Following 2019 draftees!!!
- Thread starter Ozymandias
- Start date
I think so too. He's a young good(not great) shooter with ok size and good IQ. A concern is whether or not he'll be able to get stronger and match the physicalness of the NBA. However, he's still really young which means he's not done growing nor filling out.
Insert white player comparison here: jk, but he does remind me of a former King Jon Barry. Good shooter and plays with a very cocky/confident edge to their game. Barry was more of a SG/PG combo though. Like Barry, I think he can last in the NBA a long time even if he doesn't turn out to be a starter in the league. The shooting ability can get him far
Insert white player comparison here: jk, but he does remind me of a former King Jon Barry. Good shooter and plays with a very cocky/confident edge to their game. Barry was more of a SG/PG combo though. Like Barry, I think he can last in the NBA a long time even if he doesn't turn out to be a starter in the league. The shooting ability can get him far
I'm going to try and check out the Iowa State game today. The highest potential young prospect in college basketball might very well be Talen Horton-Tucker, and nobody is talking about him. He's had his ups and downs but what potential. I know Iowa State guys tend to stay in school but I don't see him on many, if any, mocks and that's just crazy. NBA teams aren't realizing Iowa State's scouting could be an easy road to finding that new school positionless 2-4 type.
I can't speak for any of the national mock drafts, but I've certainly mentioned him. Talen has some issues. First, he's 6'4" and 240 lbs with a reported 7'1"wingspan. He played PF in highschool, and he's also playing the 4 at Iowa St. due to his wingspan. He won't be able to play that position in the NBA, and I don't think he's capable of guarding any of the wing positions. His lateral movement is poor, and his jumpshot, especially from the three, is very inconsistent. I don't think it's broken, but it definitey needs work.
right now in the 2nd half of my top 30 which I'm about to post, I have Talen at number 28, and to be honest, I think he could easily slide into the 2nd rd. Hey, I could be wrong, but I've watched him play quite a bit, and I think he's going to be limited in the NBA and it wouldn't surprise me to see him playing in Europe. Just my humble opinion, but if he's there in the 2nd rd when we pick, I would pass. There's better talent available.
right now in the 2nd half of my top 30 which I'm about to post, I have Talen at number 28, and to be honest, I think he could easily slide into the 2nd rd. Hey, I could be wrong, but I've watched him play quite a bit, and I think he's going to be limited in the NBA and it wouldn't surprise me to see him playing in Europe. Just my humble opinion, but if he's there in the 2nd rd when we pick, I would pass. There's better talent available.
Morant is one of the quickest players in college. You said it, you haven't seen him play. So I suggest you take the time to do so. There's something everyone needs to remember. Many times some of the top college players will be suspect on the defensive side of the ball. Well there's a very good reason for that. If your the best player on your team, which in Morant's case, he is, and it's not even close, you can't afford to get into foul trouble, because so go you, so goes the team.
You only get 5 fouls in college. If you pick up an early foul in the first half, your likely going to the bench and won't get back on the floor until perhaps there's only 5 or 6 minutes left in the half. If you pick up 2 early fouls, you won't play the rest of the 1st half. As a result, many of the top players who are probably capable of playing good defense, play a more restricted defense which makes them appear to be poor defenders. If you watched Jaren Jackson last year, he spent a lot of time on the bench in foul trouble which really limited his minutes.
If I were in charge of the NCAA I would increase the amount of fouls in a game to 6, like the NBA. I think it would go a long way toward keeping some of the star players on the floor, and it would probably create better defense. In Morant's case, I have likened him to Fox. He's not quite as quick as Fox, but he's not far behind. He has a similar skill set, body type, height and length. I would say that Morant has a little better overall court vision than Fox at the same point in time.
You only get 5 fouls in college. If you pick up an early foul in the first half, your likely going to the bench and won't get back on the floor until perhaps there's only 5 or 6 minutes left in the half. If you pick up 2 early fouls, you won't play the rest of the 1st half. As a result, many of the top players who are probably capable of playing good defense, play a more restricted defense which makes them appear to be poor defenders. If you watched Jaren Jackson last year, he spent a lot of time on the bench in foul trouble which really limited his minutes.
