[00:00:00] Dustin Hawes: All right, everybody. Welcome to the 288th edition of the holy backward podcast. I’m Dustin here in rip city and I got my man
[00:00:09] Dillon Sage: Sage kicking it live in direct at my mom’s house and celebrate my 31st birthday tomorrow with mama and watch a bunch of college basketball. I’m pretty excited about that. Happy
[00:00:21] Dustin Hawes: early birthday friend.
[00:00:22] I don’t know, man. I can’t believe I knew you when you were just turning 21 years old. Like that kind of blows my mind cause he used to give me crap for being old and I was only 27 at the time and I’m like, God damn, you’re 30,
[00:00:38] Dillon Sage: 31 now. Yeah. In 12 hours.
[00:00:43] Dustin Hawes: That’s incredible. What I mean, I know your mom’s got to have.
[00:00:48] The desserts kick in. Think she’s
[00:00:50] Dillon Sage: ordering like a, I, I realized that I’m allergic to nuts, which really sucks, but so we’re getting like a, a cake [00:01:00] with like, I think it’s, uh, like a chocolate cake with mint. I think there’s a, a specialized name for it, but I forget what it’s called.
[00:01:08] Dustin Hawes: Love it. I love mint and chocolate.
[00:01:10] Uh, Olga kind of differs on it, but I’m like, no, give me the mint chocolate chip ice cream. Um, I, I love any ice cream sandwiches like that. Oddly enough, I’m not a big like junior mint or peppermint Patty fan, but if it’s like ice cream or cake form and I’m all, I’m all.
[00:01:29] Dillon Sage: One second. I can actually find the name.
[00:01:31] I’ve remembered what the, uh, it’s called the artisan bakery cafe in Medford, Oregon. It is the grasshopper cake.
[00:01:40] Dustin Hawes: Uh, yeah, grasshopper. That is a, that is a, um, either people will call it like thin mint in reference to the girl Scouts or grasshopper or just like midships. So, um, I am excited, uh, for your taste buds tomorrow.
[00:01:53] Dillon Sage: Yeah. I’m I’m I’m hyped, man. It’s uh, yeah, we’ve been doing this show for damn near. I [00:02:00] guess seven years. So I know growing up doing the holy backward every night or every week, it has been a, an experience. And like we’ve only missed like one week when a SoundCloud was down. So we’ve been pretty consistent throughout everything.
[00:02:17] We’ve only missed one week and then took that break week. But like, we’ve been doing the right thing for 270 plus episodes is it’s
[00:02:27] Dustin Hawes: pretty awesome. We’re probably going to hit three Hondo before the, the actual draft happens and that’s, that’s pretty impressive. Oh,
[00:02:34] Dillon Sage: absolutely. Man. Like, yeah, we we’ve hit the big time of like it’s important to, to count the episodes properly.
[00:02:44] ’cause you don’t want to do too many or too few. So I’m very, very hype about the 300th episode, but I’m also pretty damn excited about our first mock draft of the,
[00:02:55] Dustin Hawes: what I was going to say. Like, I don’t know if I’ve been more excited to [00:03:00] do an episode. I, since we have started the holy backward podcast, only one time has Portland had the opportunity to have multiple first round picks.
[00:03:10] That was again in 2017, but neither of those three picks were projected to land in the lottery. So this is really the first time since oh six, the blazers could have two potential lottery picks. So it’s been really, I think, uh, Interesting, but also exhilarating a bit to watch a lot of college basketball study these prospects, uh, especially given that there hasn’t been really a reason to watch NBA basketball, uh, for our blazers, as we already know what, what, um, what the vision is for this season.
[00:03:45] So to have something to look forward to. Has it been really helpful? Um, I’ve mentioned this before. It’s been really, almost cathartic to just kind of zone out and study the draft and see what prospects are going to fit where just a great release break really from, from [00:04:00] the day-to-day grind of everything, you know, personally.
[00:04:03] Um, and, and with, uh, external, um, everything going on out there as well. So I know everyone has their own way of kind of breaking free and this is kind of been at four for me and you. So to actually, um, project a bit has been really fun because I, one of the first things I do Sage, when I wake up in the morning, I’m like, who has updated a mock draft?
[00:04:23] I just need to see, uh, what, what people think is going to happen. And I know it’s silly. Like it’s a mock draft. It’s not even real, but there’s something about it that I think people gravitate to when I worked for the trailblazers. And even if we just had one first round pick, I starting around March, I would do what’s called like a mock draft.
[00:04:46] And that will update that every single day I would have a document. I think it lived on our, our website and I would, there’s maybe 30 draft sites. And I would update that thing every day. And that was one of the leading page [00:05:00] hitters across the website. And it was a. It just kind of spoke to like, people love the unknown.
[00:05:05] People love the draft. People love to see that the new player, the new big thing that could be added to the roster. You know, everybody loves the new, the new person, the new player. Um, it’s just exciting. You don’t know what they can bring. It could be the next Damian Lillard. It could be the next Greg code.
[00:05:19] And like, there’s it’s you just don’t know. And I think that’s really exhilarating. So, uh, to be able to do this for the first time on the holy back board, uh, is incredible. And before we kick it off, uh, just, uh, we’ll, we’ll kind of discuss our thought process with each pick, but how we were actually con uh, conducting this mock draft.
[00:05:40] Cause it’s going to be different than many you’ve you’ve read before. So how this will work. We’re going to be doing these once a month. So this is our first one. We’ll do one in late April and we’ll do one. Um, after the lottery has actually been set, but up until the lottery has been set, um, you had a really good idea to put our own [00:06:00] fully backward spin on the mock draft.
[00:06:02] So we are utilizing telethon, uh, dot com and they have the lottery standings as of March 23rd, 2022. And so how are we going to do it? Is we are going to SIM this lottery until it gives Portland a top four pick and they keep the new Orleans pick. So it’s not just going to be, uh, every mock draft where you see the Portland’s going to be picking at seven.
[00:06:26] And then at 10, no, we could be picking a two and 12 or whatever. So Sage, we’re going to let you, um, SIM this lottery and we’ll figure out the draft order. And once we have it, we’ll list it out and then we’ll kind of go either or doesn’t
[00:06:41] Dillon Sage: work.
[00:06:45] Doesn’t work seriously. It doesn’t work.
[00:06:55] Dustin Hawes: Um, um, there we go. We have, we have the order, [00:07:00] San
[00:07:00] Dillon Sage: Antonio with a humongous jump
[00:07:02] Dustin Hawes: in our order. It goes as follows. The number one pick belongs to the San Antonio spurs. Number two, Oklahoma city thunder. Number three, the Orlando magic number for the Portland trailblazers. Number five, the Houston rockets.
[00:07:17] Number six, Detroit pistons seven Sacramento Kings eight, Indiana Pacers, nine New York Knicks 10, the Portland trailblazers. Once again, 11 Washington wizards 12, the Memphis Grizzlies via the Los Angeles, Lakers 13, the Atlanta Hawks and 14, the Charlotte. Hornets, uh, Sage, would you like to kick us off and draft let you have the Portland picks?
