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Daniel Oturu F/C declares for the draft. He has a nice high release on his shot.
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2020 Draft
- Thread starter JCSunsfan
- Start date
Basically a poor man's Ayton. We could certainly do worse, but he wouldn't fill any of our biggest needs (power forward, point guard of the future, back-up shooting guard). Oturu doesn't have enough range to fit offensively alongside Ayton and is not enough of a defensive or rebounding stud to make up for that fact.
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The Suns are likely going to have to trade or sign a starting power forward in free agency. I wouldn't mind having a player like Oturu that can develop and provide some depth for the Suns front court. He is another player to consider. I doubt Baynes is coming back.
If we get a legit starting power forward in free agency or via trade, I can get behind drafting Oturu to back up Ayton and to play back-up 4 alongside a back-up stretch 5.
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This draft has some interesting big man prospects but they will need some time to develop. It will be interesting if James Jones is looking for more finished products again in the draft. That hasn't worked out too well thus far with Ty Jerome.
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Looks like the NBA Draft and Combine will be moved back due to coronavirus.
Ian BegleyVerified account @IanBegley
Kentucky coach John Calipari says the NBA has said that the NBA Combine and NBA Draft will probably be moved back in wake of coronavirus crisis. Calipari said he hopes that the date by which college players have to make decisions about the draft will be moved back as well.
8:12 AM - 24 Mar 2020
Ian BegleyVerified account @IanBegley
Kentucky coach John Calipari says the NBA has said that the NBA Combine and NBA Draft will probably be moved back in wake of coronavirus crisis. Calipari said he hopes that the date by which college players have to make decisions about the draft will be moved back as well.
8:12 AM - 24 Mar 2020
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About Tyrese Haliburton entering the draft.
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Some notes about original combine and draft.
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Kenyon Martin Jr. declaring for draft.
Adrian WojnarowskiVerified account @wojespn
IMG Academy forward Kenyon Martin Jr., has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, his father Kenyon Martin Sr., tells ESPN. Martin Jr., is eligible for draft, because he did the post-graduate year at IMG after graduating from Sierra Canyon H.S. in SoCal.
8:07 PM - 24 Mar 2020
Adrian WojnarowskiVerified account @wojespn
IMG Academy forward Kenyon Martin Jr., has declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, his father Kenyon Martin Sr., tells ESPN. Martin Jr., is eligible for draft, because he did the post-graduate year at IMG after graduating from Sierra Canyon H.S. in SoCal.
8:07 PM - 24 Mar 2020
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Some more draft entries.
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https://247sports.com/college/arizona/Article/Nico-Mannion-NBA-stock-falling-145398044/
Stay away, Jones and Sarver. Please stay away.
Stay away, Jones and Sarver. Please stay away.
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Mannion is now listed at #13 on Tankathon. He has way more stat weaknesses than strengths so hopefully James Jones stays far away.
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I'm not quite sure where to add this, maybe here.
Shams CharaniaVerified account @ShamsCharania
The NCAA has decided not to grant athletes from winter sports (including basketball) an extra year of eligibility due to coronavirus pandemic. Spring sport athletes were granted extra year.
3:53 PM - 30 Mar 2020
Shams CharaniaVerified account @ShamsCharania
The NCAA has decided not to grant athletes from winter sports (including basketball) an extra year of eligibility due to coronavirus pandemic. Spring sport athletes were granted extra year.
3:53 PM - 30 Mar 2020
GatorAZ
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The NCAA is actually taking heat for not granting basketball players another year. Most teams played 30+ games already lol.
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Yeah. I can't see giving basketball players another season of eligibility. This season was over except for conference playoffs and the NCAA Tournament.
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Zeke Nnaji is declaring for NBA Draft.
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French guard Theo Maledon to enter draft.
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Ouchie-Z-Clown
I'm better than Mulli!
This kid intrigued me.
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He is interesting for sure. Maybe I will do an individual thread on him today to get everyone's thoughts.
WildBB
Yogi n da Bear
Okongwu and Achiuwa along with Vassell are some of the names floated if the Suns pick is slotted 10-12.
Per Athletic:
Mizell: You have Okongwu going sixth in your most recent mock draft, so him falling to 10 here feels like a nice get for Phoenix. As another big man, how would you compare and contrast Okongwu’s playing style with Achiuwa’s?
