How Great is the 2017 draft class?

[Russ Smith]

IMO, it will be a steal if the Suns could draft Trier in the second. I don't think he will slip this far. I haven't watched much video for second round players but I did watch Thomas Bryant. I like that he could feel a need (center) if Len leaves. I like the way he finishes and he has developed an outside shot although he is still raw. Perhaps he could be another find like Alan Williams.

After the Suns had success with drafting Ulis in the last draft, I'm hoping they can find another player in the second round as they have two bites at the apple especially in a deeper draft.

I think with Trier the key is how tall he actually is. The 2 obvious changes to his body this year were he looks taller(to me) and he's much leaner(and we of course know why). Trier plays mainly the 3 at Arizona but he has played a bit of 1 this year due to injuries and looked ok. Clearly he's not a 1, but if he's going to play in the NBA it's going to be as a 2. I have said it since his junior year of HS when UCLA was recruiting him, if he's not a can't miss lottery pick he'll probably end up on whoever has Durant. At the time it was OKC, now it's the Warriors. So assuming he comes out this year, I fully expect him to be a Warrior next year.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think with Trier the key is how tall he actually is. The 2 obvious changes to his body this year were he looks taller(to me) and he's much leaner(and we of course know why). Trier plays mainly the 3 at Arizona but he has played a bit of 1 this year due to injuries and looked ok. Clearly he's not a 1, but if he's going to play in the NBA it's going to be as a 2. I have said it since his junior year of HS when UCLA was recruiting him, if he's not a can't miss lottery pick he'll probably end up on whoever has Durant. At the time it was OKC, now it's the Warriors. So assuming he comes out this year, I fully expect him to be a Warrior next year.

I'm thinking the Warriors do not own a draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft so I'm not sure how it happens. At some point I think he gets drafted. My guess is he stays in this draft because he has flashed his talent. NBADraft.Net has him going late in the 1st round.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'm thinking the Warriors do not own a draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft so I'm not sure how it happens. At some point I think he gets drafted. My guess is he stays in this draft because he has flashed his talent. NBADraft.Net has him going late in the 1st round.

I think they'll find a way if he's not a first round pick. Durant and Trier have been tight since Durant's rookie year in Seattle. If Trier winds up good enough to be a first rounder all bets are off but if not I have a hunch the Warriors will try and acquire him as part of the package to try and make sure Durant stays a Warrior, remember he's only got 2 years and has a player option after year 1 so he can opt out and get more money. I don't think he has any interest in leaving, but I think the Warriors will do what they can to entice him to sign a longer term deal.

 

[hsandhu]

Has anybody followed Robert Williams at all, I just checked him out the first time the last couple days.... because of possibility we might slide in draft.

Why is he not considered part of the big 7 prospects, what is the knock on him? The upside seems to be as high as some of the top 7 players?

 

[AzStevenCal]

Has anybody followed Robert Williams at all, I just checked him out the first time the last couple days.... because of possibility we might slide in draft.

Why is he not considered part of the big 7 prospects, what is the knock on him? The upside seems to be as high as some of the top 7 players?

I've seen him among the top 7 a few times, I think he is both somewhat overlooked and slightly overvalued because of the perception this is a guard heavy draft.

Part of the concern has to do with his size, he's too short to pencil in at center and he has limited range which is a concern these days at the 4. But as he fills out, I think you can put him in at the 5 with his length with no problem. He wouldn't be my dream pick but I wouldn't be disappointed to see us take him if we fall to 6th or 7th.

 

[Mainstreet]

I think they'll find a way if he's not a first round pick. Durant and Trier have been tight since Durant's rookie year in Seattle. If Trier winds up good enough to be a first rounder all bets are off but if not I have a hunch the Warriors will try and acquire him as part of the package to try and make sure Durant stays a Warrior, remember he's only got 2 years and has a player option after year 1 so he can opt out and get more money. I don't think he has any interest in leaving, but I think the Warriors will do what they can to entice him to sign a longer term deal.

It's an interesting connection. The Warriors would likely have to do a trade to get it done. However, they have limited assets to trade beyond Curry, Thompson, Green and Durant.

 

[Mainstreet]

Has anybody followed Robert Williams at all, I just checked him out the first time the last couple days.... because of possibility we might slide in draft.

Why is he not considered part of the big 7 prospects, what is the knock on him? The upside seems to be as high as some of the top 7 players?

It's nice to know there is some talent if the Suns should drop or move down in the draft.

I like the McDyess/Kemp comparison.

 

[Russ Smith]

Has anybody followed Robert Williams at all, I just checked him out the first time the last couple days.... because of possibility we might slide in draft.

