Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Nearly finished plotting out the 2018 draft. Lots of trades in this one to keep up with, but the league is shaping up to be very interesting heading into free agency (free agency will also get its own post as well).

As always, thanks for keeping the faith and do stay tuned.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

2018 NBA Draft Recap: 1-5

June 21st, 2018

Vonny Lee



The 2018 NBA Draft is now in the books and, with it, so officially begins the wacky and wild NBA offseason. The draft had some curveballs thrown at us, as well as a very active trade market, so buckle up.



Ayton was destined to be the first pick in this draft, though the Pacers flirted with trading it for a bounty, they simply couldn't pass on grabbing a franchise center -- especially when it allowed them to move Myles Turner to the four, where he's a more natural fit. Larry Bird's moves these offseason, from trading Rose to signaling the end of the Paul George era, have all been aimed for a quick turnaround; not a rebuild so much as a reboot. With Ayton aboard, providing good scoring and defense, the Pacers will be that much closer to getting back to the postseason, where anything is possible.



The Mavericks were certainly hoping that Ayton went before Brown, as Brown is a much better fit in Dallas. Brown, already a semi-stretch five as it was, will get great coaching from Rick Carlise and Dirk as he joins a very young Mavericks team. Dallas has pulled a complete 180 from how they've dealt with the offseason in past years, finally embarking on the great rebuilt that they simply couldn't accomplish during Dirk's last years.

Immediately following the drafting of Brown, the Mavericks traded away Draymond Green.



They picked up former 1st round picks Levert and Ellenson, both with two-years left on their rookie deals, as well as a top-8 protected 1st rounder for next year from Utah. Dallas is now firmly ready to go from the ground up and the future looks bright for them.



This was the night's first surprise. The Timberwolves weren't expected to take Carter, but they simply couldn't pass up the obvious talent the big man possessed. Carter joins Wiggins and KAT on a team loaded with talent and his role will be simple: patrol the paint, play defense, grab boards, and score easy buckets.

What about Dieng, you ask? He got traded as soon as this pick was made.


The 76ers, trade partner with the Wolves at the deadline, were once more their partner here, taking on Dieng, grabbing an extra pick, and sending their 1st rounder (top-3 protected) for 2019 to the Wolves. Dieng will immediately slot into the four next to Jahill Okafor, as Zach Randolph has made it clear he wishes to be somewhere else. For Minnesota, they got what they wanted and cleared some cap space -- not a bad deal, but they might have sold low on Dieng.



With Draymond Green now a member of the Jazz (and slotted to play the three there), Utah went and took Troy Brown. Brown is a scorer, an above average defender, and someone who may immediately start over the incumbent Alec Burkes. Brown's selection only reinforces the notion that the Jazz are tired of picking in the lottery and are ready to make the jump to playoff contender -- we'll see if they can, but the roster they've assembled so far is quite the sight.



The Blazers need to send the Mavericks and Jazz a Christmas card, as they had Michael Porter fall right into their laps. Porter made a late charge up the boards for 1st overall pick thanks to his March Madness performance and his workouts; he'll fit in seamlessly with Damian Lillard, who now has a roster teaming with talent surrounding him. The Blazers still need Noah Vonleh to recover from his leg fracture, but between Lillard, Vonleh, and Porter, the Blazers core for the next 3 years is very promising.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

2018 NBA Draft Recap: 6-10

June 21st, 2018

Vonny Lee



After the top-5, this draft got really shallow really fast. Depth has always been a concern for this draft class and the Magic made the first reach of the night, taking Jalen Seymour, the distant-third center in this class. Seymour didn't do much during the college season to distinguish himself, but his measurements and workouts helped him shoot up the boards -- still, most drafts had him pegged as a late teens/early twenties pick, but the Magic grabbed him here. His job will be to act as understudy for Vucevic, whose contract runs out in 2 years and whom may leave Orlando with nothing.



Likely to be seen as the second-best pick of the night (right behind Porter to the Blazers), Kaffka satisfies an immediate need for the Grizzlies and has major upside. The Grizzlies have never been afraid to pick a foreign player, and that historical trend continues here. Kaffka will likely see time as a rotation player this season, but expect him to be good in two years, three tops.



