Semi Ojeleye:

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#1
Semi Ojeleye: SF/PF - 6'7" in shoes - 241 lbs - 8'6" standing reach - 40.5" max vertical.

No, I'm not suggesting we draft Semi with either of our 1st round picks. However, he's being projected as a mid to early 2nd round pick, and I think the Kings should take a long look at him if he's still on the board at that point. Personally, I think he's talented enough to be a late first rd pick, and it wouldn't surprise me to see one of the teams picking there grab him.

He's a little older than most in the class at almost 23 yr's of age. He was originally recruited by Duke, and spent his freshman and sophmore years there sitting on the bench for the most part. After sitting out a year he transfered to SMU, where he finally got to play.

34.0 mpg - 19.0 ppg - 48.7% fgp - 42.4% 3pp (out of a 172 three point attempts) 6.9 rpg.

Rather than give my opinion, I'm including an article by Sam Vecenie, who I think is an excellent judge of college talent. He thinks out of the box a bit more than the traditional college beat writer. Needless to say, I think Ojeleye would be a great pick up with the 34th pick in the draft. He would add more depth at the SF position, and he would be another top notch defender, who can also shoot the ball.

http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/new...st-round-prospects/15lctixt4z6471iaxhk0bklxob




 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#5
anyone who is labeled as a "work horse" is okay in my book...the team can use one of those on the team, relentless pursuit & effort.
I think it's because some teams look at him as a tweener. Is he a SF or a PF. Personally, depending on the matchups, I think he can play either position. Athletically, he can guard either position, and offensively, he's probably best suited for the SF position. He's a good finisher, but I have to see how well he finishes against some of the PF's in the NBA. Plus, while his height is fine for the SF position, he doesn't have the length that some of the other players have.

The other factor is his age. He's almow 23 year old, and for some crazy reason, that will almost always drop you in the draft.
 
#6
I think it's because some teams look at him as a tweener. Is he a SF or a PF. Personally, depending on the matchups, I think he can play either position. Athletically, he can guard either position, and offensively, he's probably best suited for the SF position. He's a good finisher, but I have to see how well he finishes against some of the PF's in the NBA. Plus, while his height is fine for the SF position, he doesn't have the length that some of the other players have.

The other factor is his age. He's almow 23 year old, and for some crazy reason, that will almost always drop you in the draft.
Ojeleye is one of my top targets at #34. He reminds me of DeMarre Carroll or a bigger Jae Crowder.

He's ready to step in and be a 3&D guy which is also why I think he goes in the first round. Portland makes sense to me and in the KF.com mock draft I had the Blazers taking him at #26.

He doesn't provide a lot of steals and blocks like Anunoby, and doesn't have the same lateral quickness but Ojeleye isn't coming off an ACL tear and his outside shot is already there unlike Anunoby.

If my top prospects are off the board at #10 I'd love a trade back with the Blazers for two of their picks to take Evans and Ojeleye regardless of who the Kings take at #5
 
#7
Ojeleye is one of my top targets at #34. He reminds me of DeMarre Carroll or a bigger Jae Crowder.

He's ready to step in and be a 3&D guy which is also why I think he goes in the first round. Portland makes sense to me and in the KF.com mock draft I had the Blazers taking him at #26.

He doesn't provide a lot of steals and blocks like Anunoby, and doesn't have the same lateral quickness but Ojeleye isn't coming off an ACL tear and his outside shot is already there unlike Anunoby.

If my top prospects are off the board at #10 I'd love a trade back with the Blazers for two of their picks to take Evans and Ojeleye regardless of who the Kings take at #5


Yep, after watching more videos on him including interviews he's the type of player that makes perfect sense to trade back for. He fills a need too. The one thing I'm not getting is his ballhandling and passing abilities. Almost all footage focuses on around the basket play and some pretty good outside shooting.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#9
I think it's because some teams look at him as a tweener. Is he a SF or a PF. Personally, depending on the matchups, I think he can play either position. Athletically, he can guard either position, and offensively, he's probably best suited for the SF position. He's a good finisher, but I have to see how well he finishes against some of the PF's in the NBA. Plus, while his height is fine for the SF position, he doesn't have the length that some of the other players have.

