NLL Insider - Merencio's Draft Gradesby merencio, updated on Monday, June 26 2017, 03:04 pm EST Draft Grades – Merencio Merry Draftmas, everybody! The best day of the season, to me anyway, has
come and gone! Lot of hope in the air with the new prospects, many trades
already and here is my humble and premature opinion on how the teams fared on
this day! It’s a good exercise to look at this over the years, and it’s also
very fun! Atlanta Hawks No. 01 - Markelle Fultz No. 15 - Justin Patton No. 18 – Justin
Jackson
The Hawks, on paper, addressed their biggest
needs first in filling the big holes at SG and C with Fultz and Patton. Fultz
is touted by many as the best player in this draft and the lottery smiled in
the Hawks favor this year. It’s always great when you pick up a guy that can do
so many things offensively and is gifted athletically. Fultz is a day one
starter and can also play the one. At 15 they grabbed big man Patton who is in
a backup position in the NBA, but he’s got good size, almost a 7-0 footer, at
230 pounds and very athletic getting off the ground but still very raw. At 18,
they picked up a big-game player, with a ton of experience on his resume.
Jackson can score in bunches, though a bit streaky for my taste. Is the kind of
intangibles player that every team needs but lacks elite NBA athleticism. Grade: A Boston Celtics – No picks. Brooklyn Nets – No picks. Charlotte Hornets No. 13 – Harry
Giles No. 35 - Frank
Jackson No. 38 - Ike Anigbogu No. 41 – Anžejs “Pastri Chefâ€
PaseÄņiks No. 46 – Mathias
Lessort Another busy draft for them Hornets as they stockpile young assets
and rookies on their team and as always GM Digeze made waves at the draft going
for Duke’s Harry Giles with the 13th pick. Look, Giles received comparisons to
Chris Weber in high school, that’s how good he was. He was rated the #1 player
in the country in his class, and that doesn’t happen out of nothing, then came
2 ACLs, MCL an cartilage damage surgeries and things got murky for him as a
prospect. Yes, he posted 3 ppg averages in college, but the fact he did that
and stil got picked 13th here tells you how high his ceiling is. Boom or bust
pick, no doubt. Hornets can afford it though. At 35, Jackson is a scorer
playing PG due to his size at this point. He’s athletic, shifty, quick feet and
first step along with a nose to get buckets, but will have to learn to play PG
to survive in the NBA. At 37 is Anigbogu, who has great measurable at 6-10, 250
and a 7-6 wingspan. He’s a high energy guy who can contribute in a lot of games
doing the small things, but his basketball IQ and skillset have a lot of
catching up to do. Anžejs PaseÄņiks is a steal at #41 for the Hornets, a legit
7-2 footer from Latvia (remind you of anybody?) who’s mobile and runs the floor
well. Has some touch but defense and positioning are concerns. Will turn 22
soon. Last but not least, Lessort is a Frenchman with some potential, very
athletic who’s a hustler for position, rebounds and defense, but will need to work
on his range and refined post skills which are non-existent as of today.
Grade: C+
Chicago Bulls – No
picks.
Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 58 – Kadeem
Allen
I actually like this pick, despite being the 58th. Cavs take a
flyer on a player that’s already 24 years old, former Junior College Player of
the Year, in Allen, who’s got great athleticism, is a willing defender, has good vision and has proven that he can
create for himself too, those types of players make it in the league. Kadeem
has a chance at doing that and not let the age thing get in his way.
Grade: D+
Dallas Mavericks
No. 02 – Lonzo
Ball No. 08 – Jonathan
Isaac No. 12 – Bam
Adebayo
Dallas’s put on a show, imo, or came out with a BAM, if you
will…Lonzo Ball at #2 was a good selection seen as he already has that coveted
NBA skill scouts talk about so much, which is elite passing. He’ll walk day one
and see the game differently than everybody, it’s just slows down to him and
it’s not fair, while there are concerns about his defense, his shooting and his
father, he should be worth it. Isaac has probably the highest ceiling of all
the players in this draft and when you use the word tantalizing talent to
describe a prospect, that’s great for the team that gets him. Dallas just had
to bide his time and Isaac dropped on his lap for the taking, other teams might
regret down the line and maybe see this guy as the Porzingis if this draft. Finally,
Bam is a player I really like, who’s an intimidating presence inside, with an
NLL body right now and willing to do the dirty work and whatever is needed.
