2018 NBA Draft

[kekgeek]

Maybe its because the Wolves don't have a high pick so I can't talk myself into players but I just feel like this draft in general is super overrated and I really don't like many players at the top of this draft. I feel like there will be many quality role players but I am not seeing star players and the difference between 7 and 30 is not much of a difference.

Luka Doncic- By far my favorite player in this draft, Got that IT factor who is a tall skilled guard that can play multiple positions. Can shoot and is not afraid of the moment. I feel like the media doesn't have him as the overall #1 pick because they haven't seen him and he is European.

Ayton- I just don't love him. I think we see with KAT if you don't have the ability to be an above average defensive center it is hard to have a good defense. Also KAT is so much more talented on offense. Ayton has a motor issue that was shown a lot in the season. He doesn't like to fight for position in the post in the multiple games I watched this season (even though his body is probably better suited than KAT to do so). I think his defense will be similar to KAT but not even close to KAT on the offensive end, and with that what do you really have. Valancinus/Lopez/Kanter type player, who are all good players but not game changers.

Mo Bamba- Love his potential, but drafting a defensive center high always scares me because it is so hard to determine how good that defense will translate. I mean Gorgui, Kat, WCS, Bismack and Thabeet were all very good defensive players in college (internationally) but it has not translated in the NBA. It is just hard to know if those skills will translate as a center.

Jaren Jackson Jr- I think he will be a solid player but I don't see a top 3 player on a deep playoff team. Think he is solid at a lot of things but is not amazing at any one thing. Just seeing a starter on a playoff team nothing more.

Micheal Porter Jr- Massive unknown, but based on reports sounds like a poor mans wiggins (I know we all love Wiggins). Not as athletic as wiggins, not a good shooter like wiggins, poor dribbler like wiggins. Just think it is hard to be consistent in the NBA if you don't have a solid handle. Based on reports Porter dosen't

Marvin Bagley- Thomas Robinson 2.0. Dominated College but just 2 much of a tweener for todays NBA. Think he will be a big time bust.

Trae Young- Think he will struggle. Going to be hard for him to move from doing everything to a role player. Not athletic enough. I just don't see it.

[kekgeek]

Now with the Wolves pick I think there is a lot of depth in this draft at the wings. I don't think any will be a star but I feel like this draft will be known as a the role player draft in the upcoming years from top to bottom.

Wings I like at our pick: Lonnie Walker, Zhaire Smith, Jacob Evans (don't love him but would be ok with), Shake Milton.

My two favorite players out our pick are:
Chandler Hutchinson: He was a senior at Boise, he played in a weak conference but he can score, quality length. I do love his ability to rebound at the guard position at almost 8 a game and he averaged 3.5 assists per game. Those stats usually translate.

Khyri Thomas: Like everyone else I love him also. Just a elite wing defender, who has some dog in him. Can hit 3s, I just love what he brings to the table and he seems like a thibs guy.



*In the 2nd round the Ringer draft guide has us selecting Gary Trent Jr. Now if he is available in the 2nd round I would love it. Dont see star or anything like that but he can hit the 3 and if he can do that.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

The combine is fools' gold I tell you! I used to really pay attention to that stuff, but it turns out to be pretty meaningless in the end. I do think some of the measurements, especially wingspan, can be helpful data to know. But the athletic tests are useless for the most part.

I'm with Monster: wings, wings, wings....go find a guy that can do at least two out of these three things really well: Shoot, defend, dribble.

I get what you are saying. It could be more of a elimination test a bit. If guys score really low on certain measurables. I don't think you can be an All Star Wing or PG without having a certain level of athleticism. Guys like Mitchell and Giannis not many could foresee their rise. Giannis was a mid round pick (Wolves passed on him).

I'm right with Q saying a lot of the combine numbers are somewhat meaningless. Every once in a while I see a high number in one of those tests and it makes me want to revisit some video to see if I missed something. Knowing the player's Height and wingspan etc have some value to me. If 2 guys seem about equal and one guy is clearly longer overall that will matter. Sure maybe some measurements knock a guy down some but I've also seen some players show fairly eye popping athletic numbers and they just don't really translate to the court. It's an easy example but you didn't need to see any combine numbers to know Lavine was a very special athlete if you watched some video of him in college.

I see Grayson Allen as Exhibit A in this year's fools gold competition. The internet is on fire with stories about his vertical (similar to Muhammad, who I was so excited about a few years ago when his vertical blew everyone away), but few that have watched him play a lot would describe him as "athletic". Here are some of the ways he is described on nbadraft.net: "lacks ideal size and athleticism for a shooting guard". "doesn't possess the first step to get by elite defenders nor the athleticism to stand out at the position in the NBA". "not very agile, lacking in lateral speed".

