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Mike1989

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Everything posted by Mike1989

  1. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    I hear a lot of Magic fans say they want Mohamed Bamba, but is anyone not concerned that in the conference finals centers of that style are almost non-factors? Rockets: Clint Capela played 24 minutes, while the other starters all played over 40 minutes each. Their sixth man, Eric Gordon, played 35 games, and Gerald Green chipped in with 12 minutes. For the most part Capela has been marginalized. Warriors: They don't utilize a traditional big. Kevon Looney and Jordan Bell play center at times, but both play reduced minutes compared to their main four starters who played at least 39 minutes. Cavaliers: They have been using Tristan Thompson, but his role has fluctuated throughout the play offs due to him not being able to shoot. Celtics: They are the only team with a starting center that stays on the court and plays heavy minutes because he can play defense, score and shoot. So are we potentially setting ourselves up to select a player that might not be able to stay on the court if we do end up making it to crunch time in the play offs? Some will point to Rudy Gobert playing over 30 minutes for the Jazz, but time will tell whether their approach using two bigs (Gobert and Favors) can prove successful for them in delivering a championship to Utah. I can see the defensive potential of a front court that features Isaac, Gordon and Bamba, but offensively things could be a struggle because two of them (Isaac and Bamba) don't really project to be power scorers. If they hit double figures on a regular basis that would be useful. So if we go down that route we'll need to grind out results and wear teams down through elite defense, unless of course we put together a back court that can score and help out defensively as well. I'll be honest the Bamba selection fits the profile of what this front office look for, but I'm not convinced that in today's NBA you can win with the kind of front court we'll likely have if Isaac and/or Bamba don't develop offensively.
  2. Mike1989

    2018 Official Offseason Thread

    But would it be worth taking the hit if we got the 15th pick in the deal? Guards like Zhaire Smith, Khryi Thomas, and Lonnie Walker should be available. We could get a project big like Mitchell Robinson or Jontay Porter. It could be a valuable pick to add to the collection. Then there's the possibility of how far we can move up if we paired 6 and 15, could that get us high enough if we really love Jaren Jackson or Luka Doncic in order to pick them?
  3. Mike1989

    2018 Official Offseason Thread

    If we could get rid of Vucevic for Mahinmi and the Wizards pick we should snap their hand off. I suspect to get that pick we might need to throw in Fournier (or Simmons) as well to try and sweeten the deal for them. As for the other deal, I'd rather keep Ross and our pick. Clarkson is a good combo guard to have for potential 6th man duty. I don't think he's a good enough passer to be a starting point guard on a good team, and he's not really a prolific enough scorer or consistent enough shooter to be a starting shooting guard on a good team. I'd rather keep Ross for that role next season.
  4. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Moving back to 12 and 13 gives us a lot of options to consider with those picks aside from those two... One option could be to draft a duo of guards. I really like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a point guard prospect. At #12 he would have a ton of value because he's a decent and developing shooter, and he's a pretty good passer as well. We could pair him with Zhaire Smith, Khyri Thomas, Lonnie Walker, Gary Trent Jr or Donte DiVincenzo, who is receiving a lot of hype. Adding a pair of guards can allow us to be patient and develop our starting back court of the future, while utilizing two veterans in the back court to help boost our win count because I would expect us to try and win games next season and make a run at the play offs. Even if we don't win many games, next year's class looks to be more forward heavy so if we decide to make any changes on that front (i.e. Isaac and Gordon) we can do that then if we are in the position to do so. The second option could be to grab an exciting young guard prospect (my ideal selection is SGA or Zhaire Smith) and pick the best player available from another position. I am not a huge fan of Robert Williams and Miles Bridges, but both bring enough potential to the table to be good additions to this roster. The benefit of adding Williams is that he can start for us when we find a taker for Vucevic and eventually move on from Biyombo. He's not a flashy prospect but he is a fairly safe pick. I'm not on the trade back bandwagon in this case because at 6 I think we can get a good prospect, but at 12 and 13 there are some good options in that range that offer good value and upside.
  5. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    At 12 and 13 we could come away with a Robert Williams and Miles Bridges, they can boost the front court. Alternatively we could pick SGA to develop behind Beverley since Augustin is realistically no more than an off the bench option. Beverley / Augustin Fournier / Simmons Isaac / Ross Gordon / Miles? Williams? / Biyombo I suppose there's a fair amount of guards tipped to go in the middle, but some of them do have upside and could be appealing picks. For example Zhaire Smith is very athletic and a potentially exciting prospect. Khyri Thomas is a good shooter and has upside. We could gamble on one of them and package Fournier to see if we can get another pick or player in return. Ross is an ideal sixth man and Augustin and Simmons are an ideal off the bench back court duo. It's nice depth. I'd like to see Hezonja back but I think someone will pay him more than we will be willing to pay.
  6. Mike1989

