Well here we are at the 2020 NBA Draft, which is being held in mid-November in the weirdest sports years, and life years, of all time. With the season starting in about a month, this is gonna be a quick turnaround for these rooks. I freely admit I didn't watch any college hoops this year because the class seemed uninspiring. I feel vindicated by that especially not having a March Madness and a lot of the top guys not playing in the NCAA or playing 2 games like Wiseman. 

I picked 12 guys to watch film on this year. Below is the 12 guys along with ratings and my assessments. This draft is going to be one of the worst on the last 20 years. It's like a bad vintage of wine, just stay away from it because even the good ones aren't that good. Also, it seems like half the first round is all wiry ass dudes who will never be able to put on more than 10 more pounds. And just as a refresher, here is my rating system. 

Grading System: 1-100

A+/A 100-95 = Can’t Miss Franchise Player. Best Player on championship contender potential. Perrenial MVP candidate. (LeBron/Duncan would have graded as 100)

A/A- 94-90 = Potential multiple All-Star and 1st /2nd team NBA potential. Potential Franchise player. Might be good enough to be best player on championship contender with good supporting cast or be an excellent second banana on championship team (think Harden, Embiid)

B+/B 89-85 = Potential all-star 1-3 times in career. 3rd team NBA potential. Average to Low end second best player on championship contender, high end 3rd best

B/B- 84-80 = Might be 3rd best player on championship contender on high end, solid starter on low end

C+/C 79-75 = Starter on high end, 6th-7th man on low end

C/C- 74-70 = Potential rotation player, quality backup

D+/D 69-65 = Bench filler. Might get a few minutes here and there.

D/D- 64-60 = 12th man. Never seen this dude without warmups on

F 59-0 = Bust on high end, Bobby Thompson at the zero end (pre blowing out his knee on storied crossover)

Ok let's get to this shit. 

Anthony Edwards

I think he’s the best player in this draft. I just watched him critique himself openly and honestly for 22 minutes with Mike Schmitz and the fact that he could do that and know where he needed to improve, I really believed he would improve those areas. This kid has a fire in him that the other top prospects just don’t. Reminds me of Oladipo with shades of Westbrook, with the imposing athleticism (though I think he’s gonna be easier to coach than Russ, because who isn’t). He’s a combo guard at the next level and I think he can be an instant impact guy. The shot is going to take some time to develop as NBA players will dare him to shoot, but I think he’s willing to put the work in. Edwards will be a fun a player to watch and I personally think he can be a low 2^nd or high 3^rd best player on a championship team. I don’t see him as a perennial all star, but I could see him making 2-3 appearances in his prime and perhaps borderline for his mid-career. Rating 89

Lamelo Ball

These are the guys I used to think would be the best players because I love that flash and I love tall point guards. Lamelo has that for sure. The court vision is right up there with some of the best point guards in the league. Super accurate passes which is an underrated skill. He’s got the Busted Ball shot though, that runs in the family and I frankly think he’s pillowy soft the way he avoids contact. Doesn’t seem to take the game too seriously and while he has a lot of potential, I don’t know that he has the drive to realize all of it. We basically have the closest thing to Lamelo in the NBA already in Lonzo. I think Lonzo was a bit more mature, but Lamelo has a bit more upside due to his ability to break people down. In a normal draft I think he would be worth a lottery pick, but really I don’t see him being more than a point guard in the 15-35 range. He might have the highest upside, but if I had to set a line on all star appearances at 1.5, I’m taking the under. Average to below average point guard who will have some stats like 17-9-6 but shoot 40%FG 70%FT. This damn family is like the Kardashians of the NBA. They just keep popping out more of them. Lamelo is also the next NBA player who never closes his mouth, like Draymond. Rating 84

Tyrese Haliburton

Very interesting game with some definite pluses and minuses. As a shooter, he reminds me of Kevin Martin with the funny release and the lanky frame. Also works off screens in the same way. For sure has to tighten that form up, but just needs tweaking, not a full teardown to rebuild. He’s a much better passer than Martin though, making me think he is a potentially capable starter and at worst a really good backup at the 1 or 2. I like his feel for the game and think he can be one of the better players in this draft. Rating 80

