Last measurement I saw said 6'2", but the tallest number I've ever seen on him is 6'4". I don't think SG was ever in the cards for him.
Fears seems like one of those guys where if you believe he will shoot well enough to be a lead ball handler he almost has to be one of the top 5-6 best players in the class. But if you don't think he can, 15th isn't that weird because he's not a starting PG on a playoff team as a ball dominant guy who isn't efficient enough to work in that role and isn't a defender. Not sure there's a whole lot of middle ground there.
Love to see Givony living all the way up to Chad Ford's run in that role with all the pro day promotion
Yi would have been extremely good in today's game...unfortunately had his development ruined by the waning clutch and grab era. Never was able to take the physicality and combined with injuries, that was a wrap
I don’t see much of a comparison there, other than size. He’s way more offensively skilled and way less of a rim protecting presence imo
I feel pretty confident in that, but I wasn't as high on Clingan as most. But yeah of course any person coming from a lower level of competition, these things will be debatable
My understanding is that Michael Beasley requested a trade from his Big3 squad because he's desperate to be the third wheel on a squad with Bender and Ntilikina to start a dynasty that will run that league for the next decade.
The Josh Jackson pick would haunt me based on who was taken behind him and how they’d fit with Booker
Toumani Camara was a godsend for us this season...will probably be NBA All Defense 2nd team Ayton and former Blazer Legend Skal Labissiere, not so much and KZ Okpala is one of my ride or dies like Jalen Smith because of NBA2K reasons
Yup, I figured Toumani is probably the most valuable player on that list. And that's as a late 2nd rnder.
I will always remember reading the ESPN story on the Phoenix front office after they got good where James Jones bragged that draft picks are stupid and they basically invest nothing in it, including when they had the 10th pick and took Jalen Smith when they could have instead taken someone who could have helped them win a title with that Paul/Booker squad.
The picks are bad, but the Suns traded Zhaire Smith on draft night for Mikal Bridges, and they traded Jarrett Culver for Cameron Johnson. So they've done some good hustling.
As a Bill Simmons type of draft expert who watches no CBB and then makes judgements on guys based on YouTube highlights and other peoples' rankings, I feel like the two guys I'm higher on than most are Jase Richardson and Asa Newell. Richardson is tiny and might not be a PG but seems like he could play in a bunch of different line-ups because of his shooting and defense. Newell just seems like a better bet for modern bigs compared to other bigs in the class if his shooting continues to trend in the right direction. I think I'm a lot lower on Queen and Danny Wolf. I don't really get it with either guy.
What happened to TJ Warren? I remember he was COOKIING during covid. He got hurt, must have never recovered(?)
the jarrett culver trade is underrated in its pure ineptitude wolves do the deal during the afternoon on the day of the draft (11 and saric for 6), without knowing who will be available at 6 they spend the rest of the day telling everyone they are trading up to get garland, who then gets picked at 5, leaving them stuck with a bunch of options they don’t really want
Suns front office is dumb but I remember something about Haliburton saying for them not to draft him. Which is a real shocker considering Scottsdale and Tempe are full of what he likes.
My all time best take was texting my friend during the draft that Kawhi should have went #1 when he went at 15 cuz Fox sports west randomly showed a ton of SDSU games that I’d watch while fucked up. I hold onto to that take to make up for saying Westbrook and Harden would be busts and Tyreke Evans would be a MVP
Went through some emails I sent to a friend and we had our 2017 draft takes, this was rough to look at but i think i made some good calls in hindsight, Also it is very strange to read things you wrote years ago Spoiler 1. Markelle Fultz - Philadelphia Sixers - This guy probably has the most overall talent out of anyone in this draft but there is just something about him I am not enamored with. I only have seen him play a few times but I hate that he didn't make the tournament and even more so that he is pairing up with another guy who could not carry his team to the tourney in Ben Simmons. I mean its a pretty hot take type thing but winning does matter. Apparently he has kind of a reclusive personality too. I am probably overthinking this. He will be very fucking good but I don't know if he will be a top 5 player in the league.. 