2019 NBA Draft Hopes

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Originally Posted by Mythrol

I was thinking about the draft today and the question came up to me that I thought was interesting.

After Zion, what player has the most upside? I don't mean who will go 2nd. I mean throw risk out of the window and what player has the highest ceiling?

I just don't see it with Barrett. Maybe Morant. I've got a few ideas but I'm interested in what other people think.

The way I figure it is, we probably aren't going to be drafting super high in this draft so wherever we are it might be worth the risk to get the highest upside guy possible. So I'm looking at who people think those players are.

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Myth, I think you & I have talked about Garland .
Small sample size, due to injury , but dude is athletic and can flat out SHOOT.

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Originally Posted by Tinman

Myth, I think you & I have talked about Garland .
Small sample size, due to injury , but dude is athletic and can flat out SHOOT.

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I saw a mock draft by some website that had Garland going 6th. So yeah he would definitely be a high upside guy.

Garland is actually not that athletic and needs to put on more weight. He is also coming off a torn mecniscus (don't feel like spelling right now lol) and he is projected to be a DJ augenstin type player. I would past on him tbh. KZ Okpala from Stanford,Rui, and Keldon Johnson are guys I been warming up too more lately.

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Originally Posted by Silverfoxx

Garland is actually not that athletic and needs to put on more weight. He is also coming off a torn mecniscus (don't feel like spelling right now lol) and he is projected to be a DJ augenstin type player. I would past on him tbh. KZ Okpala from Stanford,Rui, and Keldon Johnson are guys I been warming up too more lately.

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How can he be projected to be anything ? He played 1/2 dozen games in college. He was a 5 star recruit & he is definitely athletic.
He's almost 3" taller than Augustin.
BTW- I was fortunate enough to watch 90% of D.J.'s games at Brother Martin & he is in the Top 3 Best Metro High School Players in the past 30 years.
Augustin was one of the best shooters over decades in Metro New Orleans.
He is listed at 6' . NO WAY. He's 5'10, 5'11 if lucky.
If D.J. Would've been 6'2" 6'3" , he would've made multiple all star games in the NBA.
So if you are saying Garland is a taller DJ Augustin- I'm in .

BTW- Mythrol said (Upside). He just made 19yrs old 6 weeks ago. Im pretty certain that he still capable of putting a few lbs on.
Quite frankly, I have no problem with skinny point guards that can flat-out shoot.

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Originally Posted by Silverfoxx

Garland is actually not that athletic and needs to put on more weight. He is also coming off a torn mecniscus (don't feel like spelling right now lol) and he is projected to be a DJ augenstin type player. I would past on him tbh. KZ Okpala from Stanford,Rui, and Keldon Johnson are guys I been warming up too more lately.

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Yea not a huge fan mostly because I don’t want a PG. Only PG in this draft I want with a lottery pick is Morant. Will be interested in how Garland measures out. I haven’t found anywhere that he is actually 6’3 and doesn’t appear to have much of a wingspan. The kid can definitely shoot from deep though which I like and in today’s NBA is crucial. I think with our picks we will have we need to go after wings and bigs.

LoL!! DJ would have made multiple all star teams by being a few inches taller!? What!? He was one of the best shooters in New Orleans just not the NBA where he had a handful of good seasons from 3pt. I like Augustin as a backup PG because that’s what he is and not an all star talent.

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

LoL!! DJ would have made multiple all star teams by being a few inches taller!? What!?

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So,you dont think 5'11 is substantially different than 6'2" 6'3"? Huh? DJ has never had Constant Starter position in the NBA because he was a defensive liability. Hes short.
So, axiomatically, if he were able to get starter minutes, he would score more points. Hes an excellent ball handler & you may want to check his career 3pt shooting.
Nice Substance again GA.
BTW- Who said Garland was 6'3"

I will say this--You have broken the forum record for leading with lol .

Gee, I wonder why you agree with Silver Foxx?

From what we've seen thus far, and a lot of this will most likely change once we get measurements, workouts and interviews, the draft seems to have 3 tiers of talent in the lottery.

Tier 1:
Ceiling: Franchise Player
Floor: Quality NBA Starter

1. Zion Williamson
2. RJ Barrett
3. Ja Morant

Not much more needs to be said about these guys than what's already out there. If we get lucky and can land one of these players, it'll absolutely propel our rebuild forward.

Tier 2:
Ceiling: Borderline All-Star
Floor: Key Role Player

4. Cam Reddish
5. Darius Garland
6. De'Andre Hunter
7. Jarrett Culver
8. Romeo Langford

Each player here has a clearly defined NBA skill that they can use to find a role in the NBA. I think a lot of how well these players will do depends on the situation they fall into and the time they're given to play through their weaknesses. This can be said for a lot of players coming into the NBA, but I think it's especially true for this year's class.

