2013 Draft Prospects

[Turgenev]

I posted this question in another thread but maybe it's better suited here.... I haven't read through this entire thread, but can someone explain to me the pros and cons of drafting Shabazz Muhammad at 7?

I will try-

Pros- he has a good body, good height, he can shoot well, and has a chance to be a good pro.

Cons- he might be a jerk, he doesn't pass or try too much on defence, and somewhat under performed vs expectations. He is a 20 yr old freshman and there is some sentiment his HS achievements were aided by his physical advantages, which count for less in college and the NBA.

I don't think he fits the roster that well. He is a one dimensional SG. We have a talented 2 guard (tyreke).

Edit- I should add- i am often wrong about draft prospects.

 

[kingsnation]

I will try-

Pros- he has a good body, good height, he can shoot well, and has a chance to be a good pro.

Cons- he might be a jerk, he doesn't pass or try too much on defence, and somewhat under performed vs expectations. He is a 20 yr old freshman and there is some sentiment his HS achievements were aided by his physical advantages, which count for less in college and the NBA.

I don't think he fits the roster that well. He is a one dimensional SG. We have a talented 2 guard (tyreke).

Edit- I should add- i am often wrong about draft prospects.

Thanks for your opinion!

 

[Telemachus]

So most of the discussion up to this point has been pointless. All of Noel/McLemore/Burke/Porter/Oladipo will be gone by the 7th pick. Bennett might be available, but I don't want him and we don't need him. Of the remaining prospects, the only ones that interest me are Gobert, Zeller, Len and possible MCW depending on how he does in workouts.

I'd probably just go with Gobert or Zeller. I know Zeller didn't end the season well, but he's still a good prospect with size and athleticism. He fits better than Len next to Cuz. If Gobert does well in workouts I'd take him.

So deflated right now.

I don't want any part of Zeller. Every time he has gone up against players his size or bigger he has had trouble scoring. In the NBA he will be presented with that problem almost every night. To me he seems like one of those players that dominates in college but never is able to make much of a mark on the next level.

 

[bajaden]

You don't want Evans as your primary facilitator, and getting Oladipo pretty much leaves only the SF to get a facilitator. Maybe if Oladipo is a third guard, but I'd much rather just take a shot with Burke or Schroeder. Oladipo should be a valuable player, but know what you're committing to by taking him.

I don't believe my question was directed to you! However, just why are we expecting our SG to be a facilitator? Just when did that happen? A lot of assumptions are being made about the offense were going to run. Tyreke and Thornton played together if memory serves, and the world didn't end. I'd hardly call Thornton a facilitator. I could take any group of players you or anyone else could put together and pick it apart with subjective arguments.

Contrary to what you stated, I do want to try Evans as my primary ballhandler. But I also want him to run the team similar to how Bibby ran the team. Bring up the ball, and start the offense. You refer to Oladipo as though he's incapable of handling the ball. He's quite capable of handling the ball. He's no Doug Christie, but Oladipo is a very good passer. I'm starting to get the feeling that you haven't seen him play very much. Oladipo will make this team better, and you acting like he's a detriment. He's not a one trick pony. This is a talented kid, which we probably won't have a chance of drafting now that were at number 7.

 

[bajaden]

Zeller will be a PF in the NBA, and at that position, he may well have a future. He does have a face up game, but it needs a lot of work. But he's certainly athletic enough to play the position. I'm also not convinced that one of the top 5 or 6 players won't fall down to us. There's always one team that surprises everyone. There's also the possibility of trading up if there's someone we really like. Other than that, its a toss up talent wise. If we want to take a gamble, then draft either Adams or Gobert. You want to play it safe, then draft Dieng or Len. Although I think Len might go in the top five. If you want to take a flyer on a great scorer, that maybe could convert to PG, depending on the type of offense you want to run, then draft C.J. McCullum. There's talent to be had, and some of it will end up surprising everyone. The question is who?

