New York rejects Hawks' offer for #3 pick

[AHF]

People will find a conspiracy regardless of what happens.

New York - Of course they gave it to NY!!!!  The Ewing envelope part II!!!

Cleveland - Just a continuation of the conspiracy that got them LeBron, Irving and two more #1s!!

Phoenix - The league is trying to build another dynasty by giving them top picks in back to back drafts ala Shaq / Webber (Penny)!

Chicago - The league is rewarding them for being the flagship franchise of the 90's.  Just another #1 for the Bulls to go with their Elton Brand and Derrick Rose picks.  

Washington - The league can't let the market where Trump lives fall apart.  Got to pair #1 Zion with #1 Wall or they are in trouble.  The NBA hopes Trump will give them a big tax write-off as a reward since his hotel is near the arena.

New Orleans - After the league stepped in to block NO's trade of prime Chris Paul to LA, they are now stepping in to reward NO for promising to send AD to LA.  

Dallas - The league wants to help their new wunderkind, L*** D*****.  Since Porzingis looks like he is going to have ongoing trouble, the only answer is to send Zion to save them and to keep the pick out of Atlanta's hands.

 

Etc.

Etc.

 

[capstone21]

I would also include their choice of seconds and the Cavs future first.

[Spud2nique]

Just now, capstone21 said:

I would also include their choice of seconds and the Cavs future first.

Yup. RJ needs to be our 3 if it’s not Cam. Either way we need to leave this draft with a Dukie as our starting SF! Sorry @kg01 Duke Duke Duke.. lol

[thecampster]

4 hours ago, Atlantaholic said:

No surprise here that we are trying to move up having 6 picks to play with. Seems like a no brainer for New York to reject #3 for 8 and 10, frankly I don't think we would be able to move up higher than 5th unless we offer a little bit more than that. 

 

Source: Knicks reject Hawks' offer for No. 3 pick

 

This is very old news from last week....also...these talks are still possible, just on hold. 

[Spud2nique]

Peep this @Peoriabird A Canadian thinks a Canadian is better than an American. Big shocker. I still love the Canadians @capstone21 don’t take my likes away!

 

http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba-draft/906bc6df-4875-454f-b088-8d0519081a4d

[Alex]

3 hours ago, Peoriabird said:

So what's the conspiracy explaining why Memphis got the 2nd pick?

To throw gullible people like you off their scent.  If you don’t think the NBA is fixed or slanted at least you are crazy.  Too much money for a sports industry to not be crooked.

[Peoriabird]

2 minutes ago, Alex said:

To throw gullible people like you off their scent.  If you don’t think the NBA is fixed or slanted at least you are crazy.  Too much money for a sports industry to not be crooked.

Is the Championship rigged too? Did the league want Toronto and Leonard to win the trophy this year?

[Eddielives]

12 minutes ago, Alex said:

To throw gullible people like you off their scent.  If you don’t think the NBA is fixed or slanted at least you are crazy.  Too much money for a sports industry to not be crooked.

Well I'm convinced.

Don't worry friend.  They're not as smart as you and I.  When the truth comes out, they'll see we were the wise ones that saw through the charade.....oh and could you pm me the directions on how to fold the most effective tin hat?  Mine is all torn up from overuse. Thanks ahead of time.  

[kg01]

1 hour ago, Peoriabird said:

Is the Championship rigged too? Did the league want Toronto and Leonard to win the trophy this year?

Obviously they did.  All them Canadian tv dollars matter, right?  You know.  The ones that don't count towards the league's tv deal.

[AHF]

14 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

Yup. RJ needs to be our 3 if it’s not Cam. Either way we need to leave this draft with a Dukie as our starting SF! Sorry @kg01 Duke Duke Duke.. lol

(I'm interested in both players but that is not how I'm thinking about it.  At all.  )

[Spud2nique]

33 minutes ago, AHF said:

(I'm interested in both players but that is not how I'm thinking about it.  At all.  )

I still like Keldon the Wildcat at 17 if we don’t go big. He’s got some in him on the defensive end like Draymondish dog.

