Author Topic: Are you more excited about seeing Brown than you were about seeing Marcus...  (Read 39252 times)

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Offline Who

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Nope. I was more excited about Smart because Smart was ready to contribute at an NBA level right away whereas Jaylen Brown is raw and a long term project.

Offline The One

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No, I'm not more excited but equally as excited.

I wanted the Celtics to take Smart and Brown at the sixth and third slots, respectively, so when it actually happened I was excited.

I have high hopes for Jaylen and continue to have high hopes for Marcus (22 years old).



Offline manl_lui

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No, I'm not more excited but equally as excited.

I wanted the Celtics to take Smart and Brown at the sixth and third slots, respectively, so when it actually happened I was excited.

I have high hopes for Jaylen and continue to have high hopes for Marcus (22 years old).

my feelings exactly, given our positions, I wanted Smart and Brown at their respective draft slots, so therefore I am excited to see them in action. Just like Smart 2013, I have high expectations that Brown can contribute right off the bat, probably not at the level of Smart when he first came in, but I don't think 20-25 minutes this season is out of the question.

Offline Greyman

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I am more excited, not because of the players, rather the situations they are entering into. Stevens has the team playing a very competitive game with players reaching close to what people believe is their potential. Having seen what we have from the last two seasons, there is no reason to believe the present team won't achieve at a higher level.
Brown comes into this set up as a seemingly NBA ready player who has attributes that, under Stevens guidance, could help push the team closer to their goals. It should be added that Smart is an important part of that set up.
When Smart came in there were so many unknowns. I recall getting excited about his form in his second season in the summer league. When put in the proper perspective though it was nothing more than summer league form, it is what it is. Mainly though, when Smart started, the Celtics weren't where they are now.
Brown is at a great advantage and should benefit from having so many established and capable players around him. All the things I have said aside, Brown is the more exciting prospect. His athletic ability and the prospect of him becoming an all star level player (not a given, I know) have me more 'excited' to see what happens than I was with Smart. While drafts are different in different years, a number 3 in this season's draft should be more exciting than a 6 from Smart's year.
Maybe I am more excited about Brown because I am more excited about the Celtics this season. It is a huge year for Smart though. Despite what he brings on defence, he needs to score more to be a part of the future. Smart and Brown together could be a very 'exciting' prospect if it works.

Offline Ed Hollison

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For the past few weeks I've had a strange feeling that something was missing from my life. Now I know what it is: I was craving another Celticsblog forum bashing Marcus Smart!

The expectations for these players are unrealistic. It's perfectly fine for a #6 pick (like Smart) to end up being a solid rotation player on a good team. If Smart's plateau is one of the best defensive guards in the league and a stud role player on a championship-caliber team then I say you've gotten pretty good value for that pick.

Consider Andre Iguodala, who was selected #9 back in 2004. Early on in his  career he was the man on some Philly teams that did nothing. He ended up making one all-star team. His greatest year was two years ago, when he won finals MVP coming off the bench. That year he scored 8 ppg during the regular season.

The point is: if Marcus grows into an Iguodala type -- that is, a supreme role player who tops out as a key role player on a future Celtics championship team -- then we should be happy with that return on investment for a #6 pick.
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Offline tankcity!

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At the end of the day I think it is hard to argue Jaylen Brown's upside. He has a killer first step. I mean I can't believe how fast he is for a guy with his size. One other thing to note was in the summer league, he got better after each game. That's a good sign. We can't say that about Smart. He is so up and down. There is not consistency with that guy. I honestly haven't seen much improvement in his game.

Yes Smart was a tier 2, but did he ever really belong there? From what I remember that draft was hyped and the players didn't live up to expectations. So it kind of speaks to Chad Ford's scouting ability. Why is he so wrong about these guys when they are in high school?

Just saying take Ford's tier's with a grain of salt. Yes it's useful, but he probably missed on Leonard and we're hoping Brown can be that type of player.

Offline tankcity!

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I think Smart was seen as a higher quality prospect than Jaylen Brown is.   Like if you check out Chad Ford's yearly "Draft Tier" article, apparently according to scouts/experts Marcus Smart was a "Tier-2" level prospect... meaning a player with all-star potential.   Brown is seen as anywhere from Tier-3 (starter potential) or Tier-4 (rotation player potential).   

