2016 NBA DRAFT

[INFORMER]

Who's good at 34? Zipser?

That would have been great.

[carey]

Harrison Barnes - I'd be interested at 12-15 mil a year, but he's gonna get overpaid, probably 18-20 mil. I'd pass.
Jordan Clarkson - Probably have to overpay to steal him, don't know that he provides what we lack. He can only play 1-2. Pass.
Nic Batum - If he was 2 or 3 years younger, he'd be by far my first choice. He's long, athletic, plays D, shoots 3's, and is a very smart player. A little older, but at 27 he's still in his prime and has a game that will last awhile. I'd be interested, probably the only "vet" i'd consider.
Chandler Parsons - Batum is better in every way and a few months younger. Pass
Terrence Jones - Best suited for the 4, I think he'd just get in the way of Chriss and Bender. Pass
Allen Crabbe - Good shooter, not great defensively though and is best suited for the 2. Not a terrible option, but i'd lean elsewhere.
Evan Fournier - WOuldn't be able to play with Booker, Orlando is going to match anyways. Pass.
Kent Bazemore - 25 or 26, athletic, can shoot a bit. Could replace tucker in the lineup. Wouldn't be able to guard 4's like tucker, but he'd be a better perimeter defender. I'd be interested.
Evan Turner - Batum is better and younger again. Pass

I pretty much agree. Parson's microfracture scares me, but it's been a full season now so he should be recovered. He's 27 though and with people saying Love is too old for us at 27 that probably rules out Parsons and Batum. I like Bazemore but probably not at any price he'll command. He'll also be 27 in July...

Honestly, I'm not interested in any free agents.

[Mori Chu]

^ Thanks to Split for compiling that list. I think Batum is the only guy on there I'd want. So of course Saver/McD will go get Harrison Barnes and probably max or near-max him out. Ugh.

[Cap]

So of course Saver/McD will go get Harrison Barnes and probably max or near-max him out. Ugh.

Stop it. We're not maxing Barnes. We're not maxing Horford.

OK, I guess there's a strategy there: assume the team will do something stupid, so you'll be pleasantly surprised if they don't, and take it in stride if they do. After the last 6+ years, that's understandable. But I'm trying to be optimistic and you're harshing my buzz.

[Gladiator]

I like Batum a lot as a player, but I feel like he's an "old" 27 given his international play. Barnes may make some sense for us, but only at about 1/2 of the salary he'll get, so we shouldn't waste time courting/chasing him imo.

[Split T]

Hmm, didn't realize bazemore was older than batum. Batum is probably they only guy I'd go after. I'd lean towards just adding a vet 4 to play 15 minutes. Let the team grow and maybe add a decent pick next year to add another piece.

[Mori Chu]

Here are Batum's stats. 14.9 PPG, 5.8 APG, 6.1 RPG on .426 FG% in 35 minutes a game. Wow, I didn't realize he gets 5.8 assists a game. How the heck does he do that? That FG% isn't the best, but I like a lot of his numbers.

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3416/nicolas-batum

[Split T]

The low shooting percentage is because he takes half his shots from 3. He's a real good player. Just not sure he fits our timeline.

[da_suns_fan]

DSF back in the house!

As usual Im a bit negative. I cant see either of these guys contributing next year (but I said the same about Booker last year).

I guess we'll just see. Im more excited about Chriss than Bender.

What do we call a Len/Bender frontcourt? Blender?!!

[SDC]

https://twitter.com/mhaubs/status/746388471216934912

[SDC]

brandon ingram, supposedly a good shooter, is only 68% at the line.

ben simmons? 67%

[Superbone]

What do we call a Len/Bender frontcourt? Blender?!!

I love it! When they block your shot. "You got caught in the Blender!"

[Superbone]

Dragan wore a bow tie at the NBA draft and reminded me of Matt Smith's Dr. Who.

[INFORMER]

2016 High/Lowlights of the NBA Draft

Best:

There was a ton of value in the late first round and second round. Honestly, I don't think there was a big difference in talent from pick 3 to picking in the 30s (a few exceptions though). One of the weirdest drafts ever.

Golden State made a quiet but intriguing move by buying the #38 pick and using it to get Patrick McCaw. McCaw has already shown himself to be a 2-way player, has shown above average playmaking abilities, is still young at 20 years of age, and has terrific measurables. Nicely played once again, Bob Myers.

The New Orleans Pelicans had the best draft night out of anyone. They stayed pat and watched Buddy Hield fall into their laps, and astronomical upgrade to their backcourt, and finally a perimeter player that can actually shoot. They traded their two second rounders to move up in the second round to draft Cheick Diallo. Tremendous get for the second round.

