2023 CS Historic Draft Thread - Results in OP!

[Who]

I love the David Thompson pick.

He would an absolute stud in today's game. His quickness was unreal. That first step. That explosion. Nobody could stay in front of him. He has that MJ / D Wade level quickness at SG. With today's defensive rules, he'd be destroying guys off the bounce and be able to get to the rim at will.

I am just watching a game of his actually. He is playing againt one of the top defensive teams in the league with one of the top defensive guards of all-time on him. This is a playoff game. Huge intensity. All out effort from both teams. Nobody can touch him. He is just on another level.

Too fast. Too athletic. Too skilled.

David Thompson was a brilliant midrange and high level outside shooter. He'd be draining long jumpers no problem in today's league. Along with being the most terrifying rim-attacking force at SG in the game.

He did not have the passing of Wade or the defense or rebounding but in terms of pure scoring, David Thompson is one of the top 2 scorers in the draft. The other being Bernard King.

[theswitch]

I can't shake the feeling that this is going to be perceived as a reach for some reason -- but the Toronto Raptors have been hoping to select Marc Gasol in this slot for the past few days.

Marc is lower in terms of wow factor compared to some of the other big men still available, but there are simply no other guys who do what he does. He is a DPOY. He's first team All-NBA. He is a champion. He is a three-point shooter (even in earlier years when he didn't step out two more feet, he shot 50%-ish from 16-24 feet, and then was 35%-40%+ once he started shooting them). He's a 4-5 assists per game guy with an insane-for-a-center 20%-25% assist rate in his prime. He's a big man version of how I perceive a guy like Chauncey -- just a piece of championship glue who solves so many problems.

Between Marc and Penny, we have the best passing duo in the league and that's before having two of the next five selections to add to that. We think that affords us the flexibility to go in a few directions -- add to the passing to lean into basketball beauty or go with a more selfish or less offensive-based player because there are others to pick up the slack. We'll see!

[Celtic Fan Forever]

I can't shake the feeling that this is going to be perceived as a reach for some reason -- but the Toronto Raptors have been hoping to select Marc Gasol in this slot for the past few days.

Marc is lower in terms of wow factor compared to some of the other big men still available, but there are simply no other guys who do what he does. He is a DPOY. He's first team All-NBA. He is a champion. He is a three-point shooter (even in earlier years when he didn't step out two more feet, he shot 50%-ish from 16-24 feet, and then was 35%-40%+ once he started shooting them). He's a 4-5 assists per game guy with an insane-for-a-center 20%-25% assist rate in his prime. He's a big man version of how I perceive a guy like Chauncey -- just a piece of championship glue who solves so many problems.

Between Marc and Penny, we have the best passing duo in the league and that's before having two of the next five selections to add to that. We think that affords us the flexibility to go in a few directions -- add to the passing to lean into basketball beauty or go with a more selfish or less offensive-based player because there are others to pick up the slack. We'll see!

I don't think it's a reach per se- but I do think there are still a ton of high value centers and that you probably could've gotten, and Marc would've been available later. But I like the player and the fit- he's one of those guys, like his brother, that can fit well with anyone.

[Who]

Bernard King was one of the 2 remaining players from my top 5.

I did not have David Thompson in my top five but that is mainly because I did not give him enough thought. As I started to think more about him yesterday and today after looking at the draft board and thinking about who to pair with Zo, I realized I didn't have Thompson anywhere near high enough on my board.

I actually had King not just top 5 but #1 overall for most of the last 1-2 weeks. I had him a bit lower around 5 initially but I loved how easy he was to build around. A guy who does his own job and does it superbly while not putting others out of place. In the last few days, I moved T-Mac above King for his superior all-round game as my #1 overall choice.

I had Zo #2 on the day of the first round because I liked the idea of building an All-Defense type team around him and having a competitive edge that way. Plus, I haven't built a defensive team in a while. My last few teams have been offensively orientated. So yeah, I went with Zo over B King in the 1st round. I didn't have the next 3 members of my top 5 rated. King, Penny and the yet to be drafted 5th guy.

[Roy H.]

Really strong picks to close out the round.

[Who]

I can't shake the feeling that this is going to be perceived as a reach for some reason -- but the Toronto Raptors have been hoping to select Marc Gasol in this slot for the past few days.

Marc is lower in terms of wow factor compared to some of the other big men still available, but there are simply no other guys who do what he does. He is a DPOY. He's first team All-NBA. He is a champion. He is a three-point shooter (even in earlier years when he didn't step out two more feet, he shot 50%-ish from 16-24 feet, and then was 35%-40%+ once he started shooting them). He's a 4-5 assists per game guy with an insane-for-a-center 20%-25% assist rate in his prime. He's a big man version of how I perceive a guy like Chauncey -- just a piece of championship glue who solves so many problems.

