2023 NBA Draft Megathread

[HermanG]

If that's who we end up with it would be a disappointing year IMO ... team is going nowhere in the League and our best pick is 12?

... smh..

I think you meant disappointing draft year? I mean there is no way to be negative about the year as a whole... right?

 

[Park Bites]

It's the time of the year I'm starting to enjoy reading mock drafts. Some here might like the latest Bleacherreport one:

12: Cason Wallace (our own pick which should end up a bit higher with some solid tanking);
15: ......GG Jackson (Wolves pick);
27: ......Kyle Filipowski (76ers pick).

Love Cason Wallace and that would be a good pick. Ehhh about GG and getting fili that late would be a win. It would all come down to who was still on the board.

 

[Park Bites]

It's the time of the year I'm starting to enjoy reading mock drafts. Some here might like the latest Bleacherreport one:

12: Cason Wallace (our own pick which should end up a bit higher with some solid tanking);
15: ......GG Jackson (Wolves pick);
27: ......Kyle Filipowski (76ers pick).

I would prefer Kris Murray or jordan Hawkins before GG but I would take GG with the last pick.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

It's the time of the year I'm starting to enjoy reading mock drafts. Some here might like the latest Bleacherreport one:

12: Cason Wallace (our own pick which should end up a bit higher with some solid tanking);
15: ......GG Jackson (Wolves pick);
27: ......Kyle Filipowski (76ers pick).

That's a solid draft to me. Id probably like players over GG at 15, but I'd still be optimistic about it. I think Filippwski would be a steal at 27

 

[Bodhi]

Did any of yall watch highlights of Bilal Coulibaly after seeing his name on the Bleacher Report mock? I'll raise my hand here. Really impressed.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

https://theathletic.com/4156999/2023/02/16/nba-mock-draft-walker-wembanyama-henderson/

Babe wakeup... new Vecenie mock just dropped... highlights

Jarace up to #5 in Orlando

Black up to 7 with Washington... Vecenie shares my basically exact thoughts...

At the end of the day, I just buy Black being an impact player at the next level because of the way he impacts the game. He’s a monster defender both at the point of attack and as a switchable player up and down the lineup. Offensively, he puts pressure on the rim at a high level because of how quickly he can get downhill. But moreover, all of this is paired with terrific processing speed. He reads and reacts to what’s happening at a super high level. You see this most in his passing ability, when he hits the right guy almost every time while on the move. It’s not an accident that Arkansas is 15 points per 100 possessions better when Black is on the court versus when he’s off it per Pivot Analysis, and he’s the only player on Arkansas with whom the team is better both on offense and defense when he’s on the court. He makes his teammates better, and his presence helps his team. Teams are coming around on Black for these reasons, but he’ll need to prove that his shot isn’t entirely broken during the pre-draft process. The mechanics don’t look awesome, but he doesn’t seem to have bad touch. He’ll just need to show he can make improvement there, and he’ll go in the top 10.

Jazz take Rupert at 13... not a fan...

Jalen Hood Schifino goes at 14... the highest I've seen him.

Jazz take Kris Murray at 16... with Sensabaugh, Hendo, Hawkins, Lewis, Whitehead, GG (I hate GG but would understand the pick at least) on the board... I would literally throw up if this happened.

Dereck Lively at 26... Filipowski on the board still. I actually am cool taking a center there as I think Lively has upside and is an elite rim protector. If we had Robert Williams backing up Kessler that's okay by me. Would like be happier to see Terquavion Smith or Leonard Miller here.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I would love to land Black and Hendo... but I would settle for JHS and Hendo. I haven't watched Rupert much at all but I just see Thabo Sefolosha when I do... and Thabo is great and all but I'd be aiming higher.

I do think the mocks firm up a bit but you see how fluid things are between like 5 and 20 ish and I think there are going to be some dudes that slip through the cracks.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

https://theathletic.com/4156999/2023/02/16/nba-mock-draft-walker-wembanyama-henderson/

Babe wakeup... new Vecenie mock just dropped... highlights

Jarace up to #5 in Orlando

Black up to 7 with Washington... Vecenie shares my basically exact thoughts...

