[Lotto StudParticipant]

•  Phoenix is at the top of the board selecting the “hometown” guy in DeAndre Ayton, makes a ton of sense because he’s the BPA on top of his size and skill, but it puts them at a disadvantage by possessing the #1 pick because their biggest hole is at the point guard position. Tyson Chandler is there for veteran leadership, but Alex Len will continue to take a backseat.
• What a huge surprise that Jaren Jackson Jr. has skyrocketed above both, Marvin Bagley III and Mohamed Bamba. I will continue to monitor his billing all the way through March Madness play.
• Michael Porter Jr. fills the need for Dallas because they desperately need another wing player for added depth.
• Memphis passing up on Trae Young doesn’t seem to be ideal at all, especially with Mike Conley being injury prone and Tyreke Evans being on the trade block this season. Young is the consensus choice if he’s still on the board for Memphis.
• I believe the Bulls are a defensive big away from getting back to competing again, and Bamba will be a huge addition. (Same applies for Cleveland) Cleveland does not need anymore guards, they should address the front-court with all the help they can get.
• There’s no way that New York selects Collin Sexton after making the move to bring in Emmanuel Mudiay.
• Miles Bridges is criminally undervalued by tons of people and it doesn’t help any that they are blind to his improvements as a prospect.

[Arc12345Participant]

If the Hawks select Jaren Jackson over Porter, Doncic, Bagley, hell even Young, I’ll lose it.

He’s a good player, but man he just doesn’t scream star to me at the next level. More like a solid 4 man with good energy who can stretch the floor. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ll take my chances with the other guys.

 

 

 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 You don’t always need a star player to come in and contribute. Every pick in the top-5 will not become stars. As long as a guy fits the mold of the team’s system, he can become a valuable asset to turning the franchise around.

[BlueRivers25Participant]

 No need to draft Jackson Jr 2nd. Trade down 4-5 spots. Get more draft picks or assets. He will still be there. 

[Miko4rm206Participant]

 Lol as soon as I seen your post I was reminded of the year the hawks selected Marvin Williams over Cp3 lol

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 The drafts on here is just a "big board" doesn’t mean a team should go with him. Example, If the Lakers had the first pick and the best player was a PG they would have the lakers taking another PG…

Suns get the the pick they take the local guy..

Hawks pick 2nd they taking Lucka. They drafted John Collins last year at PF. Foregin dude fits their system. 

 

 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 Everyone is already aware that it’s a big board, but as followers of the site, we have to give our opinions on what’s in front of us. Just because it’s a big board, doesn’t mean that we should not evaluate what’s up.

[cominup7Participant]

 -PHX should definitely go BPA if they get #1, but they need a surefire blue chip talent. They went against the grain a couple yrs ago and took high risk/high reward players (Chriss, Bender) and that hasn’t turned out too well. Ayton, Bagley or Doncic

– The Bulls may end up being too good for a top 10 pick, but if they end up with one I want to see them draft Wendell Carter.

– Dallas will draft a big…they have their PG, and Porter and Harrison Barnes seem awfully similar plus they have plenty of young guards. Mo Bamba or possibly Jackson is the pick, Carlisle loves shotblocking C’s

– I’m just now realizing the drop off after the top 7 or 8 prospects is HUGE…but I think Lonnie Walker can be a Donovan Mitchell-type sleeper for a playoff team

 

 

 

 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 I totally agree with your assessment on going BPA for Phoenix. Although, their #1 priority is finding that point guard of the future, I wouldn’t completely write off Brandon Knight’s contribution once he returns from injury.

Dallas lacks depth behind Wesley Matthews at the 2. I initially thought that they would make a move to pick up Rodney Hood or Shabazz Muhammad during the deadline. If they take Porter Jr., I wouldn’t question it at all.

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 Grayson Allen might be this year’s Donovan Mitchell.

If you put Grayson vs. Luka in an open gym or on the playground, not sure I would put 10 cents on Doncic.

In this draft I am thinking of going Moneyball with Bamba at the top and then Grayson Allen.  Then do pick and rolls until 1) I break the NBA, or, possibly more likely, 2) I get fired.

Some people don’t like Bamba, or think he is a project (although he is shooting solidly from 3), but if he had Kareem’s skyhook, The Dream’s Shake, and TD’s sweet banker, then he would be the fifth best center in basketball history RIGHT NOW.

Not sure what people want out of this guy.  Potential killer.  

 

 

 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 The only thing that turns people away from Bamba is the lack of being an offensive presence in the paint, and he’s not as aggressive and gritty as people like or want out of their bigs with his size.

[Scott42444Participant]

I don’t know if I agree with you on Doncic.  I’ll admit, I haven’t seen him play aside from highlight packages, but in the years of us all following the NBA has anyone seen a teenager actually put up the numbers in Euroleague that this guy is putting up?  Normally, a guy is averaging 8 points and 4 boards but it’s in limited minutes and there is always talk about 40 minutes per game averages.  That’s not the case with Doncic.  He’s actually killing it already and he’s still a teenager.  I think he will be a the favorite for ROY by a substantial margin.  Basically, him against the field would be a logical bet, with the only thing working against him would possibly be the team fit/roster of whoever drafts him.

As far as Bamba, if you gave…Joakim Noah in 2012 Kareem’s Skyhook, The Dream Shake, and TD’s sweet banker he’d be a Top 5 all-time player.  I know what you are trying to say but gifting 3 of the most dominating low-post scoring arsenals of all-time would make 1/2 the NBA a HOF player.  It’s like saying that if you gave David Nwba Curry’s 3 point range, Jordan’s fadeaway, and Iverson’s cross-over he’d be a Top 10 all-time player.  I would agree with that statement of course but you are giving him some of the most dominating offensive skills in league history.

 

[BlueRivers25Participant]

 Never compare a White player to a Black player…smh

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 ^^^

After that I try to buy a second rounder and look for a long, somewhat athletic shooter — either at the 3 or the 4.  At worst I take a flyer on Johnathan Williams.

The top of this draft board looks like a bunch of guys who do a whole lot of nothing.

 

 

 

[Evan_MilbergParticipant]

Even if the site’s mock is just a “big board,” I still think putting Jackson at 2 is a gross overreaction to one game. If he can put up those kind of numbers more consistently throughout the rest of the year, he can be in the conversation for top 3. For now, though, I still need to see more. Bagley, Doncic, Bamba and Young, to me, are both significantly better prospects. I can see an argument for ranking Jackson over Porter due to Porter’s injury, but even that’s a stretch. 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

JJ Jr’s rise isn’t a surprise to me. Maybe because I’ve watched him for so many years in Indianapolis. 

He’s the perfect big for today’s NBA. Shoots the three well. Excellent shot blocker on the ball and from the weakside. High IQ at both ends and is very skilled for someone his age. An unselfish player at both ends of the floor. High character and high work ethic. 

He doesn’t have the hype of an Ayton, Bagley, Porter, Duncic, etc, but don’t let that fool you. He’s a prime example of the quote, "It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish." He’s probably not even done growing (scary) and has a lot of upside. He’s really young. He won’t even turn 19 until 9/2018.

He’ll definitely be worth of a top five pick. 

 

 

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