Following 2021 Prospects:

[funkykingston]

I do think Cade Cunningham will cement his place as the consensus #1 pick.

Will be very interesting to see how Green and Kuminga do playing together in the G-League while also competing for a draft slot.

I think Boston is a stud.

But a kid I will be following very closely is Jalen Johnson. I think the odds are that the Kings land in the #4-7 slot in the draft and he could be a really intriguing fit with Fox/Haliburton/Bagley and possibly Buddy if he isn't dealt.

Big wing with point forward skills, good athleticism & ballhanding and just overall a very smooth game.

Needs to prove he can hit the outside shot and defend consistently but he's going to get showcased at Duke so he'll have every opportunity.

They may have to start Hurt with Johnson and Moore just to have enough shooting or opponents will just pack the lane against coach K's squad but I'm sure they'll figure it out.

 

[Tetsujin]

Marcus Bagley with the great debut for ASU

Being coached by Kings legend (but not in the good way) Bobby Hurley.

 

[Livinthedream]

Marcus Bagley with the great debut for ASU

Being coached by Kings legend (but not in the good way) Bobby Hurley.

This forum is going to implode when we draft Marcus next season. Can't wait.

Seriously, he's a legit talent.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/statuses/1331766925836292097

 

[Sactown ExPat]

Having spent way more time looking at video footage of bad high school games than I should have over the past week (the only remotely interesting actually game I saw was that match up between Emoni and Chet but that's more a discussion for the 2022 thread), here's how I'd rank the top guys in terms of how I'd want the Kings to pick them. It's also sorta hard to figure out how these guys would do off the ball when they're all pretty much the centerpieces of their high school squads.

S-Tier (Pretty much guaranteed superstar/generational talent, though with that word being attached to multiple players over the past couple of years, who the hell knows what that means)
Cade Cunningham - What would happen if Luka and Ben Simmons had a lovechild. A lot of the defensive skillset of Simmons with the subtle wiggle of Luka. Do I think he'll wind up as good as Luka overall, probably not, but I think he'll be a better NBA defender than Luka from day one. Shooting is a slight concern but he's not hopeless/scared of shooting like Simmons is and according to reports has used his quarantine time to work on it. Without a doubt, unless he really struggles out of the gate. he's the number one overall pick. Most of all, I think he can defend small forwards all the way up to most power forwards with no real issues. The kid's good. (BTW, watch those U19 games where he and Tyler Haliburton and Kira Lewis played together but imagine Swipa in there instead of Kira). Still mad about passing on Luka, best not pass on Cade.

A-Tier (Star-class with superstar potential)
Johnathan Kuminga- The dude is long, athletic, and probably going to be the best defender of all the wings in this class. Offensively, he'll probably end up being a solid outside shooter but he can create for himself and is super aggressive. I'm looking forward to how he potentially develops in the G-League (he's skipping college).
Ziare Williams- I'm probably higher on him than a lot of people but the dude really moves in transition and is probably the second or third best defender in this class. Even though he's skinny, he tries to drive through defenders like he's RekeROY, which I sorta love. Despite that, he moves well off the ball and doesn't seem to be a ballhog even though he probably should have been. Also he's going to Stanford so we know he's smart.
Evan Mobley- Even though this is a becoming known as a wing class and the 2022 draft becoming known as the one with the league's next great big men, I think Mobley has a chance to be the best player of the draft if his frame fills out right. While he's not AD out there on defense, he really tries, has solid instincts, and will probably get better, especially at USC. Offensively, though, is where I think he has a chance to be special. Like AD, he's got good instincts out there and has a pretty consistent jumper that doesn't quite reach the 3-pt line yet but probably will in a few years. I know we're all talking about drafting wings but I would not be mad if we're not number one overall and come out of the night with Mobley in hand.
Brandon Boston- Ziare's teammate at Sierra Canyon. I didn't think he was that great two years ago but he's gotten way better since. His shot has really improved and he can score just about any way possible. I don't think he's as good as Ziare at defense or some of the off the ball stuff but offensively he is probably the best player Calipari has had at Kentucky since Devin Booker (as long as he actually uses him right).

