Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft

Ozymandias · Mar 16, 2023

Dereck Livey is a no-brainer for the Kings if he's somehow on the board IMO and with how he's playing lately that sure is a big If.. Dominant first half for him to start the tourney vs Oral Roberts

Coach Brown would be able to figure some way to get Lively on the floor to make an impact for us defensively in the right spots and we could bring him along with baby steps if needed..

Teams would rue the day they let Lively fall to the Kings... He'd probably end up making Monte look real smart.

Obviously if the Kings internally are still very high on Neemias Queta that could make them hesitate. Lively presents excellent value, excellent upside --- players like that cost a lot of money on the free agent market... he's super mobile, he actually moves like a cat for someone that size and age, which is kinda like a crazy thing to add to our current Kings roster.. I've said before he'd be for the Kings like what Mitchell Robinson is for the Knicks, n standby it.

Ozymandias · Mar 16, 2023

me making a post about SDSU's Jadeon LeDee is long overdue.. First off this player is 6'9 ~250 lbs and doesnt shoot any 3's at all, he's a bit of a throwback. I've mentioned him before but it seems very long ago..

He doesnt have a massive wingspan for his height, probably about 6'10, he's got a big set of hands and his feet look way oversized for his body. He's almost certainly not getting drafted but will be an interesting name in the UDFA pool.

The kid is strong as an ox though, hes a forward thats got the strength of a center, he's kinda built like LeBron(just talking his frame not his game)... He has a ridiculously well developed frame, not just upper body strength, he can really hold his ground. I think he's gonna get looks in the league..

He's been playing so well recently n if you watch SDSU he comes off the bench and puts up big stats in just a few minutes. There was reports in the preseason that he was single handedly leading the bench unit to victories vs the starters in practice, and i sure believe it.

He's a senior avereaging 18 minutes per game and 7.9 ppg, rather unimpressive stats but when you watch him the eye test tells a different story.

LeDee's been playing really well here down the stretch in the most important games. He got 25 minutes today while the starting forwards play less, and looked great doing it.. Hope they keep it rolling. Definitely an underrated storyline to keep an eye on.

He's a defender/rebounder/do all the dirtywork guy, nothing all too pretty about his game, but he knows it and plays to his strengths. shot 74% from the ft line and can hit a midrange J if needed. Despite the average wingpsan he looks like a plus offensive rebounder to me.

Ozymandias · Mar 16, 2023

Lively with the 1st rd pick

Bilal Coulibaly with the early 2nd

and Tyler Kolek with the late 2nd rd pick

as of today that sounds good to me, n like a ridiculous haul for a team as good as the Kings are. thats an A++ draft tbh, way unrealistic.

Resign Barnes, Lyles, Terence Davis n I think Metu as well and pick up Kessler Edwards option. Resign Queta too though thats a bit complicated in this scenario.

PG - Fox, Mitchell, Monk, Kolek
SG - Huerter, Monk, Davis, Coulibaly
SF - Murray, Edwards, Barnes, Coulibaly
PF - Barnes, Lyles, Edwards, Metu, Murray
C - Sabonis, Lyles, Holmes?,Queta, Lively

n we sell the Holmes 1 year rental to the highest bidder or just cut him or he can even just be the backup C and Lively's on G-League duty for a season.

Now I do think we will go after players who can break into the rotation a bit earlier, we have too many C's and not bery good depth at forward this type of plan is more a swing for the fences for major reinforcements down the line, which IMO, in the kings current position, isnt a bad idea I figure we have more than enough to have a smooth start to next season, by the time 40 games or so pass the rookies could be in a better position to help so i like this.

bajaden · Mar 16, 2023

Capt. Factorial said:

Like I said, I didn't bother to look it up, but I was never a fan of Miller and my memory of them is being a disappointment in tournament play. I do like Bennett as a coach because his teams always play defense, and he's won with a team of players that for the most part aren't considered first rd picks. There have been exceptions of course, but yeah, I do remember them going out early some years. By the way, I wasn't shocked by Arizona getting beat. Their guard play sucks and it lost them this game in my opinion.

bajaden · Mar 16, 2023

Ozymandias said:

Tough tough game, not only for Murray, but for the entire team. Auburns defense got them out of their game, and they never got it back. They struggled to get any kind of open shot the entire game, and unfortunately, when they did get one, they missed! Well now Murray can start preparing for the Draft!

bajaden · Mar 16, 2023

Ozymandias said:

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and without being able to get inside Monte's mind, it's tough. The Kings are in an interesting position. They're a young team, and they're a good team, a playoff team! When you're picking this low, and with the current make up of the team, do you look for a player that can step in and give you some minutes sooner, than later? Or do you start looking down the road, and go for a player with great to good upside, but needs a year of development before he's ready to contribute?

