Yeah, unless you draft a potential superstar, my preference is for a player to come into the league without pressure. It gives him time to adjust to the league and really develop his game. In many ways, the Kings probably did Hawes and Thompson a disservice by throwing them right into the fray. Unfortunately they didn't have a lot of choice.
Prospect watch 2011
- Thread starter asakkings
- Start date
Naw, I think its highly possible that Barnes would have gone number 3, or at worse, 4. But you know, it can come down to a teams needs. I could see the Kings taking him at 5. It would all depend on the team workouts and how much he impressed Petrie. From a strictly selfish point of view, I wanted him to stay in to add more depth to the draft. With both him and P. Jones pulling out, its weakened the draft at the top, but there are still some nice players available.
I'm starting to think Biyambo could go #3. There isn't anyone else that has the potential you want at the top of the draft. Enes Kanter has got a lot of buzz too, but he's not a jaw-dropping athlete nor does he have ideal size for a center. And everyone else has some pretty big question marks too. Biyambo's lack of exposure up to this point might actually play out in his favor -- he's all potential right now and his weaknesses haven't been picked apart endlessly like a Kemba Walker or a Jimmer Fredette.
I'd be down with Biyambo. Seems like he'd fit well next to Cuz.
With all the top prospects returning to school, its starting to seem like if we pick lower than 5, there isnt going to be anyone but "solid" roleplayer type of prospects. Those guys are easy to get via FA or trades. Might as well swing for the fences with a high upside, risky, pick.
With all the top prospects returning to school, its starting to seem like if we pick lower than 5, there isnt going to be anyone but "solid" roleplayer type of prospects. Those guys are easy to get via FA or trades. Might as well swing for the fences with a high upside, risky, pick.
Last year at the USA/European highschool all star game, Kanter measured out just slightly over 6'11" with shoes. So I think his size is just fine. At this years game Biyambo measured out to 6'9" in shoes. By the way, Kanter dominated in that game. His problem, if it is one, is that he hasn't played competitive basketball for the last year. Without the scouts being able to see him play, it could drop him in the draft.
I am really starting to think about biyombo where we pick, especially with barnes and P Jones out. Kanter I think would 100% be in the mix if not for all the concern about his knees, that scares me away from him.
biyombo or t Jones both have star potential. maybe not superstar but we are picking 6th overall. the only other guy I really like is Walker, and I honestly think he may have superstar potential or at least on the verge of it. but we have two young guys who also look like possible superstars at guard. biyombo would be amazing with cousins, and give us a sick frontcourt, plus he would not have a lot of pressure right away. he has a ton of potential to be a bigtime impact player in the league and a defensive stud something Kings need to keep working on.
biyombo or t Jones both have star potential. maybe not superstar but we are picking 6th overall. the only other guy I really like is Walker, and I honestly think he may have superstar potential or at least on the verge of it. but we have two young guys who also look like possible superstars at guard. biyombo would be amazing with cousins, and give us a sick frontcourt, plus he would not have a lot of pressure right away. he has a ton of potential to be a bigtime impact player in the league and a defensive stud something Kings need to keep working on.
I think Biyombo will be a top 6-7 pick after all of the workouts/combine (I actually think it is quite possible we draft him). Even though he is "only" 6'9", he has a freakishly long 7'7 wingspan and at 240, he is built nearly completely out of muscle. He also has great athleticism with very good leaping ability to go with that freak wingspan as well as the ability to run the floor very well. Even though he is still inexperienced, he doesn't look at all like a Thabeet when he plays, he plays very smoothly and with coordination. He plays with a ton of heart, hustle, and toughness, and would fit right into our movement for a tougher team. Offensively, Biyombo does struggle outside of dunks and right now is a pretty bad passer and turns the ball over quite a bit but on a team with good passers at the PG, SG, and C, he would fit in fine offensively for us. He has been compared to Ibaka of the Thunder, which is a pretty fair comparison. Biyombo's defense, shotblocking, and rebounding would be something I would love to see on the Kings. I can already imagine Jerry saying "[insert opposing player here] just got Bismacked!"
Actually, I did see him hit a jumpshot, and he also attempted a hookshot, which looked pretty good, although he missed the shot. From the little I've seen, he appears to have a lot of potential. And I agree that he doesn't look like Thabeet at all. The question is, if you rank, after team workouts, Biyombo equal with Knight, or Jones, or Hamilton, and you don't really have a need at the PF position, would you still take him?
