2018 NBA Draft

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Care to elaborate? Bagley has the ability to spread the floor and is really athletic for his size. I admit I haven't watched Monroe a lot, but I was under the impression he doesn't stray far from the basket. Both are good rebounders, but Bagley also seems to possess enough skill to take a defensive rebound coast to coast which is something I imagine Monroe doesn't do much of.

I don't know where this myth that Bagley III is a good shooter comes from. He's shooting 62% on FTs this year, and he gets 6.8 FTA per game. That's not a fluke. He's tied for the 22nd highest scorer in the NCAA, and for perspective, he has the 2nd lowest FT% of any of college's top 100 scorers, and only 6 players shoot below 70% & most shoot over 80%.

Greg Monroe is a career 70.4% FT shooter, who shot 62.2% his rookie year (and 67.7% in college).

From NBAdraftroom:

He has elite coordination and speed for his size and he'll be a match-up nightmare once he gets a consistent jump shot

Also from NBAdraftroom:

He isn't much of a rim protector and tends to shy away from contact and fails to challenge shots at the rim

^^^The same is often said of Greg Monroe...

From nbadraft.net's scouting report of Monroe

Body strength is a question mark. Tends to avoid contact

Taken from scouting reports on Bagley & Monroe coming out of college

Bagley

Has stretch big potential

Monroe

Nice touch on his jumper with range out to the three-point area

Monroe shot 27.3% from 3 in college. Bagley shoots 35.4%. Monroe is 0 for 12 for 3s in his NBA career.

From a Washington Post article on this year's bigs back in January

Bagley III has been dominant in the post, but scouts are wary of his jump-shooting game

Bagley has a bag of tricks for post moves and has spent his freshman year facing off against undersized opponents. But he’s struggled against those same smaller forwards when guarding the perimeter. And though he’s excelling in Duke’s classical three-guard, two-forward set, his frame translates as a huge small forward or a developing center. In short, the guy with the 7-foot wingspan is somehow stuck between positions

upon entering the league, there are some constants, players and coaches said. Playing consistent defense is chief among them... The NBA is less reliant on blocks than ever, and depends on forwards and centers to defend point guards in pick-and-roll situations, or to contest perimeter shots

I could go on, but the main point is a lot of scouts said Monroe had a good handle, good face up game, strong rebounder and the potential to become a good low post scorer, even a stretch 4 at the next level. Yet, they had major concerns about his defensive abilities, even his defensive effort at times. Even from college you could see he was projected as a one-way player. And one thing Monroe does have that they don't say about Bagley is Monroe is an exceptional passer. I've heard the opposite about Bagley. Some think he's a black hole & doesn't look for his teammates enough.

This is obviously a critical look at Bagley. But, it's fair imo. Sure, he has a lot of upside & he might be able to correct some of these concerns. But, can he overcome all of this???

Personally, I don't think so. I think he's a one-dimensional player. I don't think he can handle perimeter defense or will develop into a player who can. He's definitely not JJJ in that respect. He may develop a jump shot, especially given the emphasis in today's game, but I don't think he'll ever be elite, and I think it's super fair to question whether his strengths will be as pronounced against players in the NBA who possess his same quickness, size & athleticism. You negate that advantage & what can Bagley III fall back on?

[mac222b]

Bagley at least is potentially an ok defender. He’s a marvelous athlete. Is It a maturity, effort or that he hasn’t learned the skills thing? Or some of all 3?I mean if Coach K can’t get him to play defense that’s not exactly a great sign

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by mac222b

Bagley at least is potentially an ok defender. He’s a marvelous athlete. Is It a maturity, effort or that he hasn’t learned the skills thing? Or some of all 3?I mean if Coach K can’t get him to play defense that’s not exactly a great sign

I think it's a combination of ability & never having done it before. He wasn't guarding perimeter players in high school, but neither was Jaren Jackson Jr. JJJ has shown more natural ability.

Can you coach Bagley up? Probably, but what happens when the assignments turn from guarding Lonnie Walker to handling Russell Westbrook on a PnR?

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Let's be clear too. Greg Monroe was a fine NBA player. He basically averaged a double double for 5 years.

I'm just saying are we going to be happy with our top 5(ish) pick this year, if all he amounts to is Greg Monroe?

