[high floorParticipant]

I’m fully expecting this to be unpopular, and I’m not saying I would have the guts to do this if I’m an NBA GM. But I keep having this take every time I think about the upcoming NBA draft.

I think there’s a chance that Darius Garland will be the best PG in this draft. Over Morant & Coby. 

I love his offensive game, and today’s league is all about shot making. Garland, in his very limited sample size, showed an innate ability to score the ball. Specifically I could see him being a great fit on Phoenix (awesome offensive compliment to Booker / Ayton), a great fit for Chicago (they need to bail on Dunn), and even a great fit for Memphis as an heir apparent to Mike Conley as a dynamic long-term duo with JJJ. 

I just reallly, really like Garland’s potential in the pros.

Am I on an island, or are there any other draft.netters’ with me on this??

[pjlaw10Participant]

I have been thinking this also, but the key phrase here is "a chance". Because of the injury and the larger sample size of Morant specifically it would be impossible at this point to draft him above Ja. However, I don’t know how healthy he is and if he will be able to do any workouts whatsoever, but if he is available to do anything at all it wouldn’t shock me if he was taken ahead of Coby. Garland is the best ball handler in this draft and could potentially have a Kyrie-like career trajectory if he can get and stay healthy. Suns are definitely taking Ja but I like Chicago, NO, Memphis, Lakers, and Charlotte all to fill a need at pg in the lottery. They probably won’t take him over Coby, but they should.  

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Booo. Not controversial at all. +1 for spelling the word right though…I wouldnt have.

[dancudiParticipant]

Not that controversial but when it’s all said and done, Rj Barrett will have a better career than Zion  

[dancudiParticipant]

Not that controversial but when it’s all said and done, Rj Barrett will have a better career than Zion  

[The GoatParticipant]

I think this draft is more of a crapshoot than people realise. Zion, RJ and Ja are 1-2-3 in some order due to marketing and trade value primarily cos i don’t think you can be 100 percent sure on anyone in the class. I mean, they have shown the talent too, but if you are in the top 3 and like someone else, it’s the perfect draft to trade down. Guys like Garland, Bol and Hunter could be as good as the top picks. Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy looked like IT and Joe D out there through the final 4, it could really be dependent on which team drafts a certain player as to how they develop. If Giannis wasn’t picked by the Bucks, and someone like the On cos hot him, would he have reached his potential!

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

I think Morant isn’t going to be mvp Derrick Rose 2.0.  

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Not saying it’s an identical comparison, but his ability to shoot off of the dribble and with range reminds me of Damian Lillard 

I think he has a chance to go top 5

[MopgrassParticipant]

I see the argument your making: Darius is a better shooter and that’s what the NBA is about now. It’s also notable that he’s very, very shifty. Defenders can’t get too close to his shot because he’ll go right around. He also hits NBA distance 3’s, often. He shot about 48% from 3 on 5 shots a game. 

But is he the best shooter? Maybe. Free throw % is supposed to be a better indicator of who will shoot 3’s best. If that’s the case, Ja Morant is a better shooter. He shot 81%, Darius shot 76%. I’m splitting hairs and Morant only made 37% of his 3’s, but only shot two a game (not a big sample size). Point being, Darius is probably a better shooter, but probably not by a ton. Anyone already hitting 80% from the line in college is a hard worker. 

Morant is way more athletic, a way better passer, and rebounder. He is everywhere on the court, the whole game. He’s definitely a competitor and rises to the challenge. My biggest concern is: does he run the game too much? The ball is ALWAYS in his hands. If he does that on the NBA, he better be Hall of Fame material. You don’t want the guy who isn’t the best taking all the posessions. Morant isn’t really a modern PG today, but I’d rather draft him and try and make him modern instead of getting Darius and hope he can shoot much better than Morant. 

[kobyzParticipant]

 he’s a big mystery of the draft, talanted shot maker but we don’t have enough information about him to judge his quality to be a lead guard…

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

 My whole mock lotto/big board is a HOT TAKE.  

Some guys I really like… these guys are at the top.  Although 10-14 has new guys coming in and out — not too sure who to put at 10.

Here it goes…

LOTTO MANIA 22

1. Zion Williamson

2. Tacko Fall

3. DeAndre Hunter

4. Darius Garland

5. Sekou Doumbouya

6. Luka Samanic

7. Bol Bol

8. Ja Morant

9. RJ Barrett

10. Louis King

11. Tyler Herro

12. Grant Williams

13. Kevin Porter, Jr.

14. Jaxson Hayes

[holefillers1Participant]

Did you say HOT TAKE or TAKE A HOT ONE?  Either way you’re going to need a roll of toilet paper to clean up that mock  

[mowestenParticipant]

Controversial projection:

Louis King will be a better NBA player than Cam Reddish. I remember thinking King was a better player when I watched these two on the same team in the Nike EYBL a few years back.

I think Cameron Johnson and Ignas Brazdeikis both have long NBA careers and they are currently mocked as second round guys.

[timinator1Participant]

but Iggy still is pretty raw and inconsistent. Maybe it was just the games in the tourney that I saw. I expected more with all his hype.

 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

Louis King had a very good year considering he had a late start due to an injury. I’m curious as to the story behind the "maturity and attitude" aspect of his profile. If that is serious, then I can understand some apprehension, but this is a class where very few one-and-dones were legitimately good – well good and healthy as a couple played a few games and then got hurt. Some were ok, or good for freshman, but did not really stand out. By the end of the year, King was legitamately good.

Cameron Johnson is probably going to have the slow start to Justin Jackson’s career held against him a bit, despite Johnson clearly having more range and even better production. I still don’t think he gets out of the first round. There is a point at which the obsession with age can backfire. The 2017 draft has had some time to breathe, and when one looks back at Kuzma, White, Hart, Morris, Dotson (with the caveat that his problems at Oregon should have kept him from being drafted regardless of his ability), Bell, the untradeable Dillon Brooks, and even Sterling Brown is giving decent minutes in the playoffs, it is hard to think that the value of having knowably capable players on mid-to-late first rookie scale or 2nd round rookie deals is not too valuable to pass up. Also, everyone but Bell who I mentioned clearly took a big step forward in year two. They didn’t come in at their peak. When I look at OKC, and their cap situation with two unquestionable stars, isn’t cheap and capable what they need? Nobody is taking the ball away from George or Westbrook, but it would seems as though Johnson could play off them. Brazdeikis might be a different situation. Because he was born in Lithuania, his options to sign for one of the big monied clubs in Europe might come into play. Maybe a team that drafts him will want to develop in Spain or Turkey for a year or two (Atlanta currently has three early seconds and they will either need to sell them or keep one or two off the roster), or maybe if he is a fringe rotation player the money ultimately becomes comparable and the role he would play there is greater. 

[HitsterParticipant]

 Garland would be a nice fit on a number of teams. I think we all agree that Morant will be the first PG taken.I think that Coby’s size and ability as a combo guard will see him go ahead of Garland too.

Memphis would be a good spot for Garland, he’d be potentially playing behind Conley but he’s only 19 and learning from a good PG like Conley would be a good starting point.Plus ut frees up the possibility to trade Conley to a contender sooner if Garland develops well.

T-Wolves with Jeff Teague expiring next summer will likely have a good look at him too and Charlotte with Kemba as FA might be interested too.

[Author]

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