I always say that if a big man and a little man are ranked equal, you always take the big man. But maybe not in this case, where we have a need at a different position. I guess I'll leave that decision to Petrie.
I always say that if a big man and a little man are ranked equal, you always take the big man. But maybe not in this case, where we have a need at a different position. I guess I'll leave that decision to Petrie.
Small forward is definitely our biggest need right now and Terrence Jones could definitely fill that spot, but we could also get one in free agency. If that does happen, do we really have any major gaps anywhere on the team? At point guard,we have Reke with Beno as a good backup and possibly also Pooh. At SG, we've got Thornton with Reke able to slide over to the 2 as well as Cisco and possibly Taylor. Then at SF, we have that FA with Donte and Casspi to back him up. Then at PF/C we have Cuz, Dally, JT, and possibly Jackson/Whiteside. That is with resigning Thornton and Dally. So without a need, I say you go for the guy you feel could potentially be the best down the line and I say that could quite possibly be Biyombo.
Look, Biyombo could very well turnout to be gods gift to basketball, but I'm not about to jump on the bandwagon of a player that I haven't really had a chance to see play for any extended period of time. He had one really good game that has everyone talking. I can take just about every college player listed in the top 20 and show you some great games that they had. On the Kings I can show you some outstanding games by both Casspi and Greene. But yet, were looking for someone to replace them.
Now I'm not trying to criticize Biyombo, or denigrate his abilities. I'm just saying we shouldn't get overly excited about a player we really don't know very much about. If I had to choose right now between Biyombo and Faried, I'm taking Faried because he's an almost identical player to Biyombo, and I've watched him play for 4 years. The only physicial difference between them may be a half inch in height, and we'll find out about that at the combine. If Petrie and company believe in Biyombo after they've worked him out, then I'll go along with their decision. Until then, I'll remain sceptical.
My greater concern right now is the resigning of Dalembert and Thronton. Both those guys are unrestricted freeagents, and with the shortage of centers and good scorers around the league, both guys will be in demand. If were looking for experience at the SF position and defense, then we probably need to look at someone like Kirilenko, or Tayshaun Prince. If were looking for raw talent at the position that we think can develop into that type of player, then someone like Wilson Chandler should get our attention.
Now I'm not trying to criticize Biyombo, or denigrate his abilities. I'm just saying we shouldn't get overly excited about a player we really don't know very much about. If I had to choose right now between Biyombo and Faried, I'm taking Faried because he's an almost identical player to Biyombo, and I've watched him play for 4 years. The only physicial difference between them may be a half inch in height, and we'll find out about that at the combine. If Petrie and company believe in Biyombo after they've worked him out, then I'll go along with their decision. Until then, I'll remain sceptical.
My greater concern right now is the resigning of Dalembert and Thronton. Both those guys are unrestricted freeagents, and with the shortage of centers and good scorers around the league, both guys will be in demand. If were looking for experience at the SF position and defense, then we probably need to look at someone like Kirilenko, or Tayshaun Prince. If were looking for raw talent at the position that we think can develop into that type of player, then someone like Wilson Chandler should get our attention.
I disagree. We may not have seen much of Bibyombo, but we do have scouting reports from DX that have seen him, we have his measurements, and we have clear evidence that he's done very well in the ACB, which is the best league in Europe outside of the Euroleague. That's impressive for someone his age, and I think it shows that he has real skills on the boards and on the defensive end. While Biyombo would be somewhat of a shot in the dark, is that really such a horrible thing in a draft like this?
Yes, Biyombo is a kind of a toolsy project, but so what? That's something to get behind, you don't have to see a player to get an idea of what they got going for them.
I definitely would not take Faried over him because Faried is about 3 years older than him and he's probably still not much better than him offensively. I'm betting that Biyombo has a much better standing reach than him, and he definitely has a much better frame than him. Biyombo looks pretty strong already, and he can put on a lot more, Faried is 21 and still somewhat narrow. It's hard to say whether Faried even has PF size, yet we know Biyombo has it. I'd say Faried is a bit more athletic and more polished of a rebounder (obviously) but Biyombo wins out on upside, size, and shot blocking skills.
