Keeping our pick? This might be a Lottery year

[blazerkor]

Gonna do tiers.

1. Paolo
2. Ivey
3. Smith

4. Chet

5. Davis

6. Mathurin
7. Murray

Paolo/Ivey/Smith neck and neck for me, slight edge to Paolo/Ivey this week.

could change, but i'm pretty comfortable with this for now.

I have no idea what to rely on to value Sharpe higher than these guys.

I'll give you my tiers. If Cronin is GM and we are going to build around Dame:

1. Jabari
2. Paolo

Anything other than those two and we trade the pick(s) for someone at our position of greatest need and give Dame the best chance to win next season.

If a new GM is in place I really like your tiers and might include Sharpe and Jovic with Mathurin and Murray... that's if that new GM does the cold blooded and sensible thing that I wouldn't and moves Dame for a young stud and draft considerations. If any GM wants to build around Dame and keep Nurk then I don't think that they should look to draft anyone besides Paola and Jabari.

 

[Hoopguru]

I think Keegan Murray could have the quickest impact of the 1-7 above.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Just found out Sochan is English! So I fully endorse this prediction from the Ringer:

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Gonna do tiers.

1. Paolo

Your comp for Paolo is Julius Randle and you have him ranked #1? This must truly be the shittiest draft in two decades.

 

[illmatic99]

Your comp for Paolo is Julius Randle and you have him ranked #1? This must truly be the shittiest draft in two decades.

Randle was an all nba player last yr. Comps are more about how they play on the court, not necessarily the projections for their career. I also said he plays like Mike Beasley who was a bust cuz he didnt have his head screwed on right. Doesnt mean i think Paolo willl similarly end up like him.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Just found out Sochan is English! So I fully endorse this prediction from the Ringer:

View attachment 46492

Yeah, I have a feeling he will be one of those players every team will hate, except the team he is on.
He needs to be considered for sure. He is bigger than I thought at 230 lbs and a 7' wing. Still pretty young and raw offensively, but he
reminds me of Ariza with an extra 15 lbs. The key is how good can he get with his 3 pt shot. His D is pretty damn good for his age.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Randle was an all nba player last yr.

And Jamaal Magloire was an all-star one year.

 

[Hoopguru]

Paola reminds me of Alaa Abdnelnaby

 

[Pinwheel1]

Paola reminds me of Alaa Abdnelnaby

Except Paola has good range. Potential to be a great outside shooter. He is definitely in my top 2

 

[damianlillard]

I think Keegan Murray could have the quickest impact of the 1-7 above.

That’s what everybody thought Obi Toppin was gonna do. Their game to me are very similar.

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

That’s what everybody thought Obi Toppin was gonna do. Their game to me are very similar.

I agree they have similar games.

Toppin is very strong & has great size when he plays.
When I've watched Murray - he's never stood out physically at the college level. I think he's going to be below average athletically/physically in the NBA. Smart player & good shooter -> I'm just skeptical that he'll be any more impactful than a Larry Nance type player.

 

[Hoopguru]

That’s what everybody thought Obi Toppin was gonna do. Their game to me are very similar.

Guess we’ll all gave to wait and see.

 

[illmatic99]

And Jamaal Magloire was an all-star one year.

So?

 

[PCmor7]

One difference I think you have to take into account with Toppin and Murray is one is playing against a lot of pro-level guys in the Big Ten and the other played at Dayton. Murray will be less fazed by the NBA speed and strength level. I think Toppin's ceiling's higher but they're close.

 

[Predator]

Just found out Sochan is English! So I fully endorse this prediction from the Ringer:

View attachment 46492

I tried to tell y’all!!
Just take Sochan if it’s that or Jerami Grant… immediate impact because of his defense!

 

[wizenheimer]

One difference I think you have to take into account with Toppin and Murray is one is playing against a lot of pro-level guys in the Big Ten and the other played at Dayton. Murray will be less fazed by the NBA speed and strength level. I think Toppin's ceiling's higher but they're close.

that may all be true, but I sure do remember people saying that the Blazers should not draft Lillard because he didn't play against good competition and wasn't prepared for NBA talent

 

[JDC]

Hardwood Central is great resource if you just want to watch synergy style clips of guys. Most of the top 1o are up and had videos for 70+ guys last year.

Here's Shaedon Sharpe...

 

[RR7]

Though I love the upset, was really hoping Ivey would dominate the tournament and jump himself up in to top 3 discussion(assuming we were not there) to push someone else down to us. Oh well

 

[Hoopguru]

Though I love the upset, was really hoping Ivey would dominate the tournament and jump himself up in to top 3 discussion(assuming we were not there) to push someone else down to us. Oh well

He looked better in the second half.