There are tons more but for the sake of the argument, I went into this assuming we had a top four pick. Jalen Green is probably my third or fourth favorite player in this draft but since he's a guard, I sorta left him off.

I see what you mean with Ziare Williams—really great potential. Looks a little Lamar Odom or Toni Kukoc—massively skilled swiss army knife that could probably score 25 a night but fits in perfectly with the flow of a championship contender.

Disagree on Green. He looks a legit 6’5”-6’6”. Outside of this iteration of the Lakers, I think matching up with Fox/Haliburton/Green is a nightmare. The ball won’t stick, they can all shoot (Fox least of the three) and can be super pesky on D. Mostly, Green is pulling the best wing defender, and is going to be a tough check all night. For me, I want our next pick to be that guy that automatically draws the Kawhis and Jrue Holidays of the league—because I don’t want that type of length covering Fox. Right now, you wouldn’t put those guys on Fox anyway because we’re terrible, and why bother? But, as we improve, the best wing/perimeter defenders are going to gravitate to Fox unless we have a big time scorer somewhere else on the wing/perimeter. I don’t think there is much chance Green goes #1, but love him as a prospect.

I think Cunningham is the most “bloom where planted” prospect of this group—I’d quibble that he’s a generational talent. But, time will tell.

 

[kingsboi]

with college hoops officially under way, would any of my fellow draft experts on this board care to share their top 10 prospects to watch and the teams they play for. I'd like to get more familiar with this class and knowing some names and teams to watch for will give me more knowledge about prospects come draft time.

 

[funkykingston]

with college hoops officially under way, would any of my fellow draft experts on this board care to share their top 10 prospects to watch and the teams they play for. I'd like to get more familiar with this class and knowing some names and teams to watch for will give me more knowledge about prospects come draft time.

Two of my top 10 prospects (both top 5 actually) are going to the G-League Ignite squad instead of college. Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga are both very athletic scoring wings.

But college guys to watch are:
Cade Cunningham - Oklahoma State
Zaire Williams - Sanford
BJ Boston - Kentucky
Jalen Johnson - Duke
Greg Brown - Texas
Scottie Barnes - Florida State
Evan Mobley - USC
Jalen Suggs - Gonzaga

 

[kingsboi]

Two of my top 10 prospects (both top 5 actually) are going to the G-League Ignite squad instead of college. Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga are both very athletic scoring wings.

But college guys to watch are:
Cade Cunningham - Oklahoma State
Zaire Williams - Sanford
BJ Boston - Kentucky
Jalen Johnson - Duke
Greg Brown - Texas
Scottie Brown - Florida State
Evan Mobley - USC
Jalen Suggs - Gonzaga

thank you Funky, I'll be sure to keep an eye out on those college prospects. Not sure how I'll follow the G-League so I may have to resort to highlights but none the less your input is helpful

 

[bajaden]

Two of my top 10 prospects (both top 5 actually) are going to the G-League Ignite squad instead of college. Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga are both very athletic scoring wings.

But college guys to watch are:
Cade Cunningham - Oklahoma State
Zaire Williams - Sanford
BJ Boston - Kentucky
Jalen Johnson - Duke
Greg Brown - Texas
Scottie Brown - Florida State
Evan Mobley - USC
Jalen Suggs - Gonzaga

I think you mean't Scottie Barnes of Florida St. I also like Scottie Lewis of Florida. Love the name Scottie! Obviously the team to beat this year if Gonzaga, who made both teams they played look like highschool teams competing against an NBA team. Suggs is the real deal. He blew me away and I wouldn't be surprised if he gave Cunningham a run for his money for the 1st spot in the draft. He put up 24 points on 9 of 15 overall and 2 of 3 from the three. Add in 4 boards, 8 assists and 2 steals. He's an elite athlete with great handles, court vision and great passing ability. And he defends.

