Even Okafor knows KAT should go first.

 

2015 NBA Draft: Jahlil Okafor 'I Don't Know That I Should Go No. 1' | Lakers Nation

Even Okafor knows KAT should go first.

 

2015 NBA Draft: Jahlil Okafor 'I Don't Know That I Should Go No. 1' | Lakers Nation

 

He went to Duke, he's smart.

So, feet to the fire you just WANT him to be better than Russell, and follow that up with comparing him the the #2 scoring guard on the planet.

 

You have had the Voice of Reason name revoked... :lol2:

 

I now claim the name Great American from Bill Cunningham. :lol2: You know, hype up what you like.

 

And I didn't compare him to the best, I am just saying I will not be shocked if he becomes that good.

 

Come on Booker...make it happen. One thing is for certain, GT may claim he is a big Booker fan, but I am a bigger one.

Edited May 22, 201511 yr by Voice of Reason

I'm coming around on Towns over Okafor some, but I think the franchise they go to and what else you have there is part of that as well. There you go @gametime. It takes a lot to convince me (because I know I'm always right, even initially), but you and everyone else are starting to wear on me and the more I hear, the more convinced I become. Like you said, one skill and people are burying their heads in the sand around the rest. Okafor will have to improve defensively for sure, and he probably has the capacity to and will work off some of the baby fat, but he's still got some work to do.

 

I think D'Angelo Russell goes at #3 . Of most of the prospects, I think he is what he is at this point in time. That isn't meant as a really good or really bad thing. Unless he grows, he's going to be a tweener 1/2. In the NBA, he might struggle to defend the 2 and doesn't have the kind of handle and instincts as a facilitator to be a true 1. Nothing wrong with that, because James Harden is the same way. Not saying that Russell has the same career as Harden, just making the point that a tweener with lots of talent can succeed.

 

Mudiay is probably going to New York at #4 , but I honestly don't know what to make of him not working out. If it's an injury being masked, then that's going to hurt. He's a wildcard. Apparently he's not pleased front offices by not working out, etc. Maybe that's changed since I've been able to look at news (it's been a few days), but I would think that after an injury and playing in an unknown league, executives would want to see the goods. I'd think that if he's in the conversation with the top 3, he goes into workouts and tries to prove it and knows that regardless he won't drop past #4 . Not really sure how his hand is being played, and things seem to be fairly close to the vest.

 

Don't know a ton about Hezgona, but from what I've read, I don't see him dropping past the #7 , and know he's probably going to go much higher. His workouts apparently helped him and have seemingly eased some concerns.

 

As far as two UK go, I'm more sold on Trey Lyles' being a sure thing than WTCS' potential. Wish the best for both of them, but if my team is sitting at #7 or so, and with no trade possibilities and all else held equal, I'd rather see my team draft Lyles.

 

Lots of Myles Turner's stock will depend on how his medicals check out (some people are thinking he runs funny because it's compensating for an injury, his camp says it's not that and he's working on his form/mechanics). He played for Rick Barnes, who didn't know how to use him at all and took until around January to figure out that he could play him and Ridley together, so anyone's guess is probably just as good as analyzing everything.

 

Have questions about Stanley Johnson's overall game. If I were drafting him, I'd want to work him out more than once, and it's not because of his athleticism.

 

Think Justice Winslow is solid but not spectacular. He's a safe pick in the same mold as I think of Trey Lyles (more later). Didn't measure well but he's still able to stick open jumpers and athletic enough to finish at the rim in the league. It'd be great if he had a mid-range game, but probably one of those things that basically is what it is at this point. You know what you are getting: it's not a superstar, but it's not a complete bust either.

 

Unsure about Oubre. He's a hugely volatile guy. Tools are there but he has a vibe about him that kind of makes you wonder. I've seen tons of Big XII games down here and will stand by saying that he doesn't react well when things aren't going his way (and that's putting it mildly). Tons of fouls out of frustration when he's off, forcing shots when they aren't falling, all that. However, when he's on, he can really go. He's young enough that if he matures, the talent is there, but he's also young enough that if he's put in a toxic locker room, he's possibly out of the league by his second contract.

 

Hardly know anything about Cameron Payne, so I'll admit it and punt.

 

Love RJ Hunter and think he's golden with the right fit. He's going to wind up going later than Booker, but brings a lot of the same things to the table. Shooter, long wingspan, good quickness for his size in side-to-side drills.

 

Booker is a wild card. When people look back at his career, one of the biggest variables is where he winds up going. Too early to the wrong franchise and are really risking. For he and Hunter, I think the best thing to happen to them would be sliding late to a playoff team. Put either on a team like the Celtics or Jazz, who pick in the mid-teens, and they don't look too hot because they will struggle to create their own shot. Let them slide to a team like the Wizards or Rockets, who pick in the early 20's and who already have their stars and core in place, and then you probably see them thrive because they can come in early and do what they do well and won't be asked to do tons else. Not trying to hate, but if UK fans are thinking Booker is going to come in to a team where he's asked to defend NBA 2's as a rookie and will just kill it, you'll be in for a long year. Not that he's bad defensively, just that really defending a good NBA 2 well is probably one of the hardest things to do in professional sports.

 

In the long term, I'm not sold on Kaminsky being anything more than a second unit offensive cog or a guy who starts for a few years on a really bad team. I don't know that he can defend at the next level and am unsure of how he even fares when he's not getting away with murder without being whistled (that's not sour grapes from the UK loss, you can look at my post history and see me talking about that well before then).

 

Not in love with Bobby Portis for many of the same reasons as WCS; really good defender with length and quickness, but if he isn't dunking the ball, he's not scoring. Given where he's projected to go right now, I don't see him living up to the hype.

 

I would pass on Sam Dekker as well. Seems to be something missing and think he's one of these guys who'll be a combine freak capable of having big games, but isn't someone you want to count on each night.

 

Love Jerian Grant, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and to a lesser extent, Kevon Looney, if you have a pick (and/or need) in the late teens or early twenties.

 

Looney played way out of position too often this past season at UCLA, but can see his skill set making him one of those guys who is a better pro than college player.

 

Would love to see my team take Jerian Grant around the range he's projected to go right now if there's any type of team need at all.

 

Like Montrezell Harrell as a second unit guy on a good team, which is enough to keep you in the NBA for a decade if you play it right. Same goes for Dakari Johnson as a back-up center. People can laugh at that or whatever, but ask a team like the Clippers how it is to try and compete in the NBA when you can only go 6 or 7 deep-- not happening.