Following Potential 2020 draftees

[Game6Conley]

Utah is lucky there's gonna be a deep crop of taller combo-y guards in this draft... The way Conley looks out there, seems like thats the play... Let em develop for one year...


Obviously the big question is: what are you looking for to put next to D. Mitchell??

Think the obvious answer is some sort of 3-n-D type, preferably 6'4" or taller. When I look at the mock i posted last page (in a spoiler) the name that jumps out to me is, another Louisville player;



He's more of a swingman than a combo. I think he's a match here though..

 

[Game6Conley]

LORD BULLINGCRAPARTIST. CONE TALK TO US ABOUT THE KINNGGZZZZZ

There's so many good young teams/players flying under the radar, all sorts of moving pieces. I probably have a better grasp on them than most. Who else woudl you like to hear about?

As for the Kings; Looks like the Blazers have outwitted them twice, Zach Collins for Giles and Justin Jackson and then the Skal for Swanigan swap, both are looking severely in Portlands favor.

Though Harrison Barnes is in a very minor way a part of that collins deal, and he looks like a steal.... especially compared to, lets say, Otto Porter....One of my 2014 draftee's favorites TJ "Tony Buckets" Warren ran Porter ragged tn.. Indiana is very interesting to me, everyone's focused on what the Clippers will look like with PG back, but I am wondering what does Indiana look like with (and if) Oladipo returns..

I'd like to talk about the T-Wolves, really think their retooled bench is way under the radar.

Also while I'm just spitballing. I hope Frank Kaminsky never leaves the Suns. His game is a perfect fit next to Diuretic Ayton. The Suns are 4-2!! Really watching them too --- Kelly Oubre is legit, that kid plays tough, lotta people turned off by his attitude, He can ball though..

 

[Game6Conley]

Nov 4th here on the east coast! That means 1 more day til the big college season opener!

 

[Game6Conley]

Oh also I've been watching PLENTY of NBL streams on Twitch, and will continue to do so. Looks like they will continue to try and poach top HS talent over there for 1 year rentals, latest word is Jalen Suggs (who's gonna end up at Gonzaga if he doesnt go pro early). I mostly try and catch RJ Hampton, but have seen LaMelo twice too. Very fun league. Fun atmosphere. Be warned -- The Twitch chat is outrageous during any LaMelo broadcast, dumb trolls saying hes trash at every miss, or he's going #1 at every make, but it's a decidedly un-american crowd during the normal streams.

There's of course these wild territorial fans who try and say things like "If Hampton and LaMelo are going to be top picks in the draft, I dont think the US should have much hope for the future" which is ofcourse absurd.

RJ has passed the eye test to me with FLYING COLORS, as he always had tbh. Looks like a top-5 pick to me. Plays with great awareness for an 18 year old in a league full of way older players.



Lots of familiar names and faces on these teams.

 

[Game6Conley]

The College season is officially underway!! This Seton Hall team is the deepest squad they've ever had. They almost remind me of a Jim Calhoon UConn squad. The frontline is very tall and long.

 

[Game6Conley]

Oh damn, Louisville C Malik Williams broke his foot at the end of September. that sucks

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I liked Jordan Nwora in the last draft, but due to injuries, he was behind the curve in NBA workouts and went back to Louisville this year. He'd be a great player for the Jazz to grab, but it looks like he could go mid-first round.

 

[Game6Conley]

Jahmi'us Ramsey is 2/2 from 3 so far for Texas Tech... If he keeps shooting it well, he's gonna fly up draftboards

6'4" combo guard with crazy explosiveness. He's strong too.

 

[Game6Conley]

Wiseman with 20 in the first half... I dont think im buying he's 7'1" tho tbh.

 

[Game6Conley]

The Duke - Kansas game was an abomination.

Self is a moron. Clearly McCormack and Enaura should be starting at C and PF. With Azubuike and DeSousa off the bench.

The double-C look screwed them in the final minute.

 

[zyzz]

Sam Vecenie put out his Mock Draft 1.0 in The Athletic. If anyone has a name and are curious where they are on his list (or if they are on it) let me know. Here's the top 10 and a paragraph of his reasoning.

1. Cole Anthony - UNC

Anthony is not going to be everyone’s pick for the top spot in the preseason, but he’s my No. 1 guy for a few reasons. First, finding a player who you think can be an all-star caliber lead guard is not only one of the most difficult things to find, but also arguably the most valuable outside of a two-way, shot-creating wing. In my opinion, Anthony has that kind of upside.

2. Anthony Edwards - Georgia

Edwards is a power athlete all the way. At 6-foot-5, he has good size for both the lead guard and off-guard positions and is a dynamic scorer with ball in hand. Few guards can transition power to explosiveness on their drive in the way that Edwards can. If you give him a full head of steam, he’s going to finish at the rim every time. He’s quick, but I don’t know that I’d call his lateral agility quick twitch. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell just how high the upside is with his game off the bounce, though. His handle isn’t completely loose, but it’s not always tied to his body, either. He has a bevy of crossovers that he can use in the open floor, but at the McDonald’s All-American, he was slightly less adept with his handle in tight quarters than you’d hope to see.

