Before jumping on the Bender hype train review....

[Casperian]

TP Triboy.  Couldn't agree more after watching this video and about 20 others.

And really, what else does anyone need to do to successfully evaluate a young player?

I'm so jealous of Danny Ainge. That guy has the easiest job in the world!

Ah, you're right, Boris. Fans know nothing about these kids, so they should just stop talking about the draft. In fact, they really know nothing about anything that's going on in the league, so what's the point?

That's it, boys, pack it in, we're closing Celticsblog.

Um no, you really missed the point here.

In plenty of other instances we as armchair evaluators have a lot to go on - for example if you've seen every game Marcus Smart has played in as a Celtic, you have a decent basis for forming an opinion about his defensive ability of shooting.

In Bender's case that's not true at all - we have essentially no information. So to not only form an opinion, but argue that you know better than the best-informed people on the world (talent evaluators and GMs) where he should be drafted, or what his potential is, is ridiculous.

Better in my mind to say "they must see something in this kid that I don't...what could it be?" And go from there.

And where exactly did PickNRoll do that?

[clevelandceltic]

Just in terms of actual games. There are at least 2 full games on youtube that I know of from 2014. Im sure if you dig around you can find the 2 games that ESPN showed earlier this year when they came stateside.

I dont think anyone here is saying that they have all the answers but this much we know:
2013 Played in the Jordan Brand Classic international game
2014 Played in the U18 tourney for Croatia
2014 Played in Israeli division two basketball
2015 Played for Maccabi stateside but didnt play much at all during the season

He played in Basketball Without Borders which is an NBA event somewhere in there and killed it from what I have read.

So can we put to bed the idea that people havent seen him? Maybe you havent but many scouts have. Can we wonder how much he has progressed due to the lack of playing time this year? Sure.Is it enough of a package to make him a star? Time will only tell.

[PickNRoll]

I didn't do that.  I disagree with (some) NBA scouts.

[Boris Badenov]

I didn't do that.  I disagree with (some) NBA scouts.

Perhaps I should have directed my remark more directly at triboy rather than you - maybe I misinterpreted what you meant when you said you "couldn't agree more" with what he said. If so, sorry about that.

[PickNRoll]

I didn't do that.  I disagree with (some) NBA scouts.

Perhaps I should have directed my remark more directly at triboy rather than you - maybe I misinterpreted what you meant when you said you "couldn't agree more" with what he said. If so, sorry about that.

No apology necessary.  I understood what you meant.

[PickNRoll]

Just in terms of actual games. There are at least 2 full games on youtube that I know of from 2014. Im sure if you dig around you can find the 2 games that ESPN showed earlier this year when they came stateside.

I dont think anyone here is saying that they have all the answers but this much we know:
2013 Played in the Jordan Brand Classic international game
2014 Played in the U18 tourney for Croatia
2014 Played in Israeli division two basketball
2015 Played for Maccabi stateside but didnt play much at all during the season

He played in Basketball Without Borders which is an NBA event somewhere in there and killed it from what I have read.

So can we put to bed the idea that people havent seen him? Maybe you havent but many scouts have. Can we wonder how much he has progressed due to the lack of playing time this year? Sure.Is it enough of a package to make him a star? Time will only tell.

I've watched some of these games, but admittedly not much.  He honestly didn't do much in the games you mention, especially in the last year or so.

My problem is this.  I've never seen him make a great play.  Even if you string together all the best highlights and games available on the internet, I don't see anything remarkable.  He just isn't great at anything.  Now project that to the NBA against the best athletes in the world.  Is he banging with Steve Adams and Tristan Thompson? Guarding Lamarcus Aldridge?  Posting up Al Horford?  Taking Paul Milsap or Marvin Williams off the dribble?  Are you going to park him in the corner to shoot 3's?  He just doesn't have an NBA skillset.  Doesn't rebound well.  Doesn't protect the rim.  As a coach I'm thinking, what do I do with this guy?

Is there a chance he keeps improving?  Sure, why not?  I guess that's true of every 18 year old.  Is there a chance he's not as good a pro as Tyler Zeller?  I'd say roughly even odds based on what little I've seen.

[clevelandceltic]

Just in terms of actual games. There are at least 2 full games on youtube that I know of from 2014. Im sure if you dig around you can find the 2 games that ESPN showed earlier this year when they came stateside.

