#see most shows have a golden first season and then season 2 goes so downhill and we don’t even talk about season 3

[theriverdalereviewer]

90210 season 2 was a drama only shakespeare could have penned

[elemental-daddy-neos]

YGO! Questionnaire

Tagged by @cipher-wise

Pleasantly surprised to be in one of these, so let’s go

Favorite series: *Gestures to icon* Is it any surprise I’ll be picking GX? I love GX with all my heart and soul. The story’s pacing is very good and never feels like it’s dragging its feet to get to where it’s going, most duels are over in less than a full episode with the longest one being three, there are so many good characters to get invested in, and this boy right here is your protagonist.

Look at him blow kisses to the audience after beating Crowler, how could anyone not love Jaden Yuki? I care him so much. Even the filler episodes in GX are pretty fun to watch most of the time, and it’s the good kind of filler that may not advance the plot much or at all, but it’ll give you plenty of good memories to take with you. Who could possibly forget the eggwich thief? Not to mention the soundtrack fucking slaps.

Favorite protagonist: I mean...

Yeah it’s Jaden. GX hooked me immediately when I started watching it because of how much I loved this boy. He’s that perfect mix of cocky and sweet when it comes to dueling because he’s confident in his own abilities, but he never stops having fun and being amazed at what his opponent can do, he cares about all of his friends and does his best to help them with their problems, he’s kind to strangers, and he has exactly half a brain cell. 

I feel the gif speaks for itself, but Jaden’s dialogue when he turns around here is “I’m such a sucker for things like this! I’ll help you, ma’am!” Dorothy says “No, you’ll be late... Don’t you have a test today?” And Jaden replies with “Who cares if I’m late? I couldn’t leave a lady in trouble!” Jaden Yuki is my absolute favorite protagonist.

Favorite rival: Oh man is that a tough one. Am I allowed to pick two? It’s a hard call to make between this dumb edgy bitch-

And this dumb gay bitch

Honestly they’re tied for favorite rival in my book. I absolutely loved Chazz when I watched GX, and I thought his arc about breaking through his inferiority/superiority complex and learning to accept loss as a part of life without letting it define him was wonderfully written, and seeing him grow as a person throughout the show just made me feel happy for him. Shark... I really thought I wasn’t going to end up liking Shark at first, but god he just gets so much better as Zexal goes on, starting out as this mean spirited middle school bully in episode one, and slowly ending up as Yuma’s boyfriend closest friend. It’s incredible to look back at how Shark acts when he’s first introduced and compare it to... season 3, I think it was, where just hearing the words “Yuma’s in danger” is enough to send him running to his rival’s side. Chazz and Shark. They are my favorites.

Favorite BFF: Him

Crow Hogan is an absolute treasure and he was my favorite part about watching 5Ds. This little bird man first gets introduced by stealing cards for his kids and clowning on Sector Security, and he’s a source of so much good throughout the show. Excellent best friend (technically brother but I’m counting him), wonderful father, 10/10 person all around. Plus the fact that the only thing stopping him from berating his bitchass brother even more was Yusei having to literally pick him up and pull him away is definitely extra points in my book. What a powerful little bird. His only weakness is people that are taller than him, which is unfortunately most people.

Favorite GFF:

Yuzu. Have I actually watched Arc V yet? No, but I’m still picking Yuzu for my number one here. Tea and Tori are just awful characters, I’m neutral towards Alexis, and Akiza... Did have potential to be something interesting on her own, despite how uncomfortable she made me in seasons 1-2 of 5Ds, but her relevance is alllll downhill from there. I’ve seen one clip of Yuzu yelling at a man eating pie and calling him a 100th rate duelist, and that was all I needed to know she would be my favorite. (Clip here) 

Favorite villain: Oh boy

The fuckin carrot is my favorite villain, and I say this as someone who fully believes he didn’t deserve to be in the last episode. Vector did some fucked up shit in his day, and he only continued to do fucked up shit in Yuma’s day, but I have to say he was pretty effective when it came down to his goals. He got things done and went right for what he wanted by taking direct action to seize Don Thousand’s power, and he manipulated Yuma perfectly by preying on his kind nature and love for Astral to use him to further his goals. 

...Plus I mean just look at his subbed dialogue God he’s such a slut. Evil slutty alien.

Tl;dr Vector was a horrible horrible person, but he was a good villain, and he was so entertaining whenever he was on screen that it was impossible not to like him. Still kinda wish he got what he deserved though, and what he deserved definitely wasn’t another chance.

Speaking of Don Thousand though, can we talk about how unfairly pretty he is? If I had to pick a runner up villain in terms of looks alone, it would definitely be him.

God it was not fair how pretty the big bad of Zexal was. He’s fucking gorgeous, and in my opinion, the best looking villain at the very least.

Favorite card: *Sweats in Duel Links* Favorite? There’s so many cards out there to pick from, but since I’ve already broken the rules with my two favorite rivals, I’ll be picking two of each card type: Spells, traps, and monsters. One for the aesthetic, and one for how often I make use of it.

First up, the Aesthetics group

What can I say, Vampiric Koala is such a cutie, Dwimmered Path has some really pretty card art, and Rainbow Life is an eternal flex on any heteros I may encounter while playing Duel Links. Nothing better than a gay trap card.

Now for usability

Dragon Knight of Creation is suuuper helpful in any dragon themed deck and has a permanent slot in my decks for Mokuba and Kaiba, PoG is always a fun way to boost up weak monsters to ridiculous heights, and Dark Bribe just lets you block your opponent like “Okay I know you wanna hurt me but I will let you draw another card if you do not do that thing”, and they can’t refuse you.

Favorite episode: I’ll be copying cipher’s format here and picking one for each series, but this will still only total out to five for me since I’ve yet to watch past Zexal ^^; Soon I’ll get to Arc V! One day...

Season 0: Episode 16:  Turnabout by a Hair's Breadth - The White-Robed Crisis I’m a sucker for my son Joey, and this was a good Joey episode about him and his sister, plus it was nice seeing that doctor get what he deserved :) Duel Monsters: Season 5, episode 12-14:  The Deciding Match for Duel King - Yugi vs. Leon/Golden Castle of Stromberg/KC Grand Prix Ends  Probably a weird batch of episodes to pick, I know, but a lot of DM was kinda forgettable to me, and these are some of the few episodes I do recall. I just... really felt for Leon’s situation, and I wanted good things for that boy. I care him. GX: Season 3, episode 34: Dark Fusion! Inferno Wing!! Jim. Jim Jim Jimmmmm. This was the episode that finally made me understand why saviorshipping was a thing because it hits you with all these memories Jim has of Jaden and shows how they bonded before all this Dark World shit happened, and the whole thing was very emotional. 5Ds: Season 4, episode 2-3:  Recollections, Entrusted with a Friend's Dying Wish God Crow, my precious bird son. I really liked the backstory they gave him, despite how much it hurt. It was probably the best character development he got in the whole of 5Ds, and let you see a side to him you probably wouldn’t expect. I loved watching him get his justice. Zexal II: Season 2, episode 5-6:  Alito the Silent Fighter - Reunion of the Passionate Duelists!/ Be Revived! The Duelist Soul That Transcends Life!! I picked these episodes for Nistro and Nistro alone. He was one of my absolute favorites in Zexal, and seeing how well he and Dextra were doing was good for the soul. Just look at this good lion man right here.

Look at him!!!

Favorite decks to use: Elemental Heroes, Aromages, Red Eyes, Six Samurai, and Crystal Beasts.

Fusion, Ritual, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Link: I’m a simple girl, I love fusion/tributes for how easy they are, but synchro can be pretty fun, too

Years in fandom: ??? Even I don’t know the answer to this one, friends. I used to be in the fandom when I was in middle school, wrote/read a few fanfics here and there, but then I fell out of it for... Well I’m 22 now and only got back into things 6 months ago? I started rewatching the abridged series of Duel Monsters in March, and from there I just wanted to consume actual Yugioh content and never went back.