Despite this, guys can always disappoint or exceed expectations.  In the case of Smart, he been a major disappointment thus far and hasn't at all lived up to what he was billed as.  For two years, he's been nothing more than a defensive role player and offensive albatross.   Hopefully Brown goes in the other direction and vastly surpasses what people think he'll be.  The fact that he's 19 and shows some raw ability has me really excited to watch him develop.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he turns into long-term.  I have no expectations in year 1.  He's really raw and looks like he's a long way away from contributing.

What offensive production this year from Marcus would get you to change your opinion of him as a "major disappointment"?
I have hope Marcus will improve.  A lot of players have made leaps in Year 3.   But going into the draft he was supposed to be one of the two most "NBA Ready" players in the lotto and a lot of people compared his offensive game to Tyreke Evans (who averaged 20 points and 5 assists as a rookie).   A lot of us had reasonably high expectations that his floor was a high quality player on both ends of the court.  The belief was that he made Rondo instantly expendable.   Last year, he was literally one of the worst offensive players in the league.  He's been great at certain things and dreadful at others. 

Unless a switch flips and he shows that two-way potential we expected, there's not a lot he can do to shake the "major disappointment" label.  I have hope, though.

Agree entirely: with respect though, you didn't really answer my question.

What about 35%, 13pts/5assists.

Does he creep out of the "major disappointment" category if he gets that done?
While 13 points/5 assists and 35% shooting would be an improvement, it would be a long way off from shaking the "major disappointment" label.  If that's his numbers next season, the Marcus Smart hype train basically screeches to a halt.  He'd officially transition from "future star" to "long term role player".  I assume his trade value would take a big hit as well.  While he'd still have value as a defensive role player, his "future star" label would basically disappear.

If he gets his numbers up to 15+ points and his FG% above 40%, he'll shake the "Major" part of the "major disappointment" label.  But it would still be a disappointment.

I meant 35% from three. He was at .427 from the field last year.

You sure are rough man. 15+ ppg, 35% from three, second team all-defence, in his third season for a number 6 pick (setting aside your valid points about pre-draft expectations being top tier) - that is still a disappointment (of sorts)??? I can't go with you there, that seems OTT homie.

By the way, I think his "future star" label is already gone, but his "multi-year all-star" label is very much still a realistic probability.

There are just SO many top 10 guys that stink, that if you get a guy with ++ defense, and average offense (including hustle/mop up offense), in the BACK half of the top 10, you simply cannot apply a "disappointment" label. And this all discounts the fact that it is just awesome to watch him play, and his 1-per-game highlight plays..

Well, I said I didn't want to get into an argument about Marcus and I've done and gone and typed this all out. I'm happy agreeing to disagree about this. Marcus Rulez. 2017, Banner 18 baby....

Not sure about that. First he shot 37% from the field last year. Second he digressed on offense. Yes his handles got better, but his first step is average at best. He needs to post up players more, add a drop shot in his game. There are so many things he could do better but hasn't. It's a bad sign. Look at future all stars and look at their stats in their 1 and 2nd years. They actually perform quite well. Ron Artest and maybe Billups are the outliers. And at least Artest and Billups shot over 40% in their 2nd year from what I recall.

Offline dannyboy35

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For the past few weeks I've had a strange feeling that something was missing from my life. Now I know what it is: I was craving another Celticsblog forum bashing Marcus Smart!

The expectations for these players are unrealistic. It's perfectly fine for a #6 pick (like Smart) to end up being a solid rotation player on a good team. If Smart's plateau is one of the best defensive guards in the league and a stud role player on a championship-caliber team then I say you've gotten pretty good value for that pick.

Consider Andre Iguodala, who was selected #9 back in 2004. Early on in his  career he was the man on some Philly teams that did nothing. He ended up making one all-star team. His greatest year was two years ago, when he won finals MVP coming off the bench. That year he scored 8 ppg during the regular season.

The point is: if Marcus grows into an Iguodala type -- that is, a supreme role player who tops out as a key role player on a future Celtics championship team -- then we should be happy with that return on investment for a #6 pick.

This is how I see smart. A very good role player down the road. I don't think he has Iggy talent or anything but can be a key guy. It was all the media hype that was out of control from the get go .

Offline celticsclay

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I think Smart was seen as a higher quality prospect than Jaylen Brown is.   Like if you check out Chad Ford's yearly "Draft Tier" article, apparently according to scouts/experts Marcus Smart was a "Tier-2" level prospect... meaning a player with all-star potential.   Brown is seen as anywhere from Tier-3 (starter potential) or Tier-4 (rotation player potential).   

