2019 Draft Megathread

Kliq

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Unless he shows a jumper or a Draymond like passing game; not very well.
 

wonderland

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I can’t believe Lamont West was ranked that high (on my phone. I couldn’t see West Virginia so I looked to see if there’s an incoming freshman with the same name). He has some tools but he’s a long way from maximizing them.
 

amarshal2

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Man, it’s all 2’s and 3’s. If Danny wants to round out the team with a young 4/5 perhaps it’s good to cash in this year instead of waiting a year.
 

jmm57

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I would agree, except that #1 protection makes it really really tough. No one is going to trade a top 6-7 pick with the chance they get bumped into the 20s? Danny is very creative though, so maybe MEM or multiple BOS picks could be the backup compensation?
 

lovegtm

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I think he's going to do just that, pushing all the chips in this year to get whoever his guy is in this draft.
Why would Danny want to consolidate and cash in this year? The Celtics might be the favorites to win the championship next season standing pat, and if they want to stay ready for the next superstar trade opportunity, it's better to continuously maintain a handful of high lottery picks in as many seasons going forward as possible. If you're unable to trade those at the right time, you draft and develop, which worked out great with Tatum and Brown: they're each worth more now than a #3 pick would be.

I would agree, except that #1 protection makes it really really tough. No one is going to trade a top 6-7 pick with the chance they get bumped into the 20s? Danny is very creative though, so maybe MEM or multiple BOS picks could be the backup compensation?
If the Kings' pick is the centerpiece of a deal, it will probably look like SAC rolling into MEM if SAC binks #1. That lowers the variance enough to be similar to the Nets pick that they traded for Kyrie.
 

djbayko

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I find it really interesting that they have Bol Bol as low as 15th. Is he that much of a question mark?
I haven't been as high on him as some here seem to be. He's not classically athletic. He's probably more talented that his father was at this age due to growing up in the U.S. basketball system, but he still has the same awkwardness and no muscle. Just watch video of him running up and down the court. Then watch video of him making cuts to the hoop or dribbling in traffic and try to imagine that working against NBA talent. I wouldn't want to touch him unless he filled out a lot more and showed more quickness and agility, but that doesn't seem to be in the genes.
 
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DannyDarwinism

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Charles Bassey, the #2 ranked center in his class, just re-classified and committed to Western Kentucky, so he’ll be eligible for the 2019 draft.

 

DJnVa

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Western Kentucky huh? I'm 100% sure that's on the up and up.
 

nighthob

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On the bright side Bassey’s presence increases Bosotn’s odds of getting Cam Reddish (by adding another name to the top 5 mix). So I’m all for it. Hopefully he stops Fultzing around with his jumper.
 

DannyDarwinism

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On the bright side Bassey’s presence increases Bosotn’s odds of getting Cam Reddish (by adding another name to the top 5 mix). So I’m all for it. Hopefully he stops Fultzing around with his jumper.
You’re not worried about his motor? We’ll see what K gets out of him, but seems like it’s a pretty significant concern at this point, especially when considering over guys like Barrett and Little who are going all out all the time.
 

nighthob

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I think a lot of the knock on his motor comes from the fact that he, much like Tatum, seems to glide. But I’m also not worried abut young players on a roster full of vets where they’re going to have to earn every minute they get.

Reddish still has, in my opinion, the highest upside of any player in the 2019 pool.
 

Big John

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Nazreon Reid is another kid who is difficult to evaluate because of the quality of the competition he faced in high school. I don't have a favorite at the moment; nighthob's list is a good as any. It will be interesting to see Little go up against the three Dukies in ACC play.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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Has a college team ever had 3 guys taken in the top 5? That's insane.
Well, these early mock drafts are only good for seeing who the top prospects are. August mocks are not very good at projecting actual spots. Here's one from a year ago.

