2016 NBA Draft Prospects Thread

[jonathanlambert33]

As an LSU fan, I hope Ben becomes the next LeBron. I don't see it though, some of the failures of that LSU team this season fell directly on his shoulders. I think he will have a long good career, but he will never be a superstar.

 

[bosoxlover12]

To make an NFL comparison, he's Ziggy Ansah when Ansah started at BYU. There's definite upside for him being an All-Star in ~5 years but he has to literally learn the game, right now he's just that size/athleticism/shooting without understanding the game at a high level yet (and without strength to play in the paint or in traffic in the NBA)

No no no no no no no


Ziggy was a Top 5 pick who showed flashes of excellence at BYU but was just raw as hell, as he played everything from ILB to DT. Saying Thon is similar to Ansah is saying he'll be a star player

A better comparison would be Margus Hunt -- the super raw player with crazy intangible but no experience playing the pros. Hunt is a below average NFL player, as a rotational DL, and that's a realistic expectation for Thon Maker. He won't be anything more than a backup big in his career

 

[Stray32]

No no no no no no no


Ziggy was a Top 5 pick who showed flashes of excellence at BYU but was just raw as hell, as he played everything from ILB to DT. Saying Thon is similar to Ansah is saying he'll be a star player

A better comparison would be Margus Hunt -- the super raw player with crazy intangible but no experience playing the pros. Hunt is a below average NFL player, as a rotational DL, and that's a realistic expectation for Thon Maker. He won't be anything more than a backup big in his career

no, it's not saying he'll be a star player that was my exact point
 
Ziggy Ansah was not a sure thing, he was a boom or bust pick. Thon has all the physical tools (and rudimentary shooting and shot-blocking skills) but he has to learn to see the game, positioning rotations etc - imo he has a 75-80% chance of being a bust but a 20-25% chance of being a star

 

[bosoxlover12]

Idk, I was pretty sure on Ansah coming out as a 43 end. His question was closer to 34 teams, where it wasn't known if he would play DE or OLB. Never thought he'd bust any more than any pass rusher in a normal draft process

And 20% is way too high for him being a star. If it was really 20%, he'd go in the lottery.

 

[Foreman]

Any chance Simmons falls to 3? Could see top 3 being Ingram, Hield, then Simmons

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I don't think, but I guess anything is possible

 

[buzzy]

Bill Simmons just wants to buy that Celtics Simmons jersey. But alas, his name is proabably gonna end up on a Lakers jersey.

 

[bosoxlover12]

Ugh, there isn't a single prospect that stands out over another at #3.
 
I've just been watching tape of the main guys we're probably considering (Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, Dragan Bender, Jaylen Brown) and there is a significant flaw with all of them (Bender and Brown offensively, Hield and Murray defensively)
 
Kris Dunn may just be the 3rd best prospect but he has no real fit on a team with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier.
 
 
I just beg someone like the Bulls fall in love with Dunn so hard that they are willing to give up Jimmy Butler for Crowder, #3, and more. 
 
 
 
I literally don't know what I would do with this pick if it couldn't be traded. The majority seems to think it should be Dragan Bender due to Kristaps Mania, but he seems a lot more Saric-esque than Porzingis.

 

[cavsfan817]

Ugh, there isn't a single prospect that stands out over another at #3.
 
I've just been watching tape of the main guys we're probably considering (Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, Dragan Bender, Jaylen Brown) and there is a significant flaw with all of them (Bender and Brown offensively, Hield and Murray defensively)
 
Kris Dunn may just be the 3rd best prospect but he has no real fit on a team with Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier.
 
 
I just beg someone like the Bulls fall in love with Dunn so hard that they are willing to give up Jimmy Butler for Crowder, #3, and more. 
 
 
 
I literally don't know what I would do with this pick if it couldn't be traded. The majority seems to think it should be Dragan Bender due to Kristaps Mania, but he seems a lot more Saric-esque than Porzingis.

 
The Celtics pretty much have to go with a big because they're so guard heavy... This was such a bad scenario for them. At least if they would have gotten top two there is significant interest there and could have easily shopped the pick or taken one of the definite top two guys.