Despite this, guys can always disappoint or exceed expectations.  In the case of Smart, he been a major disappointment thus far and hasn't at all lived up to what he was billed as.  For two years, he's been nothing more than a defensive role player and offensive albatross.   Hopefully Brown goes in the other direction and vastly surpasses what people think he'll be.  The fact that he's 19 and shows some raw ability has me really excited to watch him develop.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he turns into long-term.  I have no expectations in year 1.  He's really raw and looks like he's a long way away from contributing.
lol at the tiers. They are so off we might as well talk about pogs
I don't think you understand what the tiers are.

Believe me I do. We have discussed this previously and we when we looked at them from previous drafts they just didn't pan out as accurate and in some cases were completely laughable. Whether he is really polling scouts and executives or just making stuff up as he goes, they have proven to be awful predictors. Larbrd I think you personally could make better guesses than the tier system has ended up putting out.
Looking at them from previous drafts misses the point.  I still don't think you understand it.
it is not complicated at all. Coming from a guy that retroactively altered his draft boards to appear smarter I don't even 100% believe he is getting the kind of input he claims to even develop them. Keep posting it by all means and telling other posters they don't understand them though. It's real great material

Clay, in Pokemon Go terms... just because Jaylen is a 2K egg doesn't mean he's automatically going to be Pidgey or Zubat... there's a chance that 2K egg hatches something rare like a Squirtle, Charmander, or Pikachu.  On the flip side, just because Smart was a 10K egg doesn't mean he was automatically going to be a Lapras, Snorlax, Chansee, Aerodacyl, Magmar, or Pinsor... there's a chance he ends up a regular ol Eevee.  Not every top tier/10K egg ends up a super rare Pokemon... it just means that scouts/experts think it's far more likely.   

The point of Ford's yearly article is to find out from Scouts which of the prospects they see as 10K eggs, 5K eggs and 2k eggs.   You never REALLY know what they'll end up being, though.  You just know that 10K has a much higher chance of being a rare/star.  Knowing that some drafts (like 2013) have no 10K eggs is interesting, but it doesn't mean it's impossible for one of those 2K eggs to end up something significant regardless.

So telling me after the fact, "I looked at what the eggs hatched and all the 10k eggs ended up Eevees and a couple of the 2K ended up Charmanders... Charmanders are way better than Eevees so clearly the egg system is broken" misses the point.  You've been missing the point for a while. 

Smart was actually more of a 5K egg (outside of the 10K tier that Wiggins, Parker and Embiid sat in).  I was expecting a Ponyta, but so far it looks like he's going to be a Polywag.  He hasn't fully hatched yet, though... we'll see what happens.   Brown is a 2K egg... but I'm feelin pretty excited about this one.  I have high hopes he'll be a Bulbasaur.
I don't play Pokemon. Pretty sure I am not the target audience on that. You haven't really addressed any issues I have raised with Ford and keep posting nonsense

Offline Denis998

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I think Smart was seen as a higher quality prospect than Jaylen Brown is.   Like if you check out Chad Ford's yearly "Draft Tier" article, apparently according to scouts/experts Marcus Smart was a "Tier-2" level prospect... meaning a player with all-star potential.   Brown is seen as anywhere from Tier-3 (starter potential) or Tier-4 (rotation player potential).   

Despite this, guys can always disappoint or exceed expectations.  In the case of Smart, he been a major disappointment thus far and hasn't at all lived up to what he was billed as.  For two years, he's been nothing more than a defensive role player and offensive albatross.   Hopefully Brown goes in the other direction and vastly surpasses what people think he'll be.  The fact that he's 19 and shows some raw ability has me really excited to watch him develop.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he turns into long-term.  I have no expectations in year 1.  He's really raw and looks like he's a long way away from contributing.
lol at the tiers. They are so off we might as well talk about pogs
I don't think you understand what the tiers are.

Believe me I do. We have discussed this previously and we when we looked at them from previous drafts they just didn't pan out as accurate and in some cases were completely laughable. Whether he is really polling scouts and executives or just making stuff up as he goes, they have proven to be awful predictors. Larbrd I think you personally could make better guesses than the tier system has ended up putting out.
Looking at them from previous drafts misses the point.  I still don't think you understand it.
it is not complicated at all. Coming from a guy that retroactively altered his draft boards to appear smarter I don't even 100% believe he is getting the kind of input he claims to even develop them. Keep posting it by all means and telling other posters they don't understand them though. It's real great material

Clay, in Pokemon Go terms... just because Jaylen is a 2K egg doesn't mean he's automatically going to be Pidgey or Zubat... there's a chance that 2K egg hatches something rare like a Squirtle, Charmander, or Pikachu.  On the flip side, just because Smart was a 10K egg doesn't mean he was automatically going to be a Lapras, Snorlax, Chansee, Aerodacyl, Magmar, or Pinsor... there's a chance he ends up a regular ol Eevee.  Not every top tier/10K egg ends up a super rare Pokemon... it just means that scouts/experts think it's far more likely.   

