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2023 NBA Draft Megathread

I would love it if GG was taken in between picks 10 and 15... means a guy like Hawkins, Keyonte George, or Bufkin are available.

GG and Nick Smith are the two guys I'd love to see go in that range.. please someone else remove them from the board.
I'm still harking back to Ainge's decision to trade the Fultz pick (consensus #1) to grab Tatum..

Somehow I think his preference is size..

Also his decision to grab Dunn and trial THT at the point is a curious one. As if he doesn't view the PG position traditionally (small, quick, ...).

Also at BOS - their PG right now is Smart? - Again - Size.

Reading the tea leaves I think guys like Keyonte, Wallace are less likely to be picked in this draft.
 
That's interesting and I tend to agree. I think most of what GG lacks Hardy can instill in him (defense, passing, team first, mental).

But not everyday you get 3 level scoring walking through the door.

Here's a question, how badly can you suck at one of those 3 levels if you still want to be considered a 3 level scorer? One of the reasons he was so bad is because his mid range game was off the charts horrendous. When those step back middys go in it looks nice, but if they're going in a 28% does that really qualify him as a mid range scorer? I can not stress this enough, he was awful at the things that people think give him "high potential".

He can be ok in a pick and pop, spot, cut and finish around the basket role.....maybe mix in a little shot creation like Tobias or Marcus Morris. But if the center of his game is "getting buckets" he will probably never get on the floor.
 
Here's a question, how badly can you suck at one of those 3 levels if you still want to be considered a 3 level scorer? One of the reasons he was so bad is because his mid range game was off the charts horrendous. When those step back middys go in it looks nice, but if they're going in a 28% does that really qualify him as a mid range scorer? I can not stress this enough, he was awful at the things that people think give him "high potential".

He can be ok in a pick and pop, spot, cut and finish around the basket role.....maybe mix in a little shot creation like Tobias or Marcus Morris. But if the center of his game is "getting buckets" he will probably never get on the floor.
Below is Markkanen's shot chart this season. (https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/markkanen-2023-shot-chart)

Viewing this from the Ainge's perspective I don't think they'll worry too much about GG's Mid range woe... it's a nice to have but not a necessity as to what we intend to run.

Screen Shot 2566-04-18 at 00.38.02.png
 
Here's a question, how badly can you suck at one of those 3 levels if you still want to be considered a 3 level scorer? One of the reasons he was so bad is because his mid range game was off the charts horrendous. When those step back middys go in it looks nice, but if they're going in a 28% does that really qualify him as a mid range scorer? I can not stress this enough, he was awful at the things that people think give him "high potential".

He can be ok in a pick and pop, spot, cut and finish around the basket role.....maybe mix in a little shot creation like Tobias or Marcus Morris. But if the center of his game is "getting buckets" he will probably never get on the floor.
Stats don't matter all that much when you play your Freshman year at 17/18 years old on one of the worst P5 teams. It's more about how easily he is able to create the looks.
 
Here's a question, how badly can you suck at one of those 3 levels if you still want to be considered a 3 level scorer? One of the reasons he was so bad is because his mid range game was off the charts horrendous. When those step back middys go in it looks nice, but if they're going in a 28% does that really qualify him as a mid range scorer? I can not stress this enough, he was awful at the things that people think give him "high potential".

He can be ok in a pick and pop, spot, cut and finish around the basket role.....maybe mix in a little shot creation like Tobias or Marcus Morris. But if the center of his game is "getting buckets" he will probably never get on the floor.
I think he could be pretty deadly in the PnR since he has the size to set good picks AND did better in the PnR as the ballhandler than most other types of plays (could run a PnPop > swing to GG then run another screen for GG to scramble the defense). Could be a problem in DHOs with his size/skill-set too with the threat of fake-handoffs.

What I would say about his pretty moves and the shots going in or not is that most players can't even get those shots off at all, or if they can they aren't getting separation/good looks.
 
This is a stretch - but ...

Let's say Ainge had zeroed in on one of Miller, Walker, Whitmore, Hendricks or GG for this year's draft. (my hypothesis of his preference based on best scorers with size)

And it's safe to say now that one of those can be gotten with the 9th pick.

Then this explains why we never went full tank to end the season. (traded away players, but team still played extremely hard)

Why? Because he knows he's getting at least 1 of those players in & around where we pick irregardless.
 
I think he could be pretty deadly in the PnR since he has the size to set good picks AND did better in the PnR as the ballhandler than most other types of plays (could run a PnPop > swing to GG then run another screen for GG to scramble the defense). Could be a problem in DHOs with his size/skill-set too with the threat of fake-handoffs.

What I would say about his pretty moves and the shots going in or not is that most players can't even get those shots off at all, or if they can they aren't getting separation/good looks.
I think with GG early on you want to use him primarily off ball on cuts and spacing. I think his shot is pretty underrated as a catch and shoot player. Try to get him in the paint on mismatches when you're playing with KO/Lauri spaced out to get him 1 on 1 with a smaller wing/guard on him. Try to get him the ball going downhill where he doesn't have to take more than 2 dribbles.

When the season progresses and the Jazz enter tank mode you try to expand the flashier parts of his self creation game.
 
This is a stretch - but ...

Let's say Ainge had zeroed in on one of Miller, Walker, Whitmore, Hendricks or GG for this year's draft. (my hypothesis of his preference based on best scorers with size)

And it's safe to say now that one of those can be gotten with the 9th pick.

Then this explains why we never went full tank to end the season. (traded away players, but team still played extremely hard)

Why? Because he knows he's getting at least 1 of those players in & around where we pick irregardless.

I mean, I'm pretty sure the front office did everything they possibly could to go full on tank at the end of the season...traded away Conley, Beasley, Vando and NAW, kept Sexton and Clarkson out an extended amount of time with their injuries, sat Lauri. I'm pretty sure Ainge was cringing at every single win post trade deadline.
 
I mean, I'm pretty sure the front office did everything they possibly could to go full on tank at the end of the season...traded away Conley, Beasley, Vando and NAW, kept Sexton and Clarkson out an extended amount of time with their injuries, sat Lauri. I'm pretty sure Ainge was cringing at every single win post trade deadline.
Except letting Balmoro walk and getting Dunn in..

That was a curious move to me. That’s a not a full tank move in my book…
 
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