They lost Knight too.I hate how bad the Suns are right now. I know Eric Bledsoe is a great player, but is he really the entire difference from being a 4-6 seed in the West to the worst team in the league (which IIRC they've been since he went down)
This is the drum I've been beating as well. The players on these bad teams are not purposely trying to lose as it does not benefit their careers and these teams have no stars playing right now to where them being shut down (like Pierce in 2007) causes more losses. The Nets can lose plenty without needing to manufacture why players on other terrible teams would want to lose games.Tonight is all I have to point to to argue how meaningless it is that other teams have reason to tank while Brooklyn does not.
I've been a huge Murray fanboy since watching him in international competitions last year. He was particularly impressive for Canada in the PanAm games where he became their Alpha Scorer (on a team full of older players, including a couple of NBA bench warmers). I'd absolutely consider Murray at 3 for the Celtics; he provides them with another shooter/scorer who is more creative/skilled than Bradley, more efficient than Smart, and much taller than IT4.One thing I was not aware of, and was mentioned in their last game, is that Jamal Murray should be a high school senior right now. He reclassified and was accepted a year early. He's only 18 and he's putting up some serious numbers for Kentucky right now. If the C's miss out on a top 2 pick, I'd like them to take a serious look at Murray. Only freshman to score 30+ pts twice in a season under Coach Cal (I believe) and he's still going. Has scored in double figures in all but one game, shooting 44% from the field and 40% from 3. Could cut down on the turnovers and up his assists, as he's averaging 2.5 TO's to 2.2 assists, but he's been playing some really good basketball lately.
I'm biased as a PC Alum, but I absolutely love Dunn's game for the NBA and kind of hope we get the #3 pick because he seems to me like a guy Ainge would love too. Great defender, great vision and handle, just needs to work on his shot. He is what Shammgod could have been if he had stayed in school 2-3 more years.My board at the moment reads
I don't forecast Euros based on mixtapes, so I have no feel for Bender, but those are the prizes of the current pool as far I see. I think that Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb are wildcard type guys that could, under the right conditions, blossom into all stars. There are a lot of useful players in this years pool, too, like Buddy Hield, Caris LeVert, or Jakob Poetl. Malik Beasley is another guy to keep an eye on. Not sure what to make of him, half the time I think he has some real upside as a pick in the 16-30 range based on his performance and less than ideal physicals. But the other half of the time I manage to convince myself that he's just a college star.
- Simmons
- Ingram
- Dunn
- Murray
Every Duke game I start off saying "holy shit Ingram is skinny" and I end every game saying "holy shit Ingram is good."I am a Duke guy but I can't see Ingram's floor as anything worse than Tayshaun Prince with a Durant-type ceiling. I would be THRILLED if the Celts got him
Both true. The shots he made down the stretch vs. UNC were insaneEvery Duke game I start off saying "holy shit Ingram is skinny" and I end every game saying "holy shit Ingram is good."
I am a Duke guy as well and I think Ingram has a chance to be really, really good in the NBA. The toughness and grit he showed in that UNC game was really something to watch. Getting rebounds and defending bigger people while basically playing all game.Both true. The shots he made down the stretch vs. UNC were insane
I've been a fan of Bradley since the beginning. But he's a 6'2" guard that dribbles like a teething infant. You actually need a bigger guard with good handles, like Dunn. Mostly, though, you don't pass over potential all stars because you have a role player at the same spot.I don't doubt that Dunn is going to be a good player in the NBA, but between Thomas, Bradley and Smart, I don't know how he fits into the team.
Stone will be a nice offensive NBA low post player in time, very natural instincts with the ball. His major problem is defense and motivation and hasn't been a full time player most of his freshman season for those reasons. He's made progress defensively as the season has moved on which would have been hard not to do considering how completely lost he was on simple college one-react rotations. He is never going to be an impact player defensively and will have a long way to go to being able to get on an NBA floor between his lack of understanding defensive schemes and energy level having seen him beaten down court due to laziness more than once.Diamond Stone is another guy on those lists who seems underrated to me. He's a specimen with a soft touch (about 79% from the line) with the potential to be an impact 5 (on both ends of the court). Those guys are so hard to find, so I'd consider Stone around pick 5 or so.
The Knicks need to do the same tomorrow night versus Minnesota to get that lead back up to 3-games to keep the 4th spot intact.Fucking Knicks
Honestly I'm the same about Marquette, when Boston passed on Butler in 2011 the only reason I didn't throw my tumbler at the screen was that the TV was too fucking expensive to break. Before last year when I wrote my "2015 free agent targets" post Jae Crowder was near the top of the list and I didn't stop celebrating for three days after the Rondo deal. But, as I said, I also firmly believed that Vander Blue was going to make it as a third guard in the NBA. (So take my Henry Ellenson love for what it's worth.)I'm biased as a PC Alum, but I absolutely love Dunn's game for the NBA and kind of hope we get the #3 pick because he seems to me like a guy Ainge would love too. Great defender, great vision and handle, just needs to work on his shot. He is what Shammgod could have been if he had stayed in school 2-3 more years.