The other factor is his age. He's almow 23 year old, and for some crazy reason, that will almost always drop you in the draft.
It will be interesting to see if the Kings bring him in for a workout
 
#10

Yep, after watching more videos on him including interviews he's the type of player that makes perfect sense to trade back for. He fills a need too. The one thing I'm not getting is his ballhandling and passing abilities. Almost all footage focuses on around the basket play and some pretty good outside shooting.
He's not a horrible ball handler but it isn't a strength. The real appeal with Ojeleye to me is that he plays within himself. He moves well off the ball, knocks down open threes and attacks the basket when the opportunity is there all while playing hard on the other end of the court. He hasn't had to guard SFs so far so that will be an adjustment but I think in time he'll be a good perimeter defender.

He's the type of guy winning teams have. A low usage starter who defends and hits shots.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#11
He's not a horrible ball handler but it isn't a strength. The real appeal with Ojeleye to me is that he plays within himself. He moves well off the ball, knocks down open threes and attacks the basket when the opportunity is there all while playing hard on the other end of the court. He hasn't had to guard SFs so far so that will be an adjustment but I think in time he'll be a good perimeter defender.

He's the type of guy winning teams have. A low usage starter who defends and hits shots.
I've seen him play quite a bit, and he's switched onto Sf's and even SG's and did a decent to good job staying in front of them. He never gives up on a play, and he's a terrific athlete. His lateral quickness is excellent. I believe he came in third at the combine in the agility test. When you add that he's already a very good three point shooter, what's not to like. At the moment I'm looking at him as depth at the SF position as a bench player. If he can be more than that, great!
 
#12
I've seen him play quite a bit, and he's switched onto Sf's and even SG's and did a decent to good job staying in front of them. He never gives up on a play, and he's a terrific athlete. His lateral quickness is excellent. I believe he came in third at the combine in the agility test. When you add that he's already a very good three point shooter, what's not to like. At the moment I'm looking at him as depth at the SF position as a bench player. If he can be more than that, great!
Oh, he definitely does well on switches. He can even contain PGs pretty well. But I think at the NBA level he'll be a SF (and occasionally a small ball PF) so he'll be guarding the perimeter the majority of the time. That will likely be a bit of an adjustment.

I saw a stat from DraftExpress that said statistically Ojeleye was the most efficent player on college this year on pick & pop jumpers. If the Kings end up landing De'Aaron Fox that would be an ideal complimentary skill to have.

I have no idea who the Kings will (or should) take at 10 if one of my top guys doesn't fall there. But at #5 and #34 Fox and Ojeleye are definitely now my favorites.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#13
Oh, he definitely does well on switches. He can even contain PGs pretty well. But I think at the NBA level he'll be a SF (and occasionally a small ball PF) so he'll be guarding the perimeter the majority of the time. That will likely be a bit of an adjustment.

I saw a stat from DraftExpress that said statistically Ojeleye was the most efficent player on college this year on pick & pop jumpers. If the Kings end up landing De'Aaron Fox that would be an ideal complimentary skill to have.

I have no idea who the Kings will (or should) take at 10 if one of my top guys doesn't fall there. But at #5 and #34 Fox and Ojeleye are definitely now my favorites.
Been reading Portland newspapers and websites, and they seem open to either trading up from 15, or possibly trading two of their picks along with some salary, to a team willing to absorb said salary. Don't know what the Kings mind set is, but if the player they want isn't there at 10, then maybe a trade with Portland might be the way to go. I'd still rather the Kings trade up from 10 and grab Isaac, depending on who they get at 5.
 
#14
Ok Baja, I'm sold on Semi as a top 20 prospect. I haven't scouted him in depth, but I can kinda see why people are iffy on him. Just from guessing, he's suffering the same problems Stanley Johnson did.
He's a big bull at 6'7 240lbs. Like Johnson, there's questions on whether or not his shot creation will translate into the NBA. His ball handling is above average for a SF, but just average in general. His first-step on offense isn't on-par with the rest of his athleticism, and that's why some see him as a tweener. He's a great leaper, but a bit stiff. However, unlike Johnson, he's a very good shooter. On defense, it looks like Johnson edges him out with his lateral quickness. At Arizona, Johnson showed much more ISO ability than Semi, but it hasn't translated into the NBA.
I might be reaching, but Semi looks like what Stanley Johnson could become in 2-3 years.