 

[PCmor7]

that may all be true, but I sure do remember people saying that the Blazers should not draft Lillard because he didn't play against good competition and wasn't prepared for NBA talent

He dropped to 6, I think you'd agree, at least partially because of that, even after great workouts. And he turned out to be an exception for small-school guys but rooks in general.

I guess, I don't know, it just seems like splitting hairs. I think both Toppin and Murray will end up about the same level of player. I'd probably lean to Toppin being a bit better in the long run. But it's fair to expect a guy playing against other players who are bigger, faster, and a few of which will be in the NBA in the next few years three nights per week is going to better prepare one for that they'll encounter in the league and have a reduced learning curve than a guy who spent two years playing against opposition that will be joining the workforce once they graduate.

 

[PCmor7]

Though I love the upset, was really hoping Ivey would dominate the tournament and jump himself up in to top 3 discussion(assuming we were not there) to push someone else down to us. Oh well

I think he's definitely in the top 3 discussion. I think he has been for a while now.

 

[wizenheimer]

He dropped to 6, I think you'd agree, at least partially because of that, even after great workouts. And he turned out to be an exception for small-school guys but rooks in general.

maybe my recall app is misfiring but I sure thought a lot of people believed Portland was stretching a bit to take Lillard at 6. Now, I also recall that was not a good draft outside of a half dozen people, at most, in the lottery. So maybe Dame at 6 wasn't a stretch. Some Portland fans, at least on RealGM though the Blazers could take Drummond at 6 and Dame would still be there at 11. I doubt that would have happened if Portland tried it

you may be right though in that for front court players, matching up physically with better players reveals more about NBA potential. Establishing position and holding it, getting rebounds, being effective in the paint, on both ends of the floor...those are just better tested against talent and size. I mean, there are a lot of college teams that trot out 6'7 C's and 6'5 PF's, and that's real common in the 'lesser' conferences.

for guards, it about speed. mostly, and skills. I think college ball is just more guard-oriented and that means guards are tested and more proven. It certainly hasn't been hard, over the lest decade, for the Blazers to keep the roster stacked with 6'4 and under guards. My recall app says there has been 189 of them in the last decade

 

[illmatic99]

Haven't watched much of Eason, but see him in the top 10 a few places.

Is he just a more athletic version of Watford?

 

[PCmor7]

Haven't watched much of Eason, but see him in the top 10 a few places.

Is he just a more athletic version of Watford?

Yeah. His athleticism lets him guard more positions, though, and he can play the 3 on offense although the jury's still out on his 3-point shot. But heady, like Watford. Kind of knows who he is.

More of a natural scorer than Watford.

 

[illmatic99]

Yeah. His athleticism lets him guard more positions, though, and he can play the 3 on offense although the jury's still out on his 3-point shot. But heady, like Watford. Kind of knows who he is.

More of a natural scorer than Watford.

I think i like eason more than sochan.

Also. I think i like mark williams more than duren.

Think being the key word. So much unknown in scouting these dudes still

 

[Hoopguru]

I think i like eason more than sochan.

Also. I think i like mark williams more than duren.

Think being the key word. So much unknown in scouting these dudes still

Williams at this point anyway, is way better than Duren.

 

[illmatic99]

Williams at this point anyway, is way better than Duren.

He's 2 yrs older than Duren but I'll still like him better as a pro prospect

 

[PCmor7]

I think i like eason more than sochan.

Also. I think i like mark williams more than duren.

Think being the key word. So much unknown in scouting these dudes still

I think sometimes it comes down to the situations they step into, too.

I'm not someone that thinks you need to absolutely have a bunch of vets to teach a rook, but I look at OKC and other teams like that that just keep trading for draft picks and they tread water.

Having one or two vets to almost be like player-coaches is really helpful, IMO. It just can't be a revolving door of players under the age of 22.

 

[Hoopguru]

He's 2 yrs older than Duren but I'll still like him better as a pro prospect

he seems very consistent and knows where to be on the court.

 

[PCmor7]

Williams is light years ahead of Duren but is close to his ceiling.

Eason and Sochan is interesting. I don't know what way I'd go there. I think Sochan is the better prospect defensively -- although Eason is a good defender -- and probably the better ballhander and passer. Although Eason is a streaky shooter, he's unquestionably the better scorer. Both look to be good character guys. It's like Sochan does more things better but he doesn't blow Eason away in any of them, but Eason has a big edge in the one thing he does better, scoring.