Vecenie: The games are actually somewhat similar. I just think Okongwu is a bit better. He plays with more force and power than Achiuwa. He’s a better rim protector and is equally as good at switching and playing defense on the perimeter because while Achiuwa has better pure quickness, Okongwu has better flexibility and can really sit down in a stance and slide for his size.
Then on offense, he’s not quite as developed as a shooter in terms of his range, but I think there is a case to be made that he might have better touch. Achiuwa was a sub-60 percent free-throw shooter this year, where Okongwu hit 72 percent of his shots from the line, and actually hit about the same number of midrange jumpers at a better percentage.
The rest of their games aren’t really all that close to me. As a finisher, Okongwu’s power really shines through. He’s an elite scorer at the rim. He hit 64.5 percent of his shots within five feet of the basket in halfcourt settings this year, an elite number. He’s not a great passer, but he’s much more adept at making decisions in short-roll settings. Whereas Achiuwa’s main inclination is to short roll, drive and finish, Okongwu is much better about doing what the defense gives him. He’s more efficient in his choices.
Still, I will note that the same questions here remain. Is it worth taking a guy whose best position is likely going to be at center? Or is the value just a bit too good to pass up here with Okongwu falling?
On Achiuwa:
Where this is an interesting pick, however, is on defense. Achiuwa is a terrific, switchable defender who can deal with players across the board from one through five. Again, the motor shows through here in a substantial way. He’s a legitimate potential difference-maker on that end of the floor, with great size, a near-7-foot-3 wingspan, and a 9-foot standing reach that should give him the ability to shift to both the four and five spots on this end of the floor. He also anchored one of the best interior defenses at the center position. Memphis allowed teams to shoot only 43.5 at the rim, which was the second-best mark in the country.
Personally, if I was Phoenix, I would take a few guys over Achiuwa. But I can see a team selling themselves on Achiuwa’s skill level improving to match his motor and athleticism.
On Vassell:
Vecenie: Yeah, I just don’t think you can ever have enough wings in today’s NBA. And particularly, I can see Vassell appealing to James Jones, given his elite level as a shooter. You want to see a burning building? Here is a look at Vassell’s shot chart from this past year, per Synergy Sports. It is quite literally engulfed in flame.
Vassell averaged 12.7 points for a Florida State team that really spread it around, but he did so while shooting 49 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from 3, and 74 percent from the line. And as you can see from that chart, it’s filled with a ton of diversity, too. He can hit shots out of spot-ups or on the move. He can hit shots off of the catch, and even improved dramatically as a pull-up shooter this year. Last season, Vassell played nearly 400 minutes and hit just one of his 11 pull-up jumper attempts. This season, he finished 14th in points generated off of pull-up jumpers in the ACC, and did so at an above-average clip. I wouldn’t call him the world’s best passer or anything, but he posted a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and generally makes the right decision. Really, the only thing I think there is to be concerned about is the fact that he’s not a particularly strong ballhandler. Most of his shots at the rim come off of cuts or in transition, and he isn’t quite strong enough on the ball yet to drive forward and collapse defenses to score or pass.
That’s fine, though, because honestly, I’m not even sure if Vassell’s offense is the best part of his game. The Georgia native is an absolutely tremendous defender. Since the turn of the decade, Vassell is one of eight guards or wings who have posted a block rate over 4.1 and a steal rate over 2.8. His on-ball defense is terrific, but where he really excels is using his plus-five wingspan to hassle teams in help defense either contesting shots, crashing from the weak side for a block, or getting into passing lanes. He was one of the best defensive players in the country on the wing this year, and that should translate.
I’m at the point where I think there is a pretty real case for Vassell over Isaac Okoro in this class. I’m not sure which side of that line I’ll fall on, but it’s much more of a conversation than what I think others believe. I’d like this pick a lot if Phoenix falls out of the top 10.
Per Athletic:
Mizell: You have Okongwu going sixth in your most recent mock draft, so him falling to 10 here feels like a nice get for Phoenix. As another big man, how would you compare and contrast Okongwu’s playing style with Achiuwa’s?
Vecenie: The games are actually somewhat similar. I just think Okongwu is a bit better. He plays with more force and power than Achiuwa. He’s a better rim protector and is equally as good at switching and playing defense on the perimeter because while Achiuwa has better pure quickness, Okongwu has better flexibility and can really sit down in a stance and slide for his size.
