How Great is the 2017 draft class?

[ColdPickleNachos]

It's worth a visit to DraftExpress to see their new mock draft layout.

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

I really like it.

Very nice!

 

[Yuma]

No way I don't pick Ball if I had the number one pick. 6 foot 6 inch point guards don't grow on trees! Aside from that, I am really hoping we get Jackson!

 

[JCSunsfan]

No way I don't pick Ball if I had the number one pick. 6 foot 6 inch point guards don't grow on trees! Aside from that, I am really hoping we get Jackson!

I tend to agree with this. He is just an amazing distributor, a great defender, and a winner. He is a perfect piece to play along side Booker, TJ, Chriss, and probably Big Sauce.

I like him for this team over Fultz. Fultz should probably go first though. I would trade down a spot and pick Ball if I knew it would work. Maybe pick up a future first or something.

 

[Yuma]

It was funny, my son was saying Ball doesn't have a good jumper. I was telling him, last PG I remember similar to him, was about 6' 9" with a bad jump shot, but he turned out pretty good. Magic Johnson. LOL.

 

[Mainstreet]

It was funny, my son was saying Ball doesn't have a good jumper. I was telling him, last PG I remember similar to him, was about 6' 9" with a bad jump shot, but he turned out pretty good. Magic Johnson. LOL.

There was so many ways Magic could beat a team. He could do it all. As time goes on I think some will forget how good he was.

 

[Yuma]

There was so many ways Magic could beat a team. He could do it all. As time goes on I think some will forget how good he was.

He was one of my favorite players ever. What PG could play center in a playoff game and score over 40 points? By virtue of hard work he eventually made himself into an outside shooter. I know people make fun of his basketball picks of players, etc., but who couldn't like Magic? The dude is one of the nicest human beings ever.

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

He was one of my favorite players ever. What PG could play center in a playoff game and score over 40 points? By virtue of hard work he eventually made himself into an outside shooter. I know people make fun of his basketball picks of players, etc., but who couldn't like Magic? The dude is one of the nicest human beings ever.

Well put! Same.

 

[Russ Smith]

It's worth a visit to DraftExpress to see their new mock draft layout.

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/

I really like it.

Did I miss him or do they have Trier going undrafted and Kobi Simmons going 48th? I know Simmons is a better athlete but I gotta believe trier is late first round or early second and nobody believes he's staying in school so curious why they don't have him getting picked.

 

[SunsTzu]

Did I miss him or do they have Trier going undrafted and Kobi Simmons going 48th? I know Simmons is a better athlete but I gotta believe trier is late first round or early second and nobody believes he's staying in school so curious why they don't have him getting picked.

They have Trier going in next years draft. The site pretty much just focuses on write ups most of the year and will only tune their mocks once all the players have declared and the workouts are done.

 

[Russ Smith]

They have Trier going in next years draft. The site pretty much just focuses on write ups most of the year and will only tune their mocks once all the players have declared and the workouts are done.

Ok because everything i have read says Trier is gone, would be a major surprise if he came back.

 

[slinslin]

No way I don't pick Ball if I had the number one pick. 6 foot 6 inch point guards don't grow on trees! Aside from that, I am really hoping we get Jackson!

There have been numerous tall PGs since Magic and none of them have really panned out.

Shaun Livingston for example. D'Angelo Russell is only an inch shorter.

There are plenty of reasons to not pick Ball #1 but I feel tired of repeating them. Tldr: shooting, no pick and roll, midrange game, off-the dribble game. His advanced stats are really close to what Tyler Ennis was at Syracuse.

 

[Mainstreet]

Did I miss him or do they have Trier going undrafted and Kobi Simmons going 48th? I know Simmons is a better athlete but I gotta believe trier is late first round or early second and nobody believes he's staying in school so curious why they don't have him getting picked.

I haven't seen Trier in the DraftExpress mock even before they changed their format whereas NBADraftNet has had him in their mock as long as I can remember. I'm thinking it doesn't mean anything except some sites wait until they officially declare. I'm not sure if it means anything with Simmons either. Draft sites can be quirky that way.

 

[Mainstreet]

Ok because everything i have read says Trier is gone, would be a major surprise if he came back.

It would be a shocker if Trier didn't declare in this draft. His stock is peaking.

 

[Russ Smith]

It would be a shocker if Trier didn't declare in this draft. His stock is peaking.

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I am pretty sure there are others, the first one is from 2008 I think there's one even earlier than that out there somewhere when he was around 10.