2. Lonzo Ball - Los Angeles Lakers - Ok, let me be clear. I thought he was the best player in this draft BEFORE we picked him or had the #2 pick but yeah, I love Lonzo Ball. He just makes everyone better. Has absolutely elite court vision. Is so fucking unique in how he plays. Even if he was not on my team I'd love to see him be great because he is just so fun to watch. He is not a great defender but he is not a matador out there. His shot is weird but it goes in. He is Neo, he is the one. I am full Kool Aid on him. 3. Jayson Tatum - Boston Celtics - This guy is Carmelo Anthony but with more upside because he is young and knows that he needs to expand his game in the modern NBA so he will have time to adapt unlike Carmelo who had the game mostly pass by him. Tatum is just a filthy scorer. Has so many weapons for someone his age I think he will have no problem adding more to his arsenal to fit in the current game of spacing and shooting. Only worry is on a team now that looks to be dominated by Kyrie holding the ball can Tatum get enough chance to tinker with his game to reach his full potential? 4. Josh Jackson - Phoenix Suns - I watched Jackson play like 4-5 times and he looked amazing aside from shooting the ball in all those games. Unfortunately in the modern NBA you need to shoot. He also had some woman beating issue, I mean, beat women (you piece of shit) but if even a basketball school like Kansas can't hide that you did it then you must be true garbage or really dumb. I am calling him to be a rich man's Tony Allen assuming he is not a total fuckup. (If he gets a jumper then fuck me but he shot like 55% from the free throw line, good luck) 5. De'Aaron Fox - Sacramento Kings - This guy gives a fuck and is fast as fuck. He can't shoot worth a damn but I know he will work his ass off. Incredibly wealthy man to the point that you want to start a revolution because of economic inequality Elfrid Payton is my prognosis for him. I think he will be a stud. 6. Jonathan Isaac - Orlando Magic - The guy with all the talent in the world that never quite figures it all out and even if he does he will leave in free agency after his contract runs out (How could Shaq and Dwight turn down the proximity to Disney World?) 7. Lauri Markkanen - Chicago Bulls - Everyone seems to already write off the seven foot white guy who has no physical presence and can only shoot threes but I am going to go in a different direction and say he will suck dick. 8. Frank Ntilikinha - New York Knicks - I am not going to even pretend I watched his tape. The last draft I looked at overseas guys' tape I though Hezonja >>> Porzingis. So I'll just say that Ntilikinha will be a Hall of Famer. You heard it here first. 9. Dennis Smith Jr - Dallas Mavericks - He will put up numbers on shit teams, I saw him play Notre Dame once and I am an expert on him based off this one game I watched after a few beers. Analysis: he is selfish and won't ever be a franchise player but will put up a ton of numbers. Guy has a ton of talent. 10. Zach Collins - Sacramento Kings - I watched him play quite a bit and he looked good but if you are a 7 foot white guy and your name is not Bill Walton I am going to automatically assign bust. 11. Malik Monk - Charlotte Hornets - Heat check bench guy, nothing more. Nothing less. The Knicks were right to take the Frenchie, he has more upside (I did not watch the French guy's tape) 12. Luke Kennard - Detroit Pistons - Must...resist...urge...to...overrate...white guy... from...Duke. I think he will be a pretty damn good pro. 13. Donovan Mitchell - Utah Jazz - I really liked this guy in college. At worst he is going to be a damn good 3 and D guy and if he develops some more he can be an All Star. I can not believe he fell this far. I think he was a top 8 type of guy. 14. Bam Adebayo - Miami Heat - Guy is raw as fuck but super athletic. I will just say he is a bust cuz fuck Kentucky.
I need to follow Ugandan Pro Wrestling and invent a very arbitrary stat metric to judge NBA prospects and I can mirror him
ESPN splitting the draft into two nights again is going to be amazing because the 2nd round took a massive hit with all the guys deciding to go back to college. That 2nd round is going to be terrible.
I forget - but they still haven’t fixed the pick trading issue where basically two thirds of the second round is picks being announced for the wrong team, right? Will be riveting tv
im a sicko and consume way too much draft content, am currently wondering if Egor Demin can turn the corner on high level POA defenders and the nba draft broadcast sickens me. I usually find myself viscerally angry by the teens. Interviewing the guy while he’s wearing the hat of a team that he won’t play for seems like such an easy fix but somehow they can’t do it
That's not really an ESPN issue, unfortunately. That's an NBA issue they seem to have no interest in fixing. Only way to fix it with the way things seem to work is to move the draft after the start of the league year and after FA has already happened like the NFL does.
I think Demin probably sucks. His shot has a loooong way to go, and he's not very athletic. With time and luck perhaps he can become a worse Josh Giddey.
I don't really get it with him, either. Even if he doesn't suck, he seems like a hard player to fit in a lineup if the shot doesn't drastically improve. He would have to be a high level defender just to get on the court unless his shot gets to a point where he's at least a passable high volume shooter.