Yes, Biyombo is a kind of a toolsy project, but so what? That's something to get behind, you don't have to see a player to get an idea of what they got going for them.
I definitely would not take Faried over him because Faried is about 3 years older than him and he's probably still not much better than him offensively. I'm betting that Biyombo has a much better standing reach than him, and he definitely has a much better frame than him. Biyombo looks pretty strong already, and he can put on a lot more, Faried is 21 and still somewhat narrow. It's hard to say whether Faried even has PF size, yet we know Biyombo has it. I'd say Faried is a bit more athletic and more polished of a rebounder (obviously) but Biyombo wins out on upside, size, and shot blocking skills.
I guess the only thing were in disagreement on is who I would take right now if I had the choice. Understand, I'm not against drafting Biyombo. Its just that I haven't seen him play, other than in a all star game, in which I think you have to take all the performances with a grain of salt. Without having seen him play, I can't reccomend him. I think I've said many times, that I only comment on players that I've seen play. That doesn't mean that the Kings won't get all giddy over him.
As for the age difference, there does seem to be some dispute over Biyombo's age. Some say he's 18, and others have gone as far as saying he's really around 25 or 26. Personally, I have no idea whats true, but I certainly hope they find out for sure before the draft. As far as giving the edge to Biyombo in blocking shots, I'm not sure its that big an edge. Faried average 2.4 blocked shots a game last year, and had as many as 8 in one game. It would be my hope that Biyombo has more of an offensive upside than Faried seems to have.
Putting those players differences aside, do we really have a need for another PF more than we would need someone like Brandon Knight, or T. Jones, assuming he can transition to SF?
As for the age difference, there does seem to be some dispute over Biyombo's age. Some say he's 18, and others have gone as far as saying he's really around 25 or 26. Personally, I have no idea whats true, but I certainly hope they find out for sure before the draft. As far as giving the edge to Biyombo in blocking shots, I'm not sure its that big an edge. Faried average 2.4 blocked shots a game last year, and had as many as 8 in one game. It would be my hope that Biyombo has more of an offensive upside than Faried seems to have.
Putting those players differences aside, do we really have a need for another PF more than we would need someone like Brandon Knight, or T. Jones, assuming he can transition to SF?
No, both Dalembert and Thornton are unrestricted freeagents. However, when we traded for Dalembert, we inherited his Bird rights. In the case of Thornton, he falls under the Minny Bird rights exception, because he was a second round pick, and only signed a two year contract. For the full bird rights you have to have been under contract with the same team for three years. Now this is where it gets complicated, because the Arenas rule also comes into play. The Arenas rule was put in to help teams, like the then Warriors, to be able to resign their own freeagent if they're already over the cap.
In the Warriors case, the team was over the cap and another team offered a contract with a first year salary that exceeded the mid-level exception. As a result, the Warriors lost Arenas. Now of course thats not a problem for the Kings who are well under the cap. So as long as the Kings retain those Bird and minny Bird rights, they can match or out bid any other team and retain either or both players. Now this is where it gets a little murky for me, and I'm sure someone will pop in and clean up any mess I leave. Buts its my understanding that because of the Arenas rule, other teams are restricted in what they can offer in the first year of new contract. So if I understand it properly, the amount of money that can be offered to Thornton would be somewhere around 5.5 million. And of course the Kings can offer more and retain him.
In Dalemberts case the amount can be significantly more. But again the Kings can not only beat it, but the percentage of increase from year to year would also be greater. If the current CBA were to stay in place, or at least that part of it, it would be more beneficial for Thornton to sign a one year extension, and then the following year be elligible for a full Bird rights contract.
Now the downside to all of this is that as long as neither player is resigned, and the Kings retain those rights, there is a cap hold against the Kings salary cap for each player. In Thorntons case, its so minimal that it doesn't matter. But in Dalemberts case its 19 million dollars. That would 19 million dollars that you can't use to negotiate with, in dealing with other freeagents on the market. So it would behove the Kings to get the Dalembert situation settled as soon as possible to free up whatever money is left after resigning him.
Of course all this could be moot under the new CBA, whenever that becomes the new law of the land.