3. James Wiseman - Memphis

However, there is a third contender for the No. 1 spot in my mind, right now. Anthony, Edwards and Wiseman are my clear top-three players heading into the season. Whereas Edwards and Anthony play valuable positions where the replacement level is lower as a lead guard, Wiseman plays at the stacked center position. It’s a position where it’s easier to find good options given the smaller lineups that NBA teams play now, and the responsibilities at the position are often pretty simple. So to be selected this high in the draft at the position, you have to bring something special to the table. And indeed, where Wiseman does that is on the defensive end.

...

Offensively, I do have some real concerns. When I spoke with Wiseman at the McDonald’s All-American game, he felt that his future was more in the vein of a Giannis type who could handle and create offense. In reality, I see him as more of a rim-running, low-usage center with elite vertical gravity.

4. Tyrese Maxey - Kentucky

Maxey is one of my favorites in this class. I’m on the higher end of where NBA scouts have him, but most do have him in this tier of prospects — below the top group, fitting somewhere comfortably within the second. Above all, Maxey is a scorer at all three levels. He’s improved his jumper to the point where I think he’s now an efficient, knockdown guy from distance. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him above 40 percent this season.

5. LaMelo Ball - Illawarra Hawks

I’m going to do a deeper dive into Ball soon, as he’s a fascinating draft prospect for a variety of reasons. Scouts and executives who have spoken with The Athletic are completely polarized in their view of him — to a point. A couple I’ve spoken with genuinely think he’s the best prospect in this upcoming draft for reasons I’ll delve into momentarily. Others think he’s more of a mid-to-late lottery type. For the most part, the scouts I’ve spoken with haven’t ruled him out as a contender for No. 1, but they certainly like other prospects more entering the year. Based off of the conversations I’ve had, I’d say he’s outside of the top tier, but certainly within the second one. I’ve reflected that by placing him at No. 5. To be honest, in this draft, it’s just really hard to find a prospect who is worth passing on the upside Ball brings to the table.

6. Theo Maledon - ASVEL

Maledon has been on the radar of scouts for a while now. He started getting minutes in the top French league back when he was 16 years old, in 2018, and has since established himself as a starter for ASVEL, the team Tony Parker owns and operates as club president. Few players are capable of playing on such a big stage at 18 years old, as ASVEL is one of the top teams in France and will play in Euroleague competition this season. And Maledon didn’t just play last season; he was actually pretty good. He posted a 60.9 true-shooting percentage as a scorer and showcased strong vision as a passer.

7. Deni Avdija - Maccabi Tel Aviv

Avdija is another standout international who has been on the radar of scouts for a few years now. He’s been a standout youth player for Israel since 2017, culminating in him winning the most valuable player award at the U20 European Championships this summer playing two years up as an 18-year-old. It’s incredibly difficult to do that as an underage player. He’s starting to get minutes for Maccabi Tel Aviv off the bench, which will be good for his development long-term to play against older players — although he’s struggled a bit early on in Euroleague competition.

8. R.J. Hampton - New Zealand Breakers

Hampton is the other big-time NBL export from the United States this year. Whereas Ball’s every move has been followed and he’s played more of a central role for a bad Illawarra team, Hampton has been more of a steady contributor while playing a role for the Breakers.

He does a good job of getting out in transition to make things happen, and he’s hit shots off the catch when asked. He’ll play in pick-and-roll and drive, but he’s definitely been much more focused on scoring as opposed to distribution within his role thus far. He starts in the backcourt next to Corey Webster, who handles most of the initiation responsibilities, with Hampton spacing and playing second side ball-screen actions.

...

Ultimately, the big question with him revolves around whether he can get to the point where he can be a lead guard as a distributor. He misses passes right now and is clearly still developing. As the game slows down for him, it’s possible he could be more of a 1 than a 2 due to his ability to change speeds and handle the ball, although we’re still a ways away from seeing the consistency needed to play the spot.

9. Kahlil Whitney - Kentucky

To be honest, I wasn’t quite as high on Whitney until I saw him this summer at Nike Basketball Academy. I definitely bought him as a one-and-done first-round pick but am a bit worried about the lack of polish in his game. At the end of the day though, it’s just exceedingly hard to find two-way wings who possess the upside Whitney does.

He’s 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan and all sorts of twitchy athleticism. But even beyond that, his frame is absolutely terrific and should allow him to continue putting on strength and power, potentially allowing him to transition his power to explosiveness in a way that is really difficult to guard. Heck, when he’s locked in now, he really makes an impact on both ends of the floor just by imposing his athleticism on the game.

10. Isaiah Stewart - Washington

Outside of Anthony, Stewart is the player I feel most confident in being extremely productive at the NCAA level. His motor is just absolutely terrific. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Stewart carves out space with ease due to his 250-pound frame and overall strength levels. That works both as a roller and as a post-up threat. He can just bully guys to get into rebounding position and he already sets pretty strong screens. He’s also a guy who knows his role and is all about doing the dirty work. Additionally, a burgeoning part of his game has been the jump shot. Multiple scouts and executives who have been by Washington’s early-season practices say that they actually believe in him as a shooter long term because he has a soft touch and simple mechanics.

 

[Game6Conley]

Keep an eye on MICHAEL DEVOE 6'4" Sophomore Combo guard at Georgia Tech. This kid is a lights out shooter. Really like his game./ He's a sleeper if I've ever seen one.