I dont think anyone here is saying that they have all the answers but this much we know:
2013 Played in the Jordan Brand Classic international game
2014 Played in the U18 tourney for Croatia
2014 Played in Israeli division two basketball
2015 Played for Maccabi stateside but didnt play much at all during the season

He played in Basketball Without Borders which is an NBA event somewhere in there and killed it from what I have read.

So can we put to bed the idea that people havent seen him? Maybe you havent but many scouts have. Can we wonder how much he has progressed due to the lack of playing time this year? Sure.Is it enough of a package to make him a star? Time will only tell.

I've watched some of these games, but admittedly not much.  He honestly didn't do much in the games you mention, especially in the last year or so.

My problem is this.  I've never seen him make a great play.  Even if you string together all the best highlights and games available on the internet, I don't see anything remarkable.  He just isn't great at anything.  Now project that to the NBA against the best athletes in the world.  Is he banging with Steve Adams and Tristan Thompson? Guarding Lamarcus Aldridge?  Posting up Al Horford?  Taking Paul Milsap or Marvin Williams off the dribble?  Are you going to park him in the corner to shoot 3's?  He just doesn't have an NBA skillset.  Doesn't rebound well.  Doesn't protect the rim.  As a coach I'm thinking, what do I do with this guy?

Is there a chance he keeps improving?  Sure, why not?  I guess that's true of every 18 year old.  Is there a chance he's not as good a pro as Tyler Zeller?  I'd say roughly even odds based on what little I've seen.

The U18 games which there are actually 3 on youtube I havent watched. I would love to be able to watch that Jordan Brand Classic game in 2013. Although many things have changed since then, I want to see how he played against the best players his age at that time. Other players in that game:
Ben Simmons
Thon Maker
Jamal Murray
Check Diallo

I did watch the two games that I saw when he played stateside and I liked what I saw. In those games he looked to me like he would play a Draymond role at the next level. A guy who might not be your main guy but a guy that can help you win every night with all the things that he does. Kinda like what Smart gives you. I think thats valuable in a big guy if you dont have one that you know is a 20pt a night guy. I asked Woj about Bender in terms of role only. I asked if he was more Draymond or Pau a guy that can be your 2nd best scorer. He said he leaned Pau for what its worth.

At the end of the day barring Ingram or Simmons falling, I think he offers the most value. I have really liked Murray for a long time now, Im talking years. I really like Brown's ability to attack the rim, something we dont have at all really. Heild can bring shooting but Im not sure what else. With Bender, I think Im getting a guy that has a number of above average tools at 18 and Im ok with that. That's valuable.

[danglertx]

After watching his videos, I think we should draft him.  I LOVE his passing instincts.  Bigs who can pass and shoot are matchup nightmares.  Secondly, he looked great on the pick and roll... and he was the one using the pick and passing to the roll man.  From a 7'1" guy?  KO can dribble and not bounce it off his foot or leg but never looks really comfortable.  Bender seems comfortable with the ball. 

Then I'd draft the Zi from China at 16 unless Davis is still around.  I think we should try to build a team of super long athletic guys who can be disruptive with their length.  Bolomby might be another guy in the second round who is super athletic and if he develops a consistent outside shot could be a great pro.

[kozlodoev]

Bigs who can pass and shoot are matchup nightmares.

Someone like Kelly Olynyk, you mean?

[PickNRoll]

Just in terms of actual games. There are at least 2 full games on youtube that I know of from 2014. Im sure if you dig around you can find the 2 games that ESPN showed earlier this year when they came stateside.

I dont think anyone here is saying that they have all the answers but this much we know:
2013 Played in the Jordan Brand Classic international game
2014 Played in the U18 tourney for Croatia
2014 Played in Israeli division two basketball
2015 Played for Maccabi stateside but didnt play much at all during the season

He played in Basketball Without Borders which is an NBA event somewhere in there and killed it from what I have read.

So can we put to bed the idea that people havent seen him? Maybe you havent but many scouts have. Can we wonder how much he has progressed due to the lack of playing time this year? Sure.Is it enough of a package to make him a star? Time will only tell.

I've watched some of these games, but admittedly not much.  He honestly didn't do much in the games you mention, especially in the last year or so.

