2039 Lottery Draft Grades

[Charles]

1. Suns - Walt Bellamy, C

Notes - The 18 year old coming straight from high school Bellamy is mighty raw for a projected top pick. He is a slam dunk offensive player and a terrific rebounder, but his outside offensive game and his defense leaves some questions especially in the modern NBN. If he gets mentored by a player who has a All-Defensive First or Second team in his background, Bellamy automatically gains +3 post D and +3 shot blocking on top of the attributes he naturally gains from the mentor camp(including the add ons for his defensive team). If he gets mentored by a player who shot more than 100 3s the previous season he will receive +3 jump shot and +3 3 point shot on top of the attributes he naturally gains from the mentor camp. These can be combined if the player has both a Defensive Team and shot 100 3s in the previous season.

Thoughts - Last year the Suns had the second pick in the draft and they opted to go with a small forward. This year they are going to really add a game changer to their frontcourt. Entering the draft straight out of High School with a fantastic inside and rebounding game means that it's not really a surprise that Bellamy was picked first overall. As long as he is camped to work on his defense and jumpshot he should turn into an absolute superstar. The Suns have a couple really nice building blocks to work around now.

Draft Analysis Rating - 3rd (67.9)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection - Hal Greer, SF (2036), Bill Russell, C (2037), Jalen Green, SG (2038)

Grade - A+


2. Jazz - Rudy LaRusso, PF

Notes - "The Ivy Leaguer With Muscles", LaRusso is known for being an exceptionally tough yet smart player from one of the top academic schools in the nation. Whenever LaRusso is camped, he gains an additional +1 in every rating he is camped in. Additionally, his limit for improving with camping is 95 rather than the default 90.

Thoughts -
The additional camping points from LaRusso's draft notes are definitely appealing and he was an absolute monster in the predraft workouts, leading the league in points, blocks, and free throw attempts. As well as appearing on several other leaderboards. Between Johnny Green and Rudy LaRusso, it looks like the Jazz are going to have their frontcourt set for awhile. Both players look to have some serious upside and the potential to be starters for a long time in the league.

Draft Analysis Rating -
2nd (70.35)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection - Sam Jones, SG (2036), Willie Nauls, PF (2037), Jalen Johnson, SF (2038). 


Grade - A+


3. Raptors - Ja Morant, PG

Notes - An extremely talented player who loves to fill up the box score in college, but hasn't played against the best competition. Coming to the NBN he will gain confidence when he plays against his peers in the rookie/sophomore game. For each point scored in the game he will gain +1 to any scoring rating, same for rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Max 5 per attribute, only usable one time (you can choose to not claim this for his rookie season, and hope that he does better in his 2nd season.)

Thoughts -
Ja looks like a seriously good point guard prospect. It'll be interesting to see if Taj or Ja end up being the better pro over the years. Ja had a nice predraft, he didn't show much in terms of 3pt or jumpshot ability but he really made up for it with the rebuilding and stocks. He also won the slam dunk contest so you know he's got to have an insane vertical that might land the Raptors some extra cash down the line. The draft notes are interesting and could really help, if he's the starter this is basically a free supercamp. The Raptors got a very nice piece that they can start developing here and he should be able to lead their team well into the future.

Draft Analysis Rating -
4th (67.85)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Red Kerr, C (2036), Wayne Embry, C (2037), Bailey Howell, PF (2038).

Grade - A


4. Hornets - Taj Brody, PG

Notes - Brody is a Jewish basketball player coming out of Ohio State who has taken up responsibility of being an ambassador of basketball all over the world. He promotes good practice habits and works extra well with other foreign players on his team. For each foreign player that Brody is teammates with, that player will gain +5 potential per season spent with Brody. A foreign player is any player with a European country as their college. Eligible for the first four seasons of his career.