I'm going to be sick to my stomach if Jaren Jackson Jr turns into The Brow 2.0, and Ayton & Doncic are both monsters too. Because I don't see Bagley as a bust. I just don't see him as a dominant NBA player. There's scouts who think Wendell Carter Jr is the better prospect.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by BPo001

Care to elaborate? Bagley has the ability to spread the floor and is really athletic for his size. I admit I haven't watched Monroe a lot, but I was under the impression he doesn't stray far from the basket. Both are good rebounders, but Bagley also seems to possess enough skill to take a defensive rebound coast to coast which is something I imagine Monroe doesn't do much of.

I think he's talking defense. Monroe is a skilled offensive player who can't defend Dirk with a twisted ankle and two broken fingers.

[Underdog]

@LiamDoyleNBA: Bagley with bad footwork on the perimeter. His production is great but the flaws are real, limit his upside. How many 5’s can’t guard the rim or the perimeter, and can’t shoot 3’s? https://twitter.com/LiamDoyleNBA/sta...16807064178688

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Underdog

@LiamDoyleNBA: Bagley with bad footwork on the perimeter. His production is great but the flaws are real, limit his upside. How many 5’s can’t guard the rim or the perimeter, and can’t shoot 3’s? https://twitter.com/LiamDoyleNBA/sta...16807064178688

Nice guy to follow.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

ORL was up on DET 97-96 w/ 1:20 left in the 4th qtr... They played tight all game. Really thought ORL was gonna pull this one out. Darn.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

BKN too. Smh... BKN was up 95-93 on IND w/ 3:37 to go in the 4th qtr. The Nets were playing IND tough all night. D'Angelo Russell w/ 18 pts 9 asst. Thought BKN might pull out the W. That's two close calls tonight. Rats!!

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Dang! MEM nearly fooled around and beat OKC. Smh...

Chandler Parsons sighting tonight too.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

This Elfrid Payton/Devin Booker tandem is looking like it could work...

[Underdog]

@tankathon: Hawks, Magic, Nets, Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, Kings, and Grizzlies all lost tonight. Suns will probably lose to the Jazz too.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

I don't know about that. PHX 71 UTH 72 at the end of 3...

Jazz down Rubio tonight & they're missing Hood... PHX has Booker back tonight & he already has 23 pts

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Kentucky down 6 last 3 minutes vs Auburn & Calipari has Kevin Knox sitting for defense reasons... Hmmmm...

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

This Elfrid Payton/Devin Booker tandem is looking like it could work...

Booker 28 pts
Payton 13 pts 12 asst 11 rebs

2nd round pick for a 23 yr old who puts up triple doubles... Wish the Mavs had gotten in on that. Payton's other 2 games 29 pts 8 rebs 5 asst and 19 pts 9 asst 6 rebs... all for a 2nd round pick. SMH.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Holy Cow. Is anyone else watching this Nevada/Boise State game?

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

Holy Cow. Is anyone else watching this Nevada/Boise State game?

This was about Kendall Stephens, 6-7 Senior SG from Nevada. Kid can flat out shoot the rock. Was the ESPN100 65th ranked player coming out of high school. Signed with Purdue & transferred to Nevada after his Junior year.

Really doesn't do anything else. He's not a guy that would get drafted. He's literally just a 3 point shooter. I even saw him on one screen running the baseline where he was completely wide open underneath the basket, but he was in autopilot mode & just kept on running to the corner. A few minutes later the exact same thing happened, a teammate saw him & made the pass, Stephens was still on autopilot mode & the pass sailed out of bounds. So, he doesn't even seem all that aware of situational offense.

That said, he has incredible range. He was 4/4 on 3s in the first half & 3 of them were 4-5 feet behind the NBA 3-point line. He has no fear. He just catches & shoots. The announcers said his coach, Eric Musselman (former Warriors & Kings coach), said he doesn't just have the green light, he has the neon green light to shoot.

I definitely would be in favor of extending him an invite to summer camp & seeing how he can develop. I'm pretty sure the kid isn't an NBA player because he's very lanky & not exceptionally athletic. But, I'm also positive he's going to be playing professional basketball somewhere overseas. That kind of range, quick release, no fear/hesitation, and size. Legit shooter.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Was fun to watch Chandler Hutchinson in this game.

#24 Nevada @ Boise State for 1st place in the Mountain West on the line.