 

[Glenn]

Len will go depending on how the teams react to his ankle stress fracture. Stress fractures tend to recur with big guys and it is what ended Yao Ming's career. Fractures in this area also limited Sam Bowie and Bill Walton. It will depend on whether a team wants to take the risk. This is far more serious than Noel's injury because of the tendency to happen over and over in people who already have their first stress fracture. I wouldn't be surprised to see Len available at #7 and then it will be up to our organization to weigh the risk vs benefit of having a man with his skill set and this type of injury. I'd like to have Len as I think he is a nice matchup with Cuz, He is a better defender than Cuz by far yet also has some offensive skills.

I think someone may very well fall to us and I seem to be one of few who isn't thrilled about getting a guard unless he is clearly better than what we have and we can shed a few mini chuckers from our roster..

 

[Gilles]

I don't believe that Cousins will stay a bad defender. Lazy Cousins, who just got back on D 1 second after everybody else because he just had words with ref on the other end and is still pondering what was said is very bad. Focused Cousins that moves his feet is pretty good one already. Still Boogie should be paired with PF/C type who can pick up either front court opponent and provide some rim protection. Among guys in this draft Adams, Dieng and Gobert are suited better to fill such a role than Len. You just don't select a back-up in the middle of the lottery.

 

[KingsCitizen]

I think Zeller is good pick at 7. With big Cuz inside, he'll have more space to operate offense down low.
For a 7 footer, his speed is top notch for a big guy and he's got consistent mid-range which is actually nice spacer for both Cuz and Reke.

We also need a big guy who can relieve Cuz on offense once he sits down. Zeller would be automatic on that from day 1.

 

[Gilles]

So who will take Pekovics or Boguts on D? It sure won't be Zeller, so Boogie will have to exert a lot of energy on defensive end. Get Dorrell Wright or Brandon Rush to improve spacing, don't lock this team with front court that will always struggle with penetration.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

I think Zeller is good pick at 7. With big Cuz inside, he'll have more space to operate offense down low.
For a 7 footer, his speed is top notch for a big guy and he's got consistent mid-range which is actually nice spacer for both Cuz and Reke.

We also need a big guy who can relieve Cuz on offense once he sits down. Zeller would be automatic on that from day 1.

Honestly, we just traded last year's #5 pick for someone who can spread the floor for Cousins and Evans. Patterson is fine for that role. If we draft big, it better be someone who can defend.

This is kind of why I like Len. He can potentially (hate that word) do everything for you. He's smoother offensively than Adams or Gobert (I'm assuming on Gobert, based on what I saw at the combine and youtube clips, but I think it's fair). Gillies, a draft opinion I really do value, doesn't think he and Cousins can play together. I have that fear to a certain extent, but I don't think it would be crippling at all. That's a lot of human in the paint. I'd rather go big than small. Yes, perimeter 4's will give us trouble, but I think the beating you can give those guys on the other end and on the boards will make up for it.

Cousins has really good footwork, and he has slowly been slimming down anyway. There is some Gasol - Randolph comparisons here, or Even Howard - Gasol. Not that Len is Howard, but if Pau can defend 4's Cousins should be able to as well. In most cases, anyway.

 

[Gilles]

Len is further along than Adams or Gobert offensively for sure, but stress fructure is much scarier than ACL. Gobert is as raw as Noel offensively. Adams wasn't that far ahead, but looks like he started shooting jumpers in a hurry, and made huge strides during the season. Quick progression might obviously stop at some point, but to put in perspective Len started playing basketball when he was 10, Gobert is a son of former bballer, Adams started when he was 15, playing against short, stocky guys for 2 years, then had 1 year at Notre Dame Prep and 1 year at Pittsburgh.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I don't believe my question was directed to you! However, just why are we expecting our SG to be a facilitator? Just when did that happen? A lot of assumptions are being made about the offense were going to run. Tyreke and Thornton played together if memory serves, and the world didn't end. I'd hardly call Thornton a facilitator. I could take any group of players you or anyone else could put together and pick it apart with subjective arguments.