Thoughts -
Well, the draft analysis says he is the best player in the draft and I totally see why. He had great scoring percentages all around on 25 PPG. He rebounded the ball like a champ for his position and he had almost 11 APG, over 2 stocks, and didn't turn the ball over as much as most do in the predraft. Roger is going to camp the hell out of this guy and he's going to be fantastic. Then he's going to trade him in 2 years . Haha. Seriously, this man looks sexy.

Draft Analysis Rating -
1st (73.15)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Nico Mannion, PG (2036), Win Wilfong, PG (2037), Giacomo Nicolin*, PG (2038).

Grade - A+, stud


5. Wolves - Evan Mobley, PF

Thoughts - Mobley has no draft notes but he comes in with a fantastic skill line. He's got both B- inside and outside, he hit nearly 40% of his 3s in the predraft sim so you know he has the potential to be a good inside - outside threat. He also was able to racked up quite a few stocks while pulling down over 10 rebounds. Mobley looks like he'll be a definite starter in his career and should serve as a very nice building block for the Wolves.


Draft Analysis Rating -
5th (66.75)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Tom Heinsohn, PF (2036), Si Green, SG (2037), Jalen Lecque, PG (2038).

Grade - B+


6. Hornets - Deni Avdija, SG

Thoughts - With no draft notes and falling 32nd overall in our draft analysis it was sure a shock to see Deni come off the board here. The upside is that he's a 17 year old with A potential and insane size for a SG. Will his potential be able to be realized? This feels like a crazy boom or bust pick. If his potential resets to 100 multiple times as a teen, who knows, he could end up being an absolute superstar. On the other hand, the potential can't pull up his raw abilities then he'll fall aside. It'll be interesting to see how this one plays out. Since Roger has already drafted the best player in the draft in my opinion, who was a PG, it would be insane for Deni to explode - leaving Roger with an incredible backcourt drafted in the same year. 


Draft Analysis Rating -
32nd (57.5)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Pedro Barros, SF (2036), Jim Loscutoff, SF (2037), Marcus Bingham Jr, PF (2038).

Grade - C+


7. Rockets - Anthony Edwards, SG

Notes - Edwards quickly rose up to be one of the best high school stars in the country before deciding to spend 2 years at Florida State where he somewhat cooled as a NBN prospect. What he is is a tremendous athlete who can do a little bit of everything. He does need some help with his scoring though. Edwards can spend time he would have spent in the weight room, instead perfecting his shot. If he skips 1 of his 3 weight rooms, he will receive +3 total to his three point shot. If he skips 2 of them, he will receive +5 total to his three point shot. And if he skips 3 of them he will receive +6 total to his 3 point shot. This will cost the same as sending him to weight rooms. The bonus is for a total of up to +6 to his three point shot, not collectively.

Thoughts - Edwards looks pretty developed already, he has a very nice skill line. Since his inside is so high and he's a strong rebounder, I'm going to guess he's quite athletic. The draft notes should really help his shooting to make him become more of a balanced player. I think he should workout as a solid starter. Just make sure to follow through with camping him.


Draft Analysis Rating -
14th (61.3)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Puggy Bell, SF (2036), Bucky Bockhorn, SG (2037), Willy Steveniers, SG (2038).

Grade - B


8. Kings - Josip Gjergja, PG

Notes - Josip Gjergja got the chance to learn from current NBN star Krešimir Ćosić during their short time together at KK Zadar. Gjergja has been very unsure about making his jump over to the NBN ever since Ćosić left, feeling as if he may not be able to make friends or gain chemistry with new teammates. If Gjergja ever finds himself on a team with another European (a player with a European country as their college), he'll instantly become a better player, gaining a +3 boost to potential and a +5 to any non-athletic attribute, claimable all four years of his rookie deal.

Thoughts - My first thoughts are "wow, those draft notes are incredibly easy." You can go around the leftover FA pile and pick someone up on the minimum to grab another European player. The +20 attributes and +12 potential for basically free is insane. Josip has the potential to be something special and falling to #8 really helps the Kings in their rebuild. We will see how it works out, he might lack some athletic abilities due to the low inside and rebounding, but with the right camping he should be fine. 


