Jalen Williams should be the target here. Too many needed tools be it offensively or defensively. Will be very helpful for a good team for a very long time.
Depends on your preference. I'm looking big to play PF and/or Center. If I draft Ivey, I need more rim protection and rebounding....defensive presence near the rim If I draft Banchero, I need more rim protection and rebounding....defensive presence near the rim. Banchero rebounds we're so-so and his blocks of 0.9 were pedestrian. Evan Mobley in college was 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. Dropped to 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in the NBA. Charles Bassey was 11.6 rebs and 3.1 blocks his final college season. 8.3 rebs and 0.7 blocks year one of NBA. 36-minute projections were 13.3 rebs and 3.6 blocks. Will Banchero numbers in blocks and rebounds get better....or worse? I would have better optimism in drafting Banchero if he had 10+ rebounds and 2.8 blocks. His body should have dominated the boards with Mark Williams. Instead I think he leaked out or snow birded too much to pad his point stats. ______________________ I would look Sochan at 6'9" before Jalen Williams. It becomes a question of who is out there? Guys like Jalen Williams, Kennedy Chandler, Dieng, Branham, Beauchamp, Braun are rising and may push back a player I'm targeting in Mark Williams, Tari Eason, or Sochan......EJ Liddell and Kendall Brown will probably be there at #17 as well. --------------- Will Banchero be our wing/SF? Because I'm targeting wings next draft: Cameron Whitmore 6'7"".... 220 lbs Ausar Thompson 6'7" ......195 lbs.....6'11" wingspan Dillion Mitchell 6'7" ..........195 lbs Amen Thompson 6'7" .....190 lbs......6'11" wingspan Leonard Miller 6'10" .......211 lbs.......7'2" wingspan Jordan Walsh 6'7" ..........190 lbs.......7'3" wingspan Or, if I need to go Center Kel'el Ware 7'0"................210 lbs Dereck Lively 7'1".............210 lbs......7'8" wingspan Or free agency money available ___________________________ Summary: if we are drafting Banchero, do we have room for Banchero....Tate....Kenyon......and 6'5" Jalen Williams? Yes if I play Banchero more at PF. I might not be looking at wings next draft if Jalen Williams is the pick at #17 this year. But I'm trying to avoid 6'5" SF/PF's. I want more height with pick #17. Just me personally. P.S. yes I'm proposing drafting Ivey and moving Porter Jr to the 3, but Porter shot about 48% in Catch-n-Shoot 3's last season on 1.9 attempts. I say kick that up to 5 attempts and don't worry if the percentage comes down to 40% as Green-Ivey do their thing attacking the rim. Plus I like the Porter facilitation skills. Just need to ask him to keep the dribbles to 4-6 in the half court set. All-in-all Porter at the 3 this season is an experiment to see if it works. Rockets will get to see if they should extend him. If it does work out, he is a RFA at seasons end. If Porter doesn't like the money offered.....he will probably accept the tendered offer from the Rockets and play the one year and test Unrestricted Free Agency in summer '24.
He's been putting in work. Looks like he's dropped 10-15 lbs. His high school tape shows the explosion and athleticism that he can play with. He was more a "bully ball" type point forward for Duke. Paolo as a super sized wing allows you to run Sengun + a rim protector with Jalen and KPJ. His defense will be fine.
I'm not sold by watching a video of him in a loose-fitting shirt. Give me a couple days of intermittent fasting and put me in a loose fitting shirt and suddenly I look thinner too. I was hoping we had some official weights and measurements. In any case, I think his brightest future is him slimming down to 220 or so and playing as a huge 3. So I hope that's what he does.
Very well thought out... and thank you for the intel on the 2023 draft. I completely agree on the impact of the choice made at pick 3 here. But I will see the Jalen Williams pick as potentialy the one with the greatest value long term. This kind of package at one of the hardest position to fill; measurements, skill set, mentality (pass/organizer first),... Should perfectly complement a star duo of Green-Banchero/Chet, if that's the pick at 3.
Sorry I couldnt find the shirtless pic. Maybe someone else will post it if they run into it. Asking him to drop 30 lbs to 220 may be wishful thinking though, but who knows. Will be interesting to see where he's at when he gets on the scale again 'officially'.
Excellent. I love your passion for the topic. "One with the greatest value long term" [potentially] --that's a bold statement considering it's someone outside the projected top 10 in what's considered a weaker draft. But I like your optimism. I will keep an eye out for the kid. I disagree with SF being one of the hardest positions to fill, if you look at how many are coming out this season and the years to come. This is why I push the Ivey draft pick as I see guard play..... especially "Combo Guards".....as the new big rage. I have my doubts the Rockets will get a top 5 pick next draft and the options of getting a prime combo guard facilitator drops as we may be picking #7 to #10. I feel like either Banchero or Ivey added to this team will bring at least 30 wins. Which means it's probably easier to find wing or big man in upcoming drafts (for the Rockets) rather than Porter replacement combo guard (since I don't see Josh Christopher being that fill-in). Supply and demand will bring the salaries of the SF down somewhat.... at least until the new CBA and TV/streaming deal comes out around 2025. ______________________ So where do you project Banchero playing as a Rocket year 1) one and 2) long term? No wrong answer? Just curious as to your point of view? Answer in terms of PG/SG/SF/PF/C or 1/2/3/4/5....whichever you prefer. And thank you for your time
yeah but his lower body is a tree trunk. He’s a prototype 4. He can be a 5 later in his career as he gets thicker. Im trying not to get too excited about paolo because I’m suspicious of all the certainty that he’ll be there at #3. I think there’s a legit chance OKC throws a curve ball. I maintain my original thinking: I’d be super happy with any of the big 3.
Stop trying to make Paolo a 3. It's bad enough his defense is being questioned. Leave him at the 4 where he belongs.
I've seen "Jeremiah Johnson" so often I know this reference by heart. (sigh) Swan was such a hottie.........
