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2023 NBA Draft
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adam81king
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If the board stays how it is, I'm throwing a flyer out for Emoni Bates. That kind of scoring, shot-making, size, etc on the wing is hard to pass up at #48. Would be a steal.
Cassity14
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As I’ve gotten older these sorts of things make less sense to me. He’s been a massive red flag at every level to the point that he’s unlikely to even have a pro game due to missed development. The fact that he’s not a first round pick at this point is the nail in the coffin for me.
Cavs should target 1 of 2 things in round 2: a draft and stash prospect with upside like Osman once upon a time or the two they took last year, or find a 4 year senior whose undervalued due to physical or skill limitations that you believe has the mentality and the tools to provide some sort of help like a Dejuan Blair or Allen Crabbe type of player.
adam81king
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So you think a draft-and-stash or 4yr senior have a better hit rate than an underclassmen flyer? At #48 *every* prospect has flaws; many pretty pronounced. The Cavaliers need shooting and length on the wing. Dejuan Blair wouldn't play on this team (just ask Kevin Love, Robin Lopez and even Lamar Stevens). He was also pick #37, and only slipped because of medical red flags. Allen Crabbe, on paper, would be a good pick for this team, but he went #31 (not 48) and was immediately traded for 2 second rounders.
#48 is a lottery ticket. I'd rather play Powerball than a $5 scratcher.
Cassity14
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But that's the thing - I don't think a player like Bates is a lottery ticket at all. I think he's setting money on fire.
You're misconstruing why I used examples. I was simply referring to guys who were older coming out who ended up being productive players. Joe Harris is another. I'm not saying they'd all fit on this specific team, but I think upperclassmen who fall or stash players who fall are better 'lottery tickets' than guys who have never come close to living up to hype that hindsight says they never deserved.
I compare Bates to a guy like Cam Reddish. Similar stories, both underachieved after high school, both were highly touted, and Reddish STILL went top 10. The fact that Bates has fallen into the status of potentially not even getting drafted tells me there are more red flags than a 36 hole golf course. I'm out.
The Cavs really need a 3rd big who can give them 15 minutes per game. I think those guys are available in the 2nd round every year.
The NBA draft is infatuated with youth. Every year there are productive NBA players taken late (or not at all) because they are 21-22 years old. There aren’t many all-stars taken after #40, just a handful all-time. But there are a lot of solid role players.
cabs
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Screams Billy Preston to me
AtomicDogg97
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Do teams still sell second round picks? If so, Cavs need to open up the checkbook because Cavs need to take some shots at finding role players.
adam81king
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My two wants (Grant Nelson and Emoni Bates) have both declared for the draft. Drafting mid-second doesn't make for the best options, but I like what these guys could offer.
foucault87
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I havent been following him this year but what do you like about Bates? I know his profile out of HS was awesome but it looked like his athleticism wasn't as advertised against the college level and his bball IQ didnt show super well either
adam81king
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He's definitely not the elite prospect many thought he was in HS, but he's absolutely a scorer in a 6'9" body. I envision him as a taller Jordan Clarkson, or healthier TJ Warren. You'll get some "Bad Emoni" in there, but if you bring him off the bench and limit what you need him to do, I think you can get some good out of him.
foucault87
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How likely is he to get drafted? I would 100% take a flyer on him as UDFA but not sure about who we might miss using a 2nd on him
adam81king
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I cant see him going undrafted, but every mock Ive seen in the last year has him back half of the 2nd. I dont think Cleveland wins in a free agency battle for him.
I'mWithDan
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The guys I would circle, if consensus mocks have some validity right now....
Wings
Julian Strawther
Jalen Bridges
Jaylen Clark
Terrence Shannon Jr
Brandin Podziemski
Bigs
DaRon Holmes
Just analytically, it seems unlikely Strawther, Podziemski or Holmes will be there......but I guess we'll see.
In our range, my favorite realistic prospect (by far) is Jalen Bridges from Baylor. I think he's exactly the type of profile that turns in to a contributor on the wing. He has the requisite size, demeanor and hustle. He's shown enough shooting to know it is in him (also love his mechanics) and he's willing to play a role at the college level, so he seemingly understands how he contributes to a team winning. He also checks my "GM's will think he's too old" box, where teams can always find value.
He's played both the 3/4 at Baylor / WVU and looks like he has the toughness to give you spot minutes as a small ball 4. His offensive tape looks perfect for this team......he runs the floor, he plays within himself, has really good off ball instincts and doesn't try to pound the air out of the ball. He drifts and relocates when he should, he cuts when he has a lane and he's strong finishing lobs and through contact.
So with all that said, the Grizzlies will definitely take this guy 4 picks ahead of us.
Wings
Julian Strawther
Jalen Bridges
Jaylen Clark
Terrence Shannon Jr
Brandin Podziemski
Bigs
DaRon Holmes
Just analytically, it seems unlikely Strawther, Podziemski or Holmes will be there......but I guess we'll see.
In our range, my favorite realistic prospect (by far) is Jalen Bridges from Baylor. I think he's exactly the type of profile that turns in to a contributor on the wing. He has the requisite size, demeanor and hustle. He's shown enough shooting to know it is in him (also love his mechanics) and he's willing to play a role at the college level, so he seemingly understands how he contributes to a team winning. He also checks my "GM's will think he's too old" box, where teams can always find value.
He's played both the 3/4 at Baylor / WVU and looks like he has the toughness to give you spot minutes as a small ball 4. His offensive tape looks perfect for this team......he runs the floor, he plays within himself, has really good off ball instincts and doesn't try to pound the air out of the ball. He drifts and relocates when he should, he cuts when he has a lane and he's strong finishing lobs and through contact.
So with all that said, the Grizzlies will definitely take this guy 4 picks ahead of us.
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