I'd be happy with Suggs, though. I still think he has a high ceiling and like that he's a legit two-way player, unlike Green. I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself with a month until the lottery. At this point, I'd just be thrilled with a top 4 pick. If they don't get that, all of this discussion is a moot point.
I think the bigger issue is that the return will not be that high. Both have something to prove in the NBA. Your best bet at a higher return is to let them play his rookie year like MCW and flip him then.
Or just draft the BPA and let him develop with the team because you're getting a talented young player and developing young talent should be the ultimate goal. No reason to flip a good young player for assets.
I will happily take any of the top 4 guys. They all look pretty damn good to me. 52% baby. Send Vernon to the lottery.
Yes, it certainly could be a moot point. I think the Rockets need to take a swing instead of going with the safer bet. Unfortunately, that's most unlikely at the 18th.
For what it's worth, there's still a 14% chance they end up with the No. 1 overall pick and all of the Suggs vs. Green debate becomes irrelevant. Or if they end up at No. 2, maybe they covet Mobley over the guards and wings left? At the end of the day, any pick in the top 4 and any of those guys would be a win in my book over picking 18th.
I initially had Kuminga as my #2. I've since replaced him with Mobley but could be easily swayed if he does end up 6'8'' or above with a 7' wingspan. Especially if he weighs 220+. I think he could be a beast at the 4 with some development. Right now: Cade - Mobley - Kuminga - Green - Suggs for me.
I see quite a great deal of maturity for a young 18 year old. The good seems to outweigh the bad. Any team has to be patient with him.
I’d be disappointed if we ended up with Mobley, Suggs, or Kuminga...disappointed is relative tho, because at least we’ll have kept our pick which is ultimately better than nothing, but still Mobley: I’m not a fan of the big man in general and trying to build around one unless they’re Jokic, Embiid, or AD caliber (mainly Embiid or Jokic tho because AD as the guy brought subpar results, but at the end of the day, he was a bonafide superstar). People can say Mobley is KG or AD all they want, I’ll have to see it to believe it. Suggs: To me, he’s the most boring pick out of the 5. High floor, lowest ceiling. Kuminga: Scariest pick out of the 5 to me because he has the biggest bust potential IMO. For every Kawhi, there’s many more Josh Jackson’s or Cam Reddish’s that can’t shoot and never learn how. Cam Reddish still has time to develop some sort of reliable jumper, but I’m not holding my breath that that’s gonna happen. Kuminga’s shooting history up to this point is simply terrible. I just do not like these athletic, terrible shooter types. Green gets props for playing well in the G-League. Kuminga in that very same league had 39/25/63 shooting splits taking 14 shots with 5 threes a game. That’s gross.
To me there are tiers.... There are 6 players that are very good prospects. There are 4-5 possible franchise or near franchise players.... out of that 4-5 my guess is 1-2 become franchise players. After the top 6, the draft really opens up. Cunningham is the best prospect in this draft and is about average for a first overall pick in a draft. Jalen Suggs is someone that could go #1 in a weak lottery season. His talent is similar in ability to someone like a Mike Bibby. Evan Mobley is very physically gifted but there are some questions about whether he can play both the 4 and the 5. He has some elite physical skills but he needs to show he will be able to shoot from the outside. Jalen Green is a hard worker and talented. I think his physical attributes are a bit over hyped, and he is older than people think. He is appealing because he is more projectable as a top scoring guard than other players in this draft. Jonathan Kuminga isn't the physical freak people think he is. He has very good physical skills and a high motor but has some aptitude issues. No one talks about Scottie Barnes but he is as good a prospect as Kuminga. He isn't viewed as having quite the upside as some of the players above him but he still has a strong skill base and aptitude. It would not be a surprise if he became an all star.
He is at the top of that group right after Barnes. He is too much of an unknown to be in the top 6 IMO. He has talent obviously but he didn't really help Duke win and he struggles to do the important small things that are the difference between winning or losing. He is one of the guys that could be an all star or could be out of the league. If I am picking in the 6-10 range I would have to strongly consider him because of his upside.
Thanks Nook. I like him, despite all the concerns regarding him. I wouldn't mind if the Rockets were able to move up and take him with the 18th, 21st to 23rd and the 24th, if we drop out of the top 4 spots. I discussed this with my friend @ApacheWarrior a few days ago. He agreed with that. The Rockets have to swing for the fences in my opinion. They have nothing to lose with that approach.
I hadn't thought of the Mike Bibby comp for Jalen Suggs, and that makes a world of sense to me. Maybe more defensive upside than Bibby.
I agree with this. The draft pick value charts say the 18/22/24 picks in aggregate are worth something around the 4-6th pick. My concern is that in real life, I don't see anyone actually willing to deal a top ten pick for multiple late first rounders. The bad teams should value a (more) elite prospect over a collection of dudes, and the good teams wont have three roster spots open for rookies, especially late first round flyer types. So while I like the move if we strike out on a top 4 pick, and think we should try to trade up as far as possible, I don't think it's a trade that gets done. More likely, we'll be very underwhelmed with how far up we can actually move by packaging two or three of those picks together.
I agree with this too. It's worth a chance for a high ceiling player like Jalen Johnson but not for Davion Mitchell or Jared Butler. They have accomplished more, but they are safe and solid players with less upside.
IMO Evan Mobley should not be pick so high. He is a #10 - #12 pick at best. He reminds me of John Henson.