Who am I tagging: @finding-fallen-petals @dizziedaikonn​ @chazzaroo​ Go wild y’all

[fiiore-blogs]

( lorenzo zurzolo , 20 , cismale ) i  just  bumped  into  fiore  gattuso  the  other  day  while  walking  down  north  kingsboro , where  he  lives . i  hear  they  can  be  charming  and  narcissistic , but  when  i  think  of  them  i  immediately  think  of  bloodshot  baby  blue  eyes , luxury  brands , an  enchanting  smile ( ari , 21 , she / her , est ) 

tw : homophobia , abuse

full  name : fiore emiliano luca gattuso ( first name pronounced fee-oh-reh, also see here! )

nicknames : fifi, emmy ( by people who know his middle name ), some people might say… flower boy ( fiore literally means flower in italian ) 😳

gender : cismale

height :  5 ′ 8

age : 20

birthday : may 30 , 2000

zodiac : gemini ( aries moon, libra ascendant )

right  handed  or  left  handed : left  handed

eye  color : baby blue

hair  color : basically dark blonde / light brown

piercing  &  tattoos : the gemini symbol on his left wrist, a cartilage piercing on his right ear

languages  spoken : italian  ( native  tongue ), english, spanish, pretty decent sicilian

sexuality : bisexual / biromantic

place  of  birth : livorno , tuscany , italy

last  3  songs  listened  to : dimmi che mi ami by dj matrix, almeno stavolta by nek, west coast by lana del rey

character  inspo : kat hernandez from euphoria ( huge muse ! ), adam groff from sex education ( think season 2 adam ), alyssa foley from the end of the fucking world, maeby funke from arrested development, lucrecia montesinos from elite

♡ so fiore was born to a spanish mother named martina & a fully italian father named gian gattuso in tuscany, but they later moved to rome when he was around four years old. his mother is a very well known politician & his father is a billionaire, heir of several gas, water & electric companies all over europe. besides that, he is also a preacher and very involved in church. both his parents are very well off financially

♡ fiore grew up with anything he’s ever wanted ( materialistically, of course ). besides that, his parents genuinely weren’t the best of people. his mother stole millions from the so called campaigns she ran & was a very corrupt politician, his father treated his employees like shit & was a pretty hateful person altogether

♡ they were people who expected a lot out of their only son, which made fiore feel an insane amount of pressure from the very start. at a very young age, he showed characteristics lots of boys his age didn’t show. he did things like peeing while sitting down instead of standing up, preferred to play with dolls instead of ‘boy toys’, favored the color pink, got along better with girls, preferred to watch shows that were considered ‘girly’, etc etc.

♡ they were very harmless things honestly, things that most parents would laugh about & turn a blind eye. however, fiore really wasn’t that lucky when it came to them any time he would do anything they claimed a ‘normal boy wouldn’t do’, he would get a huge lecture & a beating to go with it. needless to say, he learned to hide a lot of who he really was from a very young age

♡ he did a lot of things to seek the approval of his parents. he wasn’t smart academically ( dumb boi 101 tbh ), but he tried to make them happy in other ways. fiore was never fond of sports at all, but he started playing tennis when he was five, because it made his parents happy. truth be told, he hated tennis with every fiber of his being, but again, he did this, simply because it satisfied his parents

♡ he grew up trying to be the perfect son, often times putting himself in situations he didn’t want to be in or felt uncomfortable doing because he wanted them to be proud, but honestly? it was like? never enough. it was all smiles for the pictures, but behind closed doors, he really was pretty damn miserable

♡ simply put, he has always known that he likes boys. he likes girls too, don’t get him wrong, but he knew, literally since he could remember, that he also had a thing for guys too. of course, he was aware that this wouldn’t settle well at all with his extremely strict & unfortunately, very close minded parents, so he buried his feelings incredibly deep

♡ he has a lot of charm & wit & found himself getting into relationships quicker than most of his friends. he briefly dated a girl when he was fourteen, but it was when he was sixteen that things really began getting pretty #spicy

♡ there was a romanian boy new to his very #elite school & if you guessed it, they began to date! his first boyfriend at sixteen years old. fiore was basically living two lives at this point, sneaking around with a guy behind his parents’ back, but when he got home, the facade began. the way he would switch up as soon as he entered the front door to his house was honestly shockingly scary

♡ he really felt himself falling in love with this boy even though they were both fairly young. they snuck around forever. when no one was home, he would sneak him into his room to have sex, sneak out of his house when his parents were asleep, all that fun stuff. their relationship was forbidden ( at least to fiore’s parents ), but things go downhill pretty fast

♡ so one day, fiore & him get really really drunk & honestly? video record themselves having sex fjkgnfv they didn’t do this to post it anywhere or show anyone or anything, they really just did it for themselves. they made a few copies ( stupid boys, i know rip ), but they really felt like they would get married & all that gooey lovey dovey shit so they did it because yolo i guess? this was a pretty big mistake though

♡ one day fiore & him are walking back from his tennis practice. this is a time where fiore knows no one is home & no one is coming home for a while, so when they get to his house & see his father’s car parked outside, he lowkey panics a little. of course he makes the guy leave & goes inside to see what’s going on

♡ his father asks him to come upstairs & surprisingly, leads him into his room. this is when fiore’s entire life practically changes forever. his father turns on his tv & legit starts playing his sex tape with his boyfriend. just picture this though; your extremely homophobic, close minded & hateful father & you sitting on your bed, watching your gay sex tape with your boyfriend

♡ obviously, this news isn’t well taken by his father. to make a long story short, he gets his ass beat. like, literally almost dies type shit. when this happened, he was eighteen and had just recently graduated school, with plans to travel. he knew if his relationship was ever discovered by his parents, it wouldn’t go well, but he really didn’t think them discovering his sexuality would be that brutal

♡ his parents basically disown him at that moment. they bought him a ticket to new york & told him they never wanna see him again. it’s sad, but he packed his things & left in two days to go live with his cousin 

♡ it doesn’t really take an expert to figure out that fiore did not take this move well at all. for months, he was really depressed. he wouldn’t go out & would just lay in bed for the longest time. he was really hurt by everything that happened & it took him a while to recover. he has also lived in italy his whole life & wasn’t really used to life in america at all, but after like the fourth month of just feeling sorry for himself, it was his cousin who snapped him back to reality

♡ he began putting himself out there. at first, he began working at a pizza place, but fiore slowly began to realize how much he despised working. his entire life, he received everything on a golden plater with pure solid gold spoons, he’s always had everything he’s ever wanted without working for it, so this? he was for sure not used to it at all. again, his life completely changed. he went from living in a three story mansion in the most prestigious part of rome to living in a very shitty part of new york, broke almost always, & working a job he hated with everything he had, splitting rent with his cousin

♡ fiore did not want this at all for himself. it wasn’t until he went out clubbing ( fake id & all ), that one his friends showed him the wonders of conning people. they walked into the bar with twenty bucks and left with four thousand dollars

♡ quickly, fiore began to learn his friends’ ways. his looks, personality & his thick italian accent helped him tremendously; it was like people literally couldn’t get enough of him. soon enough, he was conning & finessing the fuck out of older men & women for their money. he once walked into a casino with five dollars and walked out with over 12k

♡ finessing people became a huge hobby of his. he’s also very very lowkey done some camboy stuff, but with a mask on because he’s sneaky af ( legit think kat from euphoria ) like, these super lonely old men or even women are just sending him money for being hot? amazing! it was with all this money that he bought himself a luxury car & jump started his model & influencer career. it was also with this money that him & his cousin ditched the crap show that is south kingsboro & moved into a much better apartment up north. with his looks & persona, he gained followers like crazy & posted videos on youtube as well, getting sponsorships & recognition easier than he expected. he honestly makes a shit ton of money off social media & modeling, like, he’s basically living off his looks, personality & the content he post? we love to see it

♡ there is still a part of fiore that has a lot of issues & trauma. honestly mommy & daddy issues af, but he doesn’t talk about this at all. he literally refuses to talk about anything that happened to him before he was eighteen. no one really knows how he came up or where his family is & he keeps it this way, dodging questions about his personal life as much as he can

