It's looking more and more like the Lakers might gift us a 2-5 pick, although Lonzo/Lopez coming back from injury could change their trajectory a bit. Plus having Lavar's focus over in Lithuania can't be a bad thing for his oldest kid.
All that aside, I'm curious to know what you all think of the current Top-6 (Doncic, Bagley, Ayton, Bamba, Porter, Young) and how they fit with our team both in the short term (next 2 seasons) and long term (next 5-6 years). Here's my take just as a starting point, but I'm really curious to know what you all think:
Doncic - He strikes me as a 2/3 who becomes the primary ball-handler, similar to the way Pippen brought the ball up for the Bulls or how LBJ does (comparisons stop there). I'd love a lineup small-ball lineup with Irving, Brown, Doncic, Hayward, and Tatum/Horford. But when you write all those names out, you start to see the issue with taking him - ANOTHER wing. Just seems like we need a big more than another wing, especially as Horford ages.
Ayton - He seems like the best fit of anyone to me. He has range with his shot. He's a beast on the boards, and he's the most freakish athlete of anyone in the draft. His defense is improving and when you bring him under the wings of Stevens, Irving, Horford, etc. - I think he'll continue to get better. Having him on the floor switching everything allows you to play small ball without actually going small - and that's the sort of thing that could give top-notch WC teams fits.
Bagley - Similar to Ayton, but minus the shooting touch and rim-protection potential. Probably a better defender and rebounder now. When he develops he'd be like Baynes but with better lateral quickness and the ability to switch onto smaller defenders.
Young - Who can't use a 3-pt bomber? Reminds me a lot of Kyrie, but I'm not sure that using two small guards is what Stevens wants to do long-term. He'd come off the bench in the short run, and probably makes either Tito or Smart expendable long-term.
Bamba -Elite rim protector with soft touch on the mid-range J. Certainly a guy you can use in spurts, but I'm not sure he can stay on the floor vs. small ball centers - especially with what seems to be a lack of any ability to make them pay with his offensive game.
Porter - Might be the best offensive prospect in the draft, but I wouldn't touch him with a 2-5 pick given the other 5 guys on the board. I just can't get on board with a skinny guy who's almost 7-feet tall who misses an entire season of basketball due to a back injury before his 20th birthday. The risk is too high.