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

I know the Lakers have just one pick in the draft and it's a 2nd rounder (from Denver), but I'm still going to start looking into the guys in this draft. Feel free to post any good draft content in this thread.

Early on this 2018 draft was considered as strong or maybe even stronger up top than the 2017 draft was. I was always skeptical, but now with Porter going down I'm convinced that's not true. Not to mention, what made (makes) the 2017 draft special was the depth of NBA talent. Not every player might be a star, but there's a lot of NBA players in that draft which isn't always the case.

First let's look at Marvin Bagley III. We have absolutely no chance at drafting him, but still good to get a feel for the draft. We're trying to keep up with the Joey, Jesse, and Ryan over here.

Marvin Bagley III-
6'11"
235 lbs

Pros-

• Tremendous athlete. Watching him run at 6'11" (I think he's probably more like 6'10") is shocking. He's an incredibly fluid athlete for his size with very good leaping ability even in traffic. He doesn't have top end speed, but he's got plenty of speed for a big. Perfect for the modern game.
• Terrific rebounder. He has a nose for the ball, maybe especially on the offensive glass. He's third in the country in offensive rebounds and fourth in defensive rebounds and leads the country overall.
• He's got good form on jumper although it can be inconsistent. It's definitely workable and something that he can bring with him to the pros.
• From what I've seen he's got good ability as a passer. The Blue Devils play sort of old school with two big men down low so the spacing is terrible, but I've seen him make some beautiful passes.
• A consistent scoring threat. He's shooting nearly 60% from the field and is leading college basketball in FGs made (6th in attempts). His outside percentage isn't great, but it has a chance to improve as the season goes on.
• He seems to come alive late in games. Duke has had a number of tough road games already and they've come out on top every time, often leaning heavily on Bagley.

Cons-

• He's light, especially in the backpocket. He's relying on his athleticism around the rim which is obviously at a higher level than 90% of his opponents, but he'll get walked under a bit in the NBA. He doesn't necessarily avoid contact, but he has trouble with it. He is still incredibly young so there's plenty of time to develop strength.
• His jumper is very inconsistent and doesn't always show a great touch. Sometimes he's putting too much into it. His FT% is just 61.9% so he's got a ways to go. The shot looks similar to Justise Winslow in Miami and that kid has yet to figure it out as a pro.
• I'm not sure he's a great post player in the pros. He hasn't exhibited the greatest footwork in the post, but Duke puts him there most of the time. He doesn't necessarily have a great feel for help defense in the post. I think the pros, that'll be a challenge for him early on until he bulks up.
• His awareness isn't great yet, he can lapse into watching the ball sometimes. I'd like to see him more aggressively protect the rim. He reminds me a bit of early Julius Randle in that respect.
• Again like Julius, Bagley is left hand dominant. I haven't seen much use of his right hand.

Overall, Bagley III is a terrific prospect. His frequent comparison is a better Chris Bosh. I can absolutely see those comparisons. I think in the pros, he could look even better with proper spacing. I think he's got franchise changing potential. It remains to be seen if he's got a franchise changing mental makeup.

 

One of my main goals was to try to get a 1st this year, but it's becoming unclear where we'd get that pick. Not long ago I was advocating moving Julius for a 1st, but I'm shying away from that as he continues to put up excellent numbers and lead us to wins. Nobody is likely to give up a 1st for Clarkson, Deng, Zubac, Lopez, or any other asset not named Ingram, Ball, or Kuzma so we're sort of stuck right now.

Even then, we wouldn't be getting a top shelf 1st round pick this season. Eventually I'll get to some of the lower end players. I just like watching the young studs and familiarizing myself with them. I figured I'd bring that to you all.

 

Watch Trae Young out of OU. Kid is nasty. He played HS ball about 15 minutes from my house. I'm sure he'll be a 1 and done player. Maybe even a lottery pick (still early, but so far, he's killing it).

Young is currently averaging 28.2 points and 8.6 assists per game for an Oklahoma team off to a 4-1 start.