1- Porter
2-Bagley
3-Ayton
4-Miles Bridges
5-Doncic
6-Bamba
7-Sexton
8-Carter
9-Knox
10-Metu

Only 2 in the right spots and 3 players not in their top 10 got picked top 10. I'd be shocked if 3 Duke players went top 5...but it's still an impressive team on paper right now.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/nba/news/way-too-early-nba-mock-draft-2018-michael-porter-goes-no-1-to-the-cavs/amp/
 

HomeRunBaker

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Has a college team ever had 3 guys taken in the top 5? That's insane.
Not Top-5 but Kentucky had 4 lotteries a few years ago with KAT, WCS, Booker, and Lyles.....then Harrison and Dakari Johnson go in the 2nd.

Probably not one year’s top 5, but Worthy, Jordan and Sam Perkins shared a UNC team and each went top 5.
Similarly but even more impressive was the UCLA '73-'74 team which had 4 players go Top-THREE although in different drafts. Bill Walton (1), Dave Meyers (2), Richard Washington (3), and Marques Johnson (3). Sucks that they had to take those pay cuts to play in the NBA.
 

Royal Reader

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Well, these early mock drafts are only good for seeing who the top prospects are. August mocks are not very good at projecting actual spots. Here's one from a year ago.
Not least because we have no idea what the draft order will be. They're more prospect rankings than mocks.
 

Big John

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So, who is going to get cut or traded to create roster spots for all of these 2019 Celtics first rounders?
 

nighthob

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So, who is going to get cut or traded to create roster spots for all of these 2019 Celtics first rounders?
There’s always room at the end of the roster. Plus they’ll need to replace Rozier, Theis, and Morris.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Suffice to say I’ll be rooting hard for Memphis to collapse early to hasten tearing it down and setting up an even better future pick.
 

Jimbodandy

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around the way
There’s always room at the end of the roster. Plus they’ll need to replace Rozier, Theis, and Morris.
Exactly. Or if they end up with three picks in round 1, maybe they can package 8 and 15 and move up a couple of spots. Or kick the can down the road with 15 for a eurostash. Having options is good.

We're talking about best case scenarios here anyway. Could be neither of 8 and 15 conveys and the Sac pic is #9, for all we know. I'm sure that Danny would figure something out.
 

HomeRunBaker

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So, who is going to get cut or traded to create roster spots for all of these 2019 Celtics first rounders?
Rozier and Morris will be gone assuming Kyrie signs here so you'll have 2 rotation slots open right here.

Edit: Oooops already addressed I see.
 

DannyDarwinism

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Johntay Porter had returned to Mizzou hoping to improve his draft stock. Some saw him as a potential lottery pick next year. Now he’s out for the season with an ACL and MCL.

 

nighthob

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Excellent, now Boston can draft him with their own pick.

Reason #3,754,269 that you always take the money.
 

JCizzle

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This is an interesting approach to avoiding the G League or NCAA. The Celtics will have a first hand scouting advantage after he spends the winter in Boston.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/sports/darius-bazley-g-league-new-balance.html

BRIGHTON, Mass. — The third-floor corner cubicle reserved for Darius Bazley comes with a window view and overflows with athletic shoe prototypes and sports memorabilia. There was a Liverpool soccer jersey, still in its plastic packaging, folded over the back of Bazley’s new desk chair when he arrived. On a shelf adjacent to the desk sit retro James Worthy high-tops in North Carolina colors. Not-yet-released baseball spikes for Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros sit on another.

It is an inviting setup for an internship — at least for college-age trainees who love sports. Bazley, of course, isn’t your typical intern.

He is a 6-foot-9, 210-pound top basketball prospect who planned to spend this winter starring at the Carrier Dome as a prized freshman for Syracuse University. Then, in March, Bazley stunned many in the sport by announcing he was decommiting from Syracuse so he could play out his one-year wait for the 2019 N.B.A. draft in the N.B.A.’s developmental tier G League.

Yet that plan has also been nixed. In May, Bazley signed with the prominent agent Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James, John Wall and Ben Simmons among Klutch Sports’ 18 N.B.A. clients. This week, Paul revealed he has arranged for Bazley to spend the heart of the college basketball season — January, February and March — as an intern at New Balance.
 

