2020 NBA Draft

[N7RobBob]

Guess you're not gonna like this: https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2020/11/cavs-zeroing-in-on-deni-avdija-obi-toppin.html

If we continue to hear this on Tuesday/Wednesday next week is when I'll worry. Both Sexton and Garland weren't trotted out as the known picks until a day before the draft.

 

[inliner311]

If we continue to hear this on Tuesday/Wednesday next week is when I'll worry. Both Sexton and Garland weren't trotted out as the known picks until a day before the draft.

It does make sense as a smokescreen. 1-3 is pretty much locked in despite us not knowing the exact order. The Bulls at #4 have been linked to Deni but could be a spot where someone trades up. Someone could be in love with Toppin and move up to #4 to get him. That either secures Deni for the Cavs or someone else they are really targeting.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

I'm going on record to predict that it's Okoro. Between him having a promise from a team, and him mentioning the 2016 comeback as his favorite NBA moment, and the fit...makes too much sense.

 

[Cavatt]

I'm going on record that it's Okoro. Between him having a promise from a team, and him mentioning the 2016 comeback as his favorite NBA moment, and the fit...makes too much sense.

If he told them he wanted to be here during the interview that probably is enough to do it. I love his mentality that he will make the team better no matter where he goes.

When you think about Garland, Sexton, Love and Drummond getting touches, he also makes the most sense as far as a guy who can impact the game without the ball in his hands, while making the most of his opportunities when he does or creating his own opportunities with defense.

 

[Alec]

Agreed If Okoro's shot has really improved that much then it should alleviate alot of the Cavs worries about taking him with a top 5 pick.

“Fixed” shots during combine/team workouts...never trust them.

 

[Cavatt]

“Fixed” shots during combine/team workouts...never trust them.

Did you hear him talk about his shot? He said it was too flat during the year and he needed to get more air under it. Doesn't mean he fixed it, but he knows it isn't right. Knowing your weakness is important.

 

[Alec]

Did you hear him talk about his shot? He said it was too flat during the year and he needed to get more air under it. Doesn't mean he fixed it, but he knows it isn't right. Knowing your weakness is important.

I didn’t see those comments. That’s good to hear. It just reminds me of college QBs who revamp their mechanics during the draft process and inevitably regress once game time starts. Okoro seems like one of those really motivated guys like Sexton (okay, maybe not THAT motivated), but consider me skeptical until we’re sitting at the all star break with numbers and tape to back it up.

 

[Cavatt]

I didn’t see those comments. That’s good to hear. It just reminds me of college QBs who revamp their mechanics during the draft process and inevitably regress once game time starts. Okoro seems like one of those really motivated guys like Sexton (okay, maybe not THAT motivated), but consider me skeptical until we’re sitting at the all star break with numbers and tape to back it up.

Yeah, you used to hear draft guys say, "You are a shooter or you aren't". The NBA has really shown that isn't true. Even Tristan shot the 3 ball well last year. I would have never thought that would happen. More and more you hear from Draft guys yes, the FT % is important, but if you put in the work you can really fix your shot.

Cavs have the track record at this point, and Okoro has the mentality.

 

[ansatsusha80]

Yeah, you used to hear draft guys say, "You are a shooter or you aren't". The NBA has really shown that isn't true. Even Tristan shot the 3 ball well last year. I would have never thought that would happen. More and more you hear from Draft guys yes, the FT % is important, but if you put in the work you can really fix your shot.

Cavs have the track record at this point, and Okoro has the mentality.

I'm not worried about Okoro shot at all. I think people underestimate the assistant coaches we have.

As,for Tristan you're right he shot the 3-ball well but I think he was never given the opportunity to shoot it......imo

 

[sailfish]

If we continue to hear this on Tuesday/Wednesday next week is when I'll worry. Both Sexton and Garland weren't trotted out as the known picks until a day before the draft.