Tier 3:
Ceiling: Quality NBA Starter
Floor: Ok Role Player/Bust

9. Sekou Doumbouya
10. Jaxson Hayes
11. Keldon Johnson
12. Nassir Little

And this is where the draft gets really interesting and less predictable in my opinion. I think it's most likely we land one of these players or one of the players in the top 4 given the lottery structure. Of all of these players, as my ranking indicates, I would most like to draft Sekou as I think he has the highest variance of outcomes. He is VERY young but already has an NBA ready body and has great length. He reminds me a lot of Al-Farouq Aminu, but he appears to have a bit better ball handling and shot at this stage of his development. But I think physically and his projected NBA position are quite similar. And for what it's worth, I think he would be a great fit next to Jayson Tatum and in general a good fit with the Pelicans fast pace. It'll be interesting to see how the combine/workouts affect these rankings since really from 4-12 seems pretty fluid. For the time being, Sekou is my guy if we're picking at 9 (our current spot).

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

Yea not a huge fan mostly because I don’t want a PG. Only PG in this draft I want with a lottery pick is Morant. Will be interested in how Garland measures out. I haven’t found anywhere that he is actually 6’3 and doesn’t appear to have much of a wingspan. The kid can definitely shoot from deep though which I like and in today’s NBA is crucial. I think with our picks we will have we need to go after wings and bigs.

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OOPS, Sorry, I didnt see this. Whattaya know? https://basketballsocietyonline.com/...couting-report

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

Yea not a huge fan mostly because I don’t want a PG. Only PG in this draft I want with a lottery pick is Morant. Will be interested in how Garland measures out. I haven’t found anywhere that he is actually 6’3 and doesn’t appear to have much of a wingspan. The kid can definitely shoot from deep though which I like and in today’s NBA is crucial. I think with our picks we will have we need to go after wings and bigs.

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So his wingspan is 6'5" Daaron Fox & Jamal Murray Wingspan are 6'6". And they are both taller than Garland. Sooo?

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Originally Posted by Bee-Fense

From what we've seen thus far, and a lot of this will most likely change once we get measurements, workouts and interviews, the draft seems to have 3 tiers of talent in the lottery.

Tier 1:
Ceiling: Franchise Player
Floor: Quality NBA Starter

1. Zion Williamson
2. RJ Barrett
3. Ja Morant

Not much more needs to be said about these guys than what's already out there. If we get lucky and can land one of these players, it'll absolutely propel our rebuild forward.

Tier 2:
Ceiling: Borderline All-Star
Floor: Key Role Player

4. Cam Reddish
5. Darius Garland
6. De'Andre Hunter
7. Jarrett Culver
8. Romeo Langford

Each player here has a clearly defined NBA skill that they can use to find a role in the NBA. I think a lot of how well these players will do depends on the situation they fall into and the time they're given to play through their weaknesses. This can be said for a lot of players coming into the NBA, but I think it's especially true for this year's class.

Tier 3:
Ceiling: Quality NBA Starter
Floor: Ok Role Player/Bust

9. Sekou Doumbouya
10. Jaxson Hayes
11. Keldon Johnson
12. Nassir Little

And this is where the draft gets really interesting and less predictable in my opinion. I think it's most likely we land one of these players or one of the players in the top 4 given the lottery structure. Of all of these players, as my ranking indicates, I would most like to draft Sekou as I think he has the highest variance of outcomes. He is VERY young but already has an NBA ready body and has great length. He reminds me a lot of Al-Farouq Aminu, but he appears to have a bit better ball handling and shot at this stage of his development. But I think physically and his projected NBA position are quite similar. And for what it's worth, I think he would be a great fit next to Jayson Tatum and in general a good fit with the Pelicans fast pace. It'll be interesting to see how the combine/workouts affect these rankings since really from 4-12 seems pretty fluid. For the time being, Sekou is my guy if we're picking at 9 (our current spot).

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Like the info, but if this was etched in stone--- Klay, CJ, PG13, Draymond, JButler, Jokic, Capela, Giannis are at best quality NBA starters.

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Originally Posted by Tinman

Like the info, but if this was etched in stone--- Klay, CJ, PG13, Draymond, JButler, Jokic, Capela, Giannis are at best quality NBA starters.

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Yeah of course there's always exceptions to the rule and hopefully we can find a diamond in the rough like that. It's pretty much impossible to find which player will turn into a superstar in the late lottery/mid 1st round - a lot of it has to do with circumstance (Clint Capella is a great example of benefiting from his situation). But I think it's fair to say that in a neutral situation that those projections are what is reasonable to expect. It's all about projecting to the most likely outcome. Zion could bust and Bol Bol could be a revolutionary center, but I don't think either of that is likely to happen.

Also, to the board in general, please forget about Bol Bol. That guy sucks and won't be an NBA player in a few years lol.

