Tank Tank Or Tank Tank Tank?

I'd keep Russell with Fultz... With Ball, depends on how much his play eclipses Russell's overall in the long run as much as I'd like for them to be two leads on the floor and see how it transpires. Both play a similar game.

In fantasy world, Ball WITH Fultz would be absolutely killer but I digress...

 

I think Fultz can have similar impact. I wonder if Fultz has the same mentality as Russell which could be problematic. The thing with Ball is how much he changes the mentality on the floor: move the ball and it'll come back to you. I love that mentality. I'm not positive Fultz has it, but Fultz is definitely the more well-rounded prospect.

 

I think he's got a lot of good qualities about him, but he's small and prone to mistakes that'll crush him at the next level (can get lazy with the ball and falls for traps too often). If he were to go to the G-League and develop there I think he could find a niche as a bench guard. Big if though.

 

#droppingballsformoreballsforball

 

It was a reference to all our turnovers.

 

My refined Laker draft board after looking into about half the DE 2nd Round guys:

1. Fultz- All the tools. He can shoot, defend, create a shot, pass the ball, he's athletic, he's young. He plays within himself which limits injury risk which I think is an important point. The only real question is if he has the head and heart to be a great NBA player and it's a legitimate question.
2. Ball- Despite his problems (including his dad which is weird), Ball does a lot of things at a level others simply don't. He'd be our PG of the future while Russell moves to SG which might be more natural for him. His vision is fantastic, his angles are good, he's athletic. He can hit that weird shot from distance.
3. Jackson- My favorite thing about this kid is that he makes winning plays. I love his energy. Add to that his Swiss army knife ability to contribute across the board and he's very interesting. I'm not sure he'll ever be a star and his frame concerns me, but whoever gets him will get a hard worker who wants to win.
4. Isaac- I like Isaac for a lot of the same reasons I like Jackson. He has a unique physical profile (although a smallish frame) and he's a guy with a lot of heart. He's got all the tools to be an effective role player (which could be a starter still) somewhere. He's not as versatile as Jackson.
5. Smith- He's a smaller, older, worse version of Fultz, but he's more athletic. I have the same questions about him as I do with Fultz, but he's a talented kid. He's got the athletic tools to be a handful defensively, but I'm not sure that's his MO.
6. Tatum- I think honestly he's better than Smith, but he's a terrible fit for the Lakers. Tatum is a fantastic isolation scorer. He reminds me of Rudy Gay a ton with maybe a little bit of Paul Pierce in there with Tatum's footwork. He's athletic and he should be a very good player, but I'm not certain he fits with LA.
7. Monk- I like Monk a lot. He's really got a Jamaal Crawford-ness about his game. He's going to score in the NBA and he's got a little bit of other guard ability in him. I'm not sure what his mental makeup is, but if it's even decent I think Monk will be a 6th man type of bench scorer in that Crawford/Lou Williams mold.
8. Fox- I think Fox is a little underrated in this draft. He's an excellent PG defender. I still think of Patrick Beverley when I see him and most would think that's a low ceiling, but hey Beverley is a starting PG in the NBA. Even if Fox isn't a starter, he can carve a niche as a high octane bench defender.
9. Markkanen- Most people love Markkanen, but I'm not sold. He's a deadeye shooter, no question, but I don't know that he's good at anything else. He hasn't proven to be a good defender, he hasn't shown the ability to create, and he really should be a better rebounder. Still a 7 foot shooter is definitely valuable.
10. Frank Ntilikina- He's a lot like Exum was a few years ago. If Exum never existed, Frank would probably be higher. Most of his problems are from lack of experience. He could be the next guard version of Giannis or he could be... well the next Exum and take too long to develop. He's definitely a big project, but the upside is legitimate. He's tall, long arms, good athleticism. At this stage, I'd take a flier over the crop of big men coming up.