In the Warriors case, the team was over the cap and another team offered a contract with a first year salary that exceeded the mid-level exception. As a result, the Warriors lost Arenas. Now of course thats not a problem for the Kings who are well under the cap. So as long as the Kings retain those Bird and minny Bird rights, they can match or out bid any other team and retain either or both players. Now this is where it gets a little murky for me, and I'm sure someone will pop in and clean up any mess I leave. Buts its my understanding that because of the Arenas rule, other teams are restricted in what they can offer in the first year of new contract. So if I understand it properly, the amount of money that can be offered to Thornton would be somewhere around 5.5 million. And of course the Kings can offer more and retain him.
In Dalemberts case the amount can be significantly more. But again the Kings can not only beat it, but the percentage of increase from year to year would also be greater. If the current CBA were to stay in place, or at least that part of it, it would be more beneficial for Thornton to sign a one year extension, and then the following year be elligible for a full Bird rights contract.
Now the downside to all of this is that as long as neither player is resigned, and the Kings retain those rights, there is a cap hold against the Kings salary cap for each player. In Thorntons case, its so minimal that it doesn't matter. But in Dalemberts case its 19 million dollars. That would 19 million dollars that you can't use to negotiate with, in dealing with other freeagents on the market. So it would behove the Kings to get the Dalembert situation settled as soon as possible to free up whatever money is left after resigning him.
Of course all this could be moot under the new CBA, whenever that becomes the new law of the land.
There is no way he is more than 20 and I am doubtful that he is even any older than how old he is said to be. He had some kind of bone growth test (I'm not sure exactly what it is) and it said his bones were still growing, which normally ends at 16 or 17. Right now, all those are are just baseless rumors.
It's true that most of us haven't seen much of Biyombo besides his triple double, but he averages 2.5 blocks and 5 rebounds in 17 min. while being described as an elite defender in the ACB. As we can't see much of what he does in the ACB, I have to trust a bit of what others say who have been able to see him more frequently. We'll be able to get a better look at him over the next couple months and personally, I'm just predicting that his stock will rise from that, not fall.
I don't think Faried is basically identical to Biyombo. Although Faried has very good physical tools, he doesn't have the freak level physical tools of Biyombo and I think it's likely Faried measures out less than 6'8". I think Faried could definitely be a very solid NBA defender, but there's no doubt from what we have seen Biyombo has a much higher ceiling. At 18, Biyombo still as a ton of room for growth while Faried doesn't have as much room for growth.
I don't think we need a shoot-first PG at all and personally I'm not a big fan of Terrence Jones. Nonetheless, I think we still need to draft for talent and if by the draft, we feel Biyombo gives us the most talent, I think we have to take him.
It's true that most of us haven't seen much of Biyombo besides his triple double, but he averages 2.5 blocks and 5 rebounds in 17 min. while being described as an elite defender in the ACB. As we can't see much of what he does in the ACB, I have to trust a bit of what others say who have been able to see him more frequently. We'll be able to get a better look at him over the next couple months and personally, I'm just predicting that his stock will rise from that, not fall.
I don't think Faried is basically identical to Biyombo. Although Faried has very good physical tools, he doesn't have the freak level physical tools of Biyombo and I think it's likely Faried measures out less than 6'8". I think Faried could definitely be a very solid NBA defender, but there's no doubt from what we have seen Biyombo has a much higher ceiling. At 18, Biyombo still as a ton of room for growth while Faried doesn't have as much room for growth.
I don't think we need a shoot-first PG at all and personally I'm not a big fan of Terrence Jones. Nonetheless, I think we still need to draft for talent and if by the draft, we feel Biyombo gives us the most talent, I think we have to take him.
we certainly don't need another shoot first pg, especially if as said above we likely can re-sign Thornton.
now it comes down to t jones who I like a lot and think he has a very high ceiling, or faried/biyombo who are more pf. I would love any of the 3, I haven't seen enough of faried to know if he could also play sf or if he's a pf only. biyombo is averaging crazy stats in the abc per 36 minutes, kinda reminds me how cousins had awesome per 36 minutes stats. even though most of us haven't seen much gametape on him draft express has glowing reviews on him, and they certainly have. it'll be interesting to see how this all shakes up closer to draft time, but I think any of these 3 should be a great addition to the team.
now it comes down to t jones who I like a lot and think he has a very high ceiling, or faried/biyombo who are more pf. I would love any of the 3, I haven't seen enough of faried to know if he could also play sf or if he's a pf only. biyombo is averaging crazy stats in the abc per 36 minutes, kinda reminds me how cousins had awesome per 36 minutes stats. even though most of us haven't seen much gametape on him draft express has glowing reviews on him, and they certainly have. it'll be interesting to see how this all shakes up closer to draft time, but I think any of these 3 should be a great addition to the team.