The Suns are preparing for the future with this pick (courtesy of the Heat's trade for Goran Dragic a few years back) and took the draft's most NBA-ready point guard, Felton. Felton didn't have a storied college career, but he showed up in big moments during the NCAA Tournament and he may slot in as rotation player this year, depending on what the Suns do.



With multiple SFs still left on the board, the Raptors picked up Vanderbilt, who is solid at multiple things, though unspectacular to look at it. Toronto is preparing for the eventual departure of Demarre Carroll, who could leave next summer (or he could be traded before then). Vanderbilt is three years younger than their 2017 1st rounder, Justin Jackson (also a SF) and the Raptors are betting one of them is their future starter at the three. Time will tell, but Vanderbilt is ready to contribute immediately, even if his contribution will be small.



Leave it to the Spurs to quietly select one of the drafts most well-rounded players. Matthew Blake is a solid player across the board and, at only 22, he's got plenty of time to develop even more skills. With the Spurs unsure what Lamarcus Aldridge is planning to do (he's likely to opt out of his deal, but will he re-sign?), they took a player they felt good about -- even if that player likely won't see much time this season.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

2018 NBA Draft Recap: 11-15

June 21st, 2018

Vonny Lee



An undersized-guard with a chip on his shoulder? Sign up the Boston Celtics, as they took yet another one in this year's draft. Hendrix is a combo-guard, but the bizzaro version of former Celtic Marcus Smart; instead of being accomplished defensively and weak offensively, Hendrix is accomplished offensively and weak defensively. Don't expect Hendrix to start -- or see the floor -- this season, but the Celtics clearly realize they need to prepare for life after Avery Bradley (who is an FA this summer) and Hendrix has enough upside to justify a lottery selection, even if he is so one-dimensional.



Andrew Stafford is the rare fifth-year senior to make his way to the NBA draft and might be the highest drafted one this century. With their second pick in this year's draft, the Pacers picked up the college sharpshooter. Stafford boasts one of this drafts most accomplished resumes, but his defense leaves much to be desired; that said, new HC Luke Walton doesn't need him to be a great individual defender, he just needs him to work within the team concept and Stafford has a history of being a great team player. He may not get the press of fellow rookie Ayton, but he'll be valuable.



The Seattle SuperSonics traded their stud defender Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for this pick (and Jae Crowder with Justin Holiday) and they grabbed Jordan Tucker -- who suffered the embarrassment of a misspelled name in his draft graphic. Tucker didn't seem to mind though, as he's changing his last name to Traylor to honor his grandfather, who passed away six days before the draft. Whatever his name, the Sonics selected a player who'll immediately be helpful to them -- Tucker/Traylor isn't as defensively accomplished as Jefferson was, but he's no slacker and he has some scoring chops, especially as a spot-up shooter from the corner or the post. Expect new HC Ime Udoka to fall in lover with the kid's versatility and eagerness to learn.



The Warriors didn't take a safe player here, but rather took the draft's most divisive ones. Davidson is seen by some as a fringe all-star, waiting to explode on the court, while other's see a player that's already peaked and has, at best, a future as a rotation piece. The Warriors seemed to think more of the former than the latter with him. Davidson's ability to improve his game will be the key to determining what to think of this pick.



The Magic shored up one of their weaker positions with Stanley Ward. Ward is a solid passer and an underwhelming defender, and his ultimate destiny may be just a rotation player, but the Magic took him anyway -- it's not as though they have a ton of talent behind their incumbent guard, Frank Ntilikina, and Ward's name is certainly easier to say than that one, so the rookie has that going for him.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

2018 NBA Draft Recap: 16-20

June 21st, 2018

Vonny Lee



Taj Gibson isn't getting any younger, so the Wizards took Hollins, whom they hope will eventually replace Gibson. Hollins won't see the floor in his rookie year (barring a complete disaster) and he doesn't immediately help the Wizards, so this pick looks questionable -- which, by the Wizards usual standards, means they've followed tradition.



The Kings nabbed a young big here to train behind Kyle O'Quinn, but Ryan is already 24-years old; his ceiling isn't particularly high, but he knows his role. Ryan was lauded in college for his defense and his rebounding, two things that he'll be asked to do here in the pros. The Kings didn't need a groundbreaking pick here and played it safe, taking a likely rotation player that will compliment their platoon of big men moving forward.



