Post#31 » by Spens1 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 1:52 am
Ok so I'm going to start with the top 5. Going to do this according to the current standings as they currently are
1. Phoenix Suns - DeAndre Ayton
Ayton is too damn good of a prospect to turn down for Phoenix. He's a prospect out of Arizona and is a monster center that will be a good contrast to Devin Booker in the backcourt. That could be a dynamic duo in the future. Len not getting more than 22MPG is also rather telling, it tells me that Phoenix may not value him that highly. Ayton could very well be the best big man they have had since Stoudemire.
2. Atlanta Hawks - Luka Doncic
Atlanta I can safely say need a bit of everything except maybe P.G. I'll be honest though, I did nearly say go for Young here and trade Schroder for another pick here but Doncic is the real deal I think. Doncic however is the furthest thing from a typical euro-prospect you could imagine. He isn't a fantastic 3pt shooter (32% from the 3) but then again, how many guys at 18 are one of the better players in the euroleague, starting and playing consistent minutes. He is a good scorer and can get to the rim very well despite not being quick perse. He also has good court vision which could help Schroeder a bit too.
3. Dallas Mavericks - Marvin Bagley
Dallas need to start thinking of life after Dirk and who is the guy to take over from him in the long run. Bagley could very well be the future as well as being the heir apparent in Dallas. He's ridiculously efficient (shooting near 60%) and can shoot a 3 ball also (35% from there). He hits the boards hard so he can rack up them defensive and offensive rebounds. He is fantastic at getting to the line also. He's what you may call an advanced stats dream. Between him and Dennis Smith Jr the Mav's will have two cornerstone pieces, however unlike DSJ, I imagine Bagley will be more efficient.
4. Orlando Magic - Trae Young
They traded away Payton for a 2nd. Part of the reason surely is to get this man. Orlando need to start from scratch, that means Vucenic and Fournier need to go and they need to get good young assets/picks from them also (both I imagine could pull something in that 10-15 range since both provide the difference between lottery and playoffs). Before I get more sidetracked, Young provides the perfect building block, he's a prototypical NBA P.G. He's a fantastic scorer, passer, FT shooter, can get to the line and is a solid leader. He's my favourite prospect in this draft and for good reason, he's the top scorer in the entire NCAA and think about it, how many near 30PPG scorers have their been in the NCAA let alone near 30/10 ones. Turnovers with him are an issue but many top P.G's had that issue coming in, its something that can be coached out of his game.
5. Sacramento Kings - Micheal Porter Jr
Like I said in my rebuild, he is the perfect piece for them. He would have been the #1 pick if he remained healthy. He genuinly is the best prospect going forward. Its about time the Kings got a lucky break and this may be it. Porter Jr if he gets healthy will be a franchise player and one of the best S.F's in the game in 5 years time. He can score efficiently, rebound, get to the line on the regular, solid defender, doesn't turn the ball over that often, then again a lot of these assumptions are based on his high school stuff. How he would do in the pro's is a mystery but he has the most potential out of anyone to become a star.
6. Memphis Grizzlies - Jaren Jackson Jr
Much like Orlando, they need to blow it up completely. Jackson Jr is one of the younger prospects here but he is still here on merit. He is probably the best defender thus far picked, getting 3BPG. Along with being a shot blocking extrodinair, he can shoot the 3 ball even better than Bagley who went at 3. I think he would fit what Memphis are also trying to do, if he where to bulk up he could even play Center but for now, he's a good P.F. to start the rebuild
7. Cleveland Cavaliers - Mikal Bridges
I'm going to work under the assumption that Lebron is leaving, If he isn't, Bamba is absolutely perfect to put up top. If Lebron goes, its clear that they are on the way down, however it isn't all bad news, they have some good pieces going forward (Nance Jr, Hood, Clarkson). Bridges is a 6'7 S.G. with a 7'1 wingspan that is shooting 50/41/83. The only reason he isn't going higher is that he's 21, but teams have chosen inferior prospects just based on age. The cav's would be dumb to make such a mistake in the post Lebron era. Bridges could be a superstar if Cleveland are smart (that means probably sacking Lue and hiring an actual coach).
8. Chicago Bulls - Mohammed Bamba
He is the pefect guy to put next to Markannen. Each masks each others weaknesses and enhance their strengths. Bamba is an elite shot blocker and is a solid rebounder, Markannen is a great shooter and can score. However Bamba isn't some non 3pt shooting center, he has shown an ability to score the 3 ball also, the question is whether that translates to NBA range and if he can get it a better click than 28%. He also is the best prospect available, something Chicago shouldn't be passing up on (especially when the fit is so good).
9. New York Knicks - Wendell Carter Jr
I thought about Miles Bridges (no relation to Mikal) or Kevin Knox, but Carter Jr is the best prospect and honestly, he can play up top with Porzingis when he comes back. He does a lot of things well, he can shoot the 3 ball damn efficiently (then again he only took 1.5 shots per game). He's also efficient and good at the line too. Not the worst rebounder in the world either and has an NBA body already. He will need to watch out for fouls when he's in the NBA and he will need to probably use that size a bit better to increase his rebounding. But he's got potential that's for sure.
10. Philadelphia 76ers - Colin Sexton
What on earth happened to Fultz, how on earth do you forget how to shoot a basketball, especially a shooter as good as him. Anyway Sexton is brought in as a) a contingency policy if Fultz really busts hard and b) if fultz remembers again, he will come off the bench as an impact player or even a 6th man type player. Its pointless Philly trying to draft Bridges or Knox here because lord knows, they don't need more S.F and swingmen.