Hutchinson Positives:

1) He is a legit scorer. The handle is for real. He can move & get to the basket. Adept at finishing with the right or left hand. Excellent body control. Good hops. Very effective coming to a jump shot & going back up over defenders for easy looks

2) Seemingly any time he wants, on the break, in a half court set... literally at any time, he can throw it into 5th gear, and he's simply by his defender. He's so fast, he makes every other player on the court look like they don't belong. I don't know exactly how that will translate to the NBA, but I have to imagine he'll be in the upper say 25% of NBA guards/wings in terms of pure speed.

3) Doesn't force his shot. Very good about getting the ball to open teammates.

4) It was difficult to assess his defensive abilities because Boise State spent most of the game in a zone defense. That said, Hutchinson stayed mentally alert. He knew his assignments at all times & several times he even pointed his teammates to their correct assignment. He was very aware of Kendall Stephens when he was assigned to his side of the floor. Other times when he could, he was great about anticipating a shot going up and going in for a contest or for the rebound.

Hutchinson Negatives:

1) Has a very bad habit of not following his own shot. The entire game I saw him crash the offensive glass one time. No matter if he shoots it, passes it, or a teammate puts up the shot, as soon as the action is completed he does a Steph Curry imitation & he's already running back up the court on defense. Sloppy rebounding skills on offense.

2) He's not an exceptional passer. He sees what needs to be done, but all of his passes are lasers. He whips the ball around without a sense of touch or finesse. I never saw him employ a bounce or lob pass. I only saw one pass into the post that led the big to a bucket. Poor anticipation skills. He moreso, gets double teamed, and looks for the nearest open teammate & gets rid of it.

3) Definitely still needs work to develop an NBA 3. He has a shot, but he lacks confidence & the mechanics aren't as fluid as they need to be. He's not Kendall Stephens, for example, who will just let it fly with confidence at any time. It's almost like he has to have space to feel comfortable letting it go.

This is just a side note on his defense. Well... also in general. In the 1st half, Hutchinson didn't even look like the best player on the court. He didn't look like one of the 3 best players on the court. Nevada has a guy averaging 19 ppg this year. Junior SF Caleb Martin a NC State transfer. nbadraft.net has him going in the 2nd round in the 2019 draft.

Martin posterized Hutchinson on a baseline drive in the 1st half, and Martin who's listed at 6-7, I would believe Hutchinson is more like 6-6 even though he's listed at 6-7 too.

With Kendall Stephens going 4-4 on deep 3s & shooting right over the zone, Boise State dumped out of their zone & went to some box & 1s, and man defense to close out both halves. Also, Villanova had Mikal Bridges defending Providence's PG as he brought the ball up the final 5 minutes tonight & Mikal was giving Providence's guards trouble.

Hutchinson is no Mikal Bridges, but Boise State did have Hutchinson out top guarding Caleb Martin. On one possession late in the game, Martin drove right on Hutchinson, utilizing a screen, and Hutchinson wasn't able to recover. Martin laid it in for a relatively easy layup. Hutchinson basically was burnt on that possession.

However, with just under a minute to go, and the score 72-72 (with 1st place in the Mountain West on the line), Hutchinson again guarded Martin at the top of the key. Martin tried to blow past him to the left this time & he got a little breathing room (Martin has a quick first step), but Hutchinson recovered and not only caught up to Martin but he leaped high enough & stayed high enough to wait Martin out until he tried to force up a shot & then he swatted it into the 3rd row. It was a very impressive defensive & athletic play with the season on the line.

Hutchinson also had 2 steals that were impressive during the game (he had 4 total steals, but only 2 were impressive). One time he stripped a post player who tried to dribble around him. Just picked his pocket. And the second time he looked off Nevada's PG, read a passing lane, and jumped out for a steal going the other way. Definitely see the alertness, the physical tools, and the instincts for Hutchinson to be a well above average defender at the next level.

Based on all of this, and everything else I've read & seen on Hutchinson, I feel like he's a solid fit in the 15-20 range of this draft.

[saclare]

Originally Posted by Underdog

@LiamDoyleNBA: Bagley with bad footwork on the perimeter. His production is great but the flaws are real, limit his upside. How many 5’s can’t guard the rim or the perimeter, and can’t shoot 3’s? https://twitter.com/LiamDoyleNBA/sta...16807064178688

While that was terrible defense on that play, that is easy to work with from a coaching perspective, same with trainers to get the hips more fluid. That being said, simply depends where you are drafting and who else is on the board who is a little more advanced.