Needs to refine his game and work on his bball IQ, but a great player to have
around.
Grade: A
Denver Nuggets
No. 32 – Josh
Hart
Denver took two senior, the first one in Josh Hart was a bit if a
head-scratcher in the NBA and NLL for me as I feel there were players with
higher ceilings, but there is a place in the league for the glue-guy that does
everything right and is a role model for younger guys. Hart is a character guy,
who can shoot and do everything that’s asked of him. Scouts worry about his
level of athleticism compared to NLL wings and wonder if he might be bullied or
not get separation on his shots. Dotson is a player I like, from Houston, catch
and shoot guy, needs high volume to be effective but was a great scorer in
college, also rebounds well for the position, but can he do anything else
besides jumpers?
Grade: C
Detroit Pistons
No. 05 – De’Aaron
Fox No. 16 – Donovan
Mitchell
Detroit’s draft seemed to take a turn for the worse when they saw
LAC pick Dennis Smith Jr. at 4, then Memphis picking Fox at 5 and leaving all
wings on GM Laddas’ board must’ve really been a roller coaster ride. Lol Then,
unexpectedly, Frank Ntilikina (or is it Nicotine?) was around when Memphis was
on the clock again, Laddas quickly pulled the trigger on a deal for his man,
Fox, in exchange for Tatum, while
Memphis still got away with a point guard with potential AND one of the highest
players in the draft in Tatum. Everybody wins. Fox has elite speed and agility,
reminds people of John Wall, that’s how good. He gets to the rim faster and
higher than anybody, it’s like slo-mo! He’s a true point, and a leader, who
seems ready to take over for a Detroit team who hasn’t tasted success in a
while! Concerns about his shooting are real and very worrisome, he just can’t
shoot very much, it is ugly, and you have to wonder if he will be decent enough
at it, one day to make defenders respect him. Detroit wasn’t done, though in a
deal with GS, Laddas watched Donovan Mitchell, one of my favorite players in
the draft, fall to him. Mitchell is lightning in a bottle, a very explosive
player who stands at 6-2, as an undersized 2 guard but with a 6-10 wingspan,
which is crazy if you think about it! He has improved as a playmaker and has
tough shot-making ability, but he is likely to struggle against size and
consistency at the next level. Cancar was a pick Laddas didn’t want to make,
because all his targets had been taken just moments earlier, but he’s actually
not bad of a player as he’s a competitor with range, can defend and fluid
despite his size, just needs to work on his strength.
Grade: A
Golden State Warriors
No. 60 -
Ognjen Jaramaz
Ahhh our version of Mr. Irrelevant, he is a player that also lines
up for Mega Leks, there have been a few over the past 2 drafts. Jaramaz is
actually not a bad player, he has some athletic ability, a good feel for the
game and can do some things at a solid level. He’s got nice size and is fairly
strong. I’d say not bad for 60th pick.
Grade: D-
Houston Rockets – No
picks.
Indiana Pacers
No. 07 – Malik
Monk
Indy went for a need pick here with the uber-athletic Monk who’s a
lights out shooter who can stop on a dime and get buckets by creating for
himself and needs to work on creating for others more. He is an SG in a PG’s body,
but his athleticism can overcome that. Sheed wanted a PG at this spot but since
none of his targets was here, he took the guy that filled the need while
passing guys like Isaac and Ntilikina.
Grade: B
Los Angeles Clippers
No. 03 – Josh
Jackson No. 04 – Dennis
Smith Jr. No. 14 – John
Collins No. 22 – OG
Anunoby
Now this is what I’m talking about! Andrew put on a clinic in this
year’s draft, first because he could afford to, with so many picks, and second because
that’s what you do if you’re in a position such as his. You have to go with the
players that have the highest potential and the Clippers did just that. Josh
Jackson is probably the player with the highest potential of anyone in this
draft because of his 2-way potential as a defensive anchor, scoring potential,
athleticism, feel for the game and one of the most underrated things in
basketball, desire to be great, and Jackson is #1 on that list. This guy was
the highest rated player on my board and Andrew was lucky enough to have gotten
him at 3, years from now, this can turn into a steal. Jackson needs to work on
his shooting mechanics and controlling his temper in order to take that next
step. Then they went up and “reached†for a player he’d been rumored to like a
lot pre-draft, in Dennis Smith Jr, in another clear case of shooting for the
stars, Andrew went for the best player available on his board and got an
athletic freak, with a reported 48†inch vertical, and a scoring machine who’s
drawing comparisons to Russell Westbrook. That’s big! Dennis has red-flags his
attitude and commitment that caused him to slide in the NBA, also scouts say
that he’s got short arms and that diminishes his defensive potential going
forward, those are his main things to work on. Next up at 14, John Collins was
the pick and it’s another one along the same lines as the two previous ones,
another explosive leaper, great rebounder, energetic and seems to always be
around the plays, has a resemblance of a shooting touch that can be honed to
maybe extend it to the 3 but unlikely, however does need to work on his defense
to be a consistent contributor in the league. Up next is a guy that probably
would’ve gone much higher if it weren’t for his ACL tear, OG Anunoby is his
name, very gifted athletically, great on the board and is usually around the
ball a value pick at this spot for what he can bring, as he’s got a good amount
of potential. This one was, in my opinion the best draft in the entire league,
therefore his grade will reflect that.