He obviously can jump, but the nbadraft.net description of his below average athleticism matches my eye test.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

Maybe its because the Wolves don't have a high pick so I can't talk myself into players but I just feel like this draft in general is super overrated and I really don't like many players at the top of this draft. I feel like there will be many quality role players but I am not seeing star players and the difference between 7 and 30 is not much of a difference.

Luka Doncic- By far my favorite player in this draft, Got that IT factor who is a tall skilled guard that can play multiple positions. Can shoot and is not afraid of the moment. I feel like the media doesn't have him as the overall #1 pick because they haven't seen him and he is European.

Ayton- I just don't love him. I think we see with KAT if you don't have the ability to be an above average defensive center it is hard to have a good defense. Also KAT is so much more talented on offense. Ayton has a motor issue that was shown a lot in the season. He doesn't like to fight for position in the post in the multiple games I watched this season (even though his body is probably better suited than KAT to do so). I think his defense will be similar to KAT but not even close to KAT on the offensive end, and with that what do you really have. Valancinus/Lopez/Kanter type player, who are all good players but not game changers.

Mo Bamba- Love his potential, but drafting a defensive center high always scares me because it is so hard to determine how good that defense will translate. I mean Gorgui, Kat, WCS, Bismack and Thabeet were all very good defensive players in college (internationally) but it has not translated in the NBA. It is just hard to know if those skills will translate as a center.

Jaren Jackson Jr- I think he will be a solid player but I don't see a top 3 player on a deep playoff team. Think he is solid at a lot of things but is not amazing at any one thing. Just seeing a starter on a playoff team nothing more.

Micheal Porter Jr- Massive unknown, but based on reports sounds like a poor mans wiggins (I know we all love Wiggins). Not as athletic as wiggins, not a good shooter like wiggins, poor dribbler like wiggins. Just think it is hard to be consistent in the NBA if you don't have a solid handle. Based on reports Porter dosen't

Marvin Bagley- Thomas Robinson 2.0. Dominated College but just 2 much of a tweener for todays NBA. Think he will be a big time bust.

Trae Young- Think he will struggle. Going to be hard for him to move from doing everything to a role player. Not athletic enough. I just don't see it.

I'm a bit shocked on the Bagley take. The dude is a stud. My only reservation with him is that he is a twig, but if he puts on some muscle he's gonna be really good. He can do everything on offense. Shoot, handle, score at the rim and he's a legit 6'11. He's made to be a modern NBA 4.

[thedoper]

The combine is fools' gold I tell you! I used to really pay attention to that stuff, but it turns out to be pretty meaningless in the end. I do think some of the measurements, especially wingspan, can be helpful data to know. But the athletic tests are useless for the most part.

I'm with Monster: wings, wings, wings....go find a guy that can do at least two out of these three things really well: Shoot, defend, dribble.

I get what you are saying. It could be more of a elimination test a bit. If guys score really low on certain measurables. I don't think you can be an All Star Wing or PG without having a certain level of athleticism. Guys like Mitchell and Giannis not many could foresee their rise. Giannis was a mid round pick (Wolves passed on him).

I'm right with Q saying a lot of the combine numbers are somewhat meaningless. Every once in a while I see a high number in one of those tests and it makes me want to revisit some video to see if I missed something. Knowing the player's Height and wingspan etc have some value to me. If 2 guys seem about equal and one guy is clearly longer overall that will matter. Sure maybe some measurements knock a guy down some but I've also seen some players show fairly eye popping athletic numbers and they just don't really translate to the court. It's an easy example but you didn't need to see any combine numbers to know Lavine was a very special athlete if you watched some video of him in college.

I see Grayson Allen as Exhibit A in this year's fools gold competition. The internet is on fire with stories about his vertical (similar to Muhammad, who I was so excited about a few years ago when his vertical blew everyone away), but few that have watched him play a lot would describe him as "athletic". Here are some of the ways he is described on nbadraft.net: "lacks ideal size and athleticism for a shooting guard". "doesn't possess the first step to get by elite defenders nor the athleticism to stand out at the position in the NBA". "not very agile, lacking in lateral speed".

He obviously can jump, but the nbadraft.net description of his below average athleticism matches my eye test.