♡ in a way, he is kind of relieved with everything that happened with his parents because now, he’s completely free to be himself & do whatever the fuck he wants, knowing very well they can’t really touch him anymore. of course, it still left a mark that he’s never going to be able to erase or forget ( both in his heart & on his body too ), but he feels free for once in his life & he’s honestly kind of happier now, but also, low key needs therapy tbh 🥴

♡ relationship wise, he really doesn’t commit to anyone. after practically being forced to leave his now ex boyfriend, he kind of feels like he doesn’t deserve love? it’s really fucked up but he’s genuinely convinced that no one is ever going to really love him or want to be with him so he just avoids any romantic relationship of any kind, usually just hooking up with people & then leaving as soon as it’s over, or just stealing money from them and ghosting. the truth is that he really does want to be loved, accepted & cared for by someone he loves, accepts & cares for as well, but will it ever happen if he continues pushing people away? probably not tbh

♡ he is a fucking drinker & hella pot smoker!! legit give him some alcohol & weed he’s happy. he always has either one on him, or both tbh. he’s secretly a hella good cook too but this is something almost nobody knows really. he can make food or desserts, and he’s also taught himself to make weed edibles which is honestly iconic kvnfjvc even though he keeps this part of himself hidden

♡ he can be really sneaky & deceiving when he has to be, like, he’ll legit have 0 reason to lie but he’ll lie anyways? it’s like a defense mechanism lmfao

♡ very much conceited boy, honestly in love with his looks but it goes deeper than that. he feels like he has nothing to offer besides being hot so he dwells on looking good always, pretty sure he would rather die than wear sweatpants like vjkdfsvnfs literally always looks a1

♡ is actually? secretly blind af ndjvdfnv one of his many secrets tbh. has a vision of 20/50, nearly 20/60, but hasn’t worn glasses since he was seven, pretty much doing everything with contacts. he just thinks glasses look unattractive on him & honestly refuses to let anyone see him with them on. the only person who even knows he has vision as bad as he does is his cousin who is a npc sooo 🤡

♡ this is all that’s coming to mind rn but hmu for plots pretty pls jkfnvjnfv, this is his birthchart for some extra #tea

[junker-town]

NBA mock draft 2021: Who is rising and falling after NCAA tournament?

Here’s our latest projection of the first round of the NBA draft following the conclusion of the NCAA tournament.

The 2021 men’s NCAA tournament was worth the wait. A year after March Madness was canceled because of the pandemic, 68 teams came to Indianapolis for a bubble setup and gave us a tournament that featured upsets early and the two best teams in the country squaring off in the national championship game.

Now that the confetti has been cleared and the Baylor Bears are wearing men’s college basketball’s crown, it’s time to shift focus to the NBA draft.

The tournament was a mixed bag from a draft perspective. Tennessee’s early exit limited the amount of tape on potential lottery picks Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer, while possible top-10 selections like Arkansas’ Moses Moody and Michigan’s Franz Wagner didn’t play up to their potential despite deep runs by their teams.

The top of our draft board hasn’t changed since the start of the NCAA tournament, but there are a few prospects who have risen because of strong play in March. Baylor guard Davion Mitchell was one of the final cuts in our pre-tournament mock draft, and is now getting lottery hype. A second Baylor player, Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament Jared Butler, has also been projected as a first round pick in our mocks all year.

The NBA draft lottery will be on June 22, and the draft is scheduled for July 29. With the season over for the majority of the prospects, here’s a look at our first round draft projection. These picks were made based on a combination of personal preference, conversations with people around the game, and potential team fit. We’ll have insight on some of the big themes in this year’s class after the table.

Cade Cunningham is still the No. 1 pick

Cunningham entered the season as our projected top pick, and he only reinforced his status as the best prospect in the draft during his freshman year at Oklahoma State. While the Cowboys had a disappointing exit against Oregon State in the Sweet 16, Cunningham put together an All-American year that showed how easily his game is going to translate to today’s NBA.

Listed at 6’8, 220 pounds, Cunningham projects as the lead engine of an NBA offense. He has the passing vision and burst to run pick-and-roll at a high level, and can put added pressure on the defense with his own downhill scoring ability. Cunningham’s three-point shooting was a supposed question mark coming into the season, but he hit 40 percent of his 155 attempts from behind the arc on the year. Teams won’t be able to go under a screen when Cunningham has the ball, which should open up the rest of his game. He also projects as a clear plus defensively, likely checking bigger forwards and having the size and strength to wall up at the rim.

Cunningham’s ability to initiate offense playing on the ball, space the floor off the ball, and defend at a high-level makes him the easiest prospect to build around in this draft. Getting the player like him is the hard part. Once you have one, building a good team becomes so much easier.

Evan Mobley has the edge on Suggs, but it may come down to team fit

We’ve been consistent with USC center Evan Mobley as our No. 2 prospect and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs as our No. 3 prospect all year. That remains the case after the tournament, but we won’t fault anyone who has the two prospects flipped. For several reasons, the choice at No. 2 could ultimately come down to whichever team lands the pick.

A team like the Orlando Magic, with former top-10 picks Mohamed Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. at center, might opt for Suggs as a backcourt complement to Markelle Fultz. The Timberwolves would also have a fascinating decision if they land at No. 2. Suggs, a Minnesota native, would be an intriguing match next to Anthony Edwards in the backcourt. Mobley would be a fascinating fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns at power forward in the short-term and potentially replace him at center long-term if he eventually leaves in free agency. The Wolves really just want to land in the top-four so they don’t have to send their pick to the Golden State Warriors as part of the D’Angelo Russell trade.

Mobley’s combination of length, mobility, and quick decision-making makes him a tremendous two-way fit in the league long-term even if he isn’t wired to be a volume scorer. A case for Suggs over Mobley starts with the relative ease of finding competent big men for cheap. Suggs has some questions when it comes to ball handling and finishing, but so long as his three-point shooting holds up, he should be a tremendous complementary guard in the league for a long time.

We prefer Mobley to Suggs because the USC center feels like he has a greater chance at a truly special NBA career. You really can’t go wrong either way, though.

Who goes No. 6?

The top five of the draft feels set in stone more than three months before the selections will be made. Cunningham, Suggs, and Mobley will be joined by G League Ignite prospects Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga in some order. The big question headed into draft season is who goes No. 6.

It feels like there’s six prospects who have a chance to go sixth. In no particular order, those players are:

Jalen Johnson, F, Duke

Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State

Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee

Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford

Moses Moody, F, Arkansas

Franz Wagner, F, Michigan

None of those players helped their cases much in March. Barnes finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and nine assists total across three games in Florida State’s run to the Sweet 16. Wagner ended Michigan’s run to the Elite Eight with four points on 1-of-10 shooting and completely bricked a potential game-winning three. Moody put up disappointing numbers in Arkansas’ final two tournament games despite the team’s run to the Elite Eight. Keon Johnson and Tennessee were smoked in the first round by Oregon State. Jalen Johnson left Duke in February, and Williams didn’t qualify for the tournament with Stanford.

Our personal preference is for Moody at No. 6 because of his length (7’1 wingspan), floor spacing potential, and flashes of one-on-one scoring ability. Our guess is teams might favor Keon Johnson more for explosive athleticism and the impressive year-over-year growth in his skill set. Expect the debate of No. 6 to continue throughout the entire draft process.

Davion Mitchell is March Madness’ big winner

Mitchell started popping up on first round draft boards in the middle of the season. After an incredible run throughout March Madness, the Baylor star has locked in round one status and could end up as a lottery pick.

Mitchell will be a 23-year-old rookie coming off his redshirt junior season, but perhaps that will make him more appealing to a team that wants to fight for a playoff spot. The 6’2 guard has incredible burst with the ball in his hands and can burn any slow-footed big man to the hoop — just ask Drew Timme after the national title game. His three-point shooting took a wild leap this season — from 32 percent to 45 percent. Mitchell has also showcased tremendous point of attack defense, though his size will limit the types of players he can guard.