I don't look at Lively as an early contributer, and I could be wrong about that, but I can see him possibly being an impact defensive player down the road a bit. I look at Max Lewis in the same way. He hasn't been playing that well the second half of the season, and he could very well slide to us. He's on a bad team, and not getting open shots anymore. However, if you step away and look at his skill set, there's star potential there. He's a terrific athlete and has a solid shooting stroke. He's has handles that can get him anywhere on the floor. He just needs some development, and the Kings are starting to look like a team that develops players the right way.

They could look at someone like Jalen Wilson, who I really like and who never seems to get any love, or Colby Jones of Xavior, who is one of my favorite players in the draft. He'll likely go higher than 24 or 25 where we'll be picking, but he were to be there, I'd have to think hard and long about taking him. Terrific shooter, excellent defender and he comes with a non stop motor. He's a junior, and I don't know how much that will affect his draft status. One of the most entertaining games I watched all year was Xavior against UCONN. Watching Jones chase Jordan Hawkins alll over the floor for 40 minutes. For those who have never seen Hawkins, he's in perpectual motion.

How about Trace Jackson Davis? Terrific defensive player, and a very good passer. Only 6'9" but yet he can play center and he's blocking over 2 shots a game. Don't know his wingspan, but can't wait to see what it is. He's not a shooter, but he's very good at everything else. Getting back to Lively, I think the Kings interest could depend greatly on how they see Queta in the future. If they think Queta is going to be the backup next season, then I don't think they look for a center in the draft.

I also thiink that if they were to draft Lively or Trace Jackson Davis, then Metu is gone, along with Holmes, if possible. I really like Terrance Davis, but I'm not sure they'll bring him back. Probably depends on what other moves they might make. I do think this, because of the depth of this draft, the Kings will have several good choices at 25 and at the top of the 2nd rd. Not sure they'll use their 2nd second round pick unless they use it on a stash in Europe player. They probably have their eye on some likely undrafted players as well.

iowamcnabb · Mar 16, 2023

I want to go high upside in this draft. Either to develop for the roster down the road or as trade pieces. 2 high upside potential picks and one stash pick.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

I just wanna say for a few weeks now my gut/intuition tells me the Kings will draft Sidy Cissoko. I have a difficult time shaking that off, keep coming back to it... He'll look real good in a Kings uniform far as I'm concerned. Lots of my posts are in the vein of who I'd take, this post is much more in the vein of who I think the Kings will take.

Look at closeout / recovery on defense at 0:59 in these highlights!!! Looks like the type of defender Mike Brown would vouch for.

and he for damn sure can help our team next year, off the bench, not even a question in my mind.. That kid is a monster, do you see his legs? he's got legs like OG Anunoby.. He'd be a very welcome addition here. I feel like he's probably way more realistic than some of my high potential development project favorites (not to say Cissoko doesnt have upside, he's just built to compete with much older players sooner than later)

C - Trey Lyles
PF - Cidy Sissoko
SF - Terence Davis
SG - Malik Monk
PG - Davion Mitchell

Thats a badass "smallball" bench unit lineup far as im concerned... thats a wrecking crew..

him and Davion Mitchell on the same bench unit, thats like the bash brothers from the old mighty ducks movies coming off the bench.. Terence Davis is no pushover either, n ofcourse we know Lyles and Monk are shrewd defenders if their the 'weak links in the chain', well thats great news..

I'm really kinda wondering if he's even gonna be in our range, I honestly wouldnt rule him out of landing in the top20 just yet.

I'll respnd to the above posts in a bit. Best days of the year right now.. Man do I love the timeframe of Conference tournaments thru the 2nd rd of the big dance.

206Fan · Mar 17, 2023

Ozymandias said:

Would it be a reach to say that Cidy is a lotto talent? I love his game, and if he’s truly the 6’8 frame Ignite has him listed as, he’d automatically be one of the top bigger wings in the draft. Long athletic ball handling wing who can pass?

There’s too much there not to try and build on top of it.

