like a Harrison Barnes, but Barnes did better at UNC than I remembered.
 

amfox1

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Declared for the draft and hired/hiring an agent/not planning to return (draft projection):

Bol Bol, Oregon (mid 1st)
Darius Garland, Vanderbilt (mid 1st)
Daniel Gafford, Arkansas (mid-to-late 1st)
Kris Wilkes, UCLA (late 1st/early 2nd)
Jalen McDaniels, San Diego State (late 1st/early 2nd)
Miye Oni, Yale (2nd)
Shamorie Ponds, St. Johns (2nd)
Yoeli Childs, BYU (overseas)
Amir Hinton, Shaw (D-II) (??)
 

Lazy vs Crazy

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So where does Cam Reddish stand in current projections? He has had a truly disappointing season, but he has length, athleticism, and a very pretty shot. He only shot 33.3 from 3 this year, but he is at .768 from the line so clearly the guy can shoot. I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes one of those guys who has more success in the pros than he did in college. I was going to say maybe like a Harrison Barnes, but Barnes did better at UNC than I remembered.
From what I've seen he's sitting at 5 most places.
 

DannyDarwinism

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I hope Shamorie Ponds is a fan of Asian Cuisine. ;)
Really? I think he gets a shot, especially in a draft lacking in both scoring punch and point guards, when he can conceivably provide both. Tons of question marks after Ja. I think I'd have Coby White next, maybe Alexander-Walker after that, if you think he can play PG, but then?

I was bullish on Tre Jones for a bit, but his jumper is just so bad. Garland's impact doesn't match his impressive skill set and you'd be hard pressed to find a PG with more turnovers than assists in college who went on to a good pro career. Sure, it's only five games, but they were against mostly scrub teams he should've feasted on. I kinda like Ashton Hagans, who doesn't seem to be getting any draft buzz, but then, I always like heady, pass-first defensive PGs. Wayne Turner was my OG,

This class doesn't even really have the solid, low-ceiling upperclassmen who are decent bets to run a second unit. Who's the Jalen Brunson/Jevon Carter/Monte Morris/Frank Masons of the this draft? Justin Robinson seems like a decent bet. Ty Jerome? Shamorie can pass and score, and defend other PGs.

Regarding Reddish, man that requires a leap of faith for a GM to use a high lottery pick on him. There are definitely reasons I could see one talking themselves into it, but the fact remains that kid was put on a good team and stunk up the joint. If there are signs that point to anything other than "Poor Man's Andrew Wiggins", I'd be interested to hear them.

On the other end of the spectrum is PJ Washington. Guy produces a ton and makes his team better, but doesn't get much love in the mock drafts I've seen. But I think he's got a chance at poor-man's Millsap, or going back a bit further, Gary Trent (Sr).
 

Auger34

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I feel really sad for the team that takes RJ Barrett in the top 4 and expects him to be a difference maker of any kind
 

HomeRunBaker

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Really? I think he gets a shot, especially in a draft lacking in both scoring punch and point guards, when he can conceivably provide both. Tons of question marks after Ja. I think I'd have Coby White next, maybe Alexander-Walker after that, if you think he can play PG, but then?
Oh yeah, I'm not a fan of Ponds at all at the next level. He's a frail and undersized hero-ball PG who is a poor decision maker (shot 25% from 3 this year but was certainly not gun-shy) and plays to his left hand more than Delonte West did. Aside from that I like how the kids game translate. ;)

I love Coby White, he's got great size and has Steph Curry range and does pretty much everything well. He kinda reminds me of how i felt about Kyrie coming out in that there really isn't anything he can't do especially in todays game where PG's don't have to be pure PG's.
 

Kliq

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I will be taking all the RJ Barrett stock people are selling; thank you very much. He can really score at all three levels, has good size and length and can pass. I’d argue he was better his one year at Duke than Tatum was.
 

BigSoxFan

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I will be taking all the RJ Barrett stock people are selling; thank you very much. He can really score at all three levels, has good size and length and can pass. I’d argue he was better his one year at Duke than Tatum was.
Based on what? Tatum shot better from 3pt, the FT line, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers. Barrett averaged 6 more SPG than Tatum so really the only advantage I give him over college Tatum is playmaking.