Scouts will wonder if Mitchell’s big shooting improvement is real considering he’s also a 64 percent free throw shooter. Mitchell’s inability to consistently get to the foul line is also concerning. He only attempted 64 free throws all season in 30 games.

Mitchell was one of our last cuts in our pre-tournament mock draft. Obviously that was a mistake. He will be expected to be selected in the 10-20 range heading into the pre-draft process.

Who will be this year’s Patrick Williams?

Last year, the Florida State freshman was projected as a late lottery pick throughout most of the draft process before going No. 4 overall in a surprising selection by the Chicago Bulls (it looks like a pretty good decision so far). Which player currently projected outside the top-10 has a chance to go on a meteoric rise come draft day?

Our first pick is Kai Jones, the 6’11 Texas big man with freaky flashes of skill and athleticism. Jones only averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds this year in a bench role, but he led the Longhorns in all-in-one impact stat BPM. You only need to see the highlights of him flying down the floor for a transition finish or hitting a step-back three to see why his package of tools is so tantalizing.

Giddey is another player who started rising up boards midway through the season because of his size and production playing in the NBL. The 18-year-old Australian is a 6’8 guard who has put up better numbers than LaMelo Ball did last year in the same league and same age. Giddey is an unimpressive athlete who will likely struggle getting past the first line of defense while also facing questions defensively. Still, his size and offensive package of skills could entice a team to gamble on him earlier than expected if they think his recent stretch of hot shooting is real.

We’ll answer questions on this mock draft in the comments

Leave a comment or question below and we’ll get back to you. Draft season is officially here.

[bellamygateoldblog]

Do you think it’s worth watching The 100? I’ve been considering starting bc the premise sounds intriguing and so does grounder culture plus I’m a lesbian and clexa is lesbian culture — regardless of the merits of the ship I feel like it’s something I should experience. But now having finished the show, do you think any of it is worth watching? If you had to go back and do it again, would you? I’ve asked a couple people this bc I’m curious how much merit people think the show has despite their criticisms and bc I don’t really wanna get emotionally invested in something that won’t be at all worth it in the end. Also do you have any favorite canon divergence fics that you think fix issues with the show? I’m not against pretending fanfic is canon to make my emotional investment in the characters feel worth it lol. Sorry this is sorta like 5 questions in one oops

Okay I just sent you a really long ask about it The 100 is worth watching but I also wanted to add that while I know basically nothing about Clarke and Madi’s relationship I am intrigued by the dynamic and by Madi in general bc I ADORE parent-child relationships particularly in sci-fi shows/movies bc when they’re well written they’re absolutely fascinating. I work with young kids and I love it and I love seeing kids be happy and while I don’t mind kids having to get hurt in sci-fi stuff bc that’s the world they live in, I don’t think I could handle watching a child mainly be in pain. In general, do you think it’s a well-written character/relationship with happy moments to balance the pain?

i don’t know how you feel about spoilers so i’m avoiding being too specific at points in this answer lol.

the original premise is abandoned pretty quickly along with the delinquents HOWEVER it’s partially done in favour of turning focus onto grounder culture/grounders so if that’s the element you’re ultimately interested in then you’re golden.

would i go back and do it again? yeah i would, at least seasons 1-4. but would i ever rewatch? unlikely. it’s the show of a lot of lost potential and any affection i once had for it has since been completely soured.

i personally had a lot of trouble with this show, the weight, and it’s writing, it was exciting the first time watching and there are A LOT of pieces of it that i really love and enjoy and i'd say there's a lot of good as well as bad, i don't know if i'd recommend the show but i'd definitely say give it a try and see if it's for you. if it's not i bet someone out there has all the clexa scenes posted on yt.

if you decide to watch all the way through and don't stop 'after' clexa (come on, does it ever really end?) - 100% stop watching once you reach the end of book 1 because book 2 doesn't belong, the characters don't belong in that story, and it essentially rewrites a lot of book 1. it's certainly not what *i* signed up for. the final episode of s5 is filmed as a finale anyway so it’s completely reasonable to accept that as the ending of the show like most of us have (i’ve personally accepted both finales in different ways lol).

but here it is, madi’s story is sad. she’s suffering from start to finish, and her story ends pretty miserably. clarke hurts her in a very disturbing way herself (and they never talk about it/clarke never shows remorse or apologises for it). it’s an uncomfortable dynamic imo. i’d say it was well-written in some ways, mostly concerning clarke’s character, but not in others. like i even wrote a whole post a few days ago appreciating the writing of the parent-child writing lol. the dynamic does something interesting with clarke, but i feel like it resorts to putting madi in a proppy position for her (just like we see consistently throughout the show with other characters x clarke). but if you take my advice not to see book 2, most of her pain can be avoided.

i’m not sure what to say about a happy/sad balance, there’s a brief period at the very beginning when we’re first introduced to that dynamic where they seem to be close and happy, but it goes downhill pretty quickly, at least in how *i* interpreted their scenes. in fact madi’s happiest moments are when she’s away from clarke. i’d say it depends on what you’d consider ‘positive’ for the dynamic even if it’s not a particularly ‘happy’ moment.

being critical and really engaging with what i was seeing i think made watching more enjoyable for me but i wonder if i’d have been happier with it just approaching it like ‘no thoughts, head empty’ and avoiding interacting with the writing/out-of-universe parts at all. ultimately it’s all down to the individual and what you’re going to find entertaining, but since you asked me, just a few things to keep in mind ☺.

i’ve never read fic for t100 so i can’t recommend any but if anyone else has suggestions then absolutely comment!

[ramajmedia]

5 Best (& 5 Worst) Episodes Of Dexter (According To IMDb)

Showtime has produced a lot of shows over the years on their premium network, but Dexter was one of their most popular. Several shows delve into the concept of serial killers, but Dexter was unique, as Michael C. Hall’s character only killed people who "deserved" to die.

Related: Dexter: 10 Storylines That Were Never Resolved

The show won two Golden Globes during its run on Showtime, but the final season saw a big dip in quality compared to the rest of the series. The show still has a high average score of 8.7 on IMDb, but some of the episodes have a much lower score than what you might expect. Here are IMDb's picks for the greatest Dexter episodes of all, alongside their picks for the worst! Watch out for major spoilers if you aren't up to speed with the series.

10 Best: "Hungry Man" - 9.4

DEXTER, (from left): Vanessa Marano, John Lithgow, Brando Eaton, Michael C. Hall, 'Hungry Man', (Season 4, ep. 409, aired Nov. 22, 2009), 2006-. photo: Randy Tepper / © Showtime / Courtesy Everett Collection

The ninth episode of Season 4 is one of the best-rated episodes of Dexter, coming in at a 9.4 out of 10. This episode sees a lot of character development on Arthur Mitchell (the Trinity Killer)'s part, as Dexter goes to have Thanksgiving dinner with his family. Dexter quickly realizes that Arthur is manipulative to his family and even beats them to keep them in line.

The awkward relationship between Rita and her neighbor Elliot also grows as he kisses Rita, and things get even more complicated for Quinn and his relationship with Christine Hill. By the end of the episode, it is revealed that Christine is actually the daughter of the Trinity Killer.

9 Worst: "Dress Code" - 7.6

Yvonne Strahovski as Hannah McKay and Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in Dexter (Season 8, episode 7) - Photo: Randy Tepper/Showtime - Photo ID: Dexter_807_1783

Among the worst episodes of the series is the seventh episode of Season 8. The episode, titled “Dress Code,” mostly revolves around Hannah’s new life, while also continuing to show Debra’s struggle with Jacob Elway. When Dexter re-discovers Hannah, she is living a new life under the name Maggie and is planning on marrying a rich man named Miles.

Hannah was only in the relationship for his money, and eventually decides to kill Miles after he gets progressively more controlling and threatens to kill her. Dexter helps her dump the body, but soon after, he finds out that Cassie has been killed at his apartment complex.

