2020 NBA Draft

[white lightning]

I know it's a half year away but I wanted to start a thread for the 2020 nba draft. Here is an interview
with Nico Mannion of AZ who is expected to be a top 5 lottery pick in round 1. The kid can be another
Steve Nash type only with more athletecism. Notice how they describe Nico as having sneaky athletecism and he laughs about it and says that he is athletic and they can call it whatever they want. Love it!

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/28453206/nba-mock-draft-likely-lottery-teams-do-no-1

 

[Shadowlight]

A few developments. First I won't shy away from this I am a little disappointed in PG Nico Mannion's play. His AZ team will be on TV later tonight. I like his handle and passing and basketball IQ. He looks the part. I wish he was more aggressive in getting into the lane though. But his shooting has been very inconsistent either from deep or on drives. I think with some seasoning and added strength those areas can improve. Still he is seen as a near lottery type first round pick.

The biggest riser is Israeli SF Deni Avdija who is listed as high as the second pick in the draft. Again I am not sure about his shooting touch but the best comparison is Gordon Hayward because of his all around play and superb passing abilities. And he is a smooth underrated athlete too.

Another name that might sneak into the first round is big man foreigner Aleksej Pokushevski who at 7'0" can jump and block shots and looks like he has a high ceiling.

 

[Bucky]

Appreciate the heads up on Avdija and Pokushevski!

Here's a very comprehensive article with viedoes breaking down Pok's game.

https://www.thestepien.com/2019/05/06/2020-international-guide-curious-case-aleksej-pokusevski/

I'll agree also a little disappointed in Mannion. Let's hope he can improve his play with March only a month away!

Mentioned before but Transfer Justin Pierce is struggling with UNC. Thought he had some potential when Transferring from William and Mary.

 

[Sean89]

Leandro Bolmaro is another name to watch, and seems to be getting some attention from media your way. His best work has come from the Barce B , but he has athletic ability that ticks all boxes.

Like Pokushevski ceiling looks high..

 

[white lightning]

Very impressive video of Nico Mannion showing off his improved hops. This is a true point guard throwing down some nasty between the legs dunks. This can only help his draft status!

https://twitter.com/i/status/1258895183304892417

 

[Shadowlight]

Nice footage. Steve Nash couldn't jump like that. Ha.

Despite his erratic shooting at Arizona it is worth noting he shot 80% from the free throw line which indicates his mechanics are in place to shoot better as he progresses. His jump shot form looks good to me but for some reason he had trouble shooting at Arizona. Although his three point shooting while not great wasn't bad.

Most mock drafts now have Nico out of the top half of the first round but I think he has lottery talent. He has top notch skills with excellent ball handling and vision. Top flight passer. Very smart player that just needs to find a more consistent jump shot and added strength to finish better near the rim. Often players with his pedigree get better in these areas as they mature. And naturally the media underrates his athleticism.

To me the top black players in this draft all have major question marks. All of them have noticeable flaws. I think overall this isn't a great draft.

The only projected white lottery player is Deni Avdija. He has been getting a lot of publicity. Even SI just did a feature story on him. A very exciting all floor player who might remind some of Gordon Hayward. My biggest worry with him is shooting. His free throw shooting is poor and that raises a red flag but most indications are his shooting will improve and he could become if not an all star, ( possible though) a very solid NBA player.

The only other white players projected to be chosen in the first round are Bolmaro and Pokusevski who are mentioned in an above post.

 

[Deceptive Speed]

Ive just updated my big board for 2020, here it is!
2020 NBA Draft Big Board:
Rank (regardless of race)/ Position/ Name/ Size/ Country/ projection)
3. SF Deni Avdija 6’9 215 ISRAEL - Top 3-5 pick overall.

9. PG Nico Mannion 6’3 190 ARIZONA - Top 10-Lottery pick.

12. SF Leandro Bolmaro 6’7 180 ARGENTINA - Top pick - Lottery pick

15. PF/C Aleksej Pokusevski 7’0 205 SERBIA - Lottery pick

28. PG Payton Pritchard 6’2 205 OREGON Lottery - Late 1st RD pick

34. SF Corey Kispert 6’7 220 GONZAGA - Late 1st - Early 2nd round

38. PF/C Killian Tillie 6’10 220 GONZAGA - Early 2nd- mid 2nd round pick

42. C Fillip Petrusev 6’11 235 GONZAGA- Mid 2nd RD.

49. SG Sam Merrill 6’5 205 UTAH STATE- Mid 2nd - Late 2nd RD

PG Yam Madar 6’3 185 ISRAEL - Mid 2nd rd pick

52. SF Tres Tinkle 6’8 225 OREGON STATE - Late 2nd RD

56. C Omer Yuertseven 7’0 260 GEORGETOWN- Late 2nd RD

58. SF Justinian Jessup 6’7 203 BOISE STATE - Late 2nd RD - Undrafted Free-Agent.

60. C Jon Teske 7’1 265 MICHIGAN Late 2nd RD - UDFA

63. SG Nate Darling 6’5 200 DELAWARE - Late 2nd RD - UDFA

66. PG Rokas Jokubaitis 6’4 185 LITHUANIA- UDFA

 