Onyeka Okongwu

Like this kid. Bouncy athlete that is an elite shot blocker. Still needs to get stronger and work on him jump shot, but you can say that about almost any rookie. I’m getting some notes of Serge Ibaka more than I am of Bam. Don’t think he has Bam potential, but could possibly be as good as early Serge. Side note, Bam and Serge both excellent athlete names. Maybe they just call him On, which could be good too. Upside is there for him to be a top-10 pick. I would take him over Wiseman. Rating 79

Killian Hayes

I had to take my French bias out of the picture during this assessment, so hopefully Killian won't hold this against me. I'm down to go to a café with him and eat a pain au chocolat anytime. He seems to have some similarities to Lamelo. Both are tall point guards with good vision who are both lacking fire and intensity. I think Killian can be a solid rotation player at the next level, maybe as good as Evan Fournier, another baguette, but I don’t like his low release on his shot and I am worried about that weak handle and left hand domination. It’s gonna take time before we see whether he can make it or not. He’s pretty young though and seems to have gotten much better each year so maybe he can be a starter in 2-3 years. Not an all star, but there's upside. Rating 79

James Wiseman

A springy 7 footer with low basketball IQ and a low motor. Not a very fitting last name. Dude has that sleepy look and lacks any nastiness. I’m so underwhelmed by him. Sure he has length and agility, but he will only be as good as his mental game gets and I don’t see a bright future there. He reminds me of a chef with all the best ingredients, but can only make an average meal of out them. If a team like Golden State or another team with a good infrastructure drafts him, this will raise his likelihood of reaching his potential in a bigger way than other prospects, but he’s just another guy I don’t see making an all star team and will just be a below average starter, solid backup big. A dime a dozen. Rating 78 

Isaac Okoro

Definitely agree with the Gerald Wallace comps and I think that’s probably his best case scenario. He will come to the league already an above average defender, but he really looks lost on offense. Could easily end up being a Thabo Sefolosha kind of guy who defends another team’s best player, but gets ignored on offense. The shot looks ugly and I would be amazed if he became a league average shooter. Guy is not an all star but another good rotation guy with upside if he can figure out offense. Gotta give him an extra point for the motor though. Can’t teach that. Rating 75

Devin Vassell

Haven’t seen any great comps for him, but I think he’s a player with some upside. The improvement he’s made from his Freshman to Sophomore season certainly points to that. Love his ability to shoot on spot ups and especially love his ability to defend on and off the ball. Really smart on that end. I could see him as a poor man’s Trevor Ariza in the pros. Just not as fluid an athlete. Rating 74

Obi Toppin

This guy terrorized my school, (go Rhody!), for the last two years so I am familiar with him. Already 22 which is hard to ignore, but after watching film on top prospects coming out after their freshman year, you can clearly see the difference in experience. Does a lot of little things well and seems to have a pretty good basketball IQ. The problem is, he’s a wiry guy with below average agility so he’s kind of caught in between positions. I don’t think he’s fast/agile enough to be a perimeter player and he will probably never be strong/tall enough to be a traditional big man. I think his best hope is he turns into some form of Lauri Markkanen. He’s not on the same level as a shooter though and not sure he ever will be. Could be more like a Trey Lyles type or a bit better. I think he can be a rotation guy, not a starter. Rating 74

Deni Avdija

So this is Dario Saric 2.0. I like his game but more as like a mid to late first rounder than a lottery player. Can be a solid rotation player, but isn’t good enough to be a starter. Limited upside from poor shooting and athleticism. Nice haircut though. Rating 73

RJ Hampton

Definitely has Dante Exum vibes with the quickness and explosiveness, but a much skinnier frame and a primadonna attitude. Think Bill Simmons eventually could rename the Dion Waiters award after him because he’s a classic overconfidence guy. I definitely see Jordan Clarkson and some JR Smith in his game, possibly even some Ricky Davis. Definitely has upside but it’s going to take a lot of things to go right for him to reach it, starting with his jump shot. I made a big mistake on the last RJ that came in the league, RJ Hunter, thinking he would be good and I think it's because I was rooting for a good RJ to enter the league after watching the great underrated MTV show RJ Berger. I can see clearly now and I think he more likely ends up RJ Shampton. At the end of the day, aren't we all rooting for a good RJ? Rating 70

Pat Williams

Great frame and looks like an NBA player, but I don’t see anything more than an energy guy off the bench. Classic Marcus Haislip vibes creeping up draft boards with big athleticism, but offering little else. Rating 69

And this concludes another entry that will offer ammunition for the ugly world of cyberbullying. You can't make fun of me unless I see some draft predictions of your own!