 

[bosoxlover12]

I disagree that we have to take a big -- we just don't need a point guard. Murray is a 2, Hield is a 2, Bender is a 3/4, Brown is a 3.
 
 
Low key -- I think a good move for both teams would be the Celtics to trade their pick to Philadelphia. Something along the likes of Boston getting a swap option between the Brooklyn 2017 1st and the Sixers 2017 1st, and getting the Lakers pick (Top 3 protected 2017, unprotected 2018). Boston delays their process by a year, waiting for the 2017 Draft, and Philly can get two Top 3 picks in this draft -- one for Simmons/Ingram, and the other for Dunn/Hield

 

[Stray32]

Any chance Simmons falls to 3? Could see top 3 being Ingram, Hield, then Simmons

0.0001%
 

The Celtics pretty much have to go with a big because they're so guard heavy... This was such a bad scenario for them. At least if they would have gotten top two there is significant interest there and could have easily shopped the pick or taken one of the definite top two guys.

Yep agreed, don't see them taking Bender after looking at him last night (or Poeltl, looked at him previously), I actually could see a team with a top pick falling in love with Deyonta Davis' two-way potential but still more likely he goes late top ten (no later than 11). Maybe they'll trade down, otherwise they'll probably just go BPA. Problem when you have that many guards/wings (if they draft one) is you really can't carry them all so somebody would have to be traded or cut at some point before next season

 

[jonathanlambert33]

https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz/status/736355010057904128

https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz/status/736356082340134912

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I like Chriss as a prospect but I have a hard time seeing where he falls into the top 5. I can't see Boston taking him at 3 for the reasons I stated yesterday. Would Phoenix select him over Bender? I suppose Minnesota is a possibility, but they have Towns and Dieng who played a lot together, and that was probably the best duo they had last season of all possible two man lineups regardless of position.

 

[bosoxlover12]

He's a definite possibility with the third and fourth overall pick.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I just don't see Boston taking a project unless it's with the intent to move him. It would be completely against their recent history.

 

[bosoxlover12]

Everyone at 3 is a project, in one way or another. Hield and Murray can't defend well, Brown can't shoot the best, Chriss can't rebound or box out, and Bender is hella raw and is at least 2 years away from contributing

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I disagree. Like I said yesterday, Boston is not a team that wants to teach. You're talking about aspects of these players games that they lack. You can point to an aspect of everyone's game, even LeBron and Steph and say "they don't have this." But there are guys that are projects, guys that are going to take a while to be able to impact a game, guys like Brown and Chriss, and guys who while they have room to get better, will be able to positively impact the team from day one. Teaching and coaching.

 

[bosoxlover12]

The only two guys that we can get that "immediately provide impact" are two 6'4" SGs that aren't good at defense. And they both have tendencies to force shots and take really bad looks. If they aren't hitting shots, they are worthless. That's why guys like Jimmer haven't panned out in the league at all, because they are extremely one dimensional. Hield scares me more than Jamal does, but both often take heavily contested shots early in the shot clock, and miss often. And because of their heights and lack of wingspans relative to others, you are forcing them to play SG only. They can't go out and guard any SFs, and they aren't quick enough to guard PGs.

Yes, Hield and Murray will outscore Jaylen Brown in Year 1. I'm not looking at scoring, because I don't see a surefire scorer out of any of these guys. Whoever the Celtics take is a bench piece, and on the current bench our two best non-bigs are Smart and Rozier. Jamal/Hield cannot play alongside those guys without Smart playing SF permanently, and otherwise you're demoting Rozier who looked really impressive against Atlanta this post-season as a combo defensive guard

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I know the main NBA Draft strategy is to take the best player available, and to almost ignore positional fit altogether. I see Hield and Murray as a lot worse off on offense, where I see easily how they can struggle in the NBA, and that lessens their value. Jaylen Brown can play SF in the 2nd unit, can play small ball 4 in the 2nd unit as well, and can play the 2 in our big bench line.


To me, Hield and Murray are slight upgrades to RJ Hunter, who was so limited in his game that we could hardly find him any playing time. What would Hield or Jamal do differently than what Hunter can do?

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Comparing both of those players to Jimmer is extremely off base

 

[elcheato]

DJT is rolling over in his grave