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2021 NBA Draft Safari

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Only two nights in but it would be really really nice to pick up another pick in the first round. This is looking like a much deeper draft all the way around.
 
ajz20 said:
That is a really really nice looking jumper for a forward.
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He just seems not tall enough to play that kind of role at the next level. what is he 6'6? he'll be an undersized stretch 4 unless he shows some dribble drive game
 
Josh Cristopher also showed NBA level skills in that game against Villanova. Decent bounce and handles to create separation. Worth keeping an eye on him to see if he rises up boards as the season progresses

 
I'mWithDan said:
I don’t discount this at all. Prospects just aren’t going to have Luka’s professional credentials prior to the draft. It is more of a skill comparison for me. Luka doesn’t have vertical athleticism, he can be clunky at times but he still succeeds with IQ, passing, gear changes, great feel for the game, his effectiveness on or off the ball, good shooting form that leads you to believe there’s more there, etc. Luka isn’t a great ball handler, but he is an exceptionally good one for 6’8”. To me, Cade is the same.

I’d imagine if you put their frame, athletic measurables and scouting reports on the table, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of difference.....just blindly looking at them. That was honestly like a B- game for Cade. But I think that all the ways Luka succeeds will be the ways Cade does......and if people believed in Luka being a potential star, there’s really no reason why people then shouldn’t think Cade can be one as well.
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I think it's a valid comparison in that they're the same type of prospect. But the caliber is different. As I probably mentioned during the leadup to the 2018 draft, I think Luka could've averaged a triple double against NCAA competition. Scouting reports on him sucked because people didn't understand how much higher the level of competition is in Euroleague/ACB.

To illustrate, here's a post I made about Luka a couple years ago. Coincidentally, Luka was precisely the same age at the time of this post (19 years 2 months) that Cunningham is now. The outcome is similar, as Doncic and Cunningham both showed good leadership and decision making down the stretch to get the win in an ugly game. But the stage is very different, with Doncic playing in front of a packed stadium against an elite professional team, while Cunningham played in an empty stadium against a minor-conference college team.

I don't want to dwell on this comparison because I think it makes me come off as lower on Cunningham than I really am. In last year's draft he would've been an easy choice for me at #1, and he may well end up at the top of my board this year, though he appears to have some really good competition for that spot. Luka was just on another level.

Nathan S said:
Video of the crowd:


7-point loss for Panathinaikos today was their biggest home loss this season.

I don't mean to harp on this for more than it's worth, and to be clear I do realize Doncic has played a muted role overall in these two games. But it was really encouraging to see him step up in clutch time in this atmosphere.

Previously, while he'd always talked the talk, he hadn't walked the walk in moments like this. In last year's Euroleague playoffs he was held scoreless and benched for the 4th quarter of Real's elimination loss. In last year's ACB league playoffs he was benched after just 8 minutes of play in Real's elimination loss. In the Eurobasket final he was having an underwhelming game when he tweaked his ankle in the 3rd quarter and never came back in. In the Copa Del Rey final this year he had a very rough game in an upset loss to rival Barca.

So I wasn't feeling super optimistic when, with 2:15 left, Doncic exhausted from playing the entire second half, and his team clinging to a 2-point, he went ISO at the top of the key against a pretty long and athletic defender in Payne. Frankly, I expected him to turn it over, and I expected Panathinaikos to tie the game on a transition dunk and ride that momentum to a win and a commanding 2-0 lead in the 5-game series. And I might have forgiven him for it and kept him at the top of my board (after all, the top teenage NCAA prospects folded like cheap lawn chairs in the tourney), but I would've been seriously worried about his ability to play his best in the biggest moments.

But instead of turning it over, he broke down Payne, got into the paint, and created an open corner 3 with one of his signature no-look passes. After that he dove headfirst into the seats trying to save a ball going out of bounds, came up with a fairly straightforward but critical steal on the next possession, and hit nothing but net on four straight free throws to ice the game. Looked every bit the part of a rising superstar silencing a raucous crowd of nearly 20,000.
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Not saying that we don’t want to consider Jalen Green, Suggs, and of course Cade for our pick if their projection is just so high that it outweighs concerns about our current rosters, but the beauty of this class being as good as it seems is that, say we’re stuck at 4 or 5 again, you could have those three guys go 1-3 and still end up with a shot to draft the very best SF, combo forward, or Center in the entire draft.
 