11. Miles Bridges- He's got some stretch 3/4 in him. I think a modern comparison might be Marvin Williams. Honestly I'm not a huge fan, but I could see him having a decent NBA career. He's generally a smart player and even if he's not an explosive athlete in traffic, he knows how to position himself decently.
12. OG Anunoby- I love me some OG. The guy is very, very limited in a lot of ways but he's an absolutely ideal 3&D candidate. He makes winning plays, is mature on the court, and has that strong, athletic body needed to defend at the next level. He's not going to get you many assists and his ceiling is low, but I've got a good feeling he's going to find a way to stick in the league as a 3&D player.
13. Justin Patton- Another guy I'm not in love with for us just because it'll be years until he's a real difference maker and I'm not sure he ever will get there. He'd do well to stay in school. He's got a good frame and the groundwork of a good game, but he needs a ton of time and seasoning.
14. Ivan Rabb- He was highly touted, but I think he's plateaued right here. To me he's a bench player in the NBA. He's a little too small to deal with PF/C for 30 minutes a night, but he's a gamer. You might get lucky if he can develop a truly deadly outside shot, but I'm not sold.
15. Rodions Kurucs- There's not much out there on this kid, but I see some great flashes. He's 6'8" and can shoot the ball, he's got a little bit of handling to him, and he's also 132 pounds. He'd likely be a stash either in the G-League or overseas, but he's got some real talent. He's worth the flier at this stage.
16. Harry Giles- The kid has the goods to be a stud in the NBA, it's just about his health. If he could get and stay healthy, he's got Chris Bosh upside and I don't say that lightly. He can stretch the floor, he can pass the ball, he's athletic in space. I like him a lot, but his legs are a massive concern. Still, at this stage I don't mind taking shots instead of some of the other kids.
17. Isaiah Hartenstein- You're going to hear his name a lot as the draft gets closer. He's got a really unique skill set as a 7 footer. His ceiling could be Jokic honestly, but I have my doubts he'll ever reach it. He likes to make the big flashy plays, but he struggles with the easy ones. Still, he's got good touch on his jumper, he's athletic for his size, and he has a solid frame. This is a project worth taking at this stage.
18. John Collins- He's not as NBA ready as Williams, but I think he could end up better actually which is weird since he's older. I just like the way he plays more, but honestly at this stage you're splitting hairs on this bigger guys.
19. Robert Williams- DraftExpress really likes him, but I'm not sold. He's 6'9" and decently athletic. He's got a bit of a Center's game in a PF body which is a bad combo in today's NBA.
20. Bam Adebayo- I actually like Bam even if his game is incredibly simplistic. He's Dwight Howard in a worse body. He looks like Dwight, he plays like Dwight, but he's not the same caliber athlete. Bam is an explosive leaper, but not smooth like Dwight and Bam's reach is a lot shorter. I think he'd benefit one more year in college where he can put up some dominant stats and jump up into the Top 10 range.
21. TJ Leaf- A stretch four in the NBA with a really, really old school game. Honestly watching him at UCLA a lot of times is like watching a tape reel of Wooden's teams. The footwork, the layup style, it really reeks of old school, but with a three point range jump shot. My favorite part of Leaf's game is his ability to affect the glass despite his lack of elite athleticism. I think he'll stick in the league as a stretch four, hard worker off the bench.
22. Johnathan Motley- Honestly this guy is incredibly interesting to me. He's a tremendously smooth athlete at 6'9". I'm not saying he'll jump over you, but he glides extremely well with impressive hip mobility. He can't shoot enough so I wonder about his ability to fit in the NBA, but he could be a Varejao type of big man if he keeps developing. He'd be a very interesting mid-late pick in the 1st.
23. Justin Jackson- He's drawn comparisons to Tayshaun Prince and I can definitely see that. I can also him being too skinny to make an impact in the NBA. He's a good shooter, not a great one. I wonder if he'll be able to keep up in the NBA for 82 games as a 3&D guy, but the potential is there. Older kid too, more mature.