Why is he not considered part of the big 7 prospects, what is the knock on him? The upside seems to be as high as some of the top 7 players?

Probably lack of offense. He's a great athlete, blocks shots, I don't think he's big enough to play the 5, I suppose he might be, but he basically scores off putbacks and dunks so people probably slightly downgrade him on that.

UCLA played them earlier in the year in a tourney in So Cal and it was that tournament where Williams blew up. Very athletic and long kid, plays on talent now still learning how to play but great upside.

 

[Russ Smith]

It's an interesting connection. The Warriors would likely have to do a trade to get it done. However, they have limited assets to trade beyond Curry, Thompson, Green and Durant.

Yeah if he's a first rounder not happening, if he goes 2nd round then you're talking about not being as difficult to deal for. Player, future pick etc. Of course the other issue is if you look at the roster with Curry and Thompson starting and the way Ian Clark and Patrick McCaw are coming around, with Livingston, it's not clear there's a whole lot of room for Trier.

If you look at Trier he's basically been following Durant around since he got to HS, moved to OKC to play HS ball there, in a home schooled league. Eventually got suspended when they found out he was living with his AAU coach not a legal guardian, so the mom moved there. Then he went to Durant's prepschool, Montrose Christian, and then finally Findlay after he committed to UA, Findlay and Arizona have a strong connection. Durant refers to him as his little brother, I've even heard him mention Trier in interviews with the Warriors at least twice being asked about if he follows college ball much and he said he keeps track of Trier.

 

[Russ Smith]

Fultz is out again today in the first round of the Pac 12 tourney against USC. So barring a surprise upset, his college career will end with him missing 6 of the last 8 games his team played.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Probably lack of offense. He's a great athlete, blocks shots, I don't think he's big enough to play the 5, I suppose he might be, but he basically scores off putbacks and dunks so people probably slightly downgrade him on that.

UCLA played them earlier in the year in a tourney in So Cal and it was that tournament where Williams blew up. Very athletic and long kid, plays on talent now still learning how to play but great upside.

He isn't but his lack of range will be a real problem at the 4 too. So, to me, his best bet is to fill out a little and play small ball center. He has the length and the quickness to be a problem down low.

We keep hearing about guards but there are a lot of long, tall players in this class that have some value. The problem is figuring out which ones will continue to improve as, on the whole, they are less developed than the PG's are. Someone like Leaf or Mottley or Jarrett Allen will blossom into an all star level player and while that's true every draft, it seems like there's more of the possibles in this class than usual.

 

[Russ Smith]

He isn't but his lack of range will be a real problem at the 4 too. So, to me, his best bet is to fill out a little and play small ball center. He has the length and the quickness to be a problem down low.

We keep hearing about guards but there are a lot of long, tall players in this class that have some value. The problem is figuring out which ones will continue to improve as, on the whole, they are less developed than the PG's are. Someone like Leaf or Mottley or Jarrett Allen will blossom into an all star level player and while that's true every draft, it seems like there's more of the possibles in this class than usual.

Of those 3 my guess is Jarrett Allen. I love Leaf but he needs to get much stronger, get much better on defense, and he's also not a knockdown shooter despite the gaudy shooting numbers. He's insanely good inside 10 feet but beyond 18 feet he has a weird habit of turning his wrist on the shot that leads to some missed 3's. He's been working on it all season but you still see it now and then. That's the primary reason I prefer Markkanen to Leaf. he's taller but Leaf has long arms and is more athletic, the main difference is Lauri right now is a better shooter.

Allen is freakishly long, surprisingly athletic for a guy who at times runs like an old man, and he's got nice touch too. I think he's going to be a really good NBA player. I think he's kind of what Kevon Looney might have been if not for all the injury issues.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Of those 3 my guess is Jarrett Allen. I love Leaf but he needs to get much stronger, get much better on defense, and he's also not a knockdown shooter despite the gaudy shooting numbers. He's insanely good inside 10 feet but beyond 18 feet he has a weird habit of turning his wrist on the shot that leads to some missed 3's. He's been working on it all season but you still see it now and then. That's the primary reason I prefer Markkanen to Leaf. he's taller but Leaf has long arms and is more athletic, the main difference is Lauri right now is a better shooter.

Allen is freakishly long, surprisingly athletic for a guy who at times runs like an old man, and he's got nice touch too. I think he's going to be a really good NBA player. I think he's kind of what Kevon Looney might have been if not for all the injury issues.

