I'd certainly make that trade, but I think we might disagree on who we might pick. Their first pick is at 17 and there's a chance that Aaron Nesmith would still be there, and if so, I would take him in a heartbeat. The dude shot 52% from the three, and he took a lot of them. He was almost automatic on a catch and shoot. If Nesmith is gone, then I would take Jalen Smith who played in the shadow of Bruno Fernando his Freshman year. He is right now, everything Williams hopes to be, and he's 6'10" with a big wingspan. I'd have to think about the 27th and 30th picks.
Bajadens 1st mindless mock draft for 2020:
- Thread starter bajaden
- Start date
Surprised who you think will be available. I have put the SI mock drafts and Bleacher mock drafts. Ringer has Hayes as it’s top ranked prospect. I think it’s unlikely Avdija, Haliburton or Hayes are available.
I'd be happy with any of the following guys:
Tyrese Haliburton 6, 5,
Deni Avdija 3, 2,
Killian Hayes 11, 10
Tyrese Maxey
RJ Hampton. 10, 11
Aaron Nesmith
Those are my top guys at our spot, and there's a good chance more than one will be available.
I'd be happy with any of the following guys:
Tyrese Haliburton 6, 5,
Deni Avdija 3, 2,
Killian Hayes 11, 10
Tyrese Maxey
RJ Hampton. 10, 11
Aaron Nesmith
Those are my top guys at our spot, and there's a good chance more than one will be available.
Yeah, I agree, I seriously doubt that Haliburton, Avdija, or Hayes will slide down to us. Hampton I think will slide a bit. How far I don't know, but he did not have an impressive year in New Zealand. I really like Maxey, who I think can shoot the three better than his Freshman year indicates. I'm fairly confident about Nesmith being there for us. Nesmith is a clear cut 3 and D player who can really, really, shoot the ball. I must have seen him play 8 or 9 times, and I can't remember him ever missing an open catch and shoot. I mean the dude shot 52% from the three, and he averaged 8 a game.
Your right, anything can happen. I saw one mock that had Obi Toppin dropping down to us, which would blow my mind. So I'm not sure anyone feels confident about their projections. Were it me, I would go with a player that excels in at least one area that you feel confident will translate to the NBA. Or, go with a three or four year player that's improved every year in college. There are some good players in this draft. The question is, are there any great players? Probably, but who are they?
I'm holding a seance tonight in hopes of finding out. Attend at your own risk, and BYOB!
I'm holding a seance tonight in hopes of finding out. Attend at your own risk, and BYOB!
Here is Ham’s mock. Have to say I don’t agree with it much at all
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/k...t-round-pick-projections-predictions#slide-37
https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/k...t-round-pick-projections-predictions#slide-37
Ham is a good barometer for what the front office is thinking. His mocks 1-whatever the Kings pick is in the given draft is based on what someone is telling him, because Ham does zero draft research outside of watching Duke and has absolutely no eye for talent. After the Kings pick his drafts are usually pure garbage.
However, you can usually take the rationale he provides for his Kings mock pick to the bank. In this case, they are going to take a big swing. It may not be RJ Hampton (I hope, not a big fan), but the Kings feel good about their current rotation and will take a big swing in the draft. And maybe they should—they nearly made the playoffs sans Bagley. I would argue they should. Two other things, conspicuous in his absence from Ham’s mock was Pokusevski. And, if his next mock has another SG or combo guard slotted for the Kings, there is a strong likelihood Ham has heard they are trading Buddy.
However, you can usually take the rationale he provides for his Kings mock pick to the bank. In this case, they are going to take a big swing. It may not be RJ Hampton (I hope, not a big fan), but the Kings feel good about their current rotation and will take a big swing in the draft. And maybe they should—they nearly made the playoffs sans Bagley. I would argue they should. Two other things, conspicuous in his absence from Ham’s mock was Pokusevski. And, if his next mock has another SG or combo guard slotted for the Kings, there is a strong likelihood Ham has heard they are trading Buddy.
Lets put it this way, Nesmith shot a much higher percentage in college than Buddy, and for sure, he's a better defender. Does that mean he'll be as good a shooter in the NBA? Personally, I'd say yes, but you never know. He's a bit taller than Buddy as well at 6'6". No guarantee's, but I like the odds.
Whereas I subscribe to a few scouting sites simply to get insight as to how draft eligible players are perceived by NBA teams I find it interesting how different NBA scouts look at some players as opposed to a lot of the mock drafts. Particularly this year. From what I've been able to glean, don't be surprised to see some lottery ranked players drop on draft day. This draft may not have a Ja Morant, or a Fox in it, but it is rich in PG's, many of whom will likely have nice NBA careers as either starters or solid backups.