My problem is this.  I've never seen him make a great play.  Even if you string together all the best highlights and games available on the internet, I don't see anything remarkable.  He just isn't great at anything.  Now project that to the NBA against the best athletes in the world.  Is he banging with Steve Adams and Tristan Thompson? Guarding Lamarcus Aldridge?  Posting up Al Horford?  Taking Paul Milsap or Marvin Williams off the dribble?  Are you going to park him in the corner to shoot 3's?  He just doesn't have an NBA skillset.  Doesn't rebound well.  Doesn't protect the rim.  As a coach I'm thinking, what do I do with this guy?

Is there a chance he keeps improving?  Sure, why not?  I guess that's true of every 18 year old.  Is there a chance he's not as good a pro as Tyler Zeller?  I'd say roughly even odds based on what little I've seen.

The U18 games which there are actually 3 on youtube I havent watched. I would love to be able to watch that Jordan Brand Classic game in 2013. Although many things have changed since then, I want to see how he played against the best players his age at that time. Other players in that game:
Ben Simmons
Thon Maker
Jamal Murray
Check Diallo

I did watch the two games that I saw when he played stateside and I liked what I saw. In those games he looked to me like he would play a Draymond role at the next level. A guy who might not be your main guy but a guy that can help you win every night with all the things that he does. Kinda like what Smart gives you. I think thats valuable in a big guy if you dont have one that you know is a 20pt a night guy. I asked Woj about Bender in terms of role only. I asked if he was more Draymond or Pau a guy that can be your 2nd best scorer. He said he leaned Pau for what its worth.

At the end of the day barring Ingram or Simmons falling, I think he offers the most value. I have really liked Murray for a long time now, Im talking years. I really like Brown's ability to attack the rim, something we dont have at all really. Heild can bring shooting but Im not sure what else. With Bender, I think Im getting a guy that has a number of above average tools at 18 and Im ok with that. That's valuable.

So this is something I haven't heard a lot of.  Bender as just a hustle/intangibles/glue guy.  Maybe.  So far I'm hearing "Dirk who can guard all 5 positions, protect the rim and run your offense".  That just isn't reality.  But I could see him being an Omri Casspi type player.  Hustles and moves well, defends his position, knocks down open 3's.

That said, I'm not excited about that at #3.  There are guys like Denzell Valentine who has a chance to be a cornerstone type of player and is low risk IMO.  Or Murray who has a chance of being an elite scorer, which is very hard to find.  I also like Demetrius Jackson and Poeltl.  There's just too much risk with Bender.

[clevelandceltic]

Just in terms of actual games. There are at least 2 full games on youtube that I know of from 2014. Im sure if you dig around you can find the 2 games that ESPN showed earlier this year when they came stateside.

I dont think anyone here is saying that they have all the answers but this much we know:
2013 Played in the Jordan Brand Classic international game
2014 Played in the U18 tourney for Croatia
2014 Played in Israeli division two basketball
2015 Played for Maccabi stateside but didnt play much at all during the season

He played in Basketball Without Borders which is an NBA event somewhere in there and killed it from what I have read.

So can we put to bed the idea that people havent seen him? Maybe you havent but many scouts have. Can we wonder how much he has progressed due to the lack of playing time this year? Sure.Is it enough of a package to make him a star? Time will only tell.

I've watched some of these games, but admittedly not much.  He honestly didn't do much in the games you mention, especially in the last year or so.

My problem is this.  I've never seen him make a great play.  Even if you string together all the best highlights and games available on the internet, I don't see anything remarkable.  He just isn't great at anything.  Now project that to the NBA against the best athletes in the world.  Is he banging with Steve Adams and Tristan Thompson? Guarding Lamarcus Aldridge?  Posting up Al Horford?  Taking Paul Milsap or Marvin Williams off the dribble?  Are you going to park him in the corner to shoot 3's?  He just doesn't have an NBA skillset.  Doesn't rebound well.  Doesn't protect the rim.  As a coach I'm thinking, what do I do with this guy?

Is there a chance he keeps improving?  Sure, why not?  I guess that's true of every 18 year old.  Is there a chance he's not as good a pro as Tyler Zeller?  I'd say roughly even odds based on what little I've seen.

