Live Thread: 2018 NBA Draft (#DoYouFeelIt?)

Live Thread: 2018 NBA Draft (#DoYouFeelIt?)

2018-06-21 Off By EvilGenius

I’ll admit it… my heart’s just not in this draft. Not because there aren’t a ton of terrific young prospects to choose from, even at the 8th spot where the Cavaliers find themselves… but because I’m finding it hard to enjoy it with the ever-present spectre of another LeBron James “decision” looming over it. With such a disparate group of players potentially available (from bigs to smalls to every swing man in between), the wrinkle that makes it even harder to evaluate who best suits this team… is the uncertainty of whether or not the pick in question will be sharing the court with the King. Do they complement his style… or will they suddenly have the weight of a franchise foisted upon their young shoulders. Hard to say.

Fortunately for me (and for the rest of you) we have a terrific staff here at C:tB who have been breaking down the potential candidates over the last week or two. The three remaining have generated some fairly polarizing views.

Apologies in advance, but I’m going to crib from the ESPN strengths and weaknesses since I have limited time before the draft starts…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB8uoq7Kq9A

Trae Young

Is he the next Steph? Or, is he the next Shabazz Napier? No college prospect moves the needle more between boom and bust for most NBA experts.

Strengths (courtesy of ESPN)

  • Deadly pull-up shooter with deep range. Loves transition quick hitters. Kills pick-and-roll under coverages.
  • Shifty ball handler who has it on a string. Uses his pull-up threat to set up the rest of his game. Has a knack for drawing fouls despite his size.
  • Excellent passer (9.8 assists per 40 with a not-so-inspiring supporting cast). Should look even better with NBA spacing and talent around him.

Weaknesses (courtesy of ESPN)

  • Underwhelming physical profile for a starting NBA point guard. How much will he be able to fill out? Lack of elite physical tools along with uninspiring effort lead to serious questions about who he’ll be able to defend at the NBA level. While partially due to role, he showed a lack of toughness defensively at Oklahoma.
  • Struggles to finish in traffic against length and athleticism. Relied heavily on getting to the free throw line at the collegiate level — 9.7 times per 40 — but his efficiency took a dive when the whistles dried up.
  • Brilliant court vision but can be careless with the ball, especially in a crowd. Lack of elite size limits his ability to see over the top of the defense. Gets bumped off his spots. Turned the ball over on 20.6 percent of pick-and-roll possessions.

My Take

If LeBron sticks around, Young could develop into something special, and probably wouldn’t be any worse than what the Cavs have had defensively at the point over the last couple of years. If LeBron bolts, Young does not exactly seem like the kind of cornerstone talent the team can build around. I hope they steer clear, but I could totally see the Cavs believing in Young as a sort of hail mary/Shabazz Napier kind of play. His ceiling also could be valuable in potential trades regardless of what LeBron decides.

Wendell Carter, Jr.

Is he the next Al Horford? Or, the next Al Jefferson? WCJ is a very large dude with a nice offensive touch, who doesn’t really do anything all that remarkable on the floor.

Strengths (courtesy of ESPN)

  • Strong physical profile. Powerful and explosive off two feet. Uses verticality to protect the rim.
  • Polished, versatile, intelligent player on both ends of the floor. Has soft hands to go along with strong footwork and touch. Good shooting mechanics; made 19 of 46 3s (41 percent) to go along with 74 percent of his free throws. Good passer and rebounder.
  • Lauded for his outstanding intangibles as a worker and teammate. Has a very high floor.

Weaknesses (courtesy of ESPN)

  • Not as explosive as some of his peers. Floor is high, but ceiling is also lower.
  • Looks heavy-footed at times trying to defend in space. Might struggle to step out in pick-and-roll situations. Has good instincts, but will need to continue to hone his technique.
  • Doesn’t always play with the type of physicality and confidence you might hope, especially in pressure-packed situations. Comfortable blending in.

My Take

Unless the Cavs go against what they’ve said publicly about wanting to hang onto Kevin Love, whether LeBron decides to leave or not, WCJ seems more like a redundancy of skills the Cavs already possess.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Is he the next Shaun Livingston (pre-injury)? Or, the next Michael Carter Williams? SGA is a tall, lanky and sneaky good finisher from the PG position, but is he a reach at #8?