[00:07:47] All right. So, uh, with, with all, do, go ahead with the number one pick, who are you taking for the San Antonio spurs and why with
[00:07:54] Dillon Sage: coach Popovich? A lot of the worry of [00:08:00] scheming, Chad homegrown out. So his, the, the, the red flags that he has are lessened. I mean, you have, you have such a good roster around him.
[00:08:11] You got Jontay, you got Devin, you got Lonnie Walker, you got Hilton Johnson, you got Yaka hurdle having Chet be that, that. That Tim Duncan liked player when they wrote seven picks. So I think the spurs lucking out again, getting a potential transcendent defender with all of the scheming that pop can do to make sure that his rebounding isn’t as a negative.
[00:08:47] I mean, the spurs lucked out in this simulation. I think that they would go chat over Jabari, but do you have any, uh, do you think different or, uh, do you think chat would be the [00:09:00] guy?
[00:09:01] Dustin Hawes: I think this is one scenario where chat would make sense just given the fact that Greg Popovich is a unicorn head, coach coaching, a unicorn type player.
[00:09:12] I feel like he is probably the best coach for her chat to go into, uh, bring him along slowly, but also, uh, give them the freedom to really expand his game and, uh, to. To play with success. Like he’s done it with Kauai. He’s done it with Tim Duncan. He knows how to coach. Forwards and posts. So I think this makes the most sense.
[00:09:34] They clearly need a, a four or five and we will be taking team needs into consideration. So, um, I could definitely see them taking Jabari Smith, but if chat were to go number one, I think San Antonio probably makes the most sense just because you can play chat along that front line. And they already are a pretty solid defensive minded team.
[00:09:53] Um, you have to be playing for a coach Popovich and it’s, it’s a franchise that understands the [00:10:00] vision. They understand that the longterm, um, outcomes of, of their actions. And I don’t think it’s a team that feels pressured to win now. I mean, hell they’ve won five NBA championships since 1999. Like there’s not a whole lot of pressure to get back to that point so they can take their time.
[00:10:16] The fan base has been spoiled. It’s not like they’ve been waiting 40 plus years for a title. They can really go at their own pace. And it’s a franchise that has really set their own pace, uh, since Greg Popovich took over. So yeah, I would probably agree with that pick,
[00:10:31] Dillon Sage: I mean, just think about the switch ability defensively, man.
[00:10:34] You have, you got you got Devin, you’ve got, you got a chat like this, that they are building something really, really dangerous defensively, like teams, aren’t getting a hundred, 110 on this team, very often with all of the things that they can do to defend basically any team. I don’t like that is a [00:11:00] very, very strong defensive team, uh, for the San Antonio spurs lucking out with Chet homeroom and they had a 6% chance of getting first, which I mean, good shit.
[00:11:17] Dustin Hawes: All right with the number two pick in the draft, the Oklahoma city thunder are going to select Jabari Smith from Auburn university. Uh, I don’t think any team is more happy to move up in the draft than the Oklahoma city thunder. They are team that dropped last year. It worked out in their favor. They were able to take Josh giddy, but as a team projected to go forth, they would be missing out on one of those three forwards, which they desperately need.
[00:11:44] Uh, I, I think you always take best player available, but the thunder would have to be feeling pretty down if they do end up at four because they have giddy, they have shade. Gilda’s Alexander, they have Lou Dort. They, they, they are a team that kind of. [00:12:00] Does need to pick food for need, but in this instance, they’re able to take the best player available who happens to feel fill that need industry Bari Smith.
[00:12:07] I think you plug and play him, uh, day one and he’s able to fit in right there. And then I think he also has a chance to. To really grow with those guards. I mean, just think about where he’s came from playing with Katie Johnson and window green, uh, going to shake Gilda’s Alexander and Josh giddy. Uh, I think that’s got to be a godsend for him and you know, it’s early, but it’s starting to take shape of those Oklahoma city thunder teams, you know, a decade ago when they were drafting Duran, Westbrook and harden, like they’re starting to utilize these picks and build really talented assets that fit well together.
[00:12:45] And that’s the key. So I think this would be a no-brainer based on this pick in immediately after San Antonio, uh, heads to the podium.
[00:12:53] Dillon Sage: So after this draft pick for Oklahoma city, the one real need is that five for [00:13:00] them. Right? They’ve got the one, they got the two, they got the three, they have some bench help now really, if they wanted to compete, they would spend some major money in free agency and get that
[00:13:10] Dustin Hawes: center and they have cap space.
[00:13:12] Yeah.
[00:13:14] Dillon Sage: So do you think that this would be the, if they got Jabari Smith, would this be kind of the end of the tank Athen? Oklahoma city, uh, has been on for the last few years.
[00:13:26] Dustin Hawes: It’s hard to say because they are still such a young team and they really don’t have a lot of veteran presence on that roster. So I think they will give it the old college try probably for half the season.
[00:13:38] You would hope that with a giddy and a Jabari Smith and a polka Shefsky who include needs a lot of run a train man that the first round pick from Florida last year as well, that they will continue to play. Uh, so I don’t think they will have the tank athon that they’re doing right now. I don’t think they’re necessarily doing it right now.
[00:13:56] They’re still playing Shea. They’re still playing giddy. Uh, [00:14:00] they’re just really not playing their vets in like Derrick favors, which I completely understand. I just don’t think it’s a roster ready to win. So I don’t think they’re intentionally going to process it. Like the Sixers did under Sam, Sam. But they still could be in this position next year, because they are so young.
[00:14:17] If, if I am Sam Presti, I’m using this cap space to kind of fill in some, some decent vets that can really mentor a player like a Jabari Smith and show him the ropes. Like this is how it’s, how you spend your money. This is how you conduct yourself. We know when we go on road trips, this is kind of what life in the NBA is.
[00:14:36] Like. I think that aspect of rookie life is so under represented and underrated that it would be, I think, a disservice to their young players to not have vets waiting to, you know, show them the ropes. I think that’s probably a reason why you see teams like the Kings fail so often is because they don’t really have that, that culture in place to say, this is how we do [00:15:00] things.
[00:15:00] And you see so many of their players kind of fall off the tracks.
[00:15:03] Dillon Sage: So like having those Ricky Rubio vets would help
[00:15:08] Dustin Hawes: at Davis.
[00:15:08] Dillon Sage: You. So when I think of this Oklahoma city team, I think of a really, really fast paced team with giddy and Shay and Dort. Like, I feel like this would be one of like top five fast teams.
[00:15:22] And I think, I think this team would be really fun, uh, for, for the near future and beyond with the, the roster construction and the talent that they all have. So this would be a very nice and nice, uh, pick for the Oklahoma city thunder with the third pick, the Orlando magic dropped down two spots. And I think that they would because of Suggs because of Cole, Anthony, I don’t think they would be valuing Ivy as highly as Paulo Benchero.
[00:15:55] So I think Paula would be that guy. When you look at that Orlando [00:16:00] roster, all they have are one. Fours and fives. So I wish that they were in the range to get a small forward, but Paulo is, has the self creation ability that Orlando could very much use. I mean, because of injuries and injuries, they didn’t really get to, uh, field the team that they actually constructed with John Isaac.