Am I crazy for considering him at 10? My only grip against him is...........his age. I wouldn't draft him at 10 because I think there are much talented players available (Markkanen, Collins, Mitchell, etc). If he were 19 or 20, he'd be a lotto pick 100%. I see most mocks have Semi as a 25-45 pick.
I don't think this year's draft is necessary deep, but something strange happens when you're ranking players. You have a bunch of talented PFs and Cs that would go top 10 in normal drafts.. but in this year's draft, the top-heaviness slides them down. It makes me think, in 2-3 years from now, we'll look back at this draft and wonder why guys like Jarrett Allen, Justin Patton, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jonathan Jeanne, BAM, etc were available where they were. If we didn't already have Skal, WCS, and Papagiannis, I'd jump on one of those young bigs.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#15
Ok Baja, I'm sold on Semi as a top 20 prospect. I haven't scouted him in depth, but I can kinda see why people are iffy on him. Just from guessing, he's suffering the same problems Stanley Johnson did.
He's a big bull at 6'7 240lbs. Like Johnson, there's questions on whether or not his shot creation will translate into the NBA. His ball handling is above average for a SF, but just average in general. His first-step on offense isn't on-par with the rest of his athleticism, and that's why some see him as a tweener. He's a great leaper, but a bit stiff. However, unlike Johnson, he's a very good shooter. On defense, it looks like Johnson edges him out with his lateral quickness. At Arizona, Johnson showed much more ISO ability than Semi, but it hasn't translated into the NBA.
I might be reaching, but Semi looks like what Stanley Johnson could become in 2-3 years.

Am I crazy for considering him at 10? My only grip against him is...........his age. I wouldn't draft him at 10 because I think there are much talented players available (Markkanen, Collins, Mitchell, etc). If he were 19 or 20, he'd be a lotto pick 100%. I see most mocks have Semi as a 25-45 pick.
I don't think this year's draft is necessary deep, but something strange happens when you're ranking players. You have a bunch of talented PFs and Cs that would go top 10 in normal drafts.. but in this year's draft, the top-heaviness slides them down. It makes me think, in 2-3 years from now, we'll look back at this draft and wonder why guys like Jarrett Allen, Justin Patton, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jonathan Jeanne, BAM, etc were available where they were. If we didn't already have Skal, WCS, and Papagiannis, I'd jump on one of those young bigs.
At 10? No, but at 34, if he's still there, he's a great pick. As I said, I see him as an off the bench player who can come in, play defense, and hit the open three. All the other stuff he does, like putbacks, drive the open lane, etc. is gravy. If he can tighten his handle a bit more, and work on his footwork on the primeter, his shot creation will improve, and who knows, he might become something more than depth. But if you can get a solid bench rotational player at 34, you've done well. If he turns out to be the next Draymond Green, then you've struck gold.
 
#16
Been reading Portland newspapers and websites, and they seem open to either trading up from 15, or possibly trading two of their picks along with some salary, to a team willing to absorb said salary. Don't know what the Kings mind set is, but if the player they want isn't there at 10, then maybe a trade with Portland might be the way to go. I'd still rather the Kings trade up from 10 and grab Isaac, depending on who they get at 5.
Would rather the kings eat salary, snag a couple of their picks and trade up for Isaac... and then take a sliding Semi in the second, who is great. SMU played with like 6 or 7 man rotations this year too and switched on everything. He had to guard one through 5.
 
#17
After watching a few videos and reading up on him, I don't like the guy in the videos comparison to Draymond Green. I just don't see him being as close to as good as Draymond, even if the planets align for him. He's shorter, has a smaller wingspan with a smaller reach. Not as quick and not quite as strong (I think Draymond is the strongest guy in the NBA if you take size into account). Doesn't rebound or pass even as close as Draymond did/does.

Even with all that said, I would still take a flyer on him in the 2nd round unless someone else drops the way Skal did. If he is able to hold his own on the perimeter against SF's and quicker PF's, I can see him being a very valuable guy off the bench. He's stiff but athletic. Has a crazy soft touch around the rim. Has a big body and is very strong. Sounds like he is a gym rat and he says all the right things in his interviews. Looks like he plays within himself and isn't looking to come out of the gate trying to do too much. The #1 thing that is going to give him a shot at an NBA career is his shooting. Having a stretch 4 on the team that isn't a weenie is very valuable but I really wish he was a better rebounder. If his shooting holds pat, his career in the league is going to depend on whether or not he can be a versatile defender that isn't stuck in no mans land like TRob.
 
