2020 NBA Draft

[Ozone]

Last regular season game against #2 Hapoel Jerusalem today. Always a good time.

John Holland lol

 

[I'mWithDan]

I see him as interchangable at the 3/4 spot depending on matchups. I do think he will be strong enough to defend most 4's. I think he won't have issues defending his position at all. I'm not worried about his lateral quickness.

The only concern I see in his iso footage, is he tends to be a downhill defender laterally. He certainly moves well but his lateral movement gets very bogged down when changing directions. He's good at initially cutting off action but he struggles getting off his plant foot if the dribbler adjusts / changes direction.

His post defense seems really good to me. He plays with a lot of verticality. He absorbs contact well, keeps his base under him. I really don't see anything concerning about his ability to guard 4's and to me, that looks like his natural defensive position......I think 3's he may struggle with in ISO but can hopefully learn to not drive so hard on initial action, so he can more easily change directions.

 

[MirORich]

@Sir'Dom Pointer
What is the highest pick you would take Deni with?
Are there others in this draft class you either have ahead of Deni or that you are considering over Deni?

Or would you advocate for taking him even did we have the first or second pick?

 

[prf100]

Looks good.

They're pumping crowd noise into that game, right? I see no one in the stands, but MAN that crowd is NOISY.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

@Sir'Dom Pointer
What is the highest pick you would take Deni with?
Are there others in this draft class you either have ahead of Deni or that you are considering over Deni?

Or would you advocate for taking him even did we have the first or second pick?

Dunno. I'm happy im not in that position. I would avoid LaMelo at all costs, and I don't want Edwards either because of fit.

Im not really a draft expert on this draft. Deni makes the right play a lot of the time and plays beyond his years. I think the bigges thing he needs to work on is ball handling in the half court. I also think that while his speed in the open court is way above for a player his size, his first step is not great, but once he gets a step on you, his 2nd, 3rd step are great.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

The only concern I see in his iso footage, is he tends to be a downhill defender laterally. He certainly moves well but his lateral movement gets very bogged down when changing directions. He's good at initially cutting off action but he struggles getting off his plant foot if the dribbler adjusts / changes direction.

His post defense seems really good to me. He plays with a lot of verticality. He absorbs contact well, keeps his base under him. I really don't see anything concerning about his ability to guard 4's and to me, that looks like his natural defensive position......I think 3's he may struggle with in ISO but can hopefully learn to not drive so hard on initial action, so he can more easily change directions.

Not disagreeing here.
I think his ability to absorb contact and not give up ground in post ups even against much bigger players is excellent. He is really solid there, so I don't understand how he can be considered weak.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

ACtually, I think he will be good defending shooting guards. He can really close out well. And I like it as an ability to switch screens because he can defend well against 4/5, so why not try to implement a counter strategy to a team that uses a lot of off-ball screens?

 

[Randolphkeys]

Deni put together another well rounded stat line in a game that looked like a blowout through the first three quarters: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists. The draft process is still very early but it's good to see steady improvement from anyone in the top half of the lottery.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Deni put together another well rounded stat line in a game that looked like a blowout through the first three quarters: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists. The draft process is still very early but it's good to see steady improvement from anyone in the top half of the lottery.

On 75%.
I watched the game..he barely touched the ball. I think that's what really limits his scoring output.. being low usage player on Maccabi's offense. Although it's trending up. He had 13 at the half.

 

[Randolphkeys]

On 75%.
I watched the game..he barely touched the ball. I think that's what really limits his scoring output.. being low usage player on Maccabi's offense. Although it's trending up. He had 13 at the half.

Being effective with a lower usage is going to be essential if there are high usage players on the roster. I get it that fans want a potential star or cornerstone player if they draft in the top three or four, but being efficient with a lower usage is how a team wins games.

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

Being effective with a lower usage is going to be essential if there are high usage players on the roster. I get it that fans want a potential star or cornerstone player if they draft in the top three or four, but being efficient with a lower usage is how a team wins games.

Right. I think he makes the team better. Doesn't make much mistakes, and can impact the game positively in every role the coaches want him to play. He is a synergistic player if I may.

 

[Adam]

Right. I think he makes the team better. Doesn't make much mistakes, and can impact the game positively in every role the coaches want him to play. He is a synergistic player if I may.

I can see why you are enamored with him. I think it's hard when you watch him because he is incredibly functional, his dribble is mundane and his movement is compact and you think 'well anyone can do that'. But what im starting to realise is that as his size not everyone can do that, and actually its a sign of great coaching that he is making the right decisions. I tihnk he has a relatively low floor (utlitiy wing Cedi style) and a decent ceiling which is this draft is probably the best bet. He also fills a position of need and can play alongside our current roster. I'm on board

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Being effective with a lower usage is going to be essential if there are high usage players on the roster. I get it that fans want a potential star or cornerstone player if they draft in the top three or four, but being efficient with a lower usage is how a team wins games.

I agree, but if you're drafting a low-usage guy anywhere near the top of the draft, he needs to reasonably project as a plus defender. Are we confident about that with Deni?

 

[Sir'Dom Pointer]

I agree, but if you're drafting a low-usage guy anywhere near the top of the draft, he needs to reasonably project as a plus defender. Are we confident about that with Deni?

We are not drafting a low usage guy. Deni has the skillset to perform as a low usage guy or a higher usage guy. I think being versatile is what's appealing.
He is not a 3&D player.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

We are not drafting a low usage guy. Deni has the skillset to perform as a low usage guy or a higher usage guy. I think being versatile is what's appealing.
He is not a 3&D player.

Okay...does he project as a plus defender anyway?