I would add Ayo Dosunmu the 6'5" combo guard out of Illinois to your list. He put up 28pts, on 11 of 18 overall and 5 of 8 from the three. He added 10 boards and 5 assists. He came back in the next game and put up 22pts on 8 of 12 overall, but went 0 for 2 from the three, but had 6 boards, 7 assists, and 2 steals.

Another player who was outstanding was Jeremiah Robinson-Earl the 6'9" Sophomore from Villanova. Along with being a terrific defender, he scored 18 pts on 9 of 14 shooting overall and 10 boards. He came back in the next game and put up 28 pts on 11 of 17 shooting overall and 2 for 4 from the three. He added 8 boards.

A player who really impressed me was 6'5" Josh Christopher from Arizona St. He's an elite athlete who knows how to use it. He scored 28 pts on 11 of 17 shooting overall and went 3 of 5 from the three. He added 4 boards and 2 assists.

Props to Derek Culver the 6'10" C/PF from West Virginia who scored 23 pts on 8 of 14 shooting, grabbed 15 boards, had 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Lastly but not least, we have the 6'8" Cade Cunningham who plays where ever he wants, and who scored 21 pt's on 7 of 16 shooting overall and going 2 of 5 from the three. He added 10 boards and 3 assists.

This is not only an extremely talented at the top draft, it's a deep draft as well with players like Corey Kispert the 6'7" SF/SG from Gonzaga and his teammate Drew Timme the 6'10" PF. Both are terrific players who will play in the NBA. I love Brandon Boston from Kentucky, but don't ignore his freak athletic teammate Terrence Clark, a 6'7" SF/SG.

North Carolina has a couple of players worth watching in Day'ron Sharpe, the 6'11" PF and Caleb Love, the sharp shooting 6'5" SG. I think Marcus Bagley showed me enough in his last two games to go on my watch lists as well. Keep your eye on both Scottie Lewis and Keyontae Johnson of Florida. Both are 6'5" SG's.

I could add more, and probably will cover many others during the course of the season, but the point is, this is a draft that I would love more than on 1st rd pick. So if I had my druthers, I would try and acquire one in any trade with Buddy or Barnes, assuming that they're both on the short list of Kings to be traded.

 

[funkykingston]

I think you mean't Scottie Barnes of Florida St. I also like Scottie Lewis of Florida. Love the name Scottie! Obviously the team to beat this year if Gonzaga, who made both teams they played look like highschool teams competing against an NBA team. Suggs is the real deal. He blew me away and I wouldn't be surprised if he gave Cunningham a run for his money for the 1st spot in the draft. He put up 24 points on 9 of 15 overall and 2 of 3 from the three. Add in 4 boards, 8 assists and 2 steals. He's an elite athlete with great handles, court vision and great passing ability. And he defends.

I would add Ayo Dosunmu the 6'5" combo guard out of Illinois to your list. He put up 28pts, on 11 of 18 overall and 5 of 8 from the three. He added 10 boards and 5 assists. He came back in the next game and put up 22pts on 8 of 12 overall, but went 0 for 2 from the three, but had 6 boards, 7 assists, and 2 steals.

Another player who was outstanding was Jeremiah Robinson-Earl the 6'9" Sophomore from Villanova. Along with being a terrific defender, he scored 18 pts on 9 of 14 shooting overall and 10 boards. He came back in the next game and put up 28 pts on 11 of 17 shooting overall and 2 for 4 from the three. He added 8 boards.

A player who really impressed me was 6'5" Josh Christopher from Arizona St. He's an elite athlete who knows how to use it. He scored 28 pts on 11 of 17 shooting overall and went 3 of 5 from the three. He added 4 boards and 2 assists.

Props to Derek Culver the 6'10" C/PF from West Virginia who scored 23 pts on 8 of 14 shooting, grabbed 15 boards, had 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Lastly but not least, we have the 6'8" Cade Cunningham who plays where ever he wants, and who scored 21 pt's on 7 of 16 shooting overall and going 2 of 5 from the three. He added 10 boards and 3 assists.

