I’m going bonkers with my picks, I’ll go with:
- Jabari Smith Jr because he has the highest floor
Ivey
Benedict Mathurin
Paolo Banchero
Chet
Duren
I think JSJ has a much higher offensive ceiling than Banchero IMO. Gonna be a scorer with the potential to add some playmaking. The latter’s floor is higher than the rest of the prospects though.
Paolo isn’t in my top 5. I have in no order Ivey Smith Holmgren Griffin and Sharpe all ahead of him.
I am a big fan of Mathurin it was just a dunk last night but very few can do what he did last night, large upside might be a better shooter than Ivey. I want the Pistons to get a high pick but being 3 or 4 might be better than having #1.
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Hot take: Jabari Smith is an insane pick at #1. I don’t even see All-Star upside, let alone franchise-changing. Feels like he’s a very safe NBA starter, but how many all-star players were as bad/incapable at getting to the rim as Jabari?
Mathurin is a tier below the top 4. He’s too much of a straight line athlete for my likings. A better shooting KCP is my comp for him
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Here is what I say to all the unpaid labor advocates. Then don’t go to college.
I’m more or less just taking Vecenie’s board and eyeballing an age adjustment
- Jabari
- Chet
- Ivey
- Banchero
- Griffin
- Duren
- Mathurin
Jabari being that young should give you pause on just what he can and can’t do. Duren and Griffin are even younger and if I had seen more of Duren I could imagine putting him much higher up on the board. If he’s just a center I’d prob rather have the guys w more chance of being a big time creator.
What position is Holmgren supposed to play in the NBA? That’s my main question on him.
Also - I realize age is a factor, but I’m not sure why Keegan Murray doesn’t enter into the discussion at all. I have almost no doubt that he can be a starting SF. It seems like he’s a better Mikal Bridges…
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For those of you that have seen more of Duren - are his feet as laterally agile as he looks? I haven’t seen a ton of him, but it feels like just a credible 15 ft jumper and you’ve got a decade of All-Star level play from a switchable 5. I don’t think that gets him up in the top four, but it may make him a clear second tier of his own?
That’s my question. He does not seem to have the purported guard skills that made him such a ‘unicorn’ coming out high school. I highly doubt he’s a KD or Dirk. He looks like a traditional rim protector who can play the 4 and shoot 3s but his size is a big worry. He got absolutely shut down by Duren.
Yeah I think that the theory of him is basically Dirk? But he’s way smaller.
Holmgren has the potential to be another Giannis if he puts the time in the gym. Let us not forget how skinny Giannis was in his first year at NBA. He was hungry, he put the time to bulk up and it paid off.
Your body is more than just putting in the work. Holmgren is always going to be skinny for his size because he has a small frame. That just has to be apart of his evaluation as a prospect IMO. Even getting to 220 would probably be phenomenal for him and he’d be at a strength disadvantage vs everyone he plays still.
Bridges was an elite college shooter. 85% FT shooter compared to Murray’s 75%. NBA average is 80%. I would guess his blocks + steals rate adjusting for position are also superior but not as clear. Murray IMO not really a pure 3 and D guy. I’m not sure how much I really like him, as good a college player as he clearly is.
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My general take is that this is just a weak draft. I might like Ivey more than the top 3 guys, although I could still be convinced on Paolo since I haven’t watched a ton of him, but I just get major Jabari Parker energy from him.
And he shut Duren down. If getting shut down still has you at 9/9/2 with 4 Blocks I think you must be a really legit player
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Foul trouble shut Duren down to the extent that he barely played all night. He got called for some really ticky tack fouls.
And he still managed to go 3-11 on 2PA when he was out there. Memphis scored 1.52 PPP when Chet wasn’t on the floor
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I think I would go Banchero then Ivey. And gun to my head, Holmgren next. I don’t love the class in terms of top-end talent.