The 2018 NBA Draft
- Thread starter HomeRunBaker
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LOL! We're driving back to RI from DC that morning after spending week in Myrtle Beach......I'll have trouble getting rid of her that night.
Alone? While I attend a draft? I don't know if that was sarcasm but no she wouldn't. I look at it this way too.....I'm being selfish in that the only chance I'll be able to be engaged with what's going on that night due to our travel schedule is by being there.
BSF, are you going this year too?
Give me Mo.
Love the breakdown. Isn't he a poster definition of a lottery pick? Game-changing potential with a floor of... Shawn Bradley? Has anyone compared Mo's foot bone x-rays with Yao Ming's?
Love the breakdown. Isn't he a poster definition of a lottery pick? Game-changing potential with a floor of... Shawn Bradley? Has anyone compared Mo's foot bone x-rays with Yao Ming's?
I don't understand the author's assertion that Bamba's has an absurdly high floor to ceiling volatility......I feel he's one of the drafts safe certainties. This isn't Gheorghe Muresan, Milicic or Giannis here........Bamba already has good ball skills, has an above avg IQ, great timing and coordination, he's uniquely fluid for his size (my major tell in a players upside), and most importantly he has a big motor. I have his floor as what Capela is right now, barring injury of course, and his upside a little higher.
It's nice that he is making that shot. Unfortunately all but one of those are two pointers - and just about the least efficient shot anyone can take 
Bamba is quite intriguing to me. His 7'10 wingspan is absolutely absurd and his defensive skills are already pretty advanced. He's a pretty good rebounder, which is something you sometimes worry about with shotblockers. He also measured in at 7'1 in shoes so he's got great size for a center. The offense will be slower to develop but the video above shows that his form does look pretty good. He'll never be Al Horford out there but there is hope he will develop into a decent 3 point shooter in time.
Atlanta is going to have a really tough call at #3 assuming Doncic goes #2. Bamba, Bagley, and Jackson Jr. won't be an easy decision. I'd probably go Bamba at this point.
Atlanta is going to have a really tough call at #3 assuming Doncic goes #2. Bamba, Bagley, and Jackson Jr. won't be an easy decision. I'd probably go Bamba at this point.
Any BC fans/observers here with thoughts on Jerome Robinson? In YouTube clips looks like he has a good feel for the game, great nose for the rim, and decent size and toughness for a SG. Good pick for Boston at #27, or GS or #28?
Yup. BC grad/fan here. Robinson would be a solid pick for both franchises. He was a good player his first 2 years at BC but he really blossomed last year. He has good form on his jumper, has NBA range, can get to the rim, and is a solid playmaker on the wing. FT shooting has steadily increased every year (64% as frosh and about 80% as Jr). His handle can use some improvement but it's still pretty adequate. I view his athleticism similar to Tatum's - doesn't wow you but then you see him make some impressive plays that kind of surprise you. His real area of weakness is defense and rebounding. He's not very good at it right now but has the size and necessary athleticism to get better. I see his NBA upside as a 7th or 8th man. Not ready to contribute to a team like the Celtics/Warriors right away but after a few months I could see him in the rotation.
All in all, Robinson was a huge loss for the BC program. He would have been in the running for ACC POY next year and might have won, similar to Dudley in 2007.
Honestly, I'd take Bamba 1-1, particularly for the Celtics. I haven't seen a college player with his combination of physical skills since David Robinson. Length, coordination, explosiveness, agility, timing - he's a rare dude. He'd give them an immediate answer to Embiid and Le Freak - two players who are going to continue to present problems for Boston. The Celtics didn't have answers for either guy, but the supporting casts were enough to tilt it in Boston's favor. You throw in Bamba and that makes defending the opposing "unicorns" a whole lot easier. Offensively, he has a ways to go, but the shot looks legit. The way he blocks/altars shots and rebounds in traffic, I'm sold.
