Official 2017 NBA Draft Thread - June 22

and1

Rotation player
Portland would be a great place to trade Melo to .. for either Portland 15th or 20th pick along with Al-Farouq Aminu ..
Lillard n CJ McCollum plus Melo would put Portland in the 2nd round of the playoffs in the West.

that scenario would give melo a really good chance at seeing some playoff action. whether or not they make it to the 2nd round is another matter though. they would have to end the season in 6th place or better. i don't see them beating the warriors/spurs in the first round. maybe they could beat the rockets, but that would be risky. that would be a series i'd really like to watch though.
but i don't think he's going to want to go to portland anyway. we'll see.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
If Phil dont trade Melo on draft night .. it becomes a 80-20 chance Melo will be a Knick next season.
K.O'Quinn 2-way low post performance are worth a 5 to 10 first round pick.
Lee is worth a 20 to 30 first round pick .. Lee's first season with the Knicks showed inconsistent performance.

Kyle O'Quinn's talent/skills are a natural PF in the NBA ..
Knick Fans has not seen how dominating Quinn could be in the PF position in a lineup tandem to Rolo or Noah.
Willy Hernangomez raw skills/talent in the NBA are best at the PF position his first 4 seasons in the NBA, especially put as a tandem frontcourt with Noah in a lineup.

Melo at PF equal 6 losing season.
KP at PF equal no low-post activity on both sides of the court.
Under James Dolan father running the Knicks .. Melo and KP poor service at PF would have been traded after one season if they didn't get their act together to show signs of controlling the boards and scoring inside.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
The mystery of Phil Jackson/Dolan decision n transaction on the up coming draft-night plus throughout the offseason having the franchise player Melo up in the air to be traded has showed to be another season and offseason of Mismanagement gone wild.
 
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Kiyaman

Legend
Lavar will be shocked if the Lakers don't pick his boy. If they don't pick him, who do the Lakers pick.

I wonder if Jerry West comment on Ball's father LaVar .. will hold any weight on the Lakers 2nd pick in the draft.

Hall of Famer Jerry West joined the Dan Patrick Show for an interview on Thursday, and he was asked about the outspoken father. West said that he wouldn't want to have a dad like LaVar Ball.
West played and coached for the Los Angeles Lakers, and since it's almost assumed that the Lakers will take Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 pick.
 

mafra

Legend
Let's see if Phil can work some magic for once....

1- Flip Lee for DET's 12th pick (grab Justin Jax).

2- Deal something to POR, absorb a bad contract or 2 (Turner and Harkless) for 2 of their first rounders.

3- Deal Melo for Rivers and 2021 1st.

4- Rose for Rubio


NYK would have 4 first rounder this year plus grab a future unprotected 1st....

Rubio
Turner
KP
WHG

(Starting 4 of 5).
 
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Broadway

All Star
Sounds like #kporzee will be off the table at the moment, so if true then no to Jonathan Isaac. I'm for Phil absorbing salary in effort to provide Blazers with some financial flexibility, if it results in pick(s). The player I want is Mo Harkless because he has the most attractive contract of who they may want to dump and he's relatively young. I've advocated trading for him before.

I'm not interested in S&T Rose for Scrubio, what's the point unless Minny is offering a pick(2018 Top 14 protected the Hawks have rights to).

If we can't trade Melo for whatever reason then he needs to be informed his minutes are going to be cut back this season. Maybe that will put more pressure on him to go.
 
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tiger0330

Legend
Good read on Isaac, a prospect I found too hard to pass on if Ntillina is the only other option.... Otherwise, maybe trade back or out altogether? Isaac, who might be from the Bronx, was a wing player before a late growth spurt shot him to 6"11.... He seems like a taller version of Josh Jackson... Anyway, I don't he's there at 8 to be honest.

http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2017/6/2/15701264/know-the-prospect-jonathan-isaac
Nice read Mafra. Knicks would be crazy not to take him over Frank If both are there at 8. Push him into the top 7, someone has to fall, perhaps Tatum or DSJ.
 

mafra

Legend
Just saw in the NY Post mock today that NYK take DSJ at 8 (Isaac went 7th).... Ntikilina went 12th.
 

paris401

Starter
If we can't trade Melo for whatever reason then he needs to be informed his minutes are going to be cut back this season. Maybe that will put more pressure on him to go.

