[GangGreen23Participant]

Surprised to once again not see Iowa big man Luke Garza’s name NOT listed amongst the 60 players to be Drafted. I get the defensive concerns but he was the College Player of the Year and will get picked in the late 2nd Round guaranteed. At least put him in your 2021 Mock as the 60th pick.

For the 2022 mock, you need to Add in the name of Michigan center Hunter Dickinson. He’s a Jonas Valanciunas clone. Please list him somewhere, because he will definitely be Drafted after his big Freshman season. He out-played Garza and Kofi Cockburn in head-to-head matchups this season.

[OhCanada-Participant]

You can add Neemias Queta, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jay Huff, Moses Wright and even Drew Timme to that list of bigs that are being vastly underrated. None of those players I listed are in the mock. Isn’t that crazy? I don’t even necassarily think that is too far off I just think the NBA is no longer valuing bigs which just seems wrong and it likely won’t last long.

I just don’t understand why these bigs are being ignored by the NBA these days. The MVP (Jokic), runner up (Embiid), most likely the DPOY (Gobert). All big men you wouldn’t say have great quickness. Now I’m not putting these guys in that class necessarily but even if they are considered “liabilities” defensively you can still use those guys situationally. If those big heavy footed bigs are thought of as taboo picks then where is Sandro Mamukelashvili and Moses Wright?

And really who the hell is Ismael Kamagate that he gets put in the mock ahead of College Basketballs best player for the last two years? Where is Moses Wright? The guys has size and length at 6’10, 240, 7’2 wingspan. Hes athletic, can shoot plays defense and has a very high basketball iq. He wins ACC player of the year and he’s not in the mock. Someone is gonna pick him for that Serge Ibaka role and he’s one of the only players in this draft that can play PF and C on both ends.

[GangGreen23Participant]

NBADraftRoom.com gives more love to College Big men. That is an alternate website that you might also want to visit.

[RUDEBOY-Participant]

i think timme announced the other day he’s returning to school…

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Gonzaga’s going to be so loaded again.

[ZouldiersParticipant]

Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme in that frontcourt…damn lol

[bt102Participant]

I actually don’t think Garza gets drafted. His game is just so old school and his defense his horrendous. He has struggled against NBA prospect centers during college. I get he can shoot it a little bit but….idk. He gets a 2 way no question, but to me he’s more of a Euro League prospect. I honestly like his teammate Joe Wieskamp more as an NBA player.

[bt102Participant]

I actually like Queta as a first round talent and Sandro in the second round. Jay Huff could be a Luke Kornet clone. Not hating on these big guys that much, I just don’t think Garza’s defense is good enough to even warrant him getting PT in the NBA.

[GangGreen23Participant]

Just checked and NBADraftRoom.com has Garza mocked as the 59th pick. See link below.

https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2021-2nd-round/

[BothTeamsPlayedHard-Participant]

I tend to believe Luka will get drafted, but there is no such thing as a 2nd round lock. Look at it this way, OKC and Detroit have three 2nds, NO has 4, Indiana, Charlotte, Brooklyn and New York 2. Three-fifths of the league’s 2nd rounders are held by seven teams. Now, some of those picks will be sold off, but we will also likely see the rebuilding teams stock up their ranks with young two-way players and international prospects who will stay overseas. It is probably more difficult than simply figuring that there are 30 different teams with 30 different boards.

If I was to play the connections game, I would think Sandro Mamukelashvili would have a likely landing spot in Golden State. He has been mentored by Zaza Pachulia who is now in their front office, it is an expensive team that needs back end of the roster rookies who can step in if needed, and historically the team has liked skillsy, unselfish players (acquiring Wiggins and Oubre aside). They don’t have a 2nd. Do they go buy one, or wait? Let’s say Milwaukee wants another center who spread the floor. It is an expensive team that has done well in filling out the back part of its team with capable cheap players like Nwora, Merrill, Elijah Bryant, and Diakite. When they want to give their main guys rest, they can play a role. They have 32. For some reason other than assessing basketball, Petrusev would seem to be there in many eyes (I don’t think he will, but still). Garza can lose a suitor if they get Petrusev. A lot of things can happen.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Petrusev’s an absolute monster. He averaged 24 points in a real league and his team was pretty good too. Since he left Gonzaga he has really developed that jumpshot I’ve gotta think that makes him a lock for the 1st round. He’s also only 21. I think worst case scenario you have a very similar player to Bobby Portis with Petrusev.

Also to add to your point the Raptors have two 2nd round picks and no players on the roster taller than 6’9. They should pick one of these guys.

[BothTeamsPlayedHard-Participant]

I really liked Petrusev at Gonzaga. He was basically what Timme was this year, but that left the same question about range and pick and roll game. People focus on the “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” when it comes to guys like Devin Booker playing on a stacked team, but this guy was a monster in paint. I get why Few wanted him there, but he also can step out 3 times a game and shoot 40+ percent from three. He answered the remaining questions, and there just aren’t a ton of centers with his full array of skills. I am not claiming the Adriatic League is the best league around, but he was too good for it. Also, every league in Europe took a hit in quality because of the pandemic. A lot more guys stayed home or went home early because they stopped getting paid.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Thats a good point. Even if the quality of competition dropped getting successful reps as the go to guy in a grown mans league would certainly help the confidence of players like Petrusev, Prkacin, Giddey and Sengun. Just reinforcing those positive habits. With players like Kai Jones, Keon Johnson and Day’ron Sharpe thats missing. It will; be interesting to see how the draft plays out I honestly think were all in the dark right now and as you said theres probably 30 different draft boards out there which will probably result in tons of trades. Then theres measurements, if a guy like Moses Wright measures well enough to prove he can play Center he might get looks in the 1st round but I see him listed as 6’8 with a 6’11 wingspan but I also see him listed at 6’9 with a 7’2 wingspan other places. Scottie Barnes is another guy, if hes grown a bit to 6’10 that makes him a very intriguing pick.

[BothTeamsPlayedHard-Participant]

It is just a different path. Obviously, it is easier for a Serbian guy to head to the Adriatic League to have more assurance of a season, and a chance to show off a more complete game than it would be for Drew Timme. I think Kai Jones is in a different bucket of prospects. He walk into any gym, and anyone can spot him as a prospect. He looks the part. That, and the fact that he didn’t start playing until he was 15 makes you wonder what kind of learning curve he is on. Whoever drafts him has to have a plan for him, because you late starter in the sport like a rookie who has a basketball in his crib. A lot of circumstances will go into whether he works out or not, but he is not a body of work prospect. He is a pogo stick who physically outgrew track. I can quibble with more than a few things about his game (bad footwork, loose handle, can go invisible on the court), but then you have to try to weigh that for a guy who came to the game so late. He probably would not have been a good candidate for the G-League Elite. He needed a couple years in college, and honestly probably a third, to play catch up. It makes him tough to place in the draft.

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