Bajaden's final 2023 Mock Draft
- Thread starter bajaden
- Start date
Didn’t know he was in the draft. Marginal talent with a problematic dad. What’s not to like?
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
You also forgot the injury concerns!
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
If GG went at pick 37, that would hurt. haha.
The Ringer updated their mock today and O'Connor has the Kings taking Jett Howard. I'd really struggle with that because I don't think he'll ever be a good defender on the NBA level.
Telemachus
Starter
I liked Jett Howard at the beginning of the season. The more the season went on, the more his flaws were exploited. While I think he will go near the end of the first round, I wouldn't be shocked if he fell into the second.
miltonap
Starter
How do you guys feel about Jordan Hawkins?
What if we were to trade Huerter for example for idk, OG I guess along with Davion and Richaun Holmes then drafted Jordan Hawkins with our pick.
Then start Malik and Fox while Jordan gets acclimated then bring in Jordan as the starter then you would have
Fox
Hawkins
Keegan
OG
Sabonis
As your starters.
I'm not really not 100% convinced about OG but what about that premise in general.
I'm not convinced about Huerter either
What if we were to trade Huerter for example for idk, OG I guess along with Davion and Richaun Holmes then drafted Jordan Hawkins with our pick.
Then start Malik and Fox while Jordan gets acclimated then bring in Jordan as the starter then you would have
Fox
Hawkins
Keegan
OG
Sabonis
As your starters.
I'm not really not 100% convinced about OG but what about that premise in general.
I'm not convinced about Huerter either
KainLear
Starter
I was laughing out loud reading page 1 at first, but then it quickly got sad when he escalated the debate to a personal level.
"Mock Draft" is literally a guessing game that doesn't provide all the facts to you, I can't believe anyone can take it THAT personally to debate about something you don't fully know everything about it. Regardless of how diligent your research was, how close you are to the school program personally, and how many insider sources you have in the NBA or among the schools, you will NEVER know what any single one of these 30 GMs knows about these rookies. We just witnessed Bradley Beal's agent declaring a trade request and getting moved the next day. Not just first-hand info we are all missing from the outside, but we also have zero context on how each person providing any information is true to their intention.
And the stat part is even funnier to me. It's like getting mad at the weather report. Just because we have intricate machines and monitor them 24/7, we still can't predict the weather with any high level of certainty.
Telemachus
Starter
I have been following college basketball and trying to predict the draft since the early 90s (not as long as Baja) and have got many right and many wrong. The same can be said for every so called expert I have seen over the years. Anyone who thinks they are right about every prospect is fooling themselves. I would hope we all do it for the enjoyment of the process and the hope that we improve as we go along.
They say that winning changes a forum.
But he can remember the Coronas, so I'll give him that.
sactowndog
All-Star
Mostly because Prosper is reportedly rising which is who he thought we would take. Given those choices I hope we roll the dice on Dariq Whitehead.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Not a big fan of Howard. He's a very good shooter and has pretty good handles, but he's a terrible defender and a very bad rebounder.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
I like Whitehead a lot. Don't think he'll make it to 24 but if he did, I wouldn't hesitate to take him, depending on who else is there. I like Prosper, but I like him better at 38. Yes, he's a good defender, but at times he's out of control and over plays. He bites on jab steps a little too much giving the player a little too much room. It worked in college, but in the NBA that amount of room will give players like Paul George and easy basket. All correctable of course, but something I had to consider.
He did shoot almost 34% from three, which is not great, but at least decent. What bothered me is that he shot around 33.4% on open uncontested three's. That's a red flag for me. That doesn't mean he can't become a respectable shooter with hard work, but it does mean that I like some other players better.
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bajaden
Hall of Famer
I'm surprised that there hasn't much comment about my 54 pick, Landers Nolley. I think the Capt is the only one who knew who he was. I really like him and I think he's an NBA player. But, Im a bit crazy at times. Anyway, for those interested here's an interview with him and a break down of his game.
sactowndog
All-Star
Yep who is there will be interesting. I could see a run on wings ahead of us.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Actually I'm more into Indio now. Thinking of buying stock in the company just so I can have a steady supply!