LeBron James. Probably the second GM I dislike the most, he pulled a great move by prodding his puppet front office to purchase the rights to Kay Felder. The great thing about Felder is that, while he clearly has a height disadvantage, he is strong and built well. He really has a chance to be a dynamic reserve.

Philadelphia at 24, selecting Timothe Luwawu. Philly is a such a hot mess, and I'm not high on Simmons at all, here was a smart pick. But a lot of course correcting has to take place in Philly for this pick to even matter, and that's of not fault of Luwawu. He shows promising to bringing a 2-way impact to the court, similar to past fellow French prospects Mikael Pietrus and Thabo Sefolasha. But I think he has a chance to better than both of them.


Honorable Mention

Sacramento. One of the dumbest front offices in the league, they get mention here because I've never seen a team outside of the top 5 get so much for moving down 5 spots. That was actually a moment of brilliance...until they used the #13 pick on Georgios Papagiannis. That's why they're here, and not being mentioned among the "Best." Modest commendation for drafting Isaiah Cousins at 59.

Detroit drafting Henry Ellenson at 18. I'm not a huge fan of Ellenson, but getting him at 18 and having Drummond already there, gives this pick a chance to pay dividends. Ellenson has great hands, and if he improve his long ball, he could be a very nice complement to Drummond.

Milwaukee drafting Malcolm Brogdon. His perimeter defense, basketball IQ should go nicely with the other pieces Milwaukee has assembled. A lineup with him, Antetokounmpo, Parker, Middleton, and hopefully Damian Inglis could be a nightmare for the rest of the league, with crazy versatility and length.


Chicago drafting Paul Zipser at 48. This guy is ready come into the league today and be a tremendous role player. He projects to being able to play the 3 and 4, great length, good basketball IQ, good handles, and can shoot the 3 ball. He's not 16 years old and has actually played meaningful basketball, so of course he lasts until 48.


Worst:

I could write a dissertation on the poor decisions that were made, but it isn't too surprising given the inordinate number of woeful prospects that were rated so highly.

Boston at #3. Boston getting a lot of heat for not pulling off a big trade with all of their picks, but I don't agree with that criticism. Boston flipped two second round picks for a future first. They did well at 23, drafting Ante Zizic; he could be similar to Zaza Pachulia. Ben Bentil at 51(!) is ridiculous value; he's a bit of a chucker, but has lots of talent. So Boston did some things that I feel are commendable. Choosing Jaylen Brown at #3 is not one of those things. I think he was one of the overrated projected lottery picks, next to Marquese Chriss and Jakob Poeltl. I see him being a complete bust. Ainge has made some questionable decisions in recent years; this feels a lot like their James Young selection, which I hated at the time, and hasn't done anything for them yet.

Atlanta using a lotto pick on Taurean Prince. What is this guy's ceiling? Mediocre shooter/decent defender/energy small forward?! Gross.

[Superbone]

We won the draft according to USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nb ... /86324290/

Who won?

1. Phoenix Suns

The backcourt-heavy Suns struck gold on Thursday night, selecting the two most talented big men in the draft not named Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. They managed to nab 7-foot-1 Croatian forward Dragan Bender with the fourth pick, followed by a trade with the Sacramento Kings that landed them the versatile 6-10 forward from Washington, Marquese Chriss. Both bring a different skill set to the table, and together, the Suns can walk away from the draft with their heads held high. With the starting power forward spot pretty much up for grabs with Mirza Teletovic as the team's most viable option at the position, both Bender and Chriss should see immediate playing time, as the Suns look to build on last year's 23-win season.

[ShelC]

The only guy I'd spend on from that list of FAs would be Bazemore. We don't need to spend money on a name. nor a SF who needs the ball or shots to be effective. Bazemore would be a nice fit as a 3 and D guy. If we go into the season with Bledsoe, Knight and Booker, our offense is coming from the perimeter. Re-sign Teletovic or Leuer and let them bomb from deep.

But again, what's the plan? We have vets on the team and could compete for a playoff spot with a guy like Horford in the frontcourt. But to what end? Bledsoe/Knight, Booker, Horford, Chandler...on paper, not bad. 45-50 wins? Maybe. I'd almost be inclined to try that for a year or two, raise the value of our vets and get Booker and Dragan/Chriss experience in a winning environment.

[Ring_Wanted]

2016 High/Lowlights of the NBA Draft

Best:

There was a ton of value in the late first round and second round. Honestly, I don't think there was a big difference in talent from pick 3 to picking in the 30s (a few exceptions though). One of the weirdest drafts ever.

