It's the exact same transition for college players too. Apart from the very elite college teams, the difference in athleticism is negligible, if anything. And international teams are bigger/more professional.
It's definitely an adjustment, don't get me wrong. It's just a vastly overstated one.
I would say Luwawu athletically is similar to someone like Jimmy Butler (who isn't a bad comparison). Very good athlete, but a level below the likes of Lavine in terms of explosiveness.
I would like to jump in on this Luwawu conversation, but since I haven't been able to watch him play more than a couple of times, and most of the film I see is highlight crap, I'm going to go with your opinion, which I value. For my part, I'll comment on those players that I feel I confident about. What I don't want to see the Kings do, if its possible to avoid, is go on a fishing trip and hope they catch a big one. Of course that's easier said than done. There are only a few players that I feel completely confident about, and at the SG position, there's only one, and that's Buddy Hield.
That's not to disparage Murray, Valentine etc. Some of the others will turn out to be better than thought, and some will be disappointments. I'm not a fan of Allen's, and to be honest, it's more of a gut feeling with him than anything else. Take Allen, and put him on Georgia Tech, and how good is he? How much of Allen's rep comes from playing at Duke? Is Allen a better player than Malcolm Brogdom of Virginia? Or is he a result of playing on a team that gets a lot of national press where he's highlighted.
I don't want to be unfair to Allen. He is a talented kid, but I don't think he's in the same ballpark with Hield, Murray and Valentine. I see him as a low first round pick with the possibility of sliding into the second round, and that last part depends on the needs of the teams drafting. For the Kings, I don't see how they can go wrong with Hield, and perhaps, based on your opinion, Luwawu. I'm always a little suspect of European players, but at the same time, there are quite a few very good one's roaming around the NBA. Peja anyone?