If I were in charge of the NCAA I would increase the amount of fouls in a game to 6, like the NBA. I think it would go a long way toward keeping some of the star players on the floor, and it would probably create better defense. In Morant's case, I have likened him to Fox. He's not quite as quick as Fox, but he's not far behind. He has a similar skill set, body type, height and length. I would say that Morant has a little better overall court vision than Fox at the same point in time.
So it looks like college basketball first initiated its five foul limit in 1944, well before the introduction of the shot clock. In 1985 the 45 second shot clock was introduced. In 1993 it was reduced to 35 seconds. In 2015 it was reduced to 30 seconds. Sure, there's still only 40 minutes in the game instead of 48, but as the number of possessions goes up, the amount of "dead time" goes down. Certainly 6 fouls is more reasonable at this point, even if it is comparatively more than what is allowed in the NBA, simply because it is effectively probably quite a bit less than was allowed in the past.
The thing about him is he has a guards game. He has a nice looking step back, and a good handle. Defensively in an era of switching I think he'll be fine and size wise he can guard many 4's. I see a similar style to that of Draymond Green potentially. Defensively I think he has tools to make up for whatever he might lack in lateral quickness.
OK, here is the 2nd half of my top 30:
16. Romeo Langford: SF/SG, 6'6", 215 Lbs, Indiana: Langford came out of highschool as one of the top ranked players, and I'm sure some of the Mock's have him higher than I do, and he'll probably go higher, but as I stated at the beginning, I base my decisions on results as wall as potential. Romeo is averaging 17.2 ppg and is shooting 46.5% overall. But his 3pt shot is not a thing of beauty and needs some serious work. He's shooting 26.5% from the three. He looks like an NBA player and is a good athlete, but frankly, his defense has been poor. There's definitely something there, but he'll require more work than I would want from a lottery pick.
17. Nassir Little: SF/PF, 6'7", 220 Lbs., North Carolina: There's a lot to like about Little and based on that, I kept him up around the 6th spot for most of the year. But frankly, others are out performing him, thus the slide down to 17. Little is a very good, just short of an elite athlete. He has great hops and can really elevate. He plays with a toughness that I like. Honestly, he simply chose the wrong school. Williams runs a tight ship, and Little would have flourished better at Duke or Kentucky. N. C. plays that high low big man game, and Little doesn't have the skill set for that. If he goes to a team that can coach him up, I think he can be pretty good. He really needs to work on his jumpshot.
18. Bol Bol: Center, 7'2", 235 Lbs, Oregon: I could probably spend an hour talking about Bol. Offensively he'll give you one wow moment after another. He's averaging 21.1 ppg on 56.6% shooting overall while shooting an amazing 52% from the three. He has very good handles for his size, and unlike his father, he's almost graceful in his movements. In short, he's a very good offensive player. Defensively, with that 7'8" wingspan you would think he'd be great. And while he's averaging 2.7 blocks a game, the opposition is scoring a higher percentage at the basket when he's on the floor, than when he's off. Out on the perimeter, he's absolutely lost, many times caught in no man's land. Is all that correctable? Maybe, but he would scare me as a lottery pick. At 18, he could be a steal.
19. Sekou Doumbouya: PF/SF, 6'9", 230 Lbs, Poiters-International, 17 yr's old: Sekou is a young player with a lot of upside. I've only seen him play a few times, but he's a good athlete who can play above the rim, and who hustles on the defensive side of the ball. He takes a few too many contested shots to suit me the few times I saw him, and he's only shooting 30% from the three. But he's very young and there's a lot there to work with. Personally, I think his best position is PF.
20. Kevin Porter: SF/SG, 6'6", 218 Lbs, USC: Although I have Porter at 20, it wouldn't surprise me if he's a lottery pick. He drips with talent. He'll totally wow you at times, but he'll drive you nuts as well. He'll make a play that few can make and before you can get the proper words out of your mouth to describe it, he make a total bonehead play. The bottom line with Porter is if a team can harness his strengths and eliminate his mistake, they might have a future all star. I really like Porter, but man, he frustrates me at times.
