[high floorParticipant]

To expand upon a reply-post I made an hour ago… lets rank the following young cores of non-playoff teams, not including Minnesota since their success cycle was fast-forwarded significantly with the Jimmy Butler trade. Also let’s assume these 4 players stay together for at least a few more years together:

Phoenix: Booker/Jackson/Bender/Chriss

Sacramento: Fox/Hield/WCS/Skal

Denver: Mudiay/Murray/Harris/Jokic

Orlando: Payton/Hezonja/Isaac/Gordon

Philadelphia: Simmons/Fultz/Saric/Embiid

Dallas: Smith Jr/Curry/Barnes/Noel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Its hard to say because so much more goes into it then just talent. Off just pure talent Id say Philly takes the cake then Phoenix. Sacramento has such a clean slate and low expectations, and thier core is incomplete as they will likely get another Top 3 pick in what seems like it should be another good draft 2018. The Mavs have pieces that fit well and byfar the best coach with Carlisle. Orlando has tons of talent but the pieces dont compliment eachother at all b ut with som roster tweaks they should be right there, also they may try to develop Isaac into a C with strength and conditioning developmentr over time. Denver has no defence whatsoever and seems like they will be a terrible defensive team for a while.

[ZouldiersParticipant]

 1. Philadelphia
 2. Denver
 3. Phoenix
 4. Dallas
 5. Sacramento
 6. Orlando

Philly core can really dominate the East in 2-3 years should the FEDS lead them to the playoffs this year. Denver was one win away from making the playoffs and they already have a star in Jokic so I have them at 2. Booker and Jackson could be something special down the line but I’ll have to see them make a similar jump to what Denver did this year before I put them at 2. Dallas core is the best one right now but how much better are they going to be in the next few years unless of course DSJ lives up to his potential. The Kings have ways to go but I like their core a lot better than Orlando.

 

 

[SubZeroParticipant]

Philly
Phoenix
Sacramento (really like Fox and Bogdan)
Denver
Dallas
Orlando

[417basketballfanParticipant]

 1. Philly – everyone should have them at 1

2. Nuggets- love Murray, trade mudiay 

3. Magic – big Isaac fan, hate that he’s in a log jam

4. Suns – love the wings, just hoping one of the bigs can produce as well

5. Kings- I can’t wait for fox to improve that jumper

6. mavs – smith jr getting drafted to mavs was the best thing for him. Can improve leadership as well as being to ball dominant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ThenilonatorParticipant]

 1 – Philly (all 4 of these guys could and should be multiple all stars)

2 – Phoenix (Not sold on bender but Jackson and Booker alone get them above the others)

3 – Denver ( Mudiay needs to prove he can score at a half reasonable rate, Jokic is really good and Murray and Harris will be both very serviceable at worst)

4 – Sacramento ( I like fox and scal as prospects but WCS and hield look very limited but will have niche roles)

5 – Dallas ( I’m not as sold on smith Jnr as everyone else on this site and the other 3 guys won’t take you deep into a season)

6 – Orlando ( all of these guys apart from Isaac have had enough chance to cement a starting role but haven’t been able to grab it. I think every one of these guys would benefit with a change of scenery but together at Orlando they haven’t shown enough that they can one day spearhead a playoff run as a legit core)

 

[cohenbc1Participant]

 1. Denver (Jokic looks like an all-star and Harris and Murray look like at least competent rotation guys).

2. Dallas (Barnes is a legit starter on a contending team; if Smith lives up to the hype he will be too. Curry and Noel are solid at what they do. Add an established all-star to that core and you’ve got something).

3. Philly (Mainly cause I’m not convinced Embiid will ever play a full NBA season. I hope I’m wrong, but the history of guys like him is not encouraging).

4-6 It’s a tossup. (There are good individual players but I wouldn’t want to build around any of these "cores." I have no confidence any of them will equal a winning basketball team in a few years, or ever.)

