The 2018 NBA Draft

Big John

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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.
Yes, the discussion about Grayson Allen being Ainge's type of player got me thinking about #27. As for Billy Preston, who knows? He may go undrafted. But he's an Oak Hill product, a McDonald's AA and he was heavily recruited a year ago. LOL, some Kansas booster (or unscrupulous agent) even bought him a car. If his workout went well and he doesn't want to go back overseas, he could be a good fit for the Red Claws.
 

Jimbodandy

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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.
Nobody really knows this shit, so you're ahead of the game.

The bigs in particular have such different games that a lot of the variance is in how people 1. value those skills, and 2. project their development going forward.

I'd honestly be very surprised if there are a ton of bust guys in the top ten of this draft. Of course we won't know immediately, but your team will almost certainly land a stud starter at #3.
 

Big John

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I've been looking at some film of the 6-9 Latvian, Kurucs, since some mocks have the Celtics taking him. He's pencil-thin and will probably get abused on defense, but the kid can really score. He has every shot from everywhere on the floor, and he's not shy. He's also got a crossover that many guards would envy..
 

DannyDarwinism

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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.
New video our of him working with Hanlen. The mechanics looks really, really good for a guy with miles of arms and legs to get right.


A Gobert-type defender who commands respect on the perimeter on the other end would be a pretty damn valuable guy.
 

PaulinMyrBch

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MYRTLE BEACH!!!!
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.
You figured correct. Just thought that was pretty unique in the pre draft process.
 

HomeRunBaker

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NoXInNixon

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Why would a team make a promise to someone to draft them? What does it benefit the team?
 

HomeRunBaker

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Why would a team make a promise to someone to draft them? What does it benefit the team?
The standard agreement is to promise they will be drafted at a certain slot in return for the player to shut down workouts as to not impress teams above in the draft order. The players agent accepts say the 22-slot to guarantee a 1st round contract while passing up the opportunity to go higher by participating in team workouts or in the case of Robinson (and Hutchison I believe) pulling out of the Combine altogether.

It has to be a win-win.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Not to be super critical but both Robinson and Hutchison shut down workouts a long time ago due to promises. Including them in any "potential 27" piece, especially right at the top, gives the author zero credibility imo.
Yeah, I heard Huerter had a promise too (else he would have returned to Maryland), though I suppose it's possible that promise came from Boston or someone behind them. Seems like they probably just compiled all the names that have been thrown out over the past few weeks without bothering to dot their i's about which ones may have subsequently secured promises. Still nice (for me, anyway) to see all the names laid out with comments from the various draft sites compiled.
 

oumbi

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Sigh. Not included was my binky for this year, either at 27th or later. Mr. Bonga.
 

RedOctober3829

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Sources: Jaren Jackson Jr., had a monster workout for Suns on Sunday, and continues to be the long-term prospect those outside Top 4 are working to move up and select in draft. Offers to Sacramento, Atlanta and Memphis may become increasingly aggressive between now and June 21.
 

DJnVa

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I don’t see why the Hawks wouldn’t just stand pat and take Jackson #3.
Because they may like someone else as well, and they're so bad they would do well to pick up future draft choices to slide down a few slots.

Of course, it all depends on their draft board.
 

HomeRunBaker

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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.
Preston also had something going on in Bosnia and returned home after 3 games and a "shoulder injury." Sounds bogus since he didn't require surgery even if it existed and didn't return to Bosnia after he was healthy.

I'm sure teams are drilling him on that and asking a lot of questions to their contacts out there.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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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.
Not that Kadeem Allen had the same credentials as Carter but he was 2014 JuCo Player of the Year and named to the All Pac-12 defensive team in his senior year so he did get some plaudits. Also, he was vaulted into national recognition by doing a really good job on Fultz when they played.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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New video our of him working with Hanlen. The mechanics looks really, really good for a guy with miles of arms and legs to get right.


A Gobert-type defender who commands respect on the perimeter on the other end would be a pretty damn valuable guy.
On the baseline shots, he looks like he's drifting to the side. Not that it couldn't work but not "classically" what most people would teach.
 

Bosox1528

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The standard agreement is to promise they will be drafted at a certain slot in return for the player to shut down workouts as to not impress teams above in the draft order. The players agent accepts say the 22-slot to guarantee a 1st round contract while passing up the opportunity to go higher by participating in team workouts or in the case of Robinson (and Hutchison I believe) pulling out of the Combine altogether.

It has to be a win-win.
Basically a basketball prospect derivative. Fascinating
 

Sam Ray Not

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Some deep draft prospect dives, courtesy of Peachtree Hoops: https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2018/5/18/17369330/2018-nba-draft-scouting-report-series-atlanta-hawks-list-players-prospects

Since the Hawks have four picks up and down the draft (#3, #19, #30, #33), they've gone ahead and analyzed ... pretty much everyone. No idea how insightful or reliable they are, but the sheer volume of analysis (including play-by-play video breakdowns. etc.) is pretty impressive. I hope the Hawks FO has done as much work as that site has!
 

Big John

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Dec 9, 2016
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Yes, in particular, it's a collar trade.
Yes, but it's a pretty loose collar, since nothing prevents another team with a better pick from drafting the player, even though he refused to work out for them, The upside isn't capped.
 

nighthob

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Yes, but it's a pretty loose collar, since nothing prevents another team with a better pick from drafting the player, even though he refused to work out for them, The upside isn't capped.
Boston benefitted from that phenomenon once, when Seattle drafted Robert Swift out from under them, leading Boston to choose another guy from their list. In the real world Swift kept getting injured, then juiced up, then hooked on crystal meth, while Boston ended up with Kevin Garnett.
 