 

I know AHF, Ashley is concerned. Don’t worry we won’t do her wrong. Matter of fact we won’t even do her.  

wouldnt even be surprised if Schlenk like PJ Washington, he loves this guys that stay in school. Plus he plays like Millsap which I personally like very much, fundamentally sound.

[AHF]

Just now, Spud2nique said:

I still like Keldon the Wildcat at 17 if we don’t go big. He’s got some in him on the defensive end like Draymondish dog.

 

I know AHF, Ashley is concerned. Don’t worry we won’t do her wrong. Matter of fact we won’t even do her.  

wouldnt even be surprised if Schlenk like PJ Washington, he loves this guys that stay in school. Plus he plays like Millsap which I personally like very much, fundamentally sound.

I would not consider any of this year's Cats before our #17 pick.  At that point, several of them should be interesting to teams with Keldon matching best with our needs.

[kg01]

Just now, AHF said:

I would not consider any of this year's Cats before our #17 pick.  At that point, several of them should be interesting to teams with Keldon matching best with our needs.

What kind of player is he?  I only saw clips but wasn't really impressed with any of them.

[Spud2nique]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

I would not consider any of this year's Cats before our #17 pick.  At that point, several of them should be interesting to teams with Keldon matching best with our needs.

Agreed.

[Spud2nique]

Just now, kg01 said:

What kind of player is he?  I only saw clips but wasn't really impressed with any of them.

Keldon was my first love of any prospect. Ideal sized sf with a good NBA body, not filled out due to age but good solid body. He works like a dog on defense and trash talks everyone on that side of the ball. He takes stuff personally on the defensive end which is refreshing. Things that cooled me of was the inconsistent jumper and three but the stroke is definitely there. 

I honestly think Schlenk likes this kid and he reminds him of a Draymond at sf type anchor for us. He would eventually guard the best player on the other side. He can guard 1-3 right now but with added size..no, 1-3.

 

[AHF]

9 minutes ago, kg01 said:

What kind of player is he?  I only saw clips but wasn't really impressed with any of them.

Here are a couple of profiles:

Quote

Strengths

Buoyed by a relentless motor, Johnson projects favorably as an impact player on both ends of the court. Offensively, he attacks closeouts with purpose and gets inside for high-percentage looks. Johnson is more than just a finisher at the rim. Armed with a soft touch, the Virginia native’s floater keeps opponents guessing on drives. While on the perimeter, Johnson’s three-point shooting does enough to garner the attention of the defense. His shot form is far from textbook, but it is repeatable. Overhauling his mechanics would be a risky endeavor. Instead, it is likely he will continue to improve as he adjusts to the NBA’s perimeter-oriented style of play.

Outside of his scoring ability, Johnson is a willing passer and an impressive rebounder for his size. Given his length and tenacity, he should blossom into a defender capable of handling a wide range of assignments.

Weaknesses

At first glance, Johnson appears to possess superior athleticism. Due to the amount of opportunities he was afforded in transition, his physical exploits might be slightly overblown. When Kentucky switched to SEC competition, it took a toll on Johnson’s production. He still managed to get to the paint, but he struggled to finish through contact consistently. Johnson’s outside shooting also suffered down the stretch of the season. The SEC’s superior talent combined with thorough scouting reports to reduce his three-point efficiency.

Johnson’s defensive shortcomings are tied to his lack of experience. Like most freshman featured in a major role, he was caught flat-footed when facing offenses that featured an abundance of off-ball movement.

