Ford's Workout Confidential 2.0

[Eddie20]

I'll just include the players we could be targeting. Some really good stuff...

Buddy Hield, SG, Sr., Oklahoma
Hield spent his entire senior season getting the biggest compliment any draft prospect could receive. College basketball analysts dubbed him the "Steph Curry" of NCAA hoops.

The two-time reigning MVP has big shoes to fill, and Hield doesn't seem shy about trying to fill them. His elite shooting with deep, deep range combined with a confidence that borders just on the right side of cocky make for obvious comparisons.

When these guys get rolling, there's little opposing defenses can do to stop them. And the work ethic of both players is legendary.

In his workout in Anaheim, California, on Tuesday, Hield certainly looked the part as a shooter. He rarely missed shots, regardless of where he was on the floor. When the NBA 3-point line became boring (a line that is typically intimidating for college shooters, regardless of their skill), he was comfortable stepping back another five feet and hitting 20-of-25 from "Curry range" in one drill. And Hield did it with all the confidence that he showed at Oklahoma last season. He believes he can be special; great shooters need that level of confidence.

His confidence and quick release make him arguably the best shooter in this draft. In a league desperate for shooters, that only makes him a more attractive lottery pick.

He also knows that the Curry comparison isn't a perfect fit. Curry is an elite ball handler with crazy good court vision. Hield's handle and court vision have been criticized by scouts. And while Curry isn't an all-NBA defender, his effort on that end clearly surpasses Hield's right now.

Of course, when Curry entered the league, virtually every scout worried about similar things: Is he a point guard? Can he defend anyone?

Hield hears the criticism and has been spending most of the past six weeks tightening up his handle and working on his explosiveness in an effort to improve his lateral quickness. He has even received some on-court tutoring from Kobe Bryant.

Both efforts are coming along nicely. Hield looked terrific in a number of ball handling drills, and while I didn't get to see him play defense (he was in a one-on-none workout), he seemed confident he was going to address his defensive deficiencies in the NBA.

"My freshman year I was a good defender," Hield said. "My sophomore, junior and senior year I turned into a scorer. I took a step back the last three years.

"But if you want something you go and get it. I know in the NBA there will be a lot of 2-guards coming at me. I know I have to stop them to stay on the court. Defense comes from your heart inside. ... I have a lot of heart.

"I'm not going to let anyone take advantage of me. That's how it's always been for me growing up. So I'm going to do what I have to do when I get there and I don't think defense will be a problem for me."


Kris Dunn, PG, Jr., Providence

Dunn went counter to conventional wisdom last year and decided to return to Providence, despite the fact that most teams had projected him as a late lottery pick.

Dunn said his motivation was primarily academic. He wanted to leave Providence with a college degree. Not only did he graduate last week, fulfilling a lifelong dream, his draft stock improved as well.

Dunn's elite size, quickness and power for a point guard are his primary draws. So is a fierce competitiveness, especially on the defensive end, that should make NBA head coaches drool. Few prospects compete as aggressively as Dunn does.

In one-on-one and two-on-two drills I saw on Monday and Wednesday, Dunn lived and died by every possession. He appeared incredulous every time he missed a shot or his team lost. And when his team won or even when he'd just win an individual match-up? The swagger showed.

And Dunn had plenty of opportunities to compete. I saw him go up against two NBA players, Elfrid Payton and Nick Johnson, and two other draft prospects, Tyler Ulis and Ron Baker, in multiple one-on-one, two-on-two and three-on-three sessions.

To appreciate a guard like Dunn, you really need to see him in live action. He does well enough in the drills (and on Wednesday he was knocking a high percentage in shooting drills), but when the lights come on, he's a more focused and aggressive player.

Right now his defense is ahead of his offense. No one in the gym could score on him with any regularity. Blessed with size, strength, length, speed and aggressiveness, he has the potential to be an All-Defensive team member in the NBA someday. If he can avoid foul trouble, someday might not be that far away.

One of my favorite moments of the past few weeks came when Dunn got caught on a switch against Guerschon Yabusele, a 6-foot-8, 270 pound power forward. As Yabusele banged away at Dunn, Dunn banged right back, refusing to cede an inch.

Offensively, his speed, court vision and strength allow him to get to wherever he wants on the floor. While at times I felt like he could be even more aggressive hunting for his own shot at both Providence and in the live scrimmages I saw, the fact that he's a "pure" point guard who plays unselfishly is a big part of his appeal to teams.

"I love to compete every day," Dunn said. "It's good to have those NBA players come in and test our capabilities against those type of guys and see if, you know, we can play at a high level like those guys. It's good for us. I was taught to not back down from nobody. That's the type of player I am."


Marquese Chriss, PF, Fr., Washington
Hield may be the best shooter in the draft and Dunn may be the best defender. Chriss' claim to fame: He is an absolute freaky athlete for a player his size.

During one of his drills, he almost knocked himself out, barely missing hitting his forehead on the rim during a powerful dunk. There aren't a lot of 6-foot-10 forwards with his combination of explosive leaping ability and agility. He moves as well as any big I've seen since Andre Drummond.