He looks better than Kuminga did. Big fan of him, would be really happy if he gets drafted by the Kings, but if NBA teams are as smart as we think, they wouldn’t let him reach our range.

bajaden · Mar 17, 2023

206Fan said:

I think if you're looking for long term upside, Cissoko fills the bill. He's only a solid jumpshot from being special, and his shot did improve this year. I like him a lot, and he does look 6'8" to me on the floor. We'll find out at the combine. I would be just fine with him as our pick, but it's possible he's gone before we get the chance

bajaden · Mar 17, 2023

Ozymandias said:

I just wanna say for a few weeks now my gut/intuition tells me the Kings will draft Sidy Cissoko. I have a difficult time shaking that off, keep coming back to it... He'll look real good in a Kings uniform far as I'm concerned. Lots of my posts are in the vein of who I'd take, this post is much more in the vein of who I think the Kings will take.

Look at closeout / recovery on defense at 0:59 in these highlights!!! Looks like the type of defender Mike Brown would vouch for.

and he for damn sure can help our team next year, off the bench, not even a question in my mind.. That kid is a monster, do you see his legs? he's got legs like OG Anunoby.. He'd be a very welcome addition here. I feel like he's probably way more realistic than some of my high potential development project favorites (not to say Cissoko doesnt have upside, he's just built to compete with much older players sooner than later)

C - Trey Lyles
PF - Cidy Sissoko
SF - Terence Davis
SG - Malik Monk
PG - Davion Mitchell

Thats a badass "smallball" bench unit lineup far as im concerned... thats a wrecking crew..

him and Davion Mitchell on the same bench unit, thats like the bash brothers from the old mighty ducks movies coming off the bench.. Terence Davis is no pushover either, n ofcourse we know Lyles and Monk are shrewd defenders if their the 'weak links in the chain', well thats great news..

I'm really kinda wondering if he's even gonna be in our range, I honestly wouldnt rule him out of landing in the top20 just yet.

I'll respnd to the above posts in a bit. Best days of the year right now.. Man do I love the timeframe of Conference tournaments thru the 2nd rd of the big dance.

That would be a fun lineup. I'd like to switch Edwards for Davis. It would give that lineup a little more size, and a little better defense. But I'm just nit picking...

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

What an insane performance by Ryan Kalkbrenner right now.. He's single-handedly destroying NC State, n I dont really like to say things like that in a team game, but in this one its fitting...

It's almost like everyone else in the game on both teams is playing kinda bad and he on the other hand, can do no wrong.

hes so hot right now he should touch the ball on every offensive possession... as they say these days "let him cook!"

actually has the whole squad on his back right now... this is one of those "were not goin out like this, not on my watch" type of performances. great thing to see.

and hey Terquavion Smith has fallen down the board, his offense is still based on big volume n his efficiency isnt really improved (n im not some advanced stats guy, thats just my take from the eye test), but that kid has a whole lot of heart.. he's fearless and plays hungry.. if they lose he'll have gone down swinging..

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

Brutal first half for Jordan Hawkins...

the 6'8 SF UConn has, Alex Karaban, is a heck of a player, I dont think we'll see him in college as an upperclassman, but if we do I'm rather convinced he's an all-american, n he's a 2-way player for sure, not just some shooter, he can pass and defend. He's got a good feel for the game, shows up when he's called on. I'm convinced this player is damn good, wait til he really hits his comfort zone i think the results will be explosive.

If UConn loses this game and doesnt feed Clingan in the post in the 2nd half, they deserve to lose.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

How about Guillermo Diaz Graham 7' freshman from Spain on Pitt.. they're smacking the higher seeded Iowa State..

He's playing his best ball in the biggest games..

this player is not relevant to this draft, but we were discussing him(and his brother) in the fiba summer tourneys, n he sure is making big progress. Excellent performance. He played great vs Duke in the conference tourney too.

He's skinny too, whats gonna happen when this kid goes from 205lbs to like 225

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

impressive 22 points in that second half for Adama Sanogo... Bill Murray's a fan!

Lotta those were fairly deep jumpers too.. which is noteworthy from a player whos 6'9 and 250lbs.. 6 offensive boards in this one too..

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

Speaking of offensive rebounds... Oscar Tshiebwe has 6 in the first 9 minutes of this game.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

DOWN GOES PURDUE! This aint your grandpas tournament, the low seeds have closed the gap on the high seeds. It's real.