Contrary to what you stated, I do want to try Evans as my primary ballhandler. But I also want him to run the team similar to how Bibby ran the team. Bring up the ball, and start the offense. You refer to Oladipo as though he's incapable of handling the ball. He's quite capable of handling the ball. He's no Doug Christie, but Oladipo is a very good passer. I'm starting to get the feeling that you haven't seen him play very much. Oladipo will make this team better, and you acting like he's a detriment. He's not a one trick pony. This is a talented kid, which we probably won't have a chance of drafting now that were at number 7.

You're misinterpreting the things I've said quite a bit. I expect at least one of the PG/SG/SF positions to be a true facilitator. I see a facilitator as someone who can run the pick and roll, someone who can orchestrate the offense, someone who isn't always a scorer first and passer second. I don't think Evans has the head to be a primary facilitator (even though Bibby was a scorer first, he still had a much better understanding of the PG position, being a coach's son and developed as a PG), I don't think he's much more than a drive and kick player in that regard. Neither is Oladipo, who is a good passer (I never said otherwise, I just don't equate good passing ability with facilitating,) but not a facilitator. Is he a good ball handler? He's okay IMO, he can make straight line drives and be okay with the ball, I wouldn't trust him, at least as he is now, as someone to really run plays through. I see Oladipo as a gap filler OG, and I don't think less of him because of that, this isn't a dispute about BPA for me. This argument is kind of moot now, but I wouldn't be upset if we drafted him, I don't think we'd be worse off, I'd just have concerns about the future structure of the team's core with both him and Evans, and whether it's really set up for eventual championships (which is the goal, right?).

 

[Vlade4GM]

Honestly, we just traded last year's #5 pick for someone who can spread the floor for Cousins and Evans. Patterson is fine for that role. If we draft big, it better be someone who can defend.

This is kind of why I like Len. He can potentially (hate that word) do everything for you. He's smoother offensively than Adams or Gobert (I'm assuming on Gobert, based on what I saw at the combine and youtube clips, but I think it's fair). Gillies, a draft opinion I really do value, doesn't think he and Cousins can play together. I have that fear to a certain extent, but I don't think it would be crippling at all. That's a lot of human in the paint. I'd rather go big than small. Yes, perimeter 4's will give us trouble, but I think the beating you can give those guys on the other end and on the boards will make up for it.

Cousins has really good footwork, and he has slowly been slimming down anyway. There is some Gasol - Randolph comparisons here, or Even Howard - Gasol. Not that Len is Howard, but if Pau can defend 4's Cousins should be able to as well. In most cases, anyway.

It's been a while since he's been able to do that, and even then he was inconsistent.

 

[bajaden]

Len is further along than Adams or Gobert offensively for sure, but stress fructure is much scarier than ACL. Gobert is as raw as Noel offensively. Adams wasn't that far ahead, but looks like he started shooting jumpers in a hurry, and made huge strides during the season. Quick progression might obviously stop at some point, but to put in perspective Len started playing basketball when he was 10, Gobert is a son of former bballer, Adams started when he was 15, playing against short, stocky guys for 2 years, then had 1 year at Notre Dame Prep and 1 year at Pittsburgh.

Well done! Very nice and short summery. They said that, and I'm not sure if its ture or not, but that the only competition Adams could find at times was a pick up, one on one game with his sister. Apparently New Zealand doesn't have a basketball program like other countries. Maybe someone with some knowledge can speak to that. However, the point is that Adams was well behind the curve when he enrolled at Pitt. If you watched him play all year, as I'm sure many of you did, then you saw dramatic impovement by the end of the year. He went from looking totally lost, to looking like a legit center in college.

