Knicks · Yes it’s early but here’s the 2020 NBA draft thread. (page 32)

smackeddog @ 8/3/2020 4:31 AM
Boston chomping at the Clippers heels:

27th) Clips- 45-21
26th) Celtics: 44-22
25th) Nuggets: 43-23
22nd-24th) Jazz, Heat, Rockets: 42-23

Not optimistic about the nuggets as they're missing their 3 main guards (where are they and when do they return???). Same with Jazz (missing Bogdanovic). Hoping Heat and Rockets go on a tear. However Clips are ridiculously deep- not sure if they fall much (if at all)

BigDaddyG @ 8/4/2020 12:47 AM
He's like a less a less athletic Giannis out there hahaha Seriously, his form on the 3 pointer looks better. The vision is there, he just needs to fill out.

ESOMKnicks @ 8/4/2020 4:34 AM
BigDaddyG wrote:He's like a less a less athletic Giannis out there hahaha Seriously, his form on the 3 pointer looks better. The vision is there, he just needs to fill out.

Based ONLY on Euroleague videos and without the benefits of hindsight, does he look like a better prospect than Dragan Bender or Mario Hezonja were?

The dude is no Luka, that much is clear.

Knickfury11 @ 8/4/2020 8:12 AM
ESOMKnicks wrote:
BigDaddyG wrote:He's like a less a less athletic Giannis out there hahaha Seriously, his form on the 3 pointer looks better. The vision is there, he just needs to fill out.

Based ONLY on Euroleague videos and without the benefits of hindsight, does he look like a better prospect than Dragan Bender or Mario Hezonja were?

The dude is no Luka, that much is clear.

Finally some one else who calls it as they see it! I watched a lot of Deni Euro league games, he’s fools gold in my eyes. Don’t see his game or athleticism holding up in the NBA. An average NBA wing will murder him on D.

Luka he ain’t.

Nalod @ 8/4/2020 10:04 AM
And Luka didn’t have his doubters either?
And with the benefit of hindsight you get to say “Wow, Luka should be gone higher!!!!”
Who said this kid is “Luka”? Because he plays in Euro league? Cuz he is white? Cuz he is 19?
And we should not bother because he is not Luka? Because there are no Israeli “stars” go compare him two?
What did Manu look like at age 19? He did not come to NBA until age 25.
Luka was a phenom of epic proportions and like Zion defies the eye test. Seemingly not athletic specimens standing still but on the court have an extra gear athletically and the vision to see the play before it happens.
As for Dani, the young euro kids b-lining it to the NBA usually are suppressed because they are leaving. If this kid is doing this against competition greater than NCAA division one then it should be considered.
ITs hard to evaluate these kids. Can only compare the white euros to other white euros?

Not taking anyone off the table until we know were our lottery position will be and then I might think about moving up, or down.
If we there at 7th, maybe he is the best player on the board. I don’t know what we do but we have a whole new front office.
While young and still inconsistent I have seen enough of Tyler Herro who got picked at 13th and this is the kind of kid you want to develop. Mid pack teams on the rise like Denver and Miami can do this. Knicks don’t have its core yet to start drafting well at those levels.

martin @ 8/4/2020 1:26 PM
Nalod @ 8/4/2020 2:17 PM
https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/rounds/_/...

Siakim at 27, and Murray at 29!!!

Most teams have more regrets then picks they can boast about. Its part of the process.
We didn’t even have a 1st round 2016.
The “Special sauce” era did not yield results. We have picks, we have new process. Nothing is guaranteed but we can hope to do better than before and perhaps still salvage the talent of Knox and Frank.

Funny, Deni is listed 4th!

Pro: Can shoot, is a teenager, is performing against men.
Con: Israeli, Not Luca.

Wiseman:
Pro: Briggs mentioned him enough perhaps world will spread. big body, Great video’s, high ceiling.
Con: 4 games in college, not big enough sample.

Ball:
Pro: Lots of video, lots of hype, big brother, shot anyone can fix by typing,
Con: His father, Shot

Edwards:
Pro: Looks like little Zion, never saw him play, GSW will take him and we’ll feel bad.
Con: Looks like Little Zion.

Guys named Tyrese:
Pro: Great video, long. Not Frank.
Con: Shot. Might be CAA affiliate which invokes conspiracy.

Okongwu:
Pro: If Masai Ujiri would pick him, pick him.
Con: We have mitch. Is he best player available?

Obi Toppin:
Pro: has to be a Star Wars joke here. safe pick for PF. Solid core.
Con: might have to make sure he can handle the wrath of Thibs on defense.

Killian Hayes:

Pro: Solid experienced and NBA ready. 6-5, long.......
Con: We already drafted him. His name is frank.