Some PG's likely to fall come draft day are Nico Manion, Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, and perhaps Tyrese Maxey. Someone may take a flyer on Anthony based on potential, but he was downright terrible this year in my opinion. Maxey is a very good defender and has a lot of physical tools. He didn't shoot the ball well, but he was decent in Highschool, and I'm sure some team will believe it can fix his shot. I wasn't impressed with Hampton at all in the film I watched. Manion struggled with his shot, which will likely improve, but I can't honestly say there was anything about the rest of his game that raised my eyebrows.
PG's on the rise are likely to be Kira Lewis Jr., Tyrell Terry, Payton Pritchard, Devin Dotson, and Malachi Flynn. I'm not saying all these players will be first rd picks, but some certainly deserve to be. I think Lewis should be a lottery pick. He's a sophmore, and still only 18 years old. He entered college at age 17 and wasn't old enough to declare after his Freshman year. I think he's one of the best PG's in the draft. Terry isn't as athletic as Lewis, but he's a knock down shooter and a smart player. Dotson kind of flew under the radar on a very good Kansas team. Pritchard may have been the best player on the Oregon team, and Flynn was the heart and soul of the San Diego St. team.
They all shot the three well except for Dotson, who had an off year. Point is, all of them had better years than many of the higher ranked PG's. It will be interesting to see where they all land on draft day, particularly Anthony. Will some team buy into his long range potential, or will he slide, maybe even into the 2nd rd. Same with Hampton who couldn't finish at the basket, couldn't shoot the ball, and was a terrible defender. Good athlete though.
It will also be interesting to see where Wiseman lands.
Who is the better player, Wiseman or Okongwu. I read an article asking that very question, which really didn't answer the question. Wiseman has the size, and is a fluid athlete, but Okongwu seems more polished around the basket. Wiseman is 7'1" and Okongwu is 6'9", so if its length your looking for Wiseman wins. However, Okongwu seems to have better defensive instincts around the basket and to me, is the more aggressive player. You choose.
A few players that might rise up the board, and I hope they don't are, Saddiq Bey, who it's rumored the Warriors are eyeing. Also Devin Vassell, and Aaron Nesmith. Considering that those are my top three for the Kings in the first rd, I'm getting a little nervous. I really think that at least one of them will be there when we pick, but if not, then I would go with Aleksej Pokusevski. If I have to go with a bit of a project then I want a project with star potential.
Some PG's likely to fall come draft day are Nico Manion, Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, and perhaps Tyrese Maxey. Someone may take a flyer on Anthony based on potential, but he was downright terrible this year in my opinion. Maxey is a very good defender and has a lot of physical tools. He didn't shoot the ball well, but he was decent in Highschool, and I'm sure some team will believe it can fix his shot. I wasn't impressed with Hampton at all in the film I watched. Manion struggled with his shot, which will likely improve, but I can't honestly say there was anything about the rest of his game that raised my eyebrows.
PG's on the rise are likely to be Kira Lewis Jr., Tyrell Terry, Payton Pritchard, Devin Dotson, and Malachi Flynn. I'm not saying all these players will be first rd picks, but some certainly deserve to be. I think Lewis should be a lottery pick. He's a sophmore, and still only 18 years old. He entered college at age 17 and wasn't old enough to declare after his Freshman year. I think he's one of the best PG's in the draft. Terry isn't as athletic as Lewis, but he's a knock down shooter and a smart player. Dotson kind of flew under the radar on a very good Kansas team. Pritchard may have been the best player on the Oregon team, and Flynn was the heart and soul of the San Diego St. team.
They all shot the three well except for Dotson, who had an off year. Point is, all of them had better years than many of the higher ranked PG's. It will be interesting to see where they all land on draft day, particularly Anthony. Will some team buy into his long range potential, or will he slide, maybe even into the 2nd rd. Same with Hampton who couldn't finish at the basket, couldn't shoot the ball, and was a terrible defender. Good athlete though.
It will also be interesting to see where Wiseman lands.
Who is the better player, Wiseman or Okongwu. I read an article asking that very question, which really didn't answer the question. Wiseman has the size, and is a fluid athlete, but Okongwu seems more polished around the basket. Wiseman is 7'1" and Okongwu is 6'9", so if its length your looking for Wiseman wins. However, Okongwu seems to have better defensive instincts around the basket and to me, is the more aggressive player. You choose.