Strengths (courtesy of ESPN)

  • Elite size and length for a lead guard. Slithery athlete who gets to spots on the floor with long strides. Impressive side-to-side agility.
  • Polished ball-screen player. Splits screens instinctually. Good pace as a facilitator. Can pass or finish with either hand. Crafty around the rim. Improved standstill shooter.
  • Tools to become a multi-positional defender in time. Good instincts.

Weaknesses (courtesy of ESPN)

  • Not overly explosive or physical. Gets by on skill and craft. PG skills could still use some polish.
  • How will he score in the half court? Slow, flat-footed pull-up that’s easy to contest.
  • Not always the defender he could be. Reaches rather than contains. Level of toughness is inconsistent.

My Take

While I’m a fan of tall point guards (especially ones with seven foot wingspans), I’m also a fan of point guards who can shoot. SGA is not going to impress many with his current ability to put the ball in the hole, except on layups… at least at the moment. While he could develop into a solid two-way PG, he’s not the kind of three point gunner that LeBron will have patience for if he stays. SGA could be a decent choice for a rebuilding team, but I’d prefer Collin Sexton’s game and motor over his.

So, there you have the last three candidates who might be available to the Cavs when they pick tonight. Of course, they could always move up or down the draft board with a trade tonight (as high as maybe Memphis at 4 if they want to take on Chandler Parson’s albatross contract… or down to 11 if they want to try to snag Kemba Walker and Nic Batum with a salary/pick swap with Charlotte).

We’ll do our best to keep this thread updated with all of tonight’s picks as they’re announced, or trades along the way. So please, hang out and follow along… no matter if your heart’s in it or not.

The Phoenix Suns are on the clock…

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1009971633484951552

And, that concludes Round 1!

Feel free to hang out to see if the Cavs trade/buy back into Round 2…

 

Share
CategoryFeatured Live Thread
TagsKevin Love Lebron James Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Trae Young Wendell Carter Jr.
745 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
believeLAND

Man, feel really bad for Porter. Really like Knox though

0
newnomad

DOES 76ERS ROLL THE DICE AND TAKE PORTER/ LET HIM SIT FOR A YEAR

0
Arch Stanton

I think the Clippers take Porter with one of their consecutive picks

0
Jason

Agreed. Can afford the risk with 2 picks.

0
Nate Smith

Sexton, with his academics, competitiveness, and work ethic had the best intangibles in the draft. Character matters.

0
EvilGenius

Sixers gonna be super tough with Mikal tho…

0
Arch Stanton

I see Bridges going to Philly now.

0
Jason

Perfect for them. Simmons, Reddick, Bridges, Saric, Embiid. Lights out.

0
newnomad

ok evil work on a nickname for SEXTON ——-

0
Excl

Tall Sexy?

0
JoeyB

We have to decide which of his moves will be named “sexting.”

0
EvilGenius

On it…

0
EvilGenius

They call him “Young Bull” already tho…

0
JRL

Pumped for Sexton. Hopefully LeBron sees the capabilities and decides to stick around.

0
Nate Smith

I’d take Sexton. Mikal second.

0
Nate Smith

Cavs played it perfectly with the smokescreens on SGA and Porter. They guy they wanted all along fell to them and now they have the best point guard in the draft.

0
newnomad

like the pick—-although Porter might turn out healthy down the road / like EMBIID —-je also might turn out like sam bowie ——think cavs made the right choice

0
Arch Stanton

Sources: New York is selecting Kevin Knox with the No. 9 pick in NBA draft.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018

0
Jason

Could be a Kemba trade afoot.

Does anyone know if we can buy into round 2? I think we should. Khrie Thomas?

0
believeLAND

YO I LOVED THAT. “Lebron let’s do it. Let’s go back to the finals.” What a great moment

0
EvilGenius

Knicks gonna Knick I bet…

0
Mr Green in Library with Jrs Laid Pipe

Gonna be fun to watch!

0
JMKP

I’m so happy. Disaster averted.

0
believeLAND

Oh thank goodness, the relief…………..

0
Excl

He went 3 on 5 at Oklahoma, so he’ll be right at home if we go to our standard 1 on 5 offense.

0
MikeO

Good point.

0
newnomad

hat is why they promoted damon jones —to work on sextons jumper —SARCASM !!

