Post by Braz on Oct 17, 2020 20:56:35 GMT -8
The Non Lotto, where real GMs need to roll back their sleeves and find hidden gems in order to turn pretenders into contenders.
After the earlier positive reviews (This one was requested and written out of respect to Second Round Don!) I thought I would take a quick peak at the non lotto teams and how those picks shook out. Luckily for the league I am quarantined recovering from Covid (no Royal's Gming did not scar me, actually got sick). Now that I am healthy I can joke about the shitty situation but since I can not leave the apartment I am writing away like I got hired to write for ESPN mag in exchange for a pillow case of Halloween candy. This was the most exciting non lotto portion of a draft I’ve been a part of. Picks were being traded and swapped till the very end. GMs chasing cheap talent or hopping for a quick ticket to something special. Also this year Spencer provided notes on 23 players which indirectly gave more value to a lot of guys who may have otherwise not been as sought after. The large amount of notes brings a certain mystique to those who do not have notes. Sadly there was not as much banter around these guys as the lotto so had to remove that cool feature. WIll be back next year
Sponsored by the Hassan Whiteside Fund
This article is also brought to you by the Raptors Trade block. Check it out after! bbs2020.proboards.com/thread/4841/raptors-trading?page=1&scrollTo=260376
14 Portland Trail Blazers- TREVOR BOOKER
PF 6'8'' 228 23 C+ C D B- B- B
Grade- B+
Reasoning- Booker was a prospect with nice notes. “is a solid undersized power forward. Tough inside player can rebound, steal and handle. Also a very good post defender.” The only downside being his size seems to be no issue to me and having base post defending will make him useful from day 1. The blazers have their master scorer in Curry so nice to see them get someone to clean the glass and be a role player.
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15 Detroit Pistons (from Nets)- GREG MONROE
C 6'11'' 265 20 C+ C- D+ C+ B- A
Grade- C+
Reasoning- Monroe is not the type of big I love. I think out of all the A pot guys he is likeliest to bust. Maybe in this league where he can play SF he might be found useful. Monroe comes in with the ability to score and will be a shit defender. I think this is an awful pairing with the recent Hayward pick but Galo may have bigger plans and he did get a guy with some name value and up aside.
16 Phoenix Suns (from Rockets) - XAVIER HENRY
SF 6'6'' 220 19 C+ C+ C- C+ C- A
Grade- B+
Reasoning- If we are being honest Henry has top 10 upside at pick 16. He is young and balanced across the board. Spencer noted “is raw. He does a little bit of everything but doesn't excel at any one thing. He is a bit of a projection so ACs/RCs will be big.” To me this shows if he is taken care of early he is going to be like play doh and can be molded into the type of player the Suns want him to be .
17 Boston Celtics- JEREMY EVANS
PF 6'9'' 200 23 B C C- B- C+ B
Grade- B+
Reasoning- Perlieu nailed this pick. Evans is the same as booker to me and both could have gone in the 10-13 range even. Low turnovers and already cited elite post defense should be a valuable role player who can contribute from day 1. Boston is lucky to get a hustle type like this outside the lotto.
18 Dallas Mavericks (from Hawks) NEMANJA BJELICA
PF 6'10'' 234 22 C+ B D C C+ B
Grade B
Reasoning- Mavs killed this trade back. BJELICA is a very interesting player and he reads to me like a modern day Aaron Baynes. Big and slow but trusted to strike down a basket. Good defender who will bring some toughness... Spencer noted “is a big, slow, offense first power forward. Can score inside and out. Decent rebounder. Very good post defender. “ so you may be okay with no blocks here if he can develop his jumper nicely. Solid pick up for the Mavs as they quickly retool
19 Chicago Bulls (from Lakers) - ALEXEY SHVED
SG 6'6'' 190 22 C B- B+ C C B
Grade B
Reasoning: Play went for a guy who has good notes. Shved was noted to be a solid career back up which could prove useful behind wall. he seems to have elite handles and passing for a SG so likely can be moved to PG which may increase his value if his D goes up there. At this point in the draft this is a good pick. Not sexy but works for me.