I’d be more convinced by these making shots in the gym videos if I hadn’t seen Marcus Smart doing the same thing last summer or ever watched these guys warm up before a game. You have to start by making them in practice but making these shots in a game is clearly a big divide to cross
Conversely, Bamba will be left a whole lot more open than Marcus typically is. Then if Bamba gets defended on the perimeter after making open ones in the early going of his career, he can swing the ball around, post up and be in position for offensive rebounds.
Bamba shot 68% from the line in his one year at Texas, a good percentage for a seven footer. Assuming college FT% is a good indicator of future success for the NBA three, that's a good sign. If the guy has a motor and work ethic, he could be a once in a generation, KG type player. That is a big if, however.
Bamba is a great prospect, but he's already capella now? As a floor? That's too much man, capella has grown in leaps in terms of floor play.
I do think he's going to be an impact defender but I don't think we know if he can handle smaller switches yet. The speed etc bodes well though.
JJJ has the offensive and defensive upside. I'd pick him over Mo all day and twice on Sunday. I'd take both over Bagley.
I am interested in the property who would take him even higher, have you looked at the other prospects or just like Bamba?
If you have looked what makes you think he's a top 3 pick when nearly everyone else doesn't.
And I'm NOT trying to start any fights I'm literally asking if that is a flippant comment (fine) or because you have looked and think everyone else is crazy (which is very interesting)
I do think he's going to be an impact defender but I don't think we know if he can handle smaller switches yet. The speed etc bodes well though.
JJJ has the offensive and defensive upside. I'd pick him over Mo all day and twice on Sunday. I'd take both over Bagley.
I am interested in the property who would take him even higher, have you looked at the other prospects or just like Bamba?
If you have looked what makes you think he's a top 3 pick when nearly everyone else doesn't.
And I'm NOT trying to start any fights I'm literally asking if that is a flippant comment (fine) or because you have looked and think everyone else is crazy (which is very interesting)
You realize that saying Capella is his floor doesn’t mean that he’s as good as Capella is now right?
His peak floor is capella now then? I still strongly think that underappreciates capella.
I like Jackson an awful lot; like you I prefer him to Bagley (Bagley strikes me as an empty stats guy who won't impact wins. But he's definitely talented.) I just think Bamba does everything Jackson does, but with generational length. Bamba is a little older than Jackson and he's raw but I'm betting on the physical tools. The college game isn't suited for a guy like Bamba, but with NBA spacing, I think he'll look better on the offensive end. Defensively, I think he's a RARE dude. His length allows him to play off guys on the perimeter and still disrupt shots, but he can also move his feet.
That's exactly what it means, or what it should mean. As Cheech said, these guys floors are "not in the league."
Is peak floor even a thing?
Maybe it should mean that, but I think most people understand that guys can be busts and it becomes useless to say one's floor is a complete flame out. I think what the posters means is if Bamba doesnt get to the league and pull a Fultz, then he sees him as a guy that gets to where Capela is.
Otherwise, every single draft profile would say:
Floor: bust
Ceiling: Hall of Fame
That adds nothing.
He doesn't though. He sure doesn't shoot like Jackson does (68 FT%, 27.5 3PT% on 1.7 attempts per game vs 80% and 39.6% on 2.7 per game), he doesn't defend the perimeter like Jackson does, and he not nearly the passer that Jackson is (3.6 AST% vs 9.3%). Those three factors are all really important in a modern big. And Bamba's 16 months older, that's pretty significant when evaluating teenagers (though Bamba's not even one of those anymore). So he was putting up better numbers at a significantly younger age, and doing it for a better team. Bamba rebounds better, but that's really about it.
Bamba's a really good prospect, but I think some people are still sleeping on Jackson. He's a potential franchise changer.
Thankfully ESPN isn't keeping the DraftExpress breakdowns from Mike Schmitz behind their pay-wall, and they just recently rolled this one out for Jackson. Look at how low he gets when defending the perimeter. Bamba (and virtually all other bigs, to be fair) just can't get down in a stance like that to contain. His defensive instincts are great for a kid that young, he's looks quick and decisive on screen actions.