21. Nickeil Alexander-Walker: SG/PG, 6'5", 205 Lbs, Virginia Tech: Nickeil is a very solid player, that's been given more responsibility this season as one of the primary ball handlers, and he's done a excellent job. He can play both the point and the SG position and can probably defend one through three at times. He's a solid defender and a good shooter hitting 41.6% of his three's. He reminds me a bit of Joe Harris at the same point in time, but I think he's a bit better athlete. I think he can eventually be a starter in the NBA, but at worse, he'll be a solid rotational player.
22. Coby White: SG, 6'5", 185 Lbs, North Carolina: Coby is more of a scorer than anything else. He's a particularly good catch and shoot shooter, but not as good off the dribble. He's shooting 38.0% from the three and 43% overall. I'd say he's an average to slightly above average athlete, but needs to add some muscle. He doesn't react well to physicality. He really struggled against Duke when they got in his shorts and bumped him around. He's a good passer, and not a bad pick and roll player.
23. Tre Jones: PG, 6'2", 183 Lbs, Duke: I guess the burning question, is can he do what his brother did, and lead Duke to a national championship. I like Jones a lot, and think he's underrated by some. I'm sure it helps being surrounded by some of the best talent in college, but he's figured out how to fit in and run that team. Right now his biggest weakness is his 3 pt shot where he's only shooting 26.7%. His shot doesn't look broken though, so I think in time he'll be fine.
24. Bruno Fernando: PF, 6'10", 240 Lbs, Maryland: I like Fernando a lot, and he fits the rim runner scenario in today's NBA. He's a very physical player who scores most of his points around the basket, although he's shown the ability to hit the midrange shot, and occasionally a three. However he's only shooting 25% from there. He's built like Capella and his strengths are similar. He's a very good rebounder averaging 10.6 a game, while blocking just a tick under 2 a game.
25. Ty Jerome: SG/PG, 6'5", 195 Lbs, Virginia: I probably have Jerome higher than most, but I really like the kid. Smart player who can play both the PG and SG positions. He can play on or off the ball. He's a deadly shooter, who makes more contested three's than he's entitled to. He's shooting 42% from beyond the arc. He also defends, and if you play for Virginia, you either defend, or you sit. He's also averaging 5.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. He's not an elite athlete, but he's smart, has great anticipation and knows how to play.
26. Grant Williams: SF/PF, 6'7", 237 Lbs, Tennessee: Williams and his running mate Admiral Schofield have carried Tennessee all season long, and whether you think either of them translates to the NBA or not, one can't deny what they've done, especially Williams. To me Williams is a poor man's Zion Williams. His body doesn't fit the SF position, and he appears a bit short for the PF position. But Williams gets the job done, shoots the ball decently from the three, around 35%, rebounds the ball and defends. I wouldn't bet against him.
27. Charles Bassey: Center, 6'11", 245 Lbs, Western Kentucky: Bassey is putting up very good numbers. 15 ppg, while averaging 63.8% overall. He's also capable of stepping out behind the three pt line and scoring. He's averaging 50% from there, although it a very small sampling. Add in that he's grabbing 10 boards, 1 steal, and blocking 2.4 shots a game, you're probably asking why he's so low on the board. Well some are worried about the knee brace he's wearing, and the fact that his competition is hot top level. But at 27, and with not many centers in the draft, why not?
28. Talen Horton-Tucker: SG/SF/PF, 6'4", 233 Lbs, Iowa St: Tucker is reported to have around a 7'1"wingspan, which explains why he's capable of playing and defending the PF position. I'm not sure he can get away with that in the NBA, and I don't think he can defend either the SG or SF positions. He's a bit slow footed at times, and struggles keeping quicker players in front of him. He played PF in highschool and is doing the same at Iowa St. He is talented and a decent to good , but not a great shooter. I have mixed emotions about him.
