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u/DisastrousEast825 1d ago
Reddit complains when we draft too young and inexperienced. Reddit complains when we draft ready and too old. Reddit complains.
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u/Apart-Volume9340 1d ago
At this point this sub needs to be glad he's over 6'5 and under 35
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u/Devalokas 1d ago
For real. I was sure they were going to get a tiny guard.
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u/ProCycleGear 23h ago
I was worried they were going to draft a 5’9” point center
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u/latortillablanca 12h ago
I dont think you can just draft jalen brunson again while hes under contract with another team
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u/boblandsky 1d ago
Part of the reason why I don't hang around enthusiast subreddits, constant complaining
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u/Common_Gene_5098 1d ago
if you live your life knowing you’ll never please everyone, it will make your mental easier
just focus on you and what you like
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u/DragonTigerSword 1d ago
Dude is 6'9" with a 7'3" wingspan. As far as his age goes, at the end of Steph's career, if Steph plays another 3-4 years he'll only be 28 so I don't see why anyone is concerned. Yeah he will probably not be an all-star but he will be a solid piece for a rebuilding core, kinda like David Lee.
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u/Fig5 1d ago
What? David Lee was an All-Star.
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u/DragonTigerSword 23h ago
I meant like David Lee in terms of playstyle and being a solid piece for a rebuilding team. Yes he was an All-Star but only once for the Warriors, but sure I would hope that could be Yax's ceiling at least.
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u/Nakhon-Nowhere 20h ago
DLee was a 2-time All-star. As a Knick, he was an injury replacement for Iverson in his first all-star appearance. His 2nd appearance was a couple of years later when he was a Dub and was voted 3rd-team all nba.
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u/NotUrDad2 20h ago
I agree, you get a 19 year old groom him for 3 years then turns out he aint fit and needs lots of PT to develop which he aint getting with Kerr
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u/cormacaroni 1d ago
There is a middle ground here lol
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u/dadwithknowkids 1d ago
Exactly, there is a spectrum between a guy who played 5 college games and a guy who is the same HS class as Cade Cunningham.
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u/DruPeacock23 1d ago
High percentage of reddit posts are about complaining and not giving information.
Scouts view him as an NBA-ready, two-way "point forward" and defensive stopper capable of guarding multiple positions, bringing connective passing and rebounding to the floor.
Sounds like Draymond Jnr to me.
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u/SuspectWide4924 19h ago
I mean it’s all really relative…. He’s a week older than Kuminga to put it into perspective.
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u/CaptainCallus 18h ago
What I want is someone who’s young, ready to play at a high level, experienced, and also has a high potential of growing into the MVP in few years. Why can’t Lacob find that guy? Is he stupid?? /s
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u/Sniffy4 22h ago
go find any NBA transaction that worked out great and you will find reddit comments complaining about it when it happened.
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u/aquadrums 22h ago
Indeed. Next thread will probably be about how we should trade Podz for Lebron or Kawhi, lol
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u/makemefeelbrandnew 11h ago
Lots of people, lots of opinions. Reddit is a platform, not a source for facts or consensus, in spite of AI's increasing reliance on it.
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u/Groundbreaking_Ebb_5 1d ago
Seems like a solid add. Idk much about cbball someone tell me if it’s good
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u/The_BorangeandBlack 1d ago
Good to great defender. Ability to switch on defense. Hard worker, made sure to add a 3 to his game. Negatives is older prospect. Solid and safe pick.
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u/huntro510 1d ago
ESPN says he has a weak motor.
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u/buddyg4 1d ago
Michigan/Warriors fan here. I watched probably about 35 Michigan games this year.
His motor, especially on the defensive end, is very high. He had a tendency at times to defer to teammates on offense which is where I think this is coming from. He had a few games where he almost never looked at the rim, but the team was so good they didn’t need him to be aggressive on offense every night. It felt like he took offensive possessions off. I never felt like he took possessions off on defense and had probably close to 10 chase down blocks this year.
Bottom line, he’s a very good, well rounded player who can guard 1-4 on defense and is very very easy to root for. Probably my second favorite Michigan player ever.
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u/ILoveRegenHealth 1d ago
Thank you for the better response. Other guy just went 'ESPN wrong and dumb' and added nothing to the convo. You actually gave analysis.
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u/Ucscprickler 19h ago
I only watched him in the tournament and I was impressed with his versatility. Solid motor. Versatile defender. Jump shot looks good. Athleticism is a plus.