[00:16:26] And then, uh, Juma. Oh, Kiki, the injuries have really negatively affected his lateral quickness. So getting, getting Paulo, I think moving Wendell harder to five and then potentially trying to trade Mo Bomba would be a nice role for him. Cause Carter has been playing some good ball and then they would have Suggs Cole, Anthony friends, wa Wagner Paulo, Wendell Carter.
[00:16:52] So that, I mean, that is a young, very talented lineup. And they could potentially build off of [00:17:00] that because you don’t know what you can get from Obama, but like there’s Al mobile was always going to fetch some real value because of the athletic ability. I mean, it might, it might be time for them to cut that off and see if they can get another high value pick.
[00:17:17] Um, I mean the small forward is going to be that weakness for them, but they have, they have avenues in which to compete in the near future. So I think Paulo is the guy for Orlando.
[00:17:29] Dustin Hawes: Yeah. I think it’s the. It’s the right pig. I don’t think he’s the best player at this point, but just given the glutton of guards and you even forgot to mention RJ Hampton and Markel faults fault as a player who has two years left at over 33 million Harris to expiring.
[00:17:50] So Gary Harris is expiring and Mo Bomba has a, uh, a restricted offer. So they could pay $10 million to have him play next year, signed into a [00:18:00] long-term deal, or just let him go. So that, that does reduce a little bit of the roster weight, but I’m with you. If, if you’re Orlando, you really wish there was a star small forward, um, in this draft.
[00:18:12] And I think there is something to be said about taking the best player available, but Orlando has tried to do that, but they’ve, haven’t had any scenarios in play. Like they continued to take, you know, they had Aaron Gordon. Oh, let’s draft Jonathan Isaac. You know, they had Nicola Vukovich oh, let’s draft mobile.
[00:18:31] They had Cole Anthony. Oh, let’s draft a Jalen slugs, even though we had Markel fault as well. Like, so th they don’t really think it through. They’re like, oh, this player is number one on our board, but th there’s no rhyme or reason to how they’re going to execute that, that roster construction, and moving those players for other players that can kind of fit.
[00:18:49] They should have a ton of cap space somehow some way, Terrence Ross is still on that roster for next season. So, um, we’ll kind of see how that works, but I think, you know, [00:19:00] They’re there forward, which I think they could use more than another, uh, six, four guard. And they, they, they make it work. I think it’s going to be interesting, um, with how well Wagner has played.
[00:19:12] I don’t think they want to move him to the bench. Can you get Palo to play some five? I don’t know. Defense is not really his specialty. The Orlando is the one, probably the messiest roster, I think in the entire NBA. It’s not the worst. I just think it’s the messiest. Um, I would have taken Ben, Ben Carroll as well.
[00:19:29] Um, but they, they still have a lot of work to do to figure
[00:19:31] Dillon Sage: that out. Oh, I mean, yeah. I feel like they’ll be right back trying to, uh, get that 20, 23, uh, hive first round draft picks. So, but I think that this gives them a, at least a way of like a blueprint of success. They got a guy that can create his own shot.
[00:19:53] They. Their guard rotation set. Now they need to just get some forwards and get healthier. [00:20:00] I mean, I think this is another team that needs to get some Ricky Rubio type vets to mentor their guys because I mean, Markel faults is still very young and is playing really well. As of last time I checked. So yeah, this team just needs some guidance, but with Paulo they have a, a nice rotation of players.
[00:20:22] And I mean, th the shock ration that he can show, I mean, like duke is such a bad place for guys to show off that dribble creation. So maybe he has a lot more to show. I mean, having Mark Williams be there at the rim every time he drives, it’s gotta be tough. And I think he’s driven the most out of every player in the NCAA so far.
[00:20:47] Dustin Hawes: All right. With the fourth pick, the Portland trailblazers are selecting Jayden Ivy from Houston, from Purdue university. This is the best player available. There will be [00:21:00] no more buoy. Jordan’s Odin. Durant’s Webster. Paul’s like, we’re not doing that. Yes. Teen needs are taken into consideration, but Jayden Ivy is number two on my big board.
[00:21:13] I think he has a chance to be the best player from this draft. Watching him play. There’s no one like him in college basketball, the speed, the athleticism, the burst, the explosion. And he’s getting the jumper like he’s hitting NBA threes. He’s making it happen. Um, I think he’s too good to pass up on. Uh, clearly this means the blazers would need to move on from either Dame or Anthony, but, uh, I like Ivy sealing higher than Anthony Simons.
[00:21:42] So if that’s what has to be done, that’s what has to be done. And I just think he’s clear, cut the best player available when you’re picking this high. You, you just, you can’t pick for need. I mean, you see it all the time in NFL drafts and an NBA drafts. When teams go for need over the best [00:22:00] two, three years down the road, you’re looking like, why didn’t we just take that best player and make it work?
[00:22:06] And I do think you need to have a plan in place to make it work because you clearly can’t have Dame ant and Ivy, but Ivy is too. Like he’s he’s to that point where it’s like, okay, he’s so far ahead of everyone else. It’s at least in my eyes that I think you have to find a way, um, to make it work. And so I would, I would take Jayden IB, who I think is the second best player in this draft and starting to get a good feeling about him.
[00:22:33] Like I did Duran, uh, in, in that oh seven class as well.
[00:22:39] Dillon Sage: And I mean, the beautiful thing about the is having two picks in this scenario is you can get your power forward at 10. So you knocked out one of the things that the blazers need with Ivy, you might have, you know, counter punched it too hard and the person’s head fell off, but you definitely got your, your, your guard with Jade, Ivy.
[00:22:58] Um, [00:23:00] so in this scenario, if you were the GM, what would you do with the other two guards?
[00:23:09] Dustin Hawes: I think you match any offer for Anthony, you cannot let him go for free. And clearly you don’t know any of this information prior to the trade deadline. So there’s no 20, 20 hindsight. You should have done this. You should’ve done that.
[00:23:26] I think at that point I probably asked Dame, like, this is our guy in Jayden. Like, do you want to mentor him? Do you want to be along for the ride or do you want us to find you a place like we did for CJ? And I think that’s probably the avenue that I would go through first because it’s so hard to do signage trades for restricted free agents.
[00:23:47] Um, and so then I, I would, I, I would initiate the full rebuild, right? Um, that that’s just how I would operate. I, I don’t, I know there’s [00:24:00] this, uh, rebuild with Dame narrative and there’s a lot of. I think leakage behind that as well as we saw with the shams Sharnia athletic articles, the blazers are looking to, you know, acquire Treme grant and you know, they’re going to start to go all in.
[00:24:16] And then Chauncey Billups was talking to Chris Haynes. Like this is not a rebuild the blazers for so long have been so scared of that word rebuild. And it’s, it’s interesting because they really haven’t accomplished anything since 2000. It’s been 22 years since they have won a conference final game.
