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Following 2016 potential draftees

Nuggets really like Sabonis. From my inside sources.. Like the rugged player he is. Lacking of toughness on the team. They also really like Denzel Valentine and they 2 second round picks they hoping a point guard falls to them.They really like . D Jackso, Ullis, Melo Trimble and to a lesser extent GPayton.This is all inside info
 
Celtics have a lot of draft picks too but I expect them to either trade up or trade for some more future picks. Danny Ainge like to run the franchise like he is playing nbalive
 
Nojel Eastern, the top player in Illinois is still underrated!! not even listed in ESPN's 2017's top60. I've posted about him before. He can ball!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OK09t6-iFW8

I split my time between Colorado and Illinois and I catch as many High school games as I can while back home. High school hoops is a really big deal. My cousin is an assistant coach at SIU Edwardsville so he catches a whole lot of games.

He is not the best player in the state either

DaMonte Williams, Son of former Illini pg Frank Williams is at the top of the list. 6'4 combo guard
Jordan Goodwin from East saint Louis metro area is right at top of the list. This kid might not have a lot of NBA potential due to him being a tweener but he is a warrior and will be a 4 year starter for a power 5 team. The ype of kid everyone hates to play against but love to play with. Around 6foot4 and id say 210 pounds. Rock solid with muscle
And then Nojel

Some services have Nojel rated higher then Jordan Goodwin but barely and look for Goodwin to raise his rankings during AAU ball

Overall it is a downhill for High school hoops for the state. Those 3 will all be major players at power 5 schools.
Both DaMonte and Nojel do have some pro potential but I would expect to see Godowin win Mr.Basketball in the state next year. It is what most expect who watch and follow high school hoops in Illinois seriously. It could be one of those years not a single player from the state is a burger boy.

DaMonte has the pedigree and he can not handle the ball like his pops, Who had an insane handle BTW, but he is way more athletic. Is atough kid too. Like many kids he is playing out of position on his high school team and is needed in the paint but on his AAU team he mostly runs the point guard. He is rated in the top 40 and I would expect him to climb into the top 25 by the time his senior season is over.
Keep your eye out for this kid. If you like Nojel you will like him. Much more well rounded game already. Has that smooth body control with the ball like his pops had. Can change speeds quickly. I see him as atleast a 3 year college player. IMO but I do see NBA in his future
 
Denver Nuggets with 3 top 20 picks
Within 2 years they will have the better team then the Jazz, Just like I called this pre season with the Blazers passing the Jazz.. Look the Jazz need a homerun draft pick because they are in the danger Zone.
Portland is better
Denver is on its way.
Minny is on its way with Anthony Towns as Batman and Wiggins as Robin
REal danger zone for the Jazz. A Team full of role players is not going get it done. With the right pick or trade the Jazz could be in this convo for top dog of conference for years to come. This conference is going be the best in nba from top to bottom within a couple years. Nice pieces the Jazz have, Problem is they don't have that center piece( not literally a center but the go to guy) If I was the Jazz id be open to trading anyone on the roster. I wouldn't go and break down the whole thing and trade everyone but I would listen to trades about anyone on that team. Need a go to guy, A face of the franchise. Hayward has had his shot and he has shown what you get with him leading. Lottery bound year after year. He was the 3rd or 4th option in college on his college team and needs to be the same in the NBA.
Now pair him up with Paul George and WOW is that a nice tandem on the wing..Pacers wouldn't want Rudy but I would give up Favors to get him. On Favors I find it so funny people here talk about his potential and how he can still develop but then rip a kid like Denzel Valentine because he is a 22 year old senior. So a 24 year old can stil ldevelop but not a 22 year old.lol
I am goin g leave Exum out of this since he is a wildcard, an unknown at this point
PG
Hayward
George
PF? Maybe Lyles(called him Lamar Odom like)
Rudy Gobert

Now lets say Exum does come thru
Exum
Hayward
George
Lyles
Rudy

Nice lineup that has the potential to be a nightmare on the defensive end and has a go to guy scorer in George and a solid second option in Hayward

ANOTHER thing about George is since he is a west coast kid I could see him wanting to play in Utah.. Not going get many kids from the Midwest or east coast who would want to stay in SLC but a west coast kid you would have better chance.IMO

Someone tell me that starting lineup I rolled out does not have some serious potential?