At times Allen looks like a future superstar and then he just disappears for awhile. I don't disagree with anything you're saying, it's just that it kind of describes how I feel about all of the big guys. If 15 years from now you look back and see that Leaf has had a HOF career, will you really be shocked? Same question with Markkanen or Mottley or Allen or anyone of a dozen other tall guys in this class.

 

[DWKB]

UGA's Yante Maten in the 2nd round? He killed KU in the game we played them.

 

[AzStevenCal]

UGA's Yante Maten in the 2nd round? He killed KU in the game we played them.

Yeah, he had a great game there. But I've left him off my possibles list because the rumor for awhile now has been that he'll be back in Georgia another season. I don't know how much up-side he has but he seems like the kind of player a team like the Spurs will take at 28 and everyone will wonder how he fell that far.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Josh Jackson has been suspended for their opening game in Big 12 conference tournament. It's tied to a recent car accident where Jackson backed into another car and didn't even leave a note.

 

[Russ Smith]

At times Allen looks like a future superstar and then he just disappears for awhile. I don't disagree with anything you're saying, it's just that it kind of describes how I feel about all of the big guys. If 15 years from now you look back and see that Leaf has had a HOF career, will you really be shocked? Same question with Markkanen or Mottley or Allen or anyone of a dozen other tall guys in this class.

Yeah the thing with Leaf is it's easier to get stronger than it is to develop the skill set he already has. So with an NBA schedule and trainer etc I think he has a chance. There are stronger guys who are better defenders but they're unlikely to develop the skills he had. Kawhi Leonard is an outlier in that respect most guys simply don't go from great athlete to great basketball player.

There's still some UCLA fans who think Leaf is staying, based on hopes he wants to play with buddy Jaylen Hands for a year. I fully expect him to turn pro.

 

[Russ Smith]

Josh Jackson has been suspended for their opening game in Big 12 conference tournament. It's tied to a recent car accident where Jackson backed into another car and didn't even leave a note.

Wow I love his game but this is not the time to be doing stuff like that.

 

[3rdside]

Wow I love his game but this is not the time to be doing stuff like that.

Listen to you two old b*stards (lol) - he's a kid for crying out loud!

 

[Russ Smith]

Listen to you two old b*stards (lol) - he's a kid for crying out loud!

In fairness it happened a month ago, he apparently had already dealt with it but Self just found out when Jackson told him, and suspended him for not leaving a note at the scene of the accident.

I love Jackson but when I read the comment I thought this had just happened.

 

[AzStevenCal]

In fairness it happened a month ago, he apparently had already dealt with it but Self just found out when Jackson told him, and suspended him for not leaving a note at the scene of the accident.

I love Jackson but when I read the comment I thought this had just happened.

I have no idea if there's anything there to worry about, I leave that up to the front office. He has talent, assuming he's still there when we pick, I've yet to hear a complaint that would keep us from drafting him.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I'm flipping back and forth between the ASU/Stanford game and the Duke/Clemson match-up and I'd have to say, Tatum is growing on me. He's capable of being more than just a me-first ISO player and if his first step holds up in the NBA, he could be a repeat all star. And if he's not quite quick and is forced to play it more like Marcus Morris, he looks to have the length to survive as a small ball stretch 4 too.

 

[Mainstreet]

Yeah if he's a first rounder not happening, if he goes 2nd round then you're talking about not being as difficult to deal for. Player, future pick etc. Of course the other issue is if you look at the roster with Curry and Thompson starting and the way Ian Clark and Patrick McCaw are coming around, with Livingston, it's not clear there's a whole lot of room for Trier.

If you look at Trier he's basically been following Durant around since he got to HS, moved to OKC to play HS ball there, in a home schooled league. Eventually got suspended when they found out he was living with his AAU coach not a legal guardian, so the mom moved there. Then he went to Durant's prepschool, Montrose Christian, and then finally Findlay after he committed to UA, Findlay and Arizona have a strong connection. Durant refers to him as his little brother, I've even heard him mention Trier in interviews with the Warriors at least twice being asked about if he follows college ball much and he said he keeps track of Trier.

It's all very interesting. As you say, if he falls to the second round GS will be looking for trades.

 

[hsandhu]

Watching duke vs clemson, tatum looking good. Don't see much drop off if we drop from jackson range to tatum range in the draft.

 

[3rdside]

In fairness it happened a month ago, he apparently had already dealt with it but Self just found out when Jackson told him, and suspended him for not leaving a note at the scene of the accident.

I love Jackson but when I read the comment I thought this had just happened.

I'd be mad if that was my son (no i don't have one..) for not leaving a note but sounds like he learned the lesson he might not have got from home.