 

 

[mgreener_34Participant]

1. Phoenix

2. Denver

3. Philly

4. Sactown

5. Orlando

6. Dallas

 

Wow, what I thought would just be the regergitation of the same list, has actually turned into a mix of different opinions. First off, I don’t even think Dallas should be on this list. Barnes and Seth are 25 and 26 respectively, and are already on their second contracts. We know what they are at this point. Same with Noel. 

 

 

Suns: 

 

With the exception of Jokic, Booker is the player in this group that stands out the most (Embiib needs to play more!). He has had two great years now, is one of the best shooters in the league, and scored 73 points, something I never thought I’d see after Kobe put up 81…Likewise, they just added Jackson, a player who many considered the best player in this draft, and Chriss showed a lot of promise after the all-star break putting up 13/6/2 shooting something like 50/36/62. Bender is still a work in progress, but I think he can find a good role in the NBA. The reason I have them #1, besides the obvious potential of Booker and Jackson, is that this group is easily the most athletic and versatile of the entire bunch. In todays NBA, that means a lot. Add is Warren and Len, and the Suns take this away running in my opinion. 

 

76’ers:

 

I get why most people are putting them 1st, but at the end of the day, I still need to see Simmons and Fultz play in the NBA,  and I’m not putting much weight into a player that has only played in 31 games the last 3 years, and didnt finish his college year. I love Embiib, think he has All-Time great ability, but he has to stay on the court. Until he does I can’t bring myself to mention him in these type of discussions. People who were around when Greg Oden got drafted will understand why.  I think Fultz and Simmons will have all-star potential, but I question if we will ever see them reach that level playing with each other. Add saric to the mix, and it kind of becomes a head scratcher, with 3 prospects all having similar games that overlap. This team will come down to coaching and developement. The talent is their though, and I hope these guys pan out. They will most likely lead this list at the end of the year. I’m 100% sold on Fultz and Simmons, just need to see something from them first. 

 

 

Nuggets:

 

Jokic is easily the most proven player out of this group, and has already shown that he can contribute to winning basketball. Once they plugged him into the starting lineup and ran the offense through him, the Nuggets played great basketball. He’s already the best passing C I have ever seen play the sport, and his ability to shoot is great in todays NBA. I’m low on Muiday, like real low, but I think Murray is an elite scorer/shooter, and at worst will have a Lou Williams type of career. Harris is also a great 3-d player. Out of every team mentioned, they have the best chance of competing sooner rather than later, as all their young guys fit specific roles. 

 

Kings:

 

Love what the Kings are doing. Heild is just a scorer, plain and simple. He’s so fun to watch, and his ball skills are under rated. He could probably give them minutes at the pg. I think him and Fox are a dynamic backcourt, and compliment eachother perfectly. Fox has great potential, and his speed and ability to get to the hoop and use his size and athleticism will be huge for this team going foward. They have good big man depth, and all of those guys have potential, and have shown that they can play in the league. I’m also excited for Bogdan, and think he will give them great minutes off the rip. What this team really needs is a dynamic scorer at the 3 or 4. Skal might turn into that if he can continue to work on his game and body. He was very impressive down the stretch. Also, mad love for Embiib but not Giles?

 

Magic:

 

My best friend is a die hard Magic fan, and I feel bad for him. I love Isaac, he was my favorite prospect from this draft, but idk if he’s enough. Gordon is a good prospect, but I don’t think he will ever become a good enough shooter to justify playing him at the 3 like they seem to do a lot, and his IQ is fairly low. How can a player his size and with his athletic ability only grab 5 boards a game in 30 minutes? I know he’s not being put in positions where he can succeed, but I think he needs to really buy into the Tristan Thompson role first before he starts focusing on the offensive side of the ball. Hezonja needs to get traded, period. He can play, but he needs to get better at D. He can be explosive on offense, but he just gets lost on D, and Vogel wont have that. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mowestenParticipant]

 Usually when guys with Gordon’s size and athleticism grab five boards a game it’s because that’s all they want to grab, A lot of rebounding is about heart and toughness. 