Now in the case of this specific game... Matt Painter, Purdue's coach deserves lots of the blame.. I'll keep it real short -- Trey Kaufman and Caleb Furst combined to play 13 minutes, which is just ATROCIOUS, like oooohh my goodness.

If im being honest, my reaction is how dare that coach sit those 2 players on the bench like that while his upperclassman build a castle of bricks.. how dare him.. what a dumb move, hope that hurts them in recruiting honestly, it should... completely backfired in his face, idk if anyone else will have that take but i'm quite sure u play those 2 big minutes and they win. Actually rubs me the wrong way, loss has the stink of the coach interfering.

As for Zach Edey's draft prospects I'd imagine he'll be the first C off the board after Kelel Ware, probably somewhere in the middle of the second round. Sucks to see such a productive player like that eliminated from the tournament when he played a great game, totally on the coach, im a bit sad for him but much more so for Furst and Kaufman who had to watch that collapse mostly from the bench.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

Tucker DeVries shoots 1/13 from the field and scores 3 points in Drake's 7 point loss to Miami. That was rough to watch. not a very good look for his chances in this years draft I'd imagine, but we'll see.

I always remeber Georges Niang having one of the worst games(missed almost every shot plus a handful of calamitous mistakes) in the tournament ive ever seen from a draft prospect (he returned to school after that though and did much better the next year) n he turned out to be one of the very best 2nd rd picks in 2016 despite being drafted near the bottom, so definitely not soemthing to overreact to but it is a bit odd, sucks that his team coulda used just a little more.

Miami's defense deserves plenty of credit though. Some of those players will eventually get looks. Jordan Miller who I've brought up here before should get looks sooner than later.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

I do wonder how many games Gonzaga can win if, to borrow a term from shaq "the others" (aka everyone on the team not named Timme, Strawther and Watson), dont really do much. We'll see, kinda hope they make a deep run.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

So Chandler Lawson on Memphis is a senior who averages 5 points a game, he's 6'7 215lbs and doesnt really shoot 3's though he's 1/2 in this game and shooting 50% from 3 on 6/12 total (plus what we've seen in this game puts him at 7/14)

Chandler has quite possibly the biggest wingspan to height discrepancy youll ever see, he's got the Bruno Caboclo wingspan and he's 2" shorter.. Its been reported for sometime now, and I sure do believe it, that his wingspan is 7'7.

I wonder whats gonna happen with Chandler after this season, is he G-League bound? I still believe he's got some sort of upside even if it's just possibly as a bench player eventually.

He's obviously a major plus defender, and obviously can get his hands on all sorts of stuff a player with a normal wingspan couldnt. I'm unsure about whats gonna happen with him but I'll be keeping an eye out. Stands to reason the way the NBA is with all these interchangable ~6'8 forwardy types that a player like him could be of some interest as a development project as he presents some odd matchup issues defensively.

Like his brothers before him (Dedric and KJ) Chandler's not an explosive athelete(not that you need to be one with a +12" wingspan) but he's smooth and mobile. The youngest of the 4 brothers Jonathan whos the shortest but also a guard and the best 3pt shooter of the bunch, this is the last game of his freshman year, interested to see what hes gonna do as a sophomore.

HHAHAHAHA MEMPHIS LOSES!!!!!!!!!! I try to be objective as can be, n when I'm biased towards lefties I let it be well known, I'm also biased AGAINST 26 year old super duper seniors like DeAndre Williams, who played poorly in this one and they lost the game because of it. Yikes. Glad that era is over, glad the Courtney Ramey error is over. Dont mean to sound petty or that I'm rooting against these players, I'm not, but at the same time I'm sick of watching them, Im glad Penny doesnt get to use 27 year olds to win games while trampling over the top recruits he has, its assbackwards, results-oriented instead of player development oriented approach. HA!

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

bajaden said:

I would say firstly, despite most of my posts being in the other direction, the safe play is you look for a player who can contribute sooner, for sure, now in the first rd that doesnt necessarily mean youve gotta go after an older player though.

Trayce Jackson Davis was at the combine last year right? and chose not to get measured for anthropomorphic testing.. I think his wingspan is about 7'1 but I dont particularly believe he's 6'9 as they list him, though hes vertically explosive probably 36" vert which helps. I'm really not that crazy about using the 1st rd pick on him, seems like why not just keep Richaun Holmes around for another season we're already paying him..

