Draft Thread 2018: LA Has The #25 & #47 Overall Picks... And #39 Now

Young/Smith back court could be interesting. I think a Smith/Sexton back court might be redundant, but Young would be interesting. I have a hard time imagining Doncic falls to him.

Like I said though, at 5 there's a glut of bigs so it's more likely they draft a big. I'm thinking Bamba or maybe Bagley falls to them even. Bamba is a great fit for that franchise though. Played in Texas, athletic, can run, and can defend the rim. Right now, that's my favorite for them.

 

1. Suns- DeAndre Ayton, C, 7'1" Arizona. I know there's the big Doncic connection, but I believe it'll be too hard for Phoenix to pass on a player like Ayton. He's athletic, strong, can defend the rim, can play in the post. He's a franchise changing big man who should make an impact early on and continue to improve from there.

2. Kings- Luka Doncic, PG, 6'9" Slovenia. Doncic is the most proven player in the draft. He's dominating Europe right now in a way that few others have. He's tough, feisty, and a gamer. He fits the personality of Sacramento well and should fit next to Fox.

3. Hawks- Marvin Bagley III, PF/C, 6'11" Duke. Bagley first caught my attention at the Drew League when he defended Javale McGee effectively. That might not sound like much, but McGee is still a highly athletic NBA player and Bagley at the time was just 18/19 years old. He's got absolute top shelf athleticism and a varied skill set. He can be the guy to turn things around. His fit next to Collins is shaky, but has potential.

4. Grizzlies- Jaren Jackson Jr., PF, 6'10", Michigan State. Others seem to like him a little more than I do, but he's got a lot of what the Grizziles treasure. He's a strong athlete, shows great shot blocking instincts, and showed a great outside shooting ability. He has tremendous talent and I believe he's a day one starter, even though he's got a lot of developing still to do.

5. Dallas- Mohamed Bamba- C, 7', Texas. This is an ideal fit. Even without Dirk on the roster long term, Bamba gives the Mavs something they've been looking for since they lost Tyson Chandler (and what Noel never ended up being). Bamba is more of a traditional big man in that he operates completely in the paint, but he runs well, defends the rim really well, and has maybe the longest wingspan of all time in the NBA. This could be Dallas's Rudy Gobert or maybe more appropriate: their DeAndre Jordan.

6. Orlando- Collin Sexton- PG, 6'2", Alabama. Orlando goes to left field basically every single draft and this will be their left field pick. Actually, I think it's a good fit for them even though it's unfortunate for Sexton. They just traded their PG away (thank goodness) and they've already got some size. It fits to go smaller here and while there is a great argument for Trae Young here, I think Sexton is going to really impress in the combine style pre-draft workouts. There'll be some comparisons to Mudiay, but I think Sexton is a better gamer than that. He showed amazing heart at Alabama.

7. Chicago- Miles Bridges- SF/PF, 6'7", Michigan St. This was a really tough one actually. I think Chicago could go anywhere from Trae Young to Mikal Bridges to Michael Porter Jr., but ultimately I went with Miles who I think will give them a little more of the edge they're looking for. Miles doesn't blow the roof off as a top 10 pick in my opinion, but he's a hard worker, a gamer, and he plays with a chip on his shoulder. I think he fits well with the LaVine, Dunn, Markkanen, Portis core they've built. That's a solid young team. They'll still be pretty bad.

8. Cleveland- Trae Young, PG, 6'2", Oklahoma. This is an easy call for me. Trae Young is a stud young prospect with Curry range on the floor and solid vision. If you're going to build around a guard, he's a great place to start. At the draft lottery he named Steve Nash as his favorite player, but he shows a lot more like a Curry than a Nash. It's a testament to the kid's mentality though that he wants to be an efficient and effective player even though he's not gifted with top shelf athleticism. He's great LeBron insurance, but would fit next to LeBron too.

