2016 Class Re-draft

[Djh7475]

When has Bill Simmons EVER been impartial regarding the Celtics?

1. Zizic has been getting rave reviews from everyone following international

2. Yabby has been good in China but the level of competition over there is really mixed and I'm not sure it means much. I agree that including him was pretty questionable.... although it's not like there are a bunch of stars that were left off.

3. I think people are REALLY overreacting to a small sample size for skal.

4. I don't think bill Simmons wrote the article so I'm not sure why he's getting blamed

5. Expecting bill Simmons to not be pro Boston is like expecting Donald trump to stop tweeting crazy conspiracy theories. You may not like it, but his career is based on it.

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

[Golabki]

When has Bill Simmons EVER been impartial regarding the Celtics?

1. Zizic has been getting rave reviews from everyone following international

2. Yabby has been good in China but the level of competition over there is really mixed and I'm not sure it means much. I agree that including him was pretty questionable.... although it's not like there are a bunch of stars that were left off.

3. I think people are REALLY overreacting to a small sample size for skal.

4. I don't think bill Simmons wrote the article so I'm not sure why he's getting blamed

5. Expecting bill Simmons to not be pro Boston is like expecting Donald trump to stop tweeting crazy conspiracy theories. You may not like it, but his career is based on it.

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

1. I think most people that follow this closely would disagree. Lots of unknowns and you're entitled to your opinion. I'm just saying Zizic having a massive rise relative to a weak draft class is not a crazy celtics homer idea... it's an idea that's coming from people that watch euroleague.

2. Totally fair - I agree

3. Yeah, okay. I disagree, but time will tell. Even so, I'd have no problem with you putting him over Yabby.

4. Right... he's doesn't... but really... like... who cares?

5. I'm tolerant of any political opinion, but when you start disparaging genuine wit, that's going too far.

[Crazy-Canuck]

What a sad looking draft.

[12buckets]

Kevin O'Connor is the guy who started CelticsBlog. He's definitely going to be biased. I think he was even the blogger in the Celtics 2008 championship DVD putting his fanboy status on full display. Great writer, great content, It's my favorite DVD of all time and he earned his spot on The Ringer for sure. but he's a celtics fan through and through. Grains of Salt required.

That being said, I am ALL IN on Zizic too, based on my own watching of his clips and international scouting reports from non-Celtics sources. I definitely seek them out more because I'm a Celtics fan though, same as Kevin, so he does probably have a little more insight on Zizic than the average fan.

[Djh7475]

When has Bill Simmons EVER been impartial regarding the Celtics?

1. Zizic has been getting rave reviews from everyone following international

2. Yabby has been good in China but the level of competition over there is really mixed and I'm not sure it means much. I agree that including him was pretty questionable.... although it's not like there are a bunch of stars that were left off.

3. I think people are REALLY overreacting to a small sample size for skal.

4. I don't think bill Simmons wrote the article so I'm not sure why he's getting blamed

5. Expecting bill Simmons to not be pro Boston is like expecting Donald trump to stop tweeting crazy conspiracy theories. You may not like it, but his career is based on it.

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

Almost every analyst that has covered Zizic says he'd be in the top 10-12 of this year's draft class. It isn't just rave reviews, it is the fact that he was more dominant at a younger age in the same league that brought us Jokic and Nurkic. He was so good that David Blatt traded for him knowing for a fact that he'd be a half season rental. Considering 20 year olds typically can't get on the court in Euroleague (top league outside of the NBA - most teams don't waist their time on young guys who are going to ride off to the NBA), analysts saw it as a big eye opener that he was not only going to be playing in the Euroleague, but a team was trading for a half season of him to play a big role during a playoff run.

Zizic has continued to look great in the most competitive basketball outside of the NBA and is the perfect mix of being NBA ready but also having a high ceiling. I'm surprised he wasn't higher on this list, but it is hard to compete with guys that were drafted higher based on potential who haven't gotten an opportunity to show it yet or as guys that have been able to put up empty numbers for bad team.

Regarding Yabuselle, you've got me there. Just from the standpoint that most people probably don't even know who he is, I feel like there had to be a little bit of bias for him to go 14 over Skal, Poeltl, and Maker who are all household names at this point. Yabuselle was statistically incredible in China, but I've looked into it extensively and most of the raw numbers there can essentially be thrown out the window. The only reason I can see him going over Skal when both have intriguiging upside (with Skal getting the nod for some big NBA games) would have to be because of Draymond Green.