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
I think THE KINGS ARE GOING TO PACKAGE THE PICK WITH RICHAUN HOLMES TO FREE UP THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS OF CAPSPACE AND THEN WAIT FOR COLBY JONES TO FALL IN THE SECOND ROUND BEFORE TRADING UP TO 34 WITH THE CELTICS TO TAKE HIM. THEY WILL THEN TAKE JALEN SLAWSON AT 54.
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SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
Quoting so there's no backtracking haha. I'll be THRILLED if Whitehead were the pick.
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Players I would be happy with at 24 are, in no particular order are:
Max Lewis
Dariq Whitehead
Ben Sheppard
Kris Murray
Brandin Podziemski
Leonard Miller
Colby Jones
Trace Jackson-Davis
Brice Sensabaugh
Sidy Cissoko
My favorites in the 2nd rd are:
Oliver Maxence-Prosper
Marcus Sasser
Kobe Brown
James Nnaji
Noah Clowney
Tristin Vukcevic
Julian Strawther
Jaime Jaquez
Amari Bailey
Rayan Rupert
I have no doubt that some of these players in the first round won't be there when we pick, but some of them will, and it's possible that some of the 2nd rd players listed get picked in the 1st round. Obviously Lewis is my favorite, but that said, if Leonard Miller drops down to us, which I don't think will happen, I would have to take him over Max, Maybe? Sensabaugh would be drafting instant offense and I think he would work on a team that had a good rim protector behind him. Not sure how he would fit on the Kings, but he's very talented.
If Whitehead regains his athleticism after the 2nd surgery, then he would be a possibe all star player at 24 and definitely the steal of the draft. I love Davis because he would be the perfect fit on the Kings with his ability to defend and especially pass the ball. He's 6"9.75" in shoes, which makes him just as tall as all the 6'10" centers in the league, and there are a lot of them. He has a 8'10" standing reach which is competitive with most of the centers in the league. Add his 36" max vertical and his ability to defend on the perimeter makes him an excellent fit for the Kings. Be nice to get him in the 2nd rd, but don''t think he'll slide that far.
Max Lewis
Dariq Whitehead
Ben Sheppard
Kris Murray
Brandin Podziemski
Leonard Miller
Colby Jones
Trace Jackson-Davis
Brice Sensabaugh
Sidy Cissoko
My favorites in the 2nd rd are:
Oliver Maxence-Prosper
Marcus Sasser
Kobe Brown
James Nnaji
Noah Clowney
Tristin Vukcevic
Julian Strawther
Jaime Jaquez
Amari Bailey
Rayan Rupert
I have no doubt that some of these players in the first round won't be there when we pick, but some of them will, and it's possible that some of the 2nd rd players listed get picked in the 1st round. Obviously Lewis is my favorite, but that said, if Leonard Miller drops down to us, which I don't think will happen, I would have to take him over Max, Maybe? Sensabaugh would be drafting instant offense and I think he would work on a team that had a good rim protector behind him. Not sure how he would fit on the Kings, but he's very talented.
If Whitehead regains his athleticism after the 2nd surgery, then he would be a possibe all star player at 24 and definitely the steal of the draft. I love Davis because he would be the perfect fit on the Kings with his ability to defend and especially pass the ball. He's 6"9.75" in shoes, which makes him just as tall as all the 6'10" centers in the league, and there are a lot of them. He has a 8'10" standing reach which is competitive with most of the centers in the league. Add his 36" max vertical and his ability to defend on the perimeter makes him an excellent fit for the Kings. Be nice to get him in the 2nd rd, but don''t think he'll slide that far.
Speaking of shot-blocking, can't be upset with them picking Slawson, although he may also not make the cut, who knows. A good shot block is worth any offensive play in my book......one of my favorite highlights of the Warriors series, was Monk timing a perfect block on Wiggins who has 4" on him easy.
Wizards pick Trace-Jackson Davis!
CBS
"
57. Washington Wizards (via Celtics): PF Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
I don't give out 'A's very often in the second round, but I'll slap my stamp of approval happily here on this one. Jackson-Davis was a first round prospect for me so this pick for the Warriors at No. 57 feels like robbery. He was a productive four-year college player at Indiana whose shooting touch could allow him in time to develop a perimeter shot and be a floor-spacing threat. Grade: A
Did the Kings make a mistake?, hmmm....