The point of Ford's yearly article is to find out from Scouts which of the prospects they see as 10K eggs, 5K eggs and 2k eggs.   You never REALLY know what they'll end up being, though.  You just know that 10K has a much higher chance of being a rare/star.  Knowing that some drafts (like 2013) have no 10K eggs is interesting, but it doesn't mean it's impossible for one of those 2K eggs to end up something significant regardless.

So telling me after the fact, "I looked at what the eggs hatched and all the 10k eggs ended up Eevees and a couple of the 2K ended up Charmanders... Charmanders are way better than Eevees so clearly the egg system is broken" misses the point.  You've been missing the point for a while. 

Smart was actually more of a 5K egg (outside of the 10K tier that Wiggins, Parker and Embiid sat in).  I was expecting a Ponyta, but so far it looks like he's going to be a Polywag.  He hasn't fully hatched yet, though... we'll see what happens.   Brown is a 2K egg... but I'm feelin pretty excited about this one.  I have high hopes he'll be a Bulbasaur.
you consider Pinsor as a rare?
« Last Edit: August 26, 2016, 12:26:12 PM by Denis998 »

Offline loco_91

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I think Smart was seen as a higher quality prospect than Jaylen Brown is.   Like if you check out Chad Ford's yearly "Draft Tier" article, apparently according to scouts/experts Marcus Smart was a "Tier-2" level prospect... meaning a player with all-star potential.   Brown is seen as anywhere from Tier-3 (starter potential) or Tier-4 (rotation player potential).   

Despite this, guys can always disappoint or exceed expectations.  In the case of Smart, he been a major disappointment thus far and hasn't at all lived up to what he was billed as.  For two years, he's been nothing more than a defensive role player and offensive albatross.   Hopefully Brown goes in the other direction and vastly surpasses what people think he'll be.  The fact that he's 19 and shows some raw ability has me really excited to watch him develop.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he turns into long-term.  I have no expectations in year 1.  He's really raw and looks like he's a long way away from contributing.

What offensive production this year from Marcus would get you to change your opinion of him as a "major disappointment"?
I have hope Marcus will improve.  A lot of players have made leaps in Year 3.   But going into the draft he was supposed to be one of the two most "NBA Ready" players in the lotto and a lot of people compared his offensive game to Tyreke Evans (who averaged 20 points and 5 assists as a rookie).   A lot of us had reasonably high expectations that his floor was a high quality player on both ends of the court.  The belief was that he made Rondo instantly expendable.   Last year, he was literally one of the worst offensive players in the league.  He's been great at certain things and dreadful at others. 

Unless a switch flips and he shows that two-way potential we expected, there's not a lot he can do to shake the "major disappointment" label.  I have hope, though.

Agree entirely: with respect though, you didn't really answer my question.

What about 35%, 13pts/5assists.

Does he creep out of the "major disappointment" category if he gets that done?
While 13 points/5 assists and 35% shooting would be an improvement, it would be a long way off from shaking the "major disappointment" label.  If that's his numbers next season, the Marcus Smart hype train basically screeches to a halt.  He'd officially transition from "future star" to "long term role player".  I assume his trade value would take a big hit as well.  While he'd still have value as a defensive role player, his "future star" label would basically disappear.

If he gets his numbers up to 15+ points and his FG% above 40%, he'll shake the "Major" part of the "major disappointment" label.  But it would still be a disappointment.

I'd describe Smart as only a minor disappointment. He isn't going to be a star, but he's already a borderline starter. Plenty of #6 picks are total busts, and Smart is far from that.

Offline celticsclay

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edit double post...
« Last Edit: August 26, 2016, 05:08:10 PM by celticsclay »

Offline Eddie20

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I think Smart was seen as a higher quality prospect than Jaylen Brown is.   Like if you check out Chad Ford's yearly "Draft Tier" article, apparently according to scouts/experts Marcus Smart was a "Tier-2" level prospect... meaning a player with all-star potential.   Brown is seen as anywhere from Tier-3 (starter potential) or Tier-4 (rotation player potential).   

