2022 NBA Draft Thread

[ball junkie 277]

https://www.si.com/.amp/nba/2022/05/27/trail-blazers-hire-mike-schmitz-espn-assistant-gm
By the way Soul Bro …Sharpe got drafted by a guy whom I think you’ve touted as one of the brightest talent evaluators on the planet …correct me if I’m wrong .

[Soul Bro 1,419]

56 minutes ago, ball junkie said:

https://www.si.com/.amp/nba/2022/05/27/trail-blazers-hire-mike-schmitz-espn-assistant-gm
By the way Soul Bro …Sharpe got drafted by a guy whom I think you’ve touted as one of the brightest talent evaluators on the planet …correct me if I’m wrong .

Morning! Yes, I’m a believer in Schmitz and Sharpe. I think Sharpe landed in a great location to learn from Dame. Having someone to look up to and push him will be great for him. I don’t believe Sac, Det or Indiana could have provided that. I’m happy for the young man.

[Wilbur 48]

1 hour ago, JJZFL said:

It’s the same message though.  Yes, Orlando succeeded in misleading the other teams.   It provides no explanation as to why that mattered or how it helped us.  We had the first pick, after all.  We didn’t need all the stealth unless it was going to get us something, which it obviously didn’t.  We could have been telling the whole world we were taking Banchero for the past month and it would have changed nothing.  We still would have taken him.  
 

Regarding the poker analogy, everyone knew we had the first pick.   In poker it would be like everyone knowing we had a royal flush at the start of the game.  

I'm still stunned Paolo was our guy all along.  When he was drafted I was sure he was off to Houston. 

That said I don't think it is that difficult to understand why the Magic want teams in the dark.  For over a month the story was Smith's shot and defense. Just about every expert was praising him.  If you convince OKC or HOU they have to draft the guy, you get assets plus the guy you want.  Apparently neither met the Magic's price or wanted Paolo so the Magic just drafted the guy they wanted.  What was gained was the prospect of turning #1 into more than Paolo.  It didn't work, but kudos to them for at least trying.

[JJZFL 618]

41 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

I'm still stunned Paolo was our guy all along.  When he was drafted I was sure he was off to Houston. 

That said I don't think it is that difficult to understand why the Magic want teams in the dark.  For over a month the story was Smith's shot and defense. Just about every expert was praising him.  If you convince OKC or HOU they have to draft the guy, you get assets plus the guy you want.  Apparently neither met the Magic's price or wanted Paolo so the Magic just drafted the guy they wanted.  What was gained was the prospect of turning #1 into more than Paolo.  It didn't work, but kudos to them for at least trying.

That’s plausible.  But since it didn’t work, I don’t know that I’d be taking credit for doing something great.  I agree with your reasoning, though.  

[VoiceofReason 38]

40 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

I'm still stunned Paolo was our guy all along.  When he was drafted I was sure he was off to Houston. 

That said I don't think it is that difficult to understand why the Magic want teams in the dark.  For over a month the story was Smith's shot and defense. Just about every expert was praising him.  If you convince OKC or HOU they have to draft the guy, you get assets plus the guy you want.  Apparently neither met the Magic's price or wanted Paolo so the Magic just drafted the guy they wanted.  What was gained was the prospect of turning #1 into more than Paolo.  It didn't work, but kudos to them for at least trying.

Well said!  Exactly what I was trying to say in my long winded sleep deprived response a page ago.

[ball junkie 277]

Holie s#¥€t …can we tank again …oh my goodness …talk about multiple championships 

[VoiceofReason 38]

4 hours ago, JJZFL said:

It’s the same message though.  Yes, Orlando succeeded in misleading the other teams.   It provides no explanation as to why that mattered or how it helped us.  We had the first pick, after all.  We didn’t need all the stealth unless it was going to get us something, which it obviously didn’t.  We could have been telling the whole world we were taking Banchero for the past month and it would have changed nothing.  We still would have taken him.  
 

Regarding the poker analogy, everyone knew we had the first pick.   In poker it would be like everyone knowing we had a royal flush at the start of the game.  

Yes, the outcome didn't change! However, I expect our management to use any means necessary to capitalize on our lottery luck. Would you have been happier if we would've announced to the world Banchero was our guy?  What would we have gained in that scenario? I'm glad we did our due diligence, misdirected teams and explored what opportunities that may have uncovered. Perhaps just doing that we uncovered Jabari wasn't a favorite of OKC or Houston so we could've traded down to 3 and still got him.  Obviously the assets we may have acquired to trade to 3 and take Smith didn't outweigh just selecting our guy @ #1.  

