Post by 20s on Aug 20, 2022 13:20:21 GMT -5
Early Returns on 3030 Draft
1. New York Knicks - Zion Williamson PF 6'6'' 284 19 A, C, C, C, C+ B, Duke
Current Grades: Zion Williamson PF 20 6'7'' 294 A C C C+ B- B
After two TCs, a Skill Camp, and +20 in upgrades, Zion is only +1 in shown defense and +1 in rebounding. He can score efficiently but doesn't do much else well. An efficient scorer is useful, but there are plenty of guys who can do that. Ank had to be hoping for more out of a 1.1. He does still have +10 left.
2. Toronto Raptors (via Milwaukee Bucks) - R.J. Barrett SF 6'7'' 202 19 B, C, B- C+ C+ A, Duke
Current Grades: R.J. Barrett SF 20 6'8'' 207 A- C+ B+ B B- A
Alternatively, R.J. is +8 on his draft grades seeing an increase in every single category. He is fully upgraded and putting up solid all around numbers, but nothing that blows your mind. With A shown potential, you have to hope for more natural development to take him into that truly elite tier.
3. Seattle SuperSonics (via Charlotte Hornets) - Jaxson Hayes C 6'11'' 220 20 B, C, D+ C+ B, A, Texas
Current Grades: Jaxson Hayes C 21 6'11'' 225 A- C+ C- B+ B+ B
Grades wise he is +8 just like Barrett, but he is already giving you top tier production on the court as well. Hayes is definitely the best player thus far from the draft and you have to expect he is only going to continue to improve.
4. Seattle SuperSonics (via Indiana Pacers) - Matisse Thybulle SF 6'5'' 205 23 C, C, C+ B, D+ A, Washington
Current Grades: Matisse Thybulle SF 24 6'5'' 210 C C B- B+ C+ B
A defensive stopper who doesn't turn it over. Thybulle doesn't give you much of anything else and I am not sure how much he will be able to improve his game. Maybe he could take his steals and blocks to even higher rates? Thybulle is +5 on his original grade set with almost all of that improvement coming in defense and rebounding. Overall, how valuable he is to a team is kind of a mystery at this point. One other note: this is the pick that the Bill Walton 1.1 was traded for so that will be something interesting to keep track of throughout their careers.
5. Charlotte Hornets (via Vancouver Grizzlies) - Tyler Herro SG 6'5'' 195 20 B- B+ B, C- C, B, Kentucky
Current Grades: Tyler Herro SG 21 6'5'' 195 B- A B C C B
Herro is +2 outside and +1 defense for a total of +3. He is an efficient scoring wing with limited turnovers. He is a positive contributor to a team, but similar to Zion, these wings are pretty easy to find currently in the league. He isn't a bust, but was he the best selection at 5? TBD.
6. Pittsburgh Pipers (via Portland Trail Blazers) - Ja Morant PG 6'3'' 175 20 B+ C, A- C, C- A, Murray State
Current Grades: Ja Morant PG 21 6'3'' 175 B+ B+ A C+ C A
Ja was one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft with some surprised he fell to 6. He was also listed on both best picks and worst picks of the draft lists in a RT. Ja is +7 on his original grade set. He is already a pretty good scorer and very good rebounder for a PG. Morant has physical attributes that most PGs do not so if he can continue to see growth in handling and his 3 point shot, the sky is the limit for Ja. Luckily for the Pipers, those attributes are some of the best growing for the PG position.
If I had to do a redraft at this point in time, my top 3 would definitely be:
1. Jaxson Hayes
2. Ja Morant
3. R.J. Barrett
Then 4-6 is really tough and I could see almost any order. I'd probably land on:
4. Zion Williamson
5. Tyler Herro
6. Matisse Thybulle
But I could easily see Thybulle 4 and Zion 6. You know what you're gonna get with Thybulle while Zion and Herro are still reliant on future improvement.
Worst Contracts in the League:
1. Michael Jordan - amnesty him yesterday
2. Al Jefferson - amnesty him today
3. Ike Anigbogu - if ank can afford it, he can be kept a few more seasons, but eventually this is an amnesty or retirement.
4. Harold Pressley - easily replaceable at near league min type contract, no reason to be on a long term 8 mil per deal
5. John Stockton - has seemingly got worse since signing this max which I already thought was an overpay. It is very hard for a PG to be worth a max deal in the current environment.
6. John Williams - he isn't a bad player, but he isn't elite and is on a bird max. I personally wouldn't want to be paying this player this amount of money.
7. Hakeem Olajuwon - similar to John Williams, just not a bird max.
8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - the former GOAT before LeBron came on the scene, Kareem's offense has taken a dip and this contract is simply massive. He is still a really good big, but the contract is going to become an anchor soon.