I don’t know. The Cavaliers wanted Hunter last year, it leaked out, and the Hawks ended up trading up one pick earlier and snatching him. With Hunter gone, the Cavaliers then turned to Garland as their pick at #5. I wouldn’t discount the Avidja-Toppin rumors as not being true as the Cavs front office has had a leak.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Yeah, you used to hear draft guys say, "You are a shooter or you aren't". The NBA has really shown that isn't true. Even Tristan shot the 3 ball well last year. I would have never thought that would happen. More and more you hear from Draft guys yes, the FT % is important, but if you put in the work you can really fix your shot.

Cavs have the track record at this point, and Okoro has the mentality.

Well, it's true that at any given time, you either are or are not a shooter. The question is how much it is possible to improve that. I don't believe it is possible for everyone to become a good shooter, regardless of how much they practice. There are genetic issues in terms of hand-eye coordination, etc., that can't be eliminated. Yes, TT shot decently from 3 last year --albeit on about 1/3 of the volume that led Derrick Williams to shoot up draft boards in 2011, so it's questionable how sustainable that is.

But the dude worked on his shot -- remember all those reports of switching hands, and all the time he was practicing his shot -- for basically a decade in the NBA before hitting those 3's this last season. For purposes of who we pick in the draft, a decade to develop a shot is a failure. TT's career arc for shooting actually argues against the the idea that you can fix a shitty shooter.

I'm just really skeptical of draft assumptions that "we can teach anyone to play defense" and "we can turn anyone into a good shooter." For that matter, I don't see why the "we can make anyone a good shooter" logic wouldn't apply just as strongly to ball-handling. So if all that was really true, then there would be far fewer poor defenders, poor shooters, or poor ball-handlers in the NBA than there actually are. For whatever reasons, the theory does not convert reliably convert into reality.

Whether it is a lack of underlying hand-eye coordination, lack of effort, or whatever, I don't think we should draft anyone on the assumption that we can turn them into something they haven't yet shown themselves to be. Some marginal improvement, sure. But turning a below average shooter into an average or better one...I don't think we should assume that.

 

[Nathan S]

Was playing around with combine stats today, and made a totally unscientific "total physical tools" combined stat. In brief, it's an average of four components, all weighted equally:

-Strength: lean weight / height
-Total length: hand width + hand length + standing reach + wingspan
-Total mobility: 1/(lane agility + 3*sprint + 4*shuttle)
-Total vertical: standing vert + max vert

Some takeaways:

-Woodard and Eboua are exceptional all-around athletes. Both have NBA-ready frames with great length and posted excellent times in the mobility drills.

-Nnaji was generally recognized as a great athlete before, but he may be even better than people thought. Impressive frame and standing vertical will be assets in the paint, and length+quickness, will help him on the perimeter.

-Reed is a bit underwhelming on closer inspection. While he has the length to play center, he's a bit on the lighter side, and posted some of the worst times in the mobility drills.

-Terry, Winston, and Howard really stand out, and not in a good way. They seem very likely to struggle against NBA athletes.

Link to all combine data: https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/

 

[Randolphkeys]

Woodard and Eboua are exceptional all-around athletes. Both have NBA-ready frames with great length and posted excellent times in the mobility drills.

Robert Woodard II has been my top second round sleeper since the college season came to a halt. He may never figure out ball handling, but he is going to help some team as a 3 and D forward down the road.

 

[I'mWithDan]

The big concern I have with Okoro is he hasn’t shot the ball very well at all levels. And his FT % specifically has always been really underwhelming.

Bulky guys tend to have mechanical issues because of how that bulk limits range of motion to a degree.

If you are drafting him in the top 5, he needs to be a better version of Thybulle, which I personally just don’t see.

I wouldn’t hate Okoro, I just don’t think he’s worthy of a top 5 pick. Guess we’ll see what happens.

 

[Nathan S]

Robert Woodard II has been my top second round sleeper since the college season came to a halt. He may never figure out ball handling, but he is going to help some team as a 3 and D forward down the road.

Have to admit he wasn't really on my radar, but I'm totally impressed by his measurements. Basically the perfect body for an NBA wing: ripped 230 pound frame, 7'2" wingspan, 8'9.5" standing reach. Not quite a freak athlete, but consistently among the best wings in every area.