I have absolutely no reason to doubt Biyombo's listed age, so I'm taking it for face value. There has been no evidence to suggest he's older than what's listed, it's all baseless speculation until someone can provide some real evidence. It seems all someone has to do is suggest something and then it becomes a real concern. I think that in all likelihood, this is just agents or NBA execs trying to mess with his draft stock, or else some real evidence would have surfaced.
Biyombo had 2.3 bpg in 17 mpg in a real professional league, and he has the frame to suggest that it's going to translate to the NBA. Faried? Yes, he's long, but how many narrow 6'8 players really become good shot blockers and defensive anchors? I'm not saying he won't be able to block shots, but physically, we can obviously see the difference in defensive potential between the two. Biyombo fits a much more common blueprint for shot blockers at the NBA level.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Serge-Ibaka-1302/stats/
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Bismack-Biyombo-5902/stats/
If you check those out, then you'll see that Biyombo's stats in the ACB were very comparable to Ibaka's, and he put up even greater shot blocking numbers.
I think we need the best player we can get out of this draft, and someone that can stay overseas to develop during the lockout is a nice bonus. Maybe this has something to do with my indifference towards re-signing Dalembert, but I don't think we're settled in the frontcourt just yet. I think both Dalembert and Thompson are question marks as far as the long term starting frontcourt goes. I'm not opposed to other players, but I do think Biyombo should definitely be in the mix.
Biyombo had 2.3 bpg in 17 mpg in a real professional league, and he has the frame to suggest that it's going to translate to the NBA. Faried? Yes, he's long, but how many narrow 6'8 players really become good shot blockers and defensive anchors? I'm not saying he won't be able to block shots, but physically, we can obviously see the difference in defensive potential between the two. Biyombo fits a much more common blueprint for shot blockers at the NBA level.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Serge-Ibaka-1302/stats/
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Bismack-Biyombo-5902/stats/
If you check those out, then you'll see that Biyombo's stats in the ACB were very comparable to Ibaka's, and he put up even greater shot blocking numbers.
I think we need the best player we can get out of this draft, and someone that can stay overseas to develop during the lockout is a nice bonus. Maybe this has something to do with my indifference towards re-signing Dalembert, but I don't think we're settled in the frontcourt just yet. I think both Dalembert and Thompson are question marks as far as the long term starting frontcourt goes. I'm not opposed to other players, but I do think Biyombo should definitely be in the mix.
He's probably only going to be PF defensively and a C offensively, there's very little chance of him ever becoming a SF, and I really wouldn't see the point of him even trying to be. He kind of reminds me of Bo Outlaw, long narrow 6'8 guy who can rebound and get some steals and blocks. I'm not saying he'll be as good as Outlaw though.
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Faried is a freak athlete that can jump out of the building. I don't know if Biyombo is as athletic as Faried, but he's certainly not more athletic. Your talking about a guy that is the all time leading rebounder in NCAA history. That means he passed up Tim Duncan, Derrick Coleman, Shaq O'Neal etc. He is an outstanding defender. You say its true that most of us haven't seen much of Biyombo. How about, most of us haven't seen anything of Biyombo. I doubt if most saw the all star game, and if not that, then their mostly restricted to youtube. Which I place just about zero value on. I can take just about any player and make them look good on youtube.
Now I don't know where you get your info. But I do suscribe to a couple of websites that give me access to info from some of the scouts, and I can tell you that some of them are seriously questioning his age. I've yet to hear why, and I'm not saying he's not 18. He may well be. But there are folks out there that are questioning it. So take it for what it is. But as I said, I'll live with Petrie's decision on Biyombo.
I advise all to take warning though. There have been countless players that suddenly emerged prior to the draft. Some that even performed well in team workouts. And the majority of them turned out to be busts. There are exceptions of course. But you better be dammed sure before you draft one. I will admit to being overly wary of foreign players. Their success rate is low when compared to US players. Its easy to remember those that were successful, but the others are easily forgotten. I will admit however that the South American teams, and the Spanish teams seem to have a higher rate of success. And I'm talking about individual players, and not necessarily the teams.