I know you've mentioned Holmes when it comes to Davis, and that is important, there's obviously this backlog at C in all these scenarios ---- The player on our roster that really makes me hesitate about Jackson-Davis, is Trey Lyles.. I dont know if he's a very good match with Lyles, or a very safe bet to be able to take Lyles job, as Jackson-Davis isn't much of a shooter and only a mid 60's FT% guy. Jackson Davis is also already 23 years old. I could be wrong but I honestly would really prefer Lively over him because he could come in off the bench and change the way our team looks(drastically) if even just for that purpose to change things up. I'd also honestly say that I'd prefer Sidy Cissoko over him though they play different positions, they are similarly sized players n Cissoko can play on the wing for us and flex into a forward spot, he seems to be a much better fit.

The other thing that makes me hesistate with Jackson-Davis in the first round is this --- What if ESPN is very wrong about James Nnaji being in the 20's, what if James Nnaji starts to tumble into the 2nd round? I'd much rather gamble on Nnaji with the way he moves laterally and his arms r so long n how he competes i just have a good feeling about him. IDK about his current contract situation but lets say we could stash Nnaji for one year, n let Holmes expire properly, that is an interesting resolution to the C backlog potential issue, it also clears the way for a proper test run for Queta.

In regards to Jalen Wilson, I'm with you 100%, he has the will to win, which would probably look very good on our team, and he's ready to contribute off the bench from day 1. He's not gonna be the guy that I hone in on and say "I want him over everyone else for this pick" because idk who's gonna fall to us. but if he's the pick I'll be singing his praises and calling it solid for sure.

Also hard agree on Max Lewis, I'll watch his highlights over n over again with a big smile on my face if he's the pick. Love watching that kid chain his dribble moves into pullups or drives, he would seem to be g-leauge bound and not exactly ready to contribute from day 1 like some of the options that'll be on the board.

I also kinda agree with you about Lively, very sound logic. When I watch Derek Lively though I always think "I would love to see this player on the Kings", said it early in the season n ill say it once more, he could end up looking like what we were hoping from WCS, with none of the cute-sy fancy midrange bricks, Lively plays to his strengths. Lively also to me presents a great opportunity in trade value, to me he's not like Harry Giles or Skal either, his skillset is more defined, he's a more rare athelete at his size. He represents a big swing for the fences, but yeah totally depends on how they see Queta and also Holmes. Honestly if Lively keeps playing as he has been and Duke pushes deep in this tournament, we wont even have to worry about this conversation cuz hes off the board.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

bajaden said:

Dominant showing from Johni Broome, whos name is nowhere to be found relating to this draft but obviously he should test the waters..

Its actually kinda puzzling to me that there's such silence about Broome.

Ozymandias · Mar 17, 2023

iowamcnabb said:

I'm with you on this.

I really want upside in the first becuase I believe there's the depth in this draft that warrants those hopes. I do believe there will be a young player(20 or less) on the board who can help us right away AND have high upside, so I say lets find a player like that who fits..

Cidy Sissoko is still 18 years old.. turns 19 ina few weeks.

206Fan · Mar 17, 2023

Tucker DeVries draft dreams for this year faded just like that. Puts up big numbers in a weak conference, but was completely startled by Miami. Each shot looked rushed and completely off. Even when they were up, he was sulking a bit too much. His whole body language was poor down the stretch. I hate when draft pundits say players are/aren't afraid of the moment.. but this has never applied more in DeVries' case especially after he got moved to ESPN's 78th overall. We'll have to revisit him next year..maybe. I like his size and shooting, but he didn't come to play.

Every year I watch March Madness and find it baffling how bad some of these offenses are. How do you not get Edey the ball? Why would do you leave your feet during a pass? Why do you turn the ball over when all they have to do is foul you? It's like March rolls around, and some of these players forget how to play.

After the 1st round, the stars did not come out to play. Dick definitely had the best showing.. but he played against Howard. Lively also played well. Everyone else was really underwhelming or forgettable. I think it's the yearly tradition where Jaime Jaquez Jr flirts with being a 1st round prospect.

bajaden · Mar 17, 2023

Ozymandias said:

I would say firstly, despite most of my posts being in the other direction, the safe play is you look for a player who can contribute sooner, for sure, now in the first rd that doesnt necessarily mean youve gotta go after an older player though.

