I like him. Still raw around the edges, but there is a lot to work with there - speed, quickness, good outside shot, seems to have good vision, plays pretty good D, seems very competitive. What does give him an advantage over other pgs, however, is that he has guys that can finish both inside and outside. (That team could go all the way). That does help in the assist/TO category. If the Kings took him, I could be excited about the pick.
2013 Draft Prospects
- Thread starter Vlade4GM
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I certainly agree on the parking in the paint part. That was what I pointed out about Thabeet at UCONN. But Withey is far more mobile than Thabeet. Lets remember that Withey was considered a world class volleyball player before he became interested in basketball. You don't play volleyball without being mobile. So its not as though he can't guard out of the paint. Is he Anthony Davis? Of course not, but Davis is a freak athlete. At the very least he could be a very good defensive backup center who you could put next to Cousins against the right matchups. Would I perfer Cauley-Stein, long term? Yes. Maybe even Dieng because of his athleticism. But Withey has something you can't teach, and thats natural shotblocking instincts. His timing is terrific, and I think that comes from volleyball.
I follow volleyball a bit, and I'm absolutely sure he played blocker - the only position that doesn't require as much mobility and agility as any other. Length is enough until you get to the highest level.
Withey as a backup C is a decent idea, but WCS and Dieng are more value due to athleticism and defensive potential.
Withey as a backup C is a decent idea, but WCS and Dieng are more value due to athleticism and defensive potential.
I used to play volleyball, and you know that at some point you have to do some digging in the rotation. However, I get your point. And I agree that I'm probably more interested in Dieng and WCS than I'am Withey. Perhaps I'm shooting too low, but if we can get a solid role player out of this draft, whether it be a defensive presence on the starting unit, or a solid backup center, I'll be happy. I'm tired of shooting for the moon on unskilled athletic players. Have at least one very good skill that translates to the NBA. And please, no more undersized anything!
I started separating the players I thought would declare for the draft this year and those that would declare in future years. Obviously, I'm unnaturally high on some guys and lower than others. Based on the info that's out there for who's going to declare, this is my top ten:
1 Nerlens Noel
2 Marcus Smart
3 Otto Porter
4 Michael Carter-Williams
5 Cody Zeller
6 Ben McLemore
7 Jeff Withey
8 Trey Burke
9 Lucas Noguiera
10 James Ennis
As I mentioned about James Ennis. Massive sleeper here. He kind of reminds me of Kawhi Leonard quite a bit. If only he went to a school with greater name recognition...
Underrated?:
Ryan Kelly--11th. I like the stretch four aspect to his game plus he's skilled on other aspects of offense with good ballhandling and an ability to disrupt defensively. I think there's some taller Chandler Parsons potential here. Again, he won't be a first round draft pick, but anywhere late 1st round and beyond he can be a steal. His game is tailor made for the NBA setting.
Myck Kabongo--12th. He's not really a PG, and probably a combo guard at best in the NBA, but his ability to slash to the basket his NBA-caliber. That along with his youth helps.
Nate Wolters--14th. Like the guy a lot. No way he'll be drafted this high, but even as a late 1st rounder this might indicate he could be a steal. If he goes in the second round there's a lot of bang for the buck here. He's criminally underrated.
Rudy Gobert--16th
Sergey Karasev--18th
CJ Wilcox--21st
Arsalan Kazemi--26th
Matthew Dellavedova--30th
Michael Dixon--33rd
Overrated?:
Alex Len--15th.
Anthony Bennett--17th
Victor Oladipo--19th
Glenn Robinson III--25th
Kelly Olynyk--31st
CJ McCollum--32nd
Mason Plumlee--34th
Jamaal Franklin--36th
Archie Goodwin--43rd
Doug McDermott--50th
Alex Poythress--51st
Shabazz Muhammad--52nd
1 Nerlens Noel
2 Marcus Smart
3 Otto Porter
4 Michael Carter-Williams
5 Cody Zeller
6 Ben McLemore
7 Jeff Withey
8 Trey Burke
9 Lucas Noguiera
10 James Ennis
As I mentioned about James Ennis. Massive sleeper here. He kind of reminds me of Kawhi Leonard quite a bit. If only he went to a school with greater name recognition...