8 Best: "Hello, Dexter Morgan" - 9.5

Season 4 of Dexter was well-received, partly because of John Lithgow’s portrayal of a serial killer. In “Hello, Dexter Morgan,” things start to get intense between Arthur and Dexter, as the latter realizes that the Trinity Killer is hunting down people named Kyle Butler. Dexter tries to frame another man for the Trinity Killer’s murders so that he can kill Arthur himself, but that becomes harder than he expected since Arthur is hunting him.

Related: Dexter: The Show Vs The Book

The police also have his daughter Christine in custody, who ends up committing suicide after she realizes that Arthur wants nothing to do with her. The episode ends with Arthur walking into Miami Metro and finding Dexter in his office before saying, “hello, Dexter Morgan.”

7 Worst: "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" -  7.4

“Make Your Own Kind of Music” continues Hannah’s storyline, with Dexter trying to keep her away from the police. Dexter even goes as far as asking Debra if Hannah can stay with her for a few days, which Deb begrudgingly agrees to. Deb is also offered her job back at Miami PD, which she is hesitant to take back.

A man named Oliver Saxon is revealed to be Evelyn Vogel’s son Daniel, who they believe killed Cassie. Dexter goes on a hunt for Daniel, but Daniel slashes his tire and escapes.

6 Best: "Are You…?" - 9.5

In the Season 6 finale, Debra witnesses Dexter killing Travis Marshall (The Doomsday Killer). The Season 7 opener “Are You...?” picks up this storyline, with Dexter having to explain why he killed Travis. He convinces his sister to help him burn down the church and pose the scene as a suicide.

As the episode progresses, Deb gets the suspicion that Travis wasn’t the first person Dexter has killed and she begins to re-examine the Ice Truck Killer case. Viktor Baskov kills detective Mike Anderson this episode, but Dexter kills him with a fire extinguisher soon after. By the end of the episode, Deb asks her brother if he is a serial killer and Dexter finally tells her the truth.

5 Worst: "Monkey In A Box" - 7.2

Things quickly started to go downhill as the final season of Dexter started to come to a close. The penultimate episode, titled “Monkey in a Box,” shows Dexter deciding whether he should kill Oliver Saxon or just leave the United States. Saxon and Dexter make a truce to forget each other, but Dexter still plans to kill him.

Related: Dexter: All 8 Seasons, Ranked

Saxon returns to Dexter’s apartment and Dexter injects him with M99. When Dexter is about to kill Saxon, he realizes that he doesn’t feel the need to kill any longer and wants to just go live his life with Hannah and Harrison. Deb then arrests Saxon, but once he is taken to the hospital, he escapes and shoots Deb on his way out.

4 Best: "Born Free" - 9.6

One of the best episodes of Dexter is the Season 1 finale. In this episode, the police find out that Rudy is the Ice Truck Killer and that he has kidnapped Deb. Dexter visits the shipping yard where Harry had found him and has a flashback to his mother being killed.

Dexter thinks that Rudy might be at his mother’s house, but when Dexter arrives, he realizes that Rudy is actually his brother Brian. Brian wants Dexter to kill Debra so that they can join forces together, but Dexter refuses and kills his biological brother instead.

3 Worst: "Goodbye Miami" - 6.9

The tenth episode of Season 8 is appropriately titled “Goodbye Miami,” as Dexter plans to move to Argentina with Hannah and Harrison. Things get complicated for Dexter as he continues to track down Saxon, and for Quinn as he and Jamie break up.

Quinn and Debra finally confess their feelings for each other in this episode, after Quinn tells her that their kiss was part of the reason why he broke it off with Jamie. Near the end of the episode, Dexter goes to Vogel’s house and sees Saxon inside the house with a knife to Vogel’s throat. She dies while Dexter cradles her in his arms.

2 Best: "The Getaway" - 9.8

The best-rated episode of Dexter is the Season 4 finale titled “The Getaway,” which comes in at a near-perfect score of 9.8. Dexter is finally able to incapacitate Trinity this episode, but Dexter is arrested soon after for hitting a mirror off of a person’s car. When Dexter is released from prison and goes back to Trinity, Trinity is gone and tries to return home to collect his valuables to leave Miami.

Debra also finds out in this episode that Dexter was related to the Ice Truck Killer, which worries Dexter, since she is getting closer to the truth about him being a serial killer. Dexter realizes things in his life have to change after he kills Trinity, because he doesn't want to be a monster like Mitchell. The episode ends with Dexter returning home to find Rita dead in a bathtub and Harrison sitting in a pool of her blood.

1 Worst: "Remember The Monsters?" - 4.6

The worst-rated episode of Dexter is the Season 8 finale titled “Remember The Monsters?” It comes in at a measly 4.6 out of 10. After Dexter finds out about his sister’s wound, he goes back to Miami Central Hospital to see her. Oliver Saxon finds out the Deb didn’t actually die from his gunshot and returns to finish the job. Angel Batista intercepts Saxon and arrests him, but Dexter doesn’t let him off that easy and stabs him in the carotid artery.

Dexter then turns off Deb’s life support as he knows she isn’t going to survive, taking her onto The Slice of Life to dispose of her body. Dexter then drives into the hurricane and is reported to be dead. At the end of the episode, Dexter is shown to be alive and living in a cabin as a lumberjack, which, needless to say, isn’t the ending people were expecting or hoping for.

NEXT: 10 Worst Episodes Of Great TV Series

source https://screenrant.com/dexter-greatest-worst-episodes-ever-rated-imdb/

[philinfla]

This article is writen by Herien Wensink for the "Volkskrant" a Dutch newspaper.

PROFILE: ACTOR TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET

His hair, face, style and oh yes, talent: why everyone falls for Timothée Chalamet

Since the hit film Call Me by Your Name, endless posts have been dedicated to his hair, face, style and oh yes, talent: actor Timothée Chalamet (22). From this week he can be seen in Felix Van Groeningen's Beautiful Boy. Why young and old, man and woman fall prey to Chalamania.

It is just after the famous peach scene in Call Me by Your Name, in which the 17-year-old Elio enjoyed the great summer spirit that has gripped him on a piece of fruit. Oliver, the real object of his desire, finds Elio postorgastically with the juice of the fruit in an, uh, unexpected place. If his eye falls on the battered fruit, a witty and uncomfortable tease arises. Oliver, played sternly: "What did you do? Oh, you've switched to the plant kingdom, I see? "Elio is ashamed (" I'm sick, aren’t I? "), Oliver is threatening to take a bite of the dripping peach (" I wish everyone was as sick as you ") they struggle, there is irritation, struggle, even a bit of aggression. And then, suddenly, it turns around. Elio surrendered. He plunges into Oliver's embrace and cries. Testosterone turns into tenderness, just like that. "I don’t want you to leave," sobs Elio, and Oliver kisses and comforts him. In less than a second their relationship has reached a deeper level. They have become lovers of lovers.

It is one of the most beautiful scenes from the film, and that is mainly due to the mercury silver Timothée Chalamet as Elio, which makes the moment simply heart-catching. Chalamet plays the whole film as if improvising, he modulates just a bit differently, like Elio on the piano.

His performance gave the French-American Chalamet (22) this year an Oscar nomination for best actor, as the youngest nominee in that category in eighty years (after Mickey Rooney in 1940). That breakthrough launched him as one of the great film talents - and idols - from now on. As of this week, Chalamet will be seen in Beautiful Boy, the new film by Felix Van Groeningen, with according to insiders another Oscar-worthy performance.

In Call Me by Your Name he has to play a broad palette of emotions, as wide as that palette in adolescents is. He switches subtly between uncertain and self-righteous, anxious and uninhibited, reserved and lascivious. On his face in a few minutes admiration, irritation, horniness, doubt and fear pass by. And inside pranks. Then he peeps a bit from under his thick black eyelashes and pulls a funny slanted mouth. When Elio thinks, Chalamet literally seems to chew on a thought, with a grinding jaw. A film student could dedicate a study to all the nuances in his mimicry and gesticulation.