Now I don't know where you get your info. But I do suscribe to a couple of websites that give me access to info from some of the scouts, and I can tell you that some of them are seriously questioning his age. I've yet to hear why, and I'm not saying he's not 18. He may well be. But there are folks out there that are questioning it. So take it for what it is. But as I said, I'll live with Petrie's decision on Biyombo.
I advise all to take warning though. There have been countless players that suddenly emerged prior to the draft. Some that even performed well in team workouts. And the majority of them turned out to be busts. There are exceptions of course. But you better be dammed sure before you draft one. I will admit to being overly wary of foreign players. Their success rate is low when compared to US players. Its easy to remember those that were successful, but the others are easily forgotten. I will admit however that the South American teams, and the Spanish teams seem to have a higher rate of success. And I'm talking about individual players, and not necessarily the teams.
Can't you say the same about US players though? I mean, yeah, there are more successful American players, of course, but there are also a lot more American players in the discussion, so I don't know if you're really talking about a success rate, as much as you're talking about a success raw total.
I think things should be taken on a case by case basis, not all international players are the same, or are developed in the same way, and the same goes for American players.
BTW, Faried is definitely a better athlete than Biyombo.
I think things should be taken on a case by case basis, not all international players are the same, or are developed in the same way, and the same goes for American players.
BTW, Faried is definitely a better athlete than Biyombo.
I did the research a couple of years ago, and the percentages favored the US players by a considerable amount. I spent the last few hours looking for it and couldn't find it, so at the moment I have nothing to back up my claim. Sorry, my bad! One does have to remember that they do play a different game to a degree. The bigs can live in the paint. Their blocked shot, or goaltending rules are different than ours. Whereas in the US we operate more on a star system, and they don't. So its easier for US college players to fit into the NBA, than it is for international players. So the failure rate being higher shouldn't be a surprise. When you add in that their a lot farther from home, and in many cases language, the adjustment becomes harder. Our customs are different, and our food is different.
So, in many cases its not so much about overall ability, as it is adjustment, and commitment to that adjustment. Right now, this minute, as much as Casspi wants to be a star in the NBA, there's probably a large part of him that wants to be back in his homeland. Thats where he's comfortable. And thats what he has to overcome if he wants to succeed here. Thats not unique to him. None of this is true for US players. Or at least not that extent. You may not be able to find good grits here in california, but the language is still english, and the customs are still familar enough. I just think its a lot harder for international players, and only those that are very talented, and have the commitment succeed.
By the way, I also believe that Faried is a better athlete than Biyombo. Certainly not a knock on Biyombo. There's nothing wrong with his athleticism. As you know, I'm more of a skills guy anyway. Too many great athlete's end up relying on that athleticism far too much, and never develop the necessary skills. I'm not sure how many people notice, but a lot of less athletic players, that are very skilled, end up having longer careers than players that rely mostly on athleticism. Look at Dwight Howard. He's just one knee injury from ending his career. I don't wish that on him of course. But he hasn't really developed his skill set much beyond what he had when he came into the league. He's gained experience of course, which has helped. But his game relies greatly on his athleticism. Take some of the athleticism away, and how good will he be?
A player like Pau Gasol however, who is an average athlete, but a very skilled player, could lose some of his mobility, and still be a good player because of that high skill level. And because he doesn't rely on playing above the rim, there's less chance of him suffering a severe injury. Of course Larry Bird didn't play abover the rim, and still suffered a back injury. So you never know. He did manage to play with that back injury for a few years though. I doubt he could have done that if he was a high flyer.
So, in many cases its not so much about overall ability, as it is adjustment, and commitment to that adjustment. Right now, this minute, as much as Casspi wants to be a star in the NBA, there's probably a large part of him that wants to be back in his homeland. Thats where he's comfortable. And thats what he has to overcome if he wants to succeed here. Thats not unique to him. None of this is true for US players. Or at least not that extent. You may not be able to find good grits here in california, but the language is still english, and the customs are still familar enough. I just think its a lot harder for international players, and only those that are very talented, and have the commitment succeed.
