[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

 Just from some of the games I saw here are some thoughts I haven’t seen everyone:

AYTON:  unsurprised by loss.  College basketball is run by guards and if you can double or triple a bigman and get him out of the game, obviously AZ guards didn’t do enough.  Having said that, I agree that he doesn’t provide enough rim-protection and has this odd desire to cover guards, which he can do, but know your role DeAndre.  He’ll still be the #1 pick, I just wish I saw a "gimme the ball and once they collapse I’ll find you" moment.  The offense doesn’t run through him.  Let’s compare him to teh best in the league.  Embiid, Jokic, Cousins, Towns, Gobert, Adams.

Ayton would give Embiid work on offense because Embiid struggles with bigs that can play in the perimeter, mainly because he isn’t sure whether to cover or rim protect.  Ayton also has scary athleticism and power which Embiid actually kind of lacks, Embiid doesn’t have strength.  If Ayton starts to become a bully he’d give Embiid issues.  But Ayton doesn’t have much of a post game right now.  On Defense, Ayton would struggle it appears, but I think he has the raw potential to learn to play defense.  If he’s strong enough I think Embiid struggles against him a little bit.  Embiid isn’t quite as slick as say a Olajuwon vs David Robinson or Ewing matchup.  I think Ayton if he grows into his frame, would be decent and strong enough to give Embiid true problems.

Jokic doesn’t really play like a center so the perimeter game would be fun to see Ayton where he is most comfortable guarding the perimeter player and I think Ayton if he develops a post game would give Jokic problems otherwise this isn’t really a fun matchup more of a stretch 5 matchup.

Cousins is in his prime and he overachieves but Ayton def has the size to one on one defend Cousins.  Ayton on offense would be too strong powerful explosive for Cousins.

Towns doesn’t play rim protection D so this is similar to Jokic where Towns can do a decent job of playing D on a perimeter center.  Ayton can get out there and defend Towns, and Ayton also wouldn’t let Towns bully him because he’s too strong. 

Gobert can defend anyone in the league but Ayton is strong he just needs to develop a post agme.  Gobert isn’t really an offensive player.  

After reviewing all of this, Ayton lines up to be either the best or second best center in the game in a few years if he can develop a post game and rim protection.  If he can’t, he’s just a bigger taller more explosive Jahlil Okafor.

BAGLEY:  guy has it all, just a slender build so may get muscled in the NBA.  But as a power forward let’s compare him to greats. 

Anthony Davis gives anyone problems but I think Bagley has enough length and fundamentals to play him.  Bagley isn’t as good as Davis but is still good enough.   

Horford, Bagley is as long so Bagley would do fine against him,

Porzingis, Bagley is quick enoguh to defend him.  Bagley has enough moves.  His perimeter shooting will be serviceable.  Maybe not quite Porzingis but still very good.

Draymond, I actually think Bagley is skilled enough to battle Draymond.  I see Draymond in 2 years not being near the player he is now.  

Aldridge, Aldridge may have too much size for Bagley.  This is where I see Bagley struggling against big-sized power forwards.  I don’t think Bagley will defend centers near the paint well at all either.  Bagley will be a stretch 4.

Love, I see Bagley easily able to defend Love, and Love struggling against Bagley in a year.

 

MICHAEL PORTER – this guy is a nice player.  I like his size skill and intangibles.  Giannis Porter James George Durant.

Compared to Giannis I definitely see him being slow.  Porter’s footspeed was a question mark as I don’t think he’s on that Ben Simmons level of speed.  Giannis is definitely a better player but that doesn’t mean much.

Lebron is too strong and explosive I don’t think Porter is as explosive.  I don’t think Porter can stay with Lebron either.  I question Michael Porter’s defense because I don’t think his footwork is quick enough.

Paul George may be a good comparison for Porter only that George is a better gaurd.  Their offensive polish is about the same I just think Porter will play slightly bigger than George.  George is the much better defender.

Durant, I realize we are comparing him to grats but thats what you have to do.  Porter is not as explosive as Durant offensively.  Defensively Durant is better, longer, quicker on his feet.

Otto Porter and Tobias Harris may be safer comparisons for Michael Porter.  MPJr is definitely a better all-around offensive player than both Otto and Tobias, but their defense and footwork is at about the same level. 