At the beginning of the season, Pitt had trouble keeping him on the floor at times because he was a liability, especially on offense. This kid has tremendous potential, and he appears to have a natural feel for the game to go along with a good work ethic. If I'm looking for someone that can help right now, then he's the last player you want to draft. But if your looking for someone that just might turn into a very good player in the future on both sides of the ball, then you might gamble on him.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

It's been a while since he's been able to do that, and even then he was inconsistent.

Sure, Pau was never a great defender, and he certainly isn't right now, but he is serviceable for the most part. He didn't hold them back. That's all I want Cousins to be.

 

[bajaden]

You're misinterpreting the things I've said quite a bit. I expect at least one of the PG/SG/SF positions to be a true facilitator. I see a facilitator as someone who can run the pick and roll, someone who can orchestrate the offense, someone who isn't always a scorer first and passer second. I don't think Evans has the head to be a primary facilitator (even though Bibby was a scorer first, he still had a much better understanding of the PG position, being a coach's son and developed as a PG), I don't think he's much more than a drive and kick player in that regard. Neither is Oladipo, who is a good passer (I never said otherwise, I just don't equate good passing ability with facilitating,) but not a facilitator. Is he a good ball handler? He's okay IMO, he can make straight line drives and be okay with the ball, I wouldn't trust him, at least as he is now, as someone to really run plays through. I see Oladipo as a gap filler OG, and I don't think less of him because of that, this isn't a dispute about BPA for me. This argument is kind of moot now, but I wouldn't be upset if we drafted him, I don't think we'd be worse off, I'd just have concerns about the future structure of the team's core with both him and Evans, and whether it's really set up for eventual championships (which is the goal, right?).

OK, I see where your coming from, and maybe the biggest disagreement, and really its not a disagreement, but more of each of us seeing Tyreke in a different light. And you may be correct. I see Oladipo and Tyreke as two differend issues, and apparently you do as well. If it turns out that the only position Tyreke can play is SG, then at worse, Oladipo would come off the bench. Anyway, we seem to be in agreement that you take the BPA, and figure the rest out later. I've always been a believer that you get the best players you can and let the cream rise to the top. If a player like Oladipo ends up being a better player than Tyreke, thats actually a good thing, not a bad thing. But I can understand that if he's your favorite player, (not you) you might not want him to be beaten out by competition.

Its not likely to be a problem now that were picking at the 7 spot. Hell, Anthony Bennett is starting to look good to me again. I went back and watched a couple of his games I had recorded, and I can see him being a stretch 4 in the league. He's a terrific athlete, and has a huge wingspan, which is why he's such a good rebounder. Its too bad he had shoulder surgery and couldn't at least go through the drills at the combine. Hell, who knows, he may have grown another inch.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I don't know if I would have wanted Oladipo over Burke and Porter (although I think he's a better prospect than Porter overall,) but after that I wouldn't be against it at all. Nothing wrong with him being a third guard, Ginobili is a third guard, Harden was a third guard, Kevin Martin is a third guard, Jarrett Jack is a third guard.

As far as Bennett goes, I was really bummed we couldn't get accurate measurements on his height and standing reach. Especially his reach, could be the difference in him being an Elton Brand or a Paul Millsap.

 

[Dime Dropper]

On Bennett - seeing him at the lottery standing next to MCW, I'd be very surprised if he's 6'8''. Looks about 6'7'' to me, he looked even smaller than I'd anticipated. Of course that's not the most reliable indicator, but he certainly wasn't towering over him. Looked to be marginally taller to me.

 

[Gilles]

DX actually have Bennett's previous measurements from one of HS AS games: 6'7" with 7'1" wingspan and judging on Millsap who has similar frame and a bit digger dimensions standing reach around 8'8.5"- 8'9". Now of course he could grow an inch, but doesn't look like he did.

 

[KingsCitizen]

DX actually have Bennett's previous measurements from one of HS AS games: 6'7" with 7'1" wingspan and judging on Millsap who has similar frame and a bit digger dimensions standing reach around 8'8.5"- 8'9". Now of course he could grow an inch, but doesn't look like he did.

