2023 Annual JazzFanz Current Players Draft - Round 1: Team E vs. Team F

[Elizah Huge]

Team E

PG - Darius Garland / James Harden
SG - Desmond Bane / Alex Caruso
SF - Franz Wagner / Trey Murphy
PF - Pascal Siakam / Grant Williams
C - Nikola Jokic / Kevon Looney

Team F

PG - Jalen Brunson / D’Angelo Russell
SG - Klay Thompson / Zach LaVine
SF - Paul George / Dillon Brooks
PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo / Royce O’Neale
C - Nikola Vucevic / Christian Wood

Voting is based off of how you think the players will perform in the upcoming season.

 

[KqWIN]

I think both these teams are fairly strong, but team E is extremely strong. Love the fit of Jokic+Siakam and I like the upside there with Wagner. Harden+Garland are two of the best lead ball handlers in the game and the rest of the roster is packed with good role players. Bane is an awesome compliment as well. Great balance. The C situation for team F is pretty dire and while I like their team with Giannis playing the 5, it’s just not enough.

 

[HermanG]

Love the fit of Jokic+Siakam

How does that work?

Siakam was 10th in NBA in touches with 80 with longer touch durations than Jokic who was #1 with 98. By comparison, the most touches any frontcourt player playing with Jokic had was 42.

If you add in Siakams 32.9% catch and shoot percentage I have no clue how he operates effectively with Jokic. But what I do know is one or both of them have to play differently than they are used to.

Team E is still one of the best but Jokic+Siakam fit is its biggest questionmark.

 

[KqWIN]

How does that work?

Siakam was 10th in NBA in touches with 80 with longer touch durations than Jokic who was #1 with 98. By comparison, the most touches any frontcourt player playing with Jokic had was 42.

If you add in Siakams 32.9% catch and shoot percentage I have no clue how he operates effectively with Jokic. But what I do know is one or both of them have to play differently than they are used to.

Team E is still one of the best but Jokic+Siakam fit is its biggest questionmark.

Jokic is perfect for a guy like Siakam. Look at what happened to guys like Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown when they began to play with Jokic. Their efficiency and overall offensive game skyrocketed. The blueprint for how he can succeed is already there…and he’s already played and succeeded in a smaller role before.

I think Siakam is overextended in his role right now as an initiator. He’s not bad, but we know he can excel in a lower usage role. In an ideal world he wouldn’t be among the league leaders in touches. He won a championship in a smaller offensive role. I do not expect Siakam to play the same offensive role on a team with Jokic, Garland, Harden, and Bane so the point about him clashing with Jokic is moot. The answer to that is simple. You let Jokic continue to be the best player in the league at what he does, and you let Siakam return to a smaller offense role that he is proven to be successful in. This would also allow him to put more energy into defense which has fallen off since he took on a higher usage role.

Almost all players will have to change their roles to some extent in this exercise. Siakam going to a lower usage role is one of the players I’d be least concerned with and most confident in his ability to transition.

 

[HermanG]

Jokic is perfect for a guy like Siakam. Look at what happened to guys like Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown when they began to play with Jokic. Their efficiency and overall offensive game skyrocketed. The blueprint for how he can succeed is already there…and he’s already played and succeeded in a smaller role before.

I think Siakam is overextended in his role right now as an initiator. He’s not bad, but we know he can excel in a lower usage role. In an ideal world he wouldn’t be among the league leaders in touches. He won a championship in a smaller offensive role. I do not expect Siakam to play the same offensive role on a team with Jokic, Garland, Harden, and Bane so the point about him clashing with Jokic is moot. The answer to that is simple. You let Jokic continue to be the best player in the league at what he does, and you let Siakam return to a smaller offense role that he is proven to be successful in. This would also allow him to put more energy into defense which has fallen off since he took on a higher usage role.

Almost all players will have to change their roles to some extent in this exercise. Siakam going to a lower usage role is one of the players I’d be least concerned with and most confident in his ability to transition.

I agree that Siakam is overextended as is, and most of your reasoning is solid. He did win the championship in a smaller role, but was his role that much different or just lower usage? It worked great with Kawhi being your best player, but Kawhi doesnt need the ball so Siakam was able to be a slasher. I'm just thinking he doesnt just return to smaller role with Jokic, he needs to play differently than he has ever before.

 

[The Fresh Prince]

isn't Christian Wood still a free agent?

 

[LogGrad98]

How does that work?

Siakam was 10th in NBA in touches with 80 with longer touch durations than Jokic who was #1 with 98. By comparison, the most touches any frontcourt player playing with Jokic had was 42.