Underrated?:
Ryan Kelly--11th. I like the stretch four aspect to his game plus he's skilled on other aspects of offense with good ballhandling and an ability to disrupt defensively. I think there's some taller Chandler Parsons potential here. Again, he won't be a first round draft pick, but anywhere late 1st round and beyond he can be a steal. His game is tailor made for the NBA setting.
Myck Kabongo--12th. He's not really a PG, and probably a combo guard at best in the NBA, but his ability to slash to the basket his NBA-caliber. That along with his youth helps.
Nate Wolters--14th. Like the guy a lot. No way he'll be drafted this high, but even as a late 1st rounder this might indicate he could be a steal. If he goes in the second round there's a lot of bang for the buck here. He's criminally underrated.
Rudy Gobert--16th
Sergey Karasev--18th
CJ Wilcox--21st
Arsalan Kazemi--26th
Matthew Dellavedova--30th
Michael Dixon--33rd
Overrated?:
Alex Len--15th.
Anthony Bennett--17th
Victor Oladipo--19th
Glenn Robinson III--25th
Kelly Olynyk--31st
CJ McCollum--32nd
Mason Plumlee--34th
Jamaal Franklin--36th
Archie Goodwin--43rd
Doug McDermott--50th
Alex Poythress--51st
Shabazz Muhammad--52nd
LOL, I love that you have Muhammad at the bottom.. While I agree with you that he's overrated, I do think he's a tad better than where you have him. Good for a laugh though. I think in a normal year of big men, Olynyk would be overrated, but this year, probably not, if you looking for a big. He does have a high skill level, but is definitely weak in some areas. I agree on Len. As I said, Cauley-Stein has had a better year than Len, so why is he ranked lower on most boards? CJ McCollum is a terrific scorer, so if thats what your looking for, then he's not overrated. But he's a SG and only 6'3", so know what your getting. McDermott is hard not to like, and whether you (not you personally) think he's athletic enough or not, I have no doubt he'll be a very good scorer at the next level. Too bad he's not athletic enough to play SF. He does have good lateral quickness, but he can't jump and doesn't have good end to end speed. But the dude can shoot the rock.
The one guy I would completely disagree with is Olapido. He's a terrific basketball player thats made huge improvements in his game this year. I doubt that Indiana would be where they are without him. Zeller may be the star of that team, but Olapido is the heart of that team. On the other hand, you have some of my favorites on your good list. Dellavedova, and Wolters are both on my favorites list. Both very skilled, and both play hardnosed basketball. I would have Burke ahead of Michael Carter-Williams. Williams may prove to be the better player down the road, but right now, Burke is the better player. Here's a name no one is talking about, and who is quietly having a very good year, and who is maybe the best defensive PG in the draft, and thats Aaron Craft of Ohio St. He's probably a second round pick, but I think he can make an NBA team.
Edit: Just curious, but why don't you like Dieng. He'll never be a big time scorer, but he's a very good defender that can block some shots, but is also very good in man to man post defense. He's one of those hardnosed get down and dirty guys. He doesn't have a lot of flash, but he has a lot of substance.
The one guy I would completely disagree with is Olapido. He's a terrific basketball player thats made huge improvements in his game this year. I doubt that Indiana would be where they are without him. Zeller may be the star of that team, but Olapido is the heart of that team. On the other hand, you have some of my favorites on your good list. Dellavedova, and Wolters are both on my favorites list. Both very skilled, and both play hardnosed basketball. I would have Burke ahead of Michael Carter-Williams. Williams may prove to be the better player down the road, but right now, Burke is the better player. Here's a name no one is talking about, and who is quietly having a very good year, and who is maybe the best defensive PG in the draft, and thats Aaron Craft of Ohio St. He's probably a second round pick, but I think he can make an NBA team.
