2022 NBA Draft Thread

[Porckchop]

Anyone have thoughts on Nikola Jovic? To risky going the euro route again after Bolmaro?

[TheFuture]

Unfortunately, Bolmaro has been struggling a lot in the G-League. That's not a good sign for someone that has prior Euroleague/ACB league experience. Most of the prospects that make it out of the G-League and become good NBA players were top 10-15% type players in the G-League. Right now Leandro isn't even among the top 5 players on the current Iowa team. Oh, and it should come as no shock that his outside shot has regressed.

As for Okogie, he might be one of the most frustrating of a long line of draft pick failures for the Wolves. It's simply amazing that a guy who was a decent college 3-point shooter (38% on 173 attempts, so that's no fluke) literally turned into one of the worst perimeter shooters in the NBA. I get that you can't automatically book a guy as a long-range sniper just because of his college track record, but the fact that Okogie can't even make wide open catch and shoot 3's at a solid rate is just pathetic. And then we rinse and repeat with Culver in the next draft! Argh!!!

I could make a higher % of 3s than all 3, and I don't train everyday. But I am assuming they aren't either...

[Monster]

Unfortunately, Bolmaro has been struggling a lot in the G-League. That's not a good sign for someone that has prior Euroleague/ACB league experience. Most of the prospects that make it out of the G-League and become good NBA players were top 10-15% type players in the G-League. Right now Leandro isn't even among the top 5 players on the current Iowa team. Oh, and it should come as no shock that his outside shot has regressed.

As for Okogie, he might be one of the most frustrating of a long line of draft pick failures for the Wolves. It's simply amazing that a guy who was a decent college 3-point shooter (38% on 173 attempts, so that's no fluke) literally turned into one of the worst perimeter shooters in the NBA. I get that you can't automatically book a guy as a long-range sniper just because of his college track record, but the fact that Okogie can't even make wide open catch and shoot 3's at a solid rate is just pathetic. And then we rinse and repeat with Culver in the next draft! Argh!!!

I could make a higher % of 3s than all 3, and I don't train everyday. But I am assuming they aren't either...

Q Bolmaro is shooting 34.4% from 3 in 10 G-league games. That's not impressive or anything but it's not like he is shooting 25% either. People have been saying the guy can't shoot since he was drafted and he has continually proved people wrong. Meanwhile he is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists (and a bunch of turnovers). Let's see what he can do the rest of the G-league season since he is probably going to get to play a lot of minutes as a lead guard for a while with Wright injured. I think the most concerning thing about him is he has only 9 FTAs but he also hit all 9 of them.

The idea that some of these guys don't work on their game and that's why they can't hit 3's seems unlikely. If it was that easy just work hard...well it just isn't that simple. The NBA the level of competition is super high. Shooting isn't just about skill it's mental too. Are there some guys that don't work on their game enough or work on the wrong things? Sure but I think most guys work pretty hard on their game that doesn't mean it will translate.

For Okogie it's worth noting he is adjusting to a very different role than he has played before in his career. He had started over 50% of the games he played coming into the season. Now he sometimes doesn't even play when healthy. I'm not saying we should keep him because I think he will improve (maybe to some extent he could I move to be more useful as a rotation player but then again maybe not and he could end up out of the league) but to say it's because he isn't working on his game...I think there needs to be some evidence to make that claim when there are some other actual reasons for a dip in his play.

[Q-is-here]

Unfortunately, Bolmaro has been struggling a lot in the G-League. That's not a good sign for someone that has prior Euroleague/ACB league experience. Most of the prospects that make it out of the G-League and become good NBA players were top 10-15% type players in the G-League. Right now Leandro isn't even among the top 5 players on the current Iowa team. Oh, and it should come as no shock that his outside shot has regressed.

As for Okogie, he might be one of the most frustrating of a long line of draft pick failures for the Wolves. It's simply amazing that a guy who was a decent college 3-point shooter (38% on 173 attempts, so that's no fluke) literally turned into one of the worst perimeter shooters in the NBA. I get that you can't automatically book a guy as a long-range sniper just because of his college track record, but the fact that Okogie can't even make wide open catch and shoot 3's at a solid rate is just pathetic. And then we rinse and repeat with Culver in the next draft! Argh!!!

