2018 NBA Draft Thread

[TheNameIsOrlando 310]

2 hours ago, ?4thewin said:

He's rally really really bad though

He's also like 26. 

[Originalticketholder 133]

2 hours ago, Magicfan1987 said:

Look, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that my lack of patience with this teams offense over the past 5 years isn't leading me to want Young #1 overall or Doncic, we need an initator, but if I were more patient and put that aside and through the scope of Isaacs defense since he's come back, one could do a lot worse than drafting JJJ. If JI is a mold, JJJ fits that mold as well and I'd enjoy watching every moment of those two develop.  He's not a media darling and you've got to be a real basketball head to sell yourself on him cause his stats aren't through the roof but neither were Isaacs. 

Defensively you'd have a windmill on the perimeter and one in the paint with the ability for either to switch out. Pair them with AG, who I see as a 2/3rd option scoring wise on an elite team. I see his potential as a secondary ball handler taking over the role that Evan has. 

So I'm here scouting these guys and it's exciting imagining building this team but eventually you have to drop an engine in youe car, the piece that will get the vehicle running right and every piece optimal. We NEED an offensive initiator and elite 3 point scoring threat. We NEED a player that warps the floor and has so much gravity that a coach should be able to draw up simple and effective plays. Doncic maybe an elite offensive initator but he's not going to average more than 23 a night in his prime, not likely. I hate to cap young guys because I believe so much in the human will in general but for the sake of projections and arguments, that's my take. 

Ayton, Bamba, Bagley, JJJ someone has to give those guys the ball.

Some people complain about Aaron's shot selection, imagine if he was playing to his strengths, getting easy buckets off back door cuts and constantly cutting baseline. Elfrid was not an elite passer or the most creative passer . He was decent at driving and kicking and could make the occasional lob from the top of the key but rarely was he making assists from the perimeter because the defender was always sagging and disrupting those lanes.

Imagine a player that wouldn't be overwhelmed but double or triple teams and play calm and make passes to the open man in pressure situations.  Imagine a guy that doesn't have to drive all the way to the freaking baseline before making the assist. Imagine this player also has elite handles and can get his shot off faster than almost anyone in the league and make them at a really really good clip. 

Having a player like that in your rebuild helps your style of play so much and make a so many guys that much more efficient. I'd take that guy over a guy who in a vacuum might be a better player but doesn't make his teammates better, more efficient or allow more flexibility with youe overall roster. That is why right now today in this draft I want Trae Young freshman point guard from Oklahoma. The first player to lead the NCAA in scoring and assists for the season. The same player who tied the single game record with 22 assists to players who Id be surprised if they ever made a summer league roster.  a player who's upside is as high as anyone's in the draft, an initator who played like he was taking middle schoolers to the varsity game. 

People want to talk about how Steph Curry changed the NBA but the genesis of this style came with Steve Nash on the Phoenix suns in the 2000s. Young modeled  his game after Nash, Lillard, and Curry. This new NBA style isn't something that just happened overnight, it's the flagship scheme for analytics departments around the league. The Portland Trail blazers roster is well known to be INFERIOR outside of Lillard and Mcculum but they can compete with other teams because they try to get everyone shooting the 3 ball. It's why guys like Allen Crabbe make decent money and why Otto Porter makes darn near max money. 

There's no reason in my mind not to take a shot on Trae Young. He doesn't have to be a curry to make this team a lot better, he just has to be himself. He's a similar engine type in a draft filled with diesels. I gotta swing for the outlier. 