Edit: Just curious, but why don't you like Dieng. He'll never be a big time scorer, but he's a very good defender that can block some shots, but is also very good in man to man post defense. He's one of those hardnosed get down and dirty guys. He doesn't have a lot of flash, but he has a lot of substance.
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Thanks for the response baja. I know I can get detailed responses from you and a few others, which is why it's fun to post here. Even if it looks like I have an unnatural hatred on Shabazz Muhammad and Alex Poythress (trust me, I don't, I just really have to wonder about their serious lack of passing power on Shabazz and the tweener status of Poythress--if they ever resolve those, I'd be way more excited about their prospects).
I've liked Dieng. Not love--but like him well enough. He's a late lottery pick--14th for me, and at worst he's a bubble 1st rounder, but for me his talent level is in the 14th-16th range of a typical draft. Late lottery type stuff. Detractors are going to say he's a 23 year old guy beating up on guys typically two-three years younger than he is, but as Taj Gibson, Bernard James and other showed in college, age doesn't quite matter. He's obviously a defensive minded guy--not a scorer, but has more skills with ballhandling than you'd expect out of a guy who thinks defense first.
As for Oladipo, I like him, because I really liked Tony Allen during the Celtics' championship run, and I've always admired his in-your-face defensive chops alongside his athleticism, but again, I'm not enamored with the super upside here. Winning allure type players tend to get overdrafted, and while I have no doubt Oladipo can easily have a 12 year career as a key cog piece for winning teams, as a lottery pick? I have him in the 19th-21st range, which should still be good for him. But I won't argue the basics--he's easily an NBA player.
CJ McCollum's injury doesn't appear to move the needle on his draft stock, but I think he's a bubble 1st rounder in a usual draft. I don't think he's a PG, which is the difference between being a surefire 1st rounder and where he is now. At the end of the day he's an undersized scoring machine from a small school, but major points his way are that he's super tough, and will slash to the basket through contact and stick his nose among the trees for boards. Still, a bunch of pluses and minuses, the aggregate his he's a bubble type.
Burke is rapidly rising in my eyes. I guess I'm just being cautious when I'm putting him at 8th. But hey, still lottery, right? I think my concern is that he's only 6 feet, but not that it's stopped Ty Lawson, Chris Paul, or even shorter guys like Isaiah Thomas. He's definitely at the lottery. As for Carter-Williams, I do suspect I'm overrating him, because the latter half of his season was worse than his first half, and his shooting numbers and assist power have all tailed off considerably. Also, I'm not sure how his scoring will fare at the next level, given that he really isn't much of one at college. I guess I'm a little intrigued by the 6'6" PG thing because if nothing else, he's a true PG, and defensively I think he's also a plus even if it's Syracuse and all. Feast/famine type, but I guess I'm ranking him this high on the basis of potential.
Aaron Craft to me is a bubble 1st rounder, with a slight chance to be in the early 20s. I know most people don't think this way, but there's this kind of Kirk Hinrich-ian aspect to his game. Plays it really smart, maximizes his strengths, gym rat, great intangibles, adapts to various scouting reports and mixes up his defense rather than giving the same look every game, etc. Really like the guy.
I forgot to mention, I moved Dario Saric into the late lottery (13th) and Ike Austin (21st) has recovered in my impression of him--remember when I hated him and thought he was undrafted? He's pretty much moved up 40+ spots since the last time I saw him. Helps that last time, I thought he was 6'11" 200 lbs and now he's a 7'1" 220 pounder. Really, really helps the cause, but also he improved. I'm kind of hoping guys like LeBryan Nash, James McAdoo, Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress and Shabazz Muhammad stay in school and see if they can make that astronomical leap forward using Austin as the primer here.