I could make a higher % of 3s than all 3, and I don't train everyday. But I am assuming they aren't either...

Q Bolmaro is shooting 34.4% from 3 in 10 G-league games. That's not impressive or anything but it's not like he is shooting 25% either. People have been saying the guy can't shoot since he was drafted and he has continually proved people wrong. Meanwhile he is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists (and a bunch of turnovers). Let's see what he can do the rest of the G-league season since he is probably going to get to play a lot of minutes as a lead guard for a while with Wright injured. I think the most concerning thing about him is he has only 9 FTAs but he also hit all 9 of them.

The idea that some of these guys don't work on their game and that's why they can't hit 3's seems unlikely. If it was that easy just work hard...well it just isn't that simple. The NBA the level of competition is super high. Shooting isn't just about skill it's mental too. Are there some guys that don't work on their game enough or work on the wrong things? Sure but I think most guys work pretty hard on their game that doesn't mean it will translate.

For Okogie it's worth noting he is adjusting to a very different role than he has played before in his career. He had started over 50% of the games he played coming into the season. Now he sometimes doesn't even play when healthy. I'm not saying we should keep him because I think he will improve (maybe to some extent he could I move to be more useful as a rotation player but then again maybe not and he could end up out of the league) but to say it's because he isn't working on his game...I think there needs to be some evidence to make that claim when there are some other actual reasons for a dip in his play.

Monster, I believe Bolmaro was reasonably hot his first couple of games in the G-League. But since then, he has not shot the ball well. I know you took a break from watching Wolves games, but for those of us that saw him play when he was inserted into the rotation, he looked overwhelmed. Could he turn it around and eventually contribute? May be, but we've seen this movie before. The odds are against him.

[Phenom]

If this organization has truly turned a corner a couple things are to be expected. One is that they don't need to play players that aren't ready. Bolmaro hasn't hardly played but he has had a lot of time around the big team to obaerve and learn. Two is that they will be put on a development plan and become effective. That remains to be seen with Leo. He will be a good barometer for the development system.

[thedoper]

Would like another high potential pick this year. A pg to back up Dlo would be fun. I like Matteo Spagnolo as a late first round pick. Maybe too early to take him depending where we pick.

[Monster]

Unfortunately, Bolmaro has been struggling a lot in the G-League. That's not a good sign for someone that has prior Euroleague/ACB league experience. Most of the prospects that make it out of the G-League and become good NBA players were top 10-15% type players in the G-League. Right now Leandro isn't even among the top 5 players on the current Iowa team. Oh, and it should come as no shock that his outside shot has regressed.

As for Okogie, he might be one of the most frustrating of a long line of draft pick failures for the Wolves. It's simply amazing that a guy who was a decent college 3-point shooter (38% on 173 attempts, so that's no fluke) literally turned into one of the worst perimeter shooters in the NBA. I get that you can't automatically book a guy as a long-range sniper just because of his college track record, but the fact that Okogie can't even make wide open catch and shoot 3's at a solid rate is just pathetic. And then we rinse and repeat with Culver in the next draft! Argh!!!

I could make a higher % of 3s than all 3, and I don't train everyday. But I am assuming they aren't either...

Q Bolmaro is shooting 34.4% from 3 in 10 G-league games. That's not impressive or anything but it's not like he is shooting 25% either. People have been saying the guy can't shoot since he was drafted and he has continually proved people wrong. Meanwhile he is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists (and a bunch of turnovers). Let's see what he can do the rest of the G-league season since he is probably going to get to play a lot of minutes as a lead guard for a while with Wright injured. I think the most concerning thing about him is he has only 9 FTAs but he also hit all 9 of them.

The idea that some of these guys don't work on their game and that's why they can't hit 3's seems unlikely. If it was that easy just work hard...well it just isn't that simple. The NBA the level of competition is super high. Shooting isn't just about skill it's mental too. Are there some guys that don't work on their game enough or work on the wrong things? Sure but I think most guys work pretty hard on their game that doesn't mean it will translate.

For Okogie it's worth noting he is adjusting to a very different role than he has played before in his career. He had started over 50% of the games he played coming into the season. Now he sometimes doesn't even play when healthy. I'm not saying we should keep him because I think he will improve (maybe to some extent he could I move to be more useful as a rotation player but then again maybe not and he could end up out of the league) but to say it's because he isn't working on his game...I think there needs to be some evidence to make that claim when there are some other actual reasons for a dip in his play.

