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

Sorry, I should have clarified, I didn’t mean I’m surprised that the team is doing all this, I meant I’m surprised we here are expecting so much to draft a player at 25. I guess we shouldn’t be susprised, as we usually do keep the 1sts we have unless we have traded them long in advance, as in not a lot of draft day deals unless it’s picks for picks, but I’m not getting to attached to any players. If we have any hopes of getting rid of Deng, a 1st now and a future 1st half to be involved. If we don’t move him, there is no 2 max slots plan, we’d have to stretch him and that’s a nightmare scenario to me. I have to think the FO is looking to move the pick with Deng ahead of actually using it, they aren’t about bringing in even more young players from the late first round, they’ve said their plan is to swing for the fences. That’s what I meant, I’m surprised that WE have stopped discussing trading the pick and expect so strongly to use it on one of these borderline 2nd rounders that were waffling between staying in school or going pro until the last few days and give them a guaranteed 4 year deal. That hasn’t typically been our style, (at least not for a good while there), most of our picks that we took a shot on have been 2nd rounders (Ebanks, Goudlock, Morris, Sacre, Kelly, Crazy Eyes Brown, Zubac, T Bryant), until this last season with Kuzma and Hart. So I guess it could be a new thing, a Magic and Rob style, but I dunno, I just want to get rid of Deng so badly.

 

That's why it's a game changer if he really can shoot. Noel's problem was that he had no other game besides shot blocking and dunks. If Mitchell has a jumper, I can way more easily understand the appeal. I still think it's smoke, but a 7 footer with that athleticism and a jumper? I don't know of another one that's available.

As for using the pick vs dumping Deng with it, I think it might be more likely the Lakers will use the pick at this point. They'll only dump Deng if they feel it's a sure thing in which case they might attach enough future picks to make it happen. They can also still get to their two max slots by letting Randle go and waiving Deng so they may not feel the urgency in doing it.

If we can get a Huerter or Mitchell (assuming he can actually shoot), it might be worth it to lose future considerations and keeping a solid pick.

 

Tony Carr- 6'5", G, Sophomore, Penn State. I actually like Carr. He's sort of an Afflalo-ish guard. He's a strong kid and able to take kids to the box and punish them. He turned himself into a heck of a shooter too. He jumped from 32% to 43% from deep. He averaged just about 20/5/5 last season for Penn State. There's some questions about his defense although he has the tools to be a defender if he wanted to. @abeer3 you want a sneaky pick?



Devonte Graham- 6'2", G, Senior, Kansas. One of @Weezy 's favorites. He's a heck of a shooter with some crazy range. He's small, but can heat up like a microwave. He profiles as a bench scorer which is something we might have a need for.



Josh Okogie- 6'4", G, Sophomore, Georgia Tech. He's a Josh Hart-ish type player whose name is rising on draft boards. These highlights paint obviously a rosy picture, but he needs work on his decision making. Solid athlete, has defensive tools he doesn't always use, and is a solid shooter. With a smaller role in the NBA, he might be a good role player.

 

Me too. Shamet is a play we should be making in the 2nd round (if at all). He's a great, great shooter and hustles a lot but other than that I'm not too impressed. He's a 2nd round player for sure.

Some might argue that Huerter is labeled just a shooter too so why is he a 1st Round talent... Well that shooting ability combined with his height/length to go along with his under-rated passing ability. Nice combination there and I think he projects to being a better defender in the long run when he gets so good coaching.

 

Doesn't have nearly enough in his back pocket to be able to defend those players yet at least. I just worry he could turn into another Thomas Robinson type player even though I think Mitchell has more bounce in his game and is already a better outside shooter but still needs to work on the consistency of that shot.

 

Billy Preston- 6'10", PF, Freshman, Kansas. He never actually played a regular season game for the Jayhawks. He violated curfew and missed their opener as punishment. Then he was under investigation for taking a car as payment to go to Kansas. He's leaving school early despite the controversy. Highly athletic, has some offensive skills. He has shown no real inclination to play defense in the small sample we have of him. He's sort of hard to comp and if he stayed in school it feels like he could be a 1st rounder. Could be a 2nd round gem.



Landry Shamet- 6'5", PG, Junior, Wichita State. He has tremendous size for a point guard, think Shaun Livingston. He's not wildly athletic, but showed a very good shooting ability. In college he was able to use his length and size to see over the top of defenses and snake into the lane. He had a horrendous Combine on the floor and really hurt his draft stock.



Johnathan Williams, PF/C, Senior, Gonzaga. He started his career at Mizzou, but after his coach left the program Williams transferred to Gonzaga. Because of that, he's a little older than most prospects. He shows some solid skill, footwork, and very good athleticism. He showed decent growth every year he was in college. Not a guy we're going to look at probably with the #25 pick, but a Taj Gibson type guy with a little less of Taj's mass.

 

That's a solid point. I just wonder is he significantly better than Thomas Bryant? Bryant is a similar player (albeit obviously less athletic) already under contract and slightly less of a project. If we get Bron and George, I think there's no doubt Brook Lopez signs for 2/3 years at the room exception, but he could use an understudy. Bryant so far fits that bill on our roster, but maybe Robinson is a better fit? I don't know. I like Bryant.

 

Shamet was one of my guys I was looking at heavily in that late 1st area, but after his abysmal showing at the Combine, I'm waiting until the 2nd round on him. I'm not positive he can create looks against NBA players and that's a huge problem for me.

Huerter is actually a solid defender, decent passer, and of course can knock down shots like nobody else in the draft. I honestly wouldn't be surprised at this point if he flies up draft boards and is taken before some of the other wing prospects like Evans, Thomas, Hutchison, Troy Brown. His kind of shooting can change a game. If the rest of his game doesn't develop too much more, Huerter's floor could be a Wally Szczerbiak or something? Solid role player.

 

Robinson is listed at 7' with his shoes, Bryant is 6'10.75" in his shoes.
Robinson is listed with a 7'4" wingspan, Bryant has a 7'6" wingspan.
Robinson weighed in at 233 pounds (surprisingly solid), Bryant entered the draft at 247.8 pounds.

Keep in mind, all of these measurements came for Robinson a year ago at the McDonald's All-American game. It's entirely possible he's grown and/or put on weight. The same can be said of Thomas Bryant who entered the draft at a pretty young age (just 19 years old at the time of the draft). Robinson is actually less than a year younger than Bryant (about 9 months).

I'd say physically Robinson is more interesting, but something has to be said for the way Thomas Bryant works and how much passion he plays the game with. Bryant loves basketball, loves competing and we just haven't seen that from Robinson. He is a self described "chill" guy who only started playing basketball half-way through high school and intends to use basketball to make money for his family. All fine traits, but if you're trying to build a winner, you want the other guy.

 

It'll all depend on his workouts and interviews. I won't let an existing player keep us from improving, but this kid has to sell me on his desire to be great. Bryant has that and it's a rare quality.