Grade: A+
Los Angeles Lakers
No. 19 – DJ Wilson No. 57 – Aleksandar Vezenkov
LAL came into the draft looking for a big man to continue their
lagcy of always owning quality bigs. Wilson was the chosen one and he might be
the next Mason Plumlee for them. The junior really flashes blue-chip traits,
but needs to be more consistent with it. He’s got a solid all-around game and
the physical tools to do it, and if he puts it together and clicks it, then he
could be a nice find here. Vezenkov is a player for powerhouse Barcelona in
Spain, and has a good feel for the game along with a high work rate, but lack
of athleticism is the key to limiting his potential.
Grade: C+
Memphis Grizillies
No. 06 – Jayson
Tatum No. 11 – Frank
“Nicotine†Ntilikina No. 21 – Terrance
Ferguson No. 33 – Isaiah
Hartenstein
Another nice draft class here as Memphis started his day
surprising a lot of people by taking De´Aron Fox, immediately putting Laddas in
emergency mode (I assume, lol), but it was mainly because of the fact LAC had
taken Dennis Smith, so Memphis didn´t think one of the better points in this
draft would fall to him. Then when his time came at pick 11, a guy that made
waves in the NBA and seems to be a riser in most people´s draft boards, Frank
Ntilikina, slid in our draft to his spot. Laddas and Jesse then worked out a
trade for Jayson Tatum and Memphis came away with 2 of the 10 best players in
this draft, while still getting a nice PG out of it. Talking about Tatum, to be
honest, I´m not as high on him as most people are, he´s not a franchise-changing
talent you would normally like to see, but he has the highest floor of any
player in this draft, because of how polished he is and how advanced his
skillset is at such a young age. If everything works out for him, he can be an
all-star, but he´ll be a great contributor for years to come, no doubt. His
lack of strength and top tier athleticism are what scout talk about when
comparing him with other players in this draft. Now talking about Frank´s
ceiling is really high, but there are a lot of unknowns about his game, he has
a great deal of athleticism and feel for the game, but will need to work on his
shot and creating for himself, he´s this year´s version o Dante Exum, and now
Memphis has two of those. Up next is Terrance Ferguson, who´s a guy
that will take a couple of years to develop, but he has the chance to
thrive as he matures physically, he can really score the ball and has a good
deal of athleticism, nice pick. Next at 33, they selected Hartenstein, who had
a first-round grade on him but fell due to health issues. He´s excels at the
pick and roll, mobile big man that can be a find at this spot.
Grade: A
Miami Heat
No. 24 – Kyle
Kuzma No. 56 – Alec
Peters
The Heat at 34 got a player that seems molded for the new stretch
4 game, because Kuzma can do a little bit of everything as a big, he can cut,
defend, shoot, rebound, but nothing at a really high level, that and
consistency will be the biggest points of development for him. Then at 56 the
Heat got a prolific shooter in Alec Peters. He’s got that elite skill that
scouts are always looking for and at 6-8 he plays like a mini Ryan Anderson.
Grade: C
Milwaukee Bucks
No. 20 – Jarrett
Allen
Bucks go for a Center with their only pick, which is a change of pace
compared to previous drafts, however they go for the athletic type once more,
with a 7-6 big man with some touch, and fierce rebounding. He might take a
couple of seasons to fully develop and round out the edges, but the payoff
could be good.
