What's new
By:

2023 Mock Draft - Take 2

Saint Cy of JFC said:
You took Whitmore at 4 over Walker and the twins.....
Click to expand...
Wings can become the better player. Thompson at best is SGA, good chance is Dedex. Every year there is a novelty Penny clone that goes bust. Walker could be something great but I like Cam better.

In fact in this draft, I would offer the Laker pick by itself for any player from 1 to 8. Based on the probability of being conveyed/lottery protections that pick is probably worth the 8th pick in 2027. I would cash that pick out super quick to get this team faster to competing at the top again - my eye is on Taylor Hendricks using the Laker pick to get him.
 
Last edited:
Saint Cy of JFC said:
You took Whitmore at 4 over Walker and the twins.....
Click to expand...
I took the younger guy… by a full year… who played in a more known environment and while he was solid but not spectacular he also had surgery on his dominant hand coming into the season. Ever sprain your thumb or brace it and play? I have… it’s a bitch… even on your off hand.

Put it this way… what kinda numbers would Cam put up in OTE next year? Thompsons are a mystery box and have the biggest bust potential of anyone in the top 7/8.

Walker I don’t buy the shot… if he is some version of Bam or Okongwu I might regret it… but that’s not what the roster needs. Wont have many opportunities to draft a wing with Cams athleticism and strength… I made my bet.
 
New Orleans is a weird team to draft for because they need immediate help more than they need a draft pick, so I think they should probably trade this pick (or trade up for Wallace) but....

I like Filipowski as a fit for them. The other guy I was thinking about for them was Bufkin, so it was mostly Bufkin vs Flip for me on them.

Filipowski could help fill out their front-court. They don't have a lot of height in their front-court and they don't have a lot of skill. Filipowski gives them both. If he reaches his potential he's a nice fit next to Zion.


Atlanta was between Cissoko and Lively. At the end I feel confident enough in Okongwu eventually taking over for Capela, so I went with another big wing to pair next to Griffin/Bey/Johnson/Collins. Kind of a loaded 3/4 roster (honestly love the Hawks roster, no idea how they are as mediocre as they are), but I'm assuming they will eventually deal Collins?
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
I took the younger guy… by a full year… who played in a more known environment and while he was solid but not spectacular he also had surgery on his dominant hand coming into the season. Ever sprain your thumb or brace it and play? I have… it’s a bitch… even on your off hand.

Put it this way… what kinda numbers would Cam put up in OTE next year? Thompsons are a mystery box and have the biggest bust potential of anyone in the top 7/8.

Walker I don’t buy the shot… if he is some version of Bam or Okongwu I might regret it… but that’s not what the roster needs. Wont have many opportunities to draft a wing with Cams athleticism and strength… I made my bet.
Click to expand...
Cam also has an under 1:2 assist to turnover ratio and isnt a high level shooter himself either. I get taking him at 7/8 as "well he's the highest upside guy left" but he isnt at 4 and it's not even close. Take Amen for upside or take Walker for defense.
 
whatthe said:
Wings can become the better player. Thompson at best is SGA, good chance is Dedex. Every year there is a novelty Penny clone that goes bust. Walker could be something great but I like Cam better.
Click to expand...
So he's at best averaging 32-5--5 at 24 years old? I'll draft that.
 
Saint Cy of JFC said:
Cam also has an under 1:2 assist to turnover ratio and isnt a high level shooter himself either. I get taking him at 7/8 as "well he's the highest upside guy left" but he isnt at 4 and it's not even close. Take Amen for upside or take Walker for defense.
Click to expand...
Amen... after a full year of focusing only on basketball... shot 23% from 3 and 65% from the line. He has a fatal flaw that could render him a bust. He's a full year older than Cam.

Cam isn't a high level shooter but he has a great base to build off of... the passing is concerning, but if the shot ticks up a bit or even just improves because he no longer wears a thumb wrap... his drives will end with him being a 20-25 ppg wing who is also a really good defender. If he adds passing... well ****... thats a superstar on the wing. He has a little way to go with the jumper... Amen is world away right now.

If Walker can't shoot then the defense is great... but it will be a clunky fit with Kessler. He's shown some improvement but I still have doubts about him getting to Millsap levels of shooting.
 
If Cam's shot has a small uptick in efficiency... is he Benny Mathurin with better defense... I think that is more attainable as a high/median outcome than Amen.

I like Amen... and at #4 in a real draft I might be inclined to move back to 5 or 6 if I can get something solid (a future first). I would have Amen/Cam/Walker in a similar tier but for fit and where I feel safest... I'm going with Cam.
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
If Cam's shot has a small uptick in efficiency... is he Benny Mathurin with better defense... I think that is more attainable as a high/median outcome than Amen.

I like Amen... and at #4 in a real draft I might be inclined to move back to 5 or 6 if I can get something solid (a future first). I would have Amen/Cam/Walker in a similar tier but for fit and where I feel safest... I'm going with Cam.
Click to expand...

I think the hope with Cam Whitmore is that he's a bruising SG who can dominate his matchup like Anthony Edwards and Jaylen Brown. To do that, he needs to expand his game and be a more complete player off the bounce. I'd rather see him overpower perimeter players than space the floor as a 3 or 4.

With Amen, you're getting a Kobe Bryant-like athlete. His combination of length and speed means that no one is going to stay in front of him. So he's like the ultimate drive-and-kick player in an increasingly drive-and-kick league. He's also a really solid passer. He needs to improve his ability to finish at and near the rim, and he needs a compact, simple little jumper like the one Tracy McGrady developed. Plus, Amen is a really solid defender, both at point of attack and in rotation.
 
Ferguson_Mellochill said:
I think the hope with Cam Whitmore is that he's a bruising SG who can dominate his matchup like Anthony Edwards and Jaylen Brown. To do that, he needs to expand his game and be a more complete player off the bounce. I'd rather see him overpower perimeter players than space the floor as a 3 or 4.

With Amen, you're getting a Kobe Bryant-like athlete. His combination of length and speed means that no one is going to stay in front of him. So he's like the ultimate drive-and-kick player in an increasingly drive-and-kick league. He's also a really solid passer. He needs to improve his ability to finish at and near the rim, and he needs a compact, simple little jumper like the one Tracy McGrady developed. Plus, Amen is a really solid defender, both at point of attack and in rotation.
Click to expand...
Tracy was a great shooter… Kobe was a really good shooter… if Amen doesn’t shoot it (he’s really far away) guys will stay in front by dropping in every pick and roll or sagging off of him. A Ben Simmons redo is fine but will have its limitations. I like Amen… but not sure we’d have the appetite to build around that.

The level of competition and age are also concerns for me. For the Jazz I think Cam is just a better fit to work around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page
Back
Top