By the way, I also believe that Faried is a better athlete than Biyombo. Certainly not a knock on Biyombo. There's nothing wrong with his athleticism. As you know, I'm more of a skills guy anyway. Too many great athlete's end up relying on that athleticism far too much, and never develop the necessary skills. I'm not sure how many people notice, but a lot of less athletic players, that are very skilled, end up having longer careers than players that rely mostly on athleticism. Look at Dwight Howard. He's just one knee injury from ending his career. I don't wish that on him of course. But he hasn't really developed his skill set much beyond what he had when he came into the league. He's gained experience of course, which has helped. But his game relies greatly on his athleticism. Take some of the athleticism away, and how good will he be?
A player like Pau Gasol however, who is an average athlete, but a very skilled player, could lose some of his mobility, and still be a good player because of that high skill level. And because he doesn't rely on playing above the rim, there's less chance of him suffering a severe injury. Of course Larry Bird didn't play abover the rim, and still suffered a back injury. So you never know. He did manage to play with that back injury for a few years though. I doubt he could have done that if he was a high flyer.
Well like I said before, it's a backwards way of thinking, but Biyombo is probably going to go very high in the draft because he's such an unproven commodity. He's new to the game, has prodigious physical gifts, and he's putting up good numbers in limited minutes. In the absence of any sure-fire stars beyond maybe Irving and Williams, that kind of resume has typically made NBA GMs pull the trigger and take their chances.
Faried, on the other hand, is one of those guys who would probably be ranked 10 spots higher on all the mock drafts if he were just an inch taller. He's got potential sleeper written all over him. I don't know if I'd take him top 5 because of his offensive limitations, but he does have a shot at being one of the 5 best players from this draft longterm if his defense carries over.
Faried, on the other hand, is one of those guys who would probably be ranked 10 spots higher on all the mock drafts if he were just an inch taller. He's got potential sleeper written all over him. I don't know if I'd take him top 5 because of his offensive limitations, but he does have a shot at being one of the 5 best players from this draft longterm if his defense carries over.
I remember the post. And I think the quick summary was, both groups have busts, but International players have more busts because there is less known about them.
That might be changing because GMs aren't as gung ho about international prospects nowadays. But I do think people tend to overestimate the unknown while underestimating the known. It's the tantalizing potential.
That might be changing because GMs aren't as gung ho about international prospects nowadays. But I do think people tend to overestimate the unknown while underestimating the known. It's the tantalizing potential.
Thought this was funny. During the tournament, we learned that Knight was an honors student in high school with a 4.0 in college. He is set to be a Junior by the end of his 1st year at Kentucky.
Kemba Walker? He just completed his first book as a college junior (http://www.theroot.com/buzz/kemba-walker-uconn-star-reads-first-book?wpisrc=obinsite).
I'm not going to over analyze either of these facts. But thought it was worth mentioning. Especially since both play PG.
Kemba Walker? He just completed his first book as a college junior (http://www.theroot.com/buzz/kemba-walker-uconn-star-reads-first-book?wpisrc=obinsite).
I'm not going to over analyze either of these facts. But thought it was worth mentioning. Especially since both play PG.
How about Alec Burks. Some compared him to Evan Turner, Eddie Jones, etc. He is 6'6 PG/SG. Supposed to an above average defender and a good rebounding wing player, with good court vision. Can he shoot like Eddie Jones from beyond the arc?
I don't mind having 2 SG/PG tweeners with him and Evan as our backcourt if indeed he is as advertised. A taller Marcus Thornton would definitely take this team to the next level.
I don't mind having 2 SG/PG tweeners with him and Evan as our backcourt if indeed he is as advertised. A taller Marcus Thornton would definitely take this team to the next level.
I like Burks and I wouldn't be bothered if we took him, but if you want to talk about fit, he isn't a great one since he's a slasher/shot creator without much of a J. He's one of those guys though that if he a J and some strength, he can morph into a very good player. He has those natural abilities of creating off the dribble, passing, length, and athleticism. He lacks finishing ability due to a lack of strength, and his jump shot definitely lacks. I think of him more like Larry Hughes, but without the crappy shot selection and poor IQ. I expect him to rise into the top half of the lottery by the time of the draft because he's definitely one of those guys that can really impress in the combine and workouts. I like Burks and I think he's kind of underrated, but he's somewhat redundant on this team. Like I've said though, I'm about BPA, and if he's the best on the board, take him.