Haven't written him off, but his stock sure has dropped.I was so wrong about that guy. Dammit.
Haven't written him off, but his stock sure has dropped.I was so wrong about that guy. Dammit.
Nice piece in the Athletic about some prospects that might be available/interesting to the Celtics. Maxey, Achiuwa, Bey, Nesmith and Green are those discussed. Both Weiss and Vecenie like Maxey (Rozier comp) and Achiuwa at 17. Nesmith and Bey get dinged a little for lack of athleticism, although both could be solid catch and shoot prospects. Green seems to have some defensive upside but needs work on offense.
https://theathletic.com/1743082/2020/04/14/celtics-draft-spotlight-part-1/?source=dailyemail
I kinda/sorta agree with him. I have seen Maledon make shots with his left hand, but only because I've watched waaaaaaay too much tape. If you could combine Maledon with Killian Hayes you'd have a #1 worthy player. As it is what I can say for Maledon is that his left is better than Hayes' right. Which is like saying dying of a heart attack is better than dying of ass cancer because they both suck.For what it is worth, over on Celticsstrong there is a poster who seems to live in Europe and seems to know the basketball leagues and players there. His suggestion is for the Celtics to draft PG Theo Maledon. He believes that Maledon is not only very talented, but smart and very young (18 years old). The poster believes Maledon is about to take the "next step", which I assume means he is about to jump up in skills.
http://www.tankathon.com/players/theo-maledon
I watched the videos and Maledon looks like a good mid-range pick. In the videos I watched he never shot or finished with his left hand though. The CS poster acknowledges that but says with practice and confidence it will go away as a problem. So, someone else for us to consider.
I’d guess they just generated a random draft order on Tankathon or the like, which imho isn’t any less valid than assuming the lotto will shake out in exact order of reverse W-L record.WEEI continues to be next to useless.
To start, why would they have the Chicago Bulls picking #1? Toppin going #13? strange stuff
https://weei.radio.com/articles/radiocom/2020-nba-mock-draft-latest-1st-round-picks-for-each-team
Calling FSU's Patrick Williams a "freshman phenom" is quite a stretch. He averaged 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 2019-20.WEEI continues to be next to useless.
To start, why would they have the Chicago Bulls picking #1? Toppin going #13? strange stuff
https://weei.radio.com/articles/radiocom/2020-nba-mock-draft-latest-1st-round-picks-for-each-team
If Toppin is at 13 I'd hope the C's package all their 1st and 2nd rounders this year for him and call it a dayI’d guess they just generated a random draft order on Tankathon or the like, which imho isn’t any less valid than assuming the lotto will shake out in exact order of reverse W-L record.
On Toppin: not sure I’ve seen him quite as low as #13, but I have seen concerns voiced that he doesn’t have an NBA position, defensively.
Future firsts will have a ton of protections that I want no part of. This year is a bad year to have the #1 or #2 pick, but picks in the high single digits are pretty much the same year to year.There’s really no point to trading up this year. If they’re dealing they’re better of dealing for future firsts.
All draft picks are protected, so who cares if you trade #26 in ‘20 for a ‘25 #1? This is a roleplayer draft. The quality at #9 is not significantly different than at #17 or #26.Future firsts will have a ton of protections that I want no part of. This year is a bad year to have the #1 or #2 pick, but picks in the high single digits are pretty much the same year to year.
Okongwu would be freaking incredible on the Cs, but he may be the fastest riser on the board right now, with Killian Hayes.I also like Okongwu a lot, who could be available at 9.
I don't understand why they need 3.5 months in between
No, I don't think that's the case. They'll just know everything needed by that date in August. Good news for us!I don't understand why they need 3.5 months in between
Also, based on this, I assume the lottery will be based on the pre-shutdown standings?
While I agree with this overall, Jaylen isn't going anywhere this fall, the warriors wouldn't want Kemba, and Hayward's value as either a S+T or a 1 year max rental is far less than the Ws pickLong term one of Walker, Hayward, or Jaylen has to go in order to keep Boston from getting fubared by the luxury taxes. So, yes, in fact, they will move them.
Just saw this. First one and done in Stanford Basketball history. John McEnroe was one and done at Stanford. He attended Stanford after he made the semifinals at Wimbledon at 18 and he’s maybe the greatest one and done in history. The team went 24-0 and won the NCAAs and he won the individual title.
There are a number of guys currently mocked in the second round that I think have jobs in the NBA. He's one of them.why is SEC Player of the Year Immanuel Quickley mocked to go deep in the 2nd round?
The guy can shoot and could eventually be a 6' 3" PG with 6' 8"+ wingspan
I wouldn't mind the C's using the Milwaukee pick on him
https://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/immanuel-quickley-is-kentuckys-most-underrated-nba-prospect/
Quickley is my favorite 2nd round mock, but agree on Winston/Stanley, also like Ramsey/Nwora/Oturu in the 2nd round mock belowThere are a number of guys currently mocked in the second round that I think have jobs in the NBA. He's one of them.
I like Stanley and Winston, and nobody has either guy going above 40.
Not bad for a simulator.Quickley is my favorite 2nd round mock, but agree on Winston/Stanley, also like Ramsey/Nwora/Oturu in the 2nd round mock below
Seems like this draft will have a bunch of decent role/bench players.
Maybe having three 1st rounders (14, 26, 30) trumps having #9/10... Danny luck strikes again
http://www.tankathon.com/mock_draft
In the 20-50 range, absolutely would love to see Danny land Jalen Smith.Looking at guys projected in the 21-50 range.
Cassius Stanley – Duke Pros, great shooter and transition scorer with good size (6'6") and serious hops. Cons, terrible length (also 6'6") and needs some body work (he's 185-190). He has a real future as an NBA bench scorer.