Monster, I believe Bolmaro was reasonably hot his first couple of games in the G-League. But since then, he has not shot the ball well. I know you took a break from watching Wolves games, but for those of us that saw him play when he was inserted into the rotation, he looked overwhelmed. Could he turn it around and eventually contribute? May be, but we've seen this movie before. The odds are against him.

His first game back from his injury was plenty solid. I was looking at his stats on realgm which may not have had all his games. What I'd really like an explanation for is why the freaking G-league website doesn't even have correct stats for players and I have to look elsewhere for that info. It's unbelievably maddening.

[FNG]

After a year off it's fun to be talking draft again. Cam's list is good, and all except two will likely be available in our slot...Mathurin and Murray are certain lottery picks and would likely require us to move up. This draft is deep, and it's clear we will have a shot at a good player in the middle of the first round.

The second round is intriguing also. Scoring/shooting off the bench and rebounding/toughness are two big needs for the Wolves, and currently there are two guys projected to be second rounders who meet the criteria:

Max Abnas: He's undersized, hasn't played against the best competition (like CJ McConnell didn't), and likely to be a liability on defense in the NBA, but I get serious Steph Curry vibes from him. He led the NCAA in scoring last season as a sophomore with 24.5 PPG, and is making 39.2% of his threes this season on 10 attempts per game. I was lucky to see him in person last month when he played the entire game and scored 38 against St. Thomas...he was electric. Pure scorers like him aren't available in the second round very often.

Oscar Tsiebwe: Anyone who has watched Kentucky this season has to be impressed with this guy. He wasn't even appearing in mock drafts earlier in the year, and nbadraft.net currently has him going to us at 42...that would be terrific. If he keeps doing what he has been doing recently, I expect him to move up into the first round, but right now he is projected as a second rounder. I see him as a bigger, more polished version of Vando. He's 260 pounds with a 7'4" wingspan, and absolutely relentless on the boards. But unlike Vando, you can't sag off of him because he has developed a very nice mid-range game. He's averaging 16.4/15.3 this season...that's right, 15.3 rebounds a game! And his production seems to be better against tough competition...17/20 with 2 blocks against Duke for instance.

[Q-is-here]

Unfortunately, Bolmaro has been struggling a lot in the G-League. That's not a good sign for someone that has prior Euroleague/ACB league experience. Most of the prospects that make it out of the G-League and become good NBA players were top 10-15% type players in the G-League. Right now Leandro isn't even among the top 5 players on the current Iowa team. Oh, and it should come as no shock that his outside shot has regressed.

As for Okogie, he might be one of the most frustrating of a long line of draft pick failures for the Wolves. It's simply amazing that a guy who was a decent college 3-point shooter (38% on 173 attempts, so that's no fluke) literally turned into one of the worst perimeter shooters in the NBA. I get that you can't automatically book a guy as a long-range sniper just because of his college track record, but the fact that Okogie can't even make wide open catch and shoot 3's at a solid rate is just pathetic. And then we rinse and repeat with Culver in the next draft! Argh!!!

I could make a higher % of 3s than all 3, and I don't train everyday. But I am assuming they aren't either...

Q Bolmaro is shooting 34.4% from 3 in 10 G-league games. That's not impressive or anything but it's not like he is shooting 25% either. People have been saying the guy can't shoot since he was drafted and he has continually proved people wrong. Meanwhile he is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists (and a bunch of turnovers). Let's see what he can do the rest of the G-league season since he is probably going to get to play a lot of minutes as a lead guard for a while with Wright injured. I think the most concerning thing about him is he has only 9 FTAs but he also hit all 9 of them.

The idea that some of these guys don't work on their game and that's why they can't hit 3's seems unlikely. If it was that easy just work hard...well it just isn't that simple. The NBA the level of competition is super high. Shooting isn't just about skill it's mental too. Are there some guys that don't work on their game enough or work on the wrong things? Sure but I think most guys work pretty hard on their game that doesn't mean it will translate.