See him jumping up and down like a child on the dance floor, and then making a confident move with an arrogant face. Here is an actor at work who intuitively follows his many striking, playful impulses: a jump here, a bounty there, a sliding, a pirouette. Director Luca Guadagnino filmed long shots with plenty of room for improvisation, which Chalamet always uses optimally. That Elio curiously nudges Olivers red swimsuit is in the scenario. That Chalamet then deeply pulls the thing over his ears, whirls himself into it, almost completely drowns in Oliver's smell, that is his own contribution.

Is that talent, technology, happiness with the director? Or is it due to the fact that Chalamet has only just completed that post-adolescent life phase? Anyway, he knows extremely well with high hormonal eruptions, while at the same time radiating a kind of adolescent carelessness. He is 22, but he was still a child yesterday.

An educated child with Broadway and Hollywood DNA, though. His mother and grandmother were dancers on Broadway, grandfather Harold Flender was a scriptwriter, his uncle Rodman Flender is a director and producer (Gilmore Girls, The O.C.), his aunt Amy Lippman is a producer, sister Pauline is an actress in Paris. Because, yes, his father is French, hence that strange name. The last name sounds like an expensive French cheese, the first name as a shampoo brand. Perhaps that is why so many fan blogs are dedicated to his hair (that is indeed thick, full and shiny).

Chalamet sat at the LaGuardia Highschool of Music & Arts and Performing Arts, just like Al Pacino and Adrien Brody. Indeed, the New York art education that served as a model for the film and TV series Fame. At school he specialized in theater, although he also made witty, ironic trips to the music. Chalamet loves hip hop and made rap videos at school as his alter ego Timmy Tim. Who googles 'Chalamet + statistics', finds a hilarious interpretation of his statistics homework. He is still a meager wisecrack there; really a thoroughbred teenager. But his expressiveness is evident. At his graduation in 2013 Chalamet received the Alumni Award for the most promising talent, with his teacher referring to his outings as Timmy Tim.

'Statistics' has been viewed more than one and a half million times and even his 'graduation' can be seen on YouTube. As inevitably with his generation, even his earliest steps in the entertainment industry are recorded: we can literally see him grow up in front of the camera. Two tips remain: his monologue for the National Young Arts week in 2013 (17 years), a passage from the satirical piece White People by J.T. Rogers, in which he shows his speed, mobility and sharpness, his agile mimicry, and his talent for comedy. Completely different is the monologue Someone Saw Me from the off-Broadway production Prodigal Son (2016, 20 years): there he is emotional, intense and tragic.

Chalamet was there early as an actor. In 2009, at the age of 13, he already had supporting roles in the series Law & Order and Loving Leah. In 2012 Chalamet won a role in season 2 of Homeland, in which he convincingly plays the spoiled teen pub Finn Walden. This was followed, among other things, by roles in the films Men, Women & Children, Worst Friends and The Adderall Diaries. Chalamet stood out as Tom Cooper, the son of Matthew McConaughey in Christopher Nolans Interstellar (2014). In 2016, the acclaimed performance in Prodigal Son followed, and in 2017 the worldwide breakthrough came with Call Me by Your Name, which, in addition to numerous other nominations and prizes, followed Oscar nomination. In the same year he also had a small, but well-affected, witty supporting role as a phlegmatic hipster musician in Lady Bird.

And now there is again such a beautiful leading role, in Beautiful Boy, directed by Felix Van Groeningen (including the Broken Circle Breakdown), in which Chalamet plays the 18-year-old drug addict Nic Sheff. Once again, he delivers a formidable performance: no matter how much Nic slips, however he may be under the influence, Chalamet always knows how to keep him engaging - which makes the desperation of his parents even more tangible. He remains a sweet, beautiful boy.

Here, too, he shows his ability to change color fast. But Chalamet also combines his chameleonic talent with some elusive darkness this time. From sympathetic or guilt-conscious he can suddenly suddenly become fierce. Then it is as if a devil takes over in his skinny body and his green eyes appear to turn black. In friendly Nic there is an inexplicable frenzy, sharp as a razor. He is a charming curling ball with a frightening dark side. 'I am attracted to craziness', he says in one of the most beautiful scenes against his father, during an emotional confrontation in a café. "That's who I am." With Nic the tears are close to the surface, but Chalamet can also bend them nicely, or push them away in a burst of bitterness. The leaves are green, but when the wind turns, you see the black at the bottom.

Director Felix Van Groeningen is happy with his talented protagonist, which he chose from hundreds of auditors, even before his current star status. During his audition, his charm and light-footedness came true, says Van Groeningen, in combination with a surprising ferocity. 'What we have worked very hard on,' he says, 'is to make the viewer fall in love with Nic, and that stays the same. Timothée has succeeded very well. He does not play cliché film junk, but one with a conscience and the capacity for self-reflection. In that reflecting on his addiction, Nic is super-resistant. '

While working, Chalamet is dedicated, focused and very precise, according to Van Groeningen. "Every act, every gesture of his is specific. Often it immediately hits what he does. "The actor was very involved in filming, says the director, and always wanted to know that it was good. Van Groeningen: 'If we actually had the shot, he often wanted to take another take. As if, as soon as he had the confidence that it was good, he could go even further from the relaxation. That yielded enchanting moments. '

The director calls his protagonist playful, in a thoughtful way. 'It is a combination of intelligence and instinct. He can add something extra to a character with very small gestures and finds. But he has thought about that a lot. '

Van Groeningen recalls a violent moment in the film, in which it goes downhill with Nic and he, omineus, has driven to the Golden Gate Bridge. "Nic has a difficult telephone conversation with his sponsor, hangs up, and then Timothée suddenly looked up. To heaven. Or to God. I did not ask him that, but it produced a very important, significant picture in the film. It is loaded with suggestion. What great is that going on in him? "

It is his careless nonchalance, combined with that suggestion of a violent feeling of life, which Chalamet is probably so popular with multitudes of young girls and boys. He is completely the new 'teenage heartthrob', in the edgy, romantic-tormented category of the late River Phoenix. 'Chalamania' is even a concept.

But Chalamet is certainly not a standard beauty: he is thin, a little lanky, and sometimes looks like he is still 12 years old. At the same time, Esquire chose him at the beginning of this year as the most stylish man of the moment. He has an unmistakably beautiful face, round and childlike, but with a touch of melancholy, through those slightly hanging, half-closed eyes. It is romantic, and feminine. He could have been the muse of Caravaggio and Botticelli, a dark-haired, fallen angel, as Chalametinart proves: an Instagram account in which his face is photoshopped in famous works of art. And then his breakthrough role was also that of a creative, sensitive type that plays piano and loses itself in a homo-erotic love. Chalamet openly embraces his femininity, his vulnerability, and - in the film at least - even a sexual ambiguity.

He does not make a secret at public appearances that he is shy, but at the same time he seems perfectly at ease. He makes vulnerability a force, and that is a relief in the macho, often misogynous film industry, which has been in an identity crisis since #MeToo. Recently, Chalamet's impeccable image also threatened: he is playing in the new Woody Allen, A Rainy Day in New York. After an old abuse accusation against Allen was again raised, a number of prominent actresses explicitly distanced themselves from his oeuvre. Et Chalamet? He donated his entire salary for charity, including Time's Up, a legal aid fund for victims of sexual abuse. Touché. Timothée Chalamet has understood the spirit of the times. He is in all things a star of today.

[junker-town]

NBA mock draft 2018: Luka Doncic or Deandre Ayton at No. 1?

March Madness is here. It’s time for a new NBA mock draft.

The NCAA tournament bracket is out. If you’re an NBA fan who hasn’t watched much college basketball yet, this is the time to finally tune into the sport.

Our latest mock draft serves as a primer of the names you need to know entering March. Of the 30 players we tab as first round picks, 24 of them will be playing in the NCAA tournament. That includes 12 of the 14 projected lottery picks.