I predict he’ll be a level below George and Durant but a level above Otto and Tobias.

BAMBA – I didn’t get to see Bamba’s offense since he was double teamed.  College players easily took him out of his game by playing him with a lower center of gravity.  This guy is all about length, definitely not strength.  Offensively he is a few years away if you ask me but maybe the NBA gives him more space and ability to shoot over people.  God help you if he’s one of your offensive go to guys.  Defensively, I honestly see Embiid struggle someitmes with strength and Embiid is 24 now.  NBA has some big boys.  I do not see him filling out his frame like Gobert.  I think he’s years away.  He has to get stronger.  I don’t think his length will give guys like Cousins or Embiid or Towns problems as they will go right into his chest.  

WENDELL CARTER – he will be serviceable.  Future might be at Power Forward.  Better rim protector than Bagley but less offensive polish.  Just hope he doesn’t get put in that tweener category…not good enough for the big boys in the NBA.  Like there is no way Steven Adams has trouble with Wendell Carter right now and I think Gobert has an easy time defending him.  I think Towns is too strong for him too.  He needs to add at least 10 lbs of muscle.

TRAE YOUNG – I was excited by Trae Young Even in the tourney he showed he can kick it up a notch when his team needed him to score late in the game when everyone is tired.  He turned it up when their whole defense was predicated to stop him.  I really hope Trae Young goes somewhere where other players have some gravity so he has space to operate because I love his passing.  He’s a better offensive Jameer Nelson.  With some space to operate he will be a playmaker in the NBA.  Defensively he will be a sieve so teams need to be prepared for that he’s not even an option.  I think his game will be very comparable to current laker Isiah Thomas, who was huge in playoffs last year.  This kid showed a lot going against teams taht literally game planned against him.  He kicked it up another notch 2nd half, props to Trae.

COLLIN SEXTON – Patrick Beverly right?  Maybe more skilled.  Didn’t see too much playmaking from him against Nova.  I saw a guy that is a fiery competitor.  Hits the midrange and can get to the bucket but mainly is the player he is due to his heart and athleticism.  Plays some pretty good man to man D.  Nowhere near as good as Chris Paul.  Westbrook is way too explosive for him.  More Eric Bledsoe, Darren Collison, Terry Rozier, than Kyle Lowry due to lack of consistent deep shot threat, but closer to Lowry than the others named..  Not close to Irving Curry Lillard.  Somewhere between Mudiay Dunn Bledsoe/Rozier Holiday Lowry.  I think he’s right around Dunn and Bledsoe/Rozier. 

MIKAL BRIDGES – Has a sweet stroke.  Arms like octapus tentacles.  Cannot create his own shot.  Is pretty slim.  Difficult to see him having strength to cover even 3s in the league being that he’s a junior in college.  For him strength will be his main issue.  I see him ebing able to swtich between 1s and 2s easy, and possibly the 3.  He will be a serviceable pro.  Inability ot create a shot is troublesome.  Maybe he develops into Trevor Ariza but I don’t think he’ll ever be the man Ariza is.  He matches up pretty fairly with Robert Covington but I don’t think he’s as strong as Covington.  So he may end up a poor man’s Robert Covington, which isn’t bad at all considering Covington rates as a top 5 swingman in the league right now.  Classic 3 and D guy.  Just strength is a major issue for him.  

These are the guys I’ve seen.  Need to check out Knox.  Walker that Miami team was a lame duck team.  Walker would just observe mainly on offense, never able to see if he had a good consistent shot or if he could really finish well at the rim.  I don’t think he’s skilled enough in any of those areas he’s just an explosive guard right now.  He’s not Donovan Mitchell.  He could be a Wes Mathews type player without Wes Mathews athleticism.   

 

[SubZeroParticipant]

Teams later in the lottery will regret not picking Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Here are his averages in the 5 games they’ve played in the postseason so far:

21.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 2.4 spg, 57.1 FG%, 50 3P%, 81.6 FT%

He almost single handedly kept us afloat for a long stretch during the season, and I think he should get a lot of credit for this team turning itself around. I don’t think he’ll be on Wall or Fox’s level, but he’ll be a very good NBA player, especially in this era where you can never have too many playmakers

[ChewyParticipant]

 He also seems to have the biggest heart and plays with the biggest chip on his shoulder of this UK group.