[00:24:33] It’s been 30 years since they played in the NBA finals. I I’m just trying to be as honest and open as possible, like really, really judging this team, uh, as objectively as possible. I don’t know if that top 10 player, top 15 player is out there that you’re going to add with Dame to. To really compete. And maybe you can.
[00:24:58] I personally, haven’t seen [00:25:00] that path. I haven’t seen that vision. So, I mean, it’s probably something that it makes these decisions may not happen until the trade deadline. Like personally, I would probably wait. I’d probably let Dame start. Uh, you want to build that trade value. Backup teams are gonna want to see how he’s playing.
[00:25:14] Post-surgery I don’t think you move him in the summer because you’re going to get pennies on the dollar. Like you, you need to get. Peak value. And I think you get that with, with Dane performing well. And even if it’s bringing Ivy off the bench, like he’s still only 20, 20 years old, like he doesn’t need to start right away.
[00:25:31] So, um, I think it’s a long story short. I think it’s a fluid situation. Like first thing, you gotta match Anthony because you can’t let him go for free. Um, and then you can kind of wait and see how everything plays out and kind of go from there because at a certain point in for you will be trade eligible Dame, hopefully we’ll have his value, you know, boosted, and then you can kind of see how the season is going.
[00:25:55] Um, they still have the acception, they still have the mid-level exception. [00:26:00] Um, still, probably going to bring use of nerdish back. So there are a lot of different ways that this could go. But I think in my mind, Ivy is so good that as muddy as all of that. He’ll clear it up. Like he is worth all of that work to try and clear it up because I guarantee it like five years from now, we’re going to be looking back at this draft and we’re going to say, why didn’t Jayden IB go number one.
[00:26:24] Why didn’t he go number two? How, how in the hell did he slip to four? Kind of like people when Luke who got picked, I’m not saying he’s going to be as good as Luca, but everyone’s like, oh my God, how did Luca not go number one? So I think he’s got that, that gravity, uh, around him.
[00:26:39] Dillon Sage: If the rebuild is between aunt and Jayden, who do you trust?
[00:26:43] More being the on ball guard.
[00:26:48] Because I think both of them are combo guards. Both
[00:26:51] Dustin Hawes: of them are combo guards, but I would say, I think Anthony is so much better with the ball in his hands than without I’ve seen IB play really well without the ball. [00:27:00] So that’s where I would go. I would say ant you’re the lead guard. Ivy, you can be our secondary Playmaker, which is where I think he really excels.
[00:27:06] Like I compared to him to a smaller Clyde Drexler in that sense during our future Fridays. And that’s because while watching Clyde, you don’t want to bring the ball every time up the court, but with the ball in his hands, he makes magic happen. Like he average damn near, you know, he was leading a CIS man on a lot of those teams, even with Terry Porter there.
[00:27:25] So he can make plays with the ball, but I don’t think he needs to have the ball in his hands at all times. He can bring the ball up the court on the break. He’s he’s just exhilarating. You know, you hold your breath when he has the ball in the open court, but I think ant really needs to be, uh, the primary ball hand.
[00:27:42] And he has also shown really good catch and shoe. So I think there could be a good trade-off between, uh, ball handling duties. If, if you had to ask for percent, I’d probably say like 65% and 35% Jayden,
[00:27:57] Dillon Sage: the ability to pull off the dribble that [00:28:00] aunt showed this year. I mean, to take him off ball would be, would be a tough ask when he’s shown so much ability as that dribble pull up shooter and Ivy has shown a little bit of it, but again, it’s not the sample size that you need to be that elite, uh, guard.
[00:28:21] And mostly, I think every elite guard has that pull up game. Let’s try and utilize. And so in a few years he can be that super elite pull-up guard like staff or, uh, for a young, I mean, Russ has to be the only quote unquote elite guy that doesn’t have that ability. Um, so I really wish that Houston got Ivy because I think there’s a glaring need, but since he is off the board, I’m trying to make it.
[00:28:58] So [00:29:00] Jalen green is the most optimized as a player. So with that thought process, I got to go AGA Griffin because he, it has shown the ability to be that off ball guy at duke being, uh, Paulo set second best teammate. So he knows that. Yeah. So I would go that they have three guards that are pretty switchable have shown the ability to shoot Houston when I’ve watched them has had really bad spacing.
[00:29:33] So I think that AIG would help the spacing of that team would help have a versatile shooter and score on that team. He fits with everybody. I can think of on that team that can last, like right now, they’re, they’re using Eric Gordon and. Garrison Matthews as they’re starting three. So to go from Eric, Gordon’s old ass to AIG Griffin, I think is a humongous [00:30:00] step.
[00:30:00] I don’t think the ADA would be negatively, uh, would be a negative on Jalen Green’s career. I think that they’ve done a really good job of putting the negatives on his, uh, career thus far. So having a guy. Can just flow off ball score at a high level defend. I think Asia Griffin would be the guy I was thinking of Johnny Davis for the exact same role, but I wanted to go with AIG because I believe in the shot, the shot.
[00:30:29] And I think duke is hampering him way more than, uh, the Wisconsin, uh, Johnny Davis is because. The spacing and the dribble creation I’ve seen AIG do it a lot more than, uh, Johnny. So I’m, I’m going with AIG w in the five spot with Houston.
[00:30:50] Dustin Hawes: Yeah. I think Jalen green with that roster taking him too overall kind of has to be your alpha moving forward.
[00:30:57] And it’s a strange [00:31:00] roster because there has been reports like they may be looking to get rid of Christian Wood. Kevin Porter Jr. Was kind of taking on as a, as a reclamation project. But again, I think he has similar tendencies in terms of wanting the ball like Jaylin. So you do need a player. Who’s going to have a lot of low usage.
[00:31:15] So
[00:31:15] Dillon Sage: I
[00:31:17] Dustin Hawes: saw I’ll pick between AAJ or Johnny and you have the preference for AJS. So I have no qualms, uh, at AIG.
[00:31:26] Dillon Sage: Nice. I mean, like, this is a very long project with the Houston rockets, but I, I think the, the thought process has to be for the Houston rockets to optimize Jaylen because he was such a high pick.
[00:31:43] He has that, that God-given athleticism where, you know, he might only have three good plays in the night, but those three good plays are just magnificent Topshop worthy plays. So I think to have a guy like AAJ that can just [00:32:00] shoot, play defense and play as a high level guard with high intelligence, like that could be, that could be the back hoard of the future if Jaylen absolutely crushes his 99th percentile.
[00:32:14] So I trust Steven Silas would be able to utilize AIJ Griffin and, um, It w it’s going to be interesting to see what they do with the bigs, because I believe in, uh, out print saying goon as that, like as a, a play-making hubs. So running DHS with Jalen and, uh, at, uh, AAJ spotting up off of that, that could be some deadly pick and roll shit.
[00:32:41] So, uh, Steven Silas is going to get a, a marksman from three in our ADJ Griffin.
[00:32:49] Dustin Hawes: This is a tough scenario. Uh, the Detroit pistons, um, dropping down four spots. Clearly they are not happy in the motor city, but they did win the lottery last year. So, [00:33:00] um, that’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes. So it’s maybe a little bit of a surprise, but again, this isn’t going to be a group think mock draft, where you look at every mock draft.
