Post by TinyTimPig on Jan 9, 2021 21:48:21 GMT -5
With a lull hitting in the draft right after 1.10, I figured it was as good of a time as any to put some content out there.
1. Bojan Dubljevic - New York Knicks
5 C 6'9'' 254 26 4 B+ B+ D+ C- B- A
Dubljevic looks to be far and away the best scoring big in Creation, but I’m not as sold on him as others are at 1.1. His profile and grade indicate awful defense, and I’d guess that he’s above 2 turnovers per 36 with his “D” stats grade in the turnover column. If that A potential can improve his defense and rebounding, as it tends to do with bigs, he could be a home run, but there’s some definite risk here. If it doesn’t, paying $12.5m per year for four years for a one-dimensional player could be tough to swallow.
Grade: B
2. Charlotte Bobcats - Wayne Estes
1 SF 6'6'' 215 22 0 B+ C D+ C- A- A
Estes wasn’t someone I expected to go this early, but you can always count on Odin to throw a few curveballs. I’m allergic to turnovers, so the “F” in the stats column in that department would’ve made him untouchable if I was picking in the same spot. However, his A A scoring grades, B rebounding stats grade, high potential, and shooting guard eligibility make his ceiling extremely high. The A- rebounding grade for a small forward is stupid high and I’m pretty sure we only saw something comparable in 5.0 in LeBron and Julius Erving, both of whom were capable of averaging 9+ rebounds per game from the SF position. With only a one-year contract that can’t be extended, the big question is whether that potential will or won’t be realized for the Bobcats.
Grade: B+
3. Orlando Magic - Doug Wrenn
3 SF 6'6'' 215 22 0 A- D+ C- C- B A
I like Wrenn a ton as a project player and, like both players taken before him, a lot will depend on how his A potential pans out. Another small forward with shooting guard eligibility, how TC treats him and which attributes see the greatest improvement could be a real crapshoot. I wouldn’t be surprised if his jumping is at or near 100, which could really skew that inside A- grade to be misleading. If that ends up being the case, he could be a huge bust. His jumper is likely terrible and won’t grow naturally, which means for him to become an all-around efficient player, Skrouse will need to spend his upgrades there. If the inside attribute is unexpectedly low, Wrenn might just have one too many holes to fix (inside, jumper, possibly turnovers).
Grade: B-
4. Miami Heat - Antonio Gates
2 SF 6'4'' 255 23 2 B+ C B C+ A- A
Gates looks almost identical to Wayne Estes, but his “B” assists stats grade and B handling grade tells me that his passing attribute is even higher, and therefore his “F” turnovers stats grade is probably an even bigger issue than Estes’ is. Unlike Estes, however, Gates’ profile emphasizes his athleticism and mentions that he has a limited array of post moves, which tells me his inside grade is probably heavily influenced by jumping and strength. His efficiency stats grade is an “A”, but I’m still a little bit skeptical. He also has an A- rebounding grade, so I expect him to also be excellent in that department.
Grade: C+
5. Los Angeles Clippers (traded from Milwaukee Bucks) - Hank Gathers
5 SF 6'7'' 230 25 2 A- C C- C+ C+ B
I expected a little bit more out of Gathers’ grades after reading his write-up and expected him to be the clear 1.1. His profile indicates elite inside scoring ability and solid rebounding with holes in his jumper and defense. He seemed like a good candidate for some combination of +20 jumper and +10 inside or something along those lines. After seeing the stats grades and having worse rebounding than Estes and Gates and another “F” in the turnover department, I’ve tempered my expectations. This seems like it’ll be a theme here in Creation, so I’m very curious to see what exactly those stats grades translate to.
Grade: B-
6. Phoenix Suns - Luke Maye
4 SF 6'8'' 240 22 0 B+ C+ C- C B- B
Another small forward with shooting eligibility and “A” grades in the points and efficiency stats. He’s only a “D” in turnovers, which at this point, I guess sounds kind of...good? At least relative to some of the other similar players already taken. I expect Maye to be limited athletically, which could put a ceiling on his output when compared to the other small forwards that were already taken. He seems like a lower-risk version and should be a solid player for years.
