The best pick?

[spacejammer]

Hi I just watched last night's Game 4 NBA Match between the Nuggets and Heat.

And during the 2nd half the commentators mentioned that Nikola Jokic drafted in at 41 in 2nd round of the NBA draft 2014 whilst and team mate Aaron Gordon was drafted as the 4th pick in the same draft year.
Whilst Jimmy Butler was the final draft pick in 2011 draft.

What was interesting was it led to the commentators questioning whether having the Number 1 draft pick was really the be all and end when some of the later picks can sometimes turn out to have the better careers and win championships?

To be honest over the years I have only ever watched the NBA draft once myself but might actually watch it this year since we have a kid from Newcastle that could be drafted.

[SamH]

If you go back and look at pretty much any draft, you'll see guys picked high that never amounted to much, maybe didn't even stay in the league long. And then guys who went lower that became stars. Manu Ginobili and Draymond Green were 2nd round picks too.

Look at Anthony Bennett who the cavs picked 1st in 2013, what a bust. In the same draft Giannis went 15th! Imagine if they'd picked him instead then LeBron comes back a year later. Wow.

So for all the talent scouts and evaluating that goes on, they really don't know in many cases how good a player will become. Which is why im surprised more teams don't look to trade the top pick for established talent, where you already know what you're getting. I think this year is different as Wembanyama really does look like a can't miss prospect, but most years why not trade the top pick for established star power? But they never do...

[spacejammer]

Jun 10, 2023 18:00:54 GMT SamH said:

If you go back and look at pretty much any draft, you'll see guys picked high that never amounted to much, maybe didn't even stay in the league long. And then guys who went lower that became stars. Manu Ginobili and Draymond Green were 2nd round picks too.

Look at Anthony Bennett who the cavs picked 1st in 2013, what a bust. In the same draft Giannis went 15th! Imagine if they'd picked him instead then LeBron comes back a year later. Wow.

So for all the talent scouts and evaluating that goes on, they really don't know in many cases how good a player will become. Which is why im surprised more teams don't look to trade the top pick for established talent, where you already know what you're getting. I think this year is different as Wembanyama really does look like a can't miss prospect, but most years why not trade the top pick for established star power? But they never do...

Exactly I just googled Anthony Bennett as well and seen he is now playing for a team in Taiwan and hasn't been in the NBA since 2017 when he last played for the Brooklyn Nets.

Wouldn't suprise me now if he one day ends up at London Lions at some point in the near future.
Now that is something I would love to see 777 try to boast.

[milehigh]

signing young players is always a risk.
Do they have the work ethic to succeed? do they fit into the team style of play. Do they fit in with the team and coaches as a person? Are they able to cope with the physical and mental demends of an 82 game season?
Look at Bones Hyland and Christian Braun as an example. Drafted in a similar spot in the first round in 2021 & 2022, Hyland wasd given chances, but didn't perform on court and became a negative influence in the locker room, while CB accepted and worked to fit into the Nuggetts "Team first" culture, he s an excelelnt defender who has grown into a role in the play off rotation. While Hyland was traded before the trade deadline and got even less playing time with his new team (Clippers).

[spacejammer]

Jun 10, 2023 20:34:44 GMT milehigh said:

signing young players is always a risk.
Do they have the work ethic to succeed? do they fit into the team style of play. Do they fit in with the team and coaches as a person? Are they able to cope with the physical and mental demends of an 82 game season?
Look at Bones Hyland and Christian Braun as an example. Drafted in a similar spot in the first round in 2021 & 2022, Hyland wasd given chances, but didn't perform on court and became a negative influence in the locker room, while CB accepted and worked to fit into the Nuggetts "Team first" culture, he s an excelelnt defender who has grown into a role in the play off rotation. While Hyland was traded before the trade deadline and got even less playing time with his new team (Clippers).

But isn't every player at the draft suppose to be young?

To be honest has there ever been a time where a team hasn't wanted to go to the draft to pick a player?

I mean if you have a big enough team already it feels wrong to be forced to pick a player because you have to be present at the draft.

Does anyone know if that has ever happened?

I suppose the other thing as well is if you have to pick someone then it depends on what you want.
If you already have an established team like a core group or star guy.

Then I imagine some team will be looking for more of a role player rather then a new face of the franchise or superstar to elevate their club.

[SamH]

There have been times where a team hasn't had a pick, for example if they've traded them away. So yeah, if they didn't want a pick they could trade their picks away. Sometimes teams have also been punished for various things, by having their first round picks removed so then they might only be drafting in the 2nd round, which means nothing really. A lot of 2nd round picks don't even end up getting signed, or they get sent to the G league for development, so teams don't have to have them on their rosters.

[spacejammer]

I thought that, although I imagine that would be awful and a little cruel if you were a player.
Imagine getting drafted by the Golden State Warriors, play in the NBA, thinking your going to play alongside the likes of Steph Curry and achieve a childhood dream.

Then all of a sudden you get there and they be like right we actually never really wanted to sign you or anyone.
So we are going to send you to play for the Santa Cruz warriors in the G League or sell you off to a team in the Euroleague for some money or a trade pick.

I suppose that is the nature of the beast and a little cut throat.But still I can imagine it not being the best of feelings.Especially if you end up seeing all your team mates or rival players in college go on to the NBA and actually get to play for a team.

[milehigh]

It's not unknown for players to not live up to the hype and the club to0 decide they are not what they need to improve the side, or the player as such major weaknesses in their game that they are not ready to play in the NBA, especially if they only played in college for one season,
Also the character of the player and how they fit in with the team as a person is a key factor, as decribed in the Hyland/Braun example.

Plus, some teams are not very good at their pre draft assessments and don't select the right player for their needs.

[eagles18000]

the draft is just rights to a player within the nba.

They can’t draft you and ‘sell’ you to the euroleague or anyone else.

[SamH]

No, they could only trade you to another nba team. I find that quite remarkable too, that these guys have no say in where they have to play and live, at least not til they are a free agent. And can be traded right across the country just like that. It must be very disruptive! However, they do get paid millions of dollars so you can't feel too bad for them!

Ghys who get sent to the g league should try to embrace that, its a development opportunity rather than just sitting on the bench never getting minutes and thus never improving. It isn't forever either. Your contract is still with the main nba team and worth 7 figures usually.