Trayce Jackson Davis was at the combine last year right? and chose not to get measured for anthropomorphic testing.. I think his wingspan is about 7'1 but I dont particularly believe he's 6'9 as they list him, though hes vertically explosive probably 36" vert which helps. I'm really not that crazy about using the 1st rd pick on him, seems like why not just keep Richaun Holmes around for another season we're already paying him..

I know you've mentioned Holmes when it comes to Davis, and that is important, there's obviously this backlog at C in all these scenarios ---- The player on our roster that really makes me hesitate about Jackson-Davis, is Trey Lyles.. I dont know if he's a very good match with Lyles, or a very safe bet to be able to take Lyles job, as Jackson-Davis isn't much of a shooter and only a mid 60's FT% guy. Jackson Davis is also already 23 years old. I could be wrong but I honestly would really prefer Lively over him because he could come in off the bench and change the way our team looks(drastically) if even just for that purpose to change things up. I'd also honestly say that I'd prefer Sidy Cissoko over him though they play different positions, they are similarly sized players n Cissoko can play on the wing for us and flex into a forward spot, he seems to be a much better fit.

The other thing that makes me hesistate with Jackson-Davis in the first round is this --- What if ESPN is very wrong about James Nnaji being in the 20's, what if James Nnaji starts to tumble into the 2nd round? I'd much rather gamble on Nnaji with the way he moves laterally and his arms r so long n how he competes i just have a good feeling about him. IDK really know about his current contract situation but lets say we could stash Nnaji for one year, n let Holmes expire properly, that is an interesting resolution to the C backlog potential issue.

In regards to Jalen Wilson, I'm with you 100%, he has the will to win, which would probably look very good on our team, and he's ready to contribute off the bench from day 1. He's not gonna be the guy that I hone in on and say "I want him over everyone else for this pick" because idk who's gonna fall to us. but if he's the pick I'll be singing his praises and calling it solid for sure.

Also hard agree on Max Lewis, I'll watch his highlights over n over again with a big smile on my face if he's the pick. Love watching that kid chain his dribble moves into pullups or drives, he would seem to be g-leauge bound and not exactly ready to contribute from day 1 like some of the options that'll be on the board.

I also kinda agree with you about Lively, very sound logic. When I watch Derek Lively though I always think "I would love to see this player on the Kings", said it early in the season n ill say it once more, he could end up looking like what we were hoping from WCS, with none of the cute-sy fancy midrange bricks, Lively plays to his strengths. Lively also to me presents a great opportunity in trade value, to me he's not like Harry Giles or Skal either, his skillset is more defined, he's a more rare athelete at his size. He represents a big swing for the fences, but yeah totally depends on how they see Queta and also Holmes. Honestly if Lively keeps playing as he has been and Duke pushes deep in this tournament, we wont even have to worry about this conversation cuz hes off the board.

I'll admit that I fell in love with Jackson Davis game. Don't know about his actual height, and don't get involved in those conversations until I actually know. By the way, the reason he didn''t participate at the combine is that yes, he got the invitation, but after he got there they discovered he had Covid, and wasn't allowed to participate at that point.

By the way, tonight he helped Indinana win with 24 pt's, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 5 blocked shots. One of his early blockes was high off the backboard, where not many players could reach, much less block a shot. Would I take him over Max, no! Not sure I would take him over Strawther either. Who had a great game today with 28 pt's and 10 boards. I think Strawther is a sleeper in this draft, and one of those players that wasn't featured much on his team, but will be a better NBA player.

Ozymandias · Mar 18, 2023

206Fan said:

N conversely Baylor Scheierman has snuck up to 40 on the big board.. honestly i dont like to say it because a player did bad but I kinda sniffed that one out early, that Scheierman was probably more ready to help an NBA team..

Scheierman over names like Ricky Council, Terrence Shannon and Jalen Wilson..

This highlight is from last season, and ive posted it before, but I'm probably gonna keep posting it everytime his name is mentioned.. The step-back J is the most important perimeter move. He's a classic triple threat player on offense.

He's not a G-League guy, if we took Scheierman with the earlier 2nd rd pick its to put him in the bench rotation right away.. He's a win-now pick..

They have Jalen Wilson listed at PF, I'm unsure if thats really his position in the NBA, if he can play SF he should be higher if he's purely a PF then I can understand his fall a bit... Though I kinda dont know what to make of that, its not easy to determine how a player like that will fit in vs the best competition... I guess here on the Kings bench unit him and Edwards could be a bit interchangable, so it could possibly work.