29. Ayo Dosunmu: SG, 6'5", 185 Lbs, Illinois: I've reached the point that there's about 8 to 10 players that could be interchanged in this area of the draft. Dosunmu has really been playing well and deserves to be in the first round. At least for now. His shot is a little funky and needs to be reworked a bit. He's a good defender but he needs to get stronger. I think he would benefit from staying in school another year.
30. Tyler Herro: SG, 6'5", 195 Lbs, Kentucky: Herro is another I have mixed emotions about. He's a good shooter, but very streaky. Personally, I think he could be a much better shooter if he improves his shot selection. There are games where I love him, and games where I hate him. Herro is another one that I think could really benefit from staying at Kentucky another year.
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16. Romeo Langford: SF/SG, 6'6", 215 Lbs, Indiana: Langford came out of highschool as one of the top ranked players, and I'm sure some of the Mock's have him higher than I do, and he'll probably go higher, but as I stated at the beginning, I base my decisions on results as wall as potential. Romeo is averaging 17.2 ppg and is shooting 46.5% overall. But his 3pt shot is not a thing of beauty and needs some serious work. He's shooting 26.5% from the three. He looks like an NBA player and is a good athlete, but frankly, his defense has been poor. There's definitely something there, but he'll require more work than I would want from a lottery pick.
17. Nassir Little: SF/PF, 6'7", 220 Lbs., North Carolina: There's a lot to like about Little and based on that, I kept him up around the 6th spot for most of the year. But frankly, others are out performing him, thus the slide down to 17. Little is a very good, just short of an elite athlete. He has great hops and can really elevate. He plays with a toughness that I like. Honestly, he simply chose the wrong school. Williams runs a tight ship, and Little would have flourished better at Duke or Kentucky. N. C. plays that high low big man game, and Little doesn't have the skill set for that. If he goes to a team that can coach him up, I think he can be pretty good. He really needs to work on his jumpshot.
18. Bol Bol: Center, 7'2", 235 Lbs, Oregon: I could probably spend an hour talking about Bol. Offensively he'll give you one wow moment after another. He's averaging 21.1 ppg on 56.6% shooting overall while shooting an amazing 52% from the three. He has very good handles for his size, and unlike his father, he's almost graceful in his movements. In short, he's a very good offensive player. Defensively, with that 7'8" wingspan you would think he'd be great. And while he's averaging 2.7 blocks a game, the opposition is scoring a higher percentage at the basket when he's on the floor, than when he's off. Out on the perimeter, he's absolutely lost, many times caught in no man's land. Is all that correctable? Maybe, but he would scare me as a lottery pick. At 18, he could be a steal.
19. Sekou Doumbouya: PF/SF, 6'9", 230 Lbs, Poiters-International, 17 yr's old: Sekou is a young player with a lot of upside. I've only seen him play a few times, but he's a good athlete who can play above the rim, and who hustles on the defensive side of the ball. He takes a few too many contested shots to suit me the few times I saw him, and he's only shooting 30% from the three. But he's very young and there's a lot there to work with. Personally, I think his best position is PF.
20. Kevin Porter: SF/SG, 6'6", 218 Lbs, USC: Although I have Porter at 20, it wouldn't surprise me if he's a lottery pick. He drips with talent. He'll totally wow you at times, but he'll drive you nuts as well. He'll make a play that few can make and before you can get the proper words out of your mouth to describe it, he make a total bonehead play. The bottom line with Porter is if a team can harness his strengths and eliminate his mistake, they might have a future all star. I really like Porter, but man, he frustrates me at times.
21. Nickeil Alexander-Walker: SG/PG, 6'5", 205 Lbs, Virginia Tech: Nickeil is a very solid player, that's been given more responsibility this season as one of the primary ball handlers, and he's done a excellent job. He can play both the point and the SG position and can probably defend one through three at times. He's a solid defender and a good shooter hitting 41.6% of his three's. He reminds me a bit of Joe Harris at the same point in time, but I think he's a bit better athlete. I think he can eventually be a starter in the NBA, but at worse, he'll be a solid rotational player.
