I too think AJ Griffin is going to slip a bit in the draft. Could very well be there in the 8-10 range where we will likely be selecting. Not super high on him as a prospect but Spurs would love his character & pedigree so likely a realistic target for us.
He definitely is a bit but with his defense and versatility at only 18 years old, it’s easy to see why he’s moving up draft boards. His 3-pt % was terrible this year (29%) but if he ever figures out his jumper, which is very possible since it’s mechanically sound, he’s going to be a damn good role player at the next level imo. I’d rather take a swing on someone with more star-potential though.
I would normally like AJ Griffin, but the glaring hole is in the PF/C position. Unless a player is a generational talent and would move the needle then I would pick the BAP. But another 6’6”?
It's just play at this point, but I'd take Mathurin above Griffin if both are available. Maybe I'm too impressed by that performance, but he has shades of Kobe to him. Not the same player, of course, but he's a baller with a clutch gene.
Unfortunately we have many holes, including SF too. I’d default to best available with preference for versatile wings, the most coveted position in the game right now.
I thought the most coveted position is the modern bigs? Giannis, AD, KD, LeBron, even Jokic who can hit from outside.
Ive been high on Mathurin for a while now. If the Spurs skip over him it will be like Haliburton all over again.
I think it’s still SF, like James and Durant (btw), as well as Leonard, PG13, Butler, Tatum, Brown, etc.
(Also, is AD that coveted these days?)
I'm a little surprised that Oscar Tshiebwe isn't getting more attention. Some mocks don't have him anywhere, not even late second round. He just had the best rebounding season in college basketball in like 40 years. Some articles mention Kenneth Faried as a comp, but I don't think it's a good comparison. All of Tshiebwe's advanced stats are miles beyond Faried's, and against tougher compe ion. Rebounding usually translates from the NCAA to the NBA better than most skills, and I can see a scenario where Tshiebwe is on the court with four shooters and his job is to give them all lots of second chance opportunities.
If he's still around when the Spurs pick in the mid 2nd round, I think it'd be crazy not to take a serious look at him. He's 6'8" with a 7'4" wingspan and the highest of high motors, but doesn't shot threes at all. I remember the year Brandon Clarke came out and there were lots of concerns about his mediocre wingspan and standing reach, but he's had a good run as a role player in Memphis and is still in the top 30 or so in the league in block %. Sometimes guys just know how to impact the game in spite of other traditional shortcomings. If Tshiebwe has even the potential to be a 20 mpg Bam Adebayo-lite or Robert Williams lll type of guy, he'd be a steal.
James and Durant are no 6’6”. None of those you mentioned are 6’6” (except Brown). And yes AD would be highly coveted if not injured.
I feel like someone's going to tab him in the 2nd, the way Detroit grabbed Luka Garza last year. I don't know if Tshiebwe can't guard the perimeter. He does block at least one shot a game, at least in college.
Another player who's getting no mock draft shine is Trayce Jackson-Davis. He hasn't developed a jump shot, which isn't good, but he's rangy and a good athlete. He's a great weakside defender. If he develops a shot, he's a good role-player in this league. If not, he's still potentially a bench hustle guy. Better than a Drew Eubanks definitely.
mathurin and ivey showed a lot of balls in their last games and some real talent as well but ivey will be gone if the spurs pick where the odds indicate they would. i'm seeing duren on a lot of spurs mock boards. he certainly wouldn't space the floor for us but he would help shore up the frontcourt defense and provide a much needed lob option. wish i could make it to the games at the AT&T Center so that i could watch mathurin up close.
This. I'm definitely falling victim to recency bias, but Mathurin impressed me more than any other player in the tourney. He has that alpha dog scorer mentality that no one else seems to have. I want him with our top pick, despite not needing another G.
Agreed. In general, I don't want more shooting guards, but at the same time I don't want past drafting mistakes, so to speak, to mean we shouldn't get a good player. I'd prefer Keegan Murray. Possibly even Tari Eason. But at this point, Mathurin seems like a better idea than Johnny Davis or AJ Griffin.