This is not only an extremely talented at the top draft, it's a deep draft as well with players like Corey Kispert the 6'7" SF/SG from Gonzaga and his teammate Drew Timme the 6'10" PF. Both are terrific players who will play in the NBA. I love Brandon Boston from Kentucky, but don't ignore his freak athletic teammate Terrence Clark, a 6'7" SF/SG.

North Carolina has a couple of players worth watching in Day'ron Sharpe, the 6'11" PF and Caleb Love, the sharp shooting 6'5" SG. I think Marcus Bagley showed me enough in his last two games to go on my watch lists as well. Keep your eye on both Scottie Lewis and Keyontae Johnson of Florida. Both are 6'5" SG's.

I could add more, and probably will cover many others during the course of the season, but the point is, this is a draft that I would love more than on 1st rd pick. So if I had my druthers, I would try and acquire one in any trade with Buddy or Barnes, assuming that they're both on the short list of Kings to be traded.

Yeah, Scottie Barnes from Florida State. I had just typed Greg Brown and apparently my brain went on autopilot . . .

Another kid who may creep up draft boards is Keon Johnson from Tennessee. He is apparently really impressing in practices and looking much better than before the injury that wiped out most of his senior year.

Very physical and athletic wing who needs to improve as a shooter and ballhandler but who could be a great defender. Pretty good passer too.

May be a while before we see him in game action due to cancellations because of Covid, including coach Rick Barnes.

 

[SacTownKid]

I think you mean't Scottie Barnes of Florida St. I also like Scottie Lewis of Florida. Love the name Scottie! Obviously the team to beat this year if Gonzaga, who made both teams they played look like highschool teams competing against an NBA team. Suggs is the real deal. He blew me away and I wouldn't be surprised if he gave Cunningham a run for his money for the 1st spot in the draft. He put up 24 points on 9 of 15 overall and 2 of 3 from the three. Add in 4 boards, 8 assists and 2 steals. He's an elite athlete with great handles, court vision and great passing ability. And he defends.

I would add Ayo Dosunmu the 6'5" combo guard out of Illinois to your list. He put up 28pts, on 11 of 18 overall and 5 of 8 from the three. He added 10 boards and 5 assists. He came back in the next game and put up 22pts on 8 of 12 overall, but went 0 for 2 from the three, but had 6 boards, 7 assists, and 2 steals.

Another player who was outstanding was Jeremiah Robinson-Earl the 6'9" Sophomore from Villanova. Along with being a terrific defender, he scored 18 pts on 9 of 14 shooting overall and 10 boards. He came back in the next game and put up 28 pts on 11 of 17 shooting overall and 2 for 4 from the three. He added 8 boards.

A player who really impressed me was 6'5" Josh Christopher from Arizona St. He's an elite athlete who knows how to use it. He scored 28 pts on 11 of 17 shooting overall and went 3 of 5 from the three. He added 4 boards and 2 assists.

Props to Derek Culver the 6'10" C/PF from West Virginia who scored 23 pts on 8 of 14 shooting, grabbed 15 boards, had 2 assists and 2 blocked shots.

Lastly but not least, we have the 6'8" Cade Cunningham who plays where ever he wants, and who scored 21 pt's on 7 of 16 shooting overall and going 2 of 5 from the three. He added 10 boards and 3 assists.

This is not only an extremely talented at the top draft, it's a deep draft as well with players like Corey Kispert the 6'7" SF/SG from Gonzaga and his teammate Drew Timme the 6'10" PF. Both are terrific players who will play in the NBA. I love Brandon Boston from Kentucky, but don't ignore his freak athletic teammate Terrence Clark, a 6'7" SF/SG.

North Carolina has a couple of players worth watching in Day'ron Sharpe, the 6'11" PF and Caleb Love, the sharp shooting 6'5" SG. I think Marcus Bagley showed me enough in his last two games to go on my watch lists as well. Keep your eye on both Scottie Lewis and Keyontae Johnson of Florida. Both are 6'5" SG's.