20 Denver Nuggets (from Blazers via Warriors)- MANNY HARRIS
SG 6'5'' 185 21 C+ C+ B- B C C
Grade C
Reasoning- Manny Harris seems to be an intriguing prospect but only if the GM was willing to invest in him early. Considering the Nuggets likely will have to devote all resources to Paul George this just does not make sense unless Harris is part of a deal pre TC. Harris may be a part of what Royal is building but doubt he gets much playing time in his rookie year. Lack of notes makes this pick one that I feel should have happened mid 20s. Other Gms liked it though. Footy woulda nabbed him at 23
21 Toronto Raptors (from Pacers) - ED DAVIS
C 6'9'' 218 21 C+ D+ D- B- C+ B
Grade B
Reasoning- Ed Davis with good notes could have been a top 10 pick looking at his ratings. He has some upside with B pot but could also be one of those guys you are wondering why you are paying 2Mil in 3 seasons. Davis coming out of UNC was known as a strong defensive PF with solid potential. Fun fact he was drafted in this draft by the raptors IRL and it did not really work out.
22 Dallas Mavericks (from Jazz via LAL) - BOBAN MARJANOVIC
Grade A
Reasoning- Dallas is drafting in the way the Spurs do in real life. Toward the end of the draft but scooping guys who will make an impact. Boban was nearly my pick at 21 but I went with the mystery. Boban is noted by scouts to be tall and strong which is the great foundation for a big. He can lock and hit FTs which indicates a strong jumper. If you pump his inside Boban could be more than a role player.
23 Dallas Mavericks (from Hornets via ATL)- LUKE BABBITT
(Since traded to Wolves) PF 6'9'' 225 21 C+ B+ C+ C C B
Grade B+
Reasoning- Why take Gordon Hayward when you can just draft Luke Babbitt. Give this guy a move to SF and the ball. He has the highest outside in the class and C+ inside which you damn well know is not strength. Babbitt a baller or a base rating darling I guess we will find out, however, for that he will need to get playing time. That is something a competing Wolves team may not be able to do.
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24 New Jersey Nets (from Spurs via TOR)- ISH SMITH
PG 6'0'' 175 22 C C+ B- B- D B
Grade A+
Reasoning- Hell I personally am not sure if this is a good pick. But just going to give it the A+ grade because when has Greeme ever failed to turn a late round PG into some random over achiever. Greeme will have Ish be one of 6 PGs averaging 15 ppg by end of season 2. Ish has solid handles and defense to start as well. He is a bit undersized but will likely make up for that with quick hands.
25 Washington Wizards (from Mavericks)- JORDAN CRAWFORD
SG 6'4'' 195 22 B- B B- C D+ C
Grade B+
Reasoning- Hard to hate on a pick at this point but it is easy to love one like this. Crawford seems to be very similar to another star player with a similar name. Jordan has the NBA pedigree and we have seen guys like him be successful. If he can eventually be moved to the PG position he may be even better. Coming in with his lack of weight and B- inside indicates maybe he will have volume. Could be an explosive weapon for the Wiz to have if camped out right and with some TC luck.
26 Milwaukee Bucks (from 76ers)- JEREMY LIN
PG 6'3'' 200 22 C B- B- C C- B
Grade D
Reasoning- Lin looks like the definition of what will be the waste of a roster spot down the road. Knicks fan I get it but I feel there will be more of a chance of insanity then Linsanity here. His notes read " is an offensive first backup point guard. Should provide a good spark of offense. Might have handling and defensive issues that would prevent his from starting. " So he is a back up PG who can kinda score, can not defend or handle the ball. You need to fix too many things to even put this guy in your DC.
27 Detroit Pistons (from Super Sonics)- GREIVIS VASQUEZ
6'6'' 217 23 C B B C D+ B
Grade C+
Reasoning- Similar to the Lin pick this guy will likely be wasted roster space on a team who is looking to go from pretender to contender. At this point I guess there is not much else to do and Galo was trying to move the pick. Take the guy with notes, I get the logic. The notes state "is another solid offensive backup point guard type. Can score and pass well. Good size. Turnover issues will prevent him from starting." So you are adding TOs but the upside is he is a good passer? In FBB language does that mean he will over pass? Might be able to be corrected which is why this pick is better than Lin
28 Toronto Raptors (from Knicks via CHI)- SAMARDO SAMUELS
PF 6'9'' 270 21 C+ B- D C C+ B
Grade F
Reasoning- Not sure what I was doing here. I moved out of the 24th pick for salary and I decided to pay some fat dude from Jamaica to ride my bench. Samuels was never a good nba player but for some reason here has a B- jumper and B pot. Maybe he turns into Charlie V at best. Regret this already!