Carlos or "The Brazilian Beard" as he's known on the Internet, is a defensive savant and someone who Stan Van-Gundy will love on that end of the court. On the offensive side of the ball, SVG will tell Carlos to pass -- a lot. Carlos' game is nonexistent on offense and that's fine for now. Detroit expects he'll improve to an average player on that side of the ball down the line and, with SVG as his coach, that's not outside the realm of possibility. Expect him to warm the bench this year, but he'll likely be among the more popular bench players in the league by year's end. That beard is something else.



Jimmy Butler needs help and Dante Baylor may finally be able to give Butler a breather. Butler has been playing some heavy minutes the last three seasons and, defensively, he's the team's best player by far. He's never had a reliable backup who can allow him to breathe, but Baylor is that for sure -- an immediate rotation player, Baylor is likely to see time this year. The Bulls may also be preparing for Butler to leave next summer, but every indication is that Butler wants to stay. Baylor plays a big role either way.



The 76ers trade with the T'Wolves for Dieng and this pick, then used it to pick up a young PF in Ozat. Ozat is only 6'8", but he's a glass eater and a decent defender in the paint and on the perimeter, which will be a help down the line for the 76ers, assuming he develops as they hope he will. Offensively limited to just easy buckets within four feet of the hoop, Ozat won't be scaring any teams with his perimeter shooting, but Philly won't need him this year and probably not next year either.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

2018 NBA Draft Recap: 21-25

June 21st, 2018

Vonny Lee



The Magic are apparently big believers in redundancy, as they take Warrick here, who plays the same position as their 6th overall pick, Seymour. Word out of Orlando was that they meant to make the pick here and are looking to convert Warrick into a bruising PF. Warrick, just for reference, is 6'11" and 280 pounds. It's not a bad pick -- the Magic might have just selected their future big men starters four years down the line -- but it's a questionable one, especially for a team with playoff aspirations.



Wesley Matthews is gone and likely won't be coming back to the Bucks, despite their surprise playoff appearance. With Matthews MIA and Vaughn likely to be bumped into the starter's role, the Bucks are in need of a guard to develop on the bench; enter in Reid. He's a tough-minded combo guard who's a deadly shooter off screens, someone the Bucks will love to use in certain situations. Reid may not see any time this year, but expect him to be a rotation player next year for the Bucks.



Art Lawson is a unique SF, as he stands at 6'9", weighs 260 pounds, and is defensively accomplished. He's raw, marking the second straight year the Grizzlies have used a pick on a raw SF (last year it was Johnathan Issac), but Lawson projects to become a James Johnson type down the line -- assuming he develops.



Claxton is a big man but he's got quick enough feet to play the four. Picked to be Anthony Davis' eventual backup, Claxton has plenty of developing to do, so he'll likely need a year or two on the bench to marinate a little.



The Hornets traded with the Suns to get this pick, whom they used to take Jacobsen.



Charlotte believed that Jacobsen was there's to take, but word began circling towards the end of the 1st round that the Thunder were attempting to trade back into it (after having their draft pick forfeited by the league) and the Hornets sent Kormaz and the 28th overall pick for the 25th overall pick. Jacobsen is a player Jordan really likes and he's insurance for Kemba Walker, who has his contract expire at the end of the season. If Kemba leaves, Jacobsen may be asked to step in for 2019, but for now he's merely just a developmental bench player.

[studbucket]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Shocked at the number of big men at the top of the draft. In a league of guards and wings, all the best talent seemed to be 7 feet tall. Really interested to see if this has a noticeable impact on the league in a few years, or if it's just a blip.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

2018 NBA Draft Recap: 26-30

June 21st, 2018

Vonny Lee



With their last pick in the 1st round, the Grizzlies selected Gregg Day. The 22-year old sharpshooter will be a likely bench warmer this season as Memphis tries to rebuild, but he has a decently high ceiling and isn't a total lost cause on defense. His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness -- he has a lot of confidence in his abilities. The Grizzlies and new HC Frank Vogel liked that, but long-term it could be Day's undoing.



The Timberwolves continued to stock up on big men, taking the giant Gabe Johnson, he of 7'1" and 299 pounds. Johnson is a project player at this point, but could become a punishing rotation big in a year or two -- a change of pace bulldozer who eats smaller centers for breakfast on the opponent's second units. Johnson was a pick the Wolves could afford to make with how much talent they have on their roster.



