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Some evidence of Clarkes form improving
Who’s Spurs answer to Jokic? How about AD playing center? Spurs was built to guard Curry’s pnr, but Dubs down. I think the game will slow down to banging in the paint.
Some evidence of Clarkes form improving
Yeah, his form is getting better (couldn't get worse, tbh). But it's difficult for me to buy the idea that he can go from worse shooting form than most fifth graders to knockdown NBA three-point shooter. Maybe he proves me wrong but he'd need to improve across the board to be a good fit on the Spurs, IMO. As it stands, you can't play him next to Poeltl and won't want to play him when either DeRozan or Murray is on the court.
What sort of ceiling do you imagine he'd have in San Antonio? You think he becomes a shooter and transitions to small forward? You think he becomes a player you build around defensively and change the building blocks to fit him? You think he dominates his role so thoroughly that it doesn't matter that he doesn't play many minutes? Real questions, tbh.
I think his defense overall can be so good next to White & Murray that if he becomes just a passable catch & shoot because guys gamble off him player that he’s worth it.
I’m not concerned about Poeltl LMA or DeRozan. They are not here forever. I view him as a 4/small ball 5 that can switch a lot on defense and respectably cover many guys is spurts.
I do also think it would take Murray/White becoming shooters themselves and SA pushing pace as DeRozan LMA phase out.
I’m just valuing his defense more than anything and high IQ being able to be a positive on offense finding ways to score.
The retooling wouldn’t be around him; it would be around Murray/White/Lonnie which naturally suits him more.
I’m saying at 19, it would be really hard to not take a gamble on someone that dominated as much as him.
Fair enough. I'm not super low on Clarke ... I'm just not super high on him like many on the internet (it's amazing high many Big Boards have him in the top five).
The difference in my view is he's actually a risky pick. Many are saying he's a high floor, high ceiling pick. I don't agree with that. I think he has a pretty low floor. It's not too far-fetched for him to get run over by bigs and then not have anything else to compensate. In that scenario, hindsight would be: "Why the you draft a Klay Thompson sized center who shot like a girl into his 20s?
I also don't see him having an amazing ceiling. I think his ceiling is like a better Andre Roberson. That's still someone who will make $100 million in his NBA career ... but it'd be shocked if he's ever in All-Star conversation.
I wouldn't mind if the Spurs pick him because they can use defensive help. If they do, hopefully you bump this post to prove how wrong I was, tbh
Cam Reddish needs to be the guy, hopefully he falls a tad and the spurs can trade up and get him.
Where are people getting that Clarke is shorter than Danny Green? Every scouting report has him at around 6'8 with shoes and 6'6 1/2 at smallest without shoes. Danny is shorter than him either way.
Thanks, good write-up, timvp! Do you think the Spurs will go BPA at 19, regardless of their needs?
Gobert wasn't the first time we sat back watching players we wanted fall only to be blocked by other teams. In 2008, we were real high on Ibaka and Batum and they were BOTH available right before we drafted. Problem is Presti had just left for Seattle and drafted Ibaka two picks before us. Batum was picked by Portland one pick BEFORE the Spurs pick. The Portland GM (whose name escapes me) had also just come from the Spurs. Both of these guys had corporate knowledge of our scouting. If there was ever a time to move up a few spots, that was the time. Instead PATFO sat on their ass waiting for those players to drop only to be blocked by our former front office guys. As a consolation we did draft the guy we ultimately turned into Bertans, Derozen, Poetl and 2019 #29.
Last edited by Twisted_Dawg; 06-19-2019 at 07:34 AM.
His height is taller, but his standing reach isn't, so on the court, they take up about as much space. He also weighs less than Green. Clarke's biggest problem isn't really his lack of shooting (I do think it'll end up being fine), but his lack of girth. Dude is really physically optimized right now for being a springy and agile athlete. It's not clear that he can gain significant weight and still move like a wing on the perimeter. Ideally, he shoots well enough and gains enough weight to guard almost all forwards and wings. He doesn't have to be able to check a guy like Aldridge, but he does need to not get run over by Millsap. You don't necessarily need to put him into a strict positional cubby. Dude is going to be either a roll-man or a dunker in the PnR regardless of who's on the floor with him. He's also likely to guard the best middle-position player on the other side if he's going to be a real NBA player. How everything else fits around that is a different story. Combo-forwards who can shoot are Clarke's best friends, as are two-guards big enough to play up a spot or two. These teams exist, with the Spurs' bench being one of them.
Great read OP. Many thanks!
Me thinks he goes to BKN at 27. Sean Marks is reportedly high on him.
"Bazley is virtual unknown. He played against low level compe ion in high school and then bounced around before sitting out all of last season. "
Giannis lite ...would be ideal with the pick 29
I think Okeke is a decent prospect but I wouldn’t want him at 29. Low-ceiling player who belongs in the top-10 of the second round imo.
I remember the 2008 draft very well, especially the Batum pick. I remember him wanting to be a Spur too. He would have been a nice replacement for Bruce Bowen. If I remember right, didn't Houston draft him and then trade him to Portland?
Batum was drafted by Houston, and traded to Portland. SEVERAL YEARS LATER, Ibaka was drafted by OKC.
Im on the Clarke, K. Porter, Doumbouya, Claxton wagon.
All about that boom potential. Not really interested in low ceilings.
He’s definitely got some bust Potential, but I think his defense and ability to finish off of rolls/dives will give him some value. But I understand he’s not a sure thing. But to me, at 19, with that production he’s on my list of more than worthy gambles that could pay off big.Fair enough. I'm not super low on Clarke ... I'm just not super high on him like many on the internet (it's amazing high many Big Boards have him in the top five).
The difference in my view is he's actually a risky pick. Many are saying he's a high floor, high ceiling pick. I don't agree with that. I think he has a pretty low floor. It's not too far-fetched for him to get run over by bigs and then not have anything else to compensate. In that scenario, hindsight would be: "
I also don't see him having an amazing ceiling. I think his ceiling is like a better Andre Roberson. That's still someone who will make $100 million in his NBA career ... but it'd be shocked if he's ever in All-Star conversation.
I wouldn't mind if the Spurs pick him because they can use defensive help. If they do, hopefully you bump this post to prove how wrong I was, tbh
It’s just really hard to ignore that production for me personally
Totally wrong. Both players drafted back to back in the 2008 draft right in front of the Spurs.
From wiki:
Ibaka was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder's former incarnation, the Seattle SuperSonics, with the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft.
I did mix up the players the two teams drafted (since corrected). But the point is SA liked and was going to draft either guy (especially Batum)if available. Both players were drafted by the two teams in front of us employing our former front office personnel because we chose to stand pat.
Kevin Pritchard drafted Batum and was a thorn in our sides for years.
Karma caught up with him, though. Paul Allen had this thing where once you pissed him off, there was no redemption. KP pissed him off, and Allen made him go through and do all of the draft work, and make the picks AFTER firing him. He landed on his feet in Indy, though, first as GM, and now as POBO.
And all we got was George Hill...and eventually Kawhi. We STILL have assets from that #26 pick in 2008, including the #29 pick in the 2019 draft (11 years later), Bertans, Poeltl, and Demar.
Outside of 50 and 21, that #26 might have been the 3rd best draft pick this franchise ever made.
Thanks. Eager for draft already
2009 Drew Gooden and Jacque Vaughn
2007 Keith Langford
1997 Darrin Han
1984 Dave Robisch
If they can't trade up, I'm good with them going for one of the "swing for the fences" prospects like Samanic or Bol. With the Spurs current personnel situation, there's no better draft to do it tbh.
Been warming up to Bol Bol too.
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