9. Justinian Jessup - never needed to be maxed, but was, and now comes off the bench. He's a good player if he's on the right deal (MLE or slightly above).
10. Robert Swift - 31 so he might start declining soon, not great at anything but not bad at anything. Fine player, not a 17.6 mil per year player and still has 4 years left.
Random Observations on Team and Player Records:
Current Power Rankings:
1. Dallas Mavericks - might be better than last year on the strength of their defense and LeBron James having his best season.
2. Denver Nuggets - underhyped team that is very good at the wrong time due to the Mavs
3. New York Knicks - Huckaby gives them the edge over the Bucks. Strong shot blockers inside and scorers at the guard spots.
4. Milwaukee Bucks - Team is extremely good, Heal at PG is the current weak spot but he is serviceable.
5. Indiana Pacers - Already very strong with a ton of high picks coming in recent years. May be able to couple some of his current talent and picks to get top tier players on the roster.
6. Washington Capitols - really strong team, close to breaking into the top tier of the East. Has a couple top 6 picks he may use as ammo.
7. New Orleans Jazz - solid outside team. Not quite on the elite level yet.
8. Portland Trail Blazers - a lot of unsung heroes on the team combining to make a decent squad. Need more to compete with the top West teams, IMO.
9. Boston Celtics - somehow they keep winning. This team kind of befuddles me.
10. Charlotte Hornets - gave them the slight edge here over their rival SuperSonics. It is close.
1. New York Knicks - Zion Williamson PF 6'6'' 284 19 A, C, C, C, C+ B, DukeCurrent Grades: Zion Williamson PF 20 6'7'' 294 A C C C+ B- B
After two TCs, a Skill Camp, and +20 in upgrades, Zion is only +1 in shown defense and +1 in rebounding. He can score efficiently but doesn't do much else well. An efficient scorer is useful, but there are plenty of guys who can do that. Ank had to be hoping for more out of a 1.1. He does still have +10 left.
2. Toronto Raptors (via Milwaukee Bucks) - R.J. Barrett SF 6'7'' 202 19 B, C, B- C+ C+ A, DukeCurrent Grades: R.J. Barrett SF 20 6'8'' 207 A- C+ B+ B B- A
Alternatively, R.J. is +8 on his draft grades seeing an increase in every single category. He is fully upgraded and putting up solid all around numbers, but nothing that blows your mind. With A shown potential, you have to hope for more natural development to take him into that truly elite tier.
3. Seattle SuperSonics (via Charlotte Hornets) - Jaxson Hayes C 6'11'' 220 20 B, C, D+ C+ B, A, TexasCurrent Grades: Jaxson Hayes C 21 6'11'' 225 A- C+ C- B+ B+ B
Grades wise he is +8 just like Barrett, but he is already giving you top tier production on the court as well. Hayes is definitely the best player thus far from the draft and you have to expect he is only going to continue to improve.
4. Seattle SuperSonics (via Indiana Pacers) - Matisse Thybulle SF 6'5'' 205 23 C, C, C+ B, D+ A, WashingtonCurrent Grades: Matisse Thybulle SF 24 6'5'' 210 C C B- B+ C+ B
A defensive stopper who doesn't turn it over. Thybulle doesn't give you much of anything else and I am not sure how much he will be able to improve his game. Maybe he could take his steals and blocks to even higher rates? Thybulle is +5 on his original grade set with almost all of that improvement coming in defense and rebounding. Overall, how valuable he is to a team is kind of a mystery at this point. One other note: this is the pick that the Bill Walton 1.1 was traded for so that will be something interesting to keep track of throughout their careers.
5. Charlotte Hornets (via Vancouver Grizzlies) - Tyler Herro SG 6'5'' 195 20 B- B+ B, C- C, B, KentuckyCurrent Grades: Tyler Herro SG 21 6'5'' 195 B- A B C C B
Herro is +2 outside and +1 defense for a total of +3. He is an efficient scoring wing with limited turnovers. He is a positive contributor to a team, but similar to Zion, these wings are pretty easy to find currently in the league. He isn't a bust, but was he the best selection at 5? TBD.
6. Pittsburgh Pipers (via Portland Trail Blazers) - Ja Morant PG 6'3'' 175 20 B+ C, A- C, C- A, Murray StateCurrent Grades: Ja Morant PG 21 6'3'' 175 B+ B+ A C+ C A
Ja was one of the most polarizing prospects in this draft with some surprised he fell to 6. He was also listed on both best picks and worst picks of the draft lists in a RT. Ja is +7 on his original grade set. He is already a pretty good scorer and very good rebounder for a PG. Morant has physical attributes that most PGs do not so if he can continue to see growth in handling and his 3 point shot, the sky is the limit for Ja. Luckily for the Pipers, those attributes are some of the best growing for the PG position.