The U18 games which there are actually 3 on youtube I havent watched. I would love to be able to watch that Jordan Brand Classic game in 2013. Although many things have changed since then, I want to see how he played against the best players his age at that time. Other players in that game:
Ben Simmons
Thon Maker
Jamal Murray
Check Diallo

I did watch the two games that I saw when he played stateside and I liked what I saw. In those games he looked to me like he would play a Draymond role at the next level. A guy who might not be your main guy but a guy that can help you win every night with all the things that he does. Kinda like what Smart gives you. I think thats valuable in a big guy if you dont have one that you know is a 20pt a night guy. I asked Woj about Bender in terms of role only. I asked if he was more Draymond or Pau a guy that can be your 2nd best scorer. He said he leaned Pau for what its worth.

At the end of the day barring Ingram or Simmons falling, I think he offers the most value. I have really liked Murray for a long time now, Im talking years. I really like Brown's ability to attack the rim, something we dont have at all really. Heild can bring shooting but Im not sure what else. With Bender, I think Im getting a guy that has a number of above average tools at 18 and Im ok with that. That's valuable.

So this is something I haven't heard a lot of.  Bender as just a hustle/intangibles/glue guy.  Maybe.  So far I'm hearing "Dirk who can guard all 5 positions, protect the rim and run your offense".  That just isn't reality.  But I could see him being an Omri Casspi type player.  Hustles and moves well, defends his position, knocks down open 3's.

That said, I'm not excited about that at #3.  There are guys like Denzell Valentine who has a chance to be a cornerstone type of player and is low risk IMO.  Or Murray who has a chance of being an elite scorer, which is very hard to find.  I also like Demetrius Jackson and Poeltl.  There's just too much risk with Bender.

Im not sure where you got Casspi from but ok. Im not seeing that but ok. What Im saying is a taller version of Green without the physicality. I would take that in a heartbeat. Woj thinks he is more like Pau than Green and I would take that too. Ok let me ask you this. If Valentine was 18 and 7'1 where would he go in the draft? Top 3.

I like Murray. Have for a long time. I dont like him for this team because if you pick him you HAVE TO move 2 guards. I dont know if that makes your team better.

[PickNRoll]

Just in terms of actual games. There are at least 2 full games on youtube that I know of from 2014. Im sure if you dig around you can find the 2 games that ESPN showed earlier this year when they came stateside.

I dont think anyone here is saying that they have all the answers but this much we know:
2013 Played in the Jordan Brand Classic international game
2014 Played in the U18 tourney for Croatia
2014 Played in Israeli division two basketball
2015 Played for Maccabi stateside but didnt play much at all during the season

He played in Basketball Without Borders which is an NBA event somewhere in there and killed it from what I have read.

So can we put to bed the idea that people havent seen him? Maybe you havent but many scouts have. Can we wonder how much he has progressed due to the lack of playing time this year? Sure.Is it enough of a package to make him a star? Time will only tell.

I've watched some of these games, but admittedly not much.  He honestly didn't do much in the games you mention, especially in the last year or so.

My problem is this.  I've never seen him make a great play.  Even if you string together all the best highlights and games available on the internet, I don't see anything remarkable.  He just isn't great at anything.  Now project that to the NBA against the best athletes in the world.  Is he banging with Steve Adams and Tristan Thompson? Guarding Lamarcus Aldridge?  Posting up Al Horford?  Taking Paul Milsap or Marvin Williams off the dribble?  Are you going to park him in the corner to shoot 3's?  He just doesn't have an NBA skillset.  Doesn't rebound well.  Doesn't protect the rim.  As a coach I'm thinking, what do I do with this guy?

Is there a chance he keeps improving?  Sure, why not?  I guess that's true of every 18 year old.  Is there a chance he's not as good a pro as Tyler Zeller?  I'd say roughly even odds based on what little I've seen.

The U18 games which there are actually 3 on youtube I havent watched. I would love to be able to watch that Jordan Brand Classic game in 2013. Although many things have changed since then, I want to see how he played against the best players his age at that time. Other players in that game:
Ben Simmons
Thon Maker
Jamal Murray
Check Diallo

I did watch the two games that I saw when he played stateside and I liked what I saw. In those games he looked to me like he would play a Draymond role at the next level. A guy who might not be your main guy but a guy that can help you win every night with all the things that he does. Kinda like what Smart gives you. I think thats valuable in a big guy if you dont have one that you know is a 20pt a night guy. I asked Woj about Bender in terms of role only. I asked if he was more Draymond or Pau a guy that can be your 2nd best scorer. He said he leaned Pau for what its worth.