Between Marc and Penny, we have the best passing duo in the league and that's before having two of the next five selections to add to that. We think that affords us the flexibility to go in a few directions -- add to the passing to lean into basketball beauty or go with a more selfish or less offensive-based player because there are others to pick up the slack. We'll see!

I was trying to place Marc Gasol in this draft. I had him anywhere from late 2nd to 3rd round pick. To a 3rd to 4th round pick when I realized the center position was a bit deeper in quality than I originally thought because I missed a few guys on my first & second attempts at making a draft board.

I really like him in this setup because of his team game. He makes everyone around him better. He has the physicality to play one-on-one defense in the post. The team defense to anchor your D. Then offensively he makes everyone better with his high post facilitation (shooting & passing).

He is an enabler. In a good way. He allows everyone around him to be their best possible self. One of the best team players in the entire draft. And you can put just about anyone alongside him and he'll make it work.


My two guys, Zo and King, are not like that.

Zo can get in people's way offensively if you run the offense through him. King is better. He concentrates on his own work and doesn't interfere much with others but he also doesn't do much to make anyone else better. Zo can make guys better on D, rebounding and jump-shooting but not as a go-to scorer. King is more of a solo-act. You let him do his thing and you put guys around him who can blend in. 

[smokeablount]

Bernard King was one of the 2 remaining players from my top 5.

I did not have David Thompson in my top five but that is mainly because I did not give him enough thought. As I started to think more about him yesterday and today after looking at the draft board and thinking about who to pair with Zo, I realized I didn't have Thompson anywhere near high enough on my board.

I actually had King not just top 5 but #1 overall for most of the last 1-2 weeks. I had him a bit lower around 5 initially but I loved how easy he was to build around. A guy who does his own job and does it superbly while not putting others out of place. In the last few days, I moved T-Mac above King for his superior all-round game as my #1 overall choice.

I had Zo #2 on the day of the first round because I liked the idea of building an All-Defense type team around him and having a competitive edge that way. Plus, I haven't built a defensive team in a while. My last few teams have been offensively orientated. So yeah, I went with Zo over B King in the 1st round. I didn't have the next 3 members of my top 5 rated. King, Penny and the yet to be drafted 5th guy.

Yeah, King and Thompson were hard to place but I had them as mid-1st round grades. I slept on it last night with both of them still on the board, and decided that them and crazy analytics/no flaws Billups were my top 3 targets today. Crazy none were taken... Then all 3 back to back to back.

To get King or Thompson late in the 2nd IMO is a massive coup, it's only possible because they played 40+ years ago. They were holding their own against top 10-20 all time players, huge in this format.

Great pick Who.

No 3rd rounder for me, but I'm over the moon with my first 2 picks, TMac & Thompson devastating teams at the wing spots.

[theswitch]

Going back to back is tough -- I'm ready to dive into it 

[gouki88]

M Gasol is another one with multiple iterations. Do you take the perimeter shooting Gasol with more scoring and less rebounding, or so you take interior DPOY Gasol?

A good problem to have. Essentially have access to two different players depending on who you fill the rest of the roster with

[smokeablount]

I can't shake the feeling that this is going to be perceived as a reach for some reason -- but the Toronto Raptors have been hoping to select Marc Gasol in this slot for the past few days.

Marc is lower in terms of wow factor compared to some of the other big men still available, but there are simply no other guys who do what he does. He is a DPOY. He's first team All-NBA. He is a champion. He is a three-point shooter (even in earlier years when he didn't step out two more feet, he shot 50%-ish from 16-24 feet, and then was 35%-40%+ once he started shooting them). He's a 4-5 assists per game guy with an insane-for-a-center 20%-25% assist rate in his prime. He's a big man version of how I perceive a guy like Chauncey -- just a piece of championship glue who solves so many problems.

Between Marc and Penny, we have the best passing duo in the league and that's before having two of the next five selections to add to that. We think that affords us the flexibility to go in a few directions -- add to the passing to lean into basketball beauty or go with a more selfish or less offensive-based player because there are others to pick up the slack. We'll see!

Like the pick. Maybe a 3rd round grade, but the thing is you can draft him to get a rare combo of passing, rebounding and elite defense, or passing, rebounding and elite 3 point shooting for a big. Exciting stuff!

