DRAFT: #18 [Green] & #31 [Terry] & trade for #36 [Tyler Bey]

[burekemde]

I just don't know how you can be so sure that Hayes is a 'STAR'...he's not Pokusevski or Giannis, who only certiain teams knew enough about to like. He's not even Luka, who some teams were stereotypically skeptical of. In fact, I think the Luka-effect MIGHT be (might) that guys like Hayes and Avdija are getting boosted, slightly. I just feel like if teams thought he'd be a star, more of them would be onto it.  

I like Hayes, don't get me wrong, but it's weird that you like him THIS much, especially since you seem to weight athletic ability and measurables so much more with every other player comp.  Help me understand.

For starters I am CONFIDENT, but definitely not "sure" (nothing is a sure thing in the draft). My confidence comes from just watching his film. 


His weaknesses:
1) He fouls like crazy (a youth thing that with experience will lessen)
2) He turns it over like crazy (a youth thing, coupled with being given the keys to the car before he was truly ready...in DAL he would have the luxury of being brought along slowly as a playmaker)
3) He sucks at spot up shooting (but he shot 88% on free throws this past year which tells me very confidently, he WILL figure it out)
4) He can't use his right hand (a youth thing that with somebody like Shammgod will be remedied over the course of time)


I do not think his athleticism is a weakness. Similar to Luka he has plenty, he just doesn't use it like a lot of American players. But you see it "pop" every once in awhile. 


What I love:
1) There is just something about him that screams "baller" with incredible instincts and feel for the game. A very intuitive playmaker (though he often tries to do too much right now).
2) He shot 86% and 88% in the last two years from the free throw line...the kid can shoot.
3) He has the length to play 1-3.
4) He shows the promise of being a plus defender and legit two way player in the NBA.
5) He will be a three level scorer (threes, midrange, and at the rim).
6) Youth, he just turned 19 and has SO much growth ahead of him. Nothing close to a finished product.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFHKfoiZbcA&

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P.S. Everyone will remember me pumping Hayes like this....and when he busts in the NBA I am going to get hell for it and no one will trust my evaluations again. I'll have to just convince them it was @"Scott41theMavs" that was pushing him so hard.

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https://nbadraft.theringer.com/#mock

#18
Everyone around the league believes Oklahoma City will trade up to select “Poku” due to his agent’s connections with Thunder general manager Sam Presti, and the Mavs’ pick has been involved in countless trade discussions, so he’s getting placed here. Pokusevski is young, raw, and lanky but his talent is undeniable. Few players his size bring as much perimeter skill to the court; with the league going in the direction that it is, he could end up being the steal of the draft. Dallas might find good reason to keep Poku, though from a roster standpoint, it probably makes more sense to find serviceable wings.

Great breakdown of strenghts and weaknesses with Hayes. I would like to add for the highlights of him I watched, that he does not seem to be afraid of the moment. He comes up and is not afraid of the clutch moments. I think this is an underrated skill that might tell how competitive a player is, the desire and need to win. How afraid he is, or how less afraid he is to take responsibility. When you see a young player take the responsibility of the entire team whether you win or lose, playing with men far older than him, this is something special.

I love to see this, even if they dont make the clutch basket. If they show they can take the resposibility, and fail, and still not be afraid to do it once again next time, this shows courage. Also to see the older players give him the responsibility, is also special. They are around him every day, this again shows this is a special player.

You have to look for special things in the game. What I also like is how he adjusts to the moment. When he gets well defended, he finds a way to score, different ways. He has far more than a single trick.

In NBA, every player will need to adjust a lot, really a lot. There are very few exceptions, such as Lebron or Shaq, but pretty much 99% of all new players will need to adjust their game because the level they will meet, most of their current tricks and skills will not work as well, or perhaps not even work at all. This bending of ones game and how they adapt to different situations, is something critical to their success, and hard to judge. Hayes just comes across as someone to me, as someone highly competitive that will be able to adjust the game, learn, do what it takes to win. Multiple skills and as kammrath points weaknesses that can be improved upon. The key skill he has is the feel for the game. This can never be thought. You see this when he gets in the paint, he has the feel for how to take advantage of the defenders and their movements, he adapts his game and flow. He is definitely not a Luka type of talent, and not as much magic in his game, but he does have a special feeling for the game and I think he does warrant a high pick in the draft. I also think he is actually athletic in the way he plays, he gets separation well enough.