22. Coby White: SG, 6'5", 185 Lbs, North Carolina: Coby is more of a scorer than anything else. He's a particularly good catch and shoot shooter, but not as good off the dribble. He's shooting 38.0% from the three and 43% overall. I'd say he's an average to slightly above average athlete, but needs to add some muscle. He doesn't react well to physicality. He really struggled against Duke when they got in his shorts and bumped him around. He's a good passer, and not a bad pick and roll player.
23. Tre Jones: PG, 6'2", 183 Lbs, Duke: I guess the burning question, is can he do what his brother did, and lead Duke to a national championship. I like Jones a lot, and think he's underrated by some. I'm sure it helps being surrounded by some of the best talent in college, but he's figured out how to fit in and run that team. Right now his biggest weakness is his 3 pt shot where he's only shooting 26.7%. His shot doesn't look broken though, so I think in time he'll be fine.
24. Bruno Fernando: PF, 6'10", 240 Lbs, Maryland: I like Fernando a lot, and he fits the rim runner scenario in today's NBA. He's a very physical player who scores most of his points around the basket, although he's shown the ability to hit the midrange shot, and occasionally a three. However he's only shooting 25% from there. He's built like Capella and his strengths are similar. He's a very good rebounder averaging 10.6 a game, while blocking just a tick under 2 a game.
25. Ty Jerome: SG/PG, 6'5", 195 Lbs, Virginia: I probably have Jerome higher than most, but I really like the kid. Smart player who can play both the PG and SG positions. He can play on or off the ball. He's a deadly shooter, who makes more contested three's than he's entitled to. He's shooting 42% from beyond the arc. He also defends, and if you play for Virginia, you either defend, or you sit. He's also averaging 5.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. He's not an elite athlete, but he's smart, has great anticipation and knows how to play.
26. Grant Williams: SF/PF, 6'7", 237 Lbs, Tennessee: Williams and his running mate Admiral Schofield have carried Tennessee all season long, and whether you think either of them translates to the NBA or not, one can't deny what they've done, especially Williams. To me Williams is a poor man's Zion Williams. His body doesn't fit the SF position, and he appears a bit short for the PF position. But Williams gets the job done, shoots the ball decently from the three, around 35%, rebounds the ball and defends. I wouldn't bet against him.
27. Charles Bassey: Center, 6'11", 245 Lbs, Western Kentucky: Bassey is putting up very good numbers. 15 ppg, while averaging 63.8% overall. He's also capable of stepping out behind the three pt line and scoring. He's averaging 50% from there, although it a very small sampling. Add in that he's grabbing 10 boards, 1 steal, and blocking 2.4 shots a game, you're probably asking why he's so low on the board. Well some are worried about the knee brace he's wearing, and the fact that his competition is hot top level. But at 27, and with not many centers in the draft, why not?
28. Talen Horton-Tucker: SG/SF/PF, 6'4", 233 Lbs, Iowa St: Tucker is reported to have around a 7'1"wingspan, which explains why he's capable of playing and defending the PF position. I'm not sure he can get away with that in the NBA, and I don't think he can defend either the SG or SF positions. He's a bit slow footed at times, and struggles keeping quicker players in front of him. He played PF in highschool and is doing the same at Iowa St. He is talented and a decent to good , but not a great shooter. I have mixed emotions about him.
29. Ayo Dosunmu: SG, 6'5", 185 Lbs, Illinois: I've reached the point that there's about 8 to 10 players that could be interchanged in this area of the draft. Dosunmu has really been playing well and deserves to be in the first round. At least for now. His shot is a little funky and needs to be reworked a bit. He's a good defender but he needs to get stronger. I think he would benefit from staying in school another year.
30. Tyler Herro: SG, 6'5", 195 Lbs, Kentucky: Herro is another I have mixed emotions about. He's a good shooter, but very streaky. Personally, I think he could be a much better shooter if he improves his shot selection. There are games where I love him, and games where I hate him. Herro is another one that I think could really benefit from staying at Kentucky another year.