This is actually a pretty decent post.

Denver has some nice pieces going forward. Mudiay, Jokic, Fournier and 3 picks in the top-20.

Minnesota doesn't scare me as much as I thought they would. Wiggins doesn't scare me as much as I thought he would too. Towns will be VERY good, but I don't think they will be able to build a team around him good enough to contend for a championship.

We need to do something. There is no way we will be able to contend if we stand pat.
 
This is actually a pretty decent post.

Denver has some nice pieces going forward. Mudiay, Jokic, Fournier and 3 picks in the top-20.

Minnesota doesn't scare me as much as I thought they would. Wiggins doesn't scare me as much as I thought he would too. Towns will be VERY good, but I don't think they will be able to build a team around him good enough to contend for a championship.

We need to do something. There is no way we will be able to contend if we stand pat.

Fournier?
 
That's why I hate ESPN for high school rankings. Nojel is not a point guard either.He is a wing player. SG/SF

The other thing about my proposed Jazz lineup is they would match up well against OKC ad against GSW, Since they should be able to switch with length and athletic ability on the GSW screens and picks... The West is going to go thru those two teams for a long time aslong as Durantula stays in OKC. I think he stays for a couple reasons but Russ and him are really close no matter how the media wants to try to play them against each other. Durant is a small town type of Personality. He is a big time Christian and he is in the heart of the Bible Belt.
So as I see it those 2 is who the west will go thru.
 
This is actually a pretty decent post.

Denver has some nice pieces going forward. Mudiay, Jokic, Fournier and 3 picks in the top-20.

Minnesota doesn't scare me as much as I thought they would. Wiggins doesn't scare me as much as I thought he would too. Towns will be VERY good, but I don't think they will be able to build a team around him good enough to contend for a championship.

We need to do something. There is no way we will be able to contend if we stand pat.

I'd take Minnesota over us and Denver. You guys keep on forgetting that star power matters. Minny has it, we don't.
 
yeah for sure, and unlike most stretch 5's Ellenson can actually grab a D-reb and dribble it up the floor... I dont think having him play C would be asking him to do something out of his comfort zone.. He's a very strong rebounder, and would still be that at the 5 IMO.

Ellenson used to be 20+ lbs heavier, wasn't good weight though.. Here's a pic from 2013 and then one from the summer of 2014 at the Lebron Skills camp.. He's got a good set of shoulders on him..

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Here's a more recent pic

7bf188ef3b9844f59b815df5989fa607-7bf188ef3b9844f59b815df5989fa607-0.jpg



So basically it's clear as day he's working really hard to get his body NBA ready..

Ellenson and Diamond Stone are both from Wisconsin which isn't a recruiting hotspot. both of them were chubby in HS, when Ellenson put his mind to losing the weight, he got rid of it quickly.. So I think it's reasonable to think he'll be continuing his body transformation with some NBA club..

If it's solid minutes at C you want, having Derrick Favors on the roster to give him some pointers will be invaluable.. With Rudy and Derrick, and I guess Withey, he'd have plenty of opportunity to play PF too.. Obviously he can take Lyles minutes at PF too.. (while Lyles takes Bookers)

The bench unit would be so much better, and more entertaining with Ellenson at the 5.. He'll cause massive matchup issues for teams.. type of matchup issues where players will be need to be subbed out so teams will go small.. You can't put like a Boban Marjanovic on him, that's asking for all sorts of trouble.

Can't lie, Ellenson is a VERY intriguing prospect to me even if we have a glut of good bigs already.


You can never have too many quality big men.


Also don't forget that Lyles played SF at UK, so he CAN play there if need be in the future?
 
Henry doesn't strike me as a starter but a quality big off the bench. Maybe a better ore diverse Nick Collison

Lyles played sf in college but way different in nba. Not sayin he can not do it but I wouldn't count on it. Can he stay infront of the Durants, Lebrons, Leonards of the nba? Big question mark. You are right however in saying can never have enough bigs

I knew Utah fans would be all over him since he is white.. A solid big in round 2 id keep my eye on is Robert Carter. I started hyping him halfway thru the big10 season. He is already strong and has the frame that he can even add more muscle. Improved his jumper through out the season also..
 
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