Yabs is 6'8" with a 7'-2" wingspan and weighs 250lbs (sound familiar). From a height/weight perspective, he's like Jared Sullinger but a little bit longer. However, he's jacked and ripped up vs. just fat. He is extremely quick/explosive even relative to guys much smaller/lighter. Plus, he's a good 3 point shooter (37% on over 5 attempts per game), a good rebounder, a decent ball handler, a decent passer, and was great defensively in China (which is actually rare in that league). He will never be the passer that Draymond is, nor does he have the otherworldly defensive instincts, but he is a better athlete and a better shooter with a similar body type.

He's got the strength/length to bang with small ball centers in the NBA despite being closer to the athleticism-level of a 3 or 4. His quickness makes him perfect in a switch everything defense, and his ability to handle the ball, stretch the floor, attack the basket, and finish in the paint make him the ideal 4 man in today's NBA. If it wasn't for Draymond and Jamychal Green (poor man's Dray) being so effective, I doubt Yabuselle would go above Labisierre. Draymond is arguably the most important player on a perennial contender and all time great team. Reaching for a guy who could be anything close to that doesn't seem like too much of a reach.

Considering you would take Labisierre over Bender and Chriss, I imagine you would strongly disagree that Skal and Yabs are close. Chriss has been just a good as Skal since his minutes bump at the AS break, but he's far more athletic/mobile and spaces the floor out to the 3. I'd take Chriss over Skal for the present and the future. Ask me again at the end of the season and that could change, but the sample size for Skal is just way too small. A couple of great games against subpar competition where his shot is on point are hard to evaluate. Bender is a tough one, but I liked him before the draft and knew he'd be a bit of a project.

[LightTheBeam]

1. Zizic has been getting rave reviews from everyone following international

2. Yabby has been good in China but the level of competition over there is really mixed and I'm not sure it means much. I agree that including him was pretty questionable.... although it's not like there are a bunch of stars that were left off.

3. I think people are REALLY overreacting to a small sample size for skal.

4. I don't think bill Simmons wrote the article so I'm not sure why he's getting blamed

5. Expecting bill Simmons to not be pro Boston is like expecting Donald trump to stop tweeting crazy conspiracy theories. You may not like it, but his career is based on it.

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

Almost every analyst that has covered Zizic says he'd be in the top 10-12 of this year's draft class. It isn't just rave reviews, it is the fact that he was more dominant at a younger age in the same league that brought us Jokic and Nurkic. He was so good that David Blatt traded for him knowing for a fact that he'd be a half season rental. Considering 20 year olds typically can't get on the court in Euroleague (top league outside of the NBA - most teams don't waist their time on young guys who are going to ride off to the NBA), analysts saw it as a big eye opener that he was not only going to be playing in the Euroleague, but a team was trading for a half season of him to play a big role during a playoff run.

Zizic has continued to look great in the most competitive basketball outside of the NBA and is the perfect mix of being NBA ready but also having a high ceiling. I'm surprised he wasn't higher on this list, but it is hard to compete with guys that were drafted higher based on potential who haven't gotten an opportunity to show it yet or as guys that have been able to put up empty numbers for bad team.

Regarding Yabuselle, you've got me there. Just from the standpoint that most people probably don't even know who he is, I feel like there had to be a little bit of bias for him to go 14 over Skal, Poeltl, and Maker who are all household names at this point. Yabuselle was statistically incredible in China, but I've looked into it extensively and most of the raw numbers there can essentially be thrown out the window. The only reason I can see him going over Skal when both have intriguiging upside (with Skal getting the nod for some big NBA games) would have to be because of Draymond Green.

Yabs is 6'8" with a 7'-2" wingspan and weighs 250lbs (sound familiar). From a height/weight perspective, he's like Jared Sullinger but a little bit longer. However, he's jacked and ripped up vs. just fat. He is extremely quick/explosive even relative to guys much smaller/lighter. Plus, he's a good 3 point shooter (37% on over 5 attempts per game), a good rebounder, a decent ball handler, a decent passer, and was great defensively in China (which is actually rare in that league). He will never be the passer that Draymond is, nor does he have the otherworldly defensive instincts, but he is a better athlete and a better shooter with a similar body type.

He's got the strength/length to bang with small ball centers in the NBA despite being closer to the athleticism-level of a 3 or 4. His quickness makes him perfect in a switch everything defense, and his ability to handle the ball, stretch the floor, attack the basket, and finish in the paint make him the ideal 4 man in today's NBA. If it wasn't for Draymond and Jamychal Green (poor man's Dray) being so effective, I doubt Yabuselle would go above Labisierre. Draymond is arguably the most important player on a perennial contender and all time great team. Reaching for a guy who could be anything close to that doesn't seem like too much of a reach.

