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2023 NBA Draft Megathread

Pretty certain he’s this Eddie dude lol
Not surprised you trying to explain my logic by comparing me to someone who apparently never sounded like they had a clue. Kudos to you for trying to poke fun at me. I guess you think I would have said Alex ****ing Len was something special. I was driving a tank when he was drafted a real tank lol. I have been visiting this site for less than 1 year sorry if that makes you mad bro
 
Sure....but the truth is these prospects are all independent of each other and don't actually set the fate of the next player. Bilal, Rupert, or Sidy play in different leagues and it doesn't make them better or worse players. There's been no hesitation to draft players with even less of a track record than Bilal and this is especially the case for the teams in the late lottery and like you said it only takes one. I also think the multiple levels of competition helps Bilal because the different contexts allow for different reasons to like him. You get to see him both as a Giannis dominating the youth and as a serious, effective role player at a senior level of competition.

I think you have 60-70% he will be there at 16, I'll take the reverse and say he's 60-70% gone by 16. If these guys are being overrated in the draft process you could take that as a sign that Bilal is also going to be overrated and that NBA FO's hold the league in high regard. Maybe this year is the year they change their tone, but imo the failure of recent prospects is more of a point to the question of should they draft them higher and not will teams draft them higher. These are not two mutually exclusive things, but I think you get the idea.
I do get it... I just want one clarification... its not that those league determine the fate... they just give an environment to compare the player against others. It is easier to calibrate what the higher level leagues mean in terms of production. I am not saying French guys who go a certain route determine their fate. I am saying NBA evaluators will be a little less certain about what to make of Bilal's play and it may push his stock lower. There are some risk takers in the late lotto who may not care what a guy's production was in any league... but much of the league operates from a risk averse position and will trust what they are most familiar with and what has brought success.

Bilal/Whitehead/GG/Miller/Sidy and even guys like Max Lewis are all in the conversation when it comes to upside wings. I would personally be completely fine with a 30% chance we get Bilal and instead taking Whitehead or Miller (I don't think he will be there).
 
I do get it... I just want one clarification... its not that those league determine the fate... they just give an environment to compare the player against others. It is easier to calibrate what the higher level leagues mean in terms of production. I am not saying French guys who go a certain route determine their fate. I am saying NBA evaluators will be a little less certain about what to make of Bilal's play and it may push his stock lower. There are some risk takers in the late lotto who may not care what a guy's production was in any league... but much of the league operates from a risk averse position and will trust what they are most familiar with and what has brought success.

Bilal/Whitehead/GG/Miller/Sidy and even guys like Max Lewis are all in the conversation when it comes to upside wings. I would personally be completely fine with a 30% chance we get Bilal and instead taking Whitehead or Miller (I don't think he will be there).

Right, I just think that in terms of the risk and unknown scale Bilal isn't even that high. Maybe when he was only playing for the Junior team, but he's been in plain sight for awhile now. The main argument against him, which is what I think Dean said, is that he's a 5 ppg player in the French league. Frank was drafted 8th after also averaging 5 ppg, and while that may serve as a warning to not believe in a guy that averages 5 ppg, it kinda reinforces the idea that NBA teams are willing to draft a guy that high out of the French league even if he averages 5 ppg. Maybe Frank's failures scares off some teams more than others, I think the late lotto teams are the teams most inclined to take whatever perceived risk comes with Bilal.

I really want him, he's my guy this draft and I have in the same tier as the guys that make up the latter part of the consensus top 11.
 
I’m hoping we trade up to 5 to grab one of the Thompsons. If we stay at 9, I’m hoping for Black, Wallace or Hendricks. At 16, I want Leonard Miller or Bufkin. If we don’t trade 28, I’m hoping for Podziemski, Cissoko, or Jackson-Davis. I have no interest in GG, Hood-Schifino, or Nick Smith Jr. I’m betting we’ll see some movement from the Jazz front office. I don’t foresee us having an easier path to move up in the lottery down the road.
 
Speaking of Leonard Miller, Tony Jones said the Jazz are really interested in him on ESPN700 this morning. He also mentioned JHS, Bufkin, Keyonte, Smith Jr., Clowny, Murray, Hawkins and Rupert as guys the Jazz would be interested in at 16. Jaquez Jr., Podziemski, GG and Colby Jones as guys they would be interested in at 28. He mentioned again that he personally really likes JHS. He didn't seem to think they would take GG at 16 but may at 28 if he happens to still be there. I was surprised that he didn't mention Bilal.

He also said that the Jazz really like this draft...they think they can get a really good player at 9 that they can potentially build around, they also think they can get a good player at 16 and even think there will be good talent available at 28. They will be involved in conversations about possibly moving up...if they don't move up they will keep 9 and 16, sounds like 28 could go either way, they may keep it or they may trade it.
Just listened… I think Tony named every player in the draft lol… we do have 3 picks though so I guess it makes sense.
 
Just listened… I think Tony named every player in the draft lol… we do have 3 picks though so I guess it makes sense.

He did name a lot of guys lol. That's why I was surprised he didn't mention Bilal as a possibility for 28. IIRC he also didn't mention Whitehead as a possibility at 16. I like both of those guys a lot.
 
He did name a lot of guys lol. That's why I was surprised he didn't mention Bilal as a possibility for 28. IIRC he also didn't mention Whitehead as a possibility at 16. I like both of those guys a lot.

The Jazz are going to put out the message that they're happy with where they're drafting and they can get good players to build around at those draft spots. Meanwhile, other teams are probably asking for the moon if the Jazz want to move up.
 
I'm not in on Leonard Miller. I think his feet are a bit slow and he may not be a starter. He becomes interesting at the 5 though. Bobi Klintman is more fluid and well rounded, imo.
Jazz are notorious for liking slow footed players though. Bojan, Ingles, Niang and so on. Even so, I'm quite intrigued with Leonard Miller at 16th as well. Who knows? He'll probably be gone before then.
 
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Hardy said jazz goal is to improve defense next year so i expect we pick defensive minded guys or one with upside. dont know who but i guess 3D wing
 
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