It's kind of funny, I was making a 2013 mock after the 2012 NBA Draft based on guys who I thought would break out or improve this year, and many of those names (Travis Releford, Trevor Releford, Andre Dawkins, Mouphtaou Yarou, Durand Scott, Scoop Jardine, Ian Miller etc) aren't even on the list anymore. Anyone remember when the Wear twins from UCLA/UNC were super hyped? Just goes to show you how volatile this draft is. I can say of the super hyped ones, James McAdoo, Rakeem Christmas, Patric Young, Adonis Thomas, LeBryan Nash, Vander Blue are heading in this direction.
I've liked Dieng. Not love--but like him well enough. He's a late lottery pick--14th for me, and at worst he's a bubble 1st rounder, but for me his talent level is in the 14th-16th range of a typical draft. Late lottery type stuff. Detractors are going to say he's a 23 year old guy beating up on guys typically two-three years younger than he is, but as Taj Gibson, Bernard James and other showed in college, age doesn't quite matter. He's obviously a defensive minded guy--not a scorer, but has more skills with ballhandling than you'd expect out of a guy who thinks defense first.
As for Oladipo, I like him, because I really liked Tony Allen during the Celtics' championship run, and I've always admired his in-your-face defensive chops alongside his athleticism, but again, I'm not enamored with the super upside here. Winning allure type players tend to get overdrafted, and while I have no doubt Oladipo can easily have a 12 year career as a key cog piece for winning teams, as a lottery pick? I have him in the 19th-21st range, which should still be good for him. But I won't argue the basics--he's easily an NBA player.
CJ McCollum's injury doesn't appear to move the needle on his draft stock, but I think he's a bubble 1st rounder in a usual draft. I don't think he's a PG, which is the difference between being a surefire 1st rounder and where he is now. At the end of the day he's an undersized scoring machine from a small school, but major points his way are that he's super tough, and will slash to the basket through contact and stick his nose among the trees for boards. Still, a bunch of pluses and minuses, the aggregate his he's a bubble type.
Burke is rapidly rising in my eyes. I guess I'm just being cautious when I'm putting him at 8th. But hey, still lottery, right? I think my concern is that he's only 6 feet, but not that it's stopped Ty Lawson, Chris Paul, or even shorter guys like Isaiah Thomas. He's definitely at the lottery. As for Carter-Williams, I do suspect I'm overrating him, because the latter half of his season was worse than his first half, and his shooting numbers and assist power have all tailed off considerably. Also, I'm not sure how his scoring will fare at the next level, given that he really isn't much of one at college. I guess I'm a little intrigued by the 6'6" PG thing because if nothing else, he's a true PG, and defensively I think he's also a plus even if it's Syracuse and all. Feast/famine type, but I guess I'm ranking him this high on the basis of potential.
Aaron Craft to me is a bubble 1st rounder, with a slight chance to be in the early 20s. I know most people don't think this way, but there's this kind of Kirk Hinrich-ian aspect to his game. Plays it really smart, maximizes his strengths, gym rat, great intangibles, adapts to various scouting reports and mixes up his defense rather than giving the same look every game, etc. Really like the guy.
I forgot to mention, I moved Dario Saric into the late lottery (13th) and Ike Austin (21st) has recovered in my impression of him--remember when I hated him and thought he was undrafted? He's pretty much moved up 40+ spots since the last time I saw him. Helps that last time, I thought he was 6'11" 200 lbs and now he's a 7'1" 220 pounder. Really, really helps the cause, but also he improved. I'm kind of hoping guys like LeBryan Nash, James McAdoo, Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress and Shabazz Muhammad stay in school and see if they can make that astronomical leap forward using Austin as the primer here.