If I had to do a redraft at this point in time, my top 3 would definitely be:
1. Jaxson Hayes
2. Ja Morant
3. R.J. Barrett
Then 4-6 is really tough and I could see almost any order. I'd probably land on:
4. Zion Williamson
5. Tyler Herro
6. Matisse Thybulle
But I could easily see Thybulle 4 and Zion 6. You know what you're gonna get with Thybulle while Zion and Herro are still reliant on future improvement.
Worst Contracts in the League:
1. Michael Jordan - amnesty him yesterday 2. Al Jefferson - amnesty him today 3. Ike Anigbogu - if ank can afford it, he can be kept a few more seasons, but eventually this is an amnesty or retirement. 4. Harold Pressley - easily replaceable at near league min type contract, no reason to be on a long term 8 mil per deal 5. John Stockton - has seemingly got worse since signing this max which I already thought was an overpay. It is very hard for a PG to be worth a max deal in the current environment. 6. John Williams - he isn't a bad player, but he isn't elite and is on a bird max. I personally wouldn't want to be paying this player this amount of money. 7. Hakeem Olajuwon - similar to John Williams, just not a bird max. 8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - the former GOAT before LeBron came on the scene, Kareem's offense has taken a dip and this contract is simply massive. He is still a really good big, but the contract is going to become an anchor soon. 9. Justinian Jessup - never needed to be maxed, but was, and now comes off the bench. He's a good player if he's on the right deal (MLE or slightly above). 10. Robert Swift - 31 so he might start declining soon, not great at anything but not bad at anything. Fine player, not a 17.6 mil per year player and still has 4 years left.Random Observations on Team and Player Records:
- As dirt mentioned in shout the other day, his 3031 Dallas Mavericks are currently averaging 9.8 blocks per game which would equal the 6.0 record set by the 3005 Timberwolves. When he mentioned it the other day, the Mavs were actually at 9.9. This will be something to keep an eye on down the stretch. The 3026 Cougars put up 9.7 per game, but that is the closest any team has gotten to 9.8 since the 3005 Wolves.
- The only 3 team records set since 3015 are Points per Game (139.4, 3028 Mavs), Rebounds per Game (62.1, 3028 Mavs), and Steals per Game (10.3, 3026 Pipers). Some of that is likely due to more possessions with more teams running Very Fast, but plenty of other marks have not been broken in a long time.
- Dwight Howard set the single game record for rebounds in a game last season with 32. The previous record was 31 by Ike Anigbogu in 3023. I think it's fair to say Dwight is the best rebounder we have seen in 6.0.
- We saw Myles Turner set the single game block record with 15 in 3023, but other than that, no single game records have been set since 3019. In fact, there are 5 records that still stand from 3005 or earlier.
- Howard also set season record for rebounds per game in 3030 finishing with an amazing 16.9 boards per game. The previous record was Howard with 15.3 in 3029. The record before that was Howard with 15.3 in 3024. Howard.
- Defensive counting stats have seen an uptick recently and the season records for players reflect that. The steals per game mark is 2.7 set by Giannis Antetokounmpo in 3026. The blocks record of 4.4 per game was set by Ike Anigbogu in 3027.
- The only active career record holder is Antetokounmpo who holds the steals record with 2403 career steals entering the 3031 campaign.
- Other than steals, no career mark has been bested since 3026 when Serge Ibaka set the career mark for turnovers at 3428. Kind of crazy that a big man, and not a point guard, has the most career turnovers.
Current Power Rankings:
1. Dallas Mavericks - might be better than last year on the strength of their defense and LeBron James having his best season. 2. Denver Nuggets - underhyped team that is very good at the wrong time due to the Mavs 3. New York Knicks - Huckaby gives them the edge over the Bucks. Strong shot blockers inside and scorers at the guard spots. 4. Milwaukee Bucks - Team is extremely good, Heal at PG is the current weak spot but he is serviceable. 5. Indiana Pacers - Already very strong with a ton of high picks coming in recent years. May be able to couple some of his current talent and picks to get top tier players on the roster. 6. Washington Capitols - really strong team, close to breaking into the top tier of the East. Has a couple top 6 picks he may use as ammo. 7. New Orleans Jazz - solid outside team. Not quite on the elite level yet. 8. Portland Trail Blazers - a lot of unsung heroes on the team combining to make a decent squad. Need more to compete with the top West teams, IMO. 9. Boston Celtics - somehow they keep winning. This team kind of befuddles me. 10. Charlotte Hornets - gave them the slight edge here over their rival SuperSonics. It is close. 