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Originally Posted by Bee-Fense

Yeah of course there's always exceptions to the rule and hopefully we can find a diamond in the rough like that. It's pretty much impossible to find which player will turn into a superstar in the late lottery/mid 1st round - a lot of it has to do with circumstance (Clint Capella is a great example of benefiting from his situation). But I think it's fair to say that in a neutral situation that those projections are what is reasonable to expect. It's all about projecting to the most likely outcome. Zion could bust and Bol Bol could be a revolutionary center, but I don't think either of that is likely to happen.

Also, to the board in general, please forget about Bol Bol. That guy sucks and won't be an NBA player in a few years lol.

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agreed

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Originally Posted by Bee-Fense

Yeah of course there's always exceptions to the rule and hopefully we can find a diamond in the rough like that. It's pretty much impossible to find which player will turn into a superstar in the late lottery/mid 1st round - a lot of it has to do with circumstance (Clint Capella is a great example of benefiting from his situation). But I think it's fair to say that in a neutral situation that those projections are what is reasonable to expect. It's all about projecting to the most likely outcome. Zion could bust and Bol Bol could be a revolutionary center, but I don't think either of that is likely to happen.

Also, to the board in general, please forget about Bol Bol. That guy sucks and won't be an NBA player in a few years lol.

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I have looked at a dozen or so Mock Drafts & other than Morant & the 3 Dukies, I have never seen such a wide range for where a player will be drafted. Ive seen guys going 8th in one draft & in the late 20's in other drafts. Its crazy!

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Originally Posted by Tinman

I have looked at a dozen or so Mock Drafts & other than Morant & the 3 Dukies, I have never seen such a wide range for where a player will be drafted. Ive seen guys going 8th in one draft & in the late 20's in other drafts. Its crazy!

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Because it's way too early.
A better understanding will be after March madness and 2 weeks out from the draft.

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Originally Posted by Tinman

So his wingspan is 6'5" Daaron Fox & Jamal Murray Wingspan are 6'6". And they are both taller than Garland. Sooo?

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Never said you claimed he was 6’3 and wasn’t even responding to you.. maybe learn to comprehend a little better. He is listed at 6’3 on most sites but was never measured above 6’2 from anything I have been able to find. Having a 6’5 wingspan as I said is not very good and finding 2 guards with similar ones doesn’t make it a good one. Is it ok to actually point out negatives with this guy or only when it concerns Ingram? I like Garland and think he might be the best shooter in this draft. I would like to wait and see where his measureables and athleticism turn out before I put him on our draft board. As of now not someone I really want our team to draft when they have much better wings and potentially a big in our draft area. Try digging a little deeper and take what I said more personally next time haha.. go back to talking about DJ as a multiple all star making excuses why he wasn’t like height and not getting enough minutes do to being on the bench.

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

Never said you claimed he was 6’3 and wasn’t even responding to you.. maybe learn to comprehend a little better. He is listed at 6’3 on most sites but was never measured above 6’2 from anything I have been able to find. That is not a very good wingspan as I said. Is it ok to actually point out negatives with this guy or only when it concerns Ingram? I like Garland just not someone I really want our team to draft. Try digging a little deeper and take what I said more personally next time haha.. go back to talking about DJ as a multiple all star making excuses why he wasn’t like height and not getting enough minutes do to being on the bench.

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I know it's not just you, and obviously it takes two to argue and stuff, but can we not do this in the draft thread?

I agree with you on Garland by the way, I think he has some skills but I'm not hyped on him at all.

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Originally Posted by Pelicanidae

I know it's not just you, and obviously it takes two to argue and stuff, but can we not do this in the draft thread?

I agree with you on Garland by the way, I think he has some skills but I'm not hyped on him at all.

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I know I’m not trying to. I’m just not big on our team going after a PG in this draft even with Morant although I would take him depending on who else is there. I just don’t see a scenario where I’m picking Garland in the lottery. I love his shooting which can be elite and he’s got some nice ball skills but he also has a lot I don’t like. Mostly for me it’s fit. I’m going to the LSU/Vanderbilt game so I will get a good look at him live. Excited to see Waters and Garland go at it.

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Originally Posted by Bee-Fense

And this is where the draft gets really interesting and less predictable in my opinion. I think it's most likely we land one of these players or one of the players in the top 4 given the lottery structure. Of all of these players, as my ranking indicates, I would most like to draft Sekou as I think he has the highest variance of outcomes. He is VERY young but already has an NBA ready body and has great length. He reminds me a lot of Al-Farouq Aminu, but he appears to have a bit better ball handling and shot at this stage of his development. But I think physically and his projected NBA position are quite similar. And for what it's worth, I think he would be a great fit next to Jayson Tatum and in general a good fit with the Pelicans fast pace. It'll be interesting to see how the combine/workouts affect these rankings since really from 4-12 seems pretty fluid. For the time being, Sekou is my guy if we're picking at 9 (our current spot).