Grade: C+
Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 53 – Nigel
Williams-Goss
Early descriptions of this player are the he is a “coach on the
floorâ€, very smart, poised and seems to do all the right things on the floor,
be it facilitating or making big shots. He’s a little older than most prospects
and lacks explosiveness and the athleticism of the pro game, but I wouldn’t bet
against him making it, because he’s easy to root for.
Grade: D+
New Orleans Pelicans
No. 40 – Dwayne
Bacon No. 43 – Tyler
Dorsey No. 45 – Jaron
Blossomgame No. 47 – Thomas
Bryant
The Pelis first pick didn´t come until the middle of the second
round, but then went on to dominate the 40´s of this draft with 4 picks. In
Bacon they got an older wing who possesses excellent versatility and
athleticism.Teams had some medical concerns with him, otherwise he would have
been gone sooner. In Dorsey, they got a great shooter and shot creator who
could definitely find a permanent role off the bench providing a spark
offensively. Jaron Blossomgame who is also in the running for best name in the
draft, is one of my favorite players in the draft because of his speed in
transition and he is in a great spot to develop his shot in the NBA. Lastly,
Bryant is a player that has his emotions running high on both sides of the
court and motor will never be a problem for him, but he just needs to focus
that energy to be productive.
Grade: C
New York Knicks
No. 27 – Caleb
Swanigan No. 59 – Jabari
Bird
Knicks continue doing NLL Knicks-like things and keep aquiring
useful players to stack them up and make us envious of their third stringers.
Swanigan is a really nice pick-up here. He can do a little bit of everything,
leaves his heart out on the court every time. You can tel the game means a lot
to him. He will be handled by athleticism but can make up for it in strength.
Having a guy like him makes every team better. Next is Bird, who is a Senior
out of Cal whose career came from being a 5 star recuit to the 4th leading
scorer in Cal’s history, despite a lot of nagging injuries that kept him from
really exploding. He is an excellent athlete that knows how to score and has
the look of a player who makes it in the league, if he can become bigger and
stronger to stay away from injuries.
Grade: C+
Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 17 – Luke
Kennard No. 25 – Jonah
Bolden No. 31 – Tyler
Lydon
Smaug is back, folks! And you know you owe him GM points, don´t
try to hide it! All kidding aside, another solid draft by OKC, as they were
positioned in key spots of the draft and waiting for good prospects to slide to
his pick and strike, once again. Kennard was touted by many as one of the best, if not the best,
shooter in the entire draft, and he was selected higher in the NBA, but due to
some reach picks, kept on being bypassed. OKC gladly took the chance to get a
bargain value at this spot and continued his draft by going for a “reach†here,
in the fellow Aussie who´d been trending
upwards in Jonah Bolden. Jonah possesses great size at 6-10, basketball IQ,
shot making and ball-handling for a guy his size, but needs to work on his
strength, creating for himself and FT shooting to make it at the next level.
Finally, he selected Lydon, who´s a crafty PF that can really shot it and will
be a good weapon for all OKC playmakers, but needs to work on his defense and
body strength to really make it.
Grade: B-
Orlando Magic No. 09 – Lauri
Markkannen No. 26 – Tony
Bradley No. 29 – Derrick
White No. 54 – Sterling
Brown
Lauri, the Finnish Dirk hype is officially on! This guy will
always be compared to Zach Collins because Orlando actually had to make that
decision at one point and went with the better shooter, who is a guy in the mold of Meyers Leonard/ Dragan
Bender/Kristaps Porzingis, and it will be up to Lauri to work hard to look more
like Porzingis and less like the first two. Markkannen can shoot a lot, he’s
probably the best shooter in the draft and his shot is basically uncontested
everytime due to his height, but his lack of strength and defensive prowess
will seriously limit his ability and path to big playing time. At 26, Bradley
comes in as an excellent rebounder, who´s a bull in a china cabinet where he is
not afraid of contact and establishing positioning, Also very young and
could´ve used another year in college, not very athletic though. Next up, White
is a guy I love, because he has the size and is in a perfect situation in the
NBA for his game, he´s an old-school, skilled, versatile guard, who will sing
Popovich´s gospel for years to come. Lastly, Sterling Brown is the brother of
Shannon Brown (remember him?), less athletic but a gritty player.
Grade: B Philadelphia 76ers
No. 10 – Zach Collins
76ers once again found themselves in the top 10, and this time for
a guy they had targeted. He was there and so they pulled off a trade to move
into the place to grab Collins, who some around the league consider the best
legit big in the entire draft, while Markkannen was selected ahead of him,
Zach’s impact might be felt earlier as I feel he has a more well rounded game.