I’ve been saying this for a while, if the LA pick had conveyed J-3 would have been at the top of Boston’s wishlist. He’s pretty much the ideal modern big.
Just curious as to why JJJ got role player minutes? He looks good on tape, but the few games I saw he didn't really stand out.
I agree. I think Danny loves guys that scrap with swagger. Plus having guys that can actually score would be nice - I think he's a safe, 7-8th man kinda pick.
For those enameled with the idea of snagging Grayson, he did a Reddit AMA the other day. I only briefly skimmed it but it looks like he didn’t shy away from controversial questions and gave some pretty good answers (or his PR did, but they don’t seem overly sanitized).
As a fan of the team picking at #3 in this year's draft, I really have no idea who the heck I should root for. Doncic (if available), JJJ, Bamba, Bagley, someone else...there's no way to tell which choice(s) will be good and which one(s) won't, is there? There's no consensus, no statistical analysis darling, no obvious eye-test standout. I'm going to wake up the morning after the draft and have no idea whether my team has the next Tatum, the next Fultz, or something in between - and I probably won't really have a proper sense of the answer until December. All drafts in all sports are like this to some extent, but this one feels even more like a lottery than normal to me.
For the Celtics (unless they really believe the Irving to the Knicks stuff) I would be less inclined to pick a Brunson, Grayson type. Given the team's trajectory Danny should not have trouble attracting a vet point guard on minimum-ish deal looking to add a ring.
The two guys I like in the Celtics range are Okobo and Bates-Diop. The former is mostly an upside play, the latter could be a (very) small ball 5, in the way Houston used Tucker and Luc.
The two guys I like in the Celtics range are Okobo and Bates-Diop. The former is mostly an upside play, the latter could be a (very) small ball 5, in the way Houston used Tucker and Luc.
Huggins was quoted in an article that some players are cancelling workouts with teams when they find out Jevon Carter is attending the workout. I wish Carter was 2” taller so he could defend 1’s - 3’s, but still, that dude is going to make some point guards miserable in games next season.
Is Carter substantially better defensively than Kadeem Allen? Allen got similar plaudits from Sean Miller a year or two ago.
Bamba has shown good form shooting the ball last year. I don't know why some are treating him like he's Chris Dudley or Manute Bol out there. Horford was 21-65 from 3 during his first 8 years in the league followed by two years of solid 35% prior to this years breakout at 43%......his learning curve began at age 29 while Bamba, who attempted 51 last year is beginning his curve at age 19. He even passed the FT% test with a more than respectable 68% from the line as a freshman but more importantly to me is the improvement he showed during the season shooting 61% from the line prior to Jan 1st and 72.6% post-Jan 1st.......while Horford shot 58% from the line as a college freshman and 62% for his college career. As I said, the mechanics are there to support similar growth.....actually better growth for those FT-to-3pt aficionados.
I will admit to seeing less of Jackson than any or the top guys.....I actually watched more Doncic than him!! (those morning Euro games from bed are a blessing....or not). However I saw many flaws in his game than may translate to future issues moving forward. I'll begin with his BBIQ in particular passing from the high post. His assist numbers are much higher than Mamba's based on how each was utilized in their offense......one must recognize this rather than simply comparing AstRates. Secondly, Jackson was pulled from two of the games I saw while Izzo game him tongue lashing/stares resembling what a coach would do to JaVale McGee.....Jackson screwed up several basic ball rotations by making boneheaded decisions, one specific example that sticks out was what should have been a simply ball rotation to the wing resulted in him forcing an entry pass over a 6-9 defender without the angle to do so as the pass ended up directly in the opponents hands. These are instinctual miscues which is a huge red flag for me. I'm not saying he's going to be a bust or I hate him but there were "things" I saw him doing on the floor that caught my eye.....and not in a positive way. As Jackson gets to the next level the game will be fasting and more instinctual......if he's having problems in college (yes to reiterate I recognize he's a freshman) this is an area that figures to be a concern for him moving forward.