It's kind of funny, I was making a 2013 mock after the 2012 NBA Draft based on guys who I thought would break out or improve this year, and many of those names (Travis Releford, Trevor Releford, Andre Dawkins, Mouphtaou Yarou, Durand Scott, Scoop Jardine, Ian Miller etc) aren't even on the list anymore. Anyone remember when the Wear twins from UCLA/UNC were super hyped? Just goes to show you how volatile this draft is. I can say of the super hyped ones, James McAdoo, Rakeem Christmas, Patric Young, Adonis Thomas, LeBryan Nash, Vander Blue are heading in this direction.
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Good post! I have to make this short because I have to get up at 5am to head up north for my annual sweet 16 to final 4 week with some friends that are as crazy as I'am. Unci03 being one of them. But I agree, McAdoo has been a disapointment this year. He has a lot of things going against him other than his name. He's a bit undersized, and he's underachieving. He's sort of a one trick pony offensively, and he doesn't rebound. Not really sure what his spot is on an NBA team. Patrick Young should give up basketball and enter the Mr. Universe contest. He might fare better. He has no offense outside of 3 feet from the basket and he doesn't rebound like he should, based on his susposed athletic ability. I do think Christmas has some ability, but if I were drafting right now, he'd go undrafted. Nash is someone that I thought would blossom. But he hasn't shown me anything to get excited about. I'm really torn with Adonis Thomas. I still think he has potential.
Goodwin and Poythress should stay in school another year. Neither are ready for the NBA. I've seen Austin play quite a bit this year. He needs to get stronger, and continue to develope his post game. I wish he wasn't playing for Baylor and for a school that played man to man D. He definitely has some talent. If he can play in the post, he has a chance to be pretty good. My biggest knock on him coming out of highschool was that he played away from the basket. Craft has been a favorite of mine ever since Unci03 turned me on to him. He's a terrific defender, and I figured that alone might earn him a spot in the NBA. But his outside shot has improved, and his PG skills have also improved. So who knows?
I've probably seen as much of Burke as anyone in this upcoming draft. And I think he has everything it takes to be successful in the NBA. Despite the fact that he scores the ball a lot, if you watch him, its obvious that he's a pass first PG. He never gets rattled, and he almost never turns the ball over. The measurements from the combine will go a long way to solidifying his place in the draft. If he is indeed 6 foot, then I think he's a lottery pick for sure. Chris Paul measured out at 5'11" in his bare feet, and I think anyone would love to have Paul on his team. Michael Carter-Williams started the season with a bang. But he's going out with a wimper. He needs a big game this week. Big assists and not being able to shoot is one thing, but not being able to shoot, and few assists is a death knell. I'll be gone till monday. Happy Tournament.
Goodwin and Poythress should stay in school another year. Neither are ready for the NBA. I've seen Austin play quite a bit this year. He needs to get stronger, and continue to develope his post game. I wish he wasn't playing for Baylor and for a school that played man to man D. He definitely has some talent. If he can play in the post, he has a chance to be pretty good. My biggest knock on him coming out of highschool was that he played away from the basket. Craft has been a favorite of mine ever since Unci03 turned me on to him. He's a terrific defender, and I figured that alone might earn him a spot in the NBA. But his outside shot has improved, and his PG skills have also improved. So who knows?
I've probably seen as much of Burke as anyone in this upcoming draft. And I think he has everything it takes to be successful in the NBA. Despite the fact that he scores the ball a lot, if you watch him, its obvious that he's a pass first PG. He never gets rattled, and he almost never turns the ball over. The measurements from the combine will go a long way to solidifying his place in the draft. If he is indeed 6 foot, then I think he's a lottery pick for sure. Chris Paul measured out at 5'11" in his bare feet, and I think anyone would love to have Paul on his team. Michael Carter-Williams started the season with a bang. But he's going out with a wimper. He needs a big game this week. Big assists and not being able to shoot is one thing, but not being able to shoot, and few assists is a death knell. I'll be gone till monday. Happy Tournament.
