NBA 2022-23 Part 2: Everyone Scores 50

[M2]

Old thread is due to be closed any minute now. Figured we should have the new up and running. Here's a thumbsucker for people to get us started: If you could re-do the 2022 draft what would your lottery look like?

[KoryMac5]

Old thread is due to be closed any minute now. Figured we should have the new up and running. Here's a thumbsucker for people to get us started: If you could re-do the 2022 draft what would your lottery look like?

I am wondering if the Kings would have taken Mathurin...

I also think Hardy would have possibly slid into the late lottery...he felt 15-20 range...and then went in the 2nd round to Dallas. He didn't shoot well last year with Ignite but his game is at different level now.

[M2]

I am wondering if the Kings would have taken Mathurin...

I also think Hardy would have possibly slid into the late lottery...he felt 15-20 range...and then went in the 2nd round to Dallas. He didn't shoot well last year with Ignite but his game is at different level now.

I'm thinking Mathurin shouldn't have gotten past the Rockets, or maybe not past the Thunder (depending on how much of Chet's skeletal structure you think might be made of balsa wood). Mathurin's going to be a go-to scorer on some very good teams.

[SteelSD]

I am wondering if the Kings would have taken Mathurin...

I also think Hardy would have possibly slid into the late lottery...he felt 15-20 range...and then went in the 2nd round to Dallas. He didn't shoot well last year with Ignite but his game is at different level now.

I'm wondering if players who profile like Hardy (and Tyrese Maxey) might not be an undervalued group on draft day- guys who don't have great size, but can penetrate and finish. If they have a history of being able to shoot free throws, they may profile as players who can build a solid rate beyond the arc. That's a pretty valuable set of skills with upside.

[KoryMac5]

I'm wondering if players who profile like Hardy (and Tyrese Maxey) might not be an undervalued group on draft day- guys who don't have great size, but can penetrate and finish. If they have a history of being able to shoot free throws, they may profile as players who can build a solid rate beyond the arc. That's a pretty valuable set of skills with upside.

Agreed if I am a team that is making the playoffs with limited chances to select out of the 20s I would try and strike gold with the upside of Hardy and Maxey as you can afford to be patient with them.

[Bourgeois Zee]

If you could re-do the 2022 draft what would your lottery look like?

This year has been a disappointment for rookies so far, IMO.

I'd go:

1. Paolo Banchero, ORL
Sure, he's pretty much a one-trick pony, but that trick is tough to come by. I do wonder how much D he'll play in his career.

2. Keegan Murray, OKC
Tell me OKC couldn't use a deadeye shooter who's willing to do the little things as either a PF or SF. The fit is flawless.

3. Jaden Ivey, HOU
The Rockets need a distributor. Ivey was the best of the lot, and they instead focused on yet another scorer.

4. Jabari Smith, SAC
Smith could have added scoring punch, but his shooting hasn't been great. Might need a year or two to get settled.

5. Benedict Mathurn, DET
Surpise of the draft so far, but his numbers have yo-yoed between superstar and nothing. Regardless, he'd be The Man in Detroit right now and could have fit seamlessly with anyone.

6. Jalen Williams IND
An unsung contributor to OKC's rise to adequacy, Williams has had a hand in everything-- double digit points, decent rebounder, solid passer. He hasn't shot well though.

7. Chet Holmgren, POR
The leg injury is so Bowie, it's Walton. You can't Oden this up. Worth the gamble for the superstar potential here.

8. Jalen Duran, NOLA
Physical beast who could play in the middle, run like a gazelle, and gobble up rebounds. A pick and roll beast with Zion.

9. Jeremy Sochan, SAN
This is their guy.

10. AJ Griffin, WAS
Griffin could have played either SG or SF, allowing Kuzma to play PF and Porzingis to play C more often. Would have been a help when Beal went down too.

11. Andrew Nembhard, NYK
Knicks keep the pick and choose a shooter at wing. Nembhard could play with Randle, Quickley, Barrett, or just about anyone else.

12. Walker Kessler, OKC
OKC needs a big guy in the middle. Imagine the easy looks he gets with SGA and Giddey. Imagine the time he could be spending developing. He, SGA, Giddey, and Murray together? Could that team be a playoff contender?

13. Shaedon Sharpe, CHA
On a team going nowhere, Sharpe might be a real find. Feed him to the wolves to see if he sinks or swims. He'd be, IMO, a highlight reel with Ball feeding him alley oops, at any rate.

14. Tari Eason, CLE
Serious athleticism, aggressiveness, and motor might allow him to push for a starting gig at small forward, their one area of need.