Despite this, guys can always disappoint or exceed expectations.  In the case of Smart, he been a major disappointment thus far and hasn't at all lived up to what he was billed as.  For two years, he's been nothing more than a defensive role player and offensive albatross.   Hopefully Brown goes in the other direction and vastly surpasses what people think he'll be.  The fact that he's 19 and shows some raw ability has me really excited to watch him develop.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he turns into long-term.  I have no expectations in year 1.  He's really raw and looks like he's a long way away from contributing.

What offensive production this year from Marcus would get you to change your opinion of him as a "major disappointment"?
I have hope Marcus will improve.  A lot of players have made leaps in Year 3.   But going into the draft he was supposed to be one of the two most "NBA Ready" players in the lotto and a lot of people compared his offensive game to Tyreke Evans (who averaged 20 points and 5 assists as a rookie).   A lot of us had reasonably high expectations that his floor was a high quality player on both ends of the court.  The belief was that he made Rondo instantly expendable.   Last year, he was literally one of the worst offensive players in the league.  He's been great at certain things and dreadful at others. 

Unless a switch flips and he shows that two-way potential we expected, there's not a lot he can do to shake the "major disappointment" label.  I have hope, though.

Agree entirely: with respect though, you didn't really answer my question.

What about 35%, 13pts/5assists.

Does he creep out of the "major disappointment" category if he gets that done?
While 13 points/5 assists and 35% shooting would be an improvement, it would be a long way off from shaking the "major disappointment" label.  If that's his numbers next season, the Marcus Smart hype train basically screeches to a halt.  He'd officially transition from "future star" to "long term role player".  I assume his trade value would take a big hit as well.  While he'd still have value as a defensive role player, his "future star" label would basically disappear.

If he gets his numbers up to 15+ points and his FG% above 40%, he'll shake the "Major" part of the "major disappointment" label.  But it would still be a disappointment.

I meant 35% from three. He was at .427 from the field last year.

Smart shot 34% last season and 25% from three.   Literally one of the worst offensive players in the league so far.

For me to not be disappointed in him, I'd have to see him average close to what Tyreke Evans did as a rookie:  20.1 points, 5.8 assists, 46% shooting.  That was what multiple people compared him to when he entered the league.   Tyreke Evans floor with Dwayne Wade ceiling.  He's been nowhere near that so far.  He's been a poor man's Tony Allen.

If Smart averages 15 points with 40% shooting that would be pretty awesome... but still falling short of what people expected him to be on the offensive end.  Good news is, he's got great intangibles and is a strong defender.  I like him.  I have hope he'll become much better.  But if we're talking about him shaking the "major disappointment" label, he has to start looking like the player we thought we were getting from day 1.

As I've said many times on here, you're the one to blame for your disappointment with Smart. Those are totally unrealistic numbers to expect from him. You just had way too high of expectations for him.
Nah.  You're just moving goal posts.  Anyone who expected Marcus Smart to be shooting 34% and 22% from three while coming off the bench as a defensive role player deep into his second season would never have advocated taking him #6.   That's mid-to-late 1st round pick production... Not production expected from a Top 6 pick in what was widely believed to be the best draft in a decade. 

Spare me the "your expectations were too high" excuses.  Smart has unquestionable been a massive disappointment.  The good news is that he has another year where making a major leap is plausible. 

And in context of this thread it hardly matters.  Despite acknowledging that Smart was believed to be a superior prospect to what Brown is, I'm still more excited about Brown's potential future than I was about Smart's future.

Reason being:  The D Wade comps seemed ridiculous.  Smart was thought to be a Tyreke Evans type who would contribute immediately but never be a superstar.  Whereas, Brown might be a total bust, but he seems to have the physical tools and raw skillset that might give him a higher ceiling in the unlikely scenario he surpasses expectations.  If everything comes together for Brown, he has a chance to be better than Tyreke Evans.

LB, it seems like your fantasy basketball playing ways makes you overvalue stats without putting them in perspective. If you have two equally talented players, but one is on a winning team (us) vs one on a losing team (your Sixers), the one with the greater opportunity (via shot attempts, playing time, offensive freedom, etc.) will produce more from a statistical point of view than the other. This is why you seem to overrate players on losing teams so much. In fact, I would be willing to wager that the majority of your fantasy basketball team roster was based on players from lottery teams. So while you may think the world of D'Angelo Russell for instance, the fact is that he would have very poor statical numbers in terms of points, assists, and the like if he were on the Celtics and playing behind Isaiah. However, unlike Smart, he would also bring in below average defense to the table. Yet you think he is the far superior player.