[Underdog]

Jaren Jackson should be a top-three NBA Draft pick
https://fanbuzz.com/college-basketba...ba-draft-pick/

What’s impressive about the block isn’t just that it is on Bagley. It is that he had the wherewithal, after helping deter another shot attempt, as well as the spring in his feet, to get in position to get to Bagley’s ill-fated attempt. Normal big men don’t make it back there in time.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Right now, Ayton, Jackson jr, Bagley go 1, 2, 3 for me. Doncic 4th, and either Young or Bamba at 5. Porter goes 6th or 7th because of the injury worries.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Right now, Ayton, Jackson jr, Bagley go 1, 2, 3 for me. Doncic 4th, and either Young or Bamba at 5. Porter goes 6th or 7th because of the injury worries.

I love Bamba but am starting to sway over Jackson Jr's way. Would any one choose Bamba or Jackson Jr. over Ayton?

[BPo001]

Originally Posted by mac222b

I love Bamba but am starting to sway over Jackson Jr's way. Would any one choose Bamba or Jackson Jr. over Ayton?

Nope. I'd consider Jackson over Bamba, but not Ayton.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by mac222b

I love Bamba but am starting to sway over Jackson Jr's way. Would any one choose Bamba or Jackson Jr. over Ayton?

Nah, Ayton still tops the list -- but I've had JJJ over Bamba for a few weeks now... The question for me is where he ranks compared to Bagley, Porter and Doncic.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

You hear the upside for Ayton, and you think Wow! David Robinson 2.0, I read some stat the other day that Ayton is averaging something like 19 ppg, 10 rpg and a true shooting % of 65%, and only 2 other players in NCAA history have done that Blake Griffin & David Robinson... So, I keep Ayton atop my rankings for that type of upside.

But, when I hear things like NBA body & some of the other things said about Ayton, it's like who cares? He's not the next Shaq. What stands out to me is his shooting touch (and form/mechanics) for his size. Plus, what they say about his agility & ability to play the PnR defense.

Yet, when you look at JJJ, he does all of those same things Ayton does only better. He has better range on his jump shot, shoots better from the line, and he's definitely a better shot blocker, just as if not more agile defending the perimeter. When you look at it from that perspective, I wonder why not JJJ over Ayton?

I'll put it this way, if we get a top 2 pick & draft Ayton, I'll be ECSTATIC!!!

But, if we wind up a few spots lower and land JJJ, I'll be just as ECSTATIC!!!

[Underdog]

Afraid of Rejections: Deandre Ayton Is a Physical Marvel, but It Isn’t Showing on Defense
https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/7/...ocks-nba-draft

Ayton doesn’t play with much energy on defense. He rarely makes two efforts at contesting a shot, and he’s not particularly diligent about getting himself involved in a play when it doesn’t involve his man. I talked to one NBA scout who thinks the problem is that Ayton has a high school mentality when it comes to defense, and that he is more concerned with winning his individual matchup statistically than filling his role in the Arizona system. You can draw a direct line from Ayton’s lack of effort to the Wildcats’ defensive struggles this season. They have the no. 213-rated defense in the country, a shockingly low number for a team coached by a defensive-minded coach like Sean Miller.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

You hear the upside for Ayton, and you think Wow! David Robinson 2.0, I read some stat the other day that Ayton is averaging something like 19 ppg, 10 rpg and a true shooting % of 65%, and only 2 other players in NCAA history have done that Blake Griffin & David Robinson... So, I keep Ayton atop my rankings for that type of upside.

But, when I hear things like NBA body & some of the other things said about Ayton, it's like who cares? He's not the next Shaq. What stands out to me is his shooting touch (and form/mechanics) for his size. Plus, what they say about his agility & ability to play the PnR defense.

Yet, when you look at JJJ, he does all of those same things Ayton does only better. He has better range on his jump shot, shoots better from the line, and he's definitely a better shot blocker, just as if not more agile defending the perimeter. When you look at it from that perspective, I wonder why not JJJ over Ayton?

I'll put it this way, if we get a top 2 pick & draft Ayton, I'll be ECSTATIC!!!

But, if we wind up a few spots lower and land JJJ, I'll be just as ECSTATIC!!!

David Robinson is one of the most fluid athletes at his size we've ever seen. I don't see that with Ayton. He's explosive vertically and has nice footwork offensively for a big. Robinson stayed lean, I see Ayton if anything becoming bulkier. He reminds me more of Hakeem only without the all-world defense.