Oladipo's defense is insane. He's a freak athlete. I think he might be slightly bigger than advertised also, with his athleticism and long arms I would not be surprised at all if he turns out to be able to play SF (though I do think he's a SG as of now).
My top 6 in no particular order: Noels, McLemore, Smart, Porter, Burke, Oladipo. Come away with any of those guys and I'd be a happy camper.
My top 6 in no particular order: Noels, McLemore, Smart, Porter, Burke, Oladipo. Come away with any of those guys and I'd be a happy camper.
http://youtu.be/tbdgEw85jU4
I found this video of Saric. He's around 6"10 and shows some point forward skills. From what I've seen of him I'm a fan.
I found this video of Saric. He's around 6"10 and shows some point forward skills. From what I've seen of him I'm a fan.
Saric is a very good prospect with a potential-laden combination of physical attributes and skillset. He's weak, but he's 18. I have no idea why he's seen as a late first rounder by most mock drafts. He should be a mid first rounder IMO and wouldn't be surprised to see a team nab him around that area. Karasev is also very talented and some team is going to end up with a good player in him.
There's actually a few international prospects I like in the 2nd round. Nemanja Nedovic, a guard with fantastic athleticism, extremely strong and is going to put a few people on posters in the NBA. He can score and is also a decent passer, has potential to be a good defender also. I also really like Leo Westermann, a 20 year old PG who stands at 6'7''. He could turn out to be the steal of the draft. Dubljevic is a big body with a solid post game, skilled player who lacks great athleticism. I do think he could turn into a solid big though who can put points on the board.
As for the other international players - both Adetokunbo and Jaiteh have very intriguing and exciting physical attributes but I can't comment on them as I haven't seen them play.
I'd love to get Westermann or Nedovic in the second - even better if we got Saric or Karasev but they will likely be long gone.
I've heard a lot of great things about Giannis Adetocunbo. Versatile offensive player, freak athlete with sick defensive potential. He could be the real gem of the draft. Greek players don't have a great track record in the NBA--they always seem to shy away from the NBA, anyone remember Diamantidis, Spanoulis, Fotsis, Schortsianitis etc? But Adetocunbo hopefully bucks this trend.
People have been talking down international prospects this year and last year, but this year there's a few gems. I haven't really scouted Mohammadou Jaiteh and Giannis Adetocunbo because they haven't played at the big stage, but they're those classic athletic freaks with low skill levels that always find their way to the top during March and April. Kind of like Serge Ibaka's ascension before he got drafted. That is to say of course these types can be busts--with low skill level, anything's golden--remember Mouhamed Saer Sene, a failed lottery pick? Still, these guys are excellent gambles in the late 1st round.
Of the others, I'm highest on 6'9" jumping jack Clint Capela out of Switzerland, but I think he's more of a 2014 prospect. Keep an eye out for him down the road. Another of those similar jumping jacks is 6'9" Daniel Theis, but again, possibly a 2014 prospect. But he's someone the Spurs will probably get in the 2nd round next year because of zero name recognition, and five years later when he comes in the league everyone will be slapping their hands on their forehead and wondering, "How did the Spurs get that gem yet again?" Another 1992 prospect is Klemen Prepelic, who's a 6'3" shooting guard but has really awesome scoring chops. He has late lottery talent, but again 2014 due to zero name recognition, and if he's another Juan Carlos Navarro it's hard to see him translating the stuff he's doing to the league.
For this draft, I guess Lucas Noguiera ranks the highest with me. I have him in the somewhat late lottery, because that part of the draft this year is a bit of a crapshoot. Noguiera is an athletic 7 footer who's still raw, but he's shown enough and made rapid improvements this year and can be a sleeper if he's (likely) drafted below this. Dario Saric is a late lotto to mid-1st rounder. Very skilled all around game but lacking in shooting and rebounding--kind of a Turkoglu like guy at his peak. Rudy Gobert is in the 18-20 range of this draft as well, another 7 footer who's athletic. Everyone loves those especially when they punch their weight in high Euro competition. Sergey Karasev is also in the early 20s of this draft, and he's kind of like a shorter Dario Saric, skilled with better shooting. And then we add Jaiteh and Adetocunbo as possible sleepers, and we have a pretty decent European 1st round here.