[white lightning]

Payton Pritchard can flat out jump out of the building! Both Pritchard and Manion are going to change the perceptions of the white point guards.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1272924337301938179

 

[white lightning]

More Patyon Prtichard. This kid has all the talent in the world. If he goes to the right team he is destined to be a star.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1283894949172269056

 

[Shadowlight]

The NBA draft has been moved around. It was originally postponed to October 16th but has been moved again to November 19th. I think part of the delay is because they wanted more time to evaluate players.

So they devised this rather complicated NBA Combine scheme that I believe has already started and will continue through October 16th? It is too bad that three out of the four top foreign prospects (Pokuesevski, Petrusev and Bolmaro) won't be part of the process. I think the reason for that is towards the end of the "combine" players are required to attend a workout session which will include testing. The majority of the combine takes place "virtually."

For some reason finding the list of participants is a bit hard but I found them on a twitter account. I don't believe Tres Tinkle from Oregon State is involved but I could have missed him and another white player or two. The list I found is tiny. Below are the participants:

Nico Mannion

Sam Merrill

Deni Avdija ( a foreign player who managed to participate)

Killian Tillie

Hopefully if they release the results we will find out such important things like their vertical leap.

 

[white lightning]

Speaking of Nico Mannion. He struggled with his shot in his freshman year of college but just yesterday hit 37-40 three point shots in a practice session. This kid is gonna be incredible to watch as he continues to mature and develop. I would love to see him
some how end up in Dallas but I doubt that will happen. As long as he goes to a semi white friendly team that believes in him and plays him I will be happy.

The other american point guard I'm stoked about is Payton Prtichard. It's gonna be a fun draft as we have alot of players that can eventually become all stars. Sad to say but the nba has been slightly better than the nfl as of recently. Hope the trend continues!

 

[Shadowlight]

FYI Pritchard is also a combine participant. I didn't list him because he is half Asian.

Mannion is an enigma. I am glad to see he had a good workout and his form always seemed spot on. He seems better than the stats he ended up with at Arizona. Hopefully the testing numbers will be available and I will post them if they become public. Especially interested in the verticals of Mannion, Avdija and former volleyball player Tillie. Not sure how much all of Tillie's injuries have affected his athleticism? I will guess Avdija's vertical at 37-40 inches?

 

[icsept]

FYI Pritchard is also a combine participant. I didn't list him because he is half Asian.

Mannion is an enigma. I am glad to see he had a good workout and his form always seemed spot on. He seems better than the stats he ended up with at Arizona. Hopefully the testing numbers will be available and I will post them if they become public. Especially interested in the verticals of Mannion, Avdija and former volleyball player Tillie. Not sure how much all of Tillie's injuries have affected his athleticism? I will guess Avdija's vertical at 37-40 inches?

I’m not seeing the half-Asian. What’s your source?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10220547106691417&set=a.10206470828953271&type=3

 

[Shadowlight]

When I looked up Pritchard when he was in high school I came to the conclusion he had some Asian characteristics in the eyes. Below is a picture of his family. His dad is white but his mom on the right doesn't strike me as 100% white. I couldn't tell you exactly what Asian country her ancestors are from but I suspect she has at least some Asian blood. Perhaps others here don't see it but I have pretty much made up my mind. I suppose American Indian is another possibility although I categorize them as Asian too.

 

[white lightning]

When I looked up Pritchard when he was in high school I came to the conclusion he had some Asian characteristics in the eyes. Below is a picture of his family. His dad is white but his mom on the right doesn't strike me as 100% white. I couldn't tell you exactly what Asian country her ancestors are from but I suspect she has at least some Asian blood. Perhaps others here don't see it but I have pretty much made up my mind. I suppose American Indian is another possibility although I categorize them as Asian too.

View attachment 3113

I 100% disagree as do many here. I don't see it at all. She looks italian maybe. Who knows? I know scottish girls that look like her. You are looking at something that is not there. He is white period!

Please don't take this as an attack on you as we love your thoughts and insight. You are spot on 95% of the time. I just respectfully disagree here. The kid is as white as I am.

 

[icsept]

Agreed. Nothing personal Shadowlight, you are a top notch contributor. In researching this issue, Payton’s father was a football player and mother a gymnast at Oklahoma University. Nice athletic genes, for sure. Mother came from Oregon, that’s why they ended back in the Northeast. Whole family looks 100% Caucasian. God knows, if there was a drop of Asian blood it would be made known by the media.