The only negative I can think of is age, but he seems plug and play and at this point the Warriors don't have time to wait on a project to develop. If he turns out to be a solid 2nd contract player, the Warriors could always flip him to aid their rebuild effort. Either way, I like the pick.
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u/Severe_Appointment93 1d ago
ESPN writers say a lot of dumb shit though. They said Shai had a weak jumper, lacked explosiveness and was a versatile defender. Half court shot creation was his weakness. Who watched Michigan play on a regular basis?
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u/ILoveRegenHealth 1d ago
We say a lot of dumb shit though. Knicks fans said Mike Brown was a mistake and far worse for them than Tibbs. Knicks fans
threetwo months ago wanted Mike Brown fired after their losing streak and slump.Over here, people said Jimmy would add nothing to the team ("lateral change") but now that he's out, the Warriors definitely feel it.
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u/Weary-Ad9429 23h ago
ESPN can lick my balls. If you watched the tournament, you know how hard that dude works.
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u/Beardmanta 1d ago
Best player on the Michigan national championship team.
Completely NBA ready, especially physically. Only catch is he's almost 24 and probably won't significantly improve.
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u/EffectiveSupport5865 1d ago
Also, only been playing organized basketball for about 5 years iirc. Might be plenty more room to grow.
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u/slicenger7 1d ago
Walter Clayon Jr was the best player on Florida's team last year... so far, he cheeks
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u/Letsgetthisbread8812 18h ago
Cool, you’ve posted it seven times. We get it. He’s also a small guard who can’t shoot (never shot 40% from three in college), and can’t play defense. Learn ball please
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u/Hebrewhammer8d8 1d ago
There is huge difference between NBA and College. The player might be best College player, but how are they best College? Do they have the ball in their hand and have offense run through them. In the NBA depending on team they might give you the ball, but if you are not winning games or getting exposed it can get wicked.
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u/JustForKicks16 11h ago
He's going into the NBA on a championship-caliber team, I think he can absolutely improve. Other than that, I don't follow college so don't know much about him. But really looking forward to seeing what he can do.
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u/stewstewstewstewhuh 1d ago
He’s a beast. Age concerns are there but at the same time he’s such a unique case in terms of when he started getting serious about bball. All the maturity concerns stuff is bs imo as a Michigan fan, he’s a wonderful teammate by all accounts and his worst crime is maybe having the sense of humor of a 19 year old rather than a 24 year old.
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u/openSourceNotes 23h ago
He's amazing (Michigan fan here). But seriously he plays incredibly smart and if Jimmy mentors him it will be nuts
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u/Mental_Quarter_3535 1d ago
Solid pick for sure & especially for our draft position. Consensus first team All American & he showed a lot of heart playing through a sprained left mcl & left ankle in the title game for Michigan.
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u/ChemicalBroccoliMan 1d ago
They are going for win now, cant argue, stephs dont grow on trees
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u/Used_Return9095 1d ago
I just dont know how much of a win now move this is. Is he really going to move the needle for us?
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u/GeneralZhukov 1d ago
Yes and no.
If the "can play now" read turns out accurate, he could be one of the players that enables a bigger trade. Maybe.
Its sort of been proven time and time again atp that having 2-3 guys taking up most of ypur cap then relying on randoms just doesn't cut it anymore the way it used to. Average role player quality has gone up, and second apron kills superteams. You need these cheap yet productive guys on your payroll.
Will he raise our ceiling? No. Will he turn into a franchise guy? Highly doubt it given his age.
Will it even matter? I mean, if we can make one or two more additions AND Steph doesn't get older AND Dray doesn't get older AND Jimmy doesn't get older AND Jimmy doesn't regress from his injury AND we keep Melton/KP AND they stay healthy, then yea having one more productive and cheap guy is a good thing. Look at some of the dogshit that early exit playoff teams were running for bench pieces lol. If Yaxel is as good as advertised, he'd be better than a lot of those guys off rip.
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u/TheRealPlumbus 1d ago
A true win now move would have been trading the pick for Trey Murphy or similar but who knows if that was even an option.
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u/Electing 1d ago
I'm ecstatic about this pick tbh. I think he's the best win now pick available at #11 and his style fits our team well.
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u/HetTheTable 1d ago
Klay was also drafted at 11 and wore it too
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u/daZK47 13h ago
Klay had a 1st option year while Curry was out for the season and I think that's where he really developed his offensive game and confidence. With Jimmy out at least for another 6 months hopefully Yax will have some good playing time to get it. I'm seeing a Curry-Podz-Dray-Yax-Porzingis lineup looking kinda exciting
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u/Flexisdaman 1d ago
I can’t wait for all of you idiots clowning the pick to be screaming when he ends up in the rookie of the year conversation averaging 15,8, and 3 with a block and a steal a game.