I could add more, and probably will cover many others during the course of the season, but the point is, this is a draft that I would love more than on 1st rd pick. So if I had my druthers, I would try and acquire one in any trade with Buddy or Barnes, assuming that they're both on the short list of Kings to be traded.

Scottie Lewis shouldn't have gone to Florida. They're shoving him into the Corey Brewer box and he's more talented than that. Brewer somewhat busting could hurt Lewis in the draft.

From what I've seen of them in high school I Iike Scottie Barnes as well. Good frame for a combo F.

 

[Sactown ExPat]

Cade Cunningham feels a lot like Glenn Robinson to me. Meaning, if you’re the GM sitting at #1, then Cunningham is clearly your choice; you’ll never get criticized for it. In fact, to not take him would be pretty indefensible at the time. And yet, you’re pretty sure there’s at least 2, maybe 3, better players getting drafted behind him.

The more I watch Kuminga, the more I like the other big wings behind him. Kuminga seems like an early developer who can force things now, but is going to have a big adjustment at the next level. Great athlete, but not much wiggle...doesn’t trust his left. This draft’s Patrick Williams. He needs to go to OKC, or similar.

Greg Brown pops off the screen. If that 3-ball translates to college, look out.

Agree with poster above, Jalen Johnson is big smooth. Nice prospect, all around good feel for the game. Would be ecstatic to come out of the draft with Johnson.

 

[bajaden]

Scottie Lewis shouldn't have gone to Florida. They're shoving him into the Corey Brewer box and he's more talented than that. Brewer somewhat busting could hurt Lewis in the draft.

From what I've seen of them in high school I Iike Scottie Barnes as well. Good frame for a combo F.

Well a lot of kids choose the wrong schools for different reasons. Why did Cunningham choose Oklahoma St? It's not know as an NBA producing machine. But I believe his father went there, and so he keeps up the family tradition. Would have loved him at Kentucky or Villanova, or I can think of about 5 or 6 other schools I would have chosen.

However, if you watch Lewis play enough times it becomes apparent that he's a talented kid blessed with great athleticism. And he'll certainly know how to defend coming out of Florida.

After reading some of the posts I would advise anyone not to base their judgements on one of two games, or certainly not some high school video. Not say that video isn't relevant to a small degree, but the jump from high school to college is almost as big as the jump to the NBA. You'll see some players that weren't highly ranked coming out of high school suddenly turn into a top prospect. Obi Toppin wasn't highly recruited, and neither was Haliburton, but once in college, they blossomed.

The other side of the coin is, a couple of highly ranked players will start to slide down the draft board. Either because they couldn't adjust quickly to college ball, or because their playing in a system that stifles their talent. Remember these are 17 and 18 year old kids. There are players that have been in the NBA for years that still favor one hand over the other, so I wouldn't worry too much about an 18 year kid loaded with talent.

 

[206Fan]

Gonzaga PG Jalen Suggs will end up a top 3 player in this draft. His feel for the game and footwork are some of the best I’ve ever seen from a PG prospect.

6’4 200lbs who’s a great all around athlete. He has tremendous burst with equally impressive body control. It’s just something you can’t teach. Attacking down hill, it looks almost Harden-esque the way he’s able to control his body. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by his first 2 games.

High IQ pass first PG with good handles and great slashing ability. He’s also a solid shooter. He has great potential to be a force on defense.

I know he’s not a prospect for the Kings because he plays PG, but he’s been the most impressive NBA prospect that I’ve watched in this short week. He’s the real deal.

 

[bajaden]

Gonzaga PG Jalen Suggs will end up a top 3 player in this draft. His feel for the game and footwork are some of the best I’ve ever seen from a PG prospect.

6’4 200lbs who’s a great all around athlete. He has tremendous burst with equally impressive body control. It’s just something you can’t teach. Attacking down hill, it looks almost Harden-esque the way he’s able to control his body. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by his first 2 games.

High IQ pass first PG with good handles and great slashing ability. He’s also a solid shooter. He has great potential to be a force on defense.