Jed Zeppelin

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Porter seems to be rising, despite canceling a workout for hip spasms. Not ideal, after back surgery.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Porter seems to be rising, despite canceling a workout for hip spasms. Not ideal, after back surgery.
I've read elsewhere about Porter "rising" as well which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me since this would tend to result from a positive occurrence, be it a great interview or workout...…..not from cancelling workouts due to a hip injury following back surgery. I'm not buying it.
 

braudimusprime

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Jul 18, 2005
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I don't think it's that complicated; teams are desperate for wings and the rest of the top of this draft is flawed bigs and guards. It's easy for me to see a team or two with a high pick talking themselves into Porter as the best player available.
 

nighthob

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I mean he was in the conversation for #1 prior to the injury, so someone in the 5-9 range is going to swing for the fences.
 

HomeRunBaker

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I mean he was in the conversation for #1 prior to the injury, so someone in the 5-9 range is going to swing for the fences.
Yeah, this was always his range post-injury. For him to be "rising" he'd have to jump into the top 4-5 which is that part I'm not buying.
 

nighthob

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In fairness I could see the Grizzlies or Mavericks taking a swing for the fences at #4/#5. I think Chicago might prefer a big, though, so a swap from 7 to 4 is a real possibility (which would leave us back to 5-9).

EDIT: Thinking about this some more, if he’s there at 8 no way the Cavs let him get by them. They’re going to take the swing to justify the Irving deal hoping to land a #1 talent mid-lottery.
 
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nighthob

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There were rumors a couple of weeks ago that the Grizzlies were willing to trade down if the guy they wanted (reportedly Doncic) was gone. I suppose that if Memphis were willing to wait until July 1st, something along the lines of Parsons/#4 for #7/future second rounder would work,
 

mcpickl

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I've read elsewhere about Porter "rising" as well which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me since this would tend to result from a positive occurrence, be it a great interview or workout...…..not from cancelling workouts due to a hip injury following back surgery. I'm not buying it.
Lot of talk that Sacramento might take him at 2. Seems crazy, but it's Sacramento.
 

nighthob

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Reports are that Jacob Evans has received a second workout with the Celtics.
That's an interesting choice. His athleticism is no better than average, but he kills himself on the floor to make it work. He reminds me a little of Jae Crowder in that respect. (Not physically, he's not nearly as strong as Crowder, and he's also a lot longer. Just in the sense that he has that same kamikaze approach that allows him to exceed his physical limitations.)

He has the length necessary to handle the constant switches and he's certainly a solid enough spot shooter to be a 3&D guy in the NBA.

Lot of talk that Sacramento might take him at 2. Seems crazy, but it's Sacramento.
Kings gonna King. If they do, that might be the best possible scenario for the Celtics, though. He wouldn't help the Kings win many games next year, helping Boston with a top five pick.
 

LondonSox

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Lot of talk that Sacramento might take him at 2. Seems crazy, but it's Sacramento.
KANNNNGZ
Would be perfect
There's evidence to suggest his back injuries have been happening for over 2 years and it's changed his running style and posture.
I'm not a huge fan anyway but with injury concerns I'm not sure he's top 10 for me
 

RedOctober3829

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Draft scuttle: Hearing Toronto is exploring all of its trade options in hopes of assembling a deal to acquire a draft pick high enough to select Kentucky's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. According to one league source, no one on Toronto's roster is off limits as the Raptors pursue a top-10 pick

 

Sam Ray Not

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The Raptors sitting #29 behind the Warriors is one of the cruel ironies of this draft. Has the NBA never considered re-seeding the way the NFL does?
 

BaseballJones

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The Warriors should "tank" the regular season just enough (by resting guys, etc.) to go in as the #8 seed. They'll still win the West, and they'll get much better draft picks.

I'm only halfway joking.
 

nighthob

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The Raptors sitting #29 behind the Warriors is one of the cruel ironies of this draft. Has the NBA never considered re-seeding the way the NFL does?
I don't think that Shai G-Alexander lasts that long anyway, so if they're targeting him they need to move up to the top 15 at least.
 

nighthob

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Flier on a Marcus Smart-replacement wing defender. This fits Ainge/Stevens system and will fill a need after Smart departs.
I think he's more Jabari Bird, he's really a catch & shoot guy that can play defense. Boston is still going to need a guy that can create offense for others.
 

Big John

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Dec 9, 2016
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Bruce Brown, the young man from Wakefield (via Vermont Academy) who played for Jim Larranega at Miami is also getting second workout with the Celtics. His profile is similar to Evans: strong defender. Brown got hurt after 19 games, which did not help his draft stock.
Some of these highlights are definitely Smart-like.
 
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Big John

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The significant deal I can see would be Kawhi to Memphis for #4 and Chandler Parsons--if Doncic slips to #4. The Spurs could then waive Parsons and use the stretch provision to mitigate the effects of his toxic contract.
 

Eddie Jurak

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The significant deal I can see would be Kawhi to Memphis for #4 and Chandler Parsons--if Doncic slips to #4. The Spurs could then waive Parsons and use the stretch provision to mitigate the effects of his toxic contract.
One year of Kawhi is not worth it.

Here's one I heard on Simmons' podcast: Harrison Barnes and #5 from Dallas to Memphis for Parsons and #4, assuming Doncic is on the board.
 

nighthob

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Yes, the second unit requires a guy that can create offense for others if they’re getting rid of the guy that fills that role now.