Toronto Raptors
Early 2018 draft hot takes by Scalabrine
Mar 8, 2018 2:34:56 GMT -5
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Post by Brian Scalabrine on Mar 8, 2018 2:34:56 GMT -5
The D720 draft can be a cruel and unforgiving mistress. It's history is riddled with steals and whiffs, and surely the 2018 draft will bring the same. Here's your takes, get em while they're piping hot:
1. Trae Young will fall
D720 has always been cruel to unique prospects. That is, we see guys like Markkannen, Porzingis, and Booker go in the mid to late lottery. Despite Young potentially having two elite level skills--shooting and passing--I seem him going no earlier than eight, and potentially below both Bridges or guys like Carter. 720 GMs will obviously see his potential, but be scared of his defense, and not enamored with his physical abilities. Because of this, he's high risk, and I think we'll see him slip to somewhere around ten.
2. Bamba goes early
Huge big man with crazy defensive upside and a feasible offensive game? He's a higher floor pick than most, and I think we'll see him go ahead of guys with question marks like Bagley and Porter Jr. Don't be surprised if he goes at three.
3. Reach candidates: Troy Brown Jr., Isaac Bonga
Two very young tall guys with point-guard skills and defensive versatility, but unfinished projects who may never translate in the big leagues. Bonga mocks around 30-40, and Brown usually 18-30. However, both of them being young and having great frames, along with good skill sets for position-less basketball if they reach their potential, makes me imagine that GMs at or above the top of their draft range won't hesitate to take a flier on them.
4. If Toronto gets a top three pick, 2018 D720 draft will have the most trades we've seen so far
I know I'm talking about myself here, but look: Toronto looks to have a pick about every fifteen draft spots, that's outrageous. Perhaps they consolidate their draft assets for better ones, but also look out for the possibility of some crazy draft day trades involving their young guys in the event that they try to double down on the high end of this draft. Overall, regardless of where the TOR pick goes, I expect to see a lot of movement in the mid-late lottery of this draft. There's a lot of guys that GMs will fall in love with, and I expect to see people be extra ambitious to put themselves in the right spot to take them.
5. Okafor gets picked over Towns again
That is to say, this draft is littered with high potential big men: Ayton, JJJ, MB3, Bamba, Carter, and tweeners Bridges and Porter Jr. And, human error will occur in their draft order. If I had to guess, Doncic and Ayton go 1&2 in some order, but after that I see some of the guys in that 6-9 range out performing the 3-5 range.
6. Charlotte will make a splash
Even though they're without a GM at the moment, they still maintain some of the most valuable picks in the 2019 draft. With a shallow roster, and loads of 2019 picks, I see them moving some of those picks to find themselves in the lottery.
7. One team as we know it will be destroyed, and hopefully reborn
The balance in D720 is... Off. We are littered with teams with closing windows who can't compete with the big dogs, middling contenders, and teams with a surplus of youth. Mark my words, one of these middling contenders will blow it up during this coming draft, and a new super tank will be born. Similarly, with people believing this is a loaded draft, some of the current tanks will embrace the upswing and begin to compete again. Over the last couple years the East has been kind in bringing teams from the bottom (Nets, Wiz) into the playoffs over one season. I think we'll see this cycle repeat itself, someone will blow it up this draft, and us bottom feeders will benefit.
1. Trae Young will fall
D720 has always been cruel to unique prospects. That is, we see guys like Markkannen, Porzingis, and Booker go in the mid to late lottery. Despite Young potentially having two elite level skills--shooting and passing--I seem him going no earlier than eight, and potentially below both Bridges or guys like Carter. 720 GMs will obviously see his potential, but be scared of his defense, and not enamored with his physical abilities. Because of this, he's high risk, and I think we'll see him slip to somewhere around ten.
2. Bamba goes early
Huge big man with crazy defensive upside and a feasible offensive game? He's a higher floor pick than most, and I think we'll see him go ahead of guys with question marks like Bagley and Porter Jr. Don't be surprised if he goes at three.
3. Reach candidates: Troy Brown Jr., Isaac Bonga
Two very young tall guys with point-guard skills and defensive versatility, but unfinished projects who may never translate in the big leagues. Bonga mocks around 30-40, and Brown usually 18-30. However, both of them being young and having great frames, along with good skill sets for position-less basketball if they reach their potential, makes me imagine that GMs at or above the top of their draft range won't hesitate to take a flier on them.
4. If Toronto gets a top three pick, 2018 D720 draft will have the most trades we've seen so far
I know I'm talking about myself here, but look: Toronto looks to have a pick about every fifteen draft spots, that's outrageous. Perhaps they consolidate their draft assets for better ones, but also look out for the possibility of some crazy draft day trades involving their young guys in the event that they try to double down on the high end of this draft. Overall, regardless of where the TOR pick goes, I expect to see a lot of movement in the mid-late lottery of this draft. There's a lot of guys that GMs will fall in love with, and I expect to see people be extra ambitious to put themselves in the right spot to take them.
5. Okafor gets picked over Towns again
That is to say, this draft is littered with high potential big men: Ayton, JJJ, MB3, Bamba, Carter, and tweeners Bridges and Porter Jr. And, human error will occur in their draft order. If I had to guess, Doncic and Ayton go 1&2 in some order, but after that I see some of the guys in that 6-9 range out performing the 3-5 range.
6. Charlotte will make a splash
Even though they're without a GM at the moment, they still maintain some of the most valuable picks in the 2019 draft. With a shallow roster, and loads of 2019 picks, I see them moving some of those picks to find themselves in the lottery.
7. One team as we know it will be destroyed, and hopefully reborn
The balance in D720 is... Off. We are littered with teams with closing windows who can't compete with the big dogs, middling contenders, and teams with a surplus of youth. Mark my words, one of these middling contenders will blow it up during this coming draft, and a new super tank will be born. Similarly, with people believing this is a loaded draft, some of the current tanks will embrace the upswing and begin to compete again. Over the last couple years the East has been kind in bringing teams from the bottom (Nets, Wiz) into the playoffs over one season. I think we'll see this cycle repeat itself, someone will blow it up this draft, and us bottom feeders will benefit.
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