But Chriss isn't just an athlete. He also comes with a sweet stroke that should allow him to be a stretch-4 in the league. And his leaping ability and aggressiveness on defense make him a terrific option as a rim protector.

He needs to get stronger, become a better rebounder and stay out of foul trouble, but he brings tools to the floor that make his ceiling as high as that of anyone in this draft not named Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram. The fact that he's one of the youngest players in the draft also helps his cause.

While we have generally pegged him in the No. 7-10 range, teams as high as the Suns at No. 4 are considering him. They need a stretch floor, and the other options (Dragan Bender, Henry Ellenson) don't have the athletic upside that Chriss does.

There is a risk factor with Chriss, though. He's far from a finished prospect and scouts have wrung their hands a bit about whether he's mature enough for the NBA. His body language at Washington could have been better. For Chriss, it's not a question they should worry about.

"I think the teams liked me," Chriss said about his interviews at the draft combine. "They were trying to figure out who I am.

"As a teammate off the court, I'm kind of the opposite of how I play. When I'm on the court I'm kind of mean and mad, but I'm never really mad. I feel like I smile a lot. ... I don't really have a lot friends when I play. My friends are my teammates really. On the court I like to be focused and keep my head straight."


Jakob Poeltl, C, So., Utah
Poeltl is the top center prospect on our draft board and might be the only pure 5 man to go in the lottery. He has elite size for his position (standing 7-foot-1.25) and is a highly intelligent player who beats guys in the paint and on the boards.

The main knocks on Poeltl has been about his strength and his jump shot. Correcting those issues has been the focus of his workouts here.

He clearly has the frame to continue to add strength, but it's also toughness that scouts question. In workouts on Monday and Wednesday, he showed a lot of fight against the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Damian Jones and Yabusele. All of those players are stronger and more physical than Poeltl, but he held his own on both ends of the court. I think that's what scouts and GMs will want to see from him when he starts working out for teams.

His jump shot is coming along as well. He showed a really nice stroke from midrange and is working on extending it beyond the 3-point line. While his mechanics are a little awkward (he holds the ball out in front of his face as he shoots), the shot was going in during the workouts.

"I feel like I've improved my shot," Poeltl said. "We have a really good crew at Pro Active that do the strength part for us. We talked about it before I came here that they want to keep my agility while making me more athletic and more strong, not necessarily too heavy or slow.

"I want to stay the type of player I am right now, just get stronger in the process. I've noticed some improvements already."


Damian Jones, C, Jr., Vanderbilt
Jones remains one of the bigger enigmas in the draft. He has an NBA body (he's 6-foot-11.5 and 234 pounds with a 7-foot-3.75 wingspan) and is a crazy athlete for his size (think DeAndre Jordan).

He also really surprises you in workouts with a smooth jump shot that extends out past the NBA 3-point line. Jones doesn't just shoot it well for a big man. He's a good shooter -- something you never really saw him do at Vanderbilt.

On paper, he should be a top-10 pick. And in a workout setting like this, he really looks like one. He's strong and super explosive and he can score in a variety of ways. He really passes the eye test.

But on the court, that didn't always show. He had several big games for Vanderbilt last season but also disappeared in key stretches. He didn't dominate in the way his physical talent suggested he should. Will that ultimately hurt him in the NBA?

Scouts are pretty mixed on that. Some see him solidly in the middle of the first round. Others have him in the second.

After his workout on Wednesday in front of roughly 100 NBA scouts, several teams singled him out as someone who impressed them.

"You just aren't going to find many guys in the draft that have his physical abilities," one GM said. "Remember that Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan were disappointing in college, too. I think his abilities will look a lot better in the NBA. I think you guys have him ranked too low. There's a lot to work with there."

After watching him myself the past couple of days, I have to agree. He'll move up our Big Board into the first round in our next edition.


Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France
Yabusele has been the biggest surprise of the workout tour. While I've had him ranked as a bubble first-rounder for a while, seeing him against other top talent convinced me that he should be firmly in the mix.

He's one of the strongest players in the draft, and though he lacks elite height for his position, he makes up for it with length and surprising explosiveness and agility. There aren't a lot of 270-pound prospects who move like he does.

Yabusele more than held his own in the two days of workouts I saw against the likes of Poeltl, Jones and Alex Poythress. His physicality and aggressiveness on both ends should translate in the NBA. And like so many big men these days, he can really shoot the basketball.

"He's a really good player," one assistant GM told me on Wednesday. "He's very underrated because he's a little bit undersized. But to me he's like Jared Sullinger with athleticism. And he can play right now in the NBA."


Isaia Cordinier, SG, France
Cordinier has been on the NBA radar screen all year, but a lackluster performance at the Nike Hoop Summit in April diminished his draft stock. He showed up in Los Angeles on Monday for his first workouts here, and he looked much more comfortable.

He shot the ball well, was very competitive in the two-on-two and three-on-three matchups and especially showed an ability to create his own shot off the dribble. He needs to get stronger and more consistent as a shooter, but I saw a lot of promise.

[colincb]

TP.

