and with the #1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft the Kings select...
- Thread starter RiffRaff
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I agree comparing him to Westbrook was a mistake. Jrue is never going to have the first step to get by defenders like Westbrook so he is going to have to become better at handling the ball. I suppose the point i was trying to make was his ball handling is good enough that with some more time i could see him developing into a good ball handler.
You are right Jrue isn't going to be much of a player if he intends to make it on the next level as a combo guard. He has to develop into a true point guard. Thats could take some time but like you said he has the vision and the passing ability, which are the most important thing. He needs to become consistent with his jumper and learns to more aggressive going to the basket. Got to agree with you again he doesn't have great speed. Good enough sums up his overall athletic ability quite nicely, and is probably the reason i see him as good point guard at the next level rather then a potential star. His height is going to really help him on both side of the court but overall hes not going to overwhelm anyone athletically on the next level.
I suppose by "not very good" you were referring to him as a prospect for this years draft? If thats the case i agree but as a freshman point guard i think he is having a decent season.
You are right Jrue isn't going to be much of a player if he intends to make it on the next level as a combo guard. He has to develop into a true point guard. Thats could take some time but like you said he has the vision and the passing ability, which are the most important thing. He needs to become consistent with his jumper and learns to more aggressive going to the basket. Got to agree with you again he doesn't have great speed. Good enough sums up his overall athletic ability quite nicely, and is probably the reason i see him as good point guard at the next level rather then a potential star. His height is going to really help him on both side of the court but overall hes not going to overwhelm anyone athletically on the next level.
I suppose by "not very good" you were referring to him as a prospect for this years draft? If thats the case i agree but as a freshman point guard i think he is having a decent season.
Without a doubt. Going to UCLA helps with that for sure. Collison and Westbrook saw far less playing time and hype as freshman but both were talked about going into their sophomore years because like Jrue they had pro potential and they were playing for one of the biggest programs in the nation. Would he be talked about as much? No, but it cuts both ways. He would be seen as a nice young player to watch rather then a kid trying to living up to high expectations.
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Your absolutely right. When you go to a UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, Duke, etc. It can be a huge stepping stone to the NBA and the riches that follow. It can also be a curse if you don't live up to expectations. There's no place to hide in those programs, and the pressure is greater. In Holiday's case, I think he has talent, and it would serve him well to return to school, especially since Collison will be gone and the point position will be solely his.
Was that Bricks point? What i read was a simple question. Would Jrue be talked about as pro prospect without the hype coming into this season? The answer in my opinion is yes.
All that other stuff seems to be piggybacking on my point that prospect with pro potential from large programs get attention regardless of the hype surrounding them when they enter college.
Anyways its fair to say Jrue doesn't deserve attention in a discussion for a top pick in this years draft, which is probably what this thread should be about.
All that other stuff seems to be piggybacking on my point that prospect with pro potential from large programs get attention regardless of the hype surrounding them when they enter college.
Anyways its fair to say Jrue doesn't deserve attention in a discussion for a top pick in this years draft, which is probably what this thread should be about.
Did anyone catch Mississippi St. vs. LSU? Jarvis Varnado put up 19 pts 7 rbs and 7 blks. The numbers were fine but something about the guy intrigues me. I think it's that he passes the eyeball test-- possessing good length and broad shoulders while showing nice quick jumping ability as well as running the floor quite well. In addition, his hands also seemed solid. I am not sure how to best articulate it, but he has been one of the few players I have seen the last few days who pops off the screen as being an NBA caliber athlete.
To be honest, I had only half-watched the guy play a few times before so I can't claim an informed opinion about him. Neither does he have much of a presence on the draft websites. So I was wondering what the draft experts and college basketball gurus here thought of him. Just another Justin Williams type, or does anyone think more could be there?
To be honest, I had only half-watched the guy play a few times before so I can't claim an informed opinion about him. Neither does he have much of a presence on the draft websites. So I was wondering what the draft experts and college basketball gurus here thought of him. Just another Justin Williams type, or does anyone think more could be there?
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Ummm, I don't think that I was necessarily disagreeing with you. I was simply expanding on what Bricky said. I think your more likely to get hyped when you go to a big program. I doubt he would have been ranked as high if he had gone to Rider and played the same way.. But your right, he shouldn't even be in the conversation.
Jrue was hyped before he even signed with UCLA, he was ranked as top 5 recruit from high school for a long time. This ranking over hyped him leading to his downfall. Also guys like Collison and Westbrook werent that highly recruited so no one noticed them until they started playing well in their sophomore years. The only UCLA recent PG I can remember doing well as freshman was Jordan Farmar, and even he was decent not that great.