I know he’s not a prospect for the Kings because he plays PG, but he’s been the most impressive NBA prospect that I’ve watched in this short week. He’s the real deal.

I was extremely impressed with Suggs. He has an explosive first step and the strength to spit defenders. Great athlete who can score from anywhere on the court. He makes hard passes look easy, and if he's the best player available when we draft, you take him and figure it out later. I agree on him being a top three player, at least at first look. But lets wait and see what it looks like after 15 or 20 games or so.

One thing is for sure. With Gonzaga being the favorite to win the whole banana, he'll get plenty of national exposure. Not to mention that Gonzaga plays NBA style basketball.

 

[King Baller]

 

[funkykingston]

It was Coppin State, who started just one player over 6'6" but in his first game for Duke Jalen Johnson had 19 points and 19 rebounds to go along with five assists.

He was 8-8 with one three and two made free throws. Most of his points came right at basket (several on tip ins and put backs) so we didn't get to see much shot creation or outside shooting. He also had 7 turnovers but the whole team was sloppy in the first game. I'm not worried unless it becomes a habit.

Defensively he gave good effort and looked pretty good with a huge block early on and one or two on ball steals. I want to see him against better competition.

His playmaking could make him ideal for today's NBA. There was a play where he attacked a closeout but was forced baseline only to jump and make the one handed cross court pass for an open three. Both the vision and the ability to even deliver that pass was impressive.

I said Johnson was one of my favorites among this freshman class and so far he's looked the part.

 

[bajaden]

It was Coppin State, who started just one player over 6'6" but in his first game for Duke Jalen Johnson had 19 points and 19 rebounds to go along with five assists.

He was 8-8 with one three and two made free throws. Most of his points came right at basket (several on tip ins and put backs) so we didn't get to see much shot creation or outside shooting. He also had 7 turnovers but the whole team was sloppy in the first game. I'm not worried unless it becomes a habit.

Defensively he gave good effort and looked pretty good with a huge block early on and one or two on ball steals. I want to see him against better competition.

His playmaking could make him ideal for today's NBA. There was a play where he attacked a closeout but was forced baseline only to jump and make the one handed cross court pass for an open three. Both the vision and the ability to even deliver that pass was impressive.

I said Johnson was one of my favorites among this freshman class and so far he's looked the part.

As you pointed out, it was Coppin St., but you have to give him props for what he did. This is that part of the college season when many of the top teams play mid-level conference teams, and end up looking like world beaters. So I pay more attention to the Arizona St/Villanova type games where the competition is stiffer. But that said, Johnson looks like the real deal. I can't wait to see him against better competition.

Kentucky plays Howard today, and Howard has a very good team. So this will be a good test for Kentucky. Could be a possible upset.

Edit: My bad! I mean't Richmond not Howard. The old brain is slowing going................

 

[funkykingston]

Rough game for Kentucky losing at home to Richmond.

Kentucky has a lot of talented kids but Richmond ran their sets at their pace and just out executed them with better spacing and good ball movement.

BJ Boston went for 20 and 10 but it took him 20 shots to get those 20 points. Some of his makes were also really tough shots which is good and bad. Good in that he can hit those crazy layups, contested putbacks, and even a Mitch Richmond special long two with a foot on the line. But bad in that you'd like to see him create some easy looks for himself.

But I thought he made pretty good decisions with the ball for the most part and he showed the mentality you want from a scorer and kept attacking when he had the opportunity.

I'm excited to see a young Duke against a more experienced Michigan State tomorrow. It should serve as a better game than Coppin State to see where Jalen Johnson is right now.

 

[iowamcnabb]

I don’t know if anyone would be interested in doing this, but it would be cool to do a mash up of the ‘20 and ‘21 draft classes when we get a little further into the season. If all the players from both years were available how would you rank them? I don’t follow college ball enough to know.

 

[funkykingston]

I don’t know if anyone would be interested in doing this, but it would be cool to do a mash up of the ‘20 and ‘21 draft classes when we get a little further into the season. If all the players from both years were available how would you rank them? I don’t follow college ball enough to know.