Considering you would take Labisierre over Bender and Chriss, I imagine you would strongly disagree that Skal and Yabs are close. Chriss has been just a good as Skal since his minutes bump at the AS break, but he's far more athletic/mobile and spaces the floor out to the 3. I'd take Chriss over Skal for the present and the future. Ask me again at the end of the season and that could change, but the sample size for Skal is just way too small. A couple of great games against subpar competition where his shot is on point are hard to evaluate. Bender is a tough one, but I liked him before the draft and knew he'd be a bit of a project.

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using RealGM mobile app

[Patsfan1081]

When has Bill Simmons EVER been impartial regarding the Celtics?

1. Zizic has been getting rave reviews from everyone following international

2. Yabby has been good in China but the level of competition over there is really mixed and I'm not sure it means much. I agree that including him was pretty questionable.... although it's not like there are a bunch of stars that were left off.

3. I think people are REALLY overreacting to a small sample size for skal.

4. I don't think bill Simmons wrote the article so I'm not sure why he's getting blamed

5. Expecting bill Simmons to not be pro Boston is like expecting Donald trump to stop tweeting crazy conspiracy theories. You may not like it, but his career is based on it.

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

Two GM's (outside of Boston) have said Zizic would have a top ten pick this season. The kid is the best big man in Europe at the moment playing this season at 19. I'm not tomfamiliar with Yabusele, I know he looked good in the summer league and in China, but it's China and the summerleague. Skal has played twenty games, he just started scoring in double digits what, six games ago? It's a incredibly small sample size yet I do think Skal should have been drafted higher on draft night.

[Asian Celtic]

Surprised Zizic and Yabu went this high on a redraft. I expected Zizic bumped but Yabu hasn't really been that impressive to go #14 even with inflated stats in china.

[LightTheBeam]

1. Zizic has been getting rave reviews from everyone following international

2. Yabby has been good in China but the level of competition over there is really mixed and I'm not sure it means much. I agree that including him was pretty questionable.... although it's not like there are a bunch of stars that were left off.

3. I think people are REALLY overreacting to a small sample size for skal.

4. I don't think bill Simmons wrote the article so I'm not sure why he's getting blamed

5. Expecting bill Simmons to not be pro Boston is like expecting Donald trump to stop tweeting crazy conspiracy theories. You may not like it, but his career is based on it.

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

Two GM's (outside of Boston) have said Zizic would have a top ten pick this season. The kid is the best big man in Europe at the moment playing this season at 19. I'm not tomfamiliar with Yabusele, I know he looked good in the summer league and in China, but it's China and the summerleague. Skal has played twenty games, he just started scoring in double digits what, six games ago? It's a incredibly small sample size yet I do think Skal should have been drafted higher on draft night.

I prefer to see it in nba action prior to giving such praise. It's possible he will be a good player, also possible he will be a bust. Either way, you can't sit there and talk about Skals small sample size and then praise zizic for his international ball.

Skal performed great in d league which is likely similar competition to the euro leagues. I tend to lean with the guy I've seen perform against nba competition. If you actually watch Skal against nba competition you'll see it isn't a fluke, those turnaround jumpers, hitting the board hard, mid range game, athleticism and motor, this isn't a fluke player it's a kid needing an opportunity.

Eh you don't have to believe it, I prefer Skal being a sleeping and busting out next year. There's a reason this kid was so highly regarded out of HS. He will turn out to be the steak of the draft, looking forward to seeing it.

I know it's early but I seriously think he has top 3 position potential. I can't remember a player so young I've seen with so little holes and such a polished offensive game at such a young age

[gaspar]

Spoiler:

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

Almost every analyst that has covered Zizic says he'd be in the top 10-12 of this year's draft class. It isn't just rave reviews, it is the fact that he was more dominant at a younger age in the same league that brought us Jokic and Nurkic. He was so good that David Blatt traded for him knowing for a fact that he'd be a half season rental. Considering 20 year olds typically can't get on the court in Euroleague (top league outside of the NBA - most teams don't waist their time on young guys who are going to ride off to the NBA), analysts saw it as a big eye opener that he was not only going to be playing in the Euroleague, but a team was trading for a half season of him to play a big role during a playoff run.

Zizic has continued to look great in the most competitive basketball outside of the NBA and is the perfect mix of being NBA ready but also having a high ceiling. I'm surprised he wasn't higher on this list, but it is hard to compete with guys that were drafted higher based on potential who haven't gotten an opportunity to show it yet or as guys that have been able to put up empty numbers for bad team.