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Yes. Carter was the consensus national DPoY for the past two season. Two time Big 12 DPoYs, 4 Big 12 All-Defense. He's an absolute bull-dog on the ball, and was playing 35 minutes a game often while pressing the opposing point guards for most of that time. He was the heart and soul for one of the best defensive teams in the country. I loved watching him crush people's will to live.
Allen didn't get any formal recognition for his defense in college.
Huggins is pumping up his guy, like Miller was, but Carter's D is absolutely legit. I can see why agents wouldn't want their guys going up against him. Carter's probably not a first rounder due to his lack of length and athleticism, but I'd be really surprised if he doesn't have a long career as someone who can run a second unit and be a situational lock-down menace.
I never said he's Capela now. Barring injury or any other bizarre happenings, I include team fit and system in this, I feel his floor is that of Capela, a real good complementary big. Let's not take this out of context as Capela looks MUCH better in his role in Houston than what he would be playing for Sacramento.
As pointed out above, Bamba also has fine offensive upside without Jackson's unique ability to put it on the floor from 25-feet away. Nothing flippant about it.....I'm only wondering why people use FT% as a guide to future 3-point growth when it suits their agenda but not in Bamba's case? Personally, I find mechanics and a fluid release with soft ball rotation at a young age to be a great indicator as well......and Bamba passed both of these tests as a college freshman.
I feel many don't have him Top-3 because of their inclusion of Doncic and in some cases Jackson. I'm also confused by everyone who has Ayton #1 the way todays game (and tomorrows) is shifting away from this type of player. I see a ton of Dwight Howard in him and unlike Bagley/Jackson/Bamba he really struggled when asked to defend the perimeter in switches which teams will exploit unlike in years past.
Sure, but you have to wonder if Shaka Smith isn't using Bamba that way for a reason. If you want apples-to-apples, Jarrett Allen put up significantly better Ast% in the same offense as a freshman center last year. JJJ certainly benefits in terms of opportunity from his role as a stretch 4/5, but there's reason for concern that Bamba might be a black hole on offense.
I do agree about the jump shot form. If I knew nothing about either them and saw them take a couple of threes, I'd bet on Bamba. But JJJ did just put up 80% and 40% as a young freshman 7-footer.
I watched a decent amount of MSU this year, and honestly, the kid was just inconsistent with his focus. He'd show flashes of really high-level recognition, but too often just space out, and that definitely frustrated Izzo. Losing crunch time minutes to Ben Carter is pretty concerning. But the effort is definitely there, and it's not like Bamba (who I didn't get to see a lot of) doesn't have questions about focus and effort. Both are said to be high character kids off the court. This area is where I really trust Ainge's evaluation instincts.
I'm not questioning Carter's D, but I question using the pick on him when Allen has a similar role and has shown that he can also score (at least in the D-league). If you knew Smart wasn't coming back, Carter might be more attractive.
Grayson Allen's agent is obviously pimping him (big article in today's Globe), but of the guys the Celtics worked out the other day, the one that caught my eye was Billy Preston, who was an automobile accident away from being the best player at Kansas since Joel Embiid. No one was hurt in that accident, but I guess the NCAA had a bunch of questions as to how he got the car, so he was forced to sit out pending the results of an investigation.
The knock on Preston in AAU ball was that he loafed on defense, but he's 6-10 and has all the physical tools, so maybe that can be addressed.
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Your question was literally "Is Carter substantially better defensively than Kadeem Allen?" The answer to that is, by all indications, "yes". The post you initially responded to didn't advocate for the Celtics drafting him. Given Ainge's preference for length and athleticism, I'd be surprised if they do. He strong, smart, tough as hell and can knock down open shots, but not nearly as switchable as Smart. Derek Fisher is the comp that everyone seems to throw around for him. If they do draft him, Marcus should start looking for a real estate agent.
This is a general 2018 draft thread, I figured @PaulinMyrBch was just making an observation about Carter, not necessarily recommending him for the Cs.
Preston doesnt even appear in the ringer draft guide. I wonder if we could nab him with a purchased second rounder?