 

Quote

 

We all know by now how President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman and General Manager John Hammond “stan” for players with length. According to NBAthlete.com, a site that has compiled data from NBA Draft Combine’s since 2000, Johnson has elite size for an incoming NBA wing. His height (6-6, 88th percentile), weight (216 pounds, 92nd percentile), wingspan (6-9, 78th percentile), hand-width (9.25 inches, 84th percentile), and standing reach (8-8, 94th percentile) are all elite measurements compared to not only the other wing players in this draft class - but in the recent history of the NBA Draft.  

Johnson used his strength, specifically his wide-shoulders, to help him get by defenders and into the paint at the collegiate level. The Oak Hill Academy alum marched to the free throw line 5.5 times per/40 minutes his freshmen season at Kentucky (.416 FTr). It remains to be seen whether he can use his size and physicality to get to the line that often against NBA athletes, but if he can - that’s a skill the Magic can absolutely use (worst free throw rate in the league).

Johnson projects to be at least a useful NBA defender, and his strength, weight, wingspan, and reach will allow him to defend in the NBA sooner than others that could potentially be drafted in this range. What’s concerning is that he didn’t exactly parlay his above-average length into a prolific amount of steals at the college-level (1.0 steal per/40), but that could have been either an instinct/awareness thing (uh-oh) or a team defensive-scheme result.

 

Quote

Johnson is an athletic slasher who is quick to get out in transition and shows no fear attacking the rim. He averaged right around five free throw attempts per 36 minutes during his freshman season at Kentucky. In the NBA that would put him near respected scoring guards like Donovan Mitchell and De’Aaron Fox.

Another area of Johnson’s offensive game that has caught the attention of NBA scouts is his outside shooting ability. He shot 38 percent from deep on three attempts per game while with the Wildcats. 38 percent isn’t a mind-blowing figure by any means, but it’s very respectable. What’s equally important is how Johnson was making his shots.

His form is very smooth with a high release. As he continues to get stronger and potentially work with Spurs shooting coach Chip Engelland, it’s very easy to see him connecting on close to forty percent of his shots while also extending his range far past the NBA three-point line.

Defensively, Johnson isn’t a lock down stopper like Washington’s Matisse Thybulle, but he won’t have to hide on the opposing team’s worst offensive option either. Standing 6’6, sporting a 6’9 wingspan and weighing in at a solid 216 pounds, Johnson will have the size and strength to guard small forwards and the speed to stay with guards. Contributing 2.0 defensive win shares per game gives credibility to the effort he puts in on defense as well.

 

 

Quote

Pre-Draft Analysis

Strengths
- Has good physical tools for an NBA wing at 6-6, 216 pounds with a 6-9 wingspan and 8-8 standing reach. Strength and length should allow him to slide up to the power forward position at times in smaller lineups 

- Aggressive, versatile player on both ends of the floor. Powerful attacking in a straight line or in the open floor. Capable outside shooter with feet set. 

- Highly competitive rebounder and defender. Plays with toughness, intensity and confidence. Has a relatively high floor thanks to his dimensions, ability to guard and make an open shot. 

Improvement areas
- Not yet a dynamic shooter at this stage, especially pulling up off the dribble or on the move. Has improved, but he's still very streaky (38% from 3; 70% on free throws). Doesn't have the quickest release. 

- Powerful, but not an especially fluid or explosive athlete creating in the half-court. Struggles to create high-percentage offense for himself or others when he can't get by opponents in a straight line. Average passer. 

- Energetic defender, but not the rangiest or most instinctive player around. Struggles at times to stay in front of smaller and quicker players. 

 

[kg01]

[AHF]

Just now, kg01 said:

[kg01]

Just now, AHF said:

I mean, if I wanted to do any work, I wouldn'tve axed you.  Quick, ax me about all the GT prospects.  I bet I can break them down for you.

  

[AHF]

10 minutes ago, kg01 said:

I mean, if I wanted to do any work, I wouldn'tve axed you.  Quick, ax me about all the GT prospects.  I bet I can break them down for you.

  

We don't need a text breakdown when we have the video of their workout for the Hawks: