S82 Town Hall 12

[Mike Lowry]

What are your thoughts about the 83 draft class?
Who do you like?
Who do you hate?
Who will get drafted higher or lower than they should?

(@WigNosy, I did listen to your podcast, don't mind a cliff note)

Rules: 1 point if you give thoughtful answers, which I will award after the timer ends for responses. The timer ends for responses at the moment the corresponding week's Sim is run.

Note: Use approximately 5 sentences as your bare minimum for 1 point. If you write 3 long, complex sentences, you'll still get a point. If you write 5, 3 word sentences, you will not get a point. Don't @ me.

Due: Due by 4pm Central - 5/12/25 acknowledging late post

[BigDaddyd8720]

What are your thoughts about the 83 draft class?
This seems like a pretty weak draft class as far as "win now" players. There's plenty of opportunity for growth among these players but not very many players are going to help the bottom tier teams win next season. But even though there's room for growth, ,it is going to take a while before these players really develop into stars, if some of them even get to that point.

Who do you like?
I really like Ralph Sampson. If I had the #3 pick, he's the easy choice in my eyes, especially if a team needs a big. Doc Rivers is also a great option and should be a top 5 pick. Randy Brauer seems like he would be a fun project player to end up with. Could let him sit a few seasons and just let him develop before letting him loose

Who do you hate?
Sedale Threatt might be my least favorite player in this draft. He's just so far away from his potential so anybody taking him is going to have to really be patient with him. I know I love going through the rebuild process but he just seems like he would take way too long to reach his potential and I would like to rebuild quickly if I were in that position

Who will get drafted higher or lower than they should?
I can see Sedale getting drafted higher than he should. People are gonna see that pretty blue in his potential and think they need to grab him before the greens but he is probably somebody who should be taken outside of the top 10

[WigNosy]

What are your thoughts about the 83 draft class?
Who do you like?
Who do you hate?
Who will get drafted higher or lower than they should?

Right out of the gate, my first thoughts are twofold: (1) it's guard-heavy and (2) it's very raw. These players have some amazing potential but they're not going to turn a team around quickly for the most part.

I do think Ralph Sampson is probably the consensus #3 pick by virtue of being both the lone high-grade big man in a league where big men have been influential and by virtue of being ready to play now. I can see him averaging 20 ppg. I also really like Byron Scott who seems to be a two-way player out of the gate (Jeff Malone looks like he'll be all-offense). Derek Harper also excites me as a player with ridiculous potential (though like Sleepy Floyd, he probably needs to add paid training to get to those potentials quickly) that can probably plug into a team that can score but needs a backcourt stopper immediately - Doc looks more ready to score now but I think Harper is the better long-term choice as a guy with a reliable jumper and higher Strength (making him a tougher post defender in a league that is still very much about the post game)... and while Craig Ehlo is raw now, he has something you can't teach - size - and his handles potential could make him a really solid piece at SG for a team that is turnover-averse.

I'm not as high on John Paxson - he strikes me as a point guard in the Mo Cheeks mold - handles and passing, but no scoring and mediocre defense. Mitchell Wiggins has offensive polish and defensive potential, but he's 23 and and doesn't bring much else to the table - and he isn't even a 3-and-D player because he can't shoot the three.

As to who will get drafted lower than they should, I think there are several candidates. Ehlo probably goes lower than he should because in real life, he's famous for being the guy that Michael Jordan hit a game-winning jumper over, so in most peoples' heads, he's associated with losing, but he strikes me as a lower-ceiling, higher-floor guy. People will draft other players that seem more spectacular but will flame out... and Ehlo won't ever win MVP awards, but he will be a solid starter for a decade and you'll never regret having him on the floor.

Going higher than he probably deserves will be Sidney Green - his rebounding skills look amazing and teams will probably talk themselves into thinking he's a PF in a SF body... the problem is he's got no offensive bag and defensively, he'll get roasted... if your post defense leads to you giving up dunks, there will be no rebounds to grab!

[greepleairport]

What are your thoughts about the 83 draft class?
Who do you like?
Who do you hate?
Who will get drafted higher or lower than they should?

You know what I hadn't thought about at all until listening to Wig's podcast? The 83 draft class. Why? I'm obviously trying to win it all and have the lowest seeded first round pick of anyone.

That being said, I love Clyde Drexler, and I think anyone that tried to prioritize picking him up made a good move (even if you arguably tried to cheat in doing so (iykyk) lol).

I haven't read Wig's response here, so I'd hate to repeat him even though I'm probably going to... there's a lot of guard talent here, and I think specifically PG talent, too. Doc Rivers could jumpstart anyone's offense on day 1. I also think we're starting to see some legitimate 3P talent entering the league, such that the days of the big men or bust are already morphing. I think it will be interesting to see if 3P talent changes the focus of some teams' offense like modern day NBA, or if the software / players will actually play that way yet.

Anyway, I don't dislike anything about the draft, per se, except the current draft order placing Thurl Bailey at #9. If anyone in the lottery drafts this dude, it would have to have been an autopick, or a bad pick. There's better options out there...

[Eazy P]

What are your thoughts about the 83 draft class?

I think this draft will better than people think. Especially with TC insurance helping preserve talent. It is also guard heavy. If you need a guard this is your draft. There are also some serviceable bigs in this draft.

Who do you like?

Aside from the obvious two guys I will go with Byron Scott. For the old sim heads here, he kinda reminds me of Caron Butler from the previous league but shorter. I think he can make an immediate impact on a team needing a guard outside of the two purple guys. Derek Harper isn't bad also.

Who do you not like?

Bob Hansen. I don't think he will bring anything to the table but a green potential. I can see him being the last green potential guy picked only because the green looks good on the index.


Who will get drafted higher or lower than they should?

Back to Bob Hansen. As explained a little above I think he will be drafted higher than he should. Also Ralph Sampson will be drafted higher than he should because of the league currently being a big man's league. Not saying he isn't talented but I think there are some players with better upside in comparison. Him being drafted higher isn't a bad thing cause it's a position of need.

[NY_Magic_Garrett]

What are your thoughts about the 83 draft class?
This is an assumption, but from little experience this upcoming draft feels very top heavy and has 3-4 gems, maybe a few future role players. I don't think we will ever look back at this draft as one that changed trajectories overnight.

Who do you like?
Clyde and Dale are going to be filling stat sheets for someone so, no question. I actually think Doc Rivers could fall to someone later in the lottery and could be a real steal. Immediate plug in and should develop into a solid all around, every night PG fairly quickly.

Who do you hate?
I dont hate any of them really, just think any value will be gone in the first 10 picks, maybe less.

Who will get drafted higher or lower than they should?
Who is going to be the one to draft Sampson with one of the 1st 2 picks and let Dale slip. I think with him being the only real C in this draft that someone could be tempted to reach

[Mike Lowry]

@BigDaddyd8720
@WigNosy
@greepleairport
@Eazy P
@NY_Magic_Garrett

+1 Point