You make a very compelling, logical argument.  Individual workout will be huge and can confirm exactly what you are saying.  And his interview--does he have that drive to be the best!   His first 2/3 of this season and you are 100% on the mark (at that point nba mock drafts had him in the top 5 and as high as 3).  Concern is last 1/3 and why his production/accuracy diminished.  There may be a good logical reason (i.e injured player who was there earlier, etc.)  As long as it was not due to diminshed physical stamina I can overlook it.  He had some monster games offensively in 2pt shooting, 3pt shooting, and free throws.  I thought I read someone say he could not get to the lane.  He had way too many double digit free throw games (13,14,15,16, 17, 18 free throws) for that to be an issue.  I saw Isaiah Thomas (all 5'11' of him) of the Lakers shoot, dribble, and assist us to death the other night showing what a PG with penetrating and shooting skills (spread the floor) both can do to a defense.    He will have to improve in some areas (T/O, defense) but it is hard to ignore 27+ points/game and almost 9 assists per game.  86% FT shooter now proving he can shoot (probably gots to 90% as a pro.)    I will not be diappointed if he is in a Magic uniform next year.   One point you make that is valid is we do need offense.  

[Originalticketholder 133]

6 hours ago, ?4thewin said:

I'm not a big bamba fan

How about Bagley?  Starting to see some mock drafts put him as the #1 selection.  Not often you see his kind of point total and rebound total combined.  And this is being done in a very tough conference.   Bagley, AG, and Isaac would be pretty formidable!

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

6 hours ago, Originalticketholder said:

How about Bagley?  Starting to see some mock drafts put him as the #1 selection.  Not often you see his kind of point total and rebound total combined.  And this is being done in a very tough conference.   Bagley, AG, and Isaac would be pretty formidable!

Duke plays in a zone because Bagley has no interest in defense

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,031]

10 hours ago, Magicfan1987 said:

Look, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that my lack of patience with this teams offense over the past 5 years isn't leading me to want Young #1 overall or Doncic, we need an initator, but if I were more patient and put that aside and through the scope of Isaacs defense since he's come back, one could do a lot worse than drafting JJJ. If JI is a mold, JJJ fits that mold as well and I'd enjoy watching every moment of those two develop.  He's not a media darling and you've got to be a real basketball head to sell yourself on him cause his stats aren't through the roof but neither were Isaacs. 

Defensively you'd have a windmill on the perimeter and one in the paint with the ability for either to switch out. Pair them with AG, who I see as a 2/3rd option scoring wise on an elite team. I see his potential as a secondary ball handler taking over the role that Evan has. 

So I'm here scouting these guys and it's exciting imagining building this team but eventually you have to drop an engine in youe car, the piece that will get the vehicle running right and every piece optimal. We NEED an offensive initiator and elite 3 point scoring threat. We NEED a player that warps the floor and has so much gravity that a coach should be able to draw up simple and effective plays. Doncic maybe an elite offensive initator but he's not going to average more than 23 a night in his prime, not likely. I hate to cap young guys because I believe so much in the human will in general but for the sake of projections and arguments, that's my take. 

Ayton, Bamba, Bagley, JJJ someone has to give those guys the ball.

Some people complain about Aaron's shot selection, imagine if he was playing to his strengths, getting easy buckets off back door cuts and constantly cutting baseline. Elfrid was not an elite passer or the most creative passer . He was decent at driving and kicking and could make the occasional lob from the top of the key but rarely was he making assists from the perimeter because the defender was always sagging and disrupting those lanes.

Imagine a player that wouldn't be overwhelmed but double or triple teams and play calm and make passes to the open man in pressure situations.  Imagine a guy that doesn't have to drive all the way to the freaking baseline before making the assist. Imagine this player also has elite handles and can get his shot off faster than almost anyone in the league and make them at a really really good clip. 

Having a player like that in your rebuild helps your style of play so much and make a so many guys that much more efficient. I'd take that guy over a guy who in a vacuum might be a better player but doesn't make his teammates better, more efficient or allow more flexibility with youe overall roster. That is why right now today in this draft I want Trae Young freshman point guard from Oklahoma. The first player to lead the NCAA in scoring and assists for the season. The same player who tied the single game record with 22 assists to players who Id be surprised if they ever made a summer league roster.  a player who's upside is as high as anyone's in the draft, an initator who played like he was taking middle schoolers to the varsity game. 