Offline celticsclay

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Larbrd,

You are kind of forcing me to call you out on your nonsense here and I am going to be really straight forward with this and hope you address these points rather just ignoring or changing topics.

1) I feel like Chad Ford has limited credibility. He has been caught altering his draft boards to appear smarter after the fact. Why do you choose to believe that he is not embellishing and exageratting things when he says these tiers are developed by talking to a large group of scouts and league executives?

2) Since you are choosing to believe Chad Ford in this instance, how come you have constantly refused to believe him when he said:
a) [okafor] "just doesn't fit the schemes that most NBA coaches are after, including I think the 76ers. So I think there was a major miscalculation on the part of Sam Hinkie when he selected him at [three]"
b) "Philly asked would we trade for the No. 3 pick, or the No. 4 pick or the No. 5 pick for a guy like Okafor, would that be good value for us?' And I think they've walked out of that scenario saying, 'We don't think we can actually get that for Okafor right now."'
c) He didn't rank Okafor as one of the top rookies based on simulated convesations with scouts
http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/14448751/ranking-karl-anthony-towns-kristaps-porzingis-2015-rookies-future-potential-nba

Why do you pick and choose when to believe him when it suits your agenda, but then completely dismiss his insider knowledge when it goes against what you have been arguing for?

Separate of his credibility and when you conveniently choose to accept his stuff as valid, aren't his tiers predictive powers an absolute embarrassment? You say the point of them is not to predict, but if it is a sampling of scouts and executives predicting a guy's NBA future and they are consistently off what is the point? This goes back to point 1 of what kind of guys he is talking to that view the greak freak and jeff withey as the same tier prospect? What scouts are saying Myles Turner and Kevin Looney are the same tier prospect? Dennis Schroeder and Jaamal Franklin? I am also not just cherry picking with one or two players from each draft. Aside from saying Wiggins, Embiid and KAT were the top level prospect (which a 12 year old could do) what has the actual predictive value been of his separation between the 2nd and 3rd tier? The 3rd and 4th tier? If for 5 years these tiers have worse predictive power of a guys NBA role than where the guy was actually picked in the draft, what is the point of ever discussing them?
« Last Edit: August 26, 2016, 01:46:49 PM by celticsclay »

Offline LarBrd33

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I skimmed the last couple pages.  Saw my name a bunch.  Instead of responding to everyone, I'll keep it simple.

Show me one person who described Marcus smart pre-draft as "Rondo without the passing ability. Projects as one of the worst offensive players in the league".  If you can find that person, congrats... That's the one person who is allowed to say they aren't disappointed in Smart's first two seasons.  I remember Kevin O'Conner having realistic expectations, but a lot of folks here thought he'd be the second coming of Russell Westbrook. 

For the rest of us, if we are being honest, the vast majority expected Smart to have all star potential.  If the fact that multiple scouts compared him to Tyreke Evans offends you, so be it. The perception was still there that Smart would enter the league as NBA-ready, immediately be a player who could replace Rondo, and be our key offensive weapon.  The draft was widely acknowledged to be the best in a decade.  Smart was one of the 8 golden prizes everyone wanted.  While he wasn't seen to have a ceiling on the level of Wiggins, Parker or Embiid (smart was actually 8th on my list), he was still widely seen as someone who could flirt for all star appearances.  Someone on the Tyreke Evans/Rudy Gay spectrum of borderline all star.   

He's been a grand disappointment.  Bottom line end of story.  Move the goalposts if it makes you feel better about the fact our #6 pick has been a let down so far.  But it is what it is.  I still have hope he will make a major leap in year 3 and finally live up to his draft position, but so far he's performed like a late 1st rounder.   Tony Allen territory.

The reason why I'm more excited about Jaylen brown, in spite of the belief by some he might end up like Kedrick Brown, is mainly the "unknown" factor.  He's 19.  He has an NBA body.  He's explosive and athletic.  He has good size.  His shot mechanics look good.  His ball handling look good.   He might be two years away from being two years away, but there's a small chance he ends up an all-star level player like Jimmy Butler in 5 years.  I'm excited to see if he gets there.  Maybe he develops into a legit superstar.   Whereas the belief was that Marcus Smart was expected to make an impact immediately as a borderline star, but have a limited ceiling beyond that. And yes I realize that some thought Smart could end up like Dwayne Wade or James harden.   I personally never bought into that.  I'm drinking the Jaylen brown Kool aid though. 
« Last Edit: August 26, 2016, 02:04:40 PM by LarBrd33 »