The biggest draft subplot entering the tournament remains the race for the No. 1 pick. Slovenian-born forward Luka Doncic has been considered a slight favorite for the honor, but Arizona center Deandre Ayton is pushing him hard.

Can Ayton unseat Doncic for No. 1? This is how we’re looking at the 2018 NBA Draft on the brink of March Madness.

1. Memphis Grizzlies - Luka Doncic, G, Slovenia

We’ve had Doncic at No. 1 since our very first 2018 mock draft in late June, but there’s no denying Deandre Ayton has gained ground on him. As Doncic’s play has started to dip during the longer European pro season, Ayton’s hype has never been louder as March Madness grabs the national spotlight.

So why do we still have Doncic over Ayton at No. 1? Because of Doncic’s superior skill level, positional versatility and his overall knack for making winning plays.

Everyone knows Doncic fills the boxscore, but he also does so many little things that don’t necessarily show up there. This was evident during Slovenia’s upset run to the EuroBasket championship and has consistently shown up during his Real Madrid career.

Ayton might be a safer pick for proven statistical production, but Doncic feels like he might have a higher ceiling because of a blend of elite skills we rarely see in a prospect.

2. Phoenix Suns - Deandre Ayton, C, Arizona

Ayton should be nothing less than a multi-time NBA All-Star. He has elite size and athleticism for a center, with a skill set that is developing at a rapid rate.

Ayton can score in the post. He can score on a face-up jumper with range that extends to the three-point line. He’s a great lob target on alley-oops. He’s a ferocious offensive rebounder who can get off the ground twice before most big men can do it once. And when Ayton catches the ball near the basket, it’s a near certainty he’s finishing with a power dunk.

Even without a top-flight point guard getting him the ball at Arizona, Ayton has turned into one of the country’s most efficient scorers. He’s averaged 20 points per game on a 66 percent true shooting percentage, with impressive marks for a man his size from three-point range (34 percent) and the foul line (74 percent).

There are still questions about his defensive instincts, which are particularly important for a center in the NBA. But he has every tool to eventually turn into an asset on that side of the ball.

Want a comparison? Think a more explosive version of DeMarcus Cousins. Not bad for the second pick.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers - Jaren Jackson Jr., C, Michigan State

Jackson doesn’t have the gaudy stats to match Ayton or Duke’s Marvin Bagley, but he does have a skill set that’s a more natural fit in today’s NBA. Jackson can stretch the floor on offense and protect the rim on defense. What more do you want out of a modern center?

Defense should be Jackson’s calling card. He has quick feet, a 7’4 wingspan and the intrinsic gift of timing when it comes to shot blocking. His block rate of 14.6 is No. 5 in the country — ahead of even Mohamed Bamba. Just watch the way he’s able to stick with Illinois guard Mark Alstork all over the court:

Jaren Jackson Jr. just relegated Illinois to the Horizon League pic.twitter.com/fZeRdUHsr6

— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) February 21, 2018

Offensively, Jackson’s biggest value comes as a shooter. He’s knocked down 38 threes this year at a 39.6-percent rate, giving him an edge on Ayton, Bagley, and Mohamed Bamba as a perimeter shooter.

He’s also coordinated enough to finish around the rim with either hand. For a player only averaging 11.3 points per game, there’s a lot to like about Jackson.

4. Orlando Magic - Mohamed Bamba, C, Texas

Bamba isn’t a finished product, but there’s so much to like about his potential. His appeal starts with his historic length — his 7’9 wingspan will be the longest in the NBA from the moment he enters the league. He’s already a skilled shot blocker, swatting shots on 13.3 percent of opponent possessions, the No. 7 mark in the country.

Bamba’s offensive upside relies largely on his jump shot. He’s knocked down 13 threes this season, but at just a 26.5 percent clip. Still, he’s a confident shooter with solid form who should be able to make stride as he matures. Initially, he’ll provide his largest offensive value as a lob target and screen setter.

5. Atlanta Hawks - Michael Porter Jr., F, Missouri

Porter missed his entire freshman season after back surgery, but made his return for Mizzou in the SEC tournament, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds on 5-of-17 shooting from the floor in a loss to Georgia. Before the injury, Porter was considered a possible No. 1 overall pick.

Porter became arguably the top incoming recruit in college basketball because he’s an athletic 6’10 combo forward who can score inside, in the mid-range, and beyond the arc. In a draft loaded with big men but light on wings, he fills a positional need for almost every team at the top of the order.

The injury is definitely a concern. How Porter checks out medically will ultimately determine if he goes higher or lower than this.

6. Sacramento Kings - Marvin Bagley III, PF, Duke

Bagley is already tall (6’11) and extremely athletic, with great touch around the basket. These things are indisputable. It makes Bagley almost unstoppable at the college level, where he’s averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game.

The question is how his game will translate to the NBA.

A bet on Bagley comes with the idea that he’s just scratching the surface of his skill level. He’s shooting 36 percent from three-point range on 50 attempts this season, but he’s only a 62 percent free throw shooter. You can see the outline of a playmaking big man who can attack off the dribble for himself and others, but his feel and handle are still developing.

Finding the right team will be as important with Bagley as any prospect. Bagley is not a shot blocker and he doesn’t have strong defensive instincts right now. He needs a defensive anchor next to him, ideally one who can also stretch the floor.

7. Dallas Mavericks - Wendell Carter Jr., C, Duke

There’s a lot that Wendell Carter does well. At 6’10 and 260 pounds with a 7’3 wingspan, he’s a monster rebounder who ranks in the top 100 of both offensive and defensive rebound rate nationally. He’s can score with his back to the basket or with a face-up jumper. He’s been shockingly good from three-point range, canning 50 percent of the 38 threes he’s attempted. He’s also a solid post defender who uses his length to block 2.2 shots per game.

The issue with Carter is that he isn’t a great defender in space. If he can figure that out as he gets older, he could be an Al Horford type on the next level.

8. Chicago Bulls - Mikal Bridges, SF, Villanova

Bridges isn’t a go-to scorer or playmaker, and that limits his ceiling. He’s not someone who is going to initiate offense or create scoring opportunities off the dribble late in the shot clock. Bridges sticks to what he knows, and that’s playing great perimeter defense and hitting three-pointers.

But in today’s NBA, a good three-and-D wing is incredibly valuable. That’s worth a top-10 pick.

Bridges is one of college basketball’s elite defenders, leveraging his 7’1 wingspan to get into passing lanes and smother smaller ball handlers. He’s also grown into a knockdown three-point shooter after four years of college basketball, hitting 42 percent of his triples this season.

9. New York Knicks - Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma

Ah yes, Trae Young. The man who went from the best story in college basketball to the sport’s most polarizing player in the span of a few weeks.

Young was a golden boy for the first half of the season, drawing Steph Curry comparisons with unlimited shooting range and dazzling passing ability. Oklahoma — a team that won 11 games a year ago — suddenly found itself ranked in the top five.

Then the second half of the year happened. Young’s efficiency tanked, his turnovers spiraled out of control, and suddenly his deep threes weren’t falling as regularly. The Sooners lost eight of their last 10 and almost missed the NCAA tournament completely.

It’s important to recognize the reality of Young’s situation. Oklahoma didn’t have another NBA prospect on the roster, or anyone who could create their own shot. Young carried an immense burden all season. The cost of that was losing some efficiency. He’s still a great shooter and passer who should be even better with real talent around him.

His defense .... well, let’s not talk about his defense.

10. Charlotte Hornets - Collin Sexton, PG, Alabama

Sexton is the polar opposite of Young. He’s bigger, stronger and more athletic, a downhill point guard who thrives getting to the rim and to the free throw line. Sexton drew 7.6 fouls per 40 minutes, good for seventh-best in the country. He’s also a tough defender thanks to a relentlessly competitive mindset.

Sexton just isn’t the shooter or passer Young is. He hit only 30.6 percent of his threes and averaged 3.6 assists per game, compared to 8.8 for Young. If his jumper comes around, he could become similar to Kyle Lowry.