People want to talk about how Steph Curry changed the NBA but the genesis of this style came with Steve Nash on the Phoenix suns in the 2000s. Young modeled  his game after Nash, Lillard, and Curry. This new NBA style isn't something that just happened overnight, it's the flagship scheme for analytics departments around the league. The Portland Trail blazers roster is well known to be INFERIOR outside of Lillard and Mcculum but they can compete with other teams because they try to get everyone shooting the 3 ball. It's why guys like Allen Crabbe make decent money and why Otto Porter makes darn near max money. 

There's no reason in my mind not to take a shot on Trae Young. He doesn't have to be a curry to make this team a lot better, he just has to be himself. He's a similar engine type in a draft filled with diesels. I gotta swing for the outlier. 

Exactly how I see it.

If there was a shot at grabbing a great PG in free agency then I wouldn't mind taking someone else in the draft. But I don't see Kemba signing here

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

Draft express has sexton over young and young falling to 9th

[Fultz4thewin 2,464]

One thing to point out with sexton vs Payton in college.  Payton made 30 threes in 100 career college games. Sexton has 43 made threes in 31 college games so far. 

[Okethree 76]

3 hours ago, ?4thewin said:

Duke plays in a zone because Bagley has no interest in defense

Jahil Okafor 2.0

[A Better DJ & Photographer 455]

28 minutes ago, WarDamnMagic said:

Jahil Okafor 2.0

Vuc 2.0

He will probably get 20 and 10 and allow 25 made against him

[Originalticketholder 133]

3 hours ago, ?4thewin said:

Duke plays in a zone because Bagley has no interest in defense

I wondered why Duke is playing zone also and this  Article on Coach K reveals the real reason for his switch to a zone due to inexperience and lack of practice.  Perhaps Coach K doing him a disservice by not teaching him.   Bagley is athletic enough and smart enough  to play good defense!    Explosive leaping abilty off the charts.  Rebounders like this, a part of a good defense, are not a dime a dozen. I still think he is one of the 4 players in this draft better than anyone on our current roster!

Duke can be a good defensive team. But right now, it isn’t, particularly when it’s playing man-to-man. Krzyzewski contributes that to not having practiced much.     And teaching man-to-man defense takes time. It’s a lot harder to teach than zone.

It was then that I realized teaching man-to-man defense is much more difficult than showing someone how to slide their feet and stay in front of their man. You also have to play help defense, communicate, learn how to hedge a screen and know what your rotations are. Even most high school teams primarily play zone defense.

I’ve seen Duke players have problems communicating with each other, on whether someone will switch when a team sets a screen, or whether they’ll go over or under the screen.

According to Synergy, Duke has allowed under 0.81 points per possession and 36.8 percent shooting (43.4 eFG%) while in its zone. The Blue Devils rank 42nd in the nation, and fifth in the ACC, in defensive efficiency on zone possessions.

This is better than the team’s man-to-man defense: 0.84 points per possession and 40.1 percent shooting (46 eFG%)

With Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter, Duke generally has a size and power advantage every time it steps on the floor. In fact: According to KenPom, Duke basketball is the third tallest team in the nation this season, in terms of average height.

Bagley and Carter are exceptional rebounders, and Carter is actually a pretty clever and strong post defender. On post-up possessions defended by Carter, opponents have scored just 0.41 points per possession on 24.3 percent shooting, per Synergy — No. 15 in the nation, tops in the ACC.

However, those two young bigs — like a lot of other young bigs — struggle in ball screen defense. As far back as December, Duke has had issues in its pick-and-roll coverages — remember the Boston College game? Now, this isn’t all on Carter and Bagley; Duke’s guard need to do better fighting over the top of screens, too.

This changes when Duke sits in the zone. Help defenders are everywhere, and those rim-run lanes to the hoop are concealed. The Blue Devils have so much size and length, passing lanes are chopped in half, and the baseline turns into a no-go zone.