I read this as Dunn's the better player, but Hield's the better shooter. Shocking. Hield has that type of effortless shot with a quick release like Curry, but not much else. Dunn's elite as a defender, a very good passer, and can create his own shot getting anywhere on the floor. The shot needs work, but it's not broken and he shot 37% beyond the arc. 

IMO Murray's behind both of these guys. Good shooter, great screen shooter, but not a creator and his release and distance aren't in Hield's class. TOs > Assists don't tell me that he's anything but a SG regardless of HS. Both Hield and Murray have defensive issues. All three have good intangibles from what I've read with their work ethic and feet on the ground. All three are fine in transition despite their handles with Dunn being the most athletic finisher.

Someone has to go if one of these three guards are picked, but I see Dunn being easier to pair with any of our current guards as he can defend either position with IT for instance. Dunn would be my pick, among the guards, but I'm higher on trading the #3 first and very intrigued by Bender depending on his workouts. That being said, I've seen more Dunn by far than any of them as I follow the BEast and have seen little of Murray. Just my review of his vids.

[Tr1boy]

Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France is a guy Celts should consider with 16 or 23 pick

Sullinger plus explosiveness sounds about right. But also is a better shooter

[NHCelticsFan]

I know Dunn's agents aren't crazy about him coming to a team with a crowded backcourt, but I love what I am reading/seeing about him.

Would love to take Dunn and make it work.  Imagine a Dunn/Smart backcourt in the future?  They would be a nightmare for backcourts.  Dunn could be the ball handler with Smart off ball.  Not a perfect scenario obviously as shooting could be an issue and players would have to be moved to make it all work, but that backcourt would be a defensive nightmare!

[PickNRoll]

Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France is a guy Celts should consider with 16 or 23 pick

Sullinger plus explosiveness sounds about right. But also is a better shooter

So... Charles Barkley?     Can you imagine if Sully were explosive and a better shooter?  Sign me up!

[colincb]

Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France is a guy Celts should consider with 16 or 23 pick

Sullinger plus explosiveness sounds about right. But also is a better shooter

So... Charles Barkley?     Can you imagine if Sully were explosive and a better shooter?  Sign me up!

I was impressed by the writeup Ford had on him too. Not at 16 though. We should be able to move back into the end of the 1st with our 2 early seconds if we want him or use the 23rd, but there are a lot of guys now that I'd like to see more info on that will be available with our 3 picks in the 23-35 range. The nice thing about the way this draft is setting up is that it's deeper than I expected going in.

[Evantime34]

Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France is a guy Celts should consider with 16 or 23 pick

Sullinger plus explosiveness sounds about right. But also is a better shooter

Is he coming over this year? I think he would be a good draft and stash at 23, 31 or 35.

[Tr1boy]

Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France is a guy Celts should consider with 16 or 23 pick

Sullinger plus explosiveness sounds about right. But also is a better shooter

So... Charles Barkley?     Can you imagine if Sully were explosive and a better shooter?  Sign me up!

No , not Barkley . Sir Charles was really explosive

Think Draymond Green but a hair more explosive.

[alldaboston]

Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France is a guy Celts should consider with 16 or 23 pick

Sullinger plus explosiveness sounds about right. But also is a better shooter

Been hearing his name a lot more recently. I haven't seen him play but descriptions sound good.

[PickNRoll]

Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France is a guy Celts should consider with 16 or 23 pick

Sullinger plus explosiveness sounds about right. But also is a better shooter

So... Charles Barkley?     Can you imagine if Sully were explosive and a better shooter?  Sign me up!

No , not Barkley . Sir Charles was really explosive

Think Draymond Green but a hair more explosive.

Yeah, I went and watched some video.  Definitely not Barkley, but a half step quicker than Sully with a little nicer shooting stroke.  He also plays a little bit smaller than Sully at first glance.

edit- "quick for his size" might be more apt than "explosive"

[libermaniac]

I'd love for Ainge to work some trades to have two top 10 picks and get Hield and Poeltl or Chriss. We have the assets to pull that off.

[gift]

So Ford was allowed to watch all of these guys and had good things to write about all of them. Were there any guys that didn't impress him or is he just doing a favor to the agents?

[Tr1boy]

So Ford was allowed to watch all of these guys and had good things to write about all of them. Were there any guys that didn't impress him or is he just doing a favor to the agents?

He never says anything bad.   Unlike givonny

I wonder if givonny runs into any "tension".    Bc of the weakness scouting videos

[Tr1boy]

I'd love for Ainge to work some trades to have two top 10 picks and get Hield and Poeltl or Chriss. We have the assets to pull that off.

Difficult to pull off unless teams love someone in the teens. But then to prevent the risk of losing them , may reach instead

Possible with this draft as 3-10  is not that strong but depth at 11-30

[Eddie20]

So Ford was allowed to watch all of these guys and had good things to write about all of them. Were there any guys that didn't impress him or is he just doing a favor to the agents?

There were a lot of players there. What I've gathered is that he only writes up on players that impress him. If he doesn't write about a player it's likely they were either what he expected or underwhelming.