[llperez]

 sixers clearly have the best of this group, but also have the stigma that embid is a walking injury. Couldnt stay heralthy playing limited minutes at kansas and he has totaled 31/246 possible games in his nba career. I mean if he plays once every other week are you really counting him? 

The other thing is the kings have lots of young guys you didnt include like justin jackson, harry giles, papanni giannis and malchi richardson and thats on top of hield, fox, skal and willy trill. If you collect their youth as whole they get a little stronger then your original list. 

of the rest of the group, give me phoenix. Booker is legit, jackson fits booker well and the chriss guy looks very promising. 

[JordanC20Participant]

 1. Philly

2. Denver

3. Phoenix

4. Sacramento

5. Dallas

6. Orlando

 

 

 

 

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 Lakers aren’t on here.  I like their core though.  Nice and clean, no real log jams, except at power forward, but those 4’s each bring something different to the table.

Ball, Clarkson, Hart, Ingram, Randle, Nance, Black, and Zubac would be my top core for the future.  

Randle is looking cut. I think he has a GREAT year.  Ingram improves.  I think you have a lot of potential MIP guys on the team… 

Brook Lopez could be a comeback player of the year type guy (if they still had that award).

Lonzo Ball looks like a lock for a All Rookie team, and might go out and win the ROY.  Josh Hart might be a sleeper candidate for All Rookie 2nd team.

I like the Kings young core, too, even though I am not sure if any of those guys has true Superstar potential.  Fox, Hield, Willie, and Skal are a good young core.  Giles should be ok.  I don’t see his upside being reached though… Justin Jackson is ok.  Should be an effective glue guy for years.  Fox vs. Mason III in practice might be the best point guard battle of the year.  

I think we see a renewed Lakers-Kings rivalry, besides Lakers-Celtics, Lakers-Sixers, and, I think Lakers-Warriors turns into a rivalry.  The established dyanstic team vs. the dynasty on the rebound…

California pro basketball is loaded right now.  Even the Clippers got a great young haul back in that CP3 trade.  

Looks like the WCF goes through Cali for the next 10 years…

California and Texas (Spurs, Rockets, and the Mavs once they totally reload) will continue to dominate the western conference.  

I will go with the New Look Clips, too.  Assuming they don’t make the playoffs next year, AND assuming that Blake tries to both cash in AND win (Grizzlies would be PERFECT), Team DeAndre features some nice young talent: Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Pat Bev, how old is Lou Williams (maybe your game ages better when you don’t play D), and Austin "Dangerous" Rivers.  Nice young guys… good talent.  Plus, whoever they picked in the draft.  Loy Vaught right?

I think they are gearing up to be the most successful non-CP3 era in team history.  Possibly the most EXCITING era since the all-to-brief Baron Davis-Blake Griffin Show aka the Greatest Show on 1/2 A Knee.  

With those guys, you just run, run, and keep running, right?  

Beverely can lock up anybody at point guard, AND hit the 3 (along with being a solid rebounder).  Air DeAndre can rebound, rebound, rebound, block shots, dunk, rebound, dunk, block shots, and rebound (in that order).  The other guys are young athletes who can score (but not great shooters).

GREAT trade for Clipvegas.

That 2018 Rockettes first rounder could be NICE.  Still might not be a top 5 team (Houston gave up a LOT for an old guy with older knees).  You think the pick ends up in that 20-25 range BUT there is an outside shot that the wheels fall off, or they can’t get help with the rest of their core, and you are looking at a pick in the 10-15 range.  

The Clips pick (unless everything REALLY clicks) should be in the 5-10 range.

A couple of years of top 5ish picks plus another first rounder should really help them restock a nice young roster.