I think the big downside for me with allen is his lack of length. His primary role would be off the ball shooting though so you never know in terms of his ability to contribute. In the right situation I think he can be a positive contributor. I like other picks better at that spot.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

The combine is fools' gold I tell you! I used to really pay attention to that stuff, but it turns out to be pretty meaningless in the end. I do think some of the measurements, especially wingspan, can be helpful data to know. But the athletic tests are useless for the most part.

I'm with Monster: wings, wings, wings....go find a guy that can do at least two out of these three things really well: Shoot, defend, dribble.

I get what you are saying. It could be more of a elimination test a bit. If guys score really low on certain measurables. I don't think you can be an All Star Wing or PG without having a certain level of athleticism. Guys like Mitchell and Giannis not many could foresee their rise. Giannis was a mid round pick (Wolves passed on him).

I'm right with Q saying a lot of the combine numbers are somewhat meaningless. Every once in a while I see a high number in one of those tests and it makes me want to revisit some video to see if I missed something. Knowing the player's Height and wingspan etc have some value to me. If 2 guys seem about equal and one guy is clearly longer overall that will matter. Sure maybe some measurements knock a guy down some but I've also seen some players show fairly eye popping athletic numbers and they just don't really translate to the court. It's an easy example but you didn't need to see any combine numbers to know Lavine was a very special athlete if you watched some video of him in college.

I see Grayson Allen as Exhibit A in this year's fools gold competition. The internet is on fire with stories about his vertical (similar to Muhammad, who I was so excited about a few years ago when his vertical blew everyone away), but few that have watched him play a lot would describe him as "athletic". Here are some of the ways he is described on nbadraft.net: "lacks ideal size and athleticism for a shooting guard". "doesn't possess the first step to get by elite defenders nor the athleticism to stand out at the position in the NBA". "not very agile, lacking in lateral speed".

He obviously can jump, but the nbadraft.net description of his below average athleticism matches my eye test.

I think the big downside for me with allen is his lack of length. His primary role would be off the ball shooting though so you never know in terms of his ability to contribute. In the right situation I think he can be a positive contributor. I like other picks better at that spot.

I agree that we can do much better than Allen. He says that his shooting is his best asset (and most agree), but 37% success his senior year isn't that remarkable...especially since most of his shots were wide open with his higher scoring teammates attracting most of the attention.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

I like Khyri Thomas at 20 if he is available. But I also think we should consider SMU combo guard Shake Milton. 6-6 with a near 7 foot wingspan, he averaged 18/4.7/4.4 and shot 43.4% on threes. Not a great athlete, but his length and quick hands led to 1 1/2 steals per game. Terrific vision and handles the ball well with either hand (almost seems to favor his left on the dribble).

My choice in the second round would be Marquette's Sam Hauser. He played all of 2017-8 with a hip injury (had surgery after the season), but still averaged 14.1/5.7/2.9 and an amazing 48.7% on threes. He's a 6-8 shooting guard who is also considered a smart, steady defensive player.

Adding two long guys who have never shot less than 42% on threes with high volume would do a lot to improve our performance beyond the arc.

[Monster]

Maybe its because the Wolves don't have a high pick so I can't talk myself into players but I just feel like this draft in general is super overrated and I really don't like many players at the top of this draft. I feel like there will be many quality role players but I am not seeing star players and the difference between 7 and 30 is not much of a difference.

Luka Doncic- By far my favorite player in this draft, Got that IT factor who is a tall skilled guard that can play multiple positions. Can shoot and is not afraid of the moment. I feel like the media doesn't have him as the overall #1 pick because they haven't seen him and he is European.

Ayton- I just don't love him. I think we see with KAT if you don't have the ability to be an above average defensive center it is hard to have a good defense. Also KAT is so much more talented on offense. Ayton has a motor issue that was shown a lot in the season. He doesn't like to fight for position in the post in the multiple games I watched this season (even though his body is probably better suited than KAT to do so). I think his defense will be similar to KAT but not even close to KAT on the offensive end, and with that what do you really have. Valancinus/Lopez/Kanter type player, who are all good players but not game changers.

Mo Bamba- Love his potential, but drafting a defensive center high always scares me because it is so hard to determine how good that defense will translate. I mean Gorgui, Kat, WCS, Bismack and Thabeet were all very good defensive players in college (internationally) but it has not translated in the NBA. It is just hard to know if those skills will translate as a center.

Jaren Jackson Jr- I think he will be a solid player but I don't see a top 3 player on a deep playoff team. Think he is solid at a lot of things but is not amazing at any one thing. Just seeing a starter on a playoff team nothing more.

