Draft projects to watch besides Wembanyama & Henderson

[Drz]

Here's a name I can see San Antonio taking with their second round Raptors pick: Kobe Brown

Link to recent SI profile

The very short summary is, 4 year 6'8" player at Mizzou who plays all positions and excelled at the small things, but in his first three years, he wasn't a good shooter and just plain didn't win. But in this senior year, he turned the corner, played a fantastic team style, and -- most importantly -- upped his 3P% from sub-30 all three years prior to 45.5% (on 112 attempts).

These do-it-all players really seem to be in the Spurs mold for years now.

There's a good chance he goes undrafted, in which case I'd not at all be surprised to see SA sign him as an undrafted free agent.

[BacktoBasics]

He shot 3/19 (1/10 from 3) with 6 TO. Basically used 25 possessions to score 9 points and get 3 assists. His team lost by 7. It wasn't that his teammates didn't help him, he pretty much cost them the game. I can understand the context, there's always an argument to be made... but let's not try to pretend dog sh!t smells like roses, shall we?

I didn’t say roses. I said not as bad as some make it out to be. Predominantly because he has some patches of solid play. Not offensively of course but he had solid moments nonetheless.

With this country full of wanna be gun nutter heroes I’m sure he felt that at any moment someone was gonna snipe him out of the stands or getting off a team bus.

To still be able to have productive spurts amidst all that will likely be enough for most to overlook that he didn’t peak at tournament time.

Im not even a huge Miller fan. But the guy is still a human.

[cjw]

Charlotte continues to dominate Dallas, so looks like a top 7 pick is secured (and only 7% chance of it being that bad)

[Degoat]

Charlotte continues to dominate Dallas, so looks like a top 7 pick is secured (and only 7% chance of it being that bad)

Wow Charlotte putting in work! Lol

[scott]

Watching Creighton-SDSU and marveling at how much better this must be than G-League

[Ignazzz]

https://i.postimg.cc/L6y0NHtb/9-DA9-...-AC101-EAA.png

[scott]

https://i.postimg.cc/L6y0NHtb/9-DA9-...-AC101-EAA.png

We riot.

[TD 21]

The Spurs, at least under Popovich, doesn't really need an incredible playmaker to start things going. Parker was a first lass ballhandler and put enormous pressure on the rim, but once a player gets things in motion the system works on its own.

Pop is on his last legs and that "system" only worked in a different era and when helmed by an all time player and core, leading a greater than the sum of their parts team due to an unparalleled combination of continuity, depth, experience, fit and timing (stage of careers).

Don't kid yourself: Like anyone else, the Spurs will need an incredible playmaker to even have a path to being a championship contender again.

John Karalis 🇬🇷 🇺🇦 on Twitter: "Asked Popovich why teams haven't been able to replicate his 2014 Spurs team. "Because Timmy, Manu, Tony, and Boris aren't out there. It had nothing to do with me or teaching this or that. You get combinations of guys that really get it, and they got it."" / Twitter

[Maddog]

Watching Creighton-SDSU and marveling at how much better this must be than G-League

Man

I was going to plead ignorance because I haven't watched college basketball for a while, and to be honest I don't watch g-league much...
But there's no way NCAA basketball is better than G-league

[exstatic]

Man

I was going to plead ignorance because I haven't watched college basketball for a while, and to be honest I don't watch g-league much...
But there's no way NCAA basketball is better than G-league

There will likely be 50 ncaa Players drafted, a scattering of Euros, and maybe 2-3 gleaguers.

[rascal]

There will likely be 50 ncaa Players drafted, a scattering of Euros, and maybe 2-3 gleaguers.

And many of those NCAA draftees the best from the NCAA will end up playing in the Gleague.

[exstatic]

And many of those NCAA draftees the best from the NCAA will end up playing in the Gleague.

Yes, but we’re discussing draft tracks. You can’t be drafted from the NCAA, wind up in the gleague, and be drafted again from there. I don’t hate the gleague, but I do hate it as a draft prep platform. The Ignite, the primary draft conduit, coach and teach nothing. It’s only fractionally better than Overtime Elite.

[scott]

Only about 1.2% of NCAA players make the jump to the NBA. https://www.betus.com.pa/college-bas...go-to-the-nba/

But over half of G-League players have NBA experience. https://www.nba.com/wizards/nba-g-league-faqs

Which league provides a better draft path is not the same question as which league is tougher compe ion, which is a quite subjective question that you cannot definitively answer without some consistent NCAA v GLeague compe ion. But you can fairly objectively say that the G-League has a more talented roster of players (which should not ignore the fact that the NCAA largely feeds the GLeague).