[SteelSD]

Missed the first half of the Sixers game, but pulled it up to see Harden grabbing a triple-double with less than a minute gone in the third quarter to help drive the Sixers to a 123-111 win. The game wasn't really as close as the score might suggest, with the Sixers up by 20+ for much of the second half and a lot of the starters got a good amount of rest. No Embiid or P.J. Tucker today. Against the Pistons, who lack any real size, that's a great opportunity to start Harrell. Philly did and he responded with 20 points and 6 boards, with Paul Reed (he's ALIVE!) making the most of his backup time to the tune of 16 points and 12 boards- 8 of them on the offensive glass. Combined 'Trez and B-ball Paul grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, or basically how many total rebounds Tucker gets in a month. Thybulle got 23 minutes and was his usual terror on the defensive side with 5 steals.

[Betterread]

This year has been a disappointment for rookies so far, IMO.

I'd go:

1. Paolo Banchero, ORL
Sure, he's pretty much a one-trick pony, but that trick is tough to come by. I do wonder how much D he'll play in his career.

2. Keegan Murray, OKC
Tell me OKC couldn't use a deadeye shooter who's willing to do the little things as either a PF or SF. The fit is flawless.

3. Jaden Ivey, HOU
The Rockets need a distributor. Ivey was the best of the lot, and they instead focused on yet another scorer.

4. Jabari Smith, SAC
Smith could have added scoring punch, but his shooting hasn't been great. Might need a year or two to get settled.

5. Benedict Mathurn, DET
Surpise of the draft so far, but his numbers have yo-yoed between superstar and nothing. Regardless, he'd be The Man in Detroit right now and could have fit seamlessly with anyone.

6. Jalen Williams IND
An unsung contributor to OKC's rise to adequacy, Williams has had a hand in everything-- double digit points, decent rebounder, solid passer. He hasn't shot well though.

7. Chet Holmgren, POR
The leg injury is so Bowie, it's Walton. You can't Oden this up. Worth the gamble for the superstar potential here.

8. Jalen Duran, NOLA
Physical beast who could play in the middle, run like a gazelle, and gobble up rebounds. A pick and roll beast with Zion.

9. Jeremy Sochan, SAN
This is their guy.

10. AJ Griffin, WAS
Griffin could have played either SG or SF, allowing Kuzma to play PF and Porzingis to play C more often. Would have been a help when Beal went down too.

11. Andrew Nembhard, NYK
Knicks keep the pick and choose a shooter at wing. Nembhard could play with Randle, Quickley, Barrett, or just about anyone else.

12. Walker Kessler, OKC
OKC needs a big guy in the middle. Imagine the easy looks he gets with SGA and Giddey. Imagine the time he could be spending developing. He, SGA, Giddey, and Murray together? Could that team be a playoff contender?

13. Shaedon Sharpe, CHA
On a team going nowhere, Sharpe might be a real find. Feed him to the wolves to see if he sinks or swims. He'd be, IMO, a highlight reel with Ball feeding him alley oops, at any rate.

14. Tari Eason, CLE
Serious athleticism, aggressiveness, and motor might allow him to push for a starting gig at small forward, their one area of need.

Pretty good list. I haven’t seen a lot of these rookies play.
Jalen Duren, not Duran, plays for the Pistons. And Dyson Daniels and Shaedon Sharpe are pretty similiar players with great athleticism but fighting for minutes. I liked Daniels a little better because he defended pretty hard, esp for a rookie.
I liked Jaden Ivey in college, but he didn’t stand out too much when I saw him.
Best rookie I have seen play in Mathurin, but I haven’t seen a lot of the top draft picks.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Pretty good list. I haven’t seen a lot of these rookies play.

I've seen most of these guys multiple times-- though some of them just haven't been given enough time. (That's why Dyson Daniels doesn't make the Hindsight 20/20 draft lottery, but Sharpe does. Sharpe's got a specific role with his team and can show out-- so far, Daniels is the third PG on a team that's fighting for the best record in the league. He's not going to get any minutes that he doesn't throttle. Sharpe, however, will likely be given more and more as the Blazers fall back in the West.)

Banchero's the best rookie by a good bit, but he's pretty much only an offensive player at this point. Mathurin's more well-rounded offensively, but has gone backwards (20 --> 18 --> 15 ppg over his first three months), and his defensive score is 118. (Banchero's is 116, fwiw.) Mathurin's last three games have been (much) better-- perhaps that's part of the learning curve.

[M2]

My lottery re-do would be:

1. Paolo Banchero - Already showing star quality. That's what you want at the top of the draft. I didn't think he was THE guy last summer. Totally wrong on that front. Well done by the Magic in choosing wisely.

2. Bennedict Mathurin - Despite the recent rough patch, Mathurin has obvious three-level scoring skills. He's also got the kind of edge and drive that has me convinced he's going to keep getting better. He's going to be a menace.