I've tried to do this in the past and the hard part is that as the college season moves along you get a better idea of what the NBA rookies can or may turn out to be so it taints the comparison.

But if I had to guess right now I'd say that all of the players at the top of the draft this year had enough questions that none of them would crack the top 5 in a combined 2020/2021 draft.

 

[iowamcnabb]

I've tried to do this in the past and the hard part is that as the college season moves along you get a better idea of what the NBA rookies can or may turn out to be so it taints the comparison.

But if I had to guess right now I'd say that all of the players at the top of the draft this year had enough questions that none of them would crack the top 5 in a combined 2020/2021 draft.

Yeh I figured that could be an issue. Maybe you will get a general idea over the next several weeks to post something before the season starts

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Ziaire Williams has gone for 13/7/3 in the first half of his Stanford debut. Was 3-3 from three, none hit the rim (but I think he'll get credit for getting a three blocked at the halftime buzzer). Has created and hit his own midrange off the dribble going both left and right. Very, very unselfish and has made the right pass probably 10 times, including some nifty pocket passes to cutters, would have 6-7 assists but his guys either missed bunnies or got fouled. He's terribly skinny at 6'7" and is getting pushed around on D, but gives the effort and is crashing the boards, using his length to get to the ball. Looking VERY good in his first half, and there's another half on ESPN2 if you hurry.

 

[Telemachus]

Ziaire Williams has gone for 13/7/3 in the first half of his Stanford debut. Was 3-3 from three, none hit the rim (but I think he'll get credit for getting a three blocked at the halftime buzzer). Has created and hit his own midrange off the dribble going both left and right. Very, very unselfish and has made the right pass probably 10 times, including some nifty pocket passes to cutters, would have 6-7 assists but his guys either missed bunnies or got fouled. He's terribly skinny at 6'7" and is getting pushed around on D, but gives the effort and is crashing the boards, using his length to get to the ball. Looking VERY good in his first half, and there's another half on ESPN2 if you hurry.

His shot is silky smooth and looks effortless.

 

[Tetsujin]

I realize having a super skinny wing lineup of Haliburton and Ziare would present all sorts of issues defensively unless Ziare can bulk up (which is something I think will happen eventually) but man Ziare just has such a smooth feel for the game and fights so hard on both ends of the court.

 

[funkykingston]

Not a great game for Jalen Johnson and Duke. Much like Kentucky vs Richmond, the young Blue Devils ran into an older, more experienced Michigan State team who played better team basketball.

Also like Kentucky, Duke didn't shoot well. They didn't go 0-10 from outside but they did shoot 32% from the field and 5-23 (just under 22%) from outside.

Johnson was 4-11 with 11 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. He picked up two early fouls and was pulled from the game and never seemed to get into a rhythm after that.

So far I'm seeing Johnson as very much a rhythm player. He's not an alpha dog scorer with a killer instinct. He's a versatile playmaker who does a little of everything in the flow of the game. Against Coppin State that worked well. Against the Spartans he was largely invisible.

Time for the 2nd half of Kentucky/Kansas. Not a great night for Boston so far, just 4 points on 7 shots. And Kentucky is now 1-17 from three over the last two games.

 

[Sactown ExPat]

Not a great game for Jalen Johnson and Duke. Much like Kentucky vs Richmond, the young Blue Devils ran into an older, more experienced Michigan State team who played better team basketball.

Also like Kentucky, Duke didn't shoot well. They didn't go 0-10 from outside but they did shoot 32% from the field and 5-23 (just under 22%) from outside.

Johnson was 4-11 with 11 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. He picked up two early fouls and was pulled from the game and never seemed to get into a rhythm after that.

So far I'm seeing Johnson as very much a rhythm player. He's not an alpha dog scorer with a killer instinct. He's a versatile playmaker who does a little of everything in the flow of the game. Against Coppin State that worked well. Against the Spartans he was largely invisible.