Ron Harper Jr. just declared. He's a senior, but he's also an example of a guy who might legitimately be a late bloomer. He's already filled out, and he's strong. He shot about .400 from 3P on pretty high volume. And he's got that intangible of growing up with a basketball in his hands from having an NBA father. Rutgers reached the NCAA tourney two years in a row, almost exclusively because of him. They lost in double-OT to Notre Dame, or they probably would have gone 1 or even 2 rounds deeper in this year's tourney. During the regular season, he made game-winning 3's to beat both Purdue and Indiana - both really clutch 3's.
There are a whole bunch of players in this draft in the late 1st to early 2nd that could make decent rotation players, and Harper is one of them. Honestly, I think this will be one of the best drafts in the last decade for those kinds of players. You can't build a roster around them, but they are the players you need on the bench to build around someone else. That's why I hate the fact that the Spurs gave up their own 2nd, and are looking unlikely to come up with Toronto's first rounder.
I know he's "older", but he's a really high BBIQ player. He's "only" 6'6" but it will be interesting to see if he's invited to the combine, because I would bet his wingspan is pushing 7', and I think he's one of those short-necked guys who is basically an inch or two taller than his head height. He's a little bit doughy, but he's got a good motor - the Spurs training would tighten that up.
Last year I wanted the Spurs to scoop Kenyon Martin Jr. if he went undrafted. He got picked at 52, and he has more than lived up to that. Harper, I believe, is a MUCH better player than Martin was, and will be a lot better at the next level. Depending on who the Spurs take with their two first round picks, Harper would definitely be on my short list for the Lakers second rounder. My VERY short list, because he's a legitimate 3P threat, and Zeus knows the Spurs need that.
Last edited by ZeusWillJudge; 03-24-2022 at 01:02 AM.
Tshiebwe doesn't have much of a game. He only started playing a few years ago. I don't know if you watched him play this year, but he's just got a lot of physical advantage over most of the college kids he's playing against. And I hate to say this out loud, but I really think he's older than advertised. I would love to see a kid from the Congo make good through hard work, and he should cash a check from someone. Just don't let his gaudy numbers say everything.
And even if he gets drafted and develops skills, I think he would be an exceptionally bad fit here. You know how forgiving Pop is for guys missing defensive assignments. I'm not sure he could survive long enough to develop under Pop.
Come on, you’re suggesting they’re all centers now? They’re SFs and have been for their careers. Teams orient their entire defenses to stop them, so much so that it has created significant demand for another type of player, the so called 3D guy.
Griffin is 18, can still grow, and fits the physical profile of a SF.
Griffin is another midget SF who struggles to create shots for himself. No more of this “can grow” stuff. Just get the guy who has the size already and already has some semblance of an offensive game. Griffin is so far off from being a go to guy in the clutch.
I agree with all of that except the Toronto pick stuff. It's very likely to convey.
I mean, I want 2003 LeBron James too, but he’s not in this draft such less with the 8th pick. Have to look at what’s out there and project out a few years. Basic stuff.
it may be a moot point...Smith, Chet, Banchero, Ivey, Sharpe, Murray, Duren, and Griffin are probably the top 8 (and this is how i have them ranked on my board) .. but, there's a pretty high probability that Griffin goes higher than I have him and Murray or Duren fall to the eighth spot based on either age or position value.
People on this forum are like the guys who think they can land an airliner after watching a YouTube, or the 1 in 8 idiots who think they can win a point from Venus Williams on a tennis court.
I can see that, but to be fair I have zero read on Sharpe at this point. The Murray age thing lingers but I can see Portland going for him if they slide and end up with the NOLA pick.
I like the Arizona kid, but boy it sure seems like pundits are hyping him (and Sachan). Makes me nervous about taking him where spurs would likely pick, but still lots of time to go.
No one said anything about LeBron James, but there are numerous other prospects who fit the criteria I stated. I dont know why people take the extreme stance on here like that dumbass exstatic.
I agree with you man. At some point we need to have guys play most of their minutes at their natural position. Devin Vassell was “6’7” when drafted and shortly thereafter getting minutes as a 6’5 PF.
A KBD archetype with some signs of an offensive game and athleticism would be nice. We have a great track record of developing players but some things can’t be taught.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