11. Los Angeles Clippers - Miles Bridges, SF, Michigan State

Bridges is a monster athlete with good shooting touch who plays a premium position as a wing. He can be deadly as a cutter on the baseline or a lob target, thanks to his effortless ability to finish above the rim. He’s also a solid shooter — hitting 37.8 percent of his threes across two college seasons on over five attempts per game.

The frustrating thing about Bridges is he seems too willing to settle for a jumper. A player as strong and athletic as he is should be able to get to the rim off the bounce. Maybe it will happen as he grows in the league and his ball-handling ability improves.

12. Philadelphia 76ers - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG, Kentucky

A 6’6 point guard with a 7-foot wingspan, Gilgeous-Alexander has gone from one of Kentucky’s least heralded recruits to its best two-way player. SGA can get into the teeth of the defense and use his length to finish inside. He’s also a skilled passer, averaging five assists per game. Shooting is the question mark, but he’s hitting 40 percent of his threes (and 80 percent of his free throws) on a low volume this season.

13. Denver Nuggets - Kevin Knox, F, Kentucky

Knox is a 6’9 combo forward who has developed into Kentucky’s most reliable scorer as a freshman. He’s a solid spot-up shooter (35 percent from three) who can also get a look from mid-range off the dribble. When his jumper is falling, he looks fantastic.

Knox does need to grow on the defensive end to reach his potential. He has the tools to be an impact defender who can switch screens and guard multiple positions, but that hasn’t showed up in his lowly block and steals numbers yet.

14. Utah Jazz - Dzanan Musa, SF, Bosnia

Musa is a lanky Euro wing who has put up big scoring numbers playing as a pro in Europe since he was 17 years old. He’s a confident shooter from three-point range who can get hot in a hurry, and he’s also shown some slashing ability. Defense is the big question mark.

15. Phoenix Suns - Robert Williams, C, Texas A&M

Williams is a 6’10, 240-pound big man who projects as a quality shot blocker and lob target thanks to his 7’4 wingspan and elite leaping ability. His numbers have stagnated as a sophomore after a surprising decision to return to school despite being projected as a lottery pick in last season’s draft. He also hasn’t been in an ideal scenario, logging lots of minutes at power forward next to a throwback center in Tyler Davis.

A role similar to Clint Capela’s — a screen setter and rim runner surrounded by shooters — seems like the best way to unlock his potential.

16. Phoenix Suns - Zhaire Smith, SG, Texas Tech

Smith is projected as the No. 16 pick in the 2019 draft by ESPN right now, which means slotting him in here is breaking from the consensus quite a bit. Three reasons I think it’s possible:

This part of the draft feels totally unstable right now.

There’s a dearth of wings available.

Smith is a monster athlete who is all over the floor whenever you watch Texas Tech.

Smith was barely a top-200 recruit out of high school, but he’s made a name for himself quickly because energetic presence on both ends of the floor. Smith’s most immediate impact will come on defense, where the 6’5 guard has elite athleticism, a lockdown mindset, and the ability to force turnovers. Offensively, he’ll get baskets around the rim just based on his athleticism. He’s also been a 40 percent three-point shooter, albeit on low volume.

17. Los Angeles Clippers - Mitchell Robinson, C

Robinson should have been at Western Kentucky this season, but a series of bizarre occurrences left him training for the draft all year instead. He was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school as an ultra athletic 7-footer who profiles in a shot blocker/lob target role similar to the Jazz’s Rudy Gobert. His offensive skill set remains unrefined.

18. Philadelphia 76ers - Lonnie Walker, SG, Miami

Walker tore his meniscus in the preseason and took a while to work himself into shape. It’s part of the reason his numbers on the season are relatively underwhelming at 11.6 points per game on just 42 percent shooting from the field. His talent has never been in question, and lately that’s shining through more and more.

Walker entered the ACC tournament hitting multiple three pointers in his last five games. He has a short, compact stroke that should translate to the NBA line. He’s also capable of some creative finishes driving to the basket, which should only increase as he gets more comfortable playing on the ball.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves - Troy Brown, G, Oregon

Brown is a 6’7 wing with a well-rounded game. Considered a point guard for most of his prep career, Brown is a heady passer and productive defender thanks in large part to his 6’11 wingspan. He’s not an above-the-rim athlete or a knockdown shooter (30 percent from three) yet.

20. Indiana Pacers - Anfernee Simons, G, IMG Academy

Simons could enter the draft or play college basketball next season after doing a grad year at IMG Academy. ESPN had him as a top-five pick in the 2019 draft originally, which means he could provide big upside to a patient team at the bottom half of the first round.

Simons is 6’5 and rail thin, but he has great bounce and the ability to hit shots off the dribble. A year or two in the G-League would do him a lot of good.

21. Washington Wizards - Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas

Gafford is another athletic rim-running, rim-protecting center. He’s a long and mobile big man who has enough hops at 6’11 to do stuff like this:

#SECMBB Plays of the Year Block of the Year nominee: @RazorbackMBB’s Daniel Gafford with the HUGE block …. *the dunk was nice too* pic.twitter.com/OOTmO7s4Jo

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 2, 2018

Gafford does all of his work close to the basket. He has not attempted a three-pointer and is only a 53 percent free-throw shooter.

22. Atlanta Hawks - Chandler Hutchinson, F, Boise State

Hutchinson is the first senior off the board as a 6’7 slashing wing who made major strides as a shooter over his four years in school. He’s a 36.5 percent three-point marksman over the last two years, which has opened up the rest of his game. He averaged 19.5 points per game for Boise this season.

23. San Antonio Spurs - Jontay Porter, C, Missouri

Michael Porter’s brother is considered a 2019 draft prospect for now, but his skill set as a shot blocker (top-100 nationally in block rate) and three-point shooter (38 percent from deep) could make him appealing to teams in the pre-draft process. He hasn’t been consistent this season and he’s still working on improving his body, so another year in school might not be the worst idea.

Also: our Mizzou man Bill Connelly told me he reminds him of Sam Perkins.

24. Los Angeles Lakers - Keita Bates-Diop, SF, Ohio State

Bates-Diop blew up this season, averaging 19 points per game and garnering All-American acclaim for Ohio State as a junior. He’s a 6’7 wing who can guard multiple positions and score in a pinch. He hit 35 percent of his threes this season, and ability to hit spot-up jumpers will likely make or break his pro career.

25. Chicago Bulls - DeAndre Hunter, SF, Virginia

Hunter has been a breakout star for Virginia as a redshirt freshman, morphing into ACC Sixth Man of the Year and an emerging NBA prospect — if not this year, then next. The 6’7 wing has a compact shooting stroke (37 percent from three), a developing comfort level with the ball and plus athleticism. It’s not easy to find a long, skilled wing at this point in the first round.

26. Portland Trail Blazers - Khyri Thomas, SG, Creighton

Thomas is one of college basketball’s most ferocious perimeter defenders thanks to a lockdown mindset and 6’10 wingspan that makes him play bigger than he actually is at 6’3. Thomas has also developed into a 42 percent three-point shooter this year. He knows what he’s good at and does it well.

27. Boston Celtics - Aaron Holiday, G, UCLA

Holiday is a tough, defensive minded point guard who has grown into a 20 point per game scorer and 45 percent three-point shooter this season. His brothers Jrue and Justin carved out quality NBA careers, and Aaron should, too.

28. Brooklyn Nets - Shake Milton, G, SMU

Milton is a 6’6 junior point guard who has hit at least 42 percent of his threes during every year of his college career.

29. Golden State Warriors - Jacob Evans, SG, Cincinnati

Evans is a 6’6 shooting guard who profiles as a 3-and-D wing player. He’s hit over 40 percent from three-point range the last two years, and has been a critical cog in Cincy’s No. 2 overall defense in the country.

30. Atlanta Hawks - Rawle Alkins, SG, Arizona

Alkins is a strong 6’5, 220-pound shooting guard who thrives getting to the rim. He’s also turned into a 38 percent three-point shooter this season.