Time for the 2nd half of Kentucky/Kansas. Not a great night for Boston so far, just 4 points on 7 shots. And Kentucky is now 1-17 from three over the last two games.

Hurt is going to make it harder to evaluate Johnson. Hurt just stops the ball and throws up horrible shots, and is an absolute sieve on defense. I doubt Coach K gets it squared away—he has a history of allowing inferior players with seniority to dominate the offense. Hurt’s the worst example I can recall.

Boston has a lot of work to do. There’s plenty of time, but the handle is loose and he hasn’t been the shooter I expected.

Cade was fine. It’s going to be a weird year with the two guys expected to make a run at #1 playing in the G league.

 

[Sactown ExPat]

USC is continuing one of my favorite college basketball traditions: a lottery big man shackled to absolutely horrible guards that look off said big man for 5-6 minute chunks of game time. It’s always fun. Unfortunately, Mobley needs an older guard that’s going to force feed him the ball. He doesn’t have the personality yet to demand it. It’ll come. Mobley could really use another year of college ball, I think, barring an Embiid style learning curve during the season. Having said that, he’ll still go to the draft and probably land somewhere between 4 and 12.

He actually has a really solid foundation. He alters a ton of shots on the defensive end. For a freshman, he does a really phenomenal job of feeling the double team and finding the right skip pass for an open shot. He probably won’t be close to the same talent (of course), but it kind of feels like watching Tim Duncan as a freshman where he was really skinny but active on defense and would make these plays on offense that really stood out.

If we’re sitting at #6 or something it could be an interesting call. I like the fit with Fox and Tyrese—I think both would get the big fella going early. And, all of a sudden, the path in the West goes through Jokic, Davis, Ayton, Gobert (?), Zion (?).

 

[bajaden]

USC is continuing one of my favorite college basketball traditions: a lottery big man shackled to absolutely horrible guards that look off said big man for 5-6 minute chunks of game time. It’s always fun. Unfortunately, Mobley needs an older guard that’s going to force feed him the ball. He doesn’t have the personality yet to demand it. It’ll come. Mobley could really use another year of college ball, I think, barring an Embiid style learning curve during the season. Having said that, he’ll still go to the draft and probably land somewhere between 4 and 12.

He actually has a really solid foundation. He alters a ton of shots on the defensive end. For a freshman, he does a really phenomenal job of feeling the double team and finding the right skip pass for an open shot. He probably won’t be close to the same talent (of course), but it kind of feels like watching Tim Duncan as a freshman where he was really skinny but active on defense and would make these plays on offense that really stood out.

If we’re sitting at #6 or something it could be an interesting call. I like the fit with Fox and Tyrese—I think both would get the big fella going early. And, all of a sudden, the path in the West goes through Jokic, Davis, Ayton, Gobert (?), Zion (?).

Yeah, Mobley is a very fluid big man who can put the ball on the floor a little and score in the post. He got doubled and at times tripled in the post with little room to work with. The guards became black holes far too often refusing to get him the ball, but all in all, he's a very talented center who rebounds well and defends the post. I would like to see him run the floor every time instead of being the last man down. I'm waiting to see if he has any game away from the basket. I was impressed with his passing ability, but he did force things in the post at times when a pass would have been the right move.

 

[hrdboild]

USC hoops is not in a good place this year. The guards who probably should have been leading this team -- Elijah Weaver and Derryck Thornton -- both decided to transfer and Coach Enfield wasn't able to replace them with comparable talent. It's not an ideal situation for Mobley, it's certainly not what he was promised when he committed to become a Trojan a couple years ago, but I expect he'll get more assertive as the season goes on once he becomes more comfortable with this group. It will be interesting to see if he steps into that leadership void and becomes the vocal on the court captain this squad needs him to be.

Regardless, it's going to be a weird season. The campus is empty except for athletes and a small group of international students and staff. There won't be fans at any of the home games. Basketball is still basketball but there isn't really any campus atmosphere to speak of and that's such a big part of how these kids grow and develop. I feel particularly sorry for the one and done guys this year who are probably going to miss out on that experience entirely.