Derozan is putting up good numbers in the pac 10 tournament.
Derozan is putting up good numbers in the pac 10 tournament.
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Alabi
I mentioned Alabi (Florida St.) earlier in the season. This is the second time I've watched him. 7'1", good wingspan, mobile. BETTER offensively than Thabeet. He's more fluid. He gets off a jump hook quickly, even hit a mid-range jumper. Obviously still raw, just a freshman, and has only been playing basketball for a few years, but here's a guy who has a defensive presence in the paint AND who also looks like he could be legitimate offensive threat in the NBA in a few years. Very interesting. I like him better than Thabeet, who looks like he plays offense through a series of mechanical steps, like building an erector set.
Douglas is a stud. He's the only major offensive threat on his team, and he still gets shots off. Defensive player of the year. Very nice player.
Florida St has got to be the most athletic college basketball team in the country.
I mentioned Alabi (Florida St.) earlier in the season. This is the second time I've watched him. 7'1", good wingspan, mobile. BETTER offensively than Thabeet. He's more fluid. He gets off a jump hook quickly, even hit a mid-range jumper. Obviously still raw, just a freshman, and has only been playing basketball for a few years, but here's a guy who has a defensive presence in the paint AND who also looks like he could be legitimate offensive threat in the NBA in a few years. Very interesting. I like him better than Thabeet, who looks like he plays offense through a series of mechanical steps, like building an erector set.
Douglas is a stud. He's the only major offensive threat on his team, and he still gets shots off. Defensive player of the year. Very nice player.
Florida St has got to be the most athletic college basketball team in the country.
If they had that one other guy that could consistently score 15+ points a game, they would go all the way in the NCAAs. With only Douglas as a good scorer, and pg play that is very mediocre, they probably won't make a big splash. But if they play some teams that don't feel comfortable with outside shots in the tourney, then Fl State will smother them.
I swear that the Fl State coach is trying to "hide" Alabi by playing him fewer minutes. He did the same thing in the earlier game I saw this season. He's probably telling the guy he is not even close to being good enough to be drafted by the NBA so he doesn't come out. The guy has a 7'5" wingspan and mobility, a jump hook, and can hit a free throw. Yeah, I'll take a wild guess and say that he's going to make it in the NBA...
I swear that the Fl State coach is trying to "hide" Alabi by playing him fewer minutes. He did the same thing in the earlier game I saw this season. He's probably telling the guy he is not even close to being good enough to be drafted by the NBA so he doesn't come out. The guy has a 7'5" wingspan and mobility, a jump hook, and can hit a free throw. Yeah, I'll take a wild guess and say that he's going to make it in the NBA...
How far will Stephen Curry fall this year? Davidson isn't in the tournament, and his turnovers increased as he was pushed around with bigger players. Since he is a tweener, could he slip lower in the draft than a Lawson, Collison, or Mills even?
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/57919/20090315/scout_stephen_curry_still_a_first_rounder/
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/57919/20090315/scout_stephen_curry_still_a_first_rounder/
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WE love pure shooters -- NBA teams pass on them all the time if the questions are sufficient. Especially in the case of tweener guards, which are second only to too small PFs in their bust potential in the NBA. But in this draft, with so few highly respected prospects and so many question marks, he's still got to be a lottery pick of some kind, especially with the NBA pedigree.
Curry is more than a pure shooter though. I don't know if people got to see him play this year, but his passing was really stellar. Not just competent, but creative. I still don't know if he has the athleticism, but he has the ballhandling and passing ability to be a true point even aside from his scoring.
For anyone who watched the Pac-10 tournament this year, it looks like DeRozan is back in the lottery discussion. He was the best player on the floor in all three of their games, nailing almost all of his jumpers and showing off all of the athleticism we've been expecting to see. Taj Gibson did well for himself too.
I also got a chance to see the Syracuse v UCONN game on ESPN Classics yesterday. Johnny Flynn made quite an impression in that game, especially in the overtime periods. He looks like more of a scorer than a pure PG, but he showed some kind of heart staying out there for all two hours worth of OT, making things happen for his team, and not missing a single free throw.
I also got a chance to see the Syracuse v UCONN game on ESPN Classics yesterday. Johnny Flynn made quite an impression in that game, especially in the overtime periods. He looks like more of a scorer than a pure PG, but he showed some kind of heart staying out there for all two hours worth of OT, making things happen for his team, and not missing a single free throw.
