JesseDark wrote:I like this kid even if Zion is available. I don’t see what need Zion fills for us.

Zion is possibly a generational type athlete/player. You don't pass on this type of talent. Saying you dont see what need Zion fills for us is the type of thinking the Portland Trailblazers front office had when they took Bowie because they already had Drexler.

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT COMPARING ZION TO MJ

arkrud wrote:

JesseDark wrote:I like this kid even if Zion is available. I don’t see what need Zion fills for us.

Lottery is not to pick needs.
Rebuilding teams like Kinicks need highest talent and assets from lottery.
There is no specific need per position. There is a need to improve all positions.

I get it. I am also concerned about the weight, 270, I see a highlight reel dunker so far.

Morant has posted massive turnover totals (5 per game), but these need to be considered in relation to his highly unusual role and the fact that his teammates simply can’t get to some of the passes he makes. While he makes some questionable decisions in terms of forcing passes or certain shots, his decision-making is very good for a player his age with such a heavy offensive load. Last season, Morant was excellent in more of a game-manager role next to two star scorers in Jonathan Stark and Terrell Miller Jr. Even with his ridiculous usage, Morant has maintained an excellent assist-to-turnover ratio this season. Most importantly, in certain games he’s shown the ability to take a backseat as a scorer and focus on setting up teammates; when Murray State went on the road and demolished a very solid Southern Illinois team 80 to 52, Morant took only 12 shots and racked up 13 assists to just 3 turnovers. Morant can either take on a Russell Westbrook-like usage load or step back and play like an old-school pass-first point guard. Crucially, he’s led Murray State to success in both roles.

Murray State’s team success, to this point in the season, is one of the strongest points in Morant’s favor and separates him from high-usage top prospects of past years. In recent years, we’ve seen statistically dominant top-5 picks like Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz, and Trae Young (once the second half of the season rolled around) struggle to lead the talent around them to success. In Morant’s case, he’s taken a supporting cast full of unknowns and lifted them from 132nd in KenPom’s preseason rankings all the way up to 45th at the time of this writing. Shaq Buchanan is an awesome role player, Tevin Brown is quietly one of the best freshmen in mid-major college basketball, and KJ Williams has been super efficient, but Murray State’s supporting cast is not why they’re a top 50 squad in college basketball. Morant has made his teammates better and generated team success.

The most critical information in the article. Ability to make teammates better, ability to carry the team to success, ability to take a back seat to other scorers yet still lead.

TheGame wrote:Morant is definitely the pick we need. If we got the #1 pick, I would take Zion but if a team offered us a 2020 1st round pick and the #2 pick, I would do that trade and draft Morant. Morant looks to be everything we need from a the point position.

The play I'd make is to move Zion and Hardaway's contract for Morant and cap space/flexibility. Teams like the Hawks, Suns and Cavs (with JR Smith's non-gauranteed contract) can facilitate that typr of trade for us.

JesseDark wrote:

arkrud wrote:

JesseDark wrote:I like this kid even if Zion is available. I don’t see what need Zion fills for us.

Lottery is not to pick needs.
Rebuilding teams like Kinicks need highest talent and assets from lottery.
There is no specific need per position. There is a need to improve all positions.

I get it. I am also concerned about the weight, 270, I see a highlight reel dunker so far.

Here’s a good place to start

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/nbadraftwass/status/1089530149954031617

NY needs talent. A FA signing should be for need.

VCoug wrote:

JesseDark wrote:I like this kid even if Zion is available. I don’t see what need Zion fills for us.

We're one of the least talented teams in the league so the #1 need Zion fills is talent. The other needs he fills is rebounding, something extremely important playing next to KP, and playmaking ability. Also, there's no reason for any team that's going to struggle to win 20 games to draft for fit.

Talking about need we heed everything and we have (possibly) very little:

Our starters:

C
PF - KP (heath dependent)
SF - Knox (hopefully)
SG
PG - Frank (hopefully)

Bench
C Mitch/Kornet (will take awhile to develop/hopefully)
PF Vonleh (possibly)
SF
SG Trier (6 man hopefully)
PG

VCoug wrote:

arkrud wrote:

VCoug wrote:

JesseDark wrote:I like this kid even if Zion is available. I don’t see what need Zion fills for us.

We're one of the least talented teams in the league so the #1 need Zion fills is talent. The other needs he fills is rebounding, something extremely important playing next to KP, and playmaking ability. Also, there's no reason for any team that's going to struggle to win 20 games to draft for fit.

Talking about need we heed everything and we have (possibly) very little:

Our starters:

C
PF - KP (heath dependent)
SF - Knox (hopefully)
SG
PG - Frank (hopefully)

Bench
C Mitch/Kornet (will take awhile to develop/hopefully)
PF Vonleh (possibly)
SF
SG Trier (6 man hopefully)
PG

Exactly.

Id plug Dotson in at SG under hopefully as well

homeskillitprigioni wrote:I'm a big Syracuse fan and I watched the game Duke lost to the Cuse...Zion is an animal. What I also like about him is he's unselfish. The flip side of that is they probably would have won the game if he was more selfish because we really had no answer for him, but he was more concerned about making the right play, finding a better look for someone else even if they were an inferior player.

But over the long haul, especially at the NBA level, looking for the right play is going to pay off more times than not. And it's easier to teach being a little more selfish when needed.

His 3 ball obviously needs to get better but it's not like his form is wack or anything, I can think he can end up a solid shooter. He's going to have more space in the NBA too. There's too much to like about this dude not to take him if we get the #1.

This. You can't coach 48 inches of vertical, and you'll have a truly difficult time coaching ballhog out of someone who doesn't believe in anything else. Wanting dimes at his age and ability is rare. And precious.

Anyone who watches this kid and only sees highlight dunks doesn't understand basketball. Barkley wasn't nearly this size, wasn't anywhere near this athletic in college (go back and look), didn't have this kind of handle for a front court player, this type of constant, change-the-game defense. Zion is a freak.

Any middle school girl, given enough time, can learn how to shoot threes.