#18
Well I'm not sure comparing a fringe first rounder to an all star is ever a fair comparison. I hope no one is saying he's the next Draymond. More that he's the type of tweener that Draymond is... that before Draymond would be viewed as a hindrance, but in the more recent nba is viewed as a plus. Very versatile player defensively and offensively. I'd be reticent to spend a first on him (limited upside), but I live in Dallas and saw a lot of him and do think he can play at the next level.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#19
Well I'm not sure comparing a fringe first rounder to an all star is ever a fair comparison. I hope no one is saying he's the next Draymond. More that he's the type of tweener that Draymond is... that before Draymond would be viewed as a hindrance, but in the more recent nba is viewed as a plus. Very versatile player defensively and offensively. I'd be reticent to spend a first on him (limited upside), but I live in Dallas and saw a lot of him and do think he can play at the next level.
Yeah, if anyone thought he was the next Draymond, he would go in the top five. I think the comparison is that he's sort of looked at in the same way Draymond was prior to his draft. Scouts wern't sure what he was. They knew he could shoot the ball pretty well for a big man, but was he a PF or a SF? He was labeled a tweener, and at that time, that was the kiss of death for a young player coming out of college. Like you, I think he can play in the NBA, and if he can improve in a few areas, can be a solid rotational player.

If you can get a rotational player out of the 34th pick, you've done a good job. If he becomes more than that, so much the better. He doesn't have the length that you'd like, but he has serious hops which makes up for some of that. The one thing he brings, besides his shooting ability, is defense. He was the best defensive player on SMU. He showed he could stay in front of almost anyone regardless of position. He even defended players much taller than him by denying them the ball. If he has a fault defensively, it's trying to do too much at times, like over playing the passing lanes. His ability to show, and get back is terrfic.

Not saying he's the only choice at 34, but he would certainly be a solid one.
 
#20
I like Semi and saw a handful of his games at SMU this year. I was there mostly to watch Shake Milton and Semi really stood out, at one point he wasn't really on the draft radars and has seemingly been climbing up boards ever since. I do wonder about the value, seems to me like he's peaking at the right time which worries me a bit, I also wonder about his overall upside.

the one thing I can say for sure, it's almost undersold, is he's a phenomenal lockerroom guy by all accounts so he and Buddy would be nice tone-setters for a younger team.

I'm not crazy about him at #34, I wouldnt complain, I just have a good bit of conviction that there will be more talented players on the board. He's kind of a win-now move type of player and I think the Kings should be looking for a long-term asset at that spot.

Not the cleanest of comparisons because of postions but I much prefer the french kid Geurschon Yabusele that the C's took 16th in last years draft, he's got superior talent.

There is some PJ Tucker to his game and I wonder also if thats what they're looking for, why not just try and sign PJ Tucker?
 
#21
I see they are comparing him to Draymond - can he pass the ball too?

In my opinion, athletic 3&D players are safe option, especially in late 1st or 2nd round. He seems strong , versatile and athletic to cover PF, and fast enough and good outside shooter for SF. Questionable are his IQ and ball handling. (?)
But still, looks very good on videos and hard workers are always something to look for....
 
#22
I like Semi and saw a handful of his games at SMU this year. I was there mostly to watch Shake Milton and Semi really stood out, at one point he wasn't really on the draft radars and has seemingly been climbing up boards ever since. I do wonder about the value, seems to me like he's peaking at the right time which worries me a bit, I also wonder about his overall upside.

the one thing I can say for sure, it's almost undersold, is he's a phenomenal lockerroom guy by all accounts so he and Buddy would be nice tone-setters for a younger team.

I'm not crazy about him at #34, I wouldnt complain, I just have a good bit of conviction that there will be more talented players on the board. He's kind of a win-now move type of player and I think the Kings should be looking for a long-term asset at that spot.

Not the cleanest of comparisons because of postions but I much prefer the french kid Geurschon Yabusele that the C's took 16th in last years draft, he's got superior talent.

There is some PJ Tucker to his game and I wonder also if thats what they're looking for, why not just try and sign PJ Tucker?
I don't think any team is ever out there looking for a PJ Tucker in the draft. You draft Semi with the hopes that he makes PJ Tucker look like PJ Tucker lite. Plus he's 10 years younger.
 
#23
I see they are comparing him to Draymond - can he pass the ball too?

In my opinion, athletic 3&D players are safe option, especially in late 1st or 2nd round. He seems strong , versatile and athletic to cover PF, and fast enough and good outside shooter for SF. Questionable are his IQ and ball handling. (?)
But still, looks very good on videos and hard workers are always something to look for....
The Ojeleye/Draymond comparison is right up there with the Isaac/Durant comp as far as taking a nice prospect and giving an expectation that they almost certainly won't live up to.