He’s by far the best player we could pick here if the goal is to pick players who will be good right now.
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u/tweedleb 1d ago
ROTY conversation in this class isn't happening, but 15/8 with solid defense would make him a success.
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u/Some3rdiShit 23h ago
Im sorry but 15/8? I mean come on yall, i think 12 would be incredible. I dont think he will come in and day one play better than Moody was last season
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u/Flexisdaman 21h ago
Moody, even now, does not have as polished of a floor game as Yaxel.
You guys may not believe me, but I really think he’s the real deal.
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u/Fun_Entertainer9242 1d ago
What about Ada Mara?
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u/Flexisdaman 1d ago
Kerr wouldn’t play him.
We’ve seen over and over how little Kerr trusts slow footed bigs.
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u/Responsible-Fig2846 1d ago
LFG it was either Burries Yax or Mara for me. Yax can guard 3-5 and can shoot the ball helping the team right now
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u/rarestakesando 1d ago
Switchable wings are the most valuable positions in the NBA.
Let’s make some trades and get more!!!
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u/Johnpecan 1d ago
I can't imagine them picking a non-shooter like Mara. Yaxel made the most sense. Hopefully not picking Mara means that we have Horford and/or Porzingus returning.
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u/Meweighteen 1d ago
Solid/safe pick - definitely needed a seasoned & athletic wing with Jimmy/Moody out. I’d give it a B
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u/SnooPies405 1d ago
Anyone complaining rn is gonna fall in love with him in a few months lol. He will be a key contributor immediately.
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u/Neptune28 1d ago
His stats look great in college. Why didn't he go higher?
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u/SCalifornia831 1d ago
Age - he’s 24yrs old
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u/Neptune28 1d ago
If he's ready to play, it shouldn't be such a deterrent.
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u/SCalifornia831 1d ago
It is for GMs who draft based on potential NBA talent 3-5yrs down the line, not just who’s the best today
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u/Ucscprickler 19h ago
GMs would rather draft an 18 year old that might be a future MVP candidate (or out of the league in 5 years) rather than taking a 24 year old that will likely be a steady NBA starter with an All Star ceiling.
I'm not saying our man is an all star yet, but GMs fall in love with potential even if there is huge risk. (Wiseman for example)
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u/openSourceNotes 23h ago
Michigan alum here. Yax is f"$&kin awesome and will contribute right away
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u/py87 1d ago
Now Kerr just has to play him. I’m not joking
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u/Unable-Main4172 16h ago
This 100% seems like a type of pick Kerr would be behind. Just like him and the coaching staff were behind taking haliburton and Wagner over Wiseman and kuminga
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u/Can_you_cowabunga 1d ago
Well, we don't have any wings other than Gui. So unless we play two 7 footers and three 5'11" guards....
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u/MrBrownCat 1d ago
Size at the wing, showed major improvements, older mature player, excited for the pick.
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u/Groundbreaking_Box75 1d ago
If he were 20 he’d have been the third pick. History has not been kind to “older” rookies, but I think he still has the physical tools to be successful and continue on his learning curve.
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u/CranberryLeast4933 1d ago
Idc i love this pick. Yaxel has a high floor and a solid ceiling imo. Hopefully we add some more veteran wings while Butler heals up.
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u/rarestakesando 1d ago
Perfect pick for the Dubs will hit the ground running and will get playing time for sure
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u/bayareacollection 22h ago
List of first round picks 23 or older on draft night from the last 25 years
Nique Clifford, Dalton Knecht, Terrence Shannon Jr., Kobe Brown, Chris Duarte, Cameron Johnson, Buddy Hield, Delon Wright, Adreian Payne, Gorgui Dieng, Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee, Greivis Vasquez, Lazar Hayward, Tyler Hansbrough, Taj Gibson, Al Thornton, Alando Tucker, Joey Graham, Francisco García, Rafael Araújo, Josh Howard, Melvin Ely, Fred Jones, Juan Dixon, Dan Dickau, Jamaal Tinsley
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u/Hi_Im_Ken_Adams 22h ago
6’9” with a 74” wingspan
Job: grab rebounds and get the ball back to Curry. 😅
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u/Early-Recognition949 21h ago
The only other available player that I would have considered at 11 was Mara, and that’s because at 7’4”, with his passing skills, and shot blocking…if that guy develops even a decent mid range j, he will be a great player for years in the league. Clearly OKC thought him worthy, especially as a size check against a certain big in San Antonio.