Regarding Yabuselle, you've got me there. Just from the standpoint that most people probably don't even know who he is, I feel like there had to be a little bit of bias for him to go 14 over Skal, Poeltl, and Maker who are all household names at this point. Yabuselle was statistically incredible in China, but I've looked into it extensively and most of the raw numbers there can essentially be thrown out the window. The only reason I can see him going over Skal when both have intriguiging upside (with Skal getting the nod for some big NBA games) would have to be because of Draymond Green.

Yabs is 6'8" with a 7'-2" wingspan and weighs 250lbs (sound familiar). From a height/weight perspective, he's like Jared Sullinger but a little bit longer. However, he's jacked and ripped up vs. just fat. He is extremely quick/explosive even relative to guys much smaller/lighter. Plus, he's a good 3 point shooter (37% on over 5 attempts per game), a good rebounder, a decent ball handler, a decent passer, and was great defensively in China (which is actually rare in that league). He will never be the passer that Draymond is, nor does he have the otherworldly defensive instincts, but he is a better athlete and a better shooter with a similar body type.

He's got the strength/length to bang with small ball centers in the NBA despite being closer to the athleticism-level of a 3 or 4. His quickness makes him perfect in a switch everything defense, and his ability to handle the ball, stretch the floor, attack the basket, and finish in the paint make him the ideal 4 man in today's NBA. If it wasn't for Draymond and Jamychal Green (poor man's Dray) being so effective, I doubt Yabuselle would go above Labisierre. Draymond is arguably the most important player on a perennial contender and all time great team. Reaching for a guy who could be anything close to that doesn't seem like too much of a reach.

Considering you would take Labisierre over Bender and Chriss, I imagine you would strongly disagree that Skal and Yabs are close. Chriss has been just a good as Skal since his minutes bump at the AS break, but he's far more athletic/mobile and spaces the floor out to the 3. I'd take Chriss over Skal for the present and the future. Ask me again at the end of the season and that could change, but the sample size for Skal is just way too small. A couple of great games against subpar competition where his shot is on point are hard to evaluate. Bender is a tough one, but I liked him before the draft and knew he'd be a bit of a project.

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using RealGM mobile app

No, he didn't. Skal scored exactly 2 points when Chriss was guarding him. The rest of his points Skal scored when he was guarded by Dudley and Alan Williams, 2 6'8" fat guys who can't jump over a phone book.

And what exactly can Skal do that Chriss can't? Skal is 6/33 (18%) from 3-point range in 17 D-League games (5/30) and 21 NBA games (1/3) combined this season. Chriss is 20/45 (44%) in 14 games since the all-star break. Saying that Skal is more skilled offensively based on a 1 game sample size is laughable.

[Golabki]

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

Two GM's (outside of Boston) have said Zizic would have a top ten pick this season. The kid is the best big man in Europe at the moment playing this season at 19. I'm not tomfamiliar with Yabusele, I know he looked good in the summer league and in China, but it's China and the summerleague. Skal has played twenty games, he just started scoring in double digits what, six games ago? It's a incredibly small sample size yet I do think Skal should have been drafted higher on draft night.

I prefer to see it in nba action prior to giving such praise. It's possible he will be a good player, also possible he will be a bust. Either way, you can't sit there and talk about Skals small sample size and then praise zizic for his international ball.

Skal performed great in d league which is likely similar competition to the euro leagues. I tend to lean with the guy I've seen perform against nba competition. If you actually watch Skal against nba competition you'll see it isn't a fluke, those turnaround jumpers, hitting the board hard, mid range game, athleticism and motor, this isn't a fluke player it's a kid needing an opportunity.

Eh you don't have to believe it, I prefer Skal being a sleeping and busting out next year. There's a reason this kid was so highly regarded out of HS. He will turn out to be the steak of the draft, looking forward to seeing it.

I know it's early but I seriously think he has top 3 position potential. I can't remember a player so young I've seen with so little holes and such a polished offensive game at such a young age

Skal performed great in the G-League? According to who/what?

[Golabki]

1. Rave reviews doesn't mean he jumps up 11 spots

2. Jimmer averaged 40 in China.

3. Nobody cares about the stats hes putting up. Watch him and see the skills/ability he already has.

4. I said does he only hire Boston fans to write for him?

5. Your Donald Trump slam is classless, not funny, and distasteful. Go ahead and slam the president of the USA a guy whose net worth is more than youll ever imagine. I'm sure a realgm posters buzzfeed influenced opinion of him means alot.