With that said, My friardom might be completely blinding me.
Today he was just skinny. Have to think he's just worn down, because he's looked so good most other times I've seen him. Come to think of it, I was thinking he looked tired the first half against NC, but he was able to rally. Not so today.Every Duke game I start off saying "holy shit Ingram is skinny" and I end every game saying "holy shit Ingram is good."
Probably, I was just looking into him because he seems to be predicted to go in the 3-5 slot that Boston is likely picking in.You know bender isn't coming over for at least a few years right cliq?
Bender has said he'd be coming over the following summer. Who knows what to believe but that is what he said himself for the start of the 2017-18 season.You know bender isn't coming over for at least a few years right cliq?
We've discussed this before if this not being Ainge's M.O. so not saying Ainge "wouldn't" go the foreign route only that despite MANY opportunities to do so with players ready to play immediately he just hasn't in the past. The only foreign guys he's drafted in 13 years was Melo, technically from college, and the kid from Turkey with the last pick in the 2nd round who hasn't been in the league in forever.If Bender isn't coming over for 16/17 Danny wouldn't make him part of his plan would he? This isn't the sixers before the Coangelo hire.
HRB, I think you are pretty big on college basketball recruiting but I believe there's more to Stone's negatives than just defense. I read that a team boycotted playing with him because he pulled a "Bynum" (refused to pass and shot every time he caught the ball) those stories mixed with him spearing a player and then driving his head into the floor make me think he has some serious maturity issuesStone will be a nice offensive NBA low post player in time, very natural instincts with the ball. His major problem is defense and motivation and hasn't been a full time player most of his freshman season for those reasons. He's made progress defensively as the season has moved on which would have been hard not to do considering how completely lost he was on simple college one-react rotations. He is never going to be an impact player defensively and will have a long way to go to being able to get on an NBA floor between his lack of understanding defensive schemes and energy level having seen him beaten down court due to laziness more than once.
Reminds me of a poor mans Eddy Curry when he first entered the league. The very definition of a project.
There are definitely red flags with the kid, but I don't know about the Curry comp. Curry was 300# with bad knees coming out of high school while Stone is a solid 250#. He certainly has the size/length to block and alter shots (he blocks about 2/game in 22 minutes), and I think that ability will translate to the next level. He seems light enough on his feet to handle defensive rotations and pick & roll responsibilities. He'll certainly need to be coached up in terms of learning schemes but that's true of most young bigs entering the league. In the handful of games I've watched, his effort (while spotty at times) is ahead of Ben Simmons' (I'm a Simmons fan, but he doesn't even try to defend). Stone's not a safe pick by any means, but KATs don't come around too often. It'll be interesting to see how high Stone goes; my guess is it'll be higher than the gurus have him right now.Stone will be a nice offensive NBA low post player in time, very natural instincts with the ball. His major problem is defense and motivation and hasn't been a full time player most of his freshman season for those reasons. He's made progress defensively as the season has moved on which would have been hard not to do considering how completely lost he was on simple college one-react rotations. He is never going to be an impact player defensively and will have a long way to go to being able to get on an NBA floor between his lack of understanding defensive schemes and energy level having seen him beaten down court due to laziness more than once.
Reminds me of a poor mans Eddy Curry when he first entered the league. The very definition of a project.
I haven't watched a ton of college ball this year so I wasn't sure if I had just caught him on a bad day or three. Never seen him provide any kind of help defense which is a little troubling for an NBA prospect.There are definitely red flags with the kid, but I don't know about the Curry comp. Curry was 300# with bad knees coming out of high school while Stone is a solid 250#. He certainly has the size/length to block and alter shots (he blocks about 2/game in 22 minutes), and I think that ability will translate to the next level. He seems light enough on his feet to handle defensive rotations and pick & roll responsibilities. He'll certainly need to be coached up in terms of learning schemes but that's true of most young bigs entering the league. In the handful of games I've watched, his effort (while spotty at times) is ahead of Ben Simmons' (I'm a Simmons fan, but he doesn't even try to defend). Stone's not a safe pick by any means, but KATs don't come around too often. It'll be interesting to see how high Stone goes; my guess is it'll be higher than the gurus have him right now.
Surprised you are such an Ellenson fan and you don't have him in your top 4 for the C's. I've barely watched him but I have him at 3 based off of positional needs. What's your scouting report on him?Honestly I'm the same about Marquette, when Boston passed on Butler in 2011 the only reason I didn't throw my tumbler at the screen was that the TV was too fucking expensive to break. Before last year when I wrote my "2015 free agent targets" post Jae Crowder was near the top of the list and I didn't stop celebrating for three days after the Rondo deal. But, as I said, I also firmly believed that Vander Blue was going to make it as a third guard in the NBA. (So take my Henry Ellenson love for what it's worth.)