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Yeah, I realize that they play 8 less minutes in college, but I think that's a separate issue, if it's an issue at all. Although some that would argue against changing it to 6 would probably make it an issue. It's the overall effect it has on the game and how the players play it is more important to my mind. I think the overall defense would improve, and it would allow players to become more complete players if they didn't have to worry about a ticky tack foul and then sitting on the bench.
Another rule I would change is the the defensive 3 second rule. college doesn't have one, which is ironic, because they do have an offensive 3 second rule. It would have much easier to get a read on players like Thabeet, who simply camped under the basket and blocked shots. If you simply went on stats, or only watched a couple of his games, you wouldn't know that when he had to go out to the perimeter and guard (seldom) you would have seen he had the mobility of a tree trunk. Why college doesn't have a defensive 3 second rule is beyond me.
Another rule I would change is the the defensive 3 second rule. college doesn't have one, which is ironic, because they do have an offensive 3 second rule. It would have much easier to get a read on players like Thabeet, who simply camped under the basket and blocked shots. If you simply went on stats, or only watched a couple of his games, you wouldn't know that when he had to go out to the perimeter and guard (seldom) you would have seen he had the mobility of a tree trunk. Why college doesn't have a defensive 3 second rule is beyond me.
By the way, since I asked the question, I'll also answer it, or at least give my best guess. Zone defense is unfortunately a primary defense in college, and it would become more difficult to play a proper zone, like the two/three zone Baylor plays, and what Duke played when Bagley was there. Most zones require a big camped under the basket. I'm not a big fan of zone defenses, and while I have to admit they do work, I think they take away from a free flowing game.
Hey Baja - since you didn't mention him I'm curious what you think of Naz Reid? He seems to be low in the mocks but in the few LSU games I've taken in he has looked very good to me. Big, strong, quite skilled for his size, decent jump shot, good rebounder, and he seems to have a great motor. Isn't playing a huge number of minutes (maybe not in the best shape?) but still 26 minutes is not so bad. Am I missing a red flag somewhere? He seems to be late first round or not even included just about everywhere.
Ironic that you should mention his motor, because that's where my questions lie. When he decides to play, he can be a monster, but I've seen games where he seems to coast, and frankly, when he does, he doesn't contribute anything. All that said, he's a very talented big man, and if someone can get him to play hard all the time, he has a lot of upside. He could easily be the prototypical NBA big man. He can do it all, including be physical.
I know I don't have him in my top 30, but I do have him at 31, so he just missed, and to be honest, the players from around 22 to 40, could almost be interchangeable. It's sort of who will best fit your system. Let me put it this way, if he were to slide to the Kings first pick in the 2nd round, I'd have to give him serious thought. Matter of fact, the players that I would hope the Kings are interested in are, in no particular order:
Naz Reid: PF/C, 6'10", 250 Lbs, LSU: Very talented player who made a mistake in my opinion by going to LSU. I think they do a terrible job of coaching big men. I used to call it the school where big men go to die. I wish these kids would do more research before choosing a school, and not go just because their uncle did.
Dylan Windler: SF, 6'8", 200 Lbs, Belmont: I'll admit it, I'm extremely biased when it comes to Windler. I just love him. He's in perpetual motion on the floor. Smart player that can shoot it from the three (40.9%), is a terrific rebounder for a SF (10.5 pg), and he defends (1.5 stl's). Why is he in the 2nd rd? Because he's a senior, and he plays in a lesser conference (Ohio Valley). Will that translate to the NBA? Don't know, but I wouldn't bet against him. He's a workaholic.
Cam Johnson: SF/PF, 6'9", 210 Lbs, North Carolina: The huge question concerning Johnson is whether he will be able to defend at the next level, and it's a legit concern. But if your looking for someone that can light it up, he's your guy. He's a terrific shooter, averaging 51.7% overall, and 47.9% from the three. He's just an average rebounder (5.4 pg), but an above average passer. He's an average athlete, but seems to have good instincts on defense.
