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2023 NBA Draft Megathread

If you can get Black and Jackson at 9 and 16 you are starting to develop an extremely big, physical, and athletic team.
 
If we move up from 9 to 7 it will at least be the 28th pick… might require a bit more.

You're probably right. It's an interesting negotiation if POR prefers Dick/Hendricks over Cam/Ausar. They have to bluff that they will take Cam/Ausar or pull a Hinkie and draft the guy they don't want anyways,
 
I honestly think Tay’s defense will be his single best attribute and better overall here than McDaniels.

Then factor in Hendricks is a lob threat/rim finisher and high level 3 pt shooter…….good god. Modern NBA’s wettest dream.

I don’t think you are fully understanding what you are saying and I mean that in the nicest way possible. If you think he will be a better overall defender than McDaniels is you take him in the top-5.
 
Just for fun, I looked back at two mock drafts from about this time of year last year. Look at Sam Vecenie (opinion with some intel) and DX (intel with some opinion). If history repeats itself, expect a lot of changes in opinion between now and June.

Players who fell in the predraft process (ranking, actual draft position):

Vecenie:

AJ Griffin (5, 16)
TyTy Washington (10, 29)
Kendall Brown (13, 48)
Patrick Bladwin (17,28)
Jaden Hardy (20, 37)
Jean Montero (24, Undrafted)

DX:
AJ Griffin (8, 16)
TyTy Washington (14,29)
Kendall Brown (25, 48)
Kennedy Chandler (19, 38)


Players who rose in the predraft process:

Vecenie:
Jeremy Sochan (19, 9)
Ousmane Dieng (35, 11)
Jalen Williams (Not ranked, 12)
Dalen Terry (Not ranked, 18)
Jake LaRavia (Not ranked, 19)

DX:
Ben Mathurin (12, 6)
Ousmane Dieng (18, 11)
Jalen Williams (52, 12)
Dalen Terry (43, 18)
Jake LaRavia (41, 19)



 
Just for fun, I looked back at two mock drafts from about this time of year last year. Look at Sam Vecenie (opinion with some intel) and DX (intel with some opinion). If history repeats itself, expect a lot of changes in opinion between now and June.

Players who fell in the predraft process (ranking, actual draft position):

Vecenie:

AJ Griffin (5, 16)
TyTy Washington (10, 29)
Kendall Brown (13, 48)
Patrick Bladwin (17,28)
Jaden Hardy (20, 37)
Jean Montero (24, Undrafted)

DX:
AJ Griffin (8, 16)
TyTy Washington (14,29)
Kendall Brown (25, 48)
Kennedy Chandler (19, 38)


Players who rose in the predraft process:

Vecenie:
Jeremy Sochan (19, 9)
Ousmane Dieng (35, 11)
Jalen Williams (Not ranked, 12)
Dalen Terry (Not ranked, 18)
Jake LaRavia (Not ranked, 19)

DX:
Ben Mathurin (12, 6)
Ousmane Dieng (18, 11)
Jalen Williams (52, 12)
Dalen Terry (43, 18)
Jake LaRavia (41, 19)




This is actually pretty ****ing crazy. It means some guys who we are currently talking about as being second round picks could be in play at 16.

Also looks like one or two consensus top-10 players as of now could fall out of the lottery.
 
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This is actually pretty ****ing crazy. It means some guys who we are currently talking about as being second round picks could be in play at 16.

Also looks like one or two consensus top-10 players as of now will fall out of the lottery.

Yeah....as confident as we are in how we see things now you can bet on things changing. Maybe last year was extra crazy in terms of movement, but without checking I'm guessing there is lots of change very year. You'd be called insane if you thought Jalen Williams was a lotto pick this time last year, but things can change quickly and in Jalen's case his rise proved to be more than justified. Guys will definitely rise and fall between now and June.

As a side note, I think DX is really great at what they do. I think Vecenie is doing mock drafts on his opinion of the players instead predicting what would actually happen, so I'm not criticizing him.....but it's clear that DX was better at predicting what would happen a couple months later. Just looking at their board right now, they've still got Nick Smith up there. I feel like people are either in two camps on Nick Smith. Some people are completely unbothered by his season and still have him lotto. Others seem completely out and have him late first at best. DX is on the side of nothing has really changed....and they are probably the best representation of where front offices around the league stand.

No one is really talking about Nick Smith around here, but he could absolutely be in play at 9 or 16 or maybe even higher. Things change drastically. It just takes one team to like him.
 
It would probably be 9 and 16 for 7.
I’d probably prefer using a future pick if 28 wasn’t enough… but yeah it gets kinda spendy to move up a couple spots… unless the other team is pretty indifferent on the the guys at 7-9.
 
I don’t think you are fully understanding what you are saying and I mean that in the nicest way possible. If you think he will be a better overall defender than McDaniels is you take him in the top-5.
I do, and I appreciate the sentiment. I’m very close to seeing him as that.

I think he will be a very high end defender.
 
I do, and I appreciate the sentiment. I’m very close to seeing him as that.

I think he will be a very high end defender.
I think it’s a bit apples an oranges. McDaniels seems like more of a guy that walls off and slides with other players individually across positions whereas I don’t think Hendricks is that but has better ability protecting the rim.

The net is that I think Hendricks might be more impactful (obviously if he hits; no one was talking about McDaniels being what he became).
 
Should we be talking about Podziemski being in play at 16? I’m really not sure why he’s not currently projected to go higher. My guess is it’s because he’s probably going to measure at 6’4-6’5?
 
What is your reasoning?
Legitimate athleticism concerns/has trouble keeping up with guards in whatever conference Santa Clara is in.

Buuut I would consider drafting him with #28. I basically see that pick as an opportunity to just get wild and would be happy with a lot of players there.
 
Legitimate athleticism concerns/has trouble keeping up with guards in whatever conference Santa Clara is in.

Buuut I would consider drafting him with #28. I basically see that pick as an opportunity to just get wild and would be happy with a lot of players there.

1.8 SPG and I think he works hard defensively.
 
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