Looking ahead to the 2023 Draft

Ozymandias said:
Coleman Hawkins is up to #24 on ESPN's bigboard!!!!!

Lively down 20 spots and most other mocks have him dropping even further. Dariq Whitehead drops outside of the lottery to #15!

Ricky Council IV and Terrence Arceneaux up to #33 and #34. Jordan Walsh has also made a big jump up their board iirc, to #41.

6'5" Sophomore PG Taran Armstrong at Cal-Baptist, from Tasmania looks solid and they have him ranked #70. currently shooting 50+% from 3(only 3attempts per) after only 31% as a freshman but he gets to the line a lot n gets downhill and has some explosion. Shades of Greivis Vasquez.
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The Duke guys have been very disappointing. I'm slightly surprised that Givony was quick as he was to drop them down, but I could see them slipping even more. It's still very early in the season, but Whitehead and Lively look very rough.

GG Jackson at #20 is way too low.
 
So UConn is now ranked #8.. They're 8-0 and have bludgeoned all opponents. Everyone knew they were gonna be good but one thing that really stands out early season is the production of MVP of the Phil Knight Invitational 7'2" 265lb Freshman Donovan Clingan.

This player is a very legit sleeper! I knew preseason he'd eventually get looks but I'm starting to wonder if he can actually get one and done looks. I think in the case of Clingan alot of "draft experts" saw UConn's depth chart knew Sanogo would be showcasing and they just penciled in that he's being groomed for years down the road.

So far this season he's averaging over 10, 7 boards and 2 blocks in just 15mpg. 78% FG's.. He has a good post repitoire. Reminds me a bit of Ivica Zubac has a 7'6 wingspan and a good set of hands.
I've become sold on the idea that Queta deserves a long look on the big team, by next season, so when It comes to C's I'm now wondering could we possibly be looking at longer term projects(N'Diaye, Nnaji, Maybe Lively if he keeps fallign tho he played good last night.. or even Isaiah Miranda) to be polished in the g-league for years?

There's this sort of obvious grey area of "centers that are pretty good who are going to go undrafted", obviously some will return to college n slice into that group(lot of 6'10 guys) but it'll be there for sure. So the question becomes whos got the talent to actually warrant using a pick on? Clingan is interesting.
 
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UCLA's star freshman guard Amari Bailey is shooting... 38% from the FT stripe ??? wutface?


Zona's guards got whooped by Utah td... Absolute no-show from the backcourt.
 
pdxKingsFan said:
So is this a no watch for me?
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Yeah I'd probably skip this one.. Ballo and Tubelis played well enough to win, rest of the team not so much

Courtney Ramey always looks good when he's playing well, when he's not playing well though things can get quite slow n ugly and that's what happened in this one. For me as a College enthusiast I've seen many of these Ramey offnights now last handful of years so I couldnt reccomend for someone to sit thru that.
 
6'11" 260lb C, Senior, Joel Soriano on undefeated St. Johns has really had a staggering uptick in his play from Jr. to Sr. year. He's in much better shape(cut a lot of fat), more confident. They have 2 good PG's to get him the ball.

He's earned his mention in this thread the hard way. Interested to see how the rest of his season plays out. If the Johnnies keep it rolling can he work his way onto the fringe?

gone from 6pts 5rebs as a Jr. (often benched) to leading the team and avging 15.5 and 12.5 boards per (almost 2 blocks)
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/1599459027469357056

This is already starting to shape up to being a really strong forward/big wing class.
Perfect for the Kings since that's the area where they are the thinnest right now. (Givony has us taking Jett Howard in the latest edition of his way too early mock draft, which I would be happy with if that were to happen in 6 months.)
 
Tetsujin said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1599459027469357056

This is already starting to shape up to being a really strong forward/big wing class.
Perfect for the Kings since that's the area where they are the thinnest right now. (Givony has us taking Jett Howard in the latest edition of his way too early mock draft, which I would be happy with if that were to happen in 6 months.)
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With Clowney in particular his measurements are going to be a pretty big deal. Mainly; a) How much strength has he added? Is he a legit 6'10?

wingspan is long for sure. way above average hookshot in the arsenal with the right hand.

He is a guy who was pretty skinny not that long ago so he's in the early stages of really filling out. Interesting player nonetheless.

Obviously if Clowney keeps shooting like those highlights he's gonna breeze thru the predraft process and land in the first.

In the short term its gonna be interesting to see how many shots he gets after this explosion. Bama is kinda loaded.
 
Michigan's PG Jaelin Llewellyn (who wasnt gonna get drafted but is maybe a summer league looks type/g-league guy) also has torn his ACL.
 