Darius Bazley: SF/Point Forward, 6'9": I'll admit that this more wishful thinking than anything else. My gut tells me that some team is going to take him in the first round, especially after workouts and the combine, but man, if he's sitting there, he would be the steal of the draft. This is a very talented kid who can put it on the floor and attack the basket, shoot from deep, and also happens to be a terrific passer. He's an elite athlete, and why he chose to skip college is beyond me. Watch him slide down to a team like the Warriors. Now I've made myself sick.
Robert Franks: SF/PF, 6'9", 225 Lbs, Washington: Franks is another senior who can score and rebound. He's also a pretty good passer. He's averaging 22.2 ppg while shooting 52.6% overall and 40.6% from the three. He's also pulling down 7.4 rebounds a game. Once again, I'm sure some wonder about his ability to defend, but I could say that about 90% of the college players. I see Franks as a solid role player off the bench.
Eric Paschall: SF/PF, 6'8", 255 Lbs, Villanova: To be honest, I had serious doubts about Paschall last year, and thought that he was good because he was surrounded by really good players. But this year he's really impressed me. He's a much better athlete than I originally thought, and he's really improved his 3pt shot. He's an excellent defender (if you don't defend at Villanova, you don't play) and he's shown the ability to pass the ball. I think he has a lot of upside left. He's made a believer out of me.
Ignas Brazdeikis: SF/PF, 6'8", 215 Lbs, Michigan: Not sure if he's a legit 6'8", but it'll come out in the wash. I think Brazdeikis is one of those players that you love if he's on your team, but hate if he's on the other team. he's brash and despite not being huge, he plays very physically. He's been a pleasant surprise to me. He's a decent to good shooter averaging 45.7% overall and 37.9% from the three. If there's a knock on him it would be he turns the ball over a bit much for me. But he's young, has a lot of intangibles and upside.
Killian Tillie: SF/PF, 6'10", 220 Lbs, Gonzaga: Of course Tillie has a wasted year coming back off an injury. But one could argue that prior to that injury, he was one of, if not Gonzaga's best player. He hasn't played since February, and it's highly possible that he'll return for his senior year to regain his draft status.
There are others that came close to making this list, like Lugufntz Dort, and if the dude could shoot the ball he would have. Dedric Lawson came close as did Markus Howard. Howard is a hell of a player, but I don't like diminutive PG's. Watch him become an all star to spite me. I also like Matisse Thybulle from Washington. The dude can really defend. He's averaging almost 4 steals a game. But he's a terrible 3 pt shooter. Still, he would be tempting. Lastly there's Goga Bitadze the European 6'11" Center. He's very skilled, and hell he may end up being the next Jokic, but from what I saw, he's not a very good athlete.
I know I don't have him in my top 30, but I do have him at 31, so he just missed, and to be honest, the players from around 22 to 40, could almost be interchangeable. It's sort of who will best fit your system. Let me put it this way, if he were to slide to the Kings first pick in the 2nd round, I'd have to give him serious thought. Matter of fact, the players that I would hope the Kings are interested in are, in no particular order:
Naz Reid: PF/C, 6'10", 250 Lbs, LSU: Very talented player who made a mistake in my opinion by going to LSU. I think they do a terrible job of coaching big men. I used to call it the school where big men go to die. I wish these kids would do more research before choosing a school, and not go just because their uncle did.
Dylan Windler: SF, 6'8", 200 Lbs, Belmont: I'll admit it, I'm extremely biased when it comes to Windler. I just love him. He's in perpetual motion on the floor. Smart player that can shoot it from the three (40.9%), is a terrific rebounder for a SF (10.5 pg), and he defends (1.5 stl's). Why is he in the 2nd rd? Because he's a senior, and he plays in a lesser conference (Ohio Valley). Will that translate to the NBA? Don't know, but I wouldn't bet against him. He's a workaholic.
Cam Johnson: SF/PF, 6'9", 210 Lbs, North Carolina: The huge question concerning Johnson is whether he will be able to defend at the next level, and it's a legit concern. But if your looking for someone that can light it up, he's your guy. He's a terrific shooter, averaging 51.7% overall, and 47.9% from the three. He's just an average rebounder (5.4 pg), but an above average passer. He's an average athlete, but seems to have good instincts on defense.