[00:33:10] I think you’re about to do no, no, no. So with the six. I have the Detroit pistons selecting Jalen Duren for him.
[00:33:19] Dillon Sage: Wow. I would really was not thinking
[00:33:21] Dustin Hawes: that good shit, the university of Memphis. And I was thinking, you know, what? Shooting guard could work and there’s plenty. They could go the upside upside pick with, with shade and sharp from Kentucky.
[00:33:35] They could take a player to play alongside Kade Cunningham and Benedict in as well as Johnny Leavis. But looking at that roster and looking what they’re trying to build there, they’re likely moving off of Jeremy Grant. They really only have Siddique bay at the four. I know the team is built around Kate Cunningham, who better to work [00:34:00] alongside then a defensive minded, big who is the youngest player in the draft can rebound, can really anchor that defense in a great defense is the best way for a young guard to initiate offense.
[00:34:13] Get out on the break. And just fly. Get those easy buckets. I think Jaylen, it makes a lot of sense for this team, especially given how few impact bigs there are in this draft. Detroit will have another chance in, in the second round to get, uh, a guard, maybe a Bryce McGowan’s from Nebraska up lake Wesley, from Notre Dame.
[00:34:34] Um, whoever falls, they’re going to have a really great chance to find another guard. Uh, I think for a team that is probably bottom five in damn near every defensive. Jalen Duren makes a lot of sense, especially alongside Siddique bay who stretches out that defense. Um, I think they can address the guard position, the shooting guard, um, elsewhere.
[00:34:57] I don’t think there’ll be able to grow [00:35:00] with a big like this. So, um, I think it makes a lot of sense for the pistons to go upside here. And they’re clearly building for the future with Cade and Siddique. So they’re another team that can kind of take their time along the way. And they’ll have a lot of cap space, um, as well.
[00:35:16] I mean, at the moment they are projected to have. Under $80 million in cap, um, not in capsaicin, under $80 million committed to the next season. So they will have plenty of money to throw around. Um, this is kind of the beauty of the draft taking place before free agency. So I think they’re going to go, uh, Jalen, I think he’s the best center by far in this class and it gives them, um, I think it goes back a little bit to their, their bad boy roots.
[00:35:47] Like they they’re a lunch pale blue collar franchise. And I think he embodies that. He was very impressive, um, at the tournament in person. And he has been progressing nicely as [00:36:00] the youngest prospect who reclassified into the class of 20, 22. Uh, he’s only getting better and I think he still could be growing as well.
[00:36:09] Dillon Sage: So do you think that there’s a problem with. Isaiah steward and Jalen Durran since they used a first round pick on Stewart, who I think that they would both be the same sized, uh, player. I I’m honestly shocked that you picked Durran because I thought that you were going to go Johnny or Benedict. I really thought that’s what you were going to do, because just w when you look at the Detroit pistons, they have no shooters for, uh, Kate Cunningham driving into the lane and finding an open guy.
[00:36:44] I feel like Johnny Davis or Benedict would be really perfect as that long range shooter to open up spacing. But the Dern pick, it shows that, I mean, you go your, your superstar guard one, and then the next year [00:37:00] you take your, your franchise center at the next year. It should be, it’s kind
[00:37:04] Dustin Hawes: of like an NFL team drafting their quarterback.
[00:37:08] And then, okay. We got to protect him with this offensive line.
[00:37:11] Dillon Sage: It’s more, it’s more, I, I was kind of just thinking that it would be a guard because of the need, but if we’re as a confident about Jalen as we’ve been thus far, that’s a really good pick at six for Detroit who misses out on the, the, the, the top five.
[00:37:30] So I think that that’s a really nice upside pick for Detroit. Um, honestly with seven at Sacramento, I just don’t know how they don’t take, uh, Keegan Murray out of Iowa.
[00:37:46] Dustin Hawes: Because that’s surprises me. Well,
[00:37:48] Dillon Sage: just think about what they did as a, uh, as a team, they, they pushed in their chips. We’re going to get Sabas and we’re going to utilize Sabass his strengths, his [00:38:00] weaknesses.
[00:38:00] Well, we all know his strength is passing an off fence and just being a great score and passer in that next level. But what he, what his negative is, is he’s not a good defensive player. I think Keegan Murray fits that role as a. Couldn’t fully pair with Saba us as a, as a, as a small bowl for we’ve seen the off-ball defense, which is at a super high level, it kind of dropped during the year, but it was still very good.
[00:38:34] If he can get back to the just super toolsy defensive player that just outsmarts players with verticality and really good rotation as the Forman, I think he fits the role. He hits that we believe in the shot. I was thinking about. So Chan or Ethan, but those two don’t have the, the, the wind now type of thing that Keegan Murray does.
[00:38:59] I think the [00:39:00] Sacramento pushed themselves into a zone where they have to compete. And I think that. Keegan Marie does. So at the places that they leave, that they’ve lacked the most. So I go Keegan at a seven for the Sacramento Kings. Damn.
[00:39:18] Dustin Hawes: I was hoping he would slip to eight. I think he fits perfectly for what
[00:39:21] Dillon Sage: Indiana wants, but I think he fits with SAC too.
[00:39:25] I know
[00:39:25] Dustin Hawes: like the pistons, like the Kings are a terrible team. I was like, well, the Kings really needed to guard. So I thought they would go with one of the three on the board. But, uh, real quick back to Detroit and Isaiah Stu, I think Isaiah asked you, or even when that trade went down, we were both kind of like, thank God Detroit took him because we traded Covington.
[00:39:43] And there were a lot of other players we liked, I think, Stewart projects as a backup big. And I think, you know, took him mid, mid in the first round. So I don’t think you need to commit to him being a starter. Um, but moving on to the Kings, uh, I think that is a [00:40:00] King’s pick, right. They feel the need to win now.
[00:40:04] And I think he gets a win now player. Uh, I don’t know what they do with, with Keegan Murray and, uh, DeMoss playing alongside each other. Um, are you gonna play defensively? I think that’s mine. Defensively. I think that that team just has so many, I think trading force a bonus puts that team at such a disadvantage, defensive and goes, I don’t know where you play him.
[00:40:29] I think he gets torched as a five, but he clearly can’t keep up with the fours. Um, it just it’s, it’s a night, it was a nightmare trade and it’s not really working out for them so far.
[00:40:40] Dillon Sage: Like I would bet on Keegan to be able to defend off-ball to make up for the mistakes. That’s a bonus. More so than so Chan and Easton, I
[00:40:53] Dustin Hawes: mean, oh yeah.
[00:40:54] I would take Marie over, over those, those prospects as well.
[00:40:58] Dillon Sage: So yeah, I mean, [00:41:00] I could go guards, but I felt like there were more polished shooting guards later in the draft or in, you know, they, they pay big money for somebody in free agency, but those power forwards that can help defensively and not cover, but help to cover up Saba’s mistakes is a much more difficult thing to find, uh, in the league.