9. New York- Michael Porter Jr., SF/PF, 6'10", Missouri. I honestly didn't love Michael Porter Jr. before his injury and I still feel the same now. He's not a top shelf athlete, he's not a staunch defender, he's not a great ball handler. He does have an uncanny ability to score though. I'd say he reminds me sort of a Danny Granger type. All that said, it's hard to find someone who can score like he can, so this is almost an easy gamble for the Knicks. He'll likely need a season or two to find his footing after his unfortunate injury, but his ceiling is fairly high.

10. Philadelphia- Mikal Bridges, SG/SF, 6'7", Villanova. This is (unfortunately) a perfect pick for the Sixers. They've got a need at that wing spot with Covington being replaceable and this is great insurance. The Sixers are going to make a big run at Paul George and LeBron James, but if they fail, Bridges brings a winning attitude, athleticism, moxie, and a whole lot more to boot. Bridges's ceiling isn't exactly sky high, but he can provide great spark for this franchise.

11. Charlotte- Wendell Carter, PF, 6'10", Duke. Charlotte is a team in the middle of nowhere with not a lot to go on. Right now their PFs are Frank Kaminsky and Cody Zeller. Carter is better than both those players. He'll bring some toughness and strength inside. He's not the greatest fit next to Dwight Howard, but how long is Dwight really going to be there? Besides, they're going to try to build with Kemba and they're not giving up on Monk that quickly.

12. Los Angeles Clippers- Zhaire Smith, SG, 6'5", Texas Tech. Zhaire is an interesting player with a lot of upside. He plays with passion and is multi-talented. He has a knack for blocking shots as a guard which is impressive and he shoots a great percentage from outside (albeit his form is a bit slow). I'm not as ultra high on him as some, but he'd be a solid pick in this spot. The Clippers have a need at the wing anyway.

13. Los Angeles Clippers- Robert Williams, PF/C, 6'9", Texas A&M. DeAndre Jordan insurance. Williams is a very similar player. Built well, athletic as all hell, and defensive minded. He can jump out of the gym and block a lot of shots. What's not to love?

14. Denver- Kevin Knox, SF, 6'9", Kentucky. Knox is a great athlete and shows some promise as a shooter. He might be a contributor right away. Denver already has their front court and they're going to give Murray and Gary Harris every chance to succeed. How long is Wilson Chandler going to last?

15. Washington- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, 6'6", Kentucky. Shai is has tremendous physical attributes that really make him an asset. He's a very natural basketball player and would help take pressure off of John Wall to create. Washington has some major financial issues and might instead be looking for a big man inside, but with most of the surer things off the board, Shai is safer pick. He's also insurance in case Washington decides to get crazy and blow things up.

16. Suns- Lonni Walker IV- SG, 6'5", Miami. A somewhat prototypical wing, he brings athleticism, length, and solid shooting ability. The Suns can't really be picky and they might already have some wings here, but Walker is a solid fit for their organization. With Ayton already in tow, Walker fits with what they're building.

17. Bucks- Mitchell Robinson- C, 7', N/A. The Bucks' search for their starting big man continues. They've got wings, they've got guards, but they still haven't found a big that will be what they need. defensively and on the glass. He's not a perfect fit, but he has the highest ceiling of any big still left, that's for sure.

18. Spurs- Troy Brown- SG, 6'7", Oregon. This is a little bit of a reach I think, but Troy fits the San Antonio model. He's fiery, but a high character guy. I think they go wing with this pick as Kawhi insurance. Brown has some Kawhi-ness to his game: defensive minded, good athlete, a thinker. There's some more talented guys probably, but Brown is a great worker, young, and moldable.

19. Hawks- Jalen Brunson- PG, 6'3", Villanova. This is another bit of a reach, but I think the Hawks will want Schroder insurance. Schroder never really amounted to his billing and he's been vocal about not wanting to be in Atlanta. Brunson brings winning basketball and solid play.

