How bad is this 2021 draft?

Uh...its a good class.

The top 5 is particularly good, better than usual.

6-13ish are also all really solid players.

no one has a clue how good the class will be for another 2 years.

It's good some really good players up top, like most drafts. If there's a clear cut favorite for #1, it's generally considered a good draft. No one has a fricking clue if picks 6-13 are going to be good or not, in any draft.

Cunningham/Mobley/Suggs... that's a normal type talented top 3 in the nba draft?

It’s great at the top, but fizzles after the first 4-5.

In my personal opinion, the guys selected between 8-12 (Toppin, Deni, Jalen Smith, Vassell, Haliburton) last year are considerably more intriguing than the guys projected there this year.

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In my personal opinion, the guys selected between 8-12 (Toppin, Deni, Jalen Smith, Vassell, Haliburton) last year are considerably more intriguing than the guys projected there this year.

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i disagree. I feel a lot better about Davion Mitchell, Moses Moody, Korey Kispert, and Franz Wagner than i did about Toppin/Deni/Smith.

You know exactly what you are getting with Kispert and Mitchell, and they are going to be long time NBA players. Moody has the most upside of guys in that range, and Wagner is the one i'd say could be hit or miss, but he was a great defender in college. It's his 3 point shooting that holds him back, although i think he can improve upon it in the NBA where he should see more open looks.

I'd rather any of those 4 than the 5 you mentioned from last year.



some tidbits on Wagner, who we haven't really talked about much. from a few days ago from a western and eastern conference management member picking in the top 10 (called "west" and "east")

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Wagner shot 34 percent from 3 (35-for-102) last season after posting a 31-percent mark as a freshman. His outside shot will be monitored closely should he participate in the pre-draft combine, reportedly taking place in late June, and in individual team workouts.

“I think he’s better than the numbers,” West said of Wagner’s shooting, noting Wagner’s pre-college performances with professional and national teams in Germany. “He has fine form. He was making so many plays with the ball in his hands. He’s more comfortable doing that than just being a spot-up shooter. He can improve. He’ll get more open shots in our league. If he starts hitting at 37, 38 percent, he’ll be really hard to guard because of the other things he does.”

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Added East: “Usually guys who are as close to being a shooter as he is improve and become one.”

Defensively, Wagner is good on and off the ball. He tallied 29 blocks and 35 steals in 28 games last season. East said that some around the NBA view Wagner as a “3 and D” guy -- East believes Wagner is capable of more offensively, but the point is, his defense is respected. West mentioned Wagner’s long arms and ability to guard multiple positions. “I don’t think he’ll be a lockdown guy, but with his size and IQ, he will be an average defender at worst.”

Both scouts noted that Wagner got bigger and stronger between his two seasons at Michigan and will likely continue to do so. That’s partly because Wagner is only 19, and won’t turn 20 until late August.

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considering who's picking in the west in the top 10 that would be scouting him, i'd say it was either us or Sacramento that said this.

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I'm not in love with Keon Johnson

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He is an explosive athlete and a really good defender, if he develops a jump shot, he has a really high ceiling. That is a big "if" though.

Because some players just don't develop a shot. I'm not saying that he won't, I'm just saying if he doesn't it will really hinder him as a player in the league. Developing a shot for him could be the difference between being a upper tier starter, or a bench role player.

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And yet you said big if. There's no big if about it. There's enough evidence in his game to suggest that he can develop a shot at the next level.

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You're right, he's going to be an excellent shooter, and the draft is in no way a crapshoot.

ETA: Since you want to be a douchebag, would you say that Marcus Smart is a good shooter?

We need shooting so if we pick in that 8-10 range I think Corey Kispert is the logical choice but his game is also limited to just 3 point shooting. I don’t see him being anything more than an average defender so if the right trade presents itself I believe that is the best way to use our draft pick to improve the team. Maybe trade our top pick for a help now player and then package some of our later picks or future assets to get back into the mid-late 1st to take a scoring threat like Cam Thomas. This offseason will be the deciding factor on if Zion will be interested in staying long term or if will be looking for a way out. Griff has to to make the right call on Hart and Lonzo as well as in the draft. Right now I’m leaning toward bringing Hart back and letting Lonzo go if a sign and trade isn’t possible.