29 Miami Heat (from Cavaliers via TOR)- EKPE UDOH
- C 6'10'' 245 23 C C D+ B- C+ B
Grade A
Reasoning- Getting a big with defensive upside at pick 29. Plus he is a former Warrior which could matter here. Kind of kicked myself for not thinking of this myself at 21 or 28. Udoh is destined to be a solid rotational big and could be a B+ defender by his Junior year easy. Not much to hate here and a lot to love. Good pick Kobe
After the earlier positive reviews (This one was requested and written out of respect to Second Round Don!) I thought I would take a quick peak at the non lotto teams and how those picks shook out. Luckily for the league I am quarantined recovering from Covid (no Royal's Gming did not scar me, actually got sick). Now that I am healthy I can joke about the shitty situation but since I can not leave the apartment I am writing away like I got hired to write for ESPN mag in exchange for a pillow case of Halloween candy. This was the most exciting non lotto portion of a draft I’ve been a part of. Picks were being traded and swapped till the very end. GMs chasing cheap talent or hopping for a quick ticket to something special. Also this year Spencer provided notes on 23 players which indirectly gave more value to a lot of guys who may have otherwise not been as sought after. The large amount of notes brings a certain mystique to those who do not have notes. Sadly there was not as much banter around these guys as the lotto so had to remove that cool feature. WIll be back next year
Sponsored by the Hassan Whiteside Fund
This article is also brought to you by the Raptors Trade block. Check it out after! bbs2020.proboards.com/thread/4841/raptors-trading?page=1&scrollTo=260376
14 Portland Trail Blazers- TREVOR BOOKER
PF 6'8'' 228 23 C+ C D B- B- B
Grade- B+
Reasoning- Booker was a prospect with nice notes. “is a solid undersized power forward. Tough inside player can rebound, steal and handle. Also a very good post defender.” The only downside being his size seems to be no issue to me and having base post defending will make him useful from day 1. The blazers have their master scorer in Curry so nice to see them get someone to clean the glass and be a role player.
15 Detroit Pistons (from Nets)- GREG MONROE
C 6'11'' 265 20 C+ C- D+ C+ B- A
Grade- C+
Reasoning- Monroe is not the type of big I love. I think out of all the A pot guys he is likeliest to bust. Maybe in this league where he can play SF he might be found useful. Monroe comes in with the ability to score and will be a shit defender. I think this is an awful pairing with the recent Hayward pick but Galo may have bigger plans and he did get a guy with some name value and up aside.
16 Phoenix Suns (from Rockets) - XAVIER HENRY
SF 6'6'' 220 19 C+ C+ C- C+ C- A
Grade- B+
Reasoning- If we are being honest Henry has top 10 upside at pick 16. He is young and balanced across the board. Spencer noted “is raw. He does a little bit of everything but doesn't excel at any one thing. He is a bit of a projection so ACs/RCs will be big.” To me this shows if he is taken care of early he is going to be like play doh and can be molded into the type of player the Suns want him to be .
17 Boston Celtics- JEREMY EVANS
PF 6'9'' 200 23 B C C- B- C+ B
Grade- B+
Reasoning- Perlieu nailed this pick. Evans is the same as booker to me and both could have gone in the 10-13 range even. Low turnovers and already cited elite post defense should be a valuable role player who can contribute from day 1. Boston is lucky to get a hustle type like this outside the lotto.
18 Dallas Mavericks (from Hawks) NEMANJA BJELICA
PF 6'10'' 234 22 C+ B D C C+ B
Grade B
Reasoning- Mavs killed this trade back. BJELICA is a very interesting player and he reads to me like a modern day Aaron Baynes. Big and slow but trusted to strike down a basket. Good defender who will bring some toughness... Spencer noted “is a big, slow, offense first power forward. Can score inside and out. Decent rebounder. Very good post defender. “ so you may be okay with no blocks here if he can develop his jumper nicely. Solid pick up for the Mavs as they quickly retool
19 Chicago Bulls (from Lakers) - ALEXEY SHVED
SG 6'6'' 190 22 C B- B+ C C B
Grade B
Reasoning: Play went for a guy who has good notes. Shved was noted to be a solid career back up which could prove useful behind wall. he seems to have elite handles and passing for a SG so likely can be moved to PG which may increase his value if his D goes up there. At this point in the draft this is a good pick. Not sexy but works for me.
20 Denver Nuggets (from Blazers via Warriors)- MANNY HARRIS
SG 6'5'' 185 21 C+ C+ B- B C C
Grade C
Reasoning- Manny Harris seems to be an intriguing prospect but only if the GM was willing to invest in him early. Considering the Nuggets likely will have to devote all resources to Paul George this just does not make sense unless Harris is part of a deal pre TC. Harris may be a part of what Royal is building but doubt he gets much playing time in his rookie year. Lack of notes makes this pick one that I feel should have happened mid 20s. Other Gms liked it though. Footy woulda nabbed him at 23
21 Toronto Raptors (from Pacers) - ED DAVIS
C 6'9'' 218 21 C+ D+ D- B- C+ B
Grade B
Reasoning- Ed Davis with good notes could have been a top 10 pick looking at his ratings. He has some upside with B pot but could also be one of those guys you are wondering why you are paying 2Mil in 3 seasons. Davis coming out of UNC was known as a strong defensive PF with solid potential. Fun fact he was drafted in this draft by the raptors IRL and it did not really work out.