 

I definitely saw his name pop immediately. I saw a few articles about how he's the most surprising player in college ball. I'm definitely going to get to him at some point.

Right now I'm lookimy at DeAndre Ayton and my heart is swooning. You how I love classic Centers.

 

I like Okafor, but he's not a great fit for our offense. He's not a rim protector, he doesn't have an outside shot. He's a post up big. If Zubac isn't a good fit for what we're doing, Okafor isn't going to be much better. I would be extremely tempted to make that move, but I don't think the FO would do it.

 

Deandre Ayton-

7'1"
250 lbs

Pros:

• Enormous, strong frame. He just turned 19 years old and looks like a fully grown man. As he gets older he's going to fill out as one of the bigger, stronger players in the NBA.
• I separated this because it really does change what he brings, but Ayton is also a tremendous athlete. At his height, he's also got a 43-44 inch vertical leap. He doesn't always utilize it in college, but when he does it's pretty amazing. He's also got good, quick feet. He doesn't always use them, but he's got quick hands as well. This athleticism combined with his height is an intimidating combination.
• He has a proficient post game. It's nothing to write home about, but he can hit a jump hook and he's developing different moves down low.
• He can hit mid-range (even long-range in college) shots. He's shooting just 29% from deep, but he's 3/6 in his last 3 games.
• He's a good-not-great rebounder. He has a tendency to wait until things come to him, but when he wants a rebound there are few that will beat him to it.
• He's a fiery competitor and when things get tough, he wants the ball.

Cons:

• He's still raw (might be a "pro" actually) so he can get sped up at times. He'll occasionally rush his offense.
• He can ball watch too much at times. His awareness isn't always great and he'll let plays go that he could have gotten (especially defensively).
• He should be a better rim protector, something a good coach will get out of him.
• His awareness of the help defender is a work in progress. Sometimes he'll see the double and sometimes he won't.

He's a Towns-ish prospect in my eyes. I think he's the #1 pick. He brings a blend of size inside when he needs it and yet has enough perimeter skill to work in more open offenses. I'm very biased towards big men, but his combination of talent and size is rare. Offensively he reminded me a bit of Ewing honestly with his ability to vary his attack. Pros will force him to hit the jumper more reliably and he's a bit more of a project than people will want at first, but he's got franchise changing potential.

 

Just for @John3:16 I started looking into Trae Young.

PG
6'2"
180 lb.

Pros:

• Shooting. This has to be his first given pro. He is 23/55 from deep so far in his college career and many of them are well outside the college line. Some of them are well beyond the NBA line even. He has a quick, repeatable motion that he'll unleash at any given moment.
• He has very good vision. Trae is capable of seeing the floor ahead of time like all the good passing players. In the footage I've seen he's often given a turnover because he sees a pass that his teammate didn't see. He is capable of fun, creative passes that keep defenders guessing.
• He's a crafty player. Young may not be the most athletic, but he does a great job of changing speed and direction in order to keep the defense on their heels.
• He is a good ball handler. I wouldn't say he's a great ball handler, but good enough to make defenses pay. He is good at splitting defenders and he can get to the rim a pretty good amount for a small player.
• He's a very young 19 years old and has plenty of time to continue to develop his craft.
• He's unflappable and undeniably confident.
• His jumper seems to be translatable (FT% is 88.9% right now).

Cons:

• He's not 6'2". I'd be surprised if he was taller than 6 feet flat. He's also not 180 pounds, I'd think he's probably closer to 165 pounds and has a small frame. He's going to get beat up in the pros a bit.
• He can sometimes make decisions before the play develops. He can turn the ball over expecting the defense to make a certain play. He does this 1-2 times a game at least.
• He can sometimes stop the ball and hold on to it instead of making the quick read. This is a function of age I think.
• He's got a quick trigger and sometimes will force a bad shot for no reason.
• He's a smart defender, but boy he's going to have trouble guarding at the NBA level. I believe he's smaller than Steph Curry.
• He's ground bound. He gets blocked around the rim quite a bit. The next step in his development will be high arching floaters. He's already trying to work them into his game.