    2018 Official Offseason Thread

    It's not a good fit for him. Maybe he'll be better somewhere else? He wouldn't be the first player to struggle after being traded.
  7. Mike1989

    2018 Official Offseason Thread

    Hood did fine in Utah while he was starting. Even this season he was averaging nearly 17 points over 39 games and 12 starts. His issue in Cleveland is they prefer JR Smith and his minutes have been significantly reduced. Much like Clarkson and Nance have seen their minutes and roles reduced in Cleveland. I think Hood's time in Cleveland shows that he's better in a starting role or at least in a more features role off the bench, something he's not getting in Cleveland because they prefer other players. I wouldn't rule him out based on what's gone on in Cleveland, however I wouldn't overpay for his services either. So perhaps he could be available on a prove it kinda deal like McLemore signed with Memphis?
  8. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Porter and Bagley are weird picks with Isaac and Gordon on the team. I suppose if they are the BPA it's them or reach for a player that fills a need. I'd grab them and make the decision at a later date. As for Trae, he could be a boom or bust player but there is that risk with most prospects. Porter has a question mark with his back, if that's a long term issue he could be a bust. There are safe selections like Mikal Bridges should be a good 3 and D guy, but do we want a glue guy or a potential go to guy? If it's the latter we might need to take a risk on a high upside prospect even If they carry some bust potential. Otherwise we should grab Mikal and slot him in there at SG and get ready for free agency.
  9. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    KAT has made the all star game. Not missed a game. He scored 20 plus points a night, double digit rebounds, and blocks at a decent enough rate. Isaac is unlikely to become a number one option. He's more likely to be a defensively orientated player kinda like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The sixth pick might have value but there are no guarantees we get a star from that pick. With KAT we would be acquiring a star and number one option. If we kept Gordon he's a good number two option. Fournier is a more than acceptable third option. If we could get solid point guard and center production we would be looking better than we would with Isaac and 6 on board.
  10. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Who else could we send? I guess they could have some interest in Vucevic, but his trade value is low. Fournier would have to come off the bench because they've got Butler and Wiggins at SG and SF. Ross and Simmons are bench options as well. If Gordon isn't involved via a sign and trade at a later date, the deal would need to be centered around Isaac and 6 (and probably more) because our other talent are bench options for them.
  11. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    The cost would be fairly significant for any team looking to acquire him. For us it would likely involve Isaac, Gordon, this year's first round pick, and future picks as well. As talented as he is we'd be leaving the cupboard fairly bare.
  12. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    They'll win the weaker conference, but I don't see them beating the Warriors in a best of seven, and I'm not sure they will beat Houston either. But fair point Boston at doing it based on defense first, offense second, however their offense isn't that weak it just lacks a power scorer... Horford, Tatum, Brown and Rozier are all averaging 17 to 18 points a night and can shoot. So they are sharing the scoring burden and still producing at a decent level because not many teams can boast four players averaging in the late teens. So I'd say their offense is more than acceptable. With that said i don't see Isaac and Bamba being 17 to 18 points a night players. I hope I'm wrong, but they'll probably be nearer 10 to 12 points a night unless they put it together offensively. So for us to do a Boston we'd need to land a back court duo capable of scoring in a high teen to 20 a night range to go along with Gordon, and if we don't we'd have to try and grind our way to victories and in this era that hasn't proven successful on the title front.
  13. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    A front court with Isaac, Gordon and Bamba does have a lot of defensive potential, but offensively it could be difficult if Isaac and Bamba don't emerge at that end. Defense is important, but I'd take an elite scoring team with acceptable defense over an elite defensive team with acceptable offense. Ideally you get balance at both ends but offense often trumps defense in this era.
  14. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    It would be nice to move back and get him, but what would the Cavaliers and Knicks be willing to give up? The Knicks will likely tank next season with KP likely to miss the majority of the season, and even if they decide to try and win they are unlikely to be willing to give up future picks or young talent. I suppose the Cavaliers can send future firsts our way, but they'll be late first rounders unless LeBron leaves. Talent wise I suppose Jordan Clarkson might appeal if we want a decent enough guard option, but there's not a lot to be gained from our end. In a sense I think we'll probably be forced to pick him at six if we really want Sexton. I can't see him falling to the Clippers if his stock continues to rise, which at one point could have been a viable trade back if we got 12 and 13. We could have drafted Sexton and Robert Williams. With that said, if a trade back with the Clippers landed us SGA and Robert Williams, that could be an appealing option for us if we really don't fancy one of the players at six. Maybe we can even dump a contract on the Clippers at the same point...