The last guy I want to draft is another undersized PF. It gives me nightmares of Kenny Thomas and the frustrations of having our coach play the guy as SF (i.e. TRob at times).

I would prefer someone taller than DMC. Legit 7 footers are a plenty in this class and I hope we take one home. That would allow DMC to be PF at some point and destroy the many undersized tweeners that has over populated the league after Shaq went to retirement and the good real PFs become old and preferred to play C.

As long as we keep Cole in that bench, there will always be that guy we can pull every time we need a real shot blocker.

I would only support Evans back at PG or primary ballhandler (if that would a peace others) if we pull in Byron Scott or Sloan as a coach. With either's experience in hall of fame PGs (Stockton, Kidd, Williams, Irving, Paul), Reke should get real nice examples. Otherwise, keep Reke at SG. Invest in Jimmer until we squeeze all his slow bones. And move on with Toney D and IT as our trio of PG.

Put that money on a legit SF (we could have had Kawhi at draft night). Gay or Granger would be nice. But in reality, we may land Metta World Peace.

 

[bajaden]

The last guy I want to draft is another undersized PF. It gives me nightmares of Kenny Thomas and the frustrations of having our coach play the guy as SF (i.e. TRob at times).

I would prefer someone taller than DMC. Legit 7 footers are a plenty in this class and I hope we take one home. That would allow DMC to be PF at some point and destroy the many undersized tweeners that has over populated the league after Shaq went to retirement and the good real PFs become old and preferred to play C.

As long as we keep Cole in that bench, there will always be that guy we can pull every time we need a real shot blocker.

I would only support Evans back at PG or primary ballhandler (if that would a peace others) if we pull in Byron Scott or Sloan as a coach. With either's experience in hall of fame PGs (Stockton, Kidd, Williams, Irving, Paul), Reke should get real nice examples. Otherwise, keep Reke at SG. Invest in Jimmer until we squeeze all his slow bones. And move on with Toney D and IT as our trio of PG.

Put that money on a legit SF (we could have had Kawhi at draft night). Gay or Granger would be nice. But in reality, we may land Metta World Peace.

There would be a distinct difference between Bennett playing SF and Robiinson playing SF. Bennett has a lot of SF skills. He's a very good ballhandler, and an excellent outside shooter. he's very good at putting the ball on the floor and blowing by defenders, and is a terrific finisher at the basket. To be honest, he has better SF skills than he does PF skills. He mostly plays a faceup game and seldom plays with his back to the basket. You mention Kawhi, who played PF at San Diego St and converted to SF with the Spurs. Well Bennett has more SF skills than Kawhi did coming out of college, and is probably a better athlete. He's a far better ballhandler and outside shooter than Kawhi was. I suspect that you didn't see Bennett play much in college, but he's an explosive athlete that just happens to have the build of a PF.

 

[KingsCitizen]

There would be a distinct difference between Bennett playing SF and Robiinson playing SF. Bennett has a lot of SF skills. He's a very good ballhandler, and an excellent outside shooter. he's very good at putting the ball on the floor and blowing by defenders, and is a terrific finisher at the basket. To be honest, he has better SF skills than he does PF skills. He mostly plays a faceup game and seldom plays with his back to the basket. You mention Kawhi, who played PF at San Diego St and converted to SF with the Spurs. Well Bennett has more SF skills than Kawhi did coming out of college, and is probably a better athlete. He's a far better ballhandler and outside shooter than Kawhi was. I suspect that you didn't see Bennett play much in college, but he's an explosive athlete that just happens to have the build of a PF.

Well indeed I didn't see a lot of Bennett's game. The Maloofs drama has gotten unto me this season and lost interest in looking at prospects.
Good things you guys are still at it.