24. Terrence Ferguson- Honestly I'm not impressed. He's a heck of an athlete, but he's extraordinarily light. He's not smart. He's not a great defender. This is a massive project for a team. I'd say his ceiling is Terrence Ross.
25. Tyler Lydon- He's sort of a Larry Nance Jr.-esque player. Smart and makes the right plays. He can't jump like Larry, but he's a better shooter. I'm not sure it's enough to stick in the league though. Lydon gets overpowered inside too often.
26. Donavan Mitchell- Really talented kid, but sort of... dumb. He reminds me somewhat of Dion Waiters. There's some good talent here, but he's really got to prove to me he can play the game within a team concept which I sort of doubt.
27. Luke Kennard- A little prissy for my taste, but a smart basketball player. He can absolutely shoot the ball and he's got very good vision. His challenge will be creating shots in the NBA despite very limited athleticism.
28. Mathias Lessort- International kid that I like a bit actually. He wants to model himself after high energy rebounders and has a shot at that.
29. Josh Hart- He's not slated in the top 30 for Draftexpress, but I like him a lot. He's heady, plays smart, and wants to make all the right plays. I'm not positive he's an NBA player, but at this stage I'd take the chance he's smart enough to make it work.
30. Jaron Blossomgame- An awesome name, but a good athlete. I'm not sure how long he lasts in the NBA as his game is not unique and he's not great at the not unique things he does, but who doesn't want an athletic, mobile big off the bench?
31. Caleb Swanigan- Seems like another big man. There's two dozen of them right now in this draft. I'm not confident he's anything special.
32. Semi Ojeleye- I think he's a really interesting player. Right now ranked in the 40s in DE. He's only 6'7", but he's built like an absolute tank. He could be ideal for the new-age small PF that can pick and pop and crash the glass. His biggest issue is obviously his size. Worth a look.
33. Grayson Allen- I see a lot of Jordan Farmar here. There's some weird attitude things here, but I think he's got NBA bench talent.
34. Jordan Bell- I like him actually. Versatile defensively, hard worker. He's a little undersized, but could carve a career in the NBA.
35. Anzejs Pasecniks- A very interesting 7'2" prospect. He is incredibly mobile for his size, but he's also much, much too thin and weak. If he can bulk up, he'd be a formidable prospect, but he's already 21 years old. Can he do it?
36. Dwayne Bacon- I see Lance Stephenson here. A lot of interesting ability, but does he have the mentality to stick? He's worth a look in the 2nd.
37. Jonathan Jeanne- International prospect, a ton of upside. Also a beanpole with some odd attitude issues.
38. Monte Morris- I like him more than Graham. He might be a career 2nd/3rd string type of quality bench guard or could be another G-Leaguer.
39. Wesley Iwundu- Another nameless swingman. He's got some natural ability, but he's one of those guys that is hit or miss.
40. Devin Robinson- A ton of athletic potential. Reminds me a bit of that kid who flashed in the league and won the dunk contest a couple years back with Utah.
41. Devonte Graham- I don't think he's an NBA guy. He might be, but if he is it'll start at the G-League level.
42. Jawun Evans- A little small. I'm not sure about him in the NBA but he's got some talent.
43. Alec Peters- Good kid, winning player, one of the few natural shooters in the draft, not even close to an NBA athlete.

edit:

looking into Cameron Oliver, VJ Beachum, and Kobi Simmons next.

 

Ball is probably a more natural defender, but it's hard to get a read. Fultz is the only player on his team worth anything so he can't afford to get crazy defensively. Ball can afford to be more aggressive and he is. Fultz can be a good defender when called upon though and certainly an opportunistic defender (passing lanes, chase blocks, etc).

 

I agree with both takes. Kennard is as crafty as it gets scoring the ball, but he's limited athletically. I'm not positive his craftiness translates, but late in the 1st it might be worth a shot.

I think Jackson has some NBA tools but I'm not sold he's an NBA guy. The way he sticks around: being a smart defender who can hit a jumper. His impact is likely minimal in the NBA, but at that spot in the draft I want to bet on a good kid with a path to an NBA career and I think he's got that.

 

I don't want either of the Duke white guys. Yikes. That looks awful, but it's my view.