At the end of the day, I just buy Black being an impact player at the next level because of the way he impacts the game. He’s a monster defender both at the point of attack and as a switchable player up and down the lineup. Offensively, he puts pressure on the rim at a high level because of how quickly he can get downhill. But moreover, all of this is paired with terrific processing speed. He reads and reacts to what’s happening at a super high level. You see this most in his passing ability, when he hits the right guy almost every time while on the move. It’s not an accident that Arkansas is 15 points per 100 possessions better when Black is on the court versus when he’s off it per Pivot Analysis, and he’s the only player on Arkansas with whom the team is better both on offense and defense when he’s on the court. He makes his teammates better, and his presence helps his team. Teams are coming around on Black for these reasons, but he’ll need to prove that his shot isn’t entirely broken during the pre-draft process. The mechanics don’t look awesome, but he doesn’t seem to have bad touch. He’ll just need to show he can make improvement there, and he’ll go in the top 10.

Jazz take Rupert at 13... not a fan...

Jalen Hood Schifino goes at 14... the highest I've seen him.

Jazz take Kris Murray at 16... with Sensabaugh, Hendo, Hawkins, Lewis, Whitehead, GG (I hate GG but would understand the pick at least) on the board... I would literally throw up if this happened.

Dereck Lively at 26... Filipowski on the board still. I actually am cool taking a center there as I think Lively has upside and is an elite rim protector. If we had Robert Williams backing up Kessler that's okay by me. Would like be happier to see Terquavion Smith or Leonard Miller here.

Like that Sam is coming around on some of my dudes, Walker/Hawkins

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Like that Sam is coming around on some of my dudes, Walker/Hawkins

This one felt like a mock where he wanted to shake things up a little... I think I heard him say as much in a pod. So Rupert, JHS, and some others might be higher than where they ultimately end up. I think we end up in the 8/9 range and picking between Ausar/George/Smith Jr./Wallace/Black.. I think a top 6 is kinda firming up.

 

[sip]

https://theathletic.com/4156999/2023/02/16/nba-mock-draft-walker-wembanyama-henderson/

Babe wakeup... new Vecenie mock just dropped... highlights

Jarace up to #5 in Orlando

Black up to 7 with Washington... Vecenie shares my basically exact thoughts...

At the end of the day, I just buy Black being an impact player at the next level because of the way he impacts the game. He’s a monster defender both at the point of attack and as a switchable player up and down the lineup. Offensively, he puts pressure on the rim at a high level because of how quickly he can get downhill. But moreover, all of this is paired with terrific processing speed. He reads and reacts to what’s happening at a super high level. You see this most in his passing ability, when he hits the right guy almost every time while on the move. It’s not an accident that Arkansas is 15 points per 100 possessions better when Black is on the court versus when he’s off it per Pivot Analysis, and he’s the only player on Arkansas with whom the team is better both on offense and defense when he’s on the court. He makes his teammates better, and his presence helps his team. Teams are coming around on Black for these reasons, but he’ll need to prove that his shot isn’t entirely broken during the pre-draft process. The mechanics don’t look awesome, but he doesn’t seem to have bad touch. He’ll just need to show he can make improvement there, and he’ll go in the top 10.

Jazz take Rupert at 13... not a fan...

Jalen Hood Schifino goes at 14... the highest I've seen him.

Jazz take Kris Murray at 16... with Sensabaugh, Hendo, Hawkins, Lewis, Whitehead, GG (I hate GG but would understand the pick at least) on the board... I would literally throw up if this happened.

Dereck Lively at 26... Filipowski on the board still. I actually am cool taking a center there as I think Lively has upside and is an elite rim protector. If we had Robert Williams backing up Kessler that's okay by me. Would like be happier to see Terquavion Smith or Leonard Miller here.

I would be seriously pissed if we took Lively over Fili. I need to see a lot more from Lively before I think he is any different than Dok and Damian Jones.

 

[Bodhi]

Like that Sam is coming around on some of my dudes, Walker/Hawkins

And my boy JHS.

 

[Bodhi]

I would love to land Black and Hendo... but I would settle for JHS and Hendo. I haven't watched Rupert much at all but I just see Thabo Sefolosha when I do... and Thabo is great and all but I'd be aiming higher.

I do think the mocks firm up a bit but you see how fluid things are between like 5 and 20 ish and I think there are going to be some dudes that slip through the cracks.

I would take a flier on Rupert only VERY late and if most of my favs there were already gone. Dudes ceiling is ok'ish, but the floor is low/flame out in a few years level.