Following Potential 2020 draftees
- Thread starter Game6Conley
- Start date
If the Jazz stay at #23 or #24 in the draft, I think they're very likely to draft one of -- Maledon, Bolmaro, McDaniels or Josh Green. I could even see them shocking everyone and taking Elijah Hughes. Maybe someone unexpected will drop.
I agree that the Jazz do need more size, length and toughness, but a backup 5 is one of the easiest and least expensive positions to fill through free agency.
Maybe Achiuwa will develop more skills. Until he does, he's pretty much a better version of Jordan Hill, imo, and I don't think the Jazz would make him a priority.
I can see the appeal of Reed, if and only if the Jazz think they can fix and improve his shooting. If Reed can't improve his shooting, then he becomes a somewhat better version of Mo Harkless.
At that point, Tyler Bey might also enter the discussion.
I really don't think the Jazz are going to put someone on the floor who doesn't need to be guarded. They've fought that battle with Favors and Rubio, and it isn't ideal.
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If you were to ask me which of the following bigs could play effective minutes at the 4, with the options being Isaiah Stewart, Precious Achiuwa, Vernon Carey, Jalen Smith and Reggie Perry, I think the best answer might be Perry.
He's 6'9" 250 lbs., 7'+ wingspan (Horford measurables), and seems to have enough handle, body control, passing ability and shooting touch that he might be able to play meaningful minutes at the 4. The only question would be his ability to guard switches, but I think he can do that better than Carey and Smith at a minimum.
I'm going through his stats and some of his tape, and he looks like he could be a value-pick version of Al Horford. At a minimum, his SEC stats as a sophomore easily compare with Grant Williams. His NBA Combine athleticism numbers from last year eclipse Williams' as well. Like Williams, he's the SEC POTY.
He might be a decent solution for a versatile 4/5.
He's 6'9" 250 lbs., 7'+ wingspan (Horford measurables), and seems to have enough handle, body control, passing ability and shooting touch that he might be able to play meaningful minutes at the 4. The only question would be his ability to guard switches, but I think he can do that better than Carey and Smith at a minimum.
I'm going through his stats and some of his tape, and he looks like he could be a value-pick version of Al Horford. At a minimum, his SEC stats as a sophomore easily compare with Grant Williams. His NBA Combine athleticism numbers from last year eclipse Williams' as well. Like Williams, he's the SEC POTY.
He might be a decent solution for a versatile 4/5.
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Game6Conley
Well-Known Member
I gotta say to me the biggest storyline in this draft does sit at the top, and usually im one of the big advocates for the lesser tiers of the draft and that sort of thing.
It's 'the James Wiseman smear campaign'... Is there really any legs to this? How founded is all this in reality? We'll see I guess, still I'm tracking the story very closesly(have been a big Wiseman fan for many years) and trying to get a good read on it..
We've fully entered stasis on this story tho with the covid situation.. and I guess I'll just ask this question again too, just how tall is he? cuz if he's 7'1" some of the criticisms being commonly thrown around are gonna look awfuly picky / hypercritical
It's 'the James Wiseman smear campaign'... Is there really any legs to this? How founded is all this in reality? We'll see I guess, still I'm tracking the story very closesly(have been a big Wiseman fan for many years) and trying to get a good read on it..
We've fully entered stasis on this story tho with the covid situation.. and I guess I'll just ask this question again too, just how tall is he? cuz if he's 7'1" some of the criticisms being commonly thrown around are gonna look awfuly picky / hypercritical
Game6Conley
Well-Known Member
I think your take on Perry is pretty good. I think your underating Precious and Jalen Smith though.
Jalen Smith is a playerthat should probably get more hype here. If Utah thinks he can eventually be a match with the defense, he could be a pretty high reward pick this late in the draft
I think Smith is a lot like Thomas Bryant. Smith doesn't have the same wingspan as Bryant, but he rebounds a bit better and makes more effort on defense. That could be a pretty successful player at the 5. The question is whether he can add strength to his base and whether he can guard in space at an NBA level without getting blown by.
Bolmaro and McDaniels are total projects. Bolmaro literally has no role on an NBA team right now. He has no NBA level skill. You are arguing against Precious because you say Precious can't shoot and advocating for Bolmaro who shoots on a similar level as a GUARD/WING. Bolmaro is a below average NBA athlete. I don't see who he guards in the NBA. He's not going to stay in front of NBA PG's and NBA wings are too physical for him. He doesn't rebound... at all. The only thing to get excited about is his creative handle and flashy passing and that didn't even yield results in a lower level of basketball overseas. He had a damn near 1 to 1 assist/turnover ratio. He is going to struggle getting to the rim. He doesn't draw fouls. What does he do? Why is an NBA team ever going to put him on the floor? He is going to have to improve several skills just to be rotation guy. Just to fit a role. McDaniels is intriguing because of his physical profile. But he totally feels like one of those guys who killed high school competition because he was bigger than the competition. A man amongst boys. Then he got to college and realized the script was flipped. It really stood out to me when I broke down tape of his drives. They are almost all straight line into defenders. He tries to go through/over defenders like he's in high school still. He didn't really show a bag. His shot selection is poor. His passing and vision is terrible. His shot is kinda slow. He does show some weakside defense but overall I don't see much there to get excited about. He doesn't have a role in the NBA either. Furthermore there are big questions about attitude with him which the Jazz may not like.
Good NBA players play well before they get to the NBA. They just do. These guys didn't. People are falling in love with the IDEA of what they could magically become and ignoring the reality of how far away they are.
I like Josh Green. I don't think that he'll be available when the Jazz pick.
Maledon I'm kind of indifferent on. He does a lot of things okay. But he doesn't stand out in any significant way. There are a lot of guards I like a lot more.
I like Reed too. We've gone over that.
I like Bey (not as much as Achiuwa or Reed) and I could definitely see the Jazz having some interest.
Precious Achiuwa is nothing like Jordan Hill. At all. Jordan Hill literally never took a 3 in college over 3 seasons. Achiuwa was averaging 32% on 1.3 attempts per as a freshman. Achiuwa was a better rebounder, on ball defender, weakside defender as a freshman than Jordan Hill was as a Junior. And he got to the line far more often because unlike Jordan Hill he can actually faceup and take guys off the bounce.
The days of Favors and Rubio and no spacing are dead. I don't know why you keep going back to that. We have 3-4 shooters on the floor minimum at all times now. That won't change no matter who we draft.
On average only around 20 players in each draft actually become NBA rotation players. Only around 5 of those 20 become All Stars. So figuring out which 20 players will translate in a given year is the key to success. I'm willing to bet Achiuwa is one of those 20. Why? He's one of the best athletes in the class. He's one of the best rebounders in the class (always a great indicator). Multipositional defender, can guard 3-5, valuable skill. High motor.
I'm just gonna leave the topic there though. I want to move on to some other names.
I'm just gonna leave the topic there though. I want to move on to some other names.
Lamine Diane is an interesting 2nd-round prospect. He looks a bit like a young Jeff Green.
Game6Conley
Well-Known Member
So lets say Utah took one of; Malachi Flynn, Peyton Pritchard, Devon Dotson or Tyrell Terry in the 1st rd. People here would hate it?
Terry I'd be cool with, the others I'd say we should've traded down to the early 2nd (or bought in). Throw Winston in that group too.