Questions with Collins have to do with his backup role in college, and quality
of competition he faced while at Gonzaga, though it seems he’s already many
doubter into believers in the NCAA tournament.
Grade: B+
Phoenix Suns
No. 44 – Davon
Reed No. 55 – Aplha
Kaba
Reed was actually picked at 32 in the NBA and dropped 12 spots to
the Suns who pulled the trigger on good value and a player who can pretty much
score from anywhere in the court, though he’s a
bit older than most prospects, he has a good chance to be Malcolm
Brogdon-like, because of where he was picked. Then at 55, the suns tool the
actual Mr. Irrelevant of the NBa in Alpha Kaba, who’s also in the running for
coolest name of the draft and actually a good prospect from the Mega Leks
factory who’s a 6-10 guy with great length, rebounding numbers and promising
shooting touch although a little on the skinny side.
Grade: C
Portland Trail Blazers
No. 23 – T.J.
Leaf No. 28 – Jawun
Evans No. 34 – Wesley
Iwundu No. 39 –
Sindarius Thornwell
GM Toby stepped into NLL limbo when he took over for Portland,
which is a great challenge in itself, but what he´ll need the most is patience.
With his first pick being only at 23, Toby had to wait as many of his targets
got picked, and by the time it got there, TJ Leaf was available, and it´s a
nice value here. Leaf is a great scorer that is downgraded because of his lack
of explosiveness, but he´s a guy in the mold of Ryan Anderson, that doesn´t
need that to be effective, he´ll just need a great playmaker and he´ll be fine,
even if his defensive efforts may be a liability. At 28, Portland selected
Evans, who brings scoring and playmaking ability, though undersized, would´ve
been higher if he didn´t struggle in workouts. Next, Iwundu was the selected
player who defends well and can operate as a secondary scoring option. Finally
in Thornwell they got versatile wing who can handle the ball and score in a
variety of ways. His lack of top-level athleticism limits his potential,
though.
Grade: C
San Antonio Spurs
No. 30 – Jordan Bell No. 36 – Semi Ojeleye
This was a very nice class for the Spurs, and despite the
situations their players are in the NBA, these are players that can turn out to
be steals. Jordan Bell is an electrifying player that takes pride in shutting
down the opposition’s best player,. I envision this guy being in the Tony Allen
mold, and it’s very exciting to watch him play defense and compete. Bell’s
coaches in HS actually had to ask him to play more offense as he wasn’t really
interested in it, so I’m guessing his offense is going to be the thing coaches
ask him to work on. Next up is Semi, who’s a gifted offensive player who gives
people a lot of fits as a combo-forward type, there are questions about his
defense, but this guy is ready to contribute right away.
Grade: B-
Toronto Raptors
No. 37 – Ivan
Rabb No. 48 – Monte
Morris No. 51 – Edmond
Sumner
Rabb was supposed to be a lottery pick a year ago but decided to
stay in Ca and didn’t follow his buddy Jaylen Brown to the NBA. Now his numbers
stabilized from one year to the other, but they were solid, and Rabb has a
old-man game style that reminds people of a young Z-Bo. If that comparison is
correct, Raptors will be very happy. Rabb will need to work on his strength and
continue to refine his shot because he plays below the rim. Monte Morris is the
best assist to turnover ratio in the country and we all know NBA teams love
that stat, which shows his decision-making is top notch, and that alone will
give you a great chance to make it in the league. Next up is Sumner who’s a
great prospect with an injury history who excels at going to the basket, has
good size and speed. Will need to work on his shot but it is certainly nice
value at 51.
Grade: B-
Utah Jazz – No
picks.
Washington Wizards
No. 42 – Frank
Mason No. 49 – Dillon
Brooks
Here we have the possible
Nate Robinson/Yogi Ferrell going to the Wizards, he’s a guy that it’s just fun
to watch a root for. Frank is so dynamic, that he can do a lot of things for
your club. Although he projects as a backup at the next level, he is as tough
as they come and will need to use that toughness everytime people doubt his
ability to make it in the league because of his size. Next at 49 came Dillon
Brooks who’s a relentless worker with a good all-around game who’s a shot maker
by trade, not the greatest of athletes, but good enough, solid role player
type.
Grade: C-
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