[00:41:27] And I mean, shit, if he hits, I mean, that’s, that’s the four that every team’s looking for. Um, I mean, like he’s tall. He can move, he can switch. He’s smart. Like it, I think it’s a. I think it’s a decent move because of what they did with the Saba. Austrade it pushed them into one zone and they can’t think of like development.
[00:41:52] When the one zone is obviously compete.
[00:41:59] Dustin Hawes: You [00:42:00] took my pick for the
[00:42:00] Pacers.
[00:42:01] Dillon Sage: Well, you took my pick for
[00:42:02] Dustin Hawes: Houston. That’s fair. This is going to be, I think the most difficult selection, because what Indiana is looking for is probably that three or four to play alongside miles Turner, but also alongside the, you know, the abroad in, they have Duarte and they have the newly acquired Tyrese Halliburton.
[00:42:25] So you would really hope that there would be, uh, uh, Uh, knockdown no-brainer forward pick, but, but I don’t think there is. And I think they need to take the best player available. I think this is where we see Kentucky shade and sharp. Oh, I like it. Get taken off the board and this is the man of mystery in the draft.
[00:42:50] I can’t tell you really what he does. Well, I mean, there’s just no film on him outside from a couple of tournaments that he played in high school, but [00:43:00] we have seen when players were able to go straight to the professional league, right out of high school, they were taking the based off of that competition.
[00:43:06] They were taken on upside and athleticism and you know, what can you do for me lately? He’s a player that has already grown two inches. He’s at six, six now, which I think allows him to play not only the two, but the three and for a franchise like Indiana, I think they’re in a similar boat as Portland.
[00:43:25] They’re probably the Portland of the east. To be honest, they’ve always been on that treadmill. They’re finally in rebuild mode. What better player to take than maybe the most upside player in this draft? And you’re, you’re getting a player who I think is going to, um, have a really good safety blanket in Tyrese Halliburton.
[00:43:47] He is probably one of the best young, pure point guards in this draft. He, even as a sophomore in the league is going to know where to get his guys open. He’s going to make the [00:44:00] transition probably as smooth as possible for a young player. Um, it’s a franchise that has a, an established head coach in Rick Carlisle who has one.
[00:44:10] I think the rebuild is probably a little bit foreign to Carlisle, but, but it seems like they finally made that decision to halt the brakes on, you know, just making the playoffs and getting out of the first round. And you know, if you’re, if you’re going to rebuild and you don’t hit in the top four, why not swing for the fences with the shade and sharp.
[00:44:29] Dillon Sage: I like it. I definitely like it. And because of Halliburton, everybody’s raising up a few levels offensively because of what he can do as that point guard. And we discussed it, I think a few weeks ago, he’s the best point guard in Pacers history. Even as a sophomore in the league, the way that his vision, he can make players open, that aren’t actually open because of how he can [00:45:00] read what is happening in front of him.
[00:45:02] So I think that sharp is a really nice pick because he is that man of mystery. We’ve heard what Calipari has said about him as the looks like a number one pick, and for him to not play a single second at Kentucky and become the eighth pick overall. Salute to Shaden sharp with the ninth pick, you kind of left me with a few selections.
[00:45:29] I think that it’s obvious that the New York Knicks are looking for guard play you’ve. If you’ve watched the New York Knicks recently, they lack guard play because Ken was out for the, uh, the rest of the year.
[00:45:41] Dustin Hawes: Um, RJ is their primary ball handler. Well,
[00:45:44] Dillon Sage: and then Alec Burks is their point. Like they don’t have a point guard outside of miles McBride who doesn’t play enough.
[00:45:52] Dustin Hawes: I mean, isn’t the manual quickly. I mean, he showed a lot as a rookie. It seems like he’s just been buried unnecessarily on the
[00:45:57] Dillon Sage: bench. Yeah. I mean, that’s, that’s the thing with [00:46:00] Tibbs though, as a coaches, he w he favors those older guys. Like, I mean, I’m looking for a girl that can treat me as good as tips, treats Taj Gibson, bruh, like straight up and down.
[00:46:11] Like
[00:46:12] Dustin Hawes: if we’re being honest, I think of the pigs and the draft, this one has like trade watch in big, bold red letters. Like I think the Knicks they’re definitely in win now mode. I don’t, you said, I don’t think Tibbs wants a rookie. I think they don’t want, yeah, but they would move. I think they would move this pick.
[00:46:30] But for the sake of this, um, trades, we can’t predict a trade. So I, but I do think this is high trade watch pick right here. So
[00:46:41] Dillon Sage: part of me would love to have a guideline. Benedict or Johnny here, but I think that they take Ty Washington, the real, the only pure point guard in this draft, that’s worthy of a lotto pick.
[00:46:57] I think they take Ty Washington [00:47:00] and he’s kind of like the, uh, secondary ball handler to RJ. And RJ is thing. RJ goes to the pain a lot. He kicks it out. I trust that Ty can at least shoot decently. He’s shown the ability to do a lot of pull up craft in the mid range. So this might be a long range pick to make Thai fully optimized with RJ Barrett.
[00:47:23] But I think that they have to go guard here. And Ty is the number one point guard on the board so far,
[00:47:32] Dustin Hawes: I think. I was thinking this, if I got the Knicks, I don’t, I don’t think I would’ve taken Tai. I understand your, your logic and I could see it happening.
[00:47:42] Dillon Sage: It was either Benedict Mavron or
[00:47:44] Dustin Hawes: Thai wash. Yeah, I think of all of the prospects currently projected in lotto.
[00:47:48] I think he’s the one that has the most likely chance to fall. Um, when you look at his inability to shoot the ball, he is old for a [00:48:00] freshmen. I mean, these things start getting nitpicked and that’s why you start seeing guys rise and why you start seeing guys fall, um, Uh, I see the logic. I could see the next making that pick.
[00:48:10] If I was a Knicks fan, I would be a little bit upset because I think you have a better point guard already on your roster in manual quickly. Those two are
[00:48:16] Dillon Sage: very similar, they pair, but I think that tie is a much better defender than quickly right now. So, you know, what Tibbs, what, what gets Tibbs off his defense?
[00:48:29] I think Ty will put in a good effort, you know, play 26 minutes quickly the other 22. And that’s their point guard play unless, you know, they, they scoop some superstar. We’re not really thinking of, but yeah, I mean, it was really between Benedict and a and a tie, but I think that they would lean tie.
[00:48:52] Dustin Hawes: All right.
[00:48:53] So the blazers have already taken Jaden Ivy, and this really
[00:48:56] Dillon Sage: works out for you. If you wanted to go double guard. [00:49:00]
[00:49:00] Dustin Hawes: Yeah. I mean, it’s tough. I’m torn. Like, do I go complete chaos and take another guard? Which basically says, you know, by firsthand by Dame, um, or do I look to take, you know, a really good forward?
[00:49:14] So I’ll, I’ll give two options, but ultimately what pick I would send in, I think the two options, what I’m thinking right here are Baylor’s Jeremy, so Han and Arizona’s Benedick Mather and now Mathern is six, seven. So I think you could get away with him playing the throughs. The three, I think so Han has probably, maybe one of the biggest upsides defensively, I think is one of those versatile defenders.