Draft Analysis Rating - 
7th (64.6)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Dick Ricketts, PF (2036), Emiliano Rodriguez, SF (2037), Greg Brown, PF (2038).

Grade - A-


9. Lakers - Guy Rodgers, PG

Notes - An excellent playmaker, Rodgers will enter the league with the ability to feed his teammates without turning the ball over. He is especially effective when working with an elite big man. If he is on the same team as the All NBN 1st team PF or C, that player will gain +3 inside. Also Rodgers will gain +3 passing. All NBN 2nd team grants +2, and 3rd team is +1. As long as Rodgers is on your roster, PF and C do not have the cap of 90 for any scoring rating (inside, jump shot, 3 pointer)

Thoughts - This is just weird to me. The Lakers have KC Jones, who they should probably try to resign, since he is decent and just coming off his rookie contract. But he's a PG and now they are out here drafting another one. The draft note is different too, unfortunately I do not see the Lakers being able to use it unless they don't bring back Holloway/Wanzer next year and invest in a top-tier big man. They already have Heinsohn and Howell though and they are part of the youth movement. Unless they really plan on moving Howell to SF or want to operate with 3 bigs, it'll be odd. Unless Guy was the best player available or there's just moves to follow, it doesn't really add up.


Draft Analysis Rating -
6th (65.9)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Miki Bercovich, SG (2036), Ricardo Duarte, C (2037), Don Ohl, SG (2038).

Grade - B for the player, C for the situation.


10. Celtics - Hubert Ausbie, SG

Thoughts - Worst case, Ausbie looks like he should develop into a hell of a supersub and that's really nice to have. Best case, the 18 year old explodes and he becomes a superstar. He already is capable of getting some nice steals and the blocks are unexpected out of a SG. Then he has that fantastic passing ability for a SG. He's got a rare set of skills and I'm surprised he fell this far. The Celtics definitely have a nice piece here but just like the Lakers it's another questionable fit to me since they already have Sam Jones on the roster. Maybe a big man would have been able to provide more of an impact for this team. With Baylor and Jones being 23 years old each though, I guess they are not in a super short win-now mode.


Draft Analysis Rating -
15th (60.6)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Scottie Pippen Jr, PG (2036), Connie Dierking, C (2037), Hot Rod Hundley, PG (2038).

Grade - B+ 


11. Hornets - Teófilo Cruz, C

Thoughts - Another teenager for Roger, Cruz looks like he could develop into a hell of low-post beast. Before any camping or anything he's already B inside and he scored very well from the floor and the FT line during the predraft. He'll just have to rebound better and take care of the ball. Overall, you can always use a guy like this though and his weaknesses should be curable without much worry.


Draft Analysis Rating -
18th (60.25)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Meadowlark Lemon, SG (2036), Don Schlundt, C (2037), Dave Gambee, SF (2038). 

Grade - A-


12. Bulls - Michael Foster, PF

Thoughts - Foster's game is a little bit more expanded then Cruz's. He's a better rounder and has more range, he could develop a 3pt shot in the league. His handles will have to be worked on or he'll have to play within a certain pace though, he averaged over 6 turnovers per game in the predraft sim which is absolutely nuts. I think the Bulls got a decent piece here, nothing overly special but at the same time he could develop into a solid starter.


Draft Analysis Rating -
8th (64.4)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Kahlil Whitney, SF (2036), Larry Brown, PG (2037), Adrian Smith, SG (2038).

Grade - C+


13. Heat - Jaden McDaniels, SF

Thoughts - With no draft notes, McDaniels seems to have slipped through a little. He plays a premium position and doesn't seem to have any glaring weaknesses. If he's camped up and taken care of then he should probably develop into a solid player going forward. There's nothing much to complain about especially at this point in the draft. The draft analysis sheet projected him 10th so dropping down to 13 seems pretty good. The other option if the Heat were sold on picking up a SF was Aminu Mohammed and he's more of a defensive player while McDaniels is more offensive (outside B-).