[Soul Bro 1,419]

16 hours ago, Magicfan1987 said:

Look, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that my lack of patience with this teams offense over the past 5 years isn't leading me to want Young #1 overall or Doncic, we need an initator, but if I were more patient and put that aside and through the scope of Isaacs defense since he's come back, one could do a lot worse than drafting JJJ. If JI is a mold, JJJ fits that mold as well and I'd enjoy watching every moment of those two develop.  He's not a media darling and you've got to be a real basketball head to sell yourself on him cause his stats aren't through the roof but neither were Isaacs. 

Defensively you'd have a windmill on the perimeter and one in the paint with the ability for either to switch out. Pair them with AG, who I see as a 2/3rd option scoring wise on an elite team. I see his potential as a secondary ball handler taking over the role that Evan has. 

So I'm here scouting these guys and it's exciting imagining building this team but eventually you have to drop an engine in youe car, the piece that will get the vehicle running right and every piece optimal. We NEED an offensive initiator and elite 3 point scoring threat. We NEED a player that warps the floor and has so much gravity that a coach should be able to draw up simple and effective plays. Doncic maybe an elite offensive initator but he's not going to average more than 23 a night in his prime, not likely. I hate to cap young guys because I believe so much in the human will in general but for the sake of projections and arguments, that's my take. 

Ayton, Bamba, Bagley, JJJ someone has to give those guys the ball.

Some people complain about Aaron's shot selection, imagine if he was playing to his strengths, getting easy buckets off back door cuts and constantly cutting baseline. Elfrid was not an elite passer or the most creative passer . He was decent at driving and kicking and could make the occasional lob from the top of the key but rarely was he making assists from the perimeter because the defender was always sagging and disrupting those lanes.

Imagine a player that wouldn't be overwhelmed but double or triple teams and play calm and make passes to the open man in pressure situations.  Imagine a guy that doesn't have to drive all the way to the freaking baseline before making the assist. Imagine this player also has elite handles and can get his shot off faster than almost anyone in the league and make them at a really really good clip. 

Having a player like that in your rebuild helps your style of play so much and make a so many guys that much more efficient. I'd take that guy over a guy who in a vacuum might be a better player but doesn't make his teammates better, more efficient or allow more flexibility with youe overall roster. That is why right now today in this draft I want Trae Young freshman point guard from Oklahoma. The first player to lead the NCAA in scoring and assists for the season. The same player who tied the single game record with 22 assists to players who Id be surprised if they ever made a summer league roster.  a player who's upside is as high as anyone's in the draft, an initator who played like he was taking middle schoolers to the varsity game. 

People want to talk about how Steph Curry changed the NBA but the genesis of this style came with Steve Nash on the Phoenix suns in the 2000s. Young modeled  his game after Nash, Lillard, and Curry. This new NBA style isn't something that just happened overnight, it's the flagship scheme for analytics departments around the league. The Portland Trail blazers roster is well known to be INFERIOR outside of Lillard and Mcculum but they can compete with other teams because they try to get everyone shooting the 3 ball. It's why guys like Allen Crabbe make decent money and why Otto Porter makes darn near max money. 

There's no reason in my mind not to take a shot on Trae Young. He doesn't have to be a curry to make this team a lot better, he just has to be himself. He's a similar engine type in a draft filled with diesels. I gotta swing for the outlier. 

A long and thoughtful post. Having watched most of Young’s games in 2018, here are my concerns:

1. He struggles with physical defense. Yes, his team is bad, but I saw him get shut down a lot by guys simply playing up against him. This will only become more apparent in the pros.

2. He struggles to play defense. Whether it’s an interest thing or footwork thing, his defense has waned as his team has accumulated more losses.

3. His body is tiny. Yes, one can make an argument that Curry is small, but my eyeball test tells me he’ll take a beating in the pros.

If we pick him, I’ll be supportive, yet I think this board is looking at our glaring need without considering Young’s big question marks.

Edit: And I forgot to mention his crazy high turnover problem.

[Soul Bro 1,419]

Can someone find Young’s averages since January 1? Just curious