[fan for too long 2 530]

Still not sold on Paolo>Jabari. Time will tell. He better defend a hell of a lot better than he did at Duke. If it’s a Bamba type effort then this wasn’t the right pick. And I’ve yet to see solid information that we brought him in to workout, if that’s true. Then someone explain that. 

[TreyMachine 395]

I think a part of my thinking Paolo doesn’t want to be here is that Paolo just has resting “I’m not excited” face. 

[Mauro Pedrosa 1,031]

I like Cole Anthony starting at PG now that we have Paolo. We’d be playing like the Celtics, with two wings who can create some. Our young guys are better at ball handling than theirs to be fair.

And Cole won’t be able to be a ball hog because we just brought in a blue chip #1 pick.

Fultz can run the 2nd unit

[fan for too long 2 530]

34 minutes ago, Mauro Pedrosa said:

I like Cole Anthony starting at PG now that we have Paolo. We’d be playing like the Celtics, with two wings who can create some. Our young guys are better at ball handling than theirs to be fair.

And Cole won’t be able to be a ball hog because we just brought in a blue chip #1 pick.

Fultz can run the 2nd unit

If Cole could play M. Smart defense, then yes. 

[Originalticketholder 133]

20 hours ago, VoiceofReason said:

One would have to believe that Banchero was our pick all along.  We had nothing to lose by trying to get other teams to believe we wanted Jabari (esp OKC and Houston). If Houston had their sites set on Jabari they would've made the move to trade with us and we could've grabbed Banchero @ 3.  Not working Banchero out help support we were all in on Jabari or Chet. We knew OKC was all in on Chet.  Houston either didn't bite because they had Banchero rateabove Jabari, or we didn't trust they were moving up to draft Jabari and would've lost out on our guy. It was worth the dog and pony show to try to get more asset's.

I have a bigger issue with us squandering and selling second round picks every year! 2nd's can be combined to move up. Are we so strapped for cash we have to sell them?

Thank you for that last sentence.  I, like so many of us, were duped by the media and even the Magic, that Smith was the best fit for the Magic (best three point shooter (which we sorely need) and  best defensive player) so Banchero came as a surprise.  As Bilas said draft night there were 3 #1 picks.  So we got one of them and a very good one.  We are now a better team after Thursday night.  How good we will be is up to Moseley and our  management development team.  In fact we are a team with one of the best rosters (potentially) in the NBA.  A team with 2 #1 picks, 1 #5 pick, 2 #6 picks,  1 #7pick and 1 #8 pick.  Add Okeke and Anthony along with RJ and we have a very good roster of 10 young players.  (not even counting Ross  who could be really good with the rest of these guys around him--glad he was not traded).  Chemistry and development/improvement will have to now be the primary focus.   And we have two first round picks next year.

But this front office always leaves us head scratching.  We did get a great pick but did not, for all our posturing, turn that into anything but a great pick.  Trading that second round pick for one "6", yes "six" years later (plus cash--hope it was a boatload) for a pick that has to be in the top 5 to match what we had, and I do not cuss much, is a "WTF".  Laker front office probably was saying "Hey, watch what we do to the Magic?" and did it!!!  Not sure if Weltman's infection disease of "youngitis" requires treatment at this point.  Perhaps the good point is that if we kept pick 35 we would all be debating "what were you thinking taking that guy at pick "35" so we were spared.  

Even yesterday and today as other teams are signing players to two way contracts and summer league rosters we are twiddling our thumbs. (i.e. a poor man's Jabari Smith Jr was Dom Barlow (who we worked out I think), a SF was signed by the Spurs). Too young??????  Bad scouting??  Other teams are aggressive and manage to do these things.  Not us????

Having said all that we have a good roster despite not being aggressive (do not bring up the Chicago trade because that fell in our lap not anything we inititated) this is not just nit picking.  On draft night announcers praised the Warriors on how they draft and manage their roster.  Other teams entered into their dialogue at other times but not us..  We never do.  

And what are we going to do with our FA money (only one of five teams that have money to spend and we have the most--+ $27,000,000).  Will we do anything?  Even if we do not want to get a player then taking on bad contracts can net a team more assets (Memphis and New Orleans pre-draft  rade last year.).  I would guess we do nothing which is what is so frustrating to me.

I just do not see this FO as being elite.