With Ivan Raab still out for another 6-8 months with a torn ACL, the Suns need bodies at the four and JP Williams is that. A faceup four, Williams isn't a horrible shooter by any means, but he lacks consistency and he's useless inside; his bread and butter is 10-15 feet from the hoop, not closer. Expect Williams to see little time this year but he could be a rotation player as soon as next year.



With the Thunder having to forfeit their pick, there was no 29th selection; instead, we skipped right to the Kings, who selected Gary Patterson as the last pick of the 1st round. Patterson fell this far because of poor workouts, particularly the complete abandonment of his 3pt-shot. Unable to convert much of anything beyond the NBA's arc, Patterson tumbled through the 1st round before landing on the Kings, who see him as a rotation player down the line. Patterson's deep stroke is so broken he may never be better than below average from there, but his passing skills are top-notch and he's more than above average on defense. For the Kings, this is a good value pick and one that might look better down the line.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Shocked at the number of big men at the top of the draft. In a league of guards and wings, all the best talent seemed to be 7 feet tall. Really interested to see if this has a noticeable impact on the league in a few years, or if it's just a blip.

This class was pretty shallow outside that top-five -- three of which were bigs. The teams drafted accordingly, but my own personal explanation is that the NBA is a copycat league and the last three years the Sonics have won titles featuring two traditional bigs (in 2016 and 17) and a single traditional big with a stretch four this past year.

As such, thanks to the Sonics, the NBA's big men are not nearly as devalued as they might be if the small-ball Warriors had won more titles. It's my own personal belief that big men can never be replaced in the NBA -- they're as important to that sport as the literal basketball, without one you just don't win most of the time.

[studbucket]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

This class was pretty shallow outside that top-five -- three of which were bigs. The teams drafted accordingly, but my own personal explanation is that the NBA is a copycat league and the last three years the Sonics have won titles featuring two traditional bigs (in 2016 and 17) and a single traditional big with a stretch four this past year.

As such, thanks to the Sonics, the NBA's big men are not nearly as devalued as they might be if the small-ball Warriors had won more titles. It's my own personal belief that big men can never be replaced in the NBA -- they're as important to that sport as the literal basketball, without one you just don't win most of the time.

That makes sense, and I agree with your take. There's just been so few good (and well-rounded) big men entering the league that it's not crazy to consider Stephen Adams the 3rd best center in the NBA. 20 years ago, he would have been the 15th best?

[AC]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Just to let you know, a few of those pictures broke.

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

That makes sense, and I agree with your take. There's just been so few good (and well-rounded) big men entering the league that it's not crazy to consider Stephen Adams the 3rd best center in the NBA. 20 years ago, he would have been the 15th best?

No, it's not crazy at all. Off the the top of my head, these are my rankings for centers in the league today:
1. Boogie Cousins (best traditional center, but has never won anything)
2. Whiteside (taken him time to get there, but he's a force -- albeit it maybe a bit of a headcase)
3. Drummond (if he keeps growing his game, could take the top spot easy)
4. Adams (a defensive, rebounding five with a nasty streak -- a rim protector at his finest)
5. KAT (the stretch-five prototype, he's the face of centers -- and maybe the NBA -- in the next five years)
6. Valcunious (can't spell his name, but the guy on the Raptors)

And everyone below those six are easily second/third tier types. The state of centers in the NBA today is pretty shallow.

Just to let you know, a few of those pictures broke.

^Which ones? I'm not seeing any broken on my end, but that could be because I posted them.

[studbucket]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

^Which ones? I'm not seeing any broken on my end, but that could be because I posted them.

They appear to be fixed. I saw the same thing:
1) Worked great
2) When that user posted, half of them were broken
3) Now they are all there again

[trekfan]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

They appear to be fixed. I saw the same thing:
1) Worked great
2) When that user posted, half of them were broken
3) Now they are all there again

Cool, it likely was an issue with photobucket. They've had some problems the last few months and it's concerning -- SO MUCH is sitting out there, but I've got everything anyway saved in multiple spots on drives, so I can reupload stuff if need be.

But I really, really don't want photobucket to go anywhere. I've been using them for over 7 years at this point without much issue.

Anyways, with the draft now done, free agency starts soon! I'll have a pretty deep free-agency preview (of the most notable names in FA) going up before Saturday, lots of different places people could go.

[AC]

Re: Second Coming: A SuperSonics Return

Yup, all good! Imgur is a good alternative btw.