I think Barrett is a nice prospect but I’m taking Ja over him. My top 5 are the following:

1. Zion
2. Ja
3. Barrett
4. Culver
5. Reddish (subject to change)
 

Cellar-Door

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I will be taking all the RJ Barrett stock people are selling; thank you very much. He can really score at all three levels, has good size and length and can pass. I’d argue he was better his one year at Duke than Tatum was.
He's probably going to be good, I worry about his shot and his decision making. I definitely wouldn't say he can score on all 3 levels though, he hasn't shown much outside 15 feet with the jumper.

Additionally, a team taking him has to be sure they feel good about their culture. His year with Duke was fascinating, he was the 2nd best player on by far the most talented team and he had a ridiculous usage at poor efficiency. It was a deeply selfish season, and I wonder how he transitions to the NBA, where outside of Houston you're expected to make the right play. Also, I worry about his defense, a lot.

Overall I probably consider him at 2, take him at 3, but there are real concerns.
 

bowiac

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HomeRunBaker

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Based on what? Tatum shot better from 3pt, the FT line, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers. Barrett averaged 6 more SPG than Tatum so really the only advantage I give him over college Tatum is playmaking.

I think Barrett is a nice prospect but I’m taking Ja over him. My top 5 are the following:

1. Zion
2. Ja
3. Barrett
4. Culver
5. Reddish (subject to change)
My Top-5 (kinda) are......

1. Zion (even though I feel he is being overrated to a degree at the next level)
2a. Ja
2b. Culver
3a. Garland
3b. Coby
4. Barrett
5. Hayes

Obv subject to change with Combine numbers, workout reports, etc
 

McBride11

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What about players like Purdue’s Edwards or Auburn’s Harper?
Yes recency bias and I dont follow much NCAAB in season.
But are these guys too small? Playing well above level in tourney?
 

Kliq

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I'd take Zion number one but I also think the hype around him is getting a little out of hand. He has answered a lot of questions I had heading into the season, but I still think there are some obvious questions about his game at the next level. I don't think he is best prospect since LeBron, I don't think he is a better prospect than Anthony Davis was. I still have concerns about his outside shooting, his potential for injury, his ball-handling, and how he will be able to score against NBA defenses.
 

nighthob

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Based on what? Tatum shot better from 3pt, the FT line, more steals, more blocks, less turnovers. Barrett averaged 6 more SPG than Tatum so really the only advantage I give him over college Tatum is playmaking.

I think Barrett is a nice prospect but I’m taking Ja over him. My top 5 are the following:

1. Zion
2. Ja
3. Barrett
4. Culver
5. Reddish (subject to change)
I’d flip Culver and Barrett, Culver has a lot more upside. Reddish is one of those guys that’s prone to a draft night tumble. He’s the sort of player that a lot of GMs could talk themselves out of in favor of higher floor guys like Jaxson Hayes, De’Andre Hunter, Coby White, and possibly even Kel Johnson and Brandon Clarke. (And I’m not saying that it’s irrational, there are clearly good reasons to grab guys that are guaranteed NBA performers in the mid lottery.)

So there’s a chance that even if Boston gets stuck with #9 this year that they might be in a spot to take a home run swing at Reddish, hoping that coming to a vet team will set him on the straight and narrow.

Other guys I like in the 9-14 range are Nickeil Alexander-Walker (he’s a good bet as a Kyrie replacement long term), Nassir Little (he’s a 6’6” Marcus, for better and worse), Romeo Langford (he’s going to score in the NBA), and Rui Hachimura. The latter is a terrible defensive player, if you could combine him with Brandon Clarke you’d have an all star.

As for the picks in the 20s I’m be in favor of using one Chuma Okeke as a sort of draft & stash guy (i.e. give him a first round promise if he agrees to bypass a contract in year one and sign with Portland directly for the rehab year).

If Kevin Porter Jr. is still on the board I don’t see how they pass him up, he has all-world talent, despite the questions about his off court behavior. I’d even like the pick at 13/14, since he has huge upside.
 

TripleOT

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Ja Morant and Zion played on the same AAU team.