22 Dallas Mavericks (from Jazz via LAL) - BOBAN MARJANOVIC
Grade A
Reasoning- Dallas is drafting in the way the Spurs do in real life. Toward the end of the draft but scooping guys who will make an impact. Boban was nearly my pick at 21 but I went with the mystery. Boban is noted by scouts to be tall and strong which is the great foundation for a big. He can lock and hit FTs which indicates a strong jumper. If you pump his inside Boban could be more than a role player.
23 Dallas Mavericks (from Hornets via ATL)- LUKE BABBITT
(Since traded to Wolves) PF 6'9'' 225 21 C+ B+ C+ C C B
Grade B+
Reasoning- Why take Gordon Hayward when you can just draft Luke Babbitt. Give this guy a move to SF and the ball. He has the highest outside in the class and C+ inside which you damn well know is not strength. Babbitt a baller or a base rating darling I guess we will find out, however, for that he will need to get playing time. That is something a competing Wolves team may not be able to do.
24 New Jersey Nets (from Spurs via TOR)- ISH SMITH
PG 6'0'' 175 22 C C+ B- B- D B
Grade A+
Reasoning- Hell I personally am not sure if this is a good pick. But just going to give it the A+ grade because when has Greeme ever failed to turn a late round PG into some random over achiever. Greeme will have Ish be one of 6 PGs averaging 15 ppg by end of season 2. Ish has solid handles and defense to start as well. He is a bit undersized but will likely make up for that with quick hands.
25 Washington Wizards (from Mavericks)- JORDAN CRAWFORD
SG 6'4'' 195 22 B- B B- C D+ C
Grade B+
Reasoning- Hard to hate on a pick at this point but it is easy to love one like this. Crawford seems to be very similar to another star player with a similar name. Jordan has the NBA pedigree and we have seen guys like him be successful. If he can eventually be moved to the PG position he may be even better. Coming in with his lack of weight and B- inside indicates maybe he will have volume. Could be an explosive weapon for the Wiz to have if camped out right and with some TC luck.
26 Milwaukee Bucks (from 76ers)- JEREMY LIN
PG 6'3'' 200 22 C B- B- C C- B
Grade D
Reasoning- Lin looks like the definition of what will be the waste of a roster spot down the road. Knicks fan I get it but I feel there will be more of a chance of insanity then Linsanity here. His notes read " is an offensive first backup point guard. Should provide a good spark of offense. Might have handling and defensive issues that would prevent his from starting. " So he is a back up PG who can kinda score, can not defend or handle the ball. You need to fix too many things to even put this guy in your DC.
27 Detroit Pistons (from Super Sonics)- GREIVIS VASQUEZ
6'6'' 217 23 C B B C D+ B
Grade C+
Reasoning- Similar to the Lin pick this guy will likely be wasted roster space on a team who is looking to go from pretender to contender. At this point I guess there is not much else to do and Galo was trying to move the pick. Take the guy with notes, I get the logic. The notes state "is another solid offensive backup point guard type. Can score and pass well. Good size. Turnover issues will prevent him from starting." So you are adding TOs but the upside is he is a good passer? In FBB language does that mean he will over pass? Might be able to be corrected which is why this pick is better than Lin
28 Toronto Raptors (from Knicks via CHI)- SAMARDO SAMUELS
PF 6'9'' 270 21 C+ B- D C C+ B
Grade F
Reasoning- Not sure what I was doing here. I moved out of the 24th pick for salary and I decided to pay some fat dude from Jamaica to ride my bench. Samuels was never a good nba player but for some reason here has a B- jumper and B pot. Maybe he turns into Charlie V at best. Regret this already!
29 Miami Heat (from Cavaliers via TOR)- EKPE UDOH
- C 6'10'' 245 23 C C D+ B- C+ B
Grade A
Reasoning- Getting a big with defensive upside at pick 29. Plus he is a former Warrior which could matter here. Kind of kicked myself for not thinking of this myself at 21 or 28. Udoh is destined to be a solid rotational big and could be a B+ defender by his Junior year easy. Not much to hate here and a lot to love. Good pick Kobe