[theswitch]

So that's:

Bulls: [ ], David Thompson, Tracy McGrady, [ ], [ ]
Jazz: [ ], [ ], Grant Hill, Chris Bosh, [ ]
Grizzlies: [ ], Vince Carter, Alex English, [ ], [ ]
Nuggets: [ ], [ ], Bernard King, [ ], Alonzo Mourning
Raptors: Penny Hardaway, [ ], [ ], [ ], Marc Gasol
Thunder: Chauncey Billups, [ ], [ ], [ ], Dwight Howard
Clippers: [ ], Sidney Moncrief, Chris Mullin, [ ], [ ]
Magic: [ ], Brandon Roy, [ ], Chris Webber, [ ] (or Webber plays C)
Nets: [ ], [ ], [ ], Amare Stoudemire, Pau Gasol (or vice versa)
Cavaliers: [ ], Manu Ginobili, [ ], Elton Brand, [ ] (or Brand plays C)
Kings: [ ], Mitch Richmond, Shawn Marion, [ ], [ ]
Generals: Tim Hardaway, [ ], [ ], Rasheed Wallace, [ ]

Quality stuff! Everyone taking clearly different approaches, but lots of quality combinations. Raptors aside, at first blush I particularly like the makeup of the Jazz, Thunder, Clippers.

I'm most intrigued by the Nuggets but they really need someone who knows how to pass the basketball.

I find myself cheering for Manu to finally get to run his own team.

I don't see any team where I'm like "wow, this makes no sense" -- everyone's doing a nice job and making this fun!

[Moranis]

I like English a lot.  Only available player to lead a decade in scoring and it is 5th highest scoring decade in the sports history.  Prototypical size and a very smooth stroke that easily would translate out to 3 today.  I was going between English and Amar'e but ultimately felt Amar'e was better.

[smokeablount]

So that's:

Bulls: [ ], David Thompson, Tracy McGrady, [ ], [ ]
Jazz: [ ], [ ], Grant Hill, Chris Bosh, [ ]
Grizzlies: [ ], Vince Carter, Alex English, [ ], [ ]
Nuggets: [ ], [ ], Bernard King, [ ], Alonzo Mourning
Raptors: Penny Hardaway, [ ], [ ], [ ], Marc Gasol
Thunder: Chauncey Billups, [ ], [ ], [ ], Dwight Howard
Clippers: [ ], Sidney Moncrief, Chris Mullin, [ ], [ ]
Magic: [ ], Brandon Roy, [ ], Chris Webber, [ ] (or Webber plays C)
Nets: [ ], [ ], [ ], Amare Stoudemire, Pau Gasol (or vice versa)
Cavaliers: [ ], Manu Ginobili, [ ], Elton Brand, [ ] (or Brand plays C)
Kings: [ ], Mitch Richmond, Shawn Marion, [ ], [ ]
Generals: Tim Hardaway, [ ], [ ], Rasheed Wallace, [ ]

Quality stuff! Everyone taking clearly different approaches, but lots of quality combinations. Raptors aside, at first blush I particularly like the makeup of the Jazz, Thunder, Clippers.

I'm most intrigued by the Nuggets but they really need someone who knows how to pass the basketball.

I find myself cheering for Manu to finally get to run his own team.

I don't see any team where I'm like "wow, this makes no sense" -- everyone's doing a nice job and making this fun!

I'm feelin' myself, but I'm afraid of the Thunder.

Lot of teams look good, so it's still way too early to tell.

[Celtic Fan Forever]

Taking my own team out of the equation- my favorite duos are in Utah and Orlando. Bosh is a great sidekick for the 90s version of Lebron and you can get him at his peak too. Roy and Webber would be great together as well, Brandon Roy was a guy I had highly valued, and Webber is a guy I would’ve strongly considered if Dwight wasn’t on the board. Both versatile guys too. I’m intrigued to see what Toronto does as well- 2 team first guys and they have 2 top 5 picks tomorrow to add talent to that roster.

[theswitch]

M Gasol is another one with multiple iterations. Do you take the perimeter shooting Gasol with more scoring and less rebounding, or so you take interior DPOY Gasol?

A good problem to have. Essentially have access to two different players depending on who you fill the rest of the roster with

Yeah, I think I can decide later. I'm leaning towards the latter (defensive). In his DPOY year, he shot 178 times from 16-24 feet and hit them at a 49% clip. He was 43% from 20-24 feet albeit at a smaller but still meaningful sample size (35).

Maybe that doesn't quite get the credit in this format but if we are making arguments for players from the 1970s and 1980s, I have no issue making that argument for Marc Gasol. It's not like he suddenly learned how to shoot in 2016. He could always hit those shots, he was just never really asked to. If he took half a step backwards, he would have still hit them. It's the KG issue. I would go to the mat arguing that KG would've been a three-point shooter if he played today, and I'd do the same for Marc Gasol.

But we'll see. Even in his Toronto years, he was an incredible defender. I'm actually not sure there's much change in his capabilities over the course of the decade -- he could always shoot, pass, rebound, defend. He was just asked to accentuate different skills depending on what the team needed at the time. That's the Marc Gasol I'm signing up for.