For Okogie it's worth noting he is adjusting to a very different role than he has played before in his career. He had started over 50% of the games he played coming into the season. Now he sometimes doesn't even play when healthy. I'm not saying we should keep him because I think he will improve (maybe to some extent he could I move to be more useful as a rotation player but then again maybe not and he could end up out of the league) but to say it's because he isn't working on his game...I think there needs to be some evidence to make that claim when there are some other actual reasons for a dip in his play.

Monster, I believe Bolmaro was reasonably hot his first couple of games in the G-League. But since then, he has not shot the ball well. I know you took a break from watching Wolves games, but for those of us that saw him play when he was inserted into the rotation, he looked overwhelmed. Could he turn it around and eventually contribute? May be, but we've seen this movie before. The odds are against him.

His first game back from his injury was plenty solid. I was looking at his stats on realgm which may not have had all his games. What I'd really like an explanation for is why the freaking G-league website doesn't even have correct stats for players and I have to look elsewhere for that info. It's unbelievably maddening.

The G-League splits up the season into the "Showcase" portion, which was the first three-four weeks of the year and the "regular" season, so yeah, you can't really see a cumulative stat line for all G-League games combined on the NBA site.

[Monster]

Unfortunately, Bolmaro has been struggling a lot in the G-League. That's not a good sign for someone that has prior Euroleague/ACB league experience. Most of the prospects that make it out of the G-League and become good NBA players were top 10-15% type players in the G-League. Right now Leandro isn't even among the top 5 players on the current Iowa team. Oh, and it should come as no shock that his outside shot has regressed.

As for Okogie, he might be one of the most frustrating of a long line of draft pick failures for the Wolves. It's simply amazing that a guy who was a decent college 3-point shooter (38% on 173 attempts, so that's no fluke) literally turned into one of the worst perimeter shooters in the NBA. I get that you can't automatically book a guy as a long-range sniper just because of his college track record, but the fact that Okogie can't even make wide open catch and shoot 3's at a solid rate is just pathetic. And then we rinse and repeat with Culver in the next draft! Argh!!!

I could make a higher % of 3s than all 3, and I don't train everyday. But I am assuming they aren't either...

Q Bolmaro is shooting 34.4% from 3 in 10 G-league games. That's not impressive or anything but it's not like he is shooting 25% either. People have been saying the guy can't shoot since he was drafted and he has continually proved people wrong. Meanwhile he is averaging 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists (and a bunch of turnovers). Let's see what he can do the rest of the G-league season since he is probably going to get to play a lot of minutes as a lead guard for a while with Wright injured. I think the most concerning thing about him is he has only 9 FTAs but he also hit all 9 of them.

The idea that some of these guys don't work on their game and that's why they can't hit 3's seems unlikely. If it was that easy just work hard...well it just isn't that simple. The NBA the level of competition is super high. Shooting isn't just about skill it's mental too. Are there some guys that don't work on their game enough or work on the wrong things? Sure but I think most guys work pretty hard on their game that doesn't mean it will translate.

For Okogie it's worth noting he is adjusting to a very different role than he has played before in his career. He had started over 50% of the games he played coming into the season. Now he sometimes doesn't even play when healthy. I'm not saying we should keep him because I think he will improve (maybe to some extent he could I move to be more useful as a rotation player but then again maybe not and he could end up out of the league) but to say it's because he isn't working on his game...I think there needs to be some evidence to make that claim when there are some other actual reasons for a dip in his play.

Monster, I believe Bolmaro was reasonably hot his first couple of games in the G-League. But since then, he has not shot the ball well. I know you took a break from watching Wolves games, but for those of us that saw him play when he was inserted into the rotation, he looked overwhelmed. Could he turn it around and eventually contribute? May be, but we've seen this movie before. The odds are against him.

His first game back from his injury was plenty solid. I was looking at his stats on realgm which may not have had all his games. What I'd really like an explanation for is why the freaking G-league website doesn't even have correct stats for players and I have to look elsewhere for that info. It's unbelievably maddening.

The G-League splits up the season into the "Showcase" portion, which was the first three-four weeks of the year and the "regular" season, so yeah, you can't really see a cumulative stat line for all G-League games combined on the NBA site.

Thanks Q for that explanation I had forgotten about that detail. Basketball reference didn't used to always have all the G-league stats updated but it seems like they are updating it more this year and if I remember last year they were doing better also. That's really a great website for sports stats.