3. Chet Holmgren - I have serious questions about his praying mantis frame, but if you ask me who's going to be a star from this class after the first two on this list, Holmgren's as good an answer as anyone. Big risk, big upside.

4. Keegan Murray - Doesn't strike me as having star potential. Might only be a #3 guy on a really good team in the future, but long guys on the wing with a plus game are the hardest thing to find in the NBA. The Kings should cherish him.

5. Shaedon Sharpe - Lacks the minutes of some others, but he's got unreal ability. He can play way above the rim and his shot looks pretty solid. He's got the makings of a go-to scorer, a guy who can create his own shot out of nothing. Too much talent to ignore.

6. Dyson Daniels - Another lower minutes guy, but he already plays pro defense and he's shown the skillset to fill up a box score. He's going to physically dominate guys after his body fills out, sort of Ben Simmons type who can actually shoot a bit.

7. Jalen Duren - I'm skeptical about bigs without a perimeter game or playmaking skills, and Duren has no perimeter game or playmaking skills. However, he is a handful who's forcing his way into the minutes because he's able to bang with grown men.

8. Jaden Ivey - Not impressed with his scoring chops. Seems to have a much lower ceiling that I thought prior to the draft. Yet he can make plays. Could be a PG when he matures. Not many of those in this draft.

9. Jabari Smith - His shot creation skills are bad, bordering on non-existent. Honestly, he's a massive disappointment (thought he was the #1 guy before the draft). He's a willing defender, should do the hard work guarding the perimeter, but his only offense is when his feet are set beyond the arc.

10. A.J. Griffin - I don't have a good reason why I don't have him two slots higher. Looks like a wing who can score and defend. Might end up being the sort of higher quality forward the Hawks really need.

11. Walker Kessler - He tilts the floor. Leads the class in stuff like Win Shares, Net Rating and +/-. He's already pretty elite at defending the rim. Pretty ironic Utah nabbed what looks like a discount Rudy Gobert clone in exchange for Rudy Gobert.

12. Tari Eason - Entirely possible possible he ends up making Jabari Smith expendable. Seems to have a more complete game. Should have a solid career as a combo forward.

13. Andrew Nembhard - Looks like a reliable PG. Could be a Monte Morris sort of player. Takes care of the ball, hits open shots, always hustles. Kind of a poster boy for why four years of college still has its merits.

14. Jalen Williams - His shooting range is not great, but he's really good inside the arc. Probably not a high volume scorer in the future. That said, he's earning minutes because he can play.

[M2]

Memphis, New Orleans and Denver have logged wins tonight. I was asking recently who the top teams in the West are/would be this season and it's starting to look like this is the triumvirate at the top. Dallas and Sacto are lurking a little behind them. Golden State survived without Steph, so maybe they've got a run in them. Yet the top three all look like they've got 50+ win energy.

[Kingspoint]

Memphis, New Orleans and Denver have logged wins tonight. I was asking recently who the top teams in the West are/would be this season and it's starting to look like this is the triumvirate at the top. Dallas and Sacto are lurking a little behind them. Golden State survived without Steph, so maybe they've got a run in them. Yet the top three all look like they've got 50+ win energy.

...and,...

No Morant for Memphis.

No Zion or Ingram for N'Orleans.

Jokic only had to take 5 shots (made them all).

Kings were back to lighting it up on Offense while also playing some Defense.

DAL has a 4-game roadtrip with back-to-back games in LA (Clippers then Lakers) followed by back-to-back games in POR (DAL has beat them 7 in a row, while it's official that Billups has no clue what the hell he's doing...he's the Jeff Saturday of the NBA). Whatever team gets to go against Billups seems to get inspired for a good run that can turn their season in a positive direction or propel it even further if they are already in a positive direction. Billups' team does not put up a fight.

[M2]

Billups definitely isn't the answer for whatever Portland needs. Maybe the next guy can be a Jacque Vaughn kind of improvement.

However, I still question whether Dame and Simons lack fight or if they're just too small a backcourt pairing?

[Kingspoint]

Billups definitely isn't the answer for whatever Portland needs. Maybe the next guy can be a Jacque Vaughn kind of improvement.

However, I still question whether Dame and Simons lack fight or if they're just too small a backcourt pairing?

Simons is the worst Defender in the NBA each of the last two seasons per Darko. He's only average Offensively. Dame, already a bottom-10 Defender, cannot be matched with someone worse than him Defensively. It all starts and ends right there.

[M2]

Simons is the worst Defender in the NBA each of the last two seasons per Darko. He's only average Offensively. Dame, already a bottom-10 Defender, cannot be matched with someone worse than him Defensively. It all starts and ends right there.

So who would you deal? Dame's better, but Simons is younger and maybe he fits in long-term with Sharpe.