If you wanna do a Full Rebuild without going Full Hinkie then you wanna model either the Lakers (if you string a bunch of number 2 picks together) or the Kings (if you get more middling higher end lotto picks).  If you have some all stars and are trying to move away from that, then you wanna copy the Clippers.  Get a bunch of young players with upside, and get some cash and picks too.  

The mid-range teams might decide to blow it up by the All Star Break.

Honorable mention to the Pacers: don’t have much… especially if they lose Paul George for a lot less than market value.  But, I DO like their rookie contract inside combo of Myles Turner and TJ Leaf.  I think that is a solid start for a new core.  They need to get AT LEAST two solid young players back, plus extra picks and cash.  If they luck into a top 3 pick in next year’s top heavy draft then they will be well on their way to a solid rebuild.

The top of next year’s draft is big man heavy, and it looks like they already have two solid bigs.  If no wing player blows them away, then they should look at point guards… or doing a trade to get one that is on the upswing.

Maybe they should do like the Kings and trade a 10 pick for two later first round picks.

Hard to know when the draft goes Full Kennard aka falls off a cliff.  Ironically it could be in the Grayson Allen range.  Maybe Grayson wouldn’t be a bad pick for them IF they think he can be a good pick-and-roll point guard option aka Blonde Harden.  If they can trade down for TWO guys then Allonzo Trier might be another good guard for them.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[thetruth87Participant]

 Not trying to be a homer but I’d rather have:

Porzingis/Hernangomez/Ntilkina over some of the ones listed. Not Philly obviously, but I’d say they’re in the running with all the other young cores. 

 

 

[ndbigdaveParticipant]

This is a great topic and discussion, it is tough because obviously each one of these cores has at least one guy (if not more) that have yet to play even one NBA minute. So my ranking can really take two forms, the first which is what I think the OP is really asking about is what we expect to be the best three seasons from now, the other is a ranking based on what we do actually know (as opposed to pure speculation). Like another poster has said, I am going to take Dallas out of the discussion just as Minnesota should not be considered any more…

Ranking based on projection:
Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, Denver, Orlando

Obviously a great deal of Philly’s ranking assumes relative health for Simmons and Embiid, Philly has a nice blend of size and athleticism, that doesn’t even consider the fact that Okafor is still there. If they can carve out minutes and a role for him (I am thinking 2nd unit main scorer, a la Al Jefferson) then they are even scarier.

Phoenix has a star on the rise in Booker, one they value so much that they apparently refused to include him in a deal for Porzingis, I also like what Chriss showed towards then end of the year and I have faith that Bender will continue to improve (noting he and Ingram were two of the youngest players in the NBA last year), I like Jackson’s fit here and he clearly has a mile-high ceiling if he can fix his shot.

Sacramento takes the 3rd place on sheer volume of young assets, beyond the four names listed (Fox/Heild/WCS/Skal) they also have Harry Giles, Justin Jackson, Georgios Papagiannis and Bogdan Bogdanovic. The ranking is all about projection because the on-court production has only been “ok” or in flashes for Heild, WCS, Skal and Papagiannis. I am not as high on Fox as others but will wait and see, however the Kings definitely have a wealth of young players who COULD hit.

I rate Denver next and debated having them third almost exclusively because of Jokic, he has already shown star level talent and is a focal point to build around. What ultimately brought them behind the Kings is the fewer options to select from the my perceived lack of ceiling for Harris, Donovan Mitchell (who wasn’t listed as a part of the core) and Murray. It appears that Mudiay may be out, I hold a sliver of hope that things kick in because he was a great looking prospect but hasn’t put it together yet. I certainly like the other guys and they are legit NBA starters/rotation guys but I don’t see star level upside.

Orlando is last, not because I don’t still hold out hope, but there just hasn’t been enough production or flashes for me to think that Payton, Hezonja or Gordon will be stars. I thought Isaac or Dennis Smith Jr. made the most sense at their pick and I think Isaac has a crazy high ceiling its about putting it together, getting more physical/assertive and then just honing his handle to attack the rim. I do think Frank Vogal is a solid NBA coach that should help develop these guys, but I feel like we know what Payton is, Hezonja hasn’t shown anything yet (but I still hold out hope) and Gordon has been hampered playing out of position and in the mix with too many similar players.

