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Following Potential 2018 Draftees

The guys the Jazz should be fervently debating right now are Okobo, J. Robinson, Huerter and Troy Brown/Zhaire Smith, understanding that we'd have to trade up 5 spots to get Brown or Smith. David Locke is probably not going to talk about those guys at all. He's going to talk about other guys right below our range like Allen, Khyri Thomas, Melvin Frazier, and so on, because it's safe for him to do so.

He doesn't want to prop up a guy that we can't draft, and he doesn't want to talk down a guy that we might end up drafting. His job is to manage expectations and support the front office decisions.
 
The guys the Jazz should be fervently debating right now are Okobo, J. Robinson, Huerter and Troy Brown/Zhaire Smith, understanding that we'd have to trade up 5 spots to get Brown or Smith. David Locke is probably not going to talk about those guys at all. He's going to talk about other guys right below our range like Allen, Khyri Thomas, Melvin Frazier, and so on, because it's safe for him to do so.

He doesn't want to prop up a guy that we can't draft, and he doesn't want to talk down a guy that we might end up drafting. His job is to manage expectations and support the front office decisions.

Jerome Robinson is probably below our range too. He's probably gonna go in the 25-40 range.
 
At this point I think there's a strong argument for trading down if a team behind us in love with a prospect and wants to trade up to get him.

Someone like Khyrie Thomas, Keita Bates Diop, Jerome Robinson, Melvin Frazier, etc. will be available after #28.
 
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Jerome Robinson is probably below our range too. He's probably gonna go in the 25-40 range.

Some mocks have J. Robinson at 17 or 18. The strength of this draft in our range is really guards or wings who can play both on and off the ball and who are solid shooters.
 
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Some mocks have J. Robinson at 17 or 18.

I know but a lot of them have him in the second round too. With the guard and wing depth in this class I think it's very possible he slips. I don't think he'll go before guys like Walker, Okobo, Brown, Smith, Huerter, Divincenzo, Hutchison. He might not go before guys like Evans, Frazier, Thomas, Musa either.
 
The latest Ringer mock draft has Sacramento selecting Bagley with #2. Man, I'd hate to be a Kings fan. If they do it, this will be ridiculed as one of the worst draft decisions in the last decade or so. GM's who pass up on Doncic better make sure they have their resumes updated, although they'll probably want to leave off it the fact that they could have drafted Doncic but chose not to.

Good news for Jazz, though, as we're unlikely to have to worry about any competition from Sacramento for a few years yet.
 
Locke is not impressing me much this offseason...

Other than his Favors on/off numbers which I thought was insightful. But even then he seems reluctant to say that it actually means anything definitively.

I think people underestimate the fine line that Locke has to walk; he is, after all, employed by the Jazz. In past drafts, he's been very upfront about who he wanted, or at least who excited/intrigued him, e.g., Aaron Gordon a few years back and Lyles. It would not surprise me a bit if at time he feels the need (or is directed) to support FO decisions, or possible decisions. For example, he seems to me now to be laying the groundwork so that we are not disappointed when the FO doesn't resign Favors. But anyone who thinks that he is free always to give unvarnished opinions about players, FO, team, etc. understands little about employee-employer relationships. He should not be criticized for it, in my view, but rather lauded for how well walks the line, while giving fans very useful, insightful information about the Jazz and NBA more generally.
 
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