UConn looked like worldbeaters yesterday, they've really left the strongest impression on me early season.. #5 in the nation might be too low for them..

I think it's understated that their 4 best players (Hawkins, Sanogo, Jackson and Clingan) are simply better than most every teams 4 best players in the nation.


The 7'2" freshman I've been posting about Clingan --- 18 points in 19 minutes 8 boards (3off) 3blks 1stl.. Who's got big guys on their bench that can possibly even slow him down? It's actually a ridiculous notion that teams out there would...


He's humongous. Do you see him play patty cake at the rim with the offensive rebounds? His standing reach is very high. DO you see the body control when hes runnign the break n catching that lob? In that massive frame..

In very short time here this has gone from "i have a good feeling about his chances" to now there's really clearly 2 outcomes; 1) he enters the draft. 2) he returns for his sophomore season and is one of the biggest stars in college n puts up even crazier stats as the starter.

He's a much better long-term prospect than Edey (and I like Edey) It's probably not even close. He's a player who's mom died when he was young and hes supremely motivated. I'd say he profiles very strongly as a sleeper and someone I wouldnt bet against.
 
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So 7'1 PF Isaiah Miranda(7'5+ wingspan), who's apparently eligible for this draft, has committed to NC State and its being said he could possibly enroll early and play for them soon, as soon as next week... NC States Senior bigman Dusan Mahorcic (not relavant to this thread) just hurt his knee, so it would seem there's plenty of opportunity for Miranda to show what he can do.

Very interesting stuff! Exciting to think that I could possibly watch him and Terquavion Smith on the same team. I'm not sure what this would do for his draft status. He is quite talented though, he's a no-brainer to at least get plenty of looks in the g-league.

I'd be so hyped if we could somehow nab him in the second round --- absurd risk/reward for a Kings team thats potentially a great match. He can jump and move and control his body well for a player that height and his jumpshot is far better than most 7-footers at a similar stage. Player with some solid upside, every team is gonna do the same thing with him, stash him for a bit until he strenthens up, then re-evaluate. He just LOOKS like an NBA player, player with an excellent frame, long arms and encouraging body control.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/miIx8Co8j9Q

This will end up similar to me hyping Donovan Clingan, where you wont see his name mentioned if you search around draft articles and mocks but as time goes on it'll become more of a reality. It's actually a matter of scarcity, thats why I'm so confident.... This kid is flat out underrated in the same way CLingan was, a player buried in the 4stars, ~50ish best player in their class, when thats way too low( i.e. Lively being #1 and Clingan being ranked near the 50's looks completely absurd just 1 month into the szn..)

For a team like the Kings who are pretty good, to take a swing at a player like this is all upside and no risk.. Especially when your drafting and know you dont have your 1st rd pick the next year. In our situation a 2nd rder like Miranda seems like a good option cuz if it works out he's basically gonna redshirt rookie season and then basically act as the fill in first rder for next year. This is a player who could have real 1st rd upside, but the question is can we get him on-sale because he's showing up early, and because other teams have more holes to fill and need more ready peices?
 
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Sleeper alert -- 6'2 (rail thin) Sophomore PG Javian McCollum at Siena.


Defintely a player to keep track of. He can shoot it. There's a big uptick in his stats this season it's gonna be interesting to see how he settles in.
 
I know its early and low reps (10 games/ low shooting volume) BUT, it's also Alex Fudge, a 6'9" ridiculously athletic long-armed combo forward.

- That dude he's dunking on is a legit 7'4"... U can bet they'll pull this clip up of him the second after his name gets called on draft night.

He's shooting 40% from 3! 90% from the FT line! Sure glad to see it. His freshman year/College choice of LSU was a major disaster, glad he's found a spot to bounce back quickly.

He also plays with great energy and has excellent defensive potential. His skill level isnt great but at the same time he isn't limited. There's a good chance he's in the early stages of big improvement, if any team drafts him lets say near the first rd thats what their betting on.

Could be an interesting fit for this Kings team. He'd obviously be in competition with KZ and Chima next year, to be clear though if the Kings were to draft Fudge it's a homerun swing, it wouldnt be a "win-now" pick whatsoever, it's a "is this going to pay off in spades in a few years?" type of pick (So KZ/Chima arent really redundant/on the same timeline)

Fudge actually could possess that rare level of talent where you'd say "if he keeps showing out this season, he could actually return for his Junior year in college and showcase to go much much higher in the first". Which obviously that type of season for upperclassman with all that riding on it has become even more difficult to pull off with the younger generations being so polished in their first year of draft eligibility
 
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https://twitter.com/x/status/1601539354970595330

interesting list of names generated by the Memphis Grizzlies criteria filter (smart guys who hustle, pass, and try to play defense essentially).