Then on offense, he’s not quite as developed as a shooter in terms of his range, but I think there is a case to be made that he might have better touch. Achiuwa was a sub-60 percent free-throw shooter this year, where Okongwu hit 72 percent of his shots from the line, and actually hit about the same number of midrange jumpers at a better percentage.
The rest of their games aren’t really all that close to me. As a finisher, Okongwu’s power really shines through. He’s an elite scorer at the rim. He hit 64.5 percent of his shots within five feet of the basket in halfcourt settings this year, an elite number. He’s not a great passer, but he’s much more adept at making decisions in short-roll settings. Whereas Achiuwa’s main inclination is to short roll, drive and finish, Okongwu is much better about doing what the defense gives him. He’s more efficient in his choices.
Still, I will note that the same questions here remain. Is it worth taking a guy whose best position is likely going to be at center? Or is the value just a bit too good to pass up here with Okongwu falling?
On Achiuwa:
Where this is an interesting pick, however, is on defense. Achiuwa is a terrific, switchable defender who can deal with players across the board from one through five. Again, the motor shows through here in a substantial way. He’s a legitimate potential difference-maker on that end of the floor, with great size, a near-7-foot-3 wingspan, and a 9-foot standing reach that should give him the ability to shift to both the four and five spots on this end of the floor. He also anchored one of the best interior defenses at the center position. Memphis allowed teams to shoot only 43.5 at the rim, which was the second-best mark in the country.
Personally, if I was Phoenix, I would take a few guys over Achiuwa. But I can see a team selling themselves on Achiuwa’s skill level improving to match his motor and athleticism.
On Vassell:
Vecenie: Yeah, I just don’t think you can ever have enough wings in today’s NBA. And particularly, I can see Vassell appealing to James Jones, given his elite level as a shooter. You want to see a burning building? Here is a look at Vassell’s shot chart from this past year, per Synergy Sports. It is quite literally engulfed in flame.
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Vassell averaged 12.7 points for a Florida State team that really spread it around, but he did so while shooting 49 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from 3, and 74 percent from the line. And as you can see from that chart, it’s filled with a ton of diversity, too. He can hit shots out of spot-ups or on the move. He can hit shots off of the catch, and even improved dramatically as a pull-up shooter this year. Last season, Vassell played nearly 400 minutes and hit just one of his 11 pull-up jumper attempts. This season, he finished 14th in points generated off of pull-up jumpers in the ACC, and did so at an above-average clip. I wouldn’t call him the world’s best passer or anything, but he posted a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and generally makes the right decision. Really, the only thing I think there is to be concerned about is the fact that he’s not a particularly strong ballhandler. Most of his shots at the rim come off of cuts or in transition, and he isn’t quite strong enough on the ball yet to drive forward and collapse defenses to score or pass.
That’s fine, though, because honestly, I’m not even sure if Vassell’s offense is the best part of his game. The Georgia native is an absolutely tremendous defender. Since the turn of the decade, Vassell is one of eight guards or wings who have posted a block rate over 4.1 and a steal rate over 2.8. His on-ball defense is terrific, but where he really excels is using his plus-five wingspan to hassle teams in help defense either contesting shots, crashing from the weak side for a block, or getting into passing lanes. He was one of the best defensive players in the country on the wing this year, and that should translate.
I’m at the point where I think there is a pretty real case for Vassell over Isaac Okoro in this class. I’m not sure which side of that line I’ll fall on, but it’s much more of a conversation than what I think others believe. I’d like this pick a lot if Phoenix falls out of the top 10.
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GatorAZ
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My Gawd college basketball is trash.
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The NBA has issued guidelines for the pre-draft process.
Shams CharaniaVerified account @ShamsCharania
Sources: The NBA has given its franchises guidelines for the pre-Draft process during coronavirus pandemic, stating teams are allowed to conduct virtual meetings with prospects but prohibited from in-person workouts or requesting/watching live video.
4:20 PM - 6 Apr 2020
Shams CharaniaVerified account @ShamsCharania
Sources: The NBA has given its franchises guidelines for the pre-Draft process during coronavirus pandemic, stating teams are allowed to conduct virtual meetings with prospects but prohibited from in-person workouts or requesting/watching live video.
4:20 PM - 6 Apr 2020