  15. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    True, if the top four are Ayton, Doncic, Bagley and Porter it leaves Dallas a choice between Bamba and Jackson. So if they go Bamba, we'll probably draft Jackson and vice versa. Unless we truly want Trae Young. Porter does fill a need for Memphis. They already have their point guard (Conley) and center (Gasol) pencilled into their starting line up next season. They've not really had a 20 a night guy and Porter could potentially be that guy. So could Bagley if he's available. Both project to be potential go to scorers. Jackson doesn't project to a 20 a night guy. He can space the floor, grab rebounds and block shots. So he'll help them continue to play tough defensive basketball but won't necessarily help them fill the scoring void. It comes down to what they want. A better defensive talent that should be able to space the floor, or the better offensive talent.
  16. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Is your point if we draft Trae Young or Wendell Carter we'll be in the lottery again? If so, I'm not convinced players like Bamba or Jackson that fit the athletic and lengthy criteria that our front office look for could help us avoid the lottery next season. They'll bring defense but we'd need significant growth from other players and further additions in order to make the play offs. Or is it merely a question of who I like? If so, I haven't seen any of next year's potential class to comment because I don't follow the high school game. However, based off recruiting classes and reports it seems likely to be a good forward class with a couple of shooting guards to watch out for.
  17. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Currys' measurements, lack of ideal athleticism and quickness, and defense were all critiques of his coming into the league however he's made the jump and become a star. If we think Trae can become a star we shouldn't pass on him because someone measures better because great measurements don't always equal success, like lackluster ones don't always equal failure. Agreed on Carter. At 6 he could be an ideal selection. He offers a high floor and decent enough ceiling to make his selection decent value. It would also complete our front court.
  18. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Another really good and somewhat underrated player.
  19. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Chris Paul? 6ft at best. Also, even if he never becomes a superstar it doesn’t mean he can’t become a very good player. Isaiah Thomas is a former all star and was important for the Celtics before injuries got him. If we could get this kind of production from Trae we would have a 20 a night guy with 6 assists and we can work with that.
  20. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    I’m not sure JJJ will fall to us unless the workouts and combine makes someone rise. It would need five from Ayton, Doncic, Bagley, Porter, Bamba and Young to go above us for JJJ to be available. I’ve not seen a mock in which that has happened for us yet. Personally I prefer Young at six, but if we get Bamba or JJJ it completes a lengthy and athletic front court.
  21. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    NBAdraft.net most up to date mock has Young going to us at 6, Carter to the Bulls at 7, and Bamba to the Cavaliers at 8. So it must have been amended since the nba.com article... As for passing on Bamba, we tend to do that in mocks in favour of Young. I don’t see that as a bad thing. It’s a tough decision our front office will have on our hands if it comes down to Bamba or Young. If we want to build around length and defense, Bamba is the pick. If we want a more nba ready prospect that can boost our play making, scoring and shooting then Young should be the pick. I don’t envy their choice but I would go for Young over Bamba.
  22. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Via NBA.com ESPN, Jonathan Givony - 1. Ayton, 2. Doncic, 3. Bagley, 4. Jackson, 5. Bamba, 6. Young, 7. Carter, 8. Porter, 9. Sexton, 10. Mikal Bridges Ringer - 1. Doncic, 2. Ayton, 3. Jackson, 4. Bamba, 5. Porter, 6. Bagley, 7. Miles Bridges, 8. Mikal Bridges, 9.Young, 10. Carter NBAdraft.net - 1. Ayton, 2. Doncic, 3. Bagley, 4. Jackson, 5. Porter, 6. Carter, 7. Young, 8. Bamba, 9. Mikal Bridges, 10. Sexton SI.com, Jeremy Woo - 1. Ayton, 2. Doncic, 3. Jackson, 4. Bagley, 5. Bamba, 6. Carter, 7. Porter, 8. Young, 9. Mikal Bridges, 10. Miles Bridges USA Today - 1. Ayton, 2. Doncic, 3. Bagley, 4. Jackson, 5. Bamba, 6. Porter, 7. Young, 8. Carter, 9. Sexton, 10. Mikal Bridges SB Nation - 1. Doncic, 2. Ayton, 3. Jackson, 4. Bagley, 5. Porter, 6. Young, 7. Bamba, 8. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 9. Carter, 10. Mikal Bridges Bleacher Report, Jonathan Wasserman - 1. Doncic, 2. Ayton, 3. Bagley, 4. Jackson, 5. Bamba, 6. Young, 7. Mikal Bridges, 8. Porter, 9. Miles Bridges, 10. Lonnie Walker Net Scouts, Carl Berman - 1. Ayton, 2. Doncic, 3. Bagley, 4. Jackson, 5. Bamba, 6. Carter, 7. Porter, 8. Young, 9. Sexton, 10. Miles Bridges CBS Sports, Gary Parrish - 1. Ayton, 2. Doncic, 3. Bagley, 4. Porter, 5. Jackson, 6. Young, 7. Bamba, 8. Sexton, 9. Carter, 10. Mikal Bridges Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler - 1. Ayton, 2. Doncic, 3. Bagley, 4. Porter, 5. Jackson, 6. Young, 7. Bamba, 8. Mikal Bridges, 9. Carter, 10. Miles Bridges Most mocked player: Trae Young, 5 times out of 10 mocks Most passed on player: Mohamed Bamba, 4 times out of 10 mocks / runner up was Michael Porter, 3 times out of 10 mocks I think a lot of people are now starting to think we are going to take Trae Young with the sixth pick and that does make sense. It gives us our new starting point guard that can shoot, score and make plays. I would be very happy to see us come away from the draft with him. The Ringer's mock would pose an interesting choice for us if Bagley is there at six. He is not really an ideal fit for a starting center, nor is Isaac or Gordon. So that will leave us with a decision to make at some point in the future over which one we would build around alongside Bagley, unless of course we do play Bagley at center and he can make the transition to the league playing there. Otherwise it will either be Isaac and Bagley, or Gordon and Bagley, we build around. I suppose one benefit of this mock is that we could potentially try to package Gordon (or alternatively Isaac if we really want Gordon long term) to try and get the answer at point guard in return.
  23. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    Fair enough, but my point remains that the hype is tied to his measurables. He can work hard, but some players have it, others simply give everything they've got but aren't really needle movers. If we go for Bamba, I won't criticize the decision and will back the team all the way as usual, but I would be lying if I said that Bamba is the guy I want a six because I'm not buying into the hype because he's got freakish measurements.
  24. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    My point is very simple. People get excited over wingspan and measurements because they think that equals a "can't miss" kinda prospect. How many times have we seen teams draft players based on measurements and they never live up to those high expectations? Hasheem Thabeet measured well. The Grizzlies took him second overall in 2009 and passed on James Harden, Tyreke Evans (etc). The guy is no longer in the NBA and is plying his trade in Japan whereas James Harden is one of the best guards in the league, Tyreke Evans career got derailed by injuries but he's still a pretty good player, DeMar DeRozan is an all star, and Ricky Rubio has become a solid starting point guard. Another example is a guy we have on our roster right now, Bismack Biyombo, he is only 6 ft 9 but boasted a 7ft 7 wingspan. Teams got excited by him and he ended up getting picked 7th overall ahead of Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard (etc) based on athleticism and measurements. Biyombo is a decent impact player but he's nothing more than that. There are good players in this league right now that got overlooked because they didn't measure well. CJ McCollum is undersized for a shooting guard but he's emerged as starter on a play off team averaging over 20 points a night. Gordon Hayward's wingspan is actually shorter than his listed height in shoes and only an inch longer than his height without shoes. There is a guy that made the all star game in 2017 and made the Celtics pay out a $128 million contract. Then there is that guy that plies his trade for Golden State, two time league MVP, five time all star, two time All-NBA first team, two time All-NBA second team, scoring champion, steals leader, and two time NBA Champion - Stephen Curry. The guy is 6ft 3 with a nearly identical wingspan, lacks athleticism, and isn't particularly known for being a top defensive talent, yet there is a guy that most people would put on their dream team from current NBA players. So sometimes those "freakish" wingspan and measurements don't translate to success on an NBA court, but other prospects that didn't measurement well or meet ideal criteria end up having success on an NBA court. That's my point when it comes to Bamba. People love the guy because he's got a freakish wingspan, but that doesn't mean he is going to be the next great big in the league. When I say take away that wingspan and give him an average one for his height, I am merely pointing out that if that was the case he would not be being tipped as a potential top five pick, he would be a late lottery pick like Robert Williams. His wingspan gives him a chance of being special and that's what people are falling in love with, but that perceived ceiling may end up being unattainable and unrealistic, and we need to be careful to ensure we aren't sold a prospect based purely on a freakish wingspan and ignore the guy that could be special because doesn't measure as well, or doesn't have ideal athleticism for his size (etc). We need to be smart because this pick is important for our direction going forwards. Get it right and we can turn this around quickly. Get it wrong and we'll be stuck at the bottom end for years to come.
  25. Mike1989