Darius Bazley: SF/Point Forward, 6'9": I'll admit that this more wishful thinking than anything else. My gut tells me that some team is going to take him in the first round, especially after workouts and the combine, but man, if he's sitting there, he would be the steal of the draft. This is a very talented kid who can put it on the floor and attack the basket, shoot from deep, and also happens to be a terrific passer. He's an elite athlete, and why he chose to skip college is beyond me. Watch him slide down to a team like the Warriors. Now I've made myself sick.
Robert Franks: SF/PF, 6'9", 225 Lbs, Washington: Franks is another senior who can score and rebound. He's also a pretty good passer. He's averaging 22.2 ppg while shooting 52.6% overall and 40.6% from the three. He's also pulling down 7.4 rebounds a game. Once again, I'm sure some wonder about his ability to defend, but I could say that about 90% of the college players. I see Franks as a solid role player off the bench.
Eric Paschall: SF/PF, 6'8", 255 Lbs, Villanova: To be honest, I had serious doubts about Paschall last year, and thought that he was good because he was surrounded by really good players. But this year he's really impressed me. He's a much better athlete than I originally thought, and he's really improved his 3pt shot. He's an excellent defender (if you don't defend at Villanova, you don't play) and he's shown the ability to pass the ball. I think he has a lot of upside left. He's made a believer out of me.
Ignas Brazdeikis: SF/PF, 6'8", 215 Lbs, Michigan: Not sure if he's a legit 6'8", but it'll come out in the wash. I think Brazdeikis is one of those players that you love if he's on your team, but hate if he's on the other team. he's brash and despite not being huge, he plays very physically. He's been a pleasant surprise to me. He's a decent to good shooter averaging 45.7% overall and 37.9% from the three. If there's a knock on him it would be he turns the ball over a bit much for me. But he's young, has a lot of intangibles and upside.
Killian Tillie: SF/PF, 6'10", 220 Lbs, Gonzaga: Of course Tillie has a wasted year coming back off an injury. But one could argue that prior to that injury, he was one of, if not Gonzaga's best player. He hasn't played since February, and it's highly possible that he'll return for his senior year to regain his draft status.
There are others that came close to making this list, like Lugufntz Dort, and if the dude could shoot the ball he would have. Dedric Lawson came close as did Markus Howard. Howard is a hell of a player, but I don't like diminutive PG's. Watch him become an all star to spite me. I also like Matisse Thybulle from Washington. The dude can really defend. He's averaging almost 4 steals a game. But he's a terrible 3 pt shooter. Still, he would be tempting. Lastly there's Goga Bitadze the European 6'11" Center. He's very skilled, and hell he may end up being the next Jokic, but from what I saw, he's not a very good athlete.
For those interested, Murray St. goes up against Belmont today at 5 pm on ESPN2. It's a chance to see Dylan Windler who plays for Belmont, and Ja Morant who plays for Murray St. These are probably the two best players in the Ohio Valley conference. Morant is for sure a top 5 pick, and Windler will probably go in the first 10 picks of the 2nd rd.
Yeah, we'll see. Windler had a good but not a great game. Couldn't get his 3 ball to drop yesterday, and he's a 40% shooter from there. Just one of those games. Other than that, he had a pretty good game. I like him because he's a fairly complete player who is good at a lot of the little things. Don't know if he could ever be a starter, but I can see him as a solid bench guy. Hope Belmont makes it in, but your right, they're on the bubble. Morant had a typical Morant game. If he can master his perimeter jump shot, the world is his oyster.
Jordan Nwora, 6'8" F Sophomore, Louisvilles leading scorer and Ty Jerome, 6'5" PG Jr. at Virginia. With a lil grooming could be very dangeous assets for the Kings off the bench, both are sharpshooters. Jerome is a cool customer too, he likes taking the big shot.
I am kinda hoping we trade up into the late 1st for Talen Horton Tucker tho...
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