2023 NBA Draft Megathread

[KqWIN]

what level is he play at over there?

There's a mix of the French U21 league and the Senior team (he plays with Wemby). On the U21 team is he's a mega dominant, high usage scorer. 25/7/3/3/1 per36 on 53/32/77 and 63% TS. For the senior team where he's just won the starting job he's a very low usage role player who is mostly there for defense. He barely shoots at all so the splits don't matter.....but he's efficient.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I also think the overall thought that... this draft is not good because of how well the freshmen performed (on one end of the court) but then you look at the draft and there are 4 guys projected in the top 8 that did not play college basketball. Last year there were 2.

I think its not like a stellar freshmen class but 3 of the preseason top 10 guys had injuries that messed up their season and left them playing catch up in a short season.

I still think the freshman class is good, but they didnt do anything to raise their stock as a whole. They underperformed. Dont think that means the class will be bad, but it gives me less confidence they will be exceptional.

 

[seattlejazzfan]

Is that the case?

Last year Holmgren, Banchero, and Smith were all incredible as Freshman.

I'd put Miller, Dick and Hendricks up against those guys in terms of production.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I'm still kind of cautious on him. Obviously the tools are crazy, but it's not like he was clearly out performing Sidy or Rupert when they played together at the U18 games last summer. Has Bilal really taken that much of a jump over them?

As you typed this he actually grew .5"

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

what level is he play at over there?

The big thing about the French league compared to something like the G-League is that youre playing 1 or 2 games a week and all the games are in France, a country that is smaller than the size of Texas. The travel/fatigue factor just isnt on the same level as a G-Leaguer like Sidy and the league isnt as physical as the Australian League (just to compare him to his French wing counterparts).

 

[Bawse Dawg]

I want Bilal. #16 seems good for him.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I still think the freshman class is good, but they didnt do anything to raise their stock as a whole. They underperformed. Dont think that means the class will be bad, but it gives me less confidence they will be exceptional.

Which is fine... but the conclusion Locke is working towards is that this class ain't that great. They were projected to be awesome and definitely underperformed.

 

[KqWIN]

I will say the shot looks mechanically good... he is just slow with getting it off. Not a huge concern but its the most noticeable "flaw" when I watch him.

I would say his overall offensive aggressiveness with the senior team is a concern....It's crazy low, but it's a question of whether it's him or his coach. His dominant high usage play at the the youth level makes me think he's holding back due to instruction, it's a real league he's playing in and it's competitive, but it doesn't totally absolve him of the question mark.

Defensively, I think he contributes day 1 even though he's still a string bean.

 

[seattlejazzfan]

The big thing about the French league compared to something like the G-League is that youre playing 1 or 2 games a week and all the games are in France, a country that is smaller than the size of Texas. The travel/fatigue factor just isnt on the same level as a G-Leaguer like Sidy and the league isnt as physical as the Australian League (just to compare him to his French wing counterparts).

that makes sense. i'm not against bilal, but i am a bit skeptical based on him dominating in a weaker league and just sorta being there in the senior league. the one thing i do like is that he seems to be as good or better in the U21 league than Amen and Ausar in OTE - and those two leagues would seem fairly comparable on the surface and he's two years younger than them. i guess that sorta speaks to Locke's idea that the draft is inverted to an extend.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I'd put Miller, Dick and Hendricks up against those guys in terms of production.

I'd rank Miller/DIck/Hendricks in the bottom half of that 6 man grouping as far as Freshman production went.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I would say his overall offensive aggressiveness with the senior team is a concern....It's crazy low, but it's a question of whether it's him or his coach. His dominant high usage play at the the youth level makes me think he's holding back due to instruction, it's a real league he's playing in and it's competitive, but it doesn't totally absolve him of the question mark.

Defensively, I think he contributes day 1 even though he's still a string bean.

It's not a concern at all. He's a raw 18 year old in a pro-league. He isnt Luka Doncic or some advancedd player.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I want Bilal. #16 seems good for him.

I do not think he goes before that... I would not take him at #9 that is crazy town. If someone takes him between 10-15 that's fine by me too. Means George, Hawkins, or Bufkin is there at #16 most likely.