He's an interesting story I think we even discussed him on ASFN way back then and several people pointed out kids like that often peak before they get to college. Trier was the top rated kid in the class before he got to HS, in HS he sort of "disappeared" for a bit after he moved to OKC and was just playing homeschool leagues, then he reappeared in the EYBL before his junior year and blew up having grown quite a bit.

It is interesting, he and Lonzo Ball have had exactly opposite paths to the NBA. Trier prepschools and homeschooled, Lonzo at the local public HS, Trier big on the AAU circuit the last 2 years in HS, Lonzo routinely skipped it and when he did play it was with the AAU team his dad created. But in the end if you can play, you'll get there.

 

[slinslin]

If he was on the board with our #33 pick I take him for sure and give him a contract like Ulis or DJJ.

Seems unlikely though. There could be good talents dropping to that pick. Not sure what Harry Giles draft stock will be like given the rough season it seems comparable to Labissiere situation.

SG Zo Trier, F/C Harry Giles, GF Dwayne Bacon, C Justin Patton, C Bam Adebayo, PF Caleb Swanigan, GF Terrance Ferguson

Caleb Swannigan is real interesting 6'8 PF averaging 18.5/12.6/2.9 53.4/43.1/79.1

Terrific just undersized. Lately these kind of players have proven to be gems.

 

[Yuma]

There have been numerous tall PGs since Magic and none of them have really panned out.

Shaun Livingston for example. D'Angelo Russell is only an inch shorter.

There are plenty of reasons to not pick Ball #1 but I feel tired of repeating them. Tldr: shooting, no pick and roll, midrange game, off-the dribble game. His advanced stats are really close to what Tyler Ennis was at Syracuse.

That is true. Nothing is for sure. Just watching his game, I think he will be better in the NBA than in the college game. Just a feeling from watching him, not necessarily stats to back it up. A lot depends on the system you get into also. Magic had the advantage of coming to the fast break Lakers which fit his game offensively.

 

[slinslin]

Magic was also A LOT bigger than Lonzo Ball and played alongside two other guards for most of his career and played as a post-up player offensively a lot. I mean Magic was backing down forwards and scoring with hook shots and on defense he most often did not guard the PG.

 

[slinslin]

It will be interesting to see how the sophomores rank on draft day

Caleb Swannigan
Allonzo Trier
Dwayne Bacon
Ivan Rabb
John Collins

A guy I really like but sadly just is not in our draft ranges is Miles Bridges.

If we get one of the PGs with our top pick and not Tatum or Jackson I'd really like to see them pick up Miles Bridges.

I think he could be made into an excellent 3 or 4 or tweener in a good way.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Magic was also A LOT bigger than Lonzo Ball and played alongside two other guards for most of his career and played as a post-up player offensively a lot. I mean Magic was backing down forwards and scoring with hook shots and on defense he most often did not guard the PG.

Magic ran the fast break, but played more like a high post center in the half court offense.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The Suns need a center prospect. I am still a little hopeful about Len but it would be foolish to not be working on a back up plan. There are some options:

1. Draft. Would have to be a Euro or something with the second round pick.
2. Free agency. Either the players are RFA's or too old to fit with our schedule.
3. Trade. Who know on this one. We would have to find a center that is behind another player.
4. On the roster. I really like Big Sauce but I really do not see him as a starting center. Maybe he could be a starting PF next to a mobile, versatile, stretch 5. Which means maybe Bender could be our back up option at center. I do not see Chriss there on a regular basis.

 

[slinslin]

Bender is a center prospect I would say. That should ultimately be his position if he can develop.

Only way I'd add a center prospect is if a really good one fell into our lap (Patton, Allen, Adebayo, Giles in the 2nd round for example).

 

[ColdPickleNachos]

It will be interesting to see how the sophomores rank on draft day

Caleb Swannigan
Allonzo Trier
Dwayne Bacon
Ivan Rabb
John Collins

A guy I really like but sadly just is not in our draft ranges is Miles Bridges.

If we get one of the PGs with our top pick and not Tatum or Jackson I'd really like to see them pick up Miles Bridges.

I think he could be made into an excellent 3 or 4 or tweener in a good way.

Bridges is a lot of fun to watch. Really interesting prospect.

 

[Russ Smith]

Bridges is a lot of fun to watch. Really interesting prospect.

I actually don't like him that much he's a better athlete than player IMO.

If he develops an outside shot he'd be much better.

 

[slinslin]

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[ColdPickleNachos]

I actually don't like him that much he's a better athlete than player IMO.

If he develops an outside shot he'd be much better.

He's shooting 39% from 3. He's not Steph Curry, but I think there's a good chance he develops into at least an average shooter to go along with explosive athleticism.