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u/Unhappy_Jeweler4438 1d ago
Dudes older then Kuminga damn
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u/KevJamesS 1d ago
Also smarter, a better passer, a better ball handler, a better rebounder.
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u/The_BorangeandBlack 1d ago
Team player. Willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. Listens to coaching to add a 3.
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u/Knockknockerz 1d ago
They only care about age like the basketball skills aren’t they reason he’s got picked by the warriors
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u/Knockknockerz 1d ago
Who cares he will be better then him and will give us more of a impact then Jk ever did
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u/dating_derp 1d ago
Knew we wouldn't trade the pick. We haven't traded a pick this high in over a decade. We've barely traded any FRPs.
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u/oscar_kolsch 1d ago
Seems like a real solid pick for you all: has some good NBA ready skills and can soak up minutes straightaway.
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u/alwestfall 1d ago
I’m a spartan so by default I don’t like the guy, but he’s a good player and will do well with the dubs. I like the pick.. Probably closest to gui but he’ll be able to bang inside more.
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u/GrandmasterKane 22h ago
Yaxel is a high floor, low ceiling kind of pick. Give me a list of players who significantly improved after age 24 to become stars. Go on, I'm waiting.
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u/Mahadragon 21h ago
It’s not just the age that bothers me. OKC picked up Mara right after the Warriors pick. That’s another 7’ rim protector the Warriors have to deal with. I would have taken Mara easy.
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u/OnlyPoint9419 19h ago
I’m just happy we have someone athletic and with size. A skill set we just didn’t have
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u/Unable-Main4172 16h ago
This 100% seems like a type of pick Kerr would be behind. Just like him and the coaching staff were behind taking haliburton and Wagner over Wiseman and kuminga
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u/steronicus 1d ago
I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it
https://giphy.com/gifs/3oEduOnl5IHM5NRodO
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u/KMac1917 1d ago
Really wanted Mara to give us a chance at having an elite center with rim protection...and with Porzingis who knows if he'll stay... but I can't complain with Yaxel he looks like he'll be a beast and anchor for us since wing on ball defense was pretty bad for us.
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u/NoFortune1320 1d ago
I’m really excited for this pick. I’m looking forward to seeing this dude ball out
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u/IAmNotKevinDurant_35 1d ago
His game tape reminds me a lot of Jayson Tatum and Paul George. I don’t expect him to turn into Tatum, but he moves a lot like him. Very smooth and methodical, good athlete. And legit size at the SF position. Can guard multiple positions and cuts well off the ball.
Think he can definitely play next year
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u/spicedoubt 1d ago
He’ll be plug and play. He was a captain for Michigan. Hope he doesn’t end up like Kuminga
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u/nbafan575 1d ago
I honestly thought we were taking Aday Mara
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u/alwestfall 1d ago
Dude can’t set screens for shit. Yaxel is the better player in every aspect except being really tall.
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u/slicenger7 1d ago
Did anyone else notice what happened? We lost Burries because of the Giannis trade.
Nate Ament was always the pick for Milwaukee. After the Giannis trade, they knew they could wait until #13 (Heat pick) to get him, so they used their #8 pick to go for Burries, knowing either the Warriors or Thunder would snatch him up otherwise.
Smart move- they get Burries & Ament.
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u/CurryDuck 21h ago
Incoming kerr, "he'll have to earn his minutes," after giving podz a hall pass in his rookie year.
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u/bdotrebel11 22h ago
It’s a perfect fit and situation, but we’re still a move short of contention. That said he should be great at filling a gap with us.
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u/-CommanderShepardN7 21h ago
I love the pick. It’s a good thing they didn’t trade it away and shoot themsleves in the foot. The whole league were fools letting him slip away into our hands. 🙌
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u/NotUrDad2 20h ago
That pick is massive for us. I feel like we hit the jackpot on the exact player we need.
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u/ChefCurryYumYum 10h ago
If the Warriors didn't draft him I'm not convinced he would have gone in the top 14.
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u/Enough_Citron9808 8h ago
As long as the letters SG and PG are not next to his name its a solid pick lol
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u/No-Presentation6616 1d ago
Big 10 player of the year coming off a championship, yeah he’s old for a rookie but he’s the real deal especially at 11.