[00:49:42] Um, I do think 10 is a bit high to take him. So if I have my GM hat on right now, I would like for Cronin to, to maybe move down to spot or to, um, with the intent on taking them, I would be absolutely thrilled if the draft played out this way work, you get the best guard in the, in the [00:50:00] draft in Ivy. And then you have a chance to add another shooter, a secondary Playmaker, a player who is absolutely killing it right now.
[00:50:09] And I think if we’re doing this mock draft in, in April or may, I think Madison is getting taken higher, I think his, his stock is on the rise. So I don’t even know if he would be available. Um, I I’ll go Benedick Mandarin. Um, at 10, again, I’m sticking with my best player available, um, philosophy and the blazers are gonna have to figure out a way to, to make that work.
[00:50:34] Um, again, I know taking Ivy and madarin really reconstructs the roster to a whole other level that maybe some, some fans would be uncomfortable with, but. When you get a chance to make, uh, a splash like this, you, you gotta go, gotta go all in. Now, if, if there was a Jabari Smith type of four that we could’ve taken first, I would have done that.[00:51:00]
[00:51:00] Like, I think to get that, that Rory Aldridge combo this year would have been fantastic, but, but I do think that Ivy and Mandarin would be a great foundational building blocks for, for the future. And you still have a lot of chips, um, leftover. And the beautiful thing is I think in this year, a little of what would fit in really well with that core.
[00:51:22] Um, moving forward,
[00:51:25] Dillon Sage: I mean, I think the two options for Portland at that time, would’ve been, been a bit Benedick Mathern Easton for me. So I th I think that Benedict would fit in really well with his ability to be that long range shooter. I think that you’ve done a very good job thus far in this mock of getting guys that actually can shoot in NBA range.
[00:51:52] You’ve seen Ivy do so you’ve seen Benedick Mather and do so, like if you’ve watched this team this year, the spacing’s atrocious. So [00:52:00] adding two guys that absolutely can get their shot off is huge. And just like if we kept Dame, having Ivy spotting up in Mather and spotting up at the three would be some beautiful basketball off of a pick and roll with NERC edge.
[00:52:14] So I think what you would have to do in the, uh, is potentially find that a decent power forward to, uh, to, you know, In the second round, or if, you know, if we somehow make another trade, finding that powerful word, that’s cheap, that can do things, uh, for us, because I think that’s the one glaring weakness thus far for the Portland trailblazers, but I love the way that you’ve created spacing for whatever guard is leading us.
[00:52:43] And, and Ivy’s just like that, that, that guy that could be that secondary guy. That’s just MVP type guy. I mean, having Dame as a mentor for Jayden is top tier if he stays. [00:53:00] So with this one, I think I have to project that Bradley Beal.
[00:53:10] Dustin Hawes: And when I said, uh, the beauty of the draft happening before free agency, not for the wizards, the wizards would love to know whether they have Bradley Beal in long before they make this pick, because there are some shooting guards that they could use.
[00:53:21] Dillon Sage: Well, I’m thinking that I put breath. If I’m the coach of the Washington wizards, I put Bradley bill at point guard, screw this fucking shooting guard, bullshit that he’s been pigeonholed into. He is their damn point guard already. So I go Johnny Davis to be that spot up guy for like Bradley Beal. They, they don’t need a power forward.
[00:53:42] Like, so Hannah Easton with Ruby. Denny Denny, Denny. And then they have centers that like, I’m going, I’m trying to optimize Bradley Beal as the point guard the most. I want a guy that can be the awful superstar. And Johnny [00:54:00] Davis is my guy. So at 11, we take Johnny Davis from Wisconsin. He gets paired with a superstar potentially in Bradley Beal, and they can create something really nice.
[00:54:12] Like Johnny’s not going to compete much with Bradley Bill’s touches. So I think that those two can really work together. They have the guy. At the three and the four that can do the dirty work to let Chris tops be Chris stops. So Johnny Davis is my guy, the
[00:54:33] Dustin Hawes: spacing on that, that, that, that unit is wonderful.
[00:54:36] Would Beale Davis Corey kiss Burt last year’s first round pick from, from Gonzaga and Porzingis. Um, if they get in
[00:54:44] Dillon Sage: through is shooting 40 from three. Yeah.
[00:54:46] Dustin Hawes: If they can get anything from Rui and Danny, like that’s a really good spacing. Um, it puts them in a much better position than they’ve been probably since the handle on Jamison taste.
[00:54:58] Dillon Sage: Yeah. I mean, [00:55:00] When I was looking at the draft, I was confused and thought I was going to take the Memphis pick. And that’s that, that, that that’s a way more difficult spot than, oh, Johnny Davis and, uh, Bradley Beal could be a very good combo together. So, uh, with the Lakers pick that gets traded to Memphis, who do the Memphis Grizzlies take at 12?
[00:55:23] Dustin Hawes: This is, um, you know, how we talked about the New York Knicks being on trade watch. This would be one be behind that. Um, and I think this is all going to be predicated on how Memphis performs in the postseason. They’re likely going to have the two or three seed in the west, and they’re going to be a lot of expectations for such a young squad.
[00:55:42] They have done such a masterful job of constructing a balanced roster with really solid. Um, salaries, you know, only Jared Jackson Jr’s salary is going to be increasing next season, but they still have Brandon Clark. They still have [00:56:00] leaver Tillman, Desmond Bain. Um, they took Xavier Williams, uh, last year who was performing, uh, I think better than most expected.
[00:56:08] Um, Dylan Brooks kicks in a little bit too, but he’s, you know, kind of that, that chip on the shoulder type of player they need, clearly they still have jaw on a rookie contract. Like they have really everything you want and a young roster. So it’s kind of like dealer’s choice. Like who, who do you want to take?
[00:56:27] Dillon Sage: I it’s,
[00:56:31] Dustin Hawes: it’s so hard because I don’t know if that player exists and I think they would rather trade it for. Um, uh, a three that can play right away. Like if, if they could theoretically trade this pick for a Harrison Barnes, I think they do it in a, in a nanosecond. Um, the one weakness I see from them is at center.
[00:56:52] Uh, Stephen Adams is a good vet, but I don’t know if they’re going to want to extend him past the 20, 23 season, like he’s [00:57:00] due another $18 million. And they really haven’t been committed to Tillman or Brandon Clark at that. So. If I am Memphis, they, they, they could use additional defense, uh, that, that grit and grind mentality.
[00:57:18] Um, I think they go Tara Easton here. Um, I think he, um,
[00:57:23] Dillon Sage: exactly what I would’ve done by the way. I think he’s a player
[00:57:26] Dustin Hawes: who, uh, exudes grit and grind. I think he can, I don’t know if tare ever projects as a, a starter in the league, maybe a fifth, but I think you can come in off the bench and become an all defensive type of player.
[00:57:40] And I think that’s, I think he could play the four alongside either Jerry and Jackson, um, especially alongside your and Jackson who can spread the floor and allow Tari to work on his shot. But I just think that if you’re looking for persona meeting theme and team Eastern and the Grizzlies, I mean, that, that just, that [00:58:00] worked
[00:58:00] Dillon Sage: that’s exactly what I was going.