Micheal Porter Jr- Massive unknown, but based on reports sounds like a poor mans wiggins (I know we all love Wiggins). Not as athletic as wiggins, not a good shooter like wiggins, poor dribbler like wiggins. Just think it is hard to be consistent in the NBA if you don't have a solid handle. Based on reports Porter dosen't

Marvin Bagley- Thomas Robinson 2.0. Dominated College but just 2 much of a tweener for todays NBA. Think he will be a big time bust.

Trae Young- Think he will struggle. Going to be hard for him to move from doing everything to a role player. Not athletic enough. I just don't see it.

I'm a bit shocked on the Bagley take. The dude is a stud. My only reservation with him is that he is a twig, but if he puts on some muscle he's gonna be really good. He can do everything on offense. Shoot, handle, score at the rim and he's a legit 6'11. He's made to be a modern NBA 4.

The big knock on him I have seen is he can't guard anybody. I saw some of that when I watched the tourney.

[Monster]

I like Khyri Thomas at 20 if he is available. But I also think we should consider SMU combo guard Shake Milton. 6-6 with a near 7 foot wingspan, he averaged 18/4.7/4.4 and shot 43.4% on threes. Not a great athlete, but his length and quick hands led to 1 1/2 steals per game. Terrific vision and handles the ball well with either hand (almost seems to favor his left on the dribble).

My choice in the second round would be Marquette's Sam Hauser. He played all of 2017-8 with a hip injury (had surgery after the season), but still averaged 14.1/5.7/2.9 and an amazing 48.7% on threes. He's a 6-8 shooting guard who is also considered a smart, steady defensive player.

Adding two long guys who have never shot less than 42% on threes with high volume would do a lot to improve our performance beyond the arc.

You said you want a guy that had hip surgery? Better have some EXTENSIVE medical checks on that guy.

[Monster]

The combine is fools' gold I tell you! I used to really pay attention to that stuff, but it turns out to be pretty meaningless in the end. I do think some of the measurements, especially wingspan, can be helpful data to know. But the athletic tests are useless for the most part.

I'm with Monster: wings, wings, wings....go find a guy that can do at least two out of these three things really well: Shoot, defend, dribble.

I get what you are saying. It could be more of a elimination test a bit. If guys score really low on certain measurables. I don't think you can be an All Star Wing or PG without having a certain level of athleticism. Guys like Mitchell and Giannis not many could foresee their rise. Giannis was a mid round pick (Wolves passed on him).

I'm right with Q saying a lot of the combine numbers are somewhat meaningless. Every once in a while I see a high number in one of those tests and it makes me want to revisit some video to see if I missed something. Knowing the player's Height and wingspan etc have some value to me. If 2 guys seem about equal and one guy is clearly longer overall that will matter. Sure maybe some measurements knock a guy down some but I've also seen some players show fairly eye popping athletic numbers and they just don't really translate to the court. It's an easy example but you didn't need to see any combine numbers to know Lavine was a very special athlete if you watched some video of him in college.

I see Grayson Allen as Exhibit A in this year's fools gold competition. The internet is on fire with stories about his vertical (similar to Muhammad, who I was so excited about a few years ago when his vertical blew everyone away), but few that have watched him play a lot would describe him as "athletic". Here are some of the ways he is described on nbadraft.net: "lacks ideal size and athleticism for a shooting guard". "doesn't possess the first step to get by elite defenders nor the athleticism to stand out at the position in the NBA". "not very agile, lacking in lateral speed".

He obviously can jump, but the nbadraft.net description of his below average athleticism matches my eye test.

I think the big downside for me with allen is his lack of length. His primary role would be off the ball shooting though so you never know in terms of his ability to contribute. In the right situation I think he can be a positive contributor. I like other picks better at that spot.

I agree that we can do much better than Allen. He says that his shooting is his best asset (and most agree), but 37% success his senior year isn't that remarkable...especially since most of his shots were wide open with his higher scoring teammates attracting most of the attention.

I agree with LST about Allen's athletic abilities and I have been a fan of his for quite a while. I think the athletic testing shows he is probably a better athletic than people give him credit for but he just doesn't show as being a top athlete when I watch him.

Having said all this stuff I just listened to the Woj Pod with Givoney and Mike S of draft express. They said when they saw Donovan Mitchell workout in the gym they have for guys to get work in they moved him up from late first round to 12. They said to each other if that guy works out like he did here he is a lottery pick. They said the Jazz worked him out and did what they could to get him. So there one actual instance of the draft workouts being worthwhile.