0
Mr Green in Library with Jrs Laid Pipe

So pumped! Great pick Cavs!

0
Frogdog

Sexton looks like he will be fun to watch. Love the speed and intensity.

0
EvilGenius

Love the pick… even if Bron goes…

0
Nate Smith

Super psyched. Guy is crazy smart, crazy competitive crazy hard working. Dude is going to be special.

0
Jason

If his shooting improves, he could be off the charts good.

Start him at PG from day 1.

0
Vintage

Yes!!!

0
believeLAND

LEETTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSS GGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

0
Excl

That’s got to be considered a sexy picky, right?

0
JoeyB

There is only one sexy pick, and his name is Bartolo.

0
Charlie E

We got him!

0
JoeyB

While sitting on the bench. Lue gonna roll with his guys.

0
EvilGenius

Okay… stop being such a curmudegon JoeyB… ;)

0
JoeyB

At least I wear socks!

0
EvilGenius

LOL

0
Scotch

bahaha

0
Simmo

Phheeeeewwwww

0
Jason

I hope he learns to shoot & finish at the rim.

Love the competitiveness & the fact he rises to the challenge in big moments.

0
MikeO

Sexton better start working on nba threes…

0
Excl

ESPN taking a break from the draft to discuss Lebron Free Agency options. What draft?

0
EvilGenius

Huge cheers in the draft room…

0
JoeyB

Everyone lay their bets – who would you have taken? I’d have gone Mikal Bridges.

0
MikeO

Probably Mikal Bridges…so much depends on Lebron’s plans, though…

0
newnomad

can live with sexton —–porter or sexton will be ok

0
Shan

4 Centers picked in top 7 so far.

0
Nate Smith

Everything else was smokescreen. Super stoked.

0
MikeO

Sexton could really disapoint…I still like him over freaking Porter…

0
Scotch

THANK GOD!!!!!!!

0
Nate Smith

SEXTON SEXTON SEXTON!

0
Nate Smith

FREEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1009953162902597632

0
Arch Stanton

Great pick for the Cavs!!!!

0
Scotch

Gotta be Sexton or Mikal Bridges, right? Porter is too big a risk

0
Jason

I canmot believe I am saying this, but I roll the dice. Take Porter.

Of course, I haven’t seen the medicals.

0
Arch Stanton

The Cavs will draft Collin Sexton

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) June 22, 2018

0
JoeyB

Collin Sexton – totally equivalent to superstar Kyrie Irving.

0
believeLAND

don’t feel so well….

0
Arch Stanton

Source: Cleveland prefers Collin Sexton with the No. 8 pick.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2018

0
believeLAND

ayyyyyyyy

0
newnomad

roll the dice—take porter !!

0
Simmo

Agree

0
believeLAND

…… ughhh, yeeeeshhhhhhhhh

0
believeLAND

Carter will be better than Bagley

0
EvilGenius

Nahhhh….

0
MikeO

Good chance of that.

0
JMKP

I was looking forward to this draft quite a bit. Why am I filled with such dread right now?

0
JoeyB

Because CavsDan gonna CavsDan.

0
Jason

We need a playmaker. Sexton or Porter.

0
Jason

Has to be Sexton (Klutch) or Porter (fences).

0
MikeO

Porter would be swinging at an 0-2 knuckleball in the dirt…

0
Simmo

LOOOOLLL!

0
Arch Stanton

Mayo in Minnesota is ranked 1

0
Charlie E

Heard interview with porter where he said he was fine.

0
JoeyB

As opposed to, “Yeah, I know it’ll cost me millions, but my back is SHOT.”

0
Nate Smith

LOL

0
believeLAND

SO much talent in this draft

0
JoeyB

Mikal Bridges is still my pick. 3 and D will not bust.

0
Excl

Agree. Won’t be a star, but will be useful for years.

0
Jason

Take Porter & trade JR for Schroeder.

Snark.

0
Cjef

agree

0
Vintage

As long as its not Carter, I’m happy

0
MikeO

It will be Porter if they really want to crap the bed, otherwise it will be SGA if they just want to wet the bed…

0
EvilGenius

If they take SGA…. there’s a trade with Raps afoot…

0
Arch Stanton

And if they sign Dwight, just light the bed on fire.

0
Jason

Porter is the gamble.

Sexton otherwise.

0
1 2 3 4 5 … 7