keeping this thread going,
I am going to update my draft tiers article I wrote in the fan posts but wanted to throw out my quick thoughts on guys who are helping/hurting them selves in the tourney
Winslow, the big winner he looks like a much more complete player and is playing with a ton of energy. It is also really promising that he is hitting 3s at a nice clip. I had previously viewed him as the 9th player in this draft and the first member of the 3rd tier but now I think he warrants a jump up and could go anywhere from 5th-9th.
Poeltl, he really seemed to step up his intensity in the tourney. He is really raw but watching him vs Okafor and against the the small lineup of SF Austin really shows his physical potential. The fact that his biggest weakness is his strength is very promising. He looks like a kid who will have no problem adding 15-20 lbs as he gets into his early 20s. If he enters he is a lock to go lottery and a player I would love to see in Green.
Hollis-Jefferson, if only he could shoot. He has been the consummate energy/hustle guy. A rare player who has guarded the best scoring guard (Russell) and the best scoring big (Kaminsky) in the same Tourney. Is painfully stuck as with limited offense but will make it in the NBA on energy and D alone. One glimmer of hope is the fact that he is getting to the FT line and seems to be improving there.
Dekker, while Kaminsky was the focus all regular season and Dekker struggled with injures he has suddenly exploded. He has always been a player who scouts seem to be high on that never really showed it on the court, untill now. RD 1 20pts, RD 2 17pts, RD 3 23, RD 4 27. It also is very impressive that the 3rd and 4th round games where against Arizona and UNC two teams full on NBA length and athleticism. He is a kid who is peaking at the right time and his production coupled with size should push him into a spot in the post lottery teens. If the Cs make the playoffs and dont trade up I could see DA taking him at 15/16.
Dawson, he isnt flashy but if he can prove to teams that he can improve his shot I can see him going early second. He has the perfect game/physical profile for a utility 3/4 in the mold of a poor mans Drayomd Green. While he isnt putting up big scoring numbers he is rebounding, defending and blocking shots.
Lyles, I was guilty of ignoring Lyles during the regular season and focusing on Towns, WCS and Johnson. I always just looked at him as a non shooting SF that was just big and athletic. The more I have seen of him this tourney it is clear he is a special player and on his way to being a very versatile starting PF. His mobility and teamates actually skewed my perception of him. I didnt realize how big he actually measured at 6'9 (with out shoes) and a 7'3.5" wingspan he is taller/longer then alot of starting PFs in the NBA.
I'm a bit intrigued with Ronda Hollis-Jefferson. He has a great handle and is one of the better athletes in the draft. If he can develop a jump shot, he could be a similar player to a Paul George. If we we get the 16th pick, I would probably prefer him over someone like Lyles.
George isnt a great comp to Hollis-Jefferson, PG was a great shooter in college. He came out of college with a slightly flawed (high TO rate) but obvious offensive skill set. Hollis-Jefferson on the other hand is extremely raw offensivly.
I would say MKG or a young Gerald Wallace are the best comps for Hollis-Jefferson. MKG and RHJ share nearly identical college stats. Like wallace and MKG Hollis-Jefferson can make it in the NBA on athleticism, energy and D along. If he develops any kind of outside shot it will be a bonus.
Anticipating the answers I know I will regret it, but RHJ and Kawhi are very, very similar across the board coming out of college.
Similar body type with huge wingspans, tremendous defenders, similarly bad shooting-wise. Percentages and production is pretty identical too. MKG and Wallace are the better comparisons, but one can hope for the best.
Kawhi http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leonaka01.html#college::none
RHJ http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/rondae-hollis-jefferson-1.html
At least with RHJ the floor is high. At the minimum he will be elite defensive role player.
I think that's a pretty big stretch to compare him to Kawhi. Neither were great shooters in college, but Leonard was 29.1% (not good) from 3, while RHJ was 20.7% (downright terrible). RHJ didn't attempt many 3's, which means he and his coach understood what good and bad shot selection was, but still -- if RHJ showed the comparable amount of shooting improvement that Kawhi did in the pros, he'd be about as good as Sully from deep. I don't see him ever becoming a shooting threat.
Also, Kawhi was an amazing rebounder, especially for a non-center. He was 4th nationally in total rebounds, and one of the guys ahead of him was Faried. That was an incredibly elite skill, which has translated to the pro game (20.5 DREB% this year.) RHJ is a fine rebounder, and probably won't hurt you there, but that's another one of the little things that Kawhi does very well.
Finally, Kawhi put up much better assist numbers than RHJ in college, showing that you could run an offense through him. Not so with RHJ. RHJ might turn out to be a useful NBA player, but I think he'd have been very successful if he could be a bigger Tony Allen. I don't think there's any superstar potential for RHJ.
Topic: It's too early to talk draft but some positive observations (Read 82740 times)