Semi has somewhat similar size as Draymond and he offers some defensive flexibility in terms of being quick enough to guard wings and strong enough to guard many bigs. And both give effort on defense.

But Draymond was always a Swiss Army knife in terms of being able to defend 2-5, pass, block shots, shoot from distance, post up, anticipate passses, rebound well, and be a fiery, vocal leader. Ojeleye should be able to defend 3-4 and has a reliable outside shot.


And you're right that ballhandling and court awareness are weaknesses for him right now. If he becomes more, great but right now he's a 3&D prospect with a good work ethic and the right mindset.

To me that's reason enough to draft him without trying to make him Draymond 2.0.
 

kingsboi

Hall of Famer
#24
on another note, why does every second rounder with adequate defense and shooting have to be the next Draymond. To be honest, I don't think Draymond is Draymond if he isn't on the Warriors but that's just my view on things. That's not to take away any of his versatility, but if the team can net a rotation player in the 2nd round, that's good enough for me. Our very own Hassan Whiteside has done wonders for himself, despite being out of the league early in his career. If the team does its homework and incorporate a player into their system, he will look better than he would on another team due to different philosophies.
 
#26
on another note, why does every second rounder with adequate defense and shooting have to be the next Draymond. To be honest, I don't think Draymond is Draymond if he isn't on the Warriors but that's just my view on things. That's not to take away any of his versatility, but if the team can net a rotation player in the 2nd round, that's good enough for me. Our very own Hassan Whiteside has done wonders for himself, despite being out of the league early in his career. If the team does its homework and incorporate a player into their system, he will look better than he would on another team due to different philosophies.
Yeah it's one of those things that gotten played out quickly like Tall PG's being compared to Shaun Livingston and Pointforwards being compared to Lamar Odom...

(now to follow that up with a Draymond comp LOL) IMO the closest player to Draymond that WAS in this draft pool but just pulled out was Maryland's Justin Jackson, certainly he's a much cleaner comp than Semi who's still transitioning to the perimeter.
 
#27
There's some legit parallels with their games/builds.
I'm with you there. I just think the idea would be to draft a better version of PJ.

Hell, if he turned out to be a PJ clone, that wouldn't be a bad thing either. He's a fringe NBA starter. Was basically the Suns version of our own Jason Thompson where they couldn't get anyone to really beat him out for the position. With all the 2nd round duds the Kings have picked over the years, I could live with a PJ Tucker in the 2nd round. Not ideal nor a sexy pick by any means but there's more value there than there has been in many of our other 2nd rounders.
 
#29
Semi and Draymond are both entirely different players. Semi is the better prospect coming out of college. Draymond is the complete outlier for unathletic, heavy footed tweeners at PF. Green has improved his game tremendously in the NBA. His intangible are truly amazing. Extremely high IQ, passing, work ethic, leadership, etc. If you're looking for Draymond 2.0 in terms of skillset, then I think SF Josh Jackson might be the closest comp. Green was a better shooter, but Jackson brings leadership, IQ, effort, passing, defense, etc to the table.

If you're looking for the Draymond who everyone overlooks because of athleticism(lacking), then I think Caleb Swanigan is your guy. He's a PF/C, a bit of a tweener because he doesn't have the footspeed to guard PFs, and shows no shotblocking ability. He's an extremely talented offensive player. Uses his strength to bully college bigs and get down low, but can also shoot mid-ranges and 3s. His bball IQ is questionable for me(in his freshman year he would put up dumb shots and just have poor overall decision making. however, in his sophomore year, he showed high IQ, great passing ability, and good decision making). His biggest downfall is on defense. No one ever thought Draymond would be a good NBA defender because he lacked the tools.. but in 2017, Draymond can legitimately switch and guard positions 1-5. Swanigan reminds me A LOT of Cousins(not nearly as talented or dominant). Unfortunately, I think the NBA is starting to move away from that archetype.

Wow. It just occurred to me now about how good the Kings were at hiding Cousins in the PnR. On top of that, Cousins' defensive IQ was amazing in denying the play and passes. :( I miss the guy now. I think teams will exploit Cousins more in the PnR in NO. Even George Karl's switching was able to hide Cousins in the PnR too. Wow. The Kings really built their defense around Cousins quite a bit.
 
#30
He'd be fun on the Kings. I love his mix of quickness and size. He's built like a 4 with the quick feet and range of a 3. I would not be opposed at all to a guy like this at 34 or in event of a trade down. If we go PG at 5 it would make sense to double up on SF prospects to create more competition.