A few players that might rise up the board, and I hope they don't are, Saddiq Bey, who it's rumored the Warriors are eyeing. Also Devin Vassell, and Aaron Nesmith. Considering that those are my top three for the Kings in the first rd, I'm getting a little nervous. I really think that at least one of them will be there when we pick, but if not, then I would go with Aleksej Pokusevski. If I have to go with a bit of a project then I want a project with star potential.
If I were you I'd rethink RJ Hampton. He was absolutely horrible this year on the New Zealand team. Personally, I wouldn't take him in the first rd, but I know someone will. Where I'm coming from is that I would like to draft a player that's more ready to contribute sooner than later. Which is why I love Bey, Vassell and Nesmith. In your 2nd group I like all three players. Okoro is likely to go top five, so I doubt we have a chance at him. I think Pokusevski has star potential, but he also has bust potential. Oturu has been flying under the radar a bit, He has a very nice skill set.
A player that was a bit disappointing because of his poor shooting was Maxey, but that aside, he was impressive defensively, and showed the ability to get to the basket. I think he's a little more of a SG right now, but could certainly be a solid combo guard in a couple of years. Haliburton and Toppin are my two favorite players in this draft, but I doubt we have any chance at either of them.
A player that was a bit disappointing because of his poor shooting was Maxey, but that aside, he was impressive defensively, and showed the ability to get to the basket. I think he's a little more of a SG right now, but could certainly be a solid combo guard in a couple of years. Haliburton and Toppin are my two favorite players in this draft, but I doubt we have any chance at either of them.
Maybe, maybe not. All depends on his development. I'm not in the habit of branding a player one way or the other when they're 18 years old. I saw all three of the games he played, and I thought he played fairly well with only one against a top conference school, Oregon. So it remains to be seen how much he'll progress, or how much he has progressed during the suspension. However, in the immediate, I would take Okongwu.
If Polusevski can even get a average joe body he will be amazing. Also unlike Zinger he can see the floor and plays for others (similar passer to Jokic )and his ball handling is far superior to Zinger who is much more stiff. I doubt he will be anywhere near as good defensively as Zinger but could be good for 1 steal/1 block gambling type defender.
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There’s starting to be some smoke of Wiseman being re-evaluated, and Hayes rising big-time. All the teams are focused on draft prep now since there is nothing else to do, so could be something to it. Anyway, a couple legit sites have Wiseman going to the Kings in their recent mocks, which I have been saying is around his proper valuation. It could be interesting. Like I said, I like him long term as a stretch 5–I just don’t want to be forcing him to run an offense as a top 3 pick.
I'll be very surprised if he falls all the way to the Kings, but if he does, You almost have to take him at that spot. I think the Spurs who pick just ahead of us would love to have Hayes, but I doubt he falls that far. If I had the first pick in the draft, and bearing in mind that I'm picking for the Kings, I would take Haliburton. Other than needing to add some muscle, he's the best all around player in the draft in my opinion. But that's just my opinion..
just started to follow this draft and watch some videos on some of the top prospects.
So far I've watched a little on Wiseman, Toppin, Haliburton, Edwards.
Not high on Wiseman.
Toppin seems solid but my favorites out of those 4 are Haliburton and Edwards.
Edwards my god this dude got game he should go #1. And I like Haliburton because he seems to know how to play the game
So far I've watched a little on Wiseman, Toppin, Haliburton, Edwards.
Not high on Wiseman.
Toppin seems solid but my favorites out of those 4 are Haliburton and Edwards.
Edwards my god this dude got game he should go #1. And I like Haliburton because he seems to know how to play the game
I think there's a big caveat with Edwards in that the whole of the player is not equal to the sum of his highlights. I was very disappointed at his effort level. I feel like an apt comparison based on what I saw was about like this: Take Buddy Hield's shooting and penchant for boneheaded plays, put them into Tyreke Evans' body with Tyreke's driving ability, turn the effort level down as low as it will go, and give him blinders on defense so you don't get mad when he doesn't notice he's supposed to help. There are some great highlights out of Edwards, and when's scoring and engaged, he flashes #1. But if he gets cold or frozen out for a bit on O, he goes and hides in the corner and refuses to move off the ball, just waiting for somebody to finally pass it to him. And that D is...well, it borders on atrocious.
There isn't a clear-cut #1 in this draft, but if I had that pick I'd like to go after somebody that's more of an all-around player than Edwards.
There isn't a clear-cut #1 in this draft, but if I had that pick I'd like to go after somebody that's more of an all-around player than Edwards.