[Ariel]

I think the main factor is the compe ive nature of both College and G-League, rather than talent level. I don't think Scoot has ever been the target of a defense like some top College prospects are, or faced the pressure of a defining game. If anything they may be trying to pump his stock to promote Ignite. That's more significant than any other factor IMO. Doesn't mean a good prospect can't come from either path, but I put less stock into G-League stats than College for that reason.

[Dejounte]

This is the order I would draft these guys.


Tier 1 - potential to be an all-time great
-Wemba


Tier 2 - if potential is reached, worthy of being the first max contract on a rebuilding team
-Scoot


Tier 3 - if potential is reached, should be the second max contract with the first already in place. Basically, I’m saying if the team were to build around these guys, the team’s ceiling would probably be 2nd round in the playoffs. Similar to the Paul George-led Pacers.
-Cam Whitmore
-Keyonte George
-Brandon Miller


Tier 4 - A little imagination is needed for their path to s om, but each have a high floor
-Jarace Walker
-Jordan Hawkins
-Brice Sensabaugh
-Rayan Rupert


Tier 5 - Big boom or bust guys that I would be nervous about if they were drafted… guys who look like they have 0 feel for the game and if it was any other team drafting them, I would have no confidence in the selection. If the Spurs pick them, then they must think they will be able to reign these guys in. Tier 4 and 5 are interchangeable depending on how risky I’d want the team to be.
-Thompson Twins
-GG Jackson


Tier 6 - a lot of imagination is needed for them to reach s om, otherwise are solid players
-Anthony Black
-Cason Wallace


Tier 7 - Underwhelming players, or guys I would draft any other year (with a lower pick) but this year
-Nick Smith Jr.
-Gradey
-Taylor Hendricks

[Big Empty]

What do yall think of this Wong kid from Miami? I was impressed with him against texas. Think he’l be available in the 2nd round?

[GAustex]

I thought the Kentucky center was super human strong
A second rounder for a rebound machine which translates to the big boy league?

[Mr. Body]

What do yall think of this Wong kid from Miami? I was impressed with him against texas. Think he’l be available in the 2nd round?

He's a four year senior, so I don't think he'll go in the first round (probably). Someone will take him in the 2nd.

[offset formation]

Charlotte continues to dominate Dallas, so looks like a top 7 pick is secured (and only 7% chance of it being that bad)

Yes, but still only twice as likely at getting the #1 pick as getting the #7 pick. That can't continue imho.

As I've been preaching from the rooftops, you've got to find a way to increase the odds for the bottom 5 teams. And if their are perennial tankers then there's also got to be a way to disincentivize that but you can't have bottom 3 teams getting a 14% chance at #1 and 7% at #7 if you actually want the poor performing teams to snag the best athletes/players in each year's draft. Not every team can just reload through free-agency.

This is like capitalism picking winners and losers all while the teams fortunate enough to get free agents will continue to prosper regardless as the small market teams fall by the wayside.

[Mr. Body]

I think the main factor is the compe ive nature of both College and G-League, rather than talent level. I don't think Scoot has ever been the target of a defense like some top College prospects are, or faced the pressure of a defining game. If anything they may be trying to pump his stock to promote Ignite. That's more significant than any other factor IMO. Doesn't mean a good prospect can't come from either path, but I put less stock into G-League stats than College for that reason.

Yeah, pretty much the "G-League is better" guys don't really understand what is being discussed. They constantly focus on individual talent but don't really see what compe ive basketball actually is. I'll warrant they haven't even watched any G-League itself, either, much less actually played beyond bumping around the local Y once or twice.

It's okay. A player can get better in the G-League, but it doesn't teach game-time situations and overall flow of the game, how to make teammates better or react to difficult situations. I don't think David Robinson or Tim Duncan become the players they were while in the G-League. They had to play college.

[JPB]

Yeah, pretty much the "G-League is better" guys don't really understand what is being discussed. They constantly focus on individual talent but don't really see what compe ive basketball actually is. I'll warrant they haven't even watched any G-League itself, either, much less actually played beyond bumping around the local Y once or twice.

It's okay. A player can get better in the G-League, but it doesn't teach game-time situations and overall flow of the game, how to make teammates better or react to difficult situations. I don't think David Robinson or Tim Duncan become the players they were while in the G-League. They had to play college.