Ayton projects to be able to score in a variety of ways and can pass some whereas JJJ seems mainly around the rim and 3 point. No reason to think JJJ cant develop in some ways to be at least a threat to drive, post up or kick out. Maybe a slightly less athletic but more well rounded Ibaka is his upside. Ibaka's second year in the league, around age 20 (so he says--he looks and plays more like a 32 year old not his listed 28), he didn't even attempt a 3 point shot! So if JJJ is a guy that can average 18-10-3 once he gets stronger and develops some offensive game, on around 35-40% from 3. Whats that worth? We're talking about maxing out Capela who cant shoot from 3 and will likely never develop a post game or drive and kick.

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Afraid of Rejections: Deandre Ayton Is a Physical Marvel, but It Isn’t Showing on Defense
https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/7/...ocks-nba-draft

Ayton really reminds me of Dwight Howard with a three

[Bryan_Wilson]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Afraid of Rejections: Deandre Ayton Is a Physical Marvel, but It Isn’t Showing on Defense
https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/7/...ocks-nba-draft

God it really is a shame Noel didn't have the drive or couldn't take that next step for whatever reason. Such a waste of ability.

[Underdog]

Jaren Jackson’s Accelerated Rate of Development & Perimeter Playmaking vs Minnesota
https://www.thestepien.com/2018/02/1...-vs-minnesota/

Bigs who can pass, even from a stationary position like the mid-post, and thus be involved in a heightened amount of offensive sets, are very valuable both in the past and current iterations of the NBA game. Bigs who can pass on the move given how pick-and-roll and five-out sets are pillars of most offenses are incredibly valuable in the modern game specifically.

For the first time this season (by my watching) Jackson’s potential as a passer on the move, both on closeouts projecting to the next level and in short roll situations, flashed repeatedly in the same game in noticeable fashion.

[tap2390]

My favorite sleepers:


1) Gary Trent Jr. -- Don't know if it's fair to call him a sleeper because he will likely go in the lottery. I really want him on the Mavs. He's a freshman with an NBA pedigree shooting 46% from three on 6.2 attempts. He needs to work on ball-handling and defense, but he moves so well off the ball and coming off screens.

2) Tony Carr -- A point (really combo guard) with size who can switch defensively 1-3. Has a variety of scoring moves in the midrange and knows how to get to his spot. Needs to tighten up his handle. Has made a tremendous leap from his freshman year for an over-performing Penn State squad. You wonder if his jumper translates to next level because he's not great about setting his feet.

3) Keita Bates-Diop -- Reminds me a LOT of Josh Howard. You worry about his 'tweener build, but he has displayed vastly improved handles. He needs to show he can continue to improve his jumper so defenders can't just lag off him at the next level.

[EricaLubarsky]

Watched Ayton 25-16-4

Im impressed

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Watched Ayton 25-16-4

Im impressed

I watched the first half. I thought Fran Fraschilla paid him a huge compliment when he said, "I challenge anyone to find a play, offense or defense, where DeAndre Ayton isn't giving it his absolute all". I hadn't heard anyone praise Ayton's motor like that before.

I thought Arizona State lost him a few times that led to easy scores, and I didn't see Ayton do anything too terribly impressive in the first half, outside of one mid range 1-on-1 move he had that led to a sweet looking jump shot. I do think Ayton let some easy layup attempts go unchallenged; although, it was clear he was following his defensive rotations, which is something I saw Chandler Hutchinson do vs Nevada a few times. I don't know if you can criticize a prospect for that or not. Probably if we were aware of the actual defensive assignments their team had, we'd probably learn that they were suppose to go guard the corner 3 & a teammate had failed to rotate over in the lane. Something like that. I still think you have to penalize them a little bit for not protecting the basket, but maybe their coach has instructed them otherwise.

One thing that is clear about Arizona is they don't run the offense through Ayton. If they did, I think he could average 40 & 25. Somebody here said awhile back that Arizona doesn't have anybody besides Ayton. They seem to run the ball through Alonzo Trier & Rawlie Alkins more than Ayton. Also they're Arizona, virtually every recruit was an ESPN100 player coming out of high school... So, Ayton isn't getting all of the looks that he could (maybe even should be getting). I think it's significant to recognize that he could be putting up much better #s, if Arizona were running it's offense to showcase him. Actually makes me wonder what Real Madrid is doing in respect to Luka Doncic because all we see are the #s...

[Underdog]

Been listening to some podcasts, have a few Mavs draft takeaways...