CBS
"
57. Washington Wizards (via Celtics): PF Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
I don't give out 'A's very often in the second round, but I'll slap my stamp of approval happily here on this one. Jackson-Davis was a first round prospect for me so this pick for the Warriors at No. 57 feels like robbery. He was a productive four-year college player at Indiana whose shooting touch could allow him in time to develop a perimeter shot and be a floor-spacing threat. Grade: A
Did the Kings make a mistake?, hmmm....
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LPKingsFan
All-Star
We got the 19 and 29 guys on Pelton’s list?
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
EFFING NAILED IT!
The Kings had TJD in for a workout and decided to pass, so I think they did their due diligence on him. But yeah, I don't understand why he fell so far.
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bajaden
Hall of Famer
Once he got into the 2nd round his agent told every team that called that he wouldn't sign a 2 way contract and he would only sign a guarranted contract on the parent club. They had already worked out a deal with the Warriors. His agent being the brother of the Mike Dunlevy the Warriors GM didn't hurt either!
bajaden
Hall of Famer
Well I predicted that the draft would be chaotic, and boy was it. I think I got the first four right, an that was it. Seeing Whitmore drop like he did shocked me. It got to a point where I started praying that he would drop to us, but who knows? We probably already had the deal set up, so maybe it wouldn't have mattered. Once I saw that deal, I knew it was the precursor to a bigger deal, probably in free agency. We still got one of my favorites in Colby Jones, who I had going in the 1st rd, so good value at 34.
I'm also a fan of Jalen Slawson. I think he'll surprise some people. Good shooter at almost 40% from three. He's a solid defender and particularly as a weakside help defender. He's a good passer, and most of all, he knows how to play the game. He has very good BBIQ. It will be interesting to see how well his defense holds up in the NBA.
I see the Kings just signed Jake Stevens to an exhibit 10 contract. I like Stevens! He's a legit 7 footer who weighs around 290 pounds and he has a 7'9.5" wingspan, which helped him block 2.4 shots a game this season. He' also a very good 3 pt shooter shooting 40.8% from three on over 5 shots a game. Add in that he averaged 10.2 rebounds a game as well, and maybe the Kings might have lucked into a future rotation player. Oh, he's a very good passer as well averaging 3.6 assists a game. He's also a decent to good athlete, who runs the floor well. He also plays with an edge!
For those not familiar with an exhibit 10 contract, it's a contract that gives the club that signs him total control over the player for one year. However, it's not guaranteed, so he can be cut at any time. It can also be converted into a 2 way contract, but it has to be done before the start of the regular season. An example of that would the Heat when they signed Max Struss to an exhibit 10 contract. He played so well in training camp, and during the exhibition season that they converted it to a 2 way. The salary on an exhibition 10 can be as much as $50,000,00, or lower. It's a good way to get a test drive on a player at a small expense, and it's a opportunity for the player show he's worth a bigger contract. Well see!
I'm also a fan of Jalen Slawson. I think he'll surprise some people. Good shooter at almost 40% from three. He's a solid defender and particularly as a weakside help defender. He's a good passer, and most of all, he knows how to play the game. He has very good BBIQ. It will be interesting to see how well his defense holds up in the NBA.
I see the Kings just signed Jake Stevens to an exhibit 10 contract. I like Stevens! He's a legit 7 footer who weighs around 290 pounds and he has a 7'9.5" wingspan, which helped him block 2.4 shots a game this season. He' also a very good 3 pt shooter shooting 40.8% from three on over 5 shots a game. Add in that he averaged 10.2 rebounds a game as well, and maybe the Kings might have lucked into a future rotation player. Oh, he's a very good passer as well averaging 3.6 assists a game. He's also a decent to good athlete, who runs the floor well. He also plays with an edge!
For those not familiar with an exhibit 10 contract, it's a contract that gives the club that signs him total control over the player for one year. However, it's not guaranteed, so he can be cut at any time. It can also be converted into a 2 way contract, but it has to be done before the start of the regular season. An example of that would the Heat when they signed Max Struss to an exhibit 10 contract. He played so well in training camp, and during the exhibition season that they converted it to a 2 way. The salary on an exhibition 10 can be as much as $50,000,00, or lower. It's a good way to get a test drive on a player at a small expense, and it's a opportunity for the player show he's worth a bigger contract. Well see!
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
Do you think Slawson is enough of an athlete to make it in the Nba? Either Hollinger or Vecenie (I don’t remember who) said they liked him but were worried he was too pedestrian athletically.