For the second round, there's big and burly 6'10" center Bojan Dubljevic, who should go in the early to mid 2nd rounder and may or may not be a Nik Pekovic clone. Athletic undersized/underweight PF Daniel Diez might be a good get near the end of the 2nd round. As is Marko Todorovic. That's about it. I'm not sold on Nemanja Nedovic, Leo Westermann, Mateusz Ponitka, Raul Neto, Joffrey Lauvergne, Augusto Lima, Philip Neumann or any of the other European guys, but they can be filler stash candidates. Just don't think they're NBA caliber.
Of the others, I'm highest on 6'9" jumping jack Clint Capela out of Switzerland, but I think he's more of a 2014 prospect. Keep an eye out for him down the road. Another of those similar jumping jacks is 6'9" Daniel Theis, but again, possibly a 2014 prospect. But he's someone the Spurs will probably get in the 2nd round next year because of zero name recognition, and five years later when he comes in the league everyone will be slapping their hands on their forehead and wondering, "How did the Spurs get that gem yet again?" Another 1992 prospect is Klemen Prepelic, who's a 6'3" shooting guard but has really awesome scoring chops. He has late lottery talent, but again 2014 due to zero name recognition, and if he's another Juan Carlos Navarro it's hard to see him translating the stuff he's doing to the league.
For this draft, I guess Lucas Noguiera ranks the highest with me. I have him in the somewhat late lottery, because that part of the draft this year is a bit of a crapshoot. Noguiera is an athletic 7 footer who's still raw, but he's shown enough and made rapid improvements this year and can be a sleeper if he's (likely) drafted below this. Dario Saric is a late lotto to mid-1st rounder. Very skilled all around game but lacking in shooting and rebounding--kind of a Turkoglu like guy at his peak. Rudy Gobert is in the 18-20 range of this draft as well, another 7 footer who's athletic. Everyone loves those especially when they punch their weight in high Euro competition. Sergey Karasev is also in the early 20s of this draft, and he's kind of like a shorter Dario Saric, skilled with better shooting. And then we add Jaiteh and Adetocunbo as possible sleepers, and we have a pretty decent European 1st round here.
For the second round, there's big and burly 6'10" center Bojan Dubljevic, who should go in the early to mid 2nd rounder and may or may not be a Nik Pekovic clone. Athletic undersized/underweight PF Daniel Diez might be a good get near the end of the 2nd round. As is Marko Todorovic. That's about it. I'm not sold on Nemanja Nedovic, Leo Westermann, Mateusz Ponitka, Raul Neto, Joffrey Lauvergne, Augusto Lima, Philip Neumann or any of the other European guys, but they can be filler stash candidates. Just don't think they're NBA caliber.
Arby, I have to say I find your thoughts on prospects odd, but at least they're always well articulated and interesting to read. 
To answer KIE, I'm scared of Gobert. He has physical tools and blocks shots, but he's so skinny and weak, and his skills are underwhelming. I haven't seen enough of him to form a solid opinion, anyway.
Trey Burke was sensational last night against Kansas. Came up huge. I continue to be a big fan of his, and even moreso after last night. If he leads Michigan to the championship game he could conceivable move into the top 6 on draft night. Would not surprise me - he's been hugely underrated up to this point (although not necessarily on this board where lots of people like him).
To answer KIE, I'm scared of Gobert. He has physical tools and blocks shots, but he's so skinny and weak, and his skills are underwhelming. I haven't seen enough of him to form a solid opinion, anyway.