LockedOnMavericks: Apparently after the Kings game, Carlisle said the Mavs were going to try to win "winnable" games, then when asked what that meant, he replied, "ask Mark." In other words, Cuban is basically ordering him to tank... Isaac Harris is projecting the Mavs to finish somewhere in the ballpark of 4-21 over their last 25 games.

The Ringer: They think Marvin Bagley's lack of defense is going to hurt him longterm. Like, in 5 years he's just going to be another Michael Beasley, whereas a player like Mikal Bridges is going to have much more value around the league. For that reason, they think Jaren Jackson Jr would be a better fit for the Mavs (and more specifically, Dennis) than Bagley.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Both of those notes are excellent news!

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Been listening to some podcasts, have a few Mavs draft takeaways...

LockedOnMavericks: Apparently after the Kings game, Carlisle said the Mavs were going to try to win "winnable" games, then when asked what that meant, he replied, "ask Mark." In other words, Cuban is basically ordering him to tank... Isaac Harris is projecting the Mavs to finish somewhere in the ballpark of 4-21 over their last 25 games.

The Ringer: They think Marvin Bagley's lack of defense is going to hurt him longterm. Like, in 5 years he's just going to be another Michael Beasley, whereas a player like Mikal Bridges is going to have much more value around the league. For that reason, they think Jaren Jackson Jr would be a better fit for the Mavs (and more specifically, Dennis) than Bagley.

Thats funny, I almost compared him to Super Cool Beas in here the other day but thought it might be unfair to Bagley. Would be fine with Mikal over Bagley or maybe even Trae

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Been listening to some podcasts, have a few Mavs draft takeaways...

LockedOnMavericks: Apparently after the Kings game, Carlisle said the Mavs were going to try to win "winnable" games, then when asked what that meant, he replied, "ask Mark." In other words, Cuban is basically ordering him to tank... Isaac Harris is projecting the Mavs to finish somewhere in the ballpark of 4-21 over their last 25 games.

The Ringer: They think Marvin Bagley's lack of defense is going to hurt him longterm. Like, in 5 years he's just going to be another Michael Beasley, whereas a player like Mikal Bridges is going to have much more value around the league. For that reason, they think Jaren Jackson Jr would be a better fit for the Mavs (and more specifically, Dennis) than Bagley.

I listened to last week's podcast on Jaren Jackson Jr & Luka Doncic. Just listened to this week's too. Really enjoying the Ringer's NBA draft podcast.

They compare Bagley III as a potential Brandan Wright clone.

Wright was just acquired by the Rockets. Here's what D'Antoni said about him:

Coach Mike D'Antoni said recently-acquired center Brandan Wright will be "insurance, mostly" for the frontcourt depth.

Wright's been out of the league since 2016. I know we all have fond memories of Wright with the Mavs, but he only played 65 or more games in a season one time in his career. He basically had a good 5 year run as a role player & that was it.

[Underdog]

Jeez, DeAndre Ayton with a monster game tonight: 25 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal.

[sefant77]

Wrights body always cheats on him. Guy was just never healthy.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

This was about Kendall Stephens, 6-7 Senior SG from Nevada. Kid can flat out shoot the rock. Was the ESPN100 65th ranked player coming out of high school. Signed with Purdue & transferred to Nevada after his Junior year.

Really doesn't do anything else. He's not a guy that would get drafted. He's literally just a 3 point shooter. I even saw him on one screen running the baseline where he was completely wide open underneath the basket, but he was in autopilot mode & just kept on running to the corner. A few minutes later the exact same thing happened, a teammate saw him & made the pass, Stephens was still on autopilot mode & the pass sailed out of bounds. So, he doesn't even seem all that aware of situational offense.

That said, he has incredible range. He was 4/4 on 3s in the first half & 3 of them were 4-5 feet behind the NBA 3-point line. He has no fear. He just catches & shoots. The announcers said his coach, Eric Musselman (former Warriors & Kings coach), said he doesn't just have the green light, he has the neon green light to shoot.

I definitely would be in favor of extending him an invite to summer camp & seeing how he can develop. I'm pretty sure the kid isn't an NBA player because he's very lanky & not exceptionally athletic. But, I'm also positive he's going to be playing professional basketball somewhere overseas. That kind of range, quick release, no fear/hesitation, and size. Legit shooter.

nbadraft.net just made Kendall Stephens their last player taken in their latest mock draft update.

Feeling like I have an eye for talent or something over here. Lol.