NTC or not, I don't see anybody banging down our door to acquire him... after the way he has been treated (n I don't like Me-Lo), I'd tell phil to F...off
I aint waving the NTC- make the knicks waive him, take the hit over the next 5years, and then see when he's a FA what is his market value...
 
Here's my biggest Knicks draft question right now. Suppose we pass on Smith because of the bad triangle fit and we are unimpressed with Ntilikina (whose stock seems to be slipping). Suppose also that none of the other 7 slip to us (Fultz, Ball, Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Jonathan Isaac, Fox, and Monk). Suppose also that we can't figure out how to trade down.

Do you think we then just go ahead and pull the trigger on Justin Jackson from North Carolina at #8?
 

mafra

Legend
Yeah, I think that's probably the case. I doubt they pass on DSJ tho. Supposedly they really liked him this time last year.... He's too good to pass on, and the reason we aren't hearing more is probably bc NYK is trying to play it cool and not top their hand.

Monk
Isaac
Ntikilina or Mitchell
Jax

I would put those 4 in that order, and the last 2 is pretty much a guess bc we have no clue of Gaines will green light the Euro pick.

Keep in mind that PG Donovan Mitchell is another dark horse....
 
Just like the clues are there that the Lakers might pass on Ball, I feel like the clues are there that PJ may end up passing on Smith, even if he is BPA at #8 on draft night
 

Broadway

All Star
Just like the clues are there that the Lakers might pass on Ball, I feel like the clues are there that PJ may end up passing on Smith, even if he is BPA at #8 on draft night

Not necessarily because the Lakers have no true benefit of letting everyone know they may not draft Ball...so we almost have to assume this news is real. They can almost do whatever they want at 2 meanwhile we can't at 8

Otoh if the DJS Post report suggest we're waffling on him, then why did we reach out immediately to his camp for a workout? Wasn't it also reported at season's end we'd be interested in bringing Rose back but most recent rumors suggest we want to use him as a pawn to possibly go for Scrubio?

Chalk up anything coming from Knicks fortress as pure misdirection and a Hail Mary to the masses that our options aren't iron clad and can change like the movements of a shadow.
 

mafra

Legend
NY Post

The 6-foot-3, 19-year-old point guard ? known by his friends as ?Junior? ? finished his freshman year at N.C. State and became the NBA draft?s most mysteriously intriguing draft prospect ? called its most athletic prospect.

Yet, partly because of N.C. State?s miserable season (4-14 in the ACC), fusses about bad body language, a bad injury (torn ACL before his senior year in high school) and spotty pick-and-roll defense, several mock drafts have him dipping to No. 8, where the Knicks sit.

However, The Post has learned Smith will work out for the Celtics on June 7. Yes, the Celtics, who own the first pick and figure to nab Washington?s Markelle Fultz. Smith already has worked out for Orlando (No. 6), according to sources, and has tentative dates with the Lakers (No. 2) and Knicks.

?He?s going to be one of the great point guards in the league,?? Henderson said. ?Any team that passes him will pay for it later on. If he?s lower than 5, it?s somebody?s loss.??

N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried, fired along with his staff after a dreadful season that carried large expectations, told The Post recently Smith has ?Russell Westbrook athleticism.??

Ironically, Knicks president Phil Jackson said he is ?not interested? in drafting a player who ?can jump out of the gym? or ?do a triple-double game.??

Smith is guilty as charged.

Amid the Wolfpack wreckage came two wondrous individual performances by Smith ? two triple-double gems, one of which his team lost to Syracuse. It marked the first time an ACC player had posted two triple-doubles against league competition in an entire career. Smith did it in one month of his lone season. And yet neither outing approaches Smith?s signature performance on Tobacco Road.