Golden State made a quiet but intriguing move by buying the #38 pick and using it to get Patrick McCaw. McCaw has already shown himself to be a 2-way player, has shown above average playmaking abilities, is still young at 20 years of age, and has terrific measurables. Nicely played once again, Bob Myers.

The New Orleans Pelicans had the best draft night out of anyone. They stayed pat and watched Buddy Hield fall into their laps, and astronomical upgrade to their backcourt, and finally a perimeter player that can actually shoot. They traded their two second rounders to move up in the second round to draft Cheick Diallo. Tremendous get for the second round.

LeBron James. Probably the second GM I dislike the most, he pulled a great move by prodding his puppet front office to purchase the rights to Kay Felder. The great thing about Felder is that, while he clearly has a height disadvantage, he is strong and built well. He really has a chance to be a dynamic reserve.

Philadelphia at 24, selecting Timothe Luwawu. Philly is a such a hot mess, and I'm not high on Simmons at all, here was a smart pick. But a lot of course correcting has to take place in Philly for this pick to even matter, and that's of not fault of Luwawu. He shows promising to bringing a 2-way impact to the court, similar to past fellow French prospects Mikael Pietrus and Thabo Sefolasha. But I think he has a chance to better than both of them.


Honorable Mention

Sacramento. One of the dumbest front offices in the league, they get mention here because I've never seen a team outside of the top 5 get so much for moving down 5 spots. That was actually a moment of brilliance...until they used the #13 pick on Georgios Papagiannis. That's why they're here, and not being mentioned among the "Best." Modest commendation for drafting Isaiah Cousins at 59.

Detroit drafting Henry Ellenson at 18. I'm not a huge fan of Ellenson, but getting him at 18 and having Drummond already there, gives this pick a chance to pay dividends. Ellenson has great hands, and if he improve his long ball, he could be a very nice complement to Drummond.

Milwaukee drafting Malcolm Brogdon. His perimeter defense, basketball IQ should go nicely with the other pieces Milwaukee has assembled. A lineup with him, Antetokounmpo, Parker, Middleton, and hopefully Damian Inglis could be a nightmare for the rest of the league, with crazy versatility and length.


Chicago drafting Paul Zipser at 48. This guy is ready come into the league today and be a tremendous role player. He projects to being able to play the 3 and 4, great length, good basketball IQ, good handles, and can shoot the 3 ball. He's not 16 years old and has actually played meaningful basketball, so of course he lasts until 48.


Worst:

I could write a dissertation on the poor decisions that were made, but it isn't too surprising given the inordinate number of woeful prospects that were rated so highly.

Boston at #3. Boston getting a lot of heat for not pulling off a big trade with all of their picks, but I don't agree with that criticism. Boston flipped two second round picks for a future first. They did well at 23, drafting Ante Zizic; he could be similar to Zaza Pachulia. Ben Bentil at 51(!) is ridiculous value; he's a bit of a chucker, but has lots of talent. So Boston did some things that I feel are commendable. Choosing Jaylen Brown at #3 is not one of those things. I think he was one of the overrated projected lottery picks, next to Marquese Chriss and Jakob Poeltl. I see him being a complete bust. Ainge has made some questionable decisions in recent years; this feels a lot like their James Young selection, which I hated at the time, and hasn't done anything for them yet.

Atlanta using a lotto pick on Taurean Prince. What is this guy's ceiling? Mediocre shooter/decent defender/energy small forward?! Gross.

This is a high quality post. Thank you. I agree with many of the points made.

[Cap]

We won the draft according to USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nb ... /86324290/

Who won?

1. Phoenix Suns

The backcourt-heavy Suns struck gold on Thursday night, selecting the two most talented big men in the draft not named Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. They managed to nab 7-foot-1 Croatian forward Dragan Bender with the fourth pick, followed by a trade with the Sacramento Kings that landed them the versatile 6-10 forward from Washington, Marquese Chriss. Both bring a different skill set to the table, and together, the Suns can walk away from the draft with their heads held high. With the starting power forward spot pretty much up for grabs with Mirza Teletovic as the team's most viable option at the position, both Bender and Chriss should see immediate playing time, as the Suns look to build on last year's 23-win season.

That's not the only Suns mention:

Who lost?

[...]

Point guard Tyler Ulis, who some felt could be a lottery pick, dropped to 34 with the Phoenix Suns.

I imagine Tyler feels pretty good about where he ended up, despite missing out on the security of a first-round contract.

[Ring_Wanted]

Suns’ Marquese Chriss broke rim in pre-draft workout:

http://arizonasports.com/story/710384/s ... -workouts/

[Ring_Wanted]

Notable undrafted free agents:

Marshall Plumlee to the Knicks, Perry Ellis on his way to join Mavs summer league team.