At the end of the day barring Ingram or Simmons falling, I think he offers the most value. I have really liked Murray for a long time now, Im talking years. I really like Brown's ability to attack the rim, something we dont have at all really. Heild can bring shooting but Im not sure what else. With Bender, I think Im getting a guy that has a number of above average tools at 18 and Im ok with that. That's valuable.

So this is something I haven't heard a lot of.  Bender as just a hustle/intangibles/glue guy.  Maybe.  So far I'm hearing "Dirk who can guard all 5 positions, protect the rim and run your offense".  That just isn't reality.  But I could see him being an Omri Casspi type player.  Hustles and moves well, defends his position, knocks down open 3's.

That said, I'm not excited about that at #3.  There are guys like Denzell Valentine who has a chance to be a cornerstone type of player and is low risk IMO.  Or Murray who has a chance of being an elite scorer, which is very hard to find.  I also like Demetrius Jackson and Poeltl.  There's just too much risk with Bender.

Im not sure where you got Casspi from but ok. Im not seeing that but ok. What Im saying is a taller version of Green without the physicality. I would take that in a heartbeat. Woj thinks he is more like Pau than Green and I would take that too. Ok let me ask you this. If Valentine was 18 and 7'1 where would he go in the draft? Top 3.

I like Murray. Have for a long time. I dont like him for this team because if you pick him you HAVE TO move 2 guards. I dont know if that makes your team better.

I mention Casspi because he hustles, moves his feet and runs well, plays the 4 with some 3, knocks down open 3's, average rebounder and doesn't stand out in any way. Exactly what I see in Bender.  Pau has superb post game where Bender has none to speak of.  Draymond is a better comp, but optimistic.

If Valentine were 7'1" I imagine he'd be a very different player.  Putting that aside, if he were still NPOY and averaged 20/7/7 shooting 45% from 3, he'd be the clear cut #1 pick.  If you're asking "what if he declared 3 years ago", the answer is he probably doesn't get drafted.  His development at MSU was crucial.

As for Murray, he's 6'5" with scoring instincts and slashing ability.  Basically no overlap with the players we have and all the guards we have are tradeable.  So you just take best available.  Also Smart can easily guard 3's and Turner could be gone.

[LooseCannon]

Just in terms of actual games. There are at least 2 full games on youtube that I know of from 2014. Im sure if you dig around you can find the 2 games that ESPN showed earlier this year when they came stateside.

I dont think anyone here is saying that they have all the answers but this much we know:
2013 Played in the Jordan Brand Classic international game
2014 Played in the U18 tourney for Croatia
2014 Played in Israeli division two basketball
2015 Played for Maccabi stateside but didnt play much at all during the season

He played in Basketball Without Borders which is an NBA event somewhere in there and killed it from what I have read.

So can we put to bed the idea that people havent seen him? Maybe you havent but many scouts have. Can we wonder how much he has progressed due to the lack of playing time this year? Sure.Is it enough of a package to make him a star? Time will only tell.

I've watched some of these games, but admittedly not much.  He honestly didn't do much in the games you mention, especially in the last year or so.

My problem is this.  I've never seen him make a great play.  Even if you string together all the best highlights and games available on the internet, I don't see anything remarkable.  He just isn't great at anything.  Now project that to the NBA against the best athletes in the world.  Is he banging with Steve Adams and Tristan Thompson? Guarding Lamarcus Aldridge?  Posting up Al Horford?  Taking Paul Milsap or Marvin Williams off the dribble?  Are you going to park him in the corner to shoot 3's?  He just doesn't have an NBA skillset.  Doesn't rebound well.  Doesn't protect the rim.  As a coach I'm thinking, what do I do with this guy?

Is there a chance he keeps improving?  Sure, why not?  I guess that's true of every 18 year old.  Is there a chance he's not as good a pro as Tyler Zeller?  I'd say roughly even odds based on what little I've seen.

The U18 games which there are actually 3 on youtube I havent watched. I would love to be able to watch that Jordan Brand Classic game in 2013. Although many things have changed since then, I want to see how he played against the best players his age at that time. Other players in that game:
Ben Simmons
Thon Maker
Jamal Murray
Check Diallo

I did watch the two games that I saw when he played stateside and I liked what I saw. In those games he looked to me like he would play a Draymond role at the next level. A guy who might not be your main guy but a guy that can help you win every night with all the things that he does. Kinda like what Smart gives you. I think thats valuable in a big guy if you dont have one that you know is a 20pt a night guy. I asked Woj about Bender in terms of role only. I asked if he was more Draymond or Pau a guy that can be your 2nd best scorer. He said he leaned Pau for what its worth.