Henderson?s fondest memory of a lost season was the 20-minute bus ride back from Durham, N.C., sitting next to Smith. The bus glided along Hillsborough Street outside the N.C. State campus, mobbed by fans.

?They were cheering, screaming, had their phones out,?? Henderson said.

Smith had willed N.C. State to an 84-82 win over Duke, its first at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 22 years. He whipped darts for passes in the final minutes and became unguardable ? a 32-point, six-assist magic show on 10-of-18 shooting, 4-of-6 on 3-pointers.

?He was the best player on the floor,?? Gottfried said.

"He was nasty ? evidence he can take over a game,?? said one NBA scout in attendance.

?It showed what he could do against one of the top teams in the country on the road,?? Henderson said. ?It was his highlight moment.??

?Dennis told me he loved being the underdog,?? Gottfried said.

The torn ACL prevented Smith from experiencing a second title on the court. One month before his senior year, Smith tore his ACL in an AAU contest in California in August 2015.

For all the college losses, Smith enjoyed only triumphs at Trinity Christian. He owns two state-title rings, though one of the jewels was earned as a de facto assistant coach and early-enrollment college student as he rehabbed his knee.

As a freshman, Smith?s team advanced to the state finals. As a sophomore, Smith made sure the team returned to Fayetteville with the state trophy, sinking two free throws with 1.5 seconds left to win the championship.

Well before that, N.C. State?s Early had confirmed Smith?s pedigree at an AAU Christmas tournament in Las Vegas.

The sophomore put up 36 points against a more talented club from Canada that featured Thon Maker, who now plays for the NBA?s Bucks.

?Maker?s team was way better, but you could see it in Dennis? eyes in warmups,?? Early said. ?His tenacity, toughness, the drive he had to win the game, understanding every shot was going in.??

The ACC Freshman of the Year has to dispel some myths to NBA executives. Smith?s agitated on-court state wasn?t a good look amid the losing. Early knows it, admitting the visage of a scowling Stephon Marbury is a fair comparison.

?When you?re a point guard, there?s leadership things you need to grow into,?? Early said. ?Dennis doesn?t hide his emotions. When we?re struggling, he can?t hide it. It?s something he has to work on.??

?I?d rather see a kid mad at losing compared to seeing a kid who goes with the flow and doesn?t care,?? Henderson said. ?It was his competitive nature.??

The good news is that same eighth-grader throwing balls off the glass in a high-school game hasn?t lost explosiveness since ACL surgery.

?His quickness and athleticism is NBA ready right now,?? Early said. ?His ball-handling and court vision is NBA ready. Had we had a good year, he?d be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick.??
 

mafra

Legend
If the NYK pass on DSJ, I will be pissed. It'll be a small blessing if he lasts to 8.

He could easily be the best player in this draft; he's loyal and fiercely competitive and he enjoys challenge (which is needed if you're coming to turn this franchise around).

KP-WHG-DSJ is a good start.
 

Broadway

All Star
If the NYK pass on DSJ, I will be pissed. It'll be a small blessing if he lasts to 8.

He could easily be the best player in this draft; he's loyal and fiercely competitive and he enjoys challenge (which is needed if you're coming to turn this franchise around).

KP-WHG-DSJ is a good start.

I haven't wavered he's still my pick. There are a few things telling, the fact the Celtics will work him out is an extremely good look but also of all the top prospects in the draft it appears the most covered by NY media are DSJ, Fox, Frankie, Jackson. Early reports were Phil is interested in guards/wings, so there you have it.

Like you said Maf will he be there at 8? I think Bleacher Report did an updated Mock and they have the Kings getting Tatum and DSJ, which is very plausible in some cases. To be Kings for draft night, would be a dream. It's gonna be so crazy, never been this hyped for a draft ever.
 
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Broadway

All Star
I hope this kid blows their socks off




I have an idea of how I would approach this situation if say he puts on a great showing
 
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