I think this draft plays out like this:
Zion
Morant
Barrett
Then there is a group from 4-16 that has very similar talent level. C's are lucky to have at least one pick here.
Then from 17- 35 or 40 there is another group with a similar talent level. C's have two picks here.
Then after 35 or 40 to the end of the draft, you can put just about anyone here and your guess would be as good as anyone else. I don't think most of these players ever make a roster, nevermind ever become anything. So don't expect the Celtics at 51 taking anyone that makes this club. Expect a pick like Kadeem Allen or Ben Bentil, guys who will be around as possible 2 way players or just Summer League and preseason bodies.
I am really not high on anyone in this class outside the top three. Actually I am very down on the entire class. Just do not see many starter level players in this class. Tons of off the bench role players, but extremely few starter types.
I would trade off the lower picks and only select at 14, if 14 isn't also traded for AD. At 14, I have no problem with high risk, high reward Bol Bol. I think his possible ceiling is much higher than just about anyone else available at that point. Unfortunately, he also has high bust potential.
I completely concur with this whole take.
I do think there are several guys who will probably be decent role players and have long careers off NBA benches.
Most drafts typically have that surprise guy taken late in the 1st or even in the 2nd who becomes a strong starter, a Jokic or Draymond surprise. This draft will have that too. The hard part is knowing who that will be.
Agreed. I think we should only aim for three types of players-wing sized players who could be converted into guards (eg. Jalen Lecque, Horton-Tucker, maybe Langford if he can play as an SG), big wings who can be legit PFs/very big SFs (eg. Luka Samanic) and real big men who're mobile and skilled, but not undersized (eg. Goga Bitadze). As noted in the playoffs thread, small ball doesn't really work in the modern NBA anymore (Milwaukee steamrolled us by starting 1 guard, 1 wing and 3 bigs against our lineup of 1 guard, 2 wings, 1 swing and 1 big. Obviously Giannis is a freak but we would've done much better if we had two bigs in the frontcourt, preferably with Al at PF), and we should use this draft to kickstart a movement to recitfy this problem.
Yeah, and we got killed by pick & roll bigs all year because of our 1-big lineups.
It isn't just MIL. Look at how TOR is attacking GSW. They aren't trying to beat the Warriors' back court. Curry and Thompson aren't something you are going to out-talent. Lowry is an excellent guard, with 5 AS appearances, but he's not among the elite of scoring PGs. In fact his scoring declined dramatically this year, to just 14.2 points per game. And in this Finals series, it's down to just 13.3 per game.
Instead, Lowry has focused on being a facilitator for their front court. Kawhi, Siakam, Gasol and Ibaka are the weapons that they are beating GSW with. Especially with Durant out, their front-court has been a huge advantage for Toronto.
Lowry's stat line in this series is 13.3 points & 6.8 assists. Nowhere near the ~20-27 points per game that he used to put up for years when TOR was oriented all around their two star guards (Lowry and DeRozan). And this is working.
Lowry's willingness to morph back to a pass-first facilitator is a big part of why that team is successful.