If you add in Siakams 32.9% catch and shoot percentage I have no clue how he operates effectively with Jokic. But what I do know is one or both of them have to play differently than they are used to.

Team E is still one of the best but Jokic+Siakam fit is its biggest questionmark.

Gordon's game was similar to Siakam's until he got to Denver, complete with sub-par outside shooting, and he was considered a black hole. Look at how he contributed in their title run. Jokic makes everyone better. Everyone.

 

[HermanG]

Gordon's game was similar to Siakam's until he got to Denver, complete with sub-par outside shooting, and he was considered a black hole. Look at how he contributed in their title run. Jokic makes everyone better. Everyone.

No disagreement there. But if you would turn Siakam into Gordon, would you draft him 24th?

 

[sip]

I really like the fit of team f's starting lineup but they lose me with the bench. I don't like the fit of Dlo and Wood. Wood isn't even on a team and I'm not so sure when he does get signed he gets more than a small role.

 

[Fosto]

I'm surprised the results are so lopsided. I thought both of those teams were good, and I expected it to be closer.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I'm surprised the results are so lopsided. I thought both of those teams were good, and I expected it to be closer.

One is clearly better

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I agree that Siakam is overextended as is, and most of your reasoning is solid. He did win the championship in a smaller role, but was his role that much different or just lower usage? It worked great with Kawhi being your best player, but Kawhi doesnt need the ball so Siakam was able to be a slasher. I'm just thinking he doesnt just return to smaller role with Jokic, he needs to play differently than he has ever before.

Siakam would be fine. There's nothing to suggest he is a malcontent that doesn't want to play with talented players. He'd be an elite slasher with playmaking ability on this team..

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

No disagreement there. But if you would turn Siakam into Gordon, would you draft him 24th?

He isn't Aaron Gordon.


I don't think comping Gordon and Siakam makes all that much sense for how they would be next to Jokic. There are similarities for sure, but I envision Siakam as an elite slasher who would just be unstoppable getting fed from Jokic and could take some playmaking pressure off Jokic when needed.

It's just about talent and ability and I wanted a physically imposing athletic player next to Jokic. I wanted a transition threat who could grab and go or a guy who could run the court and be an easy target for Jokic outlets.

Jokic is an elite playmaker, but he isn't ball dominant. I filled the team with high IQ players so we could run a heliocentric offense around Jokic (and spurts of Harden ball when necessary).

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I do really like Team F.

Drafting Wood was a crazy choice though. I don't think bench really matters too much for most voters, but when you add someone who struggles to get signed that's hard to spin as a positive when you should be drafting top 120 players.

 

[SoberasHotRod]

It could be an overreaction to one championship, but I think Jokic has gotten to the point where he is just that much better than everyone.

 

[HermanG]

He isn't Aaron Gordon.


I don't think comping Gordon and Siakam makes all that much sense for how they would be next to Jokic. There are similarities for sure, but I envision Siakam as an elite slasher who would just be unstoppable getting fed from Jokic and could take some playmaking pressure off Jokic when needed.

It's just about talent and ability and I wanted a physically imposing athletic player next to Jokic. I wanted a transition threat who could grab and go or a guy who could run the court and be an easy target for Jokic outlets.

Jokic is an elite playmaker, but he isn't ball dominant. I filled the team with high IQ players so we could run a heliocentric offense around Jokic (and spurts of Harden ball when necessary).

I get your idea. Murray was great with Jokic and I dont see why the slasher has to be a backcourt player. Might be even better that way, since that would probably collapse the defense more and open up shots for Garland, Wagner and Bane.

So are you then using Garland more as a shooting/transition threat who can bring the ball up and get it to Jokic and Siakam in their spots but isnt running sets or actions?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

I get your idea. Murray was great with Jokic and I dont see why the slasher has to be a backcourt player. Might be even better that way, since that would probably collapse the defense more and open up shots for Garland, Wagner and Bane.

So are you then using Garland more as a shooting/transition threat who can bring the ball up and get it to Jokic and Siakam in their spots but isnt running sets or actions?

Garland would be similar to Murray. He's the primary ball handler bringing it up the court and getting it to the spot Jokic needs it, and of course spacing the floor and playmaking when he has the opportunity.

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Like it's 2023, you can have multiple playmakers on the floor together as long as you have floor spacing.

The only player that doesn't clearly fit my team is Harden and that's why he comes off the bench.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

The Vucevic/Wood tandem is a problem... Giannis obviously helps on the defense part of that but that's one of the main reasons I went the other way.