Following Potential 2018 Draftees

[Keefe]

I don’t think the nba is going to slow down and become dominated again by big lumbering physical players. M

The rules have changed and so have the athletes. The game is much quicker today because you can no longer grab and handcheck out on the perimeter and yesterday’s best athletes are today’s average athletes.

It’s the same reason why the running game isn’t ever coming back to the nfl. Rules for what corners can do to receivers have changed making it much easier to pass and the athletes are just too damn good.

The present and future of the nba is all about speed and spacing.

This. I'd add in that great teams are also statistically much more efficient now. Let's face it, if you can hit 3's at 38% as a team, that's a lot better than hitting 2's at 50% as a team. It's not quite that simple (free throws, etc.) obviously but generally speaking it is. It's another reason we could use a dynamic scorer who can hit the 3, cough, Okobo.

 

[cowhide]

I wasn't specifically talking about the Jazz championship team. Malone and Stockton were not at their physical best nor was Hornacek. Korver and Bell are past their prime. I have no doubt Malone would be unstoppable with the spacing provided by having 3 pt shooters.

 

[Keefe]

As someone else pointed out, you need shooting and playmakers. I think the former can be taught. The latter not nearly as much. That's why if we can find a high iq, elite slasher/playmaker type (ideally who can play some 3), I think it's someone we need to draft. So long as their shot's not broken.

 

[LoPo]

There are players who could excel in any era and guys who were great because of their era. Most of today's stars could excel in any era. As for the older regime, I strongly believe that Stockton and Malone could play in any era. They were both 2 way players who were specialists. Both were athletic, disciplined and strong. Hornacek would maybe be a poor man's Reddick or Korver. Maybe.

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[The Midnight]

Huerter reminds me a lot of a young Gordon Hayward but with a consistent jump shot. Good length. High BBIQ. Developing offensive game. Willing driver. Willing defender.

 

[mellow]

The game is getting smaller and faster...but it is still a big mans league. That is why 4 of 5 projected top picks are bigs.

The suns pioneered the current nba era as a counter to Shaq and Duncan. Analytics and rule changes helped the rest of the league follow. Now the league is all chasing the warriors. One gm will ffind a style that takes advantage of the weaknesses of the current era. My guess is it will be centered on a dominant big.

 

[Game6Conley]

I haven't spent a ton of time on 2019 prospects, but from what I've seen and what I've heard it will be a horrible class compared to this one and pick #21 this year might indeed be better than pick #11 next year or at the very least they might be comparable. That's why I wouldn't hesitate to trade our next year's pick in order to move up and get whoever we love in this draft... be it Brown, Okobo, Knox... if DL thinks he can get a good starter from this draft somewhere in the teens and that trade becomes available I wouldn't hesitate to include Bradley or the 2019 pick in order to do it.

Sadly NBA GMs know that too.

It's not that severe a drop off.. If you said 15 or 16, then I could agree, not 11 tho. I'm pretty good at predicting this stuff a good bit in advance..I mean Stitches says "I haven't spent a ton of time on 2019" i'm on the other end of that spectrum - I've followed this crop for years, I have a long list of sleepers Ive been tracking for a while...

Daniel Gafford is a player i tried to draw attention to early this szn and called him a great pick for Utah. I dont believe he'd have fallen to utah at 21 if he stayed in. I'm not sure if he's gonna fall to 11 next year either. I guess that example doesnt really illustrate my point lol, just trying to use examples with names y'all know.

Ill do a big post on the hierarchy of 2019's draft. Just say the word. Ill just say this, it's sure to hold true in the coming years--- HS class of 2020 is so strong, it casts a large shadow over 18 and 19, people will be quicker to kick dirt on those 2 classes given whats on the horizon. 2022 is gonna be really good too, then 2023 is the emoni bates sweepstakes......

Not to sound like a total jerk but no one here can touch my accuracy on these sort of mattersor time frames with a 1000ft pole, it requires a ton of due dilligence. I sit in these threads waiting for everyone to catch up to speed, and kinda nudging it along.

 

[Game6Conley]

When they say "this class is strong or weak" their NEVER accounting for the Kevin Huerters, the Kyle Kuzma's the Victor Oladipo's, the Gordon Haywards..... those claims come from comparing and contrasting the top 20's or potential lottery types.

 

[Bodhi]

I truly don’t know which way I’d go if Huerter and Okobo were both there at 21.


I think Okobo’s ceiling might be higher but I think Huerter can contribute in a role day 1 and also has a high ceiling.

 

[whatthe]

He mentioned Troy Brown in the beginning as the highest ranked player that's worked out so far - Bona fide NBA length athlete. By the numbers - Not great in transition, not great at the rim and combine numbers - bad... maybe he's not an elite athlete after all. He can handle, he can play the pnr... thinks of himself as a PG... jumpshot not good. He wonders if he's an NBA elite athlete. (this is my input - listening to Locke it didn't sound like he really likes him much)

He mentioned KBD too, again mentioned he got spasms... don't remember if he said anything that jumped at me.

Yes Troy's combine numbers are average and it is probably a warning sign. But in my opinion if he could shoot great, he would be better than Luka Doncic. Granted Luka's scoring ability is unreal, but he is an above average athlete - not elite, pudgy and he passes less good than Troy.

I would also say, that Troy played out of position. His transition numbers would have been better if he didn't play point guard (see his performance in U17 tournaments). Add to the fact that during his Freshman year he had a concussion which hurt his performance. Can a 18 year old kid be better as they age? In Troy's case I think in 2 years he will be much better.