Taylor Funk sticks out as a guy who the Kings could probably take a flier on with one of their second rounders and get some key productivity out of the forward spot if they end up losing Barnes and Lyles in free agency and don’t feel like Sasha is coming over.
Also would not be too aggrieved if Jaime Jacquez wound up in the organization even if it just were a developmental contract in Stockton.
 
Big game/upset for Noah Clowney of Alabama. They knock off #1 Houston while their best player Brandon Miller shoots 0-8 from the floor.

Jaden Bradley was excellent off the bench as well.
 
Complete dud of a game from 5th yr sr Terrence Shannon at Illinois.. How can people writing these mocks have him in the first after all these years? makes no sense...

on the flipside of that coin - 6'7 do it all swingman Kevin McCullar for the defending national champ Kansas Jayhawks, his stock has gotta be on the rise and he's kind of just an interesting fit with the Kings. A senior with a well rounded skillset who's clearly improving every season. Will be interesting to see if he can continue shooting above 37% from 3.
 
6'4" Sophomore combo guard Keshon Gilbert is off to a 57% 3pt shooting start(17/30 in 10 games) for UNLV and they havent lost a game yet! which is a minor miracle considering how UNLV has performed the last few seasons..


Their first 10-0 start in 32 years!

The whole team is x-fers except this player. Very interesting. Hope he can keep it rolling, seems like he's got long arms for defense, avging over 2stls per.
 
The Warriors just won the championship with their prized #2 pick center injured contributing nothing. While 2nd rd (35th pick) Draymond and another player who basically the entire NBA passed on in the first round - keevon looney, was out there winning with smallball again.


I'm glad we have a chance to be picking in the 20's and the mid-late 2nd twice this year. There's still a good chance to land some gems who can help in those ranges, or at least interesting projects to gamble on in the late 2nd. I dont see how you could look at the current field of draftees at this juncture and really downplay their potential impact.

I prefer these types of draft convo's; deep diving trying to find gems. the way the top picks are discussed and dissected becomes so boring and repetitive. It's still so early too.

I still dont really see why you wouldnt just want Kel'el Ware if he's in range... instead of this "tank for Wemby" thing (which idk if u realize - but the train has already left that station a while back).. How is Ware not a happy compromise? i'd like to hear an coherrent argument against that.


 
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Tetsujin said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1601539354970595330

interesting list of names generated by the Memphis Grizzlies criteria filter (smart guys who hustle, pass, and try to play defense essentially).

Taylor Funk sticks out as a guy who the Kings could probably take a flier on with one of their second rounders and get some key productivity out of the forward spot if they end up losing Barnes and Lyles in free agency and don’t feel like Sasha is coming over.
Also would not be too aggrieved if Jaime Jacquez wound up in the organization even if it just were a developmental contract in Stockton.
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My pick from that list would be Dylan Cardwell. Though I'd be shocked if he doesnt return to school for his senior year, he's actually like a fan favorite there and they put him on the big screen during football games n he dances n the homecrowd goes wild.

Cardwell wasnt allowed to play his senior year of highschool. He'll be like a 21 year old senior not super old. He's 6'11" 260lbs and a shotblocker actually averaging almost 3 blocks in just 17 mpg so far this season. as intimidating as him and Johnni Broome are for Auburn, they should be even better next season.

Cardwell was an Oak Hill Academy player too, so he was actually on teams with current NBA players Cole Anthony and Cam Thomas. Not a big upside guy though, tough rebounder energy defense guy, he'll get looks in the league im unsure if he can work his way into draft range though.
 
Kaluma will be one to watch for us. I haven’t watched any of his games but I do know his biggest weakness was shooting and he needs to rework his mechanics. Looks like he is at 32 percent from 3 so far this year.
 
Since I’m an Iowa Homer I’ll plug another kid from the Corn state. Tucker Devries. Vecenie says he is the best movement shooter in the draft. Good size, decent passing ability, high iq. Can post up smaller guards. Haven’t seen him in many mocks but could be a nice piece in the second round. Maybe a poor man’s red velvet? (Obligatory white guy comparison)

 
6'6" long armed Sophomore Kowacie Reeves drops a season high 20 for Florida off the bench. He's a bouncy player who has a nice looking jumpshot and so far this season he's shooting 47% from 3!! So its a situation to be monitored, for sure.

Type of player who has all the talent to go vaulting up mocks, he's a highlight waiting to happen so if he starts to get some momentum he can really capitalize it with the eye test.

No doubt he ends up in the NBA one way or another.
 
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