Trey Burke was sensational last night against Kansas. Came up huge. I continue to be a big fan of his, and even moreso after last night. If he leads Michigan to the championship game he could conceivable move into the top 6 on draft night. Would not surprise me - he's been hugely underrated up to this point (although not necessarily on this board where lots of people like him).
Arby, I have to say I find your thoughts on prospects odd, but at least they're always well articulated and interesting to read.
To answer KIE, I'm scared of Gobert. He has physical tools and blocks shots, but he's so skinny and weak, and his skills are underwhelming. I haven't seen enough of him to form a solid opinion, anyway.
Trey Burke was sensational last night against Kansas. Came up huge. I continue to be a big fan of his, and even moreso after last night. If he leads Michigan to the championship game he could conceivable move into the top 6 on draft night. Would not surprise me - he's been hugely underrated up to this point (although not necessarily on this board where lots of people like him).
To answer KIE, I'm scared of Gobert. He has physical tools and blocks shots, but he's so skinny and weak, and his skills are underwhelming. I haven't seen enough of him to form a solid opinion, anyway.
Trey Burke was sensational last night against Kansas. Came up huge. I continue to be a big fan of his, and even moreso after last night. If he leads Michigan to the championship game he could conceivable move into the top 6 on draft night. Would not surprise me - he's been hugely underrated up to this point (although not necessarily on this board where lots of people like him).
Thing is, I wouldn't be surprised at anything this draft. There isn't a clear-cut #1 by a long shot, certainly not with Noel (the only guy who had a chance to be a consensus #1) coming off injury. If a team needs are at PG, does Burke go #1? If team needs are at SF, does Porter go #1? Usually this time of year it's brutally obvious who will go #1, even if there's a distractor (e.g. Durant, Beasley) thrown into the mix. This year I could probably make a list of ten guys that wouldn't shock me if they went #1 as much as Durant over Oden would have shocked me.
This is bajaden. I'm watching the tourney with Uncia03. Yes, Curry going no. 1 would stun me, and it won't happen. Curry may be able to play the point on the right team, and just about everything being said about Seth was said about his brother as far as athleticism goes. So yes, I definitely think he'll get drafted and he'll play in the NBA. Whether its in the first round or 2nd round I have no idea.
Carter-Williams is coming in strong here.
What I can't figure out is if I'd still like him if he was normal PG size. His length for a guy with that good of court vision isn't something you see every day. He's slowly entering into my like list.
I like him more than Trey Burke. Well, I like HOW he plays more than Trey Burke. Particularly for a PG. MCW doesn't dominate the ball as much as you would think when you see his assist numbers. I'm intregued.
Burke is having a great individual tournament. I don't want to call him a gunner, because he isn't, but I've seen so many little guards dominate college basketball that I can't really get excited about them with any kind of confidence. I don't think passing on him would mean we are passing on star, though, which is why I prefer MCW. Higher potential, lower floor in my opinion.
I have the same philosophy with WCS. He could be a bust, but the potential might be worth it in a weak draft like this one. And the truth is, the better we play the less likely we are to draft a star anyway. Everyone we'll be picking from will have their fair share of flawes.
What I can't figure out is if I'd still like him if he was normal PG size. His length for a guy with that good of court vision isn't something you see every day. He's slowly entering into my like list.
I like him more than Trey Burke. Well, I like HOW he plays more than Trey Burke. Particularly for a PG. MCW doesn't dominate the ball as much as you would think when you see his assist numbers. I'm intregued.
Burke is having a great individual tournament. I don't want to call him a gunner, because he isn't, but I've seen so many little guards dominate college basketball that I can't really get excited about them with any kind of confidence. I don't think passing on him would mean we are passing on star, though, which is why I prefer MCW. Higher potential, lower floor in my opinion.
I have the same philosophy with WCS. He could be a bust, but the potential might be worth it in a weak draft like this one. And the truth is, the better we play the less likely we are to draft a star anyway. Everyone we'll be picking from will have their fair share of flawes.
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