At the end of the day barring Ingram or Simmons falling, I think he offers the most value. I have really liked Murray for a long time now, Im talking years. I really like Brown's ability to attack the rim, something we dont have at all really. Heild can bring shooting but Im not sure what else. With Bender, I think Im getting a guy that has a number of above average tools at 18 and Im ok with that. That's valuable.

So this is something I haven't heard a lot of.  Bender as just a hustle/intangibles/glue guy.  Maybe.  So far I'm hearing "Dirk who can guard all 5 positions, protect the rim and run your offense".  That just isn't reality.  But I could see him being an Omri Casspi type player.  Hustles and moves well, defends his position, knocks down open 3's.

That said, I'm not excited about that at #3.  There are guys like Denzell Valentine who has a chance to be a cornerstone type of player and is low risk IMO.  Or Murray who has a chance of being an elite scorer, which is very hard to find.  I also like Demetrius Jackson and Poeltl.  There's just too much risk with Bender.

He could be a three-and-D power forward, which is a rare thing, so I compare him to Serge Ibaka, but Bender has the potential to be a much better shooter and more playmaking ability, so Ibaka with better offense seems like a good description of what Bender might be capable of.

[PickNRoll]

Allow me to be philosophical for a sec.  I'm leery of evaluating a prospect this way.  "If he just gets better at x and y he could make a real impact".  Or, "we haven't seen him do it yet, but the potential is there".  In my experience, some things can be improved (like conditioning), but what you see is mostly what you get.  Many of the most important things are innate. Take this description from DraftExpress:

"Shows tantalizing talent and an incredibly high skill-level for a 7-footer. Has great size, a nice frame, long arms and solid mobility for his position. Not an athletic freak, but very coordinated. Fluid, yet not overly explosive, particularly around the rim. Amazing perimeter shooter who can create his own shot with ease, but still has a ways to go in terms of learning how to play winning basketball. A mediocre rebounder and defender who is not all that efficient offensively. Still has considerable upside to continue to develop."

That sounds enough like Bender to me.  It's actually Andrea Bargnani.  So what's the difference between Bargnani and Nowitzki or Bender and Nowitzki?  I don't know, but it's obvious if you watch a couple hours of tape.  You don't watch teenage Dirk and think, "wow, he has a long ways to go".  You don't look at 18 year old Bird and think, "if he was just a little stronger" (lol) -- he's already putting up 30 and 15 every game.  When I watch Bender I think, "backup energy guy?"

It's not infallible and just an opinion.  e.g. I didn't think Towns would be a first tier center in the league.  I thought solid starter in a couple years.  It looks like I was wrong.  We didn't see everything he had to offer at KY.

[CoachBo]

Draftexpress weakness scouting video below.    We are not only talking about lack of strength problems here.     Has no post game to speak of.    Lacks explosiveness.   takes a while before shooting the ball  (if you think Jerebko is slow..).    Jack of all trades type on both ends.   Lacks a reliable shooting touch.    Imo does not look has reliable in a half court game (critical in the 4th quarter)

again yes lack of strength is a key issue.  But this guy is not some super "skilled" player many here think he is.  He is no dirk , thats for sure.   

Even if this clip below does not "sway" your overall thinking about bender, just be aware

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhREj9q-UpM

All legitimate concerns. TP.

But you are wasting your time. The folks on this board who are intent on Ainge wasting the best Celtics draft pick in 20 years on, to be as kind as possible, an uber-project that will take at least five years to contribute a thing to this club with his many flaws and his badly underdeveloped game are never going to admit they are wrong.

That's the beauty of the Internet.

Now, we just have to hope that Ainge hasn't lost his mind entirely.

And let's be clear....you want to trade the "best Celtic draft pick in 20 years on" for Okafur. That really doesn't sound like such a great draft pick.

A player with one year under his belt in the NBA, demonstrated offensive talent and growth potential is ALWAYS going to be a better bet than an Euro with a badly underdeveloped game.

Always.