Your posts in this forum is always a nice read.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Someone that hasn't really been talked about is another European prospect, Dario Saric. Earlier the discussion was about having a facilitator at SF if we were to draft Oladipo and put Reke back at PG. Of course, that discussion is likely irrelevant now since we're picking 7th, but if Oladipo were to drop to us, we could take him and try to aquire another first rounder (Dallas are shopping theirs, Atl has two, as do Cleveland and Utah). Saric would be an ideal fit if that scenario played out. Karasev is a good passer too, but Saric is a really outstanding passer for a SF, to the point where he could probably play PG quite well. His passing ability is really remarkable and he'd certainly be the facilitator we'd be looking for at the 3 if we had Reke and Oladipo. He's also got great size for a SF at about 6'9'', maybe even an inch bigger, with good length. He's also a very good ball handler for his size. He's a decent athlete but not a highflyer, I don't expect him to have a problem athletically. Also a solid rebounder for a SF. Main weakness is that he's just not a good shooter, and he's far too weak. Just a thought, however unlikely. People forget that Saric was quite a big prospect and he seems to have slid down the mocks a little. He could be a very good player.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Saric has been a very poor shooter, and that's unfortunate, I hope he can improve as it's likely his one obstacle from being a pretty good point forward in the NBA. I seem to remember a report that he's likely to drop out of the draft if he doesn't believe he's going in the top 10 (or lottery, can't remember which.)

 

[Vlade4GM]

DX actually have Bennett's previous measurements from one of HS AS games: 6'7" with 7'1" wingspan and judging on Millsap who has similar frame and a bit digger dimensions standing reach around 8'8.5"- 8'9". Now of course he could grow an inch, but doesn't look like he did.

Yeah, it's probably unlikely he has a reach much longer than Millsap's (although you never know with standing reach, a lot of it depends on the width and height of your shoulders.) He is much more athletic than Millsap, and he's more skilled than him at 20 than Millsap is at 28. Does he have his motor though?

 

[Hallama]

I'm starting to think of this draft as "the bench draft", as there are very few players I see being stars/starters, but plenty that can help a team. Now with the Kings picking 7 (in a weak draft) I'm not really too concerned with who they pick.

My first choice would be Burke if he drops. Second would be McCollum because of his ability to be a Steph Curry type of player (best case, of course). Third would be a seven footer: Len, Gobert, Dieng, or even Zeller. Dieng fits nicely with Cousins, imo. Fourth would be MCW, who is a defensive minded, pass first PG with height, just not a good shooter. If he learns a nice spot-up 3pt shot, like Kidd, then he'd probably be at the top of my list.

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

There would be a distinct difference between Bennett playing SF and Robiinson playing SF. Bennett has a lot of SF skills. He's a very good ballhandler, and an excellent outside shooter. he's very good at putting the ball on the floor and blowing by defenders, and is a terrific finisher at the basket. To be honest, he has better SF skills than he does PF skills. He mostly plays a faceup game and seldom plays with his back to the basket. You mention Kawhi, who played PF at San Diego St and converted to SF with the Spurs. Well Bennett has more SF skills than Kawhi did coming out of college, and is probably a better athlete. He's a far better ballhandler and outside shooter than Kawhi was. I suspect that you didn't see Bennett play much in college, but he's an explosive athlete that just happens to have the build of a PF.

Bennett at SF is way more interesting than Bennett at PF. I keep forgetting that we might be able to trust the Kings front office again. Petrie has really scarred me, and at this very moment I have a hard time thinking that this team would actually play Bennett there.

Derrick Williams also effected me. Had very good shooting numbers in college despite low 3PA. Most people thought he could swing to SF without much of a problem, and that just hasn't been the case. Bennett seems like he would have a harder time than Williams, but I will defer to Baja when it comes to him. With Kawhi, I didn't know if he could play SF offensively, but I always knew he'd be good on the defensive end and that the effort would always be there. Can we say the same for Bennett?