2018 NBA Draft Best & Worst Picks

     We have another NBA Draft in the books. No NBA players were traded in this draft, so it lacked a little sizzle, but we did get Luka Doncic's hot mom, Michael Porter calling himself the best pick Denver's ever made, Kevin Knox and his forehead wrinkle getting the NY boooooo treatment, and this great pic of Lonnie Walker and the floating hat trick. There were some surprises and some questionable moves (looking at you PHX for trading away an unprotected pick for Mikal Bridges) so I am going to give my 5 best and 5 worst picks of the draft.

Best Picks

Luka Doncic 3rd overall pick - This one is more obvious than Bobby getting hairplugs in 10 years. Luka's the best player and he fell to 3 and was then TRADED for Trae Young and a pick. Let's all remember when this looks really bad in 5 years that it was really stupid in the moment.

Michael Porter Jr 14th overall pick - I would have to compare how I feel about Michael Porter to Sting. I don't really like anything he says, but I really respect that he's saying it. Could easily be a top-3 player in the draft. The injury risk is a big one and he may have to redshirt this season, but for him to fall this far in favor of future bench guys like Wendell 'I've seen Black Panther too many times" Carter and Jerome Robinson who looks like he could be Greg Oden's older brother, is just ridiculous. Even if he doesn't pan out, you have to take a swing on a guy like this.

Robert Williams 27th overall pick - Best pick of the draft, even with the awful name, the Celtics made out like banditos with Big Bob. Such a perfect fit for them and exactly what Boston needs. I have all the faith in Brad to mold him into another version of Clint Capela. 14 points, 10 boards, 2 blocks a game. This is not the Fab Melo remix babayyyy.

Elie Okobo 31st overall pick - I've got a thing for the Frenchies. I think Josh's dog has a chance to be the best PG out of this class. That's not saying much because I don't really believe that any of them will be a top-15 PG, but Okobo has a chance to be a lower-tier starting guard. Phoenix should give him the keys early and let him and Ayton get familiar.

Mitchell Robinson 36th overall pick - I can't believe the Knicks made a good pick! This is like when Josh connects his bat to the wiffle ball. Everyone has low expectations so you're just happy it happened. The Knicks are not known for their player development, and for a guy who seems super immature, I'm not sure having access to that #nyclifestyle is really putting him in the best position to succeed. I think his best case scenario is him getting cut from the Knicks in 2 years and having to play for his life on another team a la Hassan Whiteside. Let's look back on this pick in 5 years, not 2, to see if it turned out to be good, but this low in the draft, why not take a shot on a guy with his upside.

*Bonus* Best Undrafted Player
Malik Newman - Hellooo Newman! Signed a two-way deal with the Lakers already, which essentially means he's going to be on their G-league team for most of the year, but they can bring him up for a maximum of 45 days during the season. This guy is an athlete who can shoot all over the floor. Had an up and down season for Kansas, but I think he can make an impact on the next level. Could be another Jodie Meeks if he gets an opportunity.

Worst Picks

Deandre Ayton 1st overall pick- Guy thinks he made it already. I stop short of calling him a bust, because I think he will put up some numbers, but they will be meaningless for his team. This guy is a loser and always will be. I get the appeal at around pick 4, but at 1, I'm not touching a guy with a gentle mental.

Jerome Robinson 13th overall pick - I only watched like 2 minutes of him because he was on BC and they haven't been good since Jared Dudley, but I don't see it. Guy says he's 21, but do we know that? Google him and tell me he's as young as he says he is. Here's a guy who won't be getting a second contract.