Grade: B
7. Charlotte Hornets - Shawn Kemp Jr.
2 PF 6'9'' 250 22 2 B C- C- C C+ A
This pick was the first major head-scratcher of the first round. His profile focused almost entirely on athleticism, and even with jumping and strength attributes that should be nearly maxed out, he still only managed a B inside grade, so I bet his inside attribute is pretty low. Turnovers are expected to be pretty bad, and as there was no discussion of free throw shooting, rebounding, or defense in his profile, they’re probably all middling. Free throw shooting and turnovers won’t improve naturally for a big, so for Kemp to be good, you’ll probably need 2-3 excellent training camps that improve his scoring, defense, and rebounding, and then commit his upgrades to either free throw shooting or turnovers. There’s just too much here to fix.
Grade: D-
8. Indiana Pacers - Juwan Staten
3 PG 5'11'' 186 28 6 C C+ B B- F+ A
I’m not a huge fan of this pick either, but Heebs is a savvy GM so he must see something that I don’t. His profile describes him as a talented scorer, but his grades and stats don’t seem to reflect that. Rebounding will forever be a liability and he’ll likely struggle to average three per game. That’s a lot of money for a player who looks like he may be, at best, a good ball-handling and defending point guard who doesn’t offer anything exceptional.
Grade: F
9. Vancouver Grizzlies - Lenny Cooke
3 SG 6'6'' 205 24 3 B- C D+ C- C+ B
Eric could’ve had a lot of fun with Cooke but it appears that he didn’t (naturally). With an “A” grade in steals and a “C” in turnovers, it looks like he’ll be exceptional in both categories compared to the other players who have already been selected. B potential likely only helps a little bit in his development, and his scoring grades and efficiency/points grades leave something to be desired compared to the other wings who were already taken. As a SG, he’ll have a lower inside cap than small forwards and I’m not sure I see upgrades able to overcome his build. He looks like a solid but unspectacular player to me. However, as I look closer at more of these players, I'm not sure if there are any spectacular players.
Grade: C
10. Chicago Stags - James Blackmon Jr.
5 SG 6'4'' 190 25 3 B B- B, D+ C- C
I was disappointed to see the “D” turnovers grade for Blackmon when his write-up emphasized lack of turnovers, but I suspect that grade may actually end up translating to somewhere around 1.5-1.8 turnovers per game when I take a look at the Creation class overall. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a problem. He looks to be a solid scorer, but again, I bet “A” has a very wide range, both when it comes to points and efficiency. Regardless, I don’t see anything about Blackmon that looks like a major detriment, so I’m a fan of the pick that sounds like it’ll eventually be traded to the Bobcats.
Grade: A-
1. Bojan Dubljevic - New York Knicks
5 C 6'9'' 254 26 4 B+ B+ D+ C- B- A
Dubljevic looks to be far and away the best scoring big in Creation, but I’m not as sold on him as others are at 1.1. His profile and grade indicate awful defense, and I’d guess that he’s above 2 turnovers per 36 with his “D” stats grade in the turnover column. If that A potential can improve his defense and rebounding, as it tends to do with bigs, he could be a home run, but there’s some definite risk here. If it doesn’t, paying $12.5m per year for four years for a one-dimensional player could be tough to swallow.
Grade: B
2. Charlotte Bobcats - Wayne Estes
1 SF 6'6'' 215 22 0 B+ C D+ C- A- A
Estes wasn’t someone I expected to go this early, but you can always count on Odin to throw a few curveballs. I’m allergic to turnovers, so the “F” in the stats column in that department would’ve made him untouchable if I was picking in the same spot. However, his A A scoring grades, B rebounding stats grade, high potential, and shooting guard eligibility make his ceiling extremely high. The A- rebounding grade for a small forward is stupid high and I’m pretty sure we only saw something comparable in 5.0 in LeBron and Julius Erving, both of whom were capable of averaging 9+ rebounds per game from the SF position. With only a one-year contract that can’t be extended, the big question is whether that potential will or won’t be realized for the Bobcats.
Grade: B+
3. Orlando Magic - Doug Wrenn
3 SF 6'6'' 215 22 0 A- D+ C- C- B A
I like Wrenn a ton as a project player and, like both players taken before him, a lot will depend on how his A potential pans out. Another small forward with shooting guard eligibility, how TC treats him and which attributes see the greatest improvement could be a real crapshoot. I wouldn’t be surprised if his jumping is at or near 100, which could really skew that inside A- grade to be misleading. If that ends up being the case, he could be a huge bust. His jumper is likely terrible and won’t grow naturally, which means for him to become an all-around efficient player, Skrouse will need to spend his upgrades there. If the inside attribute is unexpectedly low, Wrenn might just have one too many holes to fix (inside, jumper, possibly turnovers).
