Minnesota Sports Forum

Darren Wolfson tweeted:

Interesting, Part II: Doumbouya will visit Minnesota and the #Twolves early next week.
@NBADraftWass notes that Doumbouya will have a Pro Day tomorrow. He's been stationed in Dallas.

KG4Ever wrote:Darren Wolfson tweeted:

Interesting, Part II: Doumbouya will visit Minnesota and the #Twolves early next week.
@NBADraftWass notes that Doumbouya will have a Pro Day tomorrow. He's been stationed in Dallas.

The videos I saw on twitter today from Dallas...no way he falls to #11. I'd think we will have to give up something pretty decent to go up and get him.

monsterpile wrote:

KG4Ever wrote:Darren Wolfson tweeted:

Interesting, Part II: Doumbouya will visit Minnesota and the #Twolves early next week.
@NBADraftWass notes that Doumbouya will have a Pro Day tomorrow. He's been stationed in Dallas.

The videos I saw on twitter today from Dallas...no way he falls to #11. I'd think we will have to give up something pretty decent to go up and get him.

I haven't seen those videos yet. The highlights of seen from his Euro play are good, but didn't blow me away. But based on what I've read about him and knowing how young he is, I'd say he's a very high upside prospect. I'm haven't a hard time getting a sense of where guys will fall after the first 3 picks. Most mocks have White and Doumbouya gone before the Wolves pick at #11. But I could easily see one of those two if not both being available at #11. The only guys I would predict not having any chance of being available at #11 would be Zion, Morant, Barrett, Garland, Culver and Hunter. I could see any of the following getting taken with the next 4 picks before the Wolves are on the clock:

1. White
2. Doumbouya
3. Reddish
4. Little
5. Hayes
6. Hachimura
7. Clarke
8. Claxton
9. Romeo Langford.

The only two of these nine I would not even consider would be Reddish and Hayes. Reddish is one giant red flag based on both his college stats and all that's been written about him. Hayes is, in my view, vastly overrated as a prospect. Watching him play, he strikes me has stiff and mechanical with very poor instincts. And as it turns out, he's not all that long for an NBA center with a 9'2.5 overhead reach and his 27" standing vertical isn't particularly impressive.

Of all these, Claxton, Doumbouya and Langford are the ones who intrigue me the most.

I'm growing increasingly fond of Claxton the more I watch his videos, review his stats and read about him. He has roughly the same overhead reach as Hayes (9'2) and his 4.5 more inches than Hayes on his standing vertical. But what really impresses me is the way he plays and the way he handles the ball at his size. I love the energy and intensity he shows on the court - on both ends. And he handles the ball with a level of control and finesse you rarely see in a player his size. He changes speed and direction with the ball with his head up. He attacks the bucket from both left and right and he seems equally comfortable putting the ball up underneath with either hand. His standing vertical at the combine speaks for itself. But his bounce off the floor becomes even more apparent when you watch him play. He has that same quick bounce I remember seeing in John Collins.

I don't have much to go on projecting Doumbouya, but I've fallen prey to the Euro hype surrounding him. NBA scouts are obviously really high on him given where he lands in every mock draft. And his strong statistical finish Euro League play was impressive.

I don't think I've seen Romeo Langford above 12 in any mock draft so far. And I get why. His 3-point shooting as a freshman was terrible at 27.2%. And his free-throw shooting was underwhelming at 72.2%. But you have to consider that he played almost the entire season with a broken finger. It's also important to keep in mind he was a freshman. I'll add that his 45% field goal shooting wasn't bad. I'll also think his 5.4 rebounds is pretty impressive for a freshman wing. He has terrific length for a SG with a 8'7 overhead reach and 6'11 wingspan. But what really intrigues me is watching him play. He looks the part of a top NBA player the way he glides so effortlessly and gets off the floor so quickly with the ball. Although he struggled from behind the arc, he has a nice looking stroke and clearly has NBA 3-point range. He's a pretty big risk, but in my view a very high reward prospect at #11.

If I had to pick today, my choice at #11 would be Claxton. Most mocks have him getting picked in the later teens or 20s. If we could trade down for two picks and get him that would be great. But I don't think he'll last much past 11 and I'm beginning to think he be taken ahead of us.

lipoli390 wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

KG4Ever wrote:Darren Wolfson tweeted:

Interesting, Part II: Doumbouya will visit Minnesota and the #Twolves early next week.
@NBADraftWass notes that Doumbouya will have a Pro Day tomorrow. He's been stationed in Dallas.

The videos I saw on twitter today from Dallas...no way he falls to #11. I'd think we will have to give up something pretty decent to go up and get him.