Cesar Crespo

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The $125k is very close to what NCAA teams are paying the top recruits so I wouldn't be shocked to see more players going the G league route.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Duke will be dominating the lottery this year, including at the very top, they laid a smackdown on Kentucky on opening night:

Barrett: 33 points, 6 assists.
Zion: 28 points on 11 for 13 shooting, 7 rebounds, including 3 on the offensive glass.
Reddish: 22 points, 4 steals, no turnovers.
 

Cellar-Door

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I retract all negative things I said about Zion. His lateral mobility is much better than I thought. He's a future All-Star
 

BigSoxFan

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Duke will be dominating the lottery this year, including at the very top, they laid a smackdown on Kentucky on opening night:

Barrett: 33 points, 6 assists.
Zion: 28 points on 11 for 13 shooting, 7 rebounds, including 3 on the offensive glass.
Reddish: 22 points, 4 steals, no turnovers.
These guys are all tankworthy. Barrett looks like the best of the bunch and is going to be a dynamic scorer in the NBA. Zion is the most intriguing guy due to how unique of a talent he is. Reddish seems like he's going to be overshadowed all year but someone on draft night is going to quietly get a very good player.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Zion would make me nervous that any injury to the lower body might sap him of the strength he needs to propel his massive size around. He’s still worth the high pick and his skills might make him an effective player even without the athleticism, but having to lug 290+ pounds around an NBA court night after night seems like it’ll take its toll.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Zion would make me nervous that any injury to the lower body might sap him of the strength he needs to propel his massive size around. He’s still worth the high pick and his skills might make him an effective player even without the athleticism, but having to lug 290+ pounds around an NBA court night after night seems like it’ll take its toll.
This is my concern about Zion as well despite having no evidence to support this fear. As far as I know the only injury he's suffered was one to his hand. My favorite "stat" on Zion is that if he were in the NBA today he'd be the second heaviest player behind Boban. Everyone talks about Zion due to his freakish body and explosiveness but to me Barrett is the best overall player on that team with the highest upside with a body to still grow into. He's the #1 guy which may make the radio talk guys heads explode from what I've heard so far today.

Aside from individuals......this Duke team has the chance to pass the Alcindor UCLA, Hill/Hurley/Laettner Dukies, Bobby Knight's '76 Hoosiers, Bill Russell's San Francisco, and UNLV teams as the best of All-Time. It isn't "only" Barrett, Zion, and Reddish either......O'Connell is the ideal spot-up shooter and Tre Jones is the optimal two-way point guard for this group. Yeah, and the coach isn't bad either. Good god.
 
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BigSoxFan

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Agree on Barrett. He looks like he is going to be an alpha scorer in the NBA. I don't think Zion/Reddish will get there but it's obviously very early.
 

RedOctober3829

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Agree on Barrett. He looks like he is going to be an alpha scorer in the NBA. I don't think Zion/Reddish will get there but it's obviously very early.
Agreed on Barrett being the #1 pick but Zion is going to be a stud in the NBA. How can anyone besides LeBron stop him from getting to the basket whenever he wants? He's a good enough passer that if anyone comes help-side he'll make the right play then too. That dime he threw to Barrett on the break last night was amazing for a guy his size. And if you play off of him he's a good enough shooter to make you pay.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Shaq was really big too, obviously much taller. Charles Barkley was pretty enormous too but lost considerable weight.



As a side note, I'm forever thankful to the Fab 5 for changing the style of shorts.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Anyone have a picture of Zion without a shirt? He looks to be all muscle, he's a tank.

edit: Yeah, if he's built like this, I can't see weight being an issue. He's not a combination of fat and muscle like Yabu. Although Yabu is less flab than I thought around draft time.


double edit: nbadraft.net (I know, I know) compares him to Rodney Rogers. I like that comparison, but he's more like a rich man's Rodney Rogers.
 
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Kliq

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One thing I’ll say about the weight thing is that NBA players listed weight for bigger guys is probably not a great indicator of how much they really weigh. I believe there are a lot of NBA guys who weigh more than 285.