Will he be able to play PG at the NBA level? Every time I watch him I see an NBA SG.

 

[SubZeroParticipant]

I don’t see why he can’t be. Maybe not full time, he’d be better off playing alongside a guy like Booker who can also initiate an offense, but he has the vision, the handles, and the smarts and shiftiness that makes up for whatever he lacks in athleticism

Yep, he is definitely the heart of this team. The whole season while the rest of the team wasn’t really into it, he was practicing at 7 a.m. everyday. His work ethic eventually rubbed off on everyone else and that’s when they finally started to turn it around. I’d be willing to bet that he was heavily involved in that players only meeting after the 4 game losing streak too

[ChewyParticipant]

 Durant, Tatum, Porter, Giannis, George,  Porter, Knox ect

I always look to see who can develop that elbow post up. Melo and Pierce killed people with it. It let them be effective long after their athleticism faded.

Who is going to develop that turn around jumper from a post up on the elbow? All of them can hit it, but which player(s) is going to turn it into a MJ/Kobe/Dirk unblockable jumper? That’s what I’m looking for.

Side note: I love how Lebron went the exact opposite way. He posts up at the elbow, takes one dribble and goes through people to the basket.

 

 

 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 Grizzlies will have a top 4 pick, then around 31 and 40. 

I wish we could get 4 picks between 5 and 15. That’s where the strength of this draft lies. Even the mid second rounders have value. But the top 5 is a landmine, especially 2-4, and I am not even sure Ayton is a lock at 1. 

Top 5 I think you go with a big man with upside like Ayton and Bamba. Now if you could combine Ayton’s offense and Bamba’s defense then you possibly have a Mount Rushmore center.

Other than that, I will go with Knox and Gilgeous Alexander with a second rounder like Moritz Wagner than my solitary choice of Young, Sexton, Porter, or Bamba. 

[ZachAttackParticipant]

 I’m sure every team in the league wishes they could get 4 picks between 5 and 15. You’d be picking nearly half the lottery.

[HitsterParticipant]

 Memphis I think can almost take BPA even if it means a C might have to play at PF around Marc Gasol. They could learn a lot from Marc and if Memphis did decide to cash in on Marc Gasol it would be interesting to see what extra picks they could get in what is a deep draft.

[Sewok15Participant]

 I stopped reading when you said Embiid doesn’t have the strength advantage over Ayton(but then I read the rest because these games on now are weak) . Embiid routinley bullies the strongest players in the NBA. Sometimes he looks clumsy on the court but he is easily one of the strongest players in the league. 

Isn’t a super athletic Wes Matthews comprable to Donovan Mitchell? Lonnie is somewhat inconsistent with his jumpshot but if you watch him shoot he has beautiful form and his misses are always close missing just long or short. He will be  a great shooter in a few years. He is already a really good finisher and has an NBA ready body. His only issues are sometimes not being assertive enough making plays and going to the ball as a shooting guard. 

He needs to improve his ballhandling and just get more experience playing elite competition. I think once he does that and gains confidence he will start to take his game to the next level. Right now he is a lottery pick on raw talent…he probably has more than any guard in this class. However after his horrendous finish to the Loyola-Chicago game I predict he will return to Miami next year and be a top 5 pick in 2019.

[r377Participant]

 What about the much hyped and loved Miles Bridges. I saw he had a good game but then followed up with a bad one today

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 How is he much hyped? He’s not top 5 and some not top 10 pick. Also the second game he played against Cuse who runs zone defense, only way you beat that zone is by 3 point shooters and guards going down the middle and dishing it out to open shooters, which MSU could not do, thier PG’s suck. He won’t face that type of zone in the league. 

[holefillers1Participant]

Robert Williams is an athletic freak. If he had Wendel Carter’s IQ he would be the first pick in the draft. Problem is he reminds me more of Samuel Dalembert…makes a great play, celebrates like a fat kid hitting a half court shot, then he is out of position and wreckless the next 20 minutes. But some GM is going to take a chance on him in the lottery. Maybe teach him a little pick and roll.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Bamba-Gasol could end up being an inverted version of Duncan-Robinson with Bamba being the young athletic defender/shot blocker with Gasol being the veteran high post/mid post guy.

Probably my favorite "upside" guy. You can pick him just for his shot blocking, rebounding, and dunking.

[Author]

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