    2018 NBA Draft Thread

    I place him and Jaren Jackson in the same category. They have a lot of upside, measure well, and are intriguing prospects. In regards to their floor they both should be able to become solid players because of what they should be able to contribute to on defense (i.e. rebounding, shot blocking etc). However, the offensive end is where both players could struggle and if that side of the game doesn't come along then they will be potentially stuck at that DeAndre Jordan kinda level. Now that's not a nail in the coffin because you can still win with that type of player, but that type of player is naturally a good team's 4th option (i.e. the Clippers at their best had Griffin, Paul, and Redick before him). In our situation can we afford to take a risk on that type of player? I see no reason why not with our current pick, however if I was a team picking in the top few I would not go for them because they measure well. You have to look at the bigger picture and from what I've seen I would rank Ayton, Bagley, Doncic, and Porter (if healthy) ahead of them. I might even rank Trae Young ahead of them because I think he will become a good player at the next level. With that said, if one of them is available when we are on the clock we should take them because even if we only get a DeAndre Jordan like player we will have a piece to the puzzle. I would take Young and Bridges but only if the latter is Mikal Bridges, if it's Miles Bridges then I would look at a different option. I am not totally sold on Bamba. I think he is one of those prospects that people fall in love with because of their measurements. Take away that flashy wing span and give him an average wing span and there would be significantly less interest. I would not sit here and complain if we take him sixth overall because I can understand the reasons behind picking him, however he wouldn't be my choice. If we land Trae Young and get the #12 pick and the draft falls as it does on NBAdraft.net (Ayton, Doncic, Bagley, JJJ, Porter, Young, Carter, Bamba, Sexton, Mikal, Knox) then I would be very tempted at drafting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He could be an ideal partner for Trae in the back court because he brings to the table a long frame, defense, and a pretty well rounded skill set. As a shooter he is still a work in progress but showed positive signs of being able to knock down three pointers. He is capable of handling the ball and attacking the hoop. So he can make up for some of Trae's shortcomings on the defensive end and potentially give us our back court of the future. I would be pretty happy going into next year with Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, and whomever we decide to go with at center. In today's NBA you don't need an elite center to win and compete for championships. What you need is someone that can do the basics and defend well.
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