20. Wolves- Dzanan Musa- SF, 6'9", Cedevita. A sweet shooting, scoring wing out of Europe. Musa brings depth to a Minnesota group that is a little thin after Bejelica. Musa slides in this draft after the utterly failed experiment of Mario Hezonja who is a more athletic version of the same type of player.

21. Jazz- Anfernee Simmons- PG/SG, 6'4", N/A. Maybe the youngest player in this draft, Simmons has impressive tools. He's athletic, smooth, and can really score the ball. He's definitely a project, but he could end up being the Rubio replacement eventually and create a dynamic and dangerous back court with Mitchell.

22. Bulls- Jacob Evans- SG/SF, 6'6", Cincinnati. David Nwaba is a great story, but his ceiling is clear. Evans can replace Nwaba right now with a higher ceiling and better outside shooting. With Evans, the Bulls continue to overhaul a very young roster.

23. Pacers- Khyri Thomas- SG, 6'3", Creighton. Khyri fits this roster like a glove and can eventually take over when the Lance Stephenson fad is over again. Possibly the best defender in the class, he brings grit and possibly shooting as well.

24. Blazers- Keita Bates-Diop- SF, 6'7", Ohio State. The Blazers are a mess of a roster outside of McCollum and Lillard. They're invested in a couple of bigs already and could use some fresh blood on the wing. Bates-Diop gives them versatility. Probably doesn't make an early impact until some of these contracts expire.

25. Lakers- Shake Milton- PG/SG, 6'6", SMU. I struggled here. There's a few wings I like, but the Lakers have their eyes on wings in FA. Aaron Holiday would be a pretty good pick here as well, but I gave the edge to Milton because his size and length which fits the Lakers' switching defense a lot better. Either way, I think backup PG is the way to go and Shake is a very good fit.

26. Sixers- Bruce Brown- SG, 6'6", Miami. He's basically Justin Anderson, but a slightly fresher version. He ended his season hurt, but has a defensive mindset and will help round out their roster.

27. Boston- De'Anthony Melton- PG, 6'4", USC. I don't think Boston keeps Smart around and Melton is a very similar player. Tough, defensive minded, and will bring it every night. If it wasn't for his investigation shortened season, he might be higher on the draft board even.

28. Warriors- Aaron Holiday- PG, 6'1", UCLA. I know the Warriors made a big fuss of keeping Quin Cook around, but Holiday is a great pick in this spot. The Warriors need depth at the PG spot and Holiday gives them gravitas, silky shooting, and solid play. His limited athleticism and small stature put a ceiling on what he can likely do in the NBA, but late in the 1st this is a win.

29. Nets- Gary Trent Jr.- SG, 6'4", Duke. I happen to like Trent Jr. a lot. I think he's got some really great talent and his jumper is locked in. He's a better athlete than he showed in college and he'll need a coach to bring more out of him. Still, the Nets need depth literally everywhere. With D'Angelo Russell hitting RFA, Trent is good insurance too.

30. Hawks- Grayson Allen- PG/SG, 6'4", Duke. The Hated One. Allen will bring more guard depth to the Hawks as well as some shooting which they'll need when they start Bagley III and Collins. This pick is designed to bring stability to the franchise instead of taking more shots on guys who'll need more developing.

 

He's doing things in the Euro leagues that nobody has ever done. He's not a super flashy athlete or a lock down defender, but he's a guy who simply produces. He also isn't afraid of the moment and will go for it when the game is on the line. He's definitely worth a top pick although I wouldn't take him first.

 

A fight would imply some type of struggle.

 

No not quite. Crawford has some of the best handles maybe ever in the league. He's among the best for sure.

Shake is more of a Shaun Livingston I'd say. Someone who uses their length and height to see over defenses. He uses his crazy length to get into the lane instead of his handles. The difference between Livingston and Shake is Shake is a very good shooter whereas Livingston has to operate in the mid range more often.