 

[DWF Upside]

He’s got weird football shaped eyes and a frozen funny look on his face. I think he’s close to 100% white. Sort of has that “reindeer people” look maybe a bit. Seeing his parents, does it for me. There was a little doubt, way back seeing his 247 recruiting profile.

 

[Shadowlight]

Just call me killjoy. I am just airing out how I see him. I am not advocating who one can root for or not. I see some Asian. The mother is from Oregon. A lot of Asians live there including Eskimo variations. A member above mentioned a Mongol factor but I couldn't decipher the rest of his post. The photo above is a white couple but they aren't Pritchard's parents. The photo I inserted shows his parents. I should interject Payton nearly looks like a carbon copy of his dad except for the minor detail I picked up on. There are not a lot of photos of the mother. Below the guy to Payton's right is some high school official of some sort. The other picture is a younger Payton. And one with his girlfriend. You guys still don't see any Asian whatsoever?

 

[icsept]

Well, Shadowlight, if you’re right the NBA will surely make a big deal about his non-White heritage.

 

[Shadowlight]

When an ego centric perfectionist loner like myself who turns the smallest mole hill slights into mountains, especially when I feel I'm right, is told that he is dead wrong on a subject like Payton Pritchard's race map, I can't help but get annoyed. I can barely live with myself. I envy roll with the punches type. I am though a touch baffled that the "Asian and or non white" I see isn't registering with anyone else? Whatever.

That said if a member here feels comfortable supporting and promoting Pritchard they don't have to worry about me saying tsk tsk every step of the way. I have no desire playing hall monitor on this subject so if members want to put their full weight of support behind Pritchard I say let it rip. I feel that way about other athletes too. I was just airing out my own take on him and will gladly stand back and watch the proceedings.

But nothing motivates a holy fool like me when I'm up against it so I wondered if I could investigate the case further? And I found one other avenue by basically using the old "if you can't get in the front door try the back door" technique.

Pritchard's aunt Lisa Griffith, obviously on his mother's side, played basketball at Arizona in the late 90's. Below is a picture of her when she played and the other picture is an older Griffith on her twitter feed. Look at the pictures and make up your own mind.

 

[Phil]

Pritchard does look mixed. Maybe part native american.

 

[Leonardfan]

When an ego centric perfectionist loner like myself who turns the smallest mole hill slights into mountains, especially when I feel I'm right, is told that he is dead wrong on a subject like Payton Pritchard's race map, I can't help but get annoyed. I can barely live with myself. I envy roll with the punches type. I am though a touch baffled that the "Asian and or non white" I see isn't registering with anyone else? Whatever.

That said if a member here feels comfortable supporting and promoting Pritchard they don't have to worry about me saying tsk tsk every step of the way. I have no desire playing hall monitor on this subject so if members want to put their full weight of support behind Pritchard I say let it rip. I feel that way about other athletes too. I was just airing out my own take on him and will gladly stand back and watch the proceedings.

But nothing motivates a holy fool like me when I'm up against it so I wondered if I could investigate the case further? And I found one other avenue by basically using the old "if you can't get in the front door try the back door" technique.

Pritchard's aunt Lisa Griffith, obviously on his mother's side, played basketball at Arizona in the late 90's. Below is a picture of her when she played and the other picture is an older Griffith on her twitter feed. Look at the pictures and make up your own mind.

View attachment 3119

View attachment 3120

Great detective work! I have been trying to figure out the deal with UNC QB Sam Howell. I can't tell what his dad's background is - is he white? indian/white mix? part asian? feel free to investigate further @Shadowlight if you are up for the case! lol jk

 

[white lightning]

I don't see anything other than a young white guy.

 

[white lightning]

Even with the short hair there is no doubt in my mind. We are looking for things that are not there. If we can't root for kids like this then what is the use of this site. I can't believe we are discussing this. It's so obvious.

 

[Shadowlight]

Great detective work! I have been trying to figure out the deal with UNC QB Sam Howell. I can't tell what his dad's background is - is he white? indian/white mix? part asian? feel free to investigate further @Shadowlight if you are up for the case! lol jk

This one is a layup. Before I get to it I know I am strict on this subject. I just feel any opening whatsoever gives Steve Sailer types an out where the "special" athletic ability will be attributed to the non white portion of an athlete. I don't want to give them one single ounce of breathing space. Which is why I insist on clean as a whistle all white athletes as examples against caste thinking.

I figured if Leonardfan brought it up something is askew because he has proven to have one of the best sniffers around. The name Howell does not match but Sam Howell's dad is I am almost certain Filipino. Sam has two siblings and his sister looks full out Asian. Now Filipinos are usually a mixture of Asian and Spanish. If you ever wondered why most people from the Philippines are Catholic it is because the Spanish, who I believe arrived in the 16th century, introduced it to them.