Overall, I think Trae is a tremendous player, but I have questions about his ability in the pros. Many people compare him to Steph Curry and I can certainly see that, Trae has obviously patterned his game after Steph's. Unfortunately that comes with the same baggage that Steph had pre-draft. Can he hold up physically? Can that shooting translate to the pros enough to counter his limitations? He's going to be an interesting one to watch going forward. Right now, I have him as an obvious lottery pick in this draft.

 

So far everything I've seen screams talent. He's got definite areas that need improvement, but you can't teach size, strength, and heart. This kid looks like has it.

 

Luka Doncic

PG(?)
6'8"
228 lb.

Pros:

• He's a very good passer for his size which is why so many have labeled him a PG. I'm not sold on him being the everyday point guard in the pros, but with his size and strength, he can see over defenses well.
• He has a firm grasp of the pick and roll game. He can hit the roll man, he can hit the skip pass, he can get to the basket himself. It's probably his favorite play which will fit well in the NBA.
• He has developed into a very dangerous shooter outside. His percentages aren't great, but a lot of that is shot selection. He does a good job of rocking defenders back and then hitting a step-back three.
• He is a very active rebounder similar to Lonzo. He wants to grab the ball and push it. Unlike Lonzo, he wants to deliver the assist which has mixed results, but he still wants to go get the board.
• He's a feisty player (some would say annoying). He brings intense passion to the floor and has a way of bothering the opposition. He played his heart out in this year's Eurobasket tournament.
• He embraces the challenge. He had a couple personal battles with Kristaps Porzingis in the Eurobasket tournament and came out on top. He wants to face the other team's best and wants to beat them.
• He reads the ball well in the air both in passing lanes and on the glass.

Cons:

• Decision making is suspect offensively. He will often force passes that aren't there. He also takes some highly questionable shots. He's still very young (18 years old) so a lot of that can be taught.
• He's a good-not-great athlete. He gets to the rim using his size and length more than his speed or quickness. He's a shifty athlete, but not a powerful one.
• His defense is solid, but not spectacular. A good coach should do wonders.
• His enthusiasm sometimes boils over and he loses focus. Sometimes he needs to be reined in a bit.

Overall I think he's a plus prospect. I feel lame making the comparison, but he reminds me of a bigger, mouthier version of Ginobili. I hate being the guy who compares all Euros to other Euros, but their game is pretty similar. Imagine Ginobili's game in a Evan Turner's body. I found him sort of hard to root for at times. He's always mixed up in some sort of tough guy staredown. He's the kind of crafty player that'll get under your skin and make you lash out. I think he's absolutely a Top 5 pick, but I'm not sold on the #1 pick over a kid like Ayton or even Bagley.

 

Michael Porter Jr.

PF(SF?)
6'10"
215 lb.

Pros:

• Very, very, very promising scoring ability. It all starts with his ability to hit threes off the dribble, but that opens up driving lanes for him. He has a unique profile for a scorer not unlike Kevin Durant: big, long, and yet scores like a guard. This is by far the attribute teams are most interested in.
• He's a plus athlete. He's not a quick athlete, but he's a smart one and can be explosive with time and space. When given room he can raise up like some of the great dunkers out there. In the open court he can move quickly when he hits top speed. You might compare him to Larry Nance Jr. with maybe an inch or two off the max vertical.
• He's a smart, well put together kid. There's not enough people who pay attention to it, but he's got a good head on his shoulders and a good work ethic.
• He's an opportunistic defender around the rim. When he's got room to load up, he can protect the rim.
• He doesn't give up on plays. If he turns the ball over, he'll run back to defend.

Cons:

• Obviously his latest injury is a major concern. A guy with his size and athleticism that has an injury history is a guy with some serious red flags.
• He's not always focused on the floor defensively or frankly offensively. I see him standing upright too often or watching the ball too much. Typical of a young guy.
• He's light for his size. He should grow into his body some, but he's pretty soft right now. He's not going to scrap for a rebound if he can't jump over you.
• That scorers mentality leads to forced shots sometimes. He can pass the ball, but it isn't his priority.