2 things that always seem to happen later in the process --- Shooters move up the board and C's move down.. Seems like were getting the initial waves of that already..

Ozymandias · Mar 18, 2023

bajaden said:

completely went over my head he had covid n thats why he was out I just saw him unlisted on the test n figured it was on purpose.

He's plenty explosive and plenty productive though for sure, but ya know, so is James Nnaji, interested to see what happens with both of them, would LOVE to see those 2 go at it at the combine scrimmage..

Anyone who pays attention to these draftess closely year after year like us has seen a bazillion of these 6'9" 250lb meatball C types, crazy it was 9 years ago Noah Vonleh went 9th, but for me Nnaji stands out amongst many in that crowd, I cant write him off just yet, Jackson-Davis has a vastly more developed offensive game than most of them. To me Robert Williams was hands-down one of the best in recent memory and Nnaji sorta reminds me of him, very similar frames, n for the life of me I'll never understand how Robert Williams falls to the Celtics at 27, yikes, I'll also never understand why he didnt keep his name in the previous draft but it all worked out for him.

Imagine we could get a player like Robert Williams with the first rd pick, holy smokes that sure sounds nice.

I honestly think the success of a player like Sabonis will help Jackson-Davis' cause. I kinda feel like he might be better off on a team that can use him more, sorta like what OKC did with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jackson-Davis seems like he could stuff the stat sheet with 20mpg, but do we have 20mpg to hand him? and again I think he might be an awkward fit next to Trey Lyles, but maybe not.

Queta is some sort of unknown factor here.. the way he was delivering beatdowns on James Wiseman makes me think we've gotta see what he can do..

I think its worth mentioning, would you take Davis over GG Jackson? I'd lean towards Jackson cuz he's just a thoroughbred in transition, n we already run teams ragged.

Jackson-Davis can shut this tournament down and end up in the top20, I wouldnt rule that out either. Indiana has a reallly solid 7-man rotation, if Race Thompson can play like he did today, that team is dangerous.

It's also strange to me to not see Adema Sanogo on ESPN's big board.. I think its worth mentioning his name, his shooting looks more real evey game that passes, he made it rain in that 2nd half today.. If we can land him with the late 2nd, that might actually be a decent low cost alternative.

Strawther was LIGHTS out today. He's all over the place on peoples projections, idk what to make of it other than I refuse to believe theres 59 better players in the draft pool like ESPN says, thats some bs, n I mean who in their right minds is gonna take UCLA's Jaylen Clark with an achillies injury over Strawther, doesnt make sense, n it saddens me Clark got injured like that, so late in the season, but to have him over Strawther after that is preposterous.

Ozymandias · Mar 18, 2023

While were talking explosive 6'9 240lb types. Lemme just add these highlights from Julian Reese to the mix from the opening round.

He's got such a funky FT shot hahaha glad thats in these highlights... how bizarre.. thats a bit beyond the 'unothodox lefty' mechanics..

We get to see Kobe Brown vs Tosan Evbuomwan today!!! (630 am on the eastcoast here up with the birds).

so many great matchups. great day to be a college basketball fan.

I wonder how Johni Broome can perform vs Houston...

Ozymandias · Mar 18, 2023

What a first half for Jonas Aidoo(Tennessee)!

Now he is actually capable of going high in next years draft so something drastic will have to happen in this tournament to propel him into 2023 draft relevancy.

Aidoo's a legit 3'n'D Center, shotblocker and his shot is very nice looking, tons of rotation, splashes thru nice, he's legitimately a rare archetype.. At 6'11" with a 7'4" wingspan he's quite talented. Even though he's coming off the bench, he's absolutely been the defensive anchor thus far.

Both offenses are being stymied here, wonder whats gonna happen in this second half..

Duke's having trouble keeping possession.. Seems like if Filipkowski plays another half like that Duke's chances are slim.

Bravo to Tennessee for showing up like this without their PG..

N i'm gonna mention Jahmai Mashak again, he's got no stats at all in the boxscore but this kid is easily an NBA quality defender, he's like 6'4 with a 6'11 wingspan n tough and disruptive. His impact is being felt in this one even with no stats to speak of.

Ozymandias · Mar 18, 2023

Oliver Nkamhoua with some daggers!

Duke is finished! They went out with a whimper honestly, very sloppy performance for such a high stakes game

Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft

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