Josh Green – Arizona Pros, great size/length combination (6'6" 205 with a 6'10" wingspan), and athleticism. Very aggressive defender that hunts the passing lanes well. Cons, he's one of those If you could fix the jumper players that's going to test Jay Larranaga's patience.
Tyler Bey – Colorado Looks like Shawn Marion Lite, with the same size/length combination (6’7” 220 with a seven foot wingspan). Aggressive rebounder, uses his length well to block shots and hunt the passing lanes. Cons, he also has Shawn Marion’s jumper. But much like Green if you could fix the jumper you’d have a major 3&D guy that would thrive next to Jayson and Jaylen.
Isaiah Stewart – Washington Pros, great size for a C in the pace & space era (6'9" 250 with a 7'4" wingspan). Solid as a rock and good footwork, so should be an effective screener at the next level. Great roll guy on the pick & roll. Aggressive defender/rebounder. Cons, the shooting motion needs a little work. He also fancies himself a post scorer and primary option. Which is unideal in an other guy on the floor roll. Also sells out his defense to chase offensive rebounds too often.
Desmond Bane – TCU Pros, reminds me a little of Buddy Hield. Very quick release on the jumper. Great catch & shoot guy. Cons, not at all athletic, old (he just turned 22, I think), and his foot speed is such that it might be three years before he catches up to the speed of the NBA.
Jaden McDaniels – Washington (I've warmed up to him after watching waaaaay too much tape.) Pros, he's tall/long (6'10" with a 7' wingspan), pretty athletic, and his release point on the jumper is so high that it's almost impossible to block it. He already has an effective slide step which will serve him well shooting treys at the next level. His jab step is also really good. He also has a good slashing game. Defensively he uses his length effectively to collect blocks and hunt the passing lanes. So, why is there a chance that he slides to the end of the first?
Well, his production just doesn't match the physicals (13/6/2, while shooting 34% from the trey), and for all the length/quickness/hops, his size is a big problem. He weighs in at 185-195, so his drive game won't work at the next level until he adds weight. While he looks like he has bigger wrists and broader shoulders than his older brother, Jalen McDaniels is still around 210 at the age of 22. For Jaden to effectively finish through contact he's going to need to get to 235-245, which is a long way off for him.
Other cons, his jab step is good enough that it leads to a lot of long twos as he knows he can create space for himself anywhere on the floor. A well placed jab step two is a great tool to have in the bucket, but not if you're overusing it. He's also a lot more likely to hit his ceiling on a veteran team, there are enough red flags that teams in the top 20 might prefer to have higher floor guys like Saddiq Bey, Ty Terry, Kira Lewis, or Jalen Smith than McDaniels, because he might be on his second contract before he really taps into his promise. But if he can play at 235-240 (without losing any athleticism), he might be the ideal third wing to play with Tatum and Brown (if his jumper falls more consistently).
Dark Horses (aka possible picks at #46)
Jay Scrubb – Some Junior College That You've Never Heard Of It's tough to get a read on Scrubb. It's like watching Zion in high school, the opposition is just so completely overmatched physically that he gets to the cup at will. He's got great size at 6'6" 220 with major hops. He shot pretty well from the three point line at the JuCo level, the release looks a touch slow from what little tape I could find of it (because, seriously, the other JuCo players look like YMCA players facing an NBA player in comparison). But there looks like there's so much potential there that I will be unshocked if Boston takes him at #30.
Immanuel Quickley – Kentucky Good size/length combo. Brad Wannamaker replacement. Projects as a better version if he hits his ceiling.
Mason Jones – Arkansas Absolutely ridiculous shooting range. Deadeye catch & shoot guy. Less than ideal size in a modern wing, and his shooting off the bounce can be streaky. He also seriously needs to improve the D. But a possible 3&D bench scorer at the next level.
Oh good, I was shocked when he initially withdrew from the draft. Injuries hampered him a bit and he didn’t quite shoot it like he did last year, but he’s a first round talent IMO.Isaiah Joe announces he’s leaving school due to the uncertainty of a season and entering the draft. This is such a smart move for him as he’ll either be a late 2nd rounder or an undrafted FA with an NBA contract in an organization rather than get lost possibly missing a year with nothing to do and no contract. I like him to make it in this league as he gains strength similar to a PJ Dozier.....and Joe is already an NBA-level shooter.
A tall, skinny player from a Greek league with guard skills putting on a ton of muscle???Also, Draft Twitter is obsessed with a young kid named Aleksej Pokusevski who plays in the Greek second league. Apparently a 7 footer with legit guard skills, but the dude looks like Austin Daye after a hunger strike. I just can’t imagine a guy with his body type becoming a successful NBA player.
...
Unless steroids. Lots and lots of steroids.
Yeah, see my comment at the bottom of the post, re Giannis.
Seriously though, I think the Giannas Greek Second League thing is impacting some people’s view of this kid. I’ve seen multiple people with him top 5, saying his skills give him a low floor, but Giannis (and Porzingis, another skinny-guy comp) had a better frame to bulk up with. His shoulders are so narrow. For example, Isaiah Joe, mentioned above, was rail thin last year, but had pretty broad shoulders so you could at least see him packing on some size.
I can't find the quote right now but I remember Ainge having some pretty harsh words for Dragan Bender's body in the run-up to the Jaylen draft. If he can't project NBA strength onto a young player, he won't be interested.Yeah, I always look at wrists and shoulders, so I’m skeptical of Pokusevski in the lottery, but I do hope the Spurs take him. Well, more precisely I hope Memphis gets the fourth pick, but that’s another story. I also hope the T’wolves don’t land top 5.