And finally, I think he would be happy playing in Utah. His family lives close and could easily visit him all the time and the time zone difference ain't that different so family could be on the phone with him after games. He played in Oregon which is a small market. He loves Vegas which is also a small market and the suburban make up that city is similar to the SLC market so he wouldn't have much shock playing here. And he stayed out of trouble while growing up in Vegas so he isn't going to fall apart playing in the NBA.

 

[stitches]

Here is an interesting interview with DL:


He talked about the mini-camp for vets we are doing at about 7:20. The interesting part is - he said they are inviting college coaches and assistant coaches as well as European coaches to lead some of those workouts and he said that it serves multiple purposes - 1st to give those coaches opportunity to improve their coaching, second.... to scout those coaches for future openings, third - they develop relationships for player intel. This means - those will be coaches that they will be calling later for intel on players they want to draft. He specifically mentioned that they have some French coaches in this year's mini camp, because French basketball is expected to churn some good prospects in the following years(Sekou Doumbouya, Hoard?). My mind also automatically went to ... yeah, you got it - Okobo! One can only hope.

 

[stitches]

Yes Troy's combine numbers are average and it is probably a warning sign. But in my opinion if he could shoot great, he would be better than Luka Doncic. Granted Luka's scoring ability is unreal, but he is an above average athlete - not elite, pudgy and he passes less good than Troy.

I would also say, that Troy played out of position. His transition numbers would have been better if he didn't play point guard (see his performance in U17 tournaments). Add to the fact that during his Freshman year he had a concussion which hurt his performance. Can a 18 year old kid be better as they age? In Troy's case I think in 2 years he will be much better.

I'm not sure if you are serious with some of those takes... Doncic is NOT a better passer than Brown? Doncic is below average athlete but so is Brown. He didn't test Average at the combine... he tested horribly bad in all aspects - explosion, speed, agility. He was last of all SFs in 3 of the drills, second to last in the 4th and third to last in the fifth. By all testing numbers he's a WAY below average athlete.

 

[Thee Idiotic Minivan K]

There are players who could excel in any era and guys who were great because of their era. Most of today's stars could excel in any era. As for the older regime, I strongly believe that Stockton and Malone could play in any era. They were both 2 way players who were specialists. Both were athletic, disciplined and strong. Hornacek would maybe be a poor man's Reddick or Korver. Maybe.

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app

Horny was, is a better player then Reddick in any era, and don’t get me started on the Korver comparison don’t be an idiot. Stop with the stupid basketball takes. I take it you never saw Horny play even once. God damn that is just horrible!!

 

[Revolution 9]

Huerter reminds me a lot of a young Gordon Hayward but with a consistent jump shot. Good length. High BBIQ. Developing offensive game. Willing driver. Willing defender.

and when he was awoken his eyes could finally see...

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I'm not sure if you are serious with some of those takes... Doncic is NOT a better passer than Brown? Doncic is below average athlete but so is Brown. He didn't test Average at the combine... he tested horribly bad in all aspects - explosion, speed, agility. He was last of all SFs in 3 of the drills, second to last in the 4th and third to last in the fifth. By all testing numbers he's a WAY below average athlete.

Next year some of these Doncic traits are gonna look so dumb.

 

[Revolution 9]

I truly don’t know which way I’d go if Huerter and Okobo were both there at 21.


I think Okobo’s ceiling might be higher but I think Huerter can contribute in a role day 1 and also has a high ceiling.

I think if both are on the board we go with Huerter, but I feel like our brass is probably very high on both.
These are the front office conversations id love to be a fly on the wall for.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Here is an interesting interview with DL:


He talked about the mini-camp for vets we are doing at about 7:20. The interesting part is - he said they are inviting college coaches and assistant coaches as well as European coaches to lead some of those workouts and he said that it serves multiple purposes - 1st to give those coaches opportunity to improve their coaching, second.... to scout those coaches for future openings, third - they develop relationships for player intel. This means - those will be coaches that they will be calling later for intel on players they want to draft. He specifically mentioned that they have some French coaches in this year because French basketball is expected to churn some good prospects in the following years(Sekou Doumbouy, Hoard?). My mind also automatically went to ... yeah, you got it - Okobo! One can only hope.

Not a big fan of hunger games, but one of the parts my mind often turns to is the famous participant that tells Kat he no longer asks for money or things to show up at parties and that he "deals in secrets". DL doing these things is pretty cool... he gets it. I own a business and have dealt alot in sales and such... I see all these people doing branding and trying to put together slicker marketing materials than other guys... I go out and get two or three key relationships and make them happy... they send more stuff my way than I can handle.

Do all the draft analytics you want... DL will get the skinny from their coach...

 

[LoPo]

@TheeJazzFan

The Hornacek we had was no better than JJ Reddick. I'm all for supporting our guys and loving the past, but Jeff Hornacek was a 6'4" elite shooter with limited athleticism. Playing with Stockton and Malone lengthened his career, but the game is different now. Korver and Reddick are fair comps.

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

@TheeJazzFan

The Hornacek we had was no better than JJ Reddick. I'm all for supporting our guys and loving the past, but Jeff Hornacek was a 6'4" elite shooter with limited athleticism. Playing with Stockton and Malone lengthened his career, but the game is different now. Korver and Reddick are fair comps.

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app

Horny could play point though... had a lot more passing and dribbling to his game than JJ... much more than just a lights out shooter.

 

[LoPo]

Hornacek was a very good player. I loved having him. I personally don't think his game would translate that well to today. If we were drafting a 6'4" PG/SG with his shooting but athleticism, where would he get drafted?

Sent from my VS995 using JazzFanz mobile app