[00:58:01] Yeah. Um, that re like that fucks me up cause I was taking him at, uh, with 13 at Atlanta. Um, well I think that,
[00:58:19] Dustin Hawes: I mean the Hawks desperately need somebody to come in and play a
[00:58:22] Dillon Sage: lick of defense. I know. So that are we missing somebody super-duper office? Cause I’m taking Jeremy that we would’ve taken. Okay.
[00:58:32] Well I was either going to take germy or tare one of the two at a, at 13. So I think that Jeremy show Jan matching with Deandre hunter and Clint Capella can create a decent front line defensively to make up for the Trey young, uh, Bad defenses at most times. So I think that so Chan would be a really good fit that he’s got to work on the shot, [00:59:00] especially with Trey young, finding him in open spaces.
[00:59:03] But I think that that would probably be the best, um, match for who’s who’s left on the board for the, uh, the Atlanta Hawks at 13. Um, I really was thinking tare. So I was going to be there at 13, but you, uh, you swiped them from me, which good for you. Yeah, I think so. Chan could definitely help like the effort that he showed on that Baylor comeback, you know, that’s remarkable.
[00:59:29] And you remember what he can do defensively. I think that Trey’s going to just have to work with him on that. But I think that that’s a really good fit. Um,
[00:59:40] Dustin Hawes: I think if anybody’s gone through open looks, it’s going to be tray. He’ll be able to shoot standstill threes. When you have Bogdanovich, Trey young, you know, Deandre hunter, like teams, aren’t going to want to leave those players open, especially with the play-making of, of Trey.
[00:59:55] Um, it, it may get dicey playing both Capella and Soham [01:00:00] at the same time, but, um, he’s was the best player on the board to me. And it also addresses a massive need and, and there still is, uh, uncertainties around, you know, what are they going to do with John Collins? So,
[01:00:15] Dillon Sage: uh, yeah, so I think for the first year they.
[01:00:19] They play 128, they play Soche in 22 and that’s 48 minutes of small forward for them or whatever, whatever position hunter. And so Chan play, I think that’s the 48 minutes. Like the Nilo, uh, doesn’t really have that, that role anymore. And I th I think it’s time for the, the Atlanta bench to get younger.
[01:00:42] They have a lot of old folks on that bench with Gallo and Lou Williams. So maybe it’s time for those that bench unit to step up for the Atlanta Hawks. So, um, Yeah, I go. So Chan, so close out this lottery at 14, who do the Charlotte Hornets get, [01:01:00]
[01:01:00] Dustin Hawes: they really could use size and there’s a lot of uncertainties with miles bridges.
[01:01:05] Who’s a restricted free agent. This is a franchise that already has about $110 million committed to salary next year. And that’s without bridges, um, extension they’re likely losing mantras Harrell. They have only one more year left of, of Mason Plumlee and I really just don’t see that. That three or four that could come in.
[01:01:33] And it’s just like, without reaching, like I think there are two players I’m thinking about, um, one is been, this is not the pick, but I could see them take canvases, um, Ojai, bodgie, but they did spend a first round pick last year on James’ book night and they still have Kelly Uber. So this is where
[01:01:53] Dillon Sage: like Terry Rozier and Gordon hater.
[01:01:56] Dustin Hawes: So this is where if a lot of money, this is where it’s [01:02:00] like best player available versus fit. And I think we’re in the same tier of prospect. Charlotte’s been looking for a center for ages. Walker Kessler from our university,
[01:02:12] Dillon Sage: North Carolina.
[01:02:13] Dustin Hawes: He did play one season at North Carolina. He’s from Georgia, but he has bloodlines, uh, his uncle, uh, his late uncle was a, I believe the ninth overall pick of the Atlanta Hawks.
[01:02:22] His dad played at Auburn or Georgia. Excuse me. Um, Kessler feels like a Michael Jordan pick. Um, he’s, he’s one of the he’s the premier shot blocker aside from, from chat home grin. We use the premier shot blocker though in, in college basketball, his numbers are through the roof. And if we’re talking about, uh, Jabari Smith, getting good guard, played Oklahoma city Walker, Kessler playing alongside lamella ball.
[01:02:48] I mean, he is really going to become that lob threat for them. I trust the shot. I think it’ll take a year or two, but I think he’s going to be able to extend his range. So you’re going to get some pick and pops with. [01:03:00] I love the fit. I think he fills in a need, but he’s also a high upside player, just the progression he shown from his freshman year at North Carolina to a sophomore year at Auburn.
[01:03:12] Uh, I think he’s going to, uh, be that rim protector that they need. Um, they play such a fast pace that they give up so many points that there’s not really one player I would say in that starting lineup that puts their onus on defense. They’re all looking to get their offense. And I think that fast paced man, at a certain point, they need an anchor.
[01:03:35] And I think that he can, you know, ride the bench, play backup, roll to Mason Plumlee for year one, but year two, I think he’s going to be ready. And, um, uh, if that shot hits that, I think that’s a solid value for a Charlotte team.
[01:03:51] Dillon Sage: So does Mason play like 28 and then he’ll be the full-time backup
[01:03:56] Dustin Hawes: center?
[01:03:57] That’s that? That would be my plan. Yeah. [01:04:00]
[01:04:00] Dillon Sage: And there’s no way in hell that you put them both on the floor together. Yeah. That brings back basketball from 2022 to 1842. I like that. That just is that just as bad, I trust their coaching staff to, to put them in the right position and having low mellow ball. Be your point guard for the first four years of your career is hugely beneficial to Walker Kassler and what he can do as a, uh, as a center prospect.
[01:04:32] But I definitely liked the fit, like at 14, it’s tough. Like, do you go the Gili guys that we haven’t really paid attention to? Have you, would you go walk or Kessler? Would you go bodgie that? I mean once, once, so Channon Eastern golf, the board, this, this, this draft looks kinda bleak because I think, I think we hit every player that.
[01:04:55] Is in that like the realm of [01:05:00] what will happen in the lottery. So Charlotte being 14 and stuff.
[01:05:06] Dustin Hawes: All right. That was really fun. And we will do another one of those in April, but, um, it was awesome how it played out. It wasn’t just, you know, blazers get one, they can get their four and then they can get a guard.
[01:05:19] So it was interesting to see what they would do if they landed for, um, again, if you are enjoying this, please leave us a five star review and a nice comment, lets us know where we’re doing something good over here and you know, where the feedback is always appreciated. But thank you for, um, your, your listenership and your support.
[01:05:38] Um, Sage, why don’t you let our listeners know where they can hear us and take us on.
[01:05:43] Dillon Sage: We’re available on iTunes, Stitcher, Himalaya podcasts, dash rate or nothing but net radio, Tuesdays two to three Pacific, four to five Eastern. And we are out of here. Thank you so much for listening rate and review us on iTunes.
[01:05:58] Five stars, [01:06:00] anything less makes us seem like we’re bad. Um, and sub to us, we really do love, uh, interacting with rip city fans and we’re out.
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