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Got a few issues with this, to be honest. One that jumps out to me is at the end, where you say that certain things will be 'a great fit next to Jayson Tatum and in general a good fit with the Pelicans fast pace'.

We have absolutely no guarantee that we'll have Tatum, and given that Gentry will almost certainly be fired, we have no guarantee we'll be a face paced team next season either. Those are both obviously possibilities, but I'm not basing my draft around either of them. I'm taking the best players, hell with how they fit Tatum.

Overally, I just can't agree with your player evaluations. It seems odd to me that you would put some lines where you do. For example: why is Jaxson Hayes listed as having his ceiling be solid NBA starter? He's got great measurables, and he's barely going to be 19 at the time he'll be playing his first game. He's all potential right now, and that potenial is a lot higher than solid NBA starter level. I don't see how you put him in that third category but put, for example, Romeo Langford in the next category up, when Langford has been far, far less impressive thus far in his showings and doesn't have nearly the same raw physical potential of Hayes.

Of course, names like Bol Bol, KZ Okpala, and Brandon Clarke aren't even listed in your categories despite having arguably higher ceilings than many of the other players there. I would argue, for example, that Bol Bol has a higher ceiling than pretty much anyone in tier 2 or 3, and that KZ Okapala could easily slot into tier 2.

Just seems to be a very limited method of evaluation.

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

I know I’m not trying to. I’m just not big on our team going after a PG in this draft even with Morant although I would take him depending on who else is there. I just don’t see a scenario where I’m picking Garland in the lottery. I love his shooting which can be elite and he’s got some nice ball skills but he also has a lot I don’t like. Mostly for me it’s fit. I’m going to the LSU/Vanderbilt game so I will get a good look at him live. Excited to see Waters and Garland go at it.

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For me, unless we have specific names in mind (which I do, I've made my love for Bol Bol well known, not hiding anything here) then the best course of action is always to just draft the best player. Since we're going into a mini-rebuild, I can see arguments that we need guards, but I can also see arguments that we need a good forward for once, and also arguments that we need a quality big to replace AD. Because of how many different holes we'll need to fill over the next two seasons or so, it HAS to be a case of just picking the best player.

And for me, Garland isn't as good as other players. No knock on him, no insult, I do think he has talent, but he's just not in my top 5.

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

I know I’m not trying to. I’m just not big on our team going after a PG in this draft even with Morant although I would take him depending on who else is there. I just don’t see a scenario where I’m picking Garland in the lottery. I love his shooting which can be elite and he’s got some nice ball skills but he also has a lot I don’t like. Mostly for me it’s fit. I’m going to the LSU/Vanderbilt game so I will get a good look at him live. Excited to see Waters and Garland go at it.

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I haven't seen Garland play but I'd definitely rather him than a big. Its Morant or bust for me as long as Jrue is insistent on playing the 2guard. If not him then I'm all for a wing like Romeo, Culver, or Hunter, guys with a little size and can play DEFENSE.

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

Never said you claimed he was 6’3 and wasn’t even responding to you.. maybe learn to comprehend a little better. He is listed at 6’3 on most sites but was never measured above 6’2 from anything I have been able to find. Having a 6’5 wingspan as I said is not very good and finding 2 guards with similar ones doesn’t make it a good one. Is it ok to actually point out negatives with this guy or only when it concerns Ingram? I like Garland and think he might be the best shooter in this draft. I would like to wait and see where his measureables and athleticism turn out before I put him on our draft board. As of now not someone I really want our team to draft when they have much better wings and potentially a big in our draft area. Try digging a little deeper and take what I said more personally next time haha.. go back to talking about DJ as a multiple all star making excuses why he wasn’t like height and not getting enough minutes do to being on the bench.

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1) You specifically stated that you CANT find anywhere that he's listed at 6'3". You have to be addressing someones comment regarding 6'3".
2) You are so interested in arguing, you fabricate. Where did I say that you said that I said he was 6'3"? I simply asked you a question. ----> You said you couldnt find anywhere stating he's 6'3".. I asked--Who said that?

You try a bit too hard to take it personal. Its Odd. Its as if you are looking for confrontation.

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Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25

LoL!! DJ would have made multiple all star teams by being a few inches taller!? What!? He was one of the best shooters in New Orleans just not the NBA where he had a handful of good seasons from 3pt. I like Augustin as a backup PG because that’s what he is and not an all star talent.

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Hes not an all star because he is a defensive detriment. He shoots 38.2% from 3pt range. He didnt get starter minutes because hes short. Thats NOT difficult to understand.
Also, everything that someone says., that you disagree with is NOT laugh out loud funny.

Please... not the draft thread too...

LoL I’m the one looking for confrontation yet I was confronted when speaking to someone else.. makes sense.. obsessed much?