Grade: B-
4. Miami Heat - Antonio Gates
2 SF 6'4'' 255 23 2 B+ C B C+ A- A
Gates looks almost identical to Wayne Estes, but his “B” assists stats grade and B handling grade tells me that his passing attribute is even higher, and therefore his “F” turnovers stats grade is probably an even bigger issue than Estes’ is. Unlike Estes, however, Gates’ profile emphasizes his athleticism and mentions that he has a limited array of post moves, which tells me his inside grade is probably heavily influenced by jumping and strength. His efficiency stats grade is an “A”, but I’m still a little bit skeptical. He also has an A- rebounding grade, so I expect him to also be excellent in that department.
Grade: C+
5. Los Angeles Clippers (traded from Milwaukee Bucks) - Hank Gathers
5 SF 6'7'' 230 25 2 A- C C- C+ C+ B
I expected a little bit more out of Gathers’ grades after reading his write-up and expected him to be the clear 1.1. His profile indicates elite inside scoring ability and solid rebounding with holes in his jumper and defense. He seemed like a good candidate for some combination of +20 jumper and +10 inside or something along those lines. After seeing the stats grades and having worse rebounding than Estes and Gates and another “F” in the turnover department, I’ve tempered my expectations. This seems like it’ll be a theme here in Creation, so I’m very curious to see what exactly those stats grades translate to.
Grade: B-
6. Phoenix Suns - Luke Maye
4 SF 6'8'' 240 22 0 B+ C+ C- C B- B
Another small forward with shooting eligibility and “A” grades in the points and efficiency stats. He’s only a “D” in turnovers, which at this point, I guess sounds kind of...good? At least relative to some of the other similar players already taken. I expect Maye to be limited athletically, which could put a ceiling on his output when compared to the other small forwards that were already taken. He seems like a lower-risk version and should be a solid player for years.
Grade: B
7. Charlotte Hornets - Shawn Kemp Jr.
2 PF 6'9'' 250 22 2 B C- C- C C+ A
This pick was the first major head-scratcher of the first round. His profile focused almost entirely on athleticism, and even with jumping and strength attributes that should be nearly maxed out, he still only managed a B inside grade, so I bet his inside attribute is pretty low. Turnovers are expected to be pretty bad, and as there was no discussion of free throw shooting, rebounding, or defense in his profile, they’re probably all middling. Free throw shooting and turnovers won’t improve naturally for a big, so for Kemp to be good, you’ll probably need 2-3 excellent training camps that improve his scoring, defense, and rebounding, and then commit his upgrades to either free throw shooting or turnovers. There’s just too much here to fix.
Grade: D-
8. Indiana Pacers - Juwan Staten
3 PG 5'11'' 186 28 6 C C+ B B- F+ A
I’m not a huge fan of this pick either, but Heebs is a savvy GM so he must see something that I don’t. His profile describes him as a talented scorer, but his grades and stats don’t seem to reflect that. Rebounding will forever be a liability and he’ll likely struggle to average three per game. That’s a lot of money for a player who looks like he may be, at best, a good ball-handling and defending point guard who doesn’t offer anything exceptional.
Grade: F
9. Vancouver Grizzlies - Lenny Cooke
3 SG 6'6'' 205 24 3 B- C D+ C- C+ B
Eric could’ve had a lot of fun with Cooke but it appears that he didn’t (naturally). With an “A” grade in steals and a “C” in turnovers, it looks like he’ll be exceptional in both categories compared to the other players who have already been selected. B potential likely only helps a little bit in his development, and his scoring grades and efficiency/points grades leave something to be desired compared to the other wings who were already taken. As a SG, he’ll have a lower inside cap than small forwards and I’m not sure I see upgrades able to overcome his build. He looks like a solid but unspectacular player to me. However, as I look closer at more of these players, I'm not sure if there are any spectacular players.
Grade: C
10. Chicago Stags - James Blackmon Jr.
5 SG 6'4'' 190 25 3 B B- B, D+ C- C
I was disappointed to see the “D” turnovers grade for Blackmon when his write-up emphasized lack of turnovers, but I suspect that grade may actually end up translating to somewhere around 1.5-1.8 turnovers per game when I take a look at the Creation class overall. If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a problem. He looks to be a solid scorer, but again, I bet “A” has a very wide range, both when it comes to points and efficiency. Regardless, I don’t see anything about Blackmon that looks like a major detriment, so I’m a fan of the pick that sounds like it’ll eventually be traded to the Bobcats.
Grade: A-