This is coming from someone who wanted to play Robinson at the 3 as well, despite all his potential weaknesses there. My thing with Bennett is ... is it even worth it? When you can fix a real issue with a player who already has the skill set you need. I'm talking about Len, Adams, or Gobert - I'd take them before Bennett because they already have a skill I know we need, and like I say every year, I'm not a BPA guy because we don't know who the BPA is. No one does. We need defense and shotblocking at a big position. There is none of that in the free agent market this year. That's what I'm drafting unless something crazy happens.

 

[bajaden]

Bennett at SF is way more interesting than Bennett at PF. I keep forgetting that we might be able to trust the Kings front office again. Petrie has really scarred me, and at this very moment I have a hard time thinking that this team would actually play Bennett there.

Derrick Williams also effected me. Had very good shooting numbers in college despite low 3PA. Most people thought he could swing to SF without much of a problem, and that just hasn't been the case. Bennett seems like he would have a harder time than Williams, but I will defer to Baja when it comes to him. With Kawhi, I didn't know if he could play SF offensively, but I always knew he'd be good on the defensive end and that the effort would always be there. Can we say the same for Bennett?

This is coming from someone who wanted to play Robinson at the 3 as well, despite all his potential weaknesses there. My thing with Bennett is ... is it even worth it? When you can fix a real issue with a player who already has the skill set you need. I'm talking about Len, Adams, or Gobert - I'd take them before Bennett because they already have a skill I know we need, and like I say every year, I'm not a BPA guy because we don't know who the BPA is. No one does. We need defense and shotblocking at a big position. There is none of that in the free agent market this year. That's what I'm drafting unless something crazy happens.

\

You raise a good question about Bennett and his defense. My obversations are, that on occasion, he looks like a very good defender. He'll man up on a SG or a SF on the perimeter and end up with a steal, or a block on a jumpshot. But then he'll take his time getting back on defense two plays later. So it appears that he has the tools to play defense, and does on occasion show those tools, but then becomes disinterested and coasts. As for drafting him, I have others that I would take ahead of him. I'm just trying to be fair to him with my analysis. I have no doubts that he'll find a way to be a good offensive player, and while I understand your comparison to Williams, Williams came out of nowhere to suddenly become a good shooter. Something he's struggled to maintain at the NBA level. Bennett has always been a good shooter from his highschool days. And his form is much better than Williams. The main question with Bennett is what is he exactly, and will it translate to the NBA. My gut tells me it will. However, I'm not sure I personally want to take a gamble on him.

 

[Hallama]

Speaking of defense, who do you guys think are the better defenders in this draft?

Guard: MCW reminds me of Christie on D. We all know he played in SU zone, but he moves he feet well and anticipates instinctively. I really like him as a defender. Obviously, Olidepo has the tools as well. I'm most interested if McCollum can keep up with NBA PGs, he's had great steal and rebound numbers over his career.

Center: Dieng is the most polished, Withey and Plumlee are above average. Gobert obviously has the most upside. I'd be very happy drafting 14-20 and adding a guy like Dieng.

 

[Dime Dropper]

MCW reads the passing lanes well and has long arms and is quick. I don't think he has good footwork defensively, however. We'll wait and see with him but he does have potential on that side of the ball.

Oladipo is hands down the best defender in the draft. Hands like Artest, he is extremely quick laterally. He's one of the best defenders I've seen at the college level. And that will translate, because he has the determination, strength and athleticism to go along with it. I'd be surprised if he's not making all-defensive teams within his first three years in the league. I really believe he'll be one of the best, if not the best, perimeter defender in the NBA at some point. Marcus Smart was the only NBA prospect guard who rivalled him defensively in college in my eyes (baja may disagree but Smart has unbelievable hands), and even he wasn't quite as good a man defender. Though I do believe Smart will also be a fantastic defender at the next level.

As for Gobert, unless he does well in workouts I don't think I'd use our first round pick on him. Lucas Nogueira is a very similar player with the same skillset and weaknesses, and he may be available at our 2nd round pick.