Overall: MPJ is a really solid prospect. Some people are saying he's the next star in the NBA, I think that's jumping the gun a bit. I do believe he provides a unique skill-set and under the right conditions could be a stud. He needs some seasoning though and this injury sets him back a bit in the developmental process. He's still a very high pick in this draft, but might sit out a year and try to go #1 next season.

 

Mohamed Bamba-

C
7'0"
207 lbs.

Pros:

• He has maybe the most unique body type I've seen since Manute Bol as a Center prospect. He's thin as a rail, but he's got incredibly long arms and legs. If he were in the NBA today, he'd have the longest reach (beating Rudy Gobert by about half an inch). He's a pretty smooth athlete for his size, runs well, leaps soundly.
• He has raw skills in almost all quadrants. He has solid shooting form, has decent handles for his size, has some raw post game. He has the potential to be a multi-faceted offensive weapon at 7 feet tall.
• He can rebound decently even though he doesn't give you the text book boxout. His ridiculous length and good athleticism will get him boards.
• He has good defensive instincts especially protecting the rim. That length can be sudden.

Cons:

• Obviously his weight is an issue. At that height, he's only 10 pounds or so heavier than Brandon Ingram. He needs the weight room like the desert needs the rain.
• Decision making is slow, but that's not uncommon for his age and experience level.
• He struggles with contact right now. He'd get bullied in the pros.
• I'm still unsure if his outside shooting is visionary or a function of not wanting to bang in the post all game. How badly does he want it?

Overall he's a tremendous prospect and a truly unique one at that. If a team has patience with him, he could turn into a real threat in a few years, but I think he's definitely a long-term project. Many are hoping he follows the learning curve of Rudy Gobert, but there's no guarantee that happens. I do think he'll fill out pretty well. Right now he's a lottery pick, but whatever GM takes him better have a short-term plan ready to go.

 

Unfortunately we won't come close to Bamba, but he's definitely an intriguing player. I'm going to work down prospect boards. Eventually I'll start with the 2nd round guys that we should be looking into.

 

Collin Sexton

PG
6'2"
185 lb.

Pros:

• Strong kid, good frame. Very developed for an 18 year old. He has good athleticism both in space and in traffic. I wouldn't say he's John Wall fast, but he's got good speed. He's very strong for a guard though.
• He fits the new mold of a scoring point guard. He can distribute decently, but his first priority is getting an open look which he can create pretty regularly.
• He can shoot the ball. Right now in 8 games he's shooting 46% from deep and 71% from the FT line.
• He has strong mental makeup and is a chip-on-the-shoulder type of player. He'll bring toughness and confidence to any backcourt he's on.
• He has a flair about him that's just fun to watch. He has a knack for completing home run plays that can get the team/crowd into a game.
• He's as game a player as I've ever seen. When the lights are bright and the going is tough, this guy shines brighter than almost anyone.

Cons:

• That scoring PG mold always has a question of whether he'll make the NBA leap as a capable scorer. If not, he looks like Marcus Smart probably. Good not great.
• Part of it is his team, but he's not a tremendous passer. He's not Ben Simmons or Lonzo Ball. He may be more like Brandon Ingram honestly.

I'll be honest, I have trouble coming up with too many cons with this guy. I like him a ton. He really caught my eye in one of those Nike tournament games earlier this year with all the best young high school players. There's something about him that's fun to watch. I've seen him compared to Eric Bledsoe, my first thought was maybe Baron Davis: big, strong guards that are multi-threats. Sexton is without a doubt the best guard prospect in the draft to me. Easily in the Top 10.

Also, if you haven't seen it yet: https://www.sbnation.com/2017/11/25...playing-with-3-players-fight-injury-minnesota

Sexton almost beat a ranked Minnesota team with only TWO teammates on the floor after nearly all his team was either ejected or injured. The kid is special.