Grayson Allen 21st pick, Chandler Hutchinson 22nd pick, Aaron Holiday 23rd pick - That's right, I'm calling out a whole trio. Back to back to back busts. Grayson is a little bitch who got worse every year at Duke. Chandler lacks the middle of his first name. Also, he stinks. Aaron Holiday is like the 3rd Hemsworth. I realize comparing the Holidays to the Hemsworths is an insult. Even Ashley Stubbs wants to file a grievance with me.

Sviatoslav Mikhailiuk 47th overall pick - I have watched this kid enough to know that he is softer than the softest ultra soft that Charmin makes. Softer than AJ's #dadbod even though he's not a dad (that we know about). I'll be shocked if he's in the league in 3 years.

That's all I got for this year. Already looking forward to who emerges as the top players in the 2019 NBA Draft, but so far it looks like a race for #1 from two teammates, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish with possibly cross-town rival Nasir Little getting in the mix (loved what I saw from him in the High School All Star games). What were your favorite/least favorite picks?

2018 NBA DRAFT Ratings

Draft week is upon us. I want to get right into it. After watching the playoffs and seeing big men get played right off the floor (even Embiid was kind of a minus at times), I agree with the thinkpieces that say big men are being overvalued in drafts. Think about the top 5 players in the league. Lebron, KD, AD, Harden, Steph, Kawhi if he's healthy, Giannis next. The only one that could be considered a big man is AD, but he's a freak that can do everything well. The PGs in this draft, in my opinion are not good. None of them can run a team. Except Doncic. He should be a team's starting PG a la James Harden. He's excellent. The bigs in this draft are not that impressive to me. Ayton and Bagley don't play defense and Bamba doesn't play offense. Triple J though does do both...That leaves wings. There aren't a lot of high potential wings that are currently being ranked in the top 12, but maybe one will get picked later and emerge in the right environment. Wings should be the new center. Teams should be prioritizing wings that can shoot. I think my rankings partly show that. 

Now truth be told, I watched a good amount of college hoops this year, but there are still a lot of guys I can't really give an opinion on because I didn't see them enough. I have looked at what most people are saying is the top 13 and given them my rating. Not saying they will be the best 13 because they certainly won't, but they are the guys I feel I have a good grasp on. And here they are in order.

Luka Doncic – To me, Luka Doncic is the best player in the draft and I really don’t find it that close. To be as young as he is and have the skills he possesses is extraordinary. Of course his defense is a bit Euro-y, but this guy could really play PG for a team if they let him take the reins. There’s a lot of James Harden in his game and I think he can be a top-10 player in the NBA. I think he’s the only surefire all-star in this draft and for any team to pass on him is foolish. Rating 93

Jaren Jackson Jr. – In general, I am buying the trend that teams drafting haven’t caught up to the idea that centers are overvalued. Unless you can find an Anthony Davis. There’s none of those in this draft, but JJJ could be a slightly on sale version of Chris Bosh. He’s already a pretty good outside shooter and he blocked shots in college. None of the other 3 bigs of Ayton, Bagley, or Bamba can do both. That’s why I like Jackson. He can fit into any team without the team having to alter how it plays. He can switch on defense, which is also hugely important and he has length. I personally would take triple J at 2 ahead of these other guys. Rating 86

Michael Porter Jr – I would have to say the biggest range of outcomes belongs to Michael Porter Jr. He could be the next Jayson Tatum or he could be what Harry Giles is right now, which is prematurely injured and most likely not gonna make it. I wouldn’t put too much stock into those two games he played in Missouri, but I watched him in high school and really liked what I saw. Guy’s a total alpha. Now I know Bob dropped a #BobBomb last week and we found out the really huge news that he "wasn't well liked" in high school, but I'm not gonna hold that against him. In my opinion, this is the kind of guy teams should be drafting. Long wings that can guard multiple positions, shoot from outside, and a bonus if they can create their own shot and finish around the rim. MPJ checks all those boxes. The big men in this draft are getting a lot of hype, but I’d rather trade down a few spots and take a swing on Porter. Rating 86