I agree with everything the Capt said. Does he have a lot of God given talent? Yes, but I question his effort level, especially on defense, which at times in nonexistent. He takes a lot of bad shots, like a forty footer with a hand in his face and with no one under the basket to board. He could turn into a HOF player, or he could be the next big flop. Personally, I wouldn't use the first pick in the draft on him, but if he's sitting there at 12, then maybe.... But he won't be, so no need to worry about that decision.
I've said it before, but in case you missed it, I think Haliburton might be the best player in this draft. At least on draft day. Three years from now, who knows?
I've said it before, but in case you missed it, I think Haliburton might be the best player in this draft. At least on draft day. Three years from now, who knows?
Ham’s latest mock was based on the Kings moving up to #4. He had us taking Obi Toppin. And he had RJ Hampton going #10. I think he’s trolling me. But, it’s pretty terrifying to think someone in the front office would want to draft Toppin and thinks highly of Hampton. I mean, Toppin’s a nice player but basically an older copy of Bagley.
Also, am I crazy for liking Jah’mius Ramsey? If we did end up trading Buddy, I feel like Ramsey would be a really nice 6th man next year.
Also, am I crazy for liking Jah’mius Ramsey? If we did end up trading Buddy, I feel like Ramsey would be a really nice 6th man next year.
As you know, I'm not a big fan of Hampton's, so unless someone knows something I don't know, I'm not convinced he should be a lottery pick. He's a very good athlete, and I think he did himself a disservice by skipping college where he could have played against players of equal age and ability. I watched a ton of film on him and nothing made my heart skip a beat. Look, I could be dead wrong about him. I've been wrong plenty of times, but one can only go on what one see's, and I don't see a lottery pick.
Toppin is a different story. Offensively he's one of the best players in the draft, and in my humble opinion, the best big man. Remember, he was the best player on that Dayton team, and every team he faced planned their defense to stop him, and they couldn't. When I first saw him he reminded me of a young Karl Malone with the way he ran the floor and finished. He comes with a good mid-range game and the ability to shoot the three. (39% on three attempts a game)
One of the most impressive things about Toppin was his consistency game to game. He seldom had a bad game. If I had to pick one area where I think he needs to improve is to be more consistent in the rebounding dept, however, he did average just under 8 a game. Some scouts question his defense at the next level, and I get that. But based on what I saw, he certainly gave the effort, and I didn't think he had any glaring flaws defensively. Do I think he'll be a lock down defender? Nope, but I think he'll be fine and not a liability. Right now, he's a better player than Okongwu. Will he be better in two or three years? Who knows?
Lastly, I like Ramsey, but he's a player that's likely to go at the bottom of the first rd. If I have Nesmith and Ramsey sitting there, I would definitely take Nesmith, who is taller, and a better shooter. Nesmith comes with the ability to play both the SF and SG positions. I see Ramsey as a pure SG. What really perked my interest in Ramsey was his ability to explode in a few games throughout the season, teasing that there's more there. Now if Ramsey falls into the 2nd rd, then I grab him in a heartbeat, but that's not likely to happen. I say that knowing that in this draft, who knows?
Toppin is a different story. Offensively he's one of the best players in the draft, and in my humble opinion, the best big man. Remember, he was the best player on that Dayton team, and every team he faced planned their defense to stop him, and they couldn't. When I first saw him he reminded me of a young Karl Malone with the way he ran the floor and finished. He comes with a good mid-range game and the ability to shoot the three. (39% on three attempts a game)
One of the most impressive things about Toppin was his consistency game to game. He seldom had a bad game. If I had to pick one area where I think he needs to improve is to be more consistent in the rebounding dept, however, he did average just under 8 a game. Some scouts question his defense at the next level, and I get that. But based on what I saw, he certainly gave the effort, and I didn't think he had any glaring flaws defensively. Do I think he'll be a lock down defender? Nope, but I think he'll be fine and not a liability. Right now, he's a better player than Okongwu. Will he be better in two or three years? Who knows?
Lastly, I like Ramsey, but he's a player that's likely to go at the bottom of the first rd. If I have Nesmith and Ramsey sitting there, I would definitely take Nesmith, who is taller, and a better shooter. Nesmith comes with the ability to play both the SF and SG positions. I see Ramsey as a pure SG. What really perked my interest in Ramsey was his ability to explode in a few games throughout the season, teasing that there's more there. Now if Ramsey falls into the 2nd rd, then I grab him in a heartbeat, but that's not likely to happen. I say that knowing that in this draft, who knows?