"The summer before Morant was a sophomore in high school and Williamson was a freshman, they played on a small regional grassroots team called the South Carolina Hornets that did not have any shoe-company backing. Williamson (from Spartanburg, S.C.) and Morant (from Dalzell, S.C.) lived nearly 90 minutes apart; the program was based out of Columbia, S.C., and they'd each drive about 45 minutes for practices, games, etc.

It was during that summer with the Hornets that Williamson had his first burst of fame on the recruiting circuit.

"Zion was always a mild-mannered kid, never showed much expression," Tee Morant, Ja's father, told CBS Sports. "He was probably 6-foot-3 then. He had hops, but he didn't have the hops that he possesses now."

Still, he was dunking by then -- as was Morant, whose first slam in a game came at 14 playing with Williamson. It was a notable tournament in Greensboro, N.C., that sent the two on forking paths.

"I guess the rest of the athleticism had to kick in, but he was catching alley-oops from Ja then," Tee Morant said. "I think the game he really opened a lot of people's eyes, one kid went up for a layup and he tried to put it high off the glass and Zion looked like he went to the top of the square and pinned it. It was a big tournament, everyone went crazy, and that went viral."

After one go-around, Williamson went on to the Adidas circuit while Morant stayed behind with the humble Hornets. And yet, before Murray State offered, the only schools who came along with a scholarship in hand were Maryland Eastern Shore, Duquesneand South Carolina State.
 

DJnVa

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I don't have strong takes here, but I thought it useful to post the list of best freshman by BPM. Zion is by far #1, but there are some names here I haven't really heard discussed as top prospects.
There's more distance between Zion and #2 on the list (8.0) than between #2 and #79 (7.9).
 

HomeRunBaker

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Ja Morant and Zion played on the same AAU team.
Disclaimer: Storytime.

I know I discussed this at CelticsNuts years ago but the sickest AAU team ever assembled had to have been the 2002 17-and-Under Greensboro Gaters that Vic Sapp put together. They had 4 NCAA All-Conference players coming off the bench!

I lived in Greensboro at the time and a buddy of mine i worked with (Brian Clifton, who was later an agent in some capacity) was an Asst Coach of that team so i attended some of their local games. Here was their starting lineup: Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and either David Noel (UNC) or Eric Williams, who starred at Wake Forest (was a 2nd round draft pick). Off the bench was Justin Gray (starting guard, Wake Forest), PJ Tucker (starting forward, Texas), Reyshawn Terry (starting wing, UNC), Trent Strickland (starting wing, Wake Forest). They ummm, won alot of games including the National Championship.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Hard to say, but I would not be surprised if Barrett turns out to be Wiggins 2.0.
Why is Barrett getting so much slack here? He seems pretty safe to be a long term real good player even if he didn’t make the leap to great. I can’t find anything in his skill set that would lead me to believe he turns out to be Wiggins.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Wiggins does not shoot, rebound, dribble, or pass at an NBA level. Barrett has already shown he does three of those things (rebound, dribble, pass) at a higher level than Wiggins.
 

Auger34

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I don’t think Barrett will be anything like Wiggins, I just don’t think he will be a star.
He really reminds me of Tyreke Evans honestly. He’s got a lot of skill, very big, but Is, at best, a mediocre shooter and seems to get tunnel vision when he has the ball.
I hope he can get back to more of the playmaker that we saw play for Team Canada and less like the version we saw at Duke this year.
 

BigSoxFan

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Nassir Little goes pro. I wasn’t overly impressed with what I saw out of him. What do people think he becomes at next level?
 

Cellar-Door

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Why is Barrett getting so much slack here? He seems pretty safe to be a long term real good player even if he didn’t make the leap to great. I can’t find anything in his skill set that would lead me to believe he turns out to be Wiggins.
His block/steal percentages are truly terrible (particularly in conference) , and it's unclear if he can shoot at an NBA level.

He'll probably be OK, but there are definite concern areas.

Not sure what you see that makes you think Wiggins is a bad comp. He was a better passer, but otherwise Wiggins was a slightly better player in just about every category in college, and significantly better as a FT and 3pt shooter.
 

DJnVa

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Nassir Little goes pro. I wasn’t overly impressed with what I saw out of him. What do people think he becomes at next level?
I've read a few things that think he's going to be much better at next level, because UNC's structure didn't work for him.
 