Deandre Ayton – Deandre Ayton is a specimen, that’s for sure. Not a lot of 7 footers can move like he does. Had a pretty good season numbers-wise in college. You know who also put up similar numbers? Michael Beasley. This guy’s defense is a joke, showing virtually no IQ or effort on that end of the floor. He may end up putting up 20 and 10, but it’s going to be for a bad team and the numbers will only help your fantasy team. He doesn’t make his team better and I get a vibe from him like he thinks he made it already. I mean Puma? Really? I want a guy who’s gonna grind and get better. I think he seems content right now. I would NOT draft this guy number 1. Having said that, there aren’t many players in this draft that have All-Star potential. He certainly has that, but I just don’t see him being anything more than Demarcus Cousins. Rating 85

Mohamed Bamba – La la la la la la bamba is getting a lot of hype about being able to shoot from 3. I don’t know man. All these big men think they’re Chris Bosh, but I think Jaren Jackson is probably the only one who may be close. Bamba is a bit of a stick figure, but I think he will be a good rim protector. How could he not? All he has to do is hold his arms up. I think he will be a fine starting center, but I don’t see him ever hitting say 35% of 3s in a game format. Empty gym 3s are much different. Even I hit a few of those. Rating 82

Marvin Bagley III – The kid dominated college, but I thought he would be a different player. The fact that his wingspan is just 7 feet really sours me on him and explains why he wasn’t better on defense. I really don’t get the fascination with these bigs that can’t shoot from outside and can’t defend or switch. Now Bagley does have decent form and he may end up being just decent from spot up 3s, but he’s always going to be a below average defender. Him and Ayton to me are similar in that they may put up numbers, but won’t help their team overall. Having said that, I think Bagley is a much harder worker than Ayton and has potential to evolve, however he has longer to go than he thinks. Rating 81

Mikal Bridges -  = Otto Porter. 3 & D guy. Fits on any team. Would be better on a team closer to making the playoffs. Easy. Rating 81

Miles Bridges – A nice role player for any team. Freak athletes that can shoot 3s are valuable and you have to love his competitiveness. Hopefully he doesn't get burned. Rating 80

Trae Young – Maybe the best offensive player in the draft and most offensive hair because it looks like that was the hair he was born with and never got a haircut. Also the worst defensive player in the draft. The comp I haven’t heard yet that I think is most likely is Isaiah Thomas, the new one. Thomas had to be routinely hidden on defense and that matters in the playoffs. Same for this kid. Shooting though, is at a premium and he can launch off the dribble from distance. I like Trae Young as a guy that can maaaaaybe be a bottom-10 starting PG, but I really like him as a microwave off the bench that can jack up shots. I don’t think there’s a PG in this draft that will be a top-20 PG, but Young can at least stretch the floor and pass well. Rating 79

Kevin Knox – Knox looks likes a bobblehead with that giant noggin attached to his little body. I have mixed feelings on him. He thinks he’s a 3, but I definitely see him more as a 4. The shooting stroke looks good and I actually think he will be able to hit shots from 3 and play decent defense. His range will never be as deep as his forehead wrinkle though. This guy needs botox already! Could be a solid starter, but never sniffing an All-Star team like some people seem to be hyping. Rating 78

Wendell Carter Jr. - What’s up with all the juniors in this draft. They have some unoriginal vain papas. Mr. Wendell is getting some hype as the draft draws closer. I am a lot less impressed. Could be David West minus the toughness in a best-case scenario, but the toughness and grit is what made West a really good, not great, player. Carter seems like a little bit of a bitch. I see him as a serviceable big man, but nothing better than your 5^th guy and probably not worse than your 8^th. Also, he has one of those gross beards, which I just hate looking at. Shave man. Rating 78

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – I liked what I saw out of Shai for the most part at Kentucky. Has a smooth game and did a decent job running the offense. The jump shot looks as bad as MCW’s when he came out and I see a lot of MCW in Shai. People projecting that shot will be average are dreaming. This is an especially weak PG crop, but I have to say I think SGA will probably just be a backup ball handler who tops out at what Shaun Livingston is now. Rating 76

Collin Sexton  - Aside from a cool name, I don’t think he will have a big impact in the NBA. PGs that can’t shoot seldom do unless you pass like Rondo and he does not. I think he has drive so he can be a serviceable ball handler, but shouldn’t be starting for any good team. These guys are a dime a dozen. Rating 75