Adam said:
He just seems not tall enough to play that kind of role at the next level. what is he 6'6? he'll be an undersized stretch 4 unless he shows some dribble drive game
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He's 6'9. One of those guys that I can't understand why most mocks have him as a second round prospect. Solid on-ball defense, great rebounder, silky smooth jump shot. He's in for a huge season for Villanova. I see him as a lottery guy.

Suggs will definitely be top-10, if not higher. Didn't realize he had this type of vision. Paired with his size and explosiveness, quite an impressive prospect.

Cade underwhelming in game 1, but I'll give him a pass. Seemed sloppy and a little slow / underwhelming athletically. Could have been first game jitters.
 
Two days is enough to conclude that we should add another 1st somehow right?
 
"MVP" said:
He's 6'9. One of those guys that I can't understand why most mocks have him as a second round prospect. Solid on-ball defense, great rebounder, silky smooth jump shot. He's in for a huge season for Villanova. I see him as a lottery guy.

Suggs will definitely be top-10, if not higher. Didn't realize he had this type of vision. Paired with his size and explosiveness, quite an impressive prospect.

Cade underwhelming in game 1, but I'll give him a pass. Seemed sloppy and a little slow / underwhelming athletically. Could have been first game jitters.
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I'm surprised he's that tall.

I thought case played a game where he was trying to let the game come to him. There were a couple of times he got angry and seemed to show more speed on those drives
 
Sir'Dom Pointer said:
Garland looks like a wasted pick if we end up in the top5. Impossible fit.
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I don't think it matters where we end up. Taking a slight, average sized PG to pair with Sexton was incredibly dumb.

We should all hope Garland plays really well this season, so we can have the option of moving off either depending on who is available.

The caveat being that with this front office, I can't figure out what would make it more likely we move one of them.......if Garland plays poorly or if he plays well. :chuckle:
 
Nathan S said:
I think it's a valid comparison in that they're the same type of prospect. But the caliber is different. As I probably mentioned during the leadup to the 2018 draft, I think Luka could've averaged a triple double against NCAA competition. Scouting reports on him sucked because people didn't understand how much higher the level of competition is in Euroleague/ACB.

To illustrate, here's a post I made about Luka a couple years ago. Coincidentally, Luka was precisely the same age at the time of this post (19 years 2 months) that Cunningham is now. The outcome is similar, as Doncic and Cunningham both showed good leadership and decision making down the stretch to get the win in an ugly game. But the stage is very different, with Doncic playing in front of a packed stadium against an elite professional team, while Cunningham played in an empty stadium against a minor-conference college team.

I don't want to dwell on this comparison because I think it makes me come off as lower on Cunningham than I really am. In last year's draft he would've been an easy choice for me at #1, and he may well end up at the top of my board this year, though he appears to have some really good competition for that spot. Luka was just on another level.
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I think some of this is circumstance though. Cade was born in America, so his route is different than Luka's. So I'm not sure why that is held against him, in regard to evaluating them as prospects? It is impossible to say how Cade or any #1 American player would favor over seas at 18 but I suspect it is far better than most think.

What I was alluding to was this:

comp.jpg


One sites' opinion......but they grade so similarly.......6/12 categories they grade out as equals, 5/12 within 1 number grade. I think most would be surprised to see that Cade gets the nod in defense, leadership and potential.

I'm really curious to watch how Cade plays with some college experience. I think he's more of a guy who will gain steam through consistent play over time, vs. being a prospect that is going to wow someone athletically, or on a minute by minute basis as they watch games. Most were unimpressed in a game where he went for 21/10/3, made 2 threes and went to the line 7 times. Imagine what his A+ game looks like if everyone felt that was a B- or so.

I know you like him, I'm more just talking through how perception can swing so quickly from game to game. What made Cade the #1 player was how consistently he performed in HS and USA events. That floor really stands out over time and I would imagine it takes hold and that separation really starts to happen after 10 games or so.
 
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