Big John

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I kinda like Naz Reid, the 6-10 kid from Asbury Park who may have been the best player in the 2018 McDonalds game. NBA body, good passer. He's not the kind of player teams are looking for in today's three-ball crazy league, bur he did shoot 33% from deep and may get better. And space eaters who rebound will always have value.

Also he's a realistic Celtics target with their pick in the 20s.
 
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chilidawg

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I liked what I saw of Reid as well, solid size, moves fluidly. Heard one comment that he'd lost a lot of weight, so he might be a kid just coming into his body.

Goga Bitadze is mocked to the Celtics at 20 by both Tankathon and NBADraft.net. Haven't heard much about him but I thought his highlight videos looked intriguing, and apparently he's playing well at the highest Euro level. Here's some links:
https://www.nbadraft.net/european-stock-watch-15
http://www.tankathon.com/players/goga-bitadze

Nassir Little certainly looks like an NBA player, but he's mostly playing inside at 6'7, so his perimeter game is going to have to develop a lot to find an NBA role. Anybody taking him has to be looking at him as a long term project.
 

HomeRunBaker

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His block/steal percentages are truly terrible (particularly in conference) , and it's unclear if he can shoot at an NBA level.

He'll probably be OK, but there are definite concern areas.

Not sure what you see that makes you think Wiggins is a bad comp. He was a better passer, but otherwise Wiggins was a slightly better player in just about every category in college, and significantly better as a FT and 3pt shooter.
I don’t think he’s the next coming as I actually have him lower than most mocks I’ve seen but he’s shown an ability to create offense off the dribble without any spacing in the Duke offense. He’s also an excellent rebounder and distributor for his position with the latter being most important in an NBA small lineup.

I just think a couple other guys will be even better.
 

Valek123

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66.5% FT for the season. 66.5%. That is horrific and he seemed to shrink under pressure late this season. He's also very young at 18 years old, but his game scares me for the next level if he can't improve his shooting. He needs to spend the next few months gaining weight and working with a coach.

A friend calls him a bad shooting Penny Hardaway. That took me down a path of rememborance, and just how much I loved Penny and Lil Penny.

He will be the 15th active Canadian in the NBA by my count.
 

HomeRunBaker

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66.5% FT for the season. 66.5%. That is horrificand he seemed to shrink under pressure late this season. He's also very young at 18 years old, but his game scares me for the next level if he can't improve his shooting. He needs to spend the next few months gaining weight and working with a coach.

A friend calls him a bad shooting Penny Hardaway. That took me down a path of rememborance, and just how much I loved Penny and Lil Penny.

He will be the 15th active Canadian in the NBA by my count.
66.5% if FAR from horrific for a freshman. Kuzma was much worse, while Bridges, John Collins and a ton of others began their careers with this same baseline. Why would you expect an 18-year old to not improve one of the most easily improvable part of ones game? The other easily improbable part is the body of an 18-year old who is close to a decade away from his physical peak. Do you really feel that 25-year old RJ Barrett won’t have improved his shooting or strength from 18-year old RJ Barrett?

I mean, the kid put up 22.6/7.6/4.3 as an ACC Freshman with a kids body and no jumpshot. I’d say his future looks just fine.
 

Jimbodandy

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Lot of mood swings on Barrett over the last couple of weeks.

Guy clearly has NBA skills and will get loads of NBA starts. The error bands are wide on him, just like basically every other kid his age.
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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Lot of mood swings on Barrett over the last couple of weeks.

Guy clearly has NBA skills and will get loads of NBA starts. The error bands are wide on him, just like basically every other kid his age.
I think some of it is that when Zion was out, RJ didn't dominate like many thought he would. He seems comfortable being the #2 guy and that can be concerning for a top pick. But how much of that is RJ and how much of that is Duke's system? They had no outside shooting, so spreading the floor and letting RJ operate wasn't going to work. In the NBA, he should have more room to operate 1 on 1.

Not that there games are all that similar right now, but he reminds me a bit of Devin Booker. Booker was young for his age and didn't put up monster numbers at Kentucky. He got to the NBA and his game took off.