Don't worry, we totally understand what's being discussed, because you know, it's not because people disagree with you that, you know, they don't understand the topic... But we still totally disagree with the fact College BB is more "compe ive". This is crap. You seem to talk about some fantasy, theorical College BB that doesnt correspond to reality where this is crap, it's compe ive because every team is crap. Two scrubs can compete with each other.

And for the record, I certainly played at highest level BB that you did, if you actually ever did... I've no idea why you seem to think that they don't play BB in the G league and you don't learn "game-time situations and overall flow of the game, how to make teammates better or react to difficult situations."... but ofc they do, they don't play Scrabble, it's also BB and these G league guys fight for a spot in the NBA or a contract abroad.

You litterally have an NBA player trashing College BB on vid on this thead, contradicting your arguments (notably great coaches in College), which is NBA players overall opinion..... College BB is crap, unwatchable, kids colliding and somehow putting the ball in the circle here or there, with a vey low total of points on average for a 40 minute game. It's not organized, it's chaos with terrible coaches who are just big daddies. I'd take any euro 3rd string coach any day over these guys who don't even know what a pass and go is... As many people mentioned many times on this forum, kids in America don't learn the fundamentals, the basis of BB, just a bunch of more or less athletic kids running an jumping. I've more fun watching a U16 euro game than College BB and a G league team beat a College team 9 times out of 10.

[Mr. Body]

Don't worry, we totally understand what's being discussed, because you know, it's not because people disagree with you that, you know, they don't understand the topic... But we still totally disagree with the fact College BB is more "compe ive". This is crap. You seem to talk about some fantasy, theorical College BB that doesnt correspond to reality where this is crap, it's compe ive because every team is crap. Two scrubs can compete with each other.

And for the record, I certainly played at highest level BB that you did, if you actually ever did... I've no idea why you seem to think that they don't play BB in the G league and you don't learn "game-time situations and overall flow of the game, how to make teammates better or react to difficult situations."... but ofc they do, they don't play Scrabble, it's also BB and these G league guys fight for a spot in the NBA or a contract abroad.

You litterally have an NBA player trashing College BB on vid on this thead, contradicting your arguments (notably great coaches in College), which is NBA players overall opinion..... College BB is crap, unwatchable, kids colliding and somehow putting the ball in the circle here or there... It's not organized, it's chaos with terrible coaches who are just big daddies... I'd take any euro 3rd string coach any day over these guys who don't even know what a pass and go is... As many people mentioned many times on this forum, kids in America don't learn the fundamentals, the basis of BB, just a bunch of more or less athletic kids running an jumping... I've more fun watching a U16 euro game than College BB and a G league team beat a College team 9 times out of 10.

Lol, I don't give a about what some heel NBA guy says about the NCAA. It's not a question about 'what's entertaining'. You and Fox are thinking like an ESPN-fed drone. Some of the stupidest rationales ever -- IT'S UHHHH ENTERTAININ'.

That's not the point. Fox even had a year of Kentucky or whatever, which helped him. He's too stupid to realize what he's talking about. I'll direct you again to Duncan and Robinson. They played for frankly underwhelming college programs, but thereby learned to elevate their teammates, play with their back against the wall, play against teams that were gameplanning for them, and against hostile arenas and teams that absolutely wanted to beat them, badly.

That doesn't happen in your glorified, hallowed, puff G-League, where defense doesn't happen. Where guys move up and down the court working on individual skills. Where coaching barely happens.

I get it. It's hard to understand what's going on and what's being discussed. It's like watching guys lift weights at Gold's Gym and thinking you're watching highly coordinated gymnasts or something.

Thinking Fox is someone to listen to on this. Get real.

[Mr. Body]

, even the basics of knowing how to improve comes from good coaching in a program. That absolutely does not happen in G-League where part of the problem is that they are working on individual skills. This is so inane -- thinking that getting shots up on doing dribble drills are improving how you can react in game environments.

Actually, to be honest, Fox was for a really long time. Maybe he should have stayed in college? Maybe getting college guys and international players like Sabonis around him improved him? Maybe he's as stupid as most Kentucky players are?

Dunno. Regardless, part of getting better is LEARNING HOW TO GET BETTER. That doesn't happen in G-League, which you chodes don't even watch. LMAO -- it is NOT an exciting league, even by your own terms.

[cd98]

On to more important discussions: who will be the Spurs rep at the lottery. We need luck but we also can’t send someone like Timmy bc lottery groveling is beneath him. I’d say Robert Horry bc he’s big shot, but he’s got that negative energy. Who can we trust with this important but demeaning assignment?

[Dejounte]

Facepalm @ the “trust me bro im right on this”

over-inflated sense of value in one’s own opinions is correct, scott