Sure, but why get a future Top 5 when this said draft is said to be better than the next 1 or 2 years. You have to evaluate that really quick on the fly...... also it is very hard to pinpoint how bad the Clippers are going to be.....they could make a trade and things can look like Play In again..... The difference to last year were the Defense and Zubac and Norman Powell were balling out of their minds.
Of course you keep the pick until draft day and see what's happening. Do your homework and see if there's a player worth taking. If all you can get is a project or a medium ceiling guy, then you don't really have room for him to develop with your already stacked team. You trade it to someone for an unprotected pick down the road to extend your window of dominance. Good talent evaluation is still the backbone of team building.
This one would also be the perfect draft to sort of get another replacement for both Dort and Hartenstein if one or both of them are betting on themselves for more money now that they won the hardware. My preference is Hartenstein ....but Dort is like a War hero to the fanbase. Better safe than sorry.
Oh, I don't doubt they have great relationships with players my thing is there just isn't space for them to grow there with SGA, Williams, and Chet. Actually, Giddey is a perfect example of that, he was never going to grow there because he's the kind of player that needs the ball in his hands. If he stayed on that team he would be a bust because having him just stand around and take open shots is not who he is, he's a creator. He goes to the Bulls and instantly he looks better. So in the case of Boozer, because I don't see them drafting the guard...he playing over Hartenstein? I don't think so, Harty is one of those role players you love because he does all the little things and he's happy to do them. Boozer is coming to the NBA to be a star player. I think this matters, he's not likely going to want to be on a team where he has to fight for minutes vs a team like the Wizards or Kings or Mavericks or hell the Pacers. You want to go to a team that NEEDS you as a top player, not want you. The realistic thing here is OKC does not need any of these players. It's pure luxury for them at this point, they can rings without any of these players, and I think sometimes more is less in the NBA. We've seen superteams fail because...more is less. OKC has an amazing thing going right now. Everyone knows their role and everyone is happy in their role. I don't think it's always a benefit to go adding high profile prospects because they rightly come in with ego and their own expectations and desires. I don't think many players drafted top 5 come into it like "Yeah, I want to be the guy coming off the bench scoring 12 and being the energy guy." Nah, these guys are coming in with the intention to be superstar players and if they are not and teams figure it out they don't have that desire they will pass on them.
I think this is what they will end up doing, either trade for useful players now to replace guys like Caruso or Dort who might get pricey hitting the FA market or trade for future picks to kick the can down the road. I'd be very surprised if they keep all three of their first round picks this year. I do think they'll draft whoever the Clips pick is though out of curiosity, better to have that guy in your building and see what he can do and then trade him afterwards.
I agree that is Status quo looks great but you cannot rest on your laurels as the Bubble Lakers did....it is an ever evolving process of retooling....that is with picks. Let's wait first for the draft positions and we can talk prospects.
these Gen Z losers never grew up saying **** to where you may get decked. Social media turned out some wierdos
SMH, SGA is in a class by himself down the stretch. Great effort by the Blazers tonight. They just would not go away. But in the last 2-3 minutes, they shot 3s vs. mid-range 2s by OKC and that killed them.
This Hawks team is fun. They’ve been balling without Trae Young. Reminds me a lot of our young Rockets. They need to get rid of Trae Young. This young core is fun. Johnson/Walker/Daniels looking like something is cooking for Atlanta.
Wasn't watching today, but I completely agree. Trae Young is incredibly overrated. Who is running point for them in Trae's absence?
Don't have a clear one, Alexander Walker brings the ball up or one of their wings, Dyson and Jalen are doing their thing. Okongwu also with the high post assists. They just run with shooting guards and forwards.
Suns are blowing out the Lakers in LA 111-87 with 8 mins left. DB's gone buck wild shooting the ball, but Collin Gillespie is a revelation! Suns got it rockin' and rollin'. Luka is an insane basketball player. Truly. LeBron looks pretty bad but I guess his body isn't right, yet.