I haven't seen those videos yet. The highlights of seen from his Euro play are good, but didn't blow me away. But based on what I've read about him and knowing how young he is, I'd say he's a very high upside prospect. I'm haven't a hard time getting a sense of where guys will fall after the first 3 picks. Most mocks have White and Doumbouya gone before the Wolves pick at #11. But I could easily see one of those two if not both being available at #11. The only guys I would predict not having any chance of being available at #11 would be Zion, Morant, Barrett, Garland, Culver and Hunter. I could see any of the following getting taken with the next 4 picks before the Wolves are on the clock:

1. White
2. Doumbouya
3. Reddish
4. Little
5. Hayes
6. Hachimura
7. Clarke
8. Claxton
9. Romeo Langford.

The only two of these nine I would not even consider would be Reddish and Hayes. Reddish is one giant red flag based on both his college stats and all that's been written about him. Hayes is, in my view, vastly overrated as a prospect. Watching him play, he strikes me has stiff and mechanical with very poor instincts. And as it turns out, he's not all that long for an NBA center with a 9'2.5 overhead reach and his 27" standing vertical isn't particularly impressive.

Of all these, Claxton, Doumbouya and Langford are the ones who intrigue me the most.

I'm growing increasingly fond of Claxton the more I watch his videos, review his stats and read about him. He has roughly the same overhead reach as Hayes (9'2) and his 4.5 more inches than Hayes on his standing vertical. But what really impresses me is the way he plays and the way he handles the ball at his size. I love the energy and intensity he shows on the court - on both ends. And he handles the ball with a level of control and finesse you rarely see in a player his size. He changes speed and direction with the ball with his head up. He attacks the bucket from both left and right and he seems equally comfortable putting the ball up underneath with either hand. His standing vertical at the combine speaks for itself. But his bounce off the floor becomes even more apparent when you watch him play. He has that same quick bounce I remember seeing in John Collins.

I don't have much to go on projecting Doumbouya, but I've fallen prey to the Euro hype surrounding him. NBA scouts are obviously really high on him given where he lands in every mock draft. And his strong statistical finish Euro League play was impressive.

I don't think I've seen Romeo Langford above 12 in any mock draft so far. And I get why. His 3-point shooting as a freshman was terrible at 27.2%. And his free-throw shooting was underwhelming at 72.2%. But you have to consider that he played almost the entire season with a broken finger. It's also important to keep in mind he was a freshman. I'll add that his 45% field goal shooting wasn't bad. I'll also think his 5.4 rebounds is pretty impressive for a freshman wing. He has terrific length for a SG with a 8'7 overhead reach and 6'11 wingspan. But what really intrigues me is watching him play. He looks the part of a top NBA player the way he glides so effortlessly and gets off the floor so quickly with the ball. Although he struggled from behind the arc, he has a nice looking stroke and clearly has NBA 3-point range. He's a pretty big risk, but in my view a very high reward prospect at #11.

If I had to pick today, my choice at #11 would be Claxton. Most mocks have him getting picked in the later teens or 20s. If we could trade down for two picks and get him that would be great. But I don't think he'll last much past 11 and I'm beginning to think he be taken ahead of us.

I agree that claxton has the look and feel of a good NBA player. But the thing that worries me is he didn't dominate college ball. 13 and 8 with a sub par shooting % for a center scares me. He is also only an ok FT shooter.

Now I wouldn't mind drafting him but watching highlights it looks like he has all the skills to succeed but why didn't he dominate college ball.

kekgeek1 wrote:

lipoli390 wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

KG4Ever wrote:Darren Wolfson tweeted:

Interesting, Part II: Doumbouya will visit Minnesota and the #Twolves early next week.
@NBADraftWass notes that Doumbouya will have a Pro Day tomorrow. He's been stationed in Dallas.

The videos I saw on twitter today from Dallas...no way he falls to #11. I'd think we will have to give up something pretty decent to go up and get him.

I haven't seen those videos yet. The highlights of seen from his Euro play are good, but didn't blow me away. But based on what I've read about him and knowing how young he is, I'd say he's a very high upside prospect. I'm haven't a hard time getting a sense of where guys will fall after the first 3 picks. Most mocks have White and Doumbouya gone before the Wolves pick at #11. But I could easily see one of those two if not both being available at #11. The only guys I would predict not having any chance of being available at #11 would be Zion, Morant, Barrett, Garland, Culver and Hunter. I could see any of the following getting taken with the next 4 picks before the Wolves are on the clock:

1. White
2. Doumbouya
3. Reddish
4. Little
5. Hayes
6. Hachimura
7. Clarke
8. Claxton
9. Romeo Langford.

The only two of these nine I would not even consider would be Reddish and Hayes. Reddish is one giant red flag based on both his college stats and all that's been written about him. Hayes is, in my view, vastly overrated as a prospect. Watching him play, he strikes me has stiff and mechanical with very poor instincts. And as it turns out, he's not all that long for an NBA center with a 9'2.5 overhead reach and his 27" standing vertical isn't particularly impressive.

Of all these, Claxton, Doumbouya and Langford are the ones who intrigue me the most.

I'm growing increasingly fond of Claxton the more I watch his videos, review his stats and read about him. He has roughly the same overhead reach as Hayes (9'2) and his 4.5 more inches than Hayes on his standing vertical. But what really impresses me is the way he plays and the way he handles the ball at his size. I love the energy and intensity he shows on the court - on both ends. And he handles the ball with a level of control and finesse you rarely see in a player his size. He changes speed and direction with the ball with his head up. He attacks the bucket from both left and right and he seems equally comfortable putting the ball up underneath with either hand. His standing vertical at the combine speaks for itself. But his bounce off the floor becomes even more apparent when you watch him play. He has that same quick bounce I remember seeing in John Collins.

I don't have much to go on projecting Doumbouya, but I've fallen prey to the Euro hype surrounding him. NBA scouts are obviously really high on him given where he lands in every mock draft. And his strong statistical finish Euro League play was impressive.

I don't think I've seen Romeo Langford above 12 in any mock draft so far. And I get why. His 3-point shooting as a freshman was terrible at 27.2%. And his free-throw shooting was underwhelming at 72.2%. But you have to consider that he played almost the entire season with a broken finger. It's also important to keep in mind he was a freshman. I'll add that his 45% field goal shooting wasn't bad. I'll also think his 5.4 rebounds is pretty impressive for a freshman wing. He has terrific length for a SG with a 8'7 overhead reach and 6'11 wingspan. But what really intrigues me is watching him play. He looks the part of a top NBA player the way he glides so effortlessly and gets off the floor so quickly with the ball. Although he struggled from behind the arc, he has a nice looking stroke and clearly has NBA 3-point range. He's a pretty big risk, but in my view a very high reward prospect at #11.

If I had to pick today, my choice at #11 would be Claxton. Most mocks have him getting picked in the later teens or 20s. If we could trade down for two picks and get him that would be great. But I don't think he'll last much past 11 and I'm beginning to think he be taken ahead of us.

I agree that claxton has the look and feel of a good NBA player. But the thing that worries me is he didn't dominate college ball. 13 and 8 with a sub par shooting % for a center scares me. He is also only an ok FT shooter.

Now I wouldn't mind drafting him but watching highlights it looks like he has all the skills to succeed but why didn't he dominate college ball.

His shooting is definitely a concern. Shooting under 50% as a big man in college is troubling. It's even worse when that player shoots 64% from the free throw line. But he wasn't used much inside as a post-up player where big men typically build their shooting percentages. Instead, he was actually used a lot to initiate the offense almost as a point PF or point Center.

I'd be more concern if he wasn't dominating or at least putting up terrific numbers in other areas. He averaged 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.1 steals in about 31 minutes per game. I wouldn't say that Claxton dominated based on those stats, but I'd consider those 3 stats combined as a good sign about his potential. I'd be more concerned about Hunter and Hachimura, both of whom did not put up particularly good rebounding or shot-blocking numbers. For me, I'm generally more spooked by poor college rebounding or shot-blocking stats than I am by poor shooting. At least one if not both of those stats need to shine in college to suggest high NBA upside for a big in my view. Claxton averaged 1 rebound less than John Collins did in his Sophomore. Claxton's 2.5 blocks are close to dominating. And his 1.1 steals per game was a bonus stat. He's clearly active and aggressive on the defensive end and on the boards. His shooting form looks good, so perhaps he'll develop that element of his game.

I usually rely mainly on hard date - combine results and season averages. But occasionally I'm more heavily swayed by my eye test. Nic is one of the few players in this year's draft outside the consensus top 4 who looks like a future star under my eye test.

Doogie tweet:
Expected first round picks scheduled to visit the Wolves, or that have visited already: White, Doumbouya, Washington, K. Johnson, Little, Clarke, and Herro.

@Babkock18: You have your "guy" you want Wolves to draft at 11 yet Doogie? I'm really warming up to Herro.

@DWolfsonKSTP: Doumbouya or ideally move down and acquire an extra asset. A few NBA folks have told me 10-30ish is not that much different.

Funny, I am kind of in same camp, draft Doumbouya if he is available at 11 or trade 11 for two first rounders.

Lip, I really didn't even know much about Claxton until your posts and looked into him and am starting to become a fan. Interesting observations posted here: https://www.thestepien.com/2019/03/22/draft-notes-nic-claxton-first-evaluation-can-matter/

KG4Ever wrote:@Babkock18: You have your "guy" you want Wolves to draft at 11 yet Doogie? I'm really warming up to Herro.

@DWolfsonKSTP: Doumbouya or ideally move down and acquire an extra asset. A few NBA folks have told me 10-30ish is not that much different.

Funny, I am kind of in same camp, draft Doumbouya if he is available at 11 or trade 11 for two first rounders.

If 10-30 are in the same quality group who's trading 2 for 1 in that scenario? That makes no sense for anyone to trade 2 picks to move up for 1 if 10-30 is not much different.

khans2k5 wrote:

KG4Ever wrote:@Babkock18: You have your "guy" you want Wolves to draft at 11 yet Doogie? I'm really warming up to Herro.

@DWolfsonKSTP: Doumbouya or ideally move down and acquire an extra asset. A few NBA folks have told me 10-30ish is not that much different.

Funny, I am kind of in same camp, draft Doumbouya if he is available at 11 or trade 11 for two first rounders.

If 10-30 are in the same quality group who's trading 2 for 1 in that scenario? That makes no sense for anyone to trade 2 picks to move up for 1 if 10-30 is not much different.

Teams that don't have roster room for multiple picks like Boston or teams that want a specific guy that they are afraid to lose.