[BeastMode716Participant]

 They have 3 guys who can’t be guarded 1 V 1

What’s Most stunning to me is just 14 months ago – just before the 2016 Draft Lottery – they looked like a laughing stock b/c we did not know if Embiid’s surgically repaired bad foot would hold & they did not yet land the #1 pick in the 2016 Lottery which even as a Lakers fan who still believes Ingram can be really good, let’s face it Simmons was the Dream Get for every team in the Lottery. But it looked like they were in the Wilderness.

Simmons & Fultz look like studs & all three have great size & athleticism for their positions but the guy for me who is head & shoulders above Every player on this list is Embiid & even though his rare combo of raw power & smoothness on Offense is fantastic his Defensive ability is Off the Charts – Phila’s guard play was So bad the last 3 years the paint was like a run way for opposing players on their way to dunking

I can’t even explain how good Embiid is on Defense unless you have personally seen it & I do not mean highlights….. B/c Embiid was on a minutes restriction it was Astonishing to watch GOOD teams w/ Good players Afraid to attack the rim b/c this space alien covers So much ground. He blacks a Lot of shots but he Affects 3X as many more & then Embiid goes out & the opponent just begins relentlessly attacking the Rim again. Then Embiid comes back in & Dominates again. 

It was Bizzare to watch it & he is only going to get Better. Phila’s coach was a Spur’s assistant for 15+ years & he focuses on Defense. Robert Covington is a Great Wing defender. Fultz’s size & Wing Span is crazy for a guard & he is Strong. Simmons is an Elite defensive rebounder. There is No young team in the NBA w/ this kind of Defensive talent. 

1. Phila

2. Denver (Really solid every where, very deep, will prob have the best record of all 6 next year)

3. Phoenix (Luv Jackson & Booker together w/ Bledsoe. Hopefully Jax sets a tone Defensively)

4. Dallas (Luv Noel, Barnes & DSJ – gonna be fun to watch. Not sure how much they will win long term)

5. Orlando (Some nice solid talent – high floor but low ceiling)

6. Sacramento (I Really like what Sacramento is doing but they are just starting a long rebuild – let’s see how the young guys do this year) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nill650Participant]

 

1 Philly is the easiest because they don’t have any veteran core players.With probably all 4 core pieces going forward Embiid,Fultz,Simmons & Saric with some other potentialy very solid role players in the 3 intl players picked up this draft. ( I also like the odds Luwawau sticking there longterm)Philly if they can play together and stay healthy looks to have the best core going forward.

2 Kings have 3 out of the gate of their rebuild w Fox,Heild & Jackson potentially 4 or 5 key core peices if Giles,Skal pan out …that is a lot of talent as well.

3 Phoenix Booker & Jackson are the main 2 core pieces longterm with either of Bender or Chriss but not likely both. Warren may also factor into their longterm plans.

4 Denver Murray & Jokic are the only 2 I consider core pieces at this stage,maybe Harris but with others like Barton still there taking up minutes the longterm forcast for Denver is a little harder to predict.  maybe Mudiay if he has a break out season.Hernangomez has a fair chance to become that level of importance to them in the future as well. 

5 Dallas doesn’t really have a "young" core at all. other than Smith. I don’t consider Barnes who is already 25 a core piece by the time that team becomes a contender. There core right now of Matthews,Barnes and Noel add Smith are not good enough to win against the elite teams in the league.

6 Orlando is a cf  . They have never used Hezonia like they should, Payton and Gordon are less than they were projected to be by now. Isaac is a project. So maybe in a few years of improved progression by all of those players and they will be something worth calling a core. I don’t expect Orlando to do much without adding by subtraction of their vets,and tanking at least next year.

 

 

 

[Author]

Posts