Draft Analysis Rating -
10th (62.65)

Last 3 Drafted At Selection -
Boody Gilbertson, SG (2036), Gennadi Volnov, PF (2037), Sandro Gamba*, SF ( 2038). 

Grade - B

[Rog]

Bump

[Matt [Minnesota Timberwolves]]

It seems I may never know if I did horrible or good.

[Charles]

Jan 22, 2019 21:42:16 GMT Matt [Minnesota Timberwolves] said:

It seems I may never know if I did horrible or good.

I actually did 4 more last night and then my fucking power went out lol. I’ll finish it tomorrow after work though .

[Charles]

Yeah, so fuck my power going out and then I had some personal stuff to work out last night. I was able to hop on now though and I got it all finished .

[A. Silver]

I love the "Last 3 Drafted At Selection" detail, it's interesting to see what other kind of players were taken at each draft slot.

[verysilentone]

Jan 23, 2019 22:03:11 GMT Charles said:

Yeah, so fuck my power going out and then I had some personal stuff to work out last night. I was able to hop on now though and I got it all finished .

You only think you got it finished. This is just a dream. When you wake up, you'll only have 4 parts written lol


I picked Rodgers in case KC signs elsewhere. I have a weird suspicion that someone will offer more than most here think unless because he's the youngest of the good PGs available. I'm definitely trying to resign him though. 

Truth is once Houston was up, I was pretty sure that I would get Anthony Edwards. I didn't think they'd take him since 2 of the 3 only players there that are worth a damn will keep Edwards on the bench unless they get traded.

After that, it was between Rodgers and either Butler or Foster. I went with Rodgers thinking that I'd need a young PG if I lose Jones.

[ucfinfan86]

Fun read

[don1955]

i was just looking for some offensive help

[Charles]

Jan 23, 2019 22:09:21 GMT A. Silver said:

I love the "Last 3 Drafted At Selection" detail, it's interesting to see what other kind of players were taken at each draft slot.

Do you think I should push it out to 5? Or leave it at 3?
Because the more I look at it I remember the names but sometimes you really don’t see like full development of the player by the time they fall off that list. The guy falling off constantly has 1y of camping left and who knows :-? That could mean a big difference.

[Charles]

Jan 23, 2019 22:10:55 GMT verysilentone said:

Jan 23, 2019 22:03:11 GMT Charles said:

Yeah, so fuck my power going out and then I had some personal stuff to work out last night. I was able to hop on now though and I got it all finished .

You only think you got it finished. This is just a dream. When you wake up, you'll only have 4 parts written lol

At this point nothing would surprise me . I have to get better at finishing on the article series that I start and stuff in general.

[naterade]

You definitely read my mindset.. at 10 I didn’t feel like trying to plug and immediate hole, so I went with highest upside for depth, potential, and maybe an eventual trade piece.

Great read. I loved reading your perspectives.

[A. Silver]

Jan 24, 2019 2:10:41 GMT Charles said:

Jan 23, 2019 22:09:21 GMT A. Silver said:

I love the "Last 3 Drafted At Selection" detail, it's interesting to see what other kind of players were taken at each draft slot.

Do you think I should push it out to 5? Or leave it at 3?
Because the more I look at it I remember the names but sometimes you really don’t see like full development of the player by the time they fall off that list. The guy falling off constantly has 1y of camping left and who knows :-? That could mean a big difference.

I was thinking that it would be better if you went further out, but that adds more work the longer out you go. I actually think the last 3 are probably the least relevant since we haven't seen how they look fully developed yet.

[Deleted]

Last few drafts have been trash, just look at the Hornets

[Rog]

Jan 24, 2019 6:17:32 GMT @jelly said:

Last few drafts have been trash, just look at the Hornets

Ummmm Im 1 year into a rebuild. Ohl is gonna be solid, and at least 3 of the guys I drafted this year are loaded with potential. Only 1 pick in the top 5 of the guys on my roster that I drafted. Not sure your point