Precious Achiuwa
Pro. Athletic, long, basically Christian Wood, Wooten, Mo Bamba big dude.
Con: His first name. I know that’s Immature. Just saying

BigDaddyG @ 8/4/2020 2:35 PM
ESOMKnicks wrote:
BigDaddyG wrote:He's like a less a less athletic Giannis out there hahaha Seriously, his form on the 3 pointer looks better. The vision is there, he just needs to fill out.

Based ONLY on Euroleague videos and without the benefits of hindsight, does he look like a better prospect than Dragan Bender or Mario Hezonja were?

The dude is no Luka, that much is clear.


A few things:
1)Yeah, he is no Luka. You can say that about our entire roster and 99.9% of the league. No one, except maybe Deni's immediate family would make that comparison. That's like saying Vassel is no Kawhi or Wiseman is no Shaq.
2) You make a good point about highlights, but you can say that about nearly every college players highlights that we post. The fact that remains that the Israeli league is on par with, maybe even higher, than D1 basketball.
3) Context is important here. Mario and Dragan were still developmental projects in their European clubs. Look at their minutes. Guys like Luka and Saric were counted on to contribute at very young ages. You look at Deni's progression and you can the similarities. He got limited minutes in the beginning and flourished to the point where he was the a key contributor in a very good team. You can even see the improvements he made in terms of conditioning and the form of his jumpshot throughout the season.

wargames @ 8/5/2020 10:12 AM
Obi, Vassell, Haliburton, and Ball are all CAA clients.
smackeddog @ 8/5/2020 3:22 PM

Wow, beautiful defense

smackeddog @ 8/5/2020 4:00 PM
Obviously the main regret is taking Knox over SGA, but I’m also really regretting taking Knox over Mikal Bridges


Ack! We’re stupid, stupid, stupid!

Nalod @ 8/5/2020 8:12 PM
Fuck that, I’m wth Knox until he is banished! Tired of this hindsight lets pick a guy we regret every time they have a good game crap. Booker/Ayton are a young dynamic pair and the team is on the rise. If he was here in Knox’s place we’d be blasting him.
mikesknicks @ 8/5/2020 8:22 PM
Nalod wrote:Fuck that, I’m wth Knox until he is banished! Tired of this hindsight lets pick a guy we regret every time they have a good game crap. Booker/Ayton are a young dynamic pair and the team is on the rise. If he was here in Knox’s place we’d be blasting him.

I agree with the post 1000%. People always want what someone has!

jskinny35 @ 8/5/2020 8:53 PM
Many of us wanted the Knicks to draft Mikal over Knox (I for one)... remember all the discussion about Knox's low motor and him being a high risk/reward project... but he outplayed Miles Bridges (4 inches shorter) in a workout. Mikal was clearly the safer choice - long arms, plays defense, good shooter and high b-ball IQ. The Knicks swung for the fences much like the poker guy going all in with 3 chips remaining - just a bad move even if Knox turns it all around and suddenly becomes more than the lowest ranked player in the entire league.
smackeddog @ 8/6/2020 4:49 AM
jskinny35 wrote:Many of us wanted the Knicks to draft Mikal over Knox (I for one)... remember all the discussion about Knox's low motor and him being a high risk/reward project... but he outplayed Miles Bridges (4 inches shorter) in a workout. Mikal was clearly the safer choice - long arms, plays defense, good shooter and high b-ball IQ. The Knicks swung for the fences much like the poker guy going all in with 3 chips remaining - just a bad move even if Knox turns it all around and suddenly becomes more than the lowest ranked player in the entire league.

In retrospect, knowing how lousy our player development has been, we should have gone for the safer option. You really couldn't have 'developed' Knox worse than we did. Give him inflated minutes, no direction and a green light for his whole first season, then yank back his role and minutes in the second- what other team does this?!

Fingers crossed that Rose really establishes an elite player development unit so this sort of thing never happens again.

smackeddog @ 8/6/2020 4:53 AM
Great night for our Clips pick- Boston, Denver, OKC and Jazz all won- the standings are now:

Clips 45-22
Celtics: 45-23
Denver: 45-23
Heat: 43-25
Jazz: 43-25
OKC: 42-25
Rockets: 42-25

ESOMKnicks @ 8/6/2020 5:17 AM
Oh yeah, a duo of KP and Mikal Bridges would have terrorized the entire league for years.

Come on, this is getting ridiculous.

Knixkik @ 8/6/2020 8:07 AM
wargames wrote:Obi, Vassell, Haliburton, and Ball are all CAA clients.

Ball is with roc nation now. Otherwise that's right.

Knickfury11 @ 8/6/2020 10:24 AM
smackeddog wrote:

Wow, beautiful defense

I’m high on Vassell too. Looks to have elite defence potential and plays with passion and high motor. Size and length decent, need to develop that 3ball. Would be very happy in landing him.

smackeddog @ 8/6/2020 2:55 PM
2 weeks to go!
Allanfan20 @ 8/6/2020 6:36 PM
smackeddog wrote:2 weeks to go!

Damn the time still goes by fast even if it’s been $hitty year.

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