Almost every analyst that has covered Zizic says he'd be in the top 10-12 of this year's draft class. It isn't just rave reviews, it is the fact that he was more dominant at a younger age in the same league that brought us Jokic and Nurkic. He was so good that David Blatt traded for him knowing for a fact that he'd be a half season rental. Considering 20 year olds typically can't get on the court in Euroleague (top league outside of the NBA - most teams don't waist their time on young guys who are going to ride off to the NBA), analysts saw it as a big eye opener that he was not only going to be playing in the Euroleague, but a team was trading for a half season of him to play a big role during a playoff run.

Zizic has continued to look great in the most competitive basketball outside of the NBA and is the perfect mix of being NBA ready but also having a high ceiling. I'm surprised he wasn't higher on this list, but it is hard to compete with guys that were drafted higher based on potential who haven't gotten an opportunity to show it yet or as guys that have been able to put up empty numbers for bad team.

Regarding Yabuselle, you've got me there. Just from the standpoint that most people probably don't even know who he is, I feel like there had to be a little bit of bias for him to go 14 over Skal, Poeltl, and Maker who are all household names at this point. Yabuselle was statistically incredible in China, but I've looked into it extensively and most of the raw numbers there can essentially be thrown out the window. The only reason I can see him going over Skal when both have intriguiging upside (with Skal getting the nod for some big NBA games) would have to be because of Draymond Green.

Yabs is 6'8" with a 7'-2" wingspan and weighs 250lbs (sound familiar). From a height/weight perspective, he's like Jared Sullinger but a little bit longer. However, he's jacked and ripped up vs. just fat. He is extremely quick/explosive even relative to guys much smaller/lighter. Plus, he's a good 3 point shooter (37% on over 5 attempts per game), a good rebounder, a decent ball handler, a decent passer, and was great defensively in China (which is actually rare in that league). He will never be the passer that Draymond is, nor does he have the otherworldly defensive instincts, but he is a better athlete and a better shooter with a similar body type.

He's got the strength/length to bang with small ball centers in the NBA despite being closer to the athleticism-level of a 3 or 4. His quickness makes him perfect in a switch everything defense, and his ability to handle the ball, stretch the floor, attack the basket, and finish in the paint make him the ideal 4 man in today's NBA. If it wasn't for Draymond and Jamychal Green (poor man's Dray) being so effective, I doubt Yabuselle would go above Labisierre. Draymond is arguably the most important player on a perennial contender and all time great team. Reaching for a guy who could be anything close to that doesn't seem like too much of a reach.

Considering you would take Labisierre over Bender and Chriss, I imagine you would strongly disagree that Skal and Yabs are close. Chriss has been just a good as Skal since his minutes bump at the AS break, but he's far more athletic/mobile and spaces the floor out to the 3. I'd take Chriss over Skal for the present and the future. Ask me again at the end of the season and that could change, but the sample size for Skal is just way too small. A couple of great games against subpar competition where his shot is on point are hard to evaluate. Bender is a tough one, but I liked him before the draft and knew he'd be a bit of a project.

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using RealGM mobile app

"This list is an outrage. It totally biased and horrible. It just so happens that the biggest example of this horrify bias of this article is that they didn't rank the guy from my team higher."

[LightTheBeam]

Almost every analyst that has covered Zizic says he'd be in the top 10-12 of this year's draft class. It isn't just rave reviews, it is the fact that he was more dominant at a younger age in the same league that brought us Jokic and Nurkic. He was so good that David Blatt traded for him knowing for a fact that he'd be a half season rental. Considering 20 year olds typically can't get on the court in Euroleague (top league outside of the NBA - most teams don't waist their time on young guys who are going to ride off to the NBA), analysts saw it as a big eye opener that he was not only going to be playing in the Euroleague, but a team was trading for a half season of him to play a big role during a playoff run.

Zizic has continued to look great in the most competitive basketball outside of the NBA and is the perfect mix of being NBA ready but also having a high ceiling. I'm surprised he wasn't higher on this list, but it is hard to compete with guys that were drafted higher based on potential who haven't gotten an opportunity to show it yet or as guys that have been able to put up empty numbers for bad team.

Regarding Yabuselle, you've got me there. Just from the standpoint that most people probably don't even know who he is, I feel like there had to be a little bit of bias for him to go 14 over Skal, Poeltl, and Maker who are all household names at this point. Yabuselle was statistically incredible in China, but I've looked into it extensively and most of the raw numbers there can essentially be thrown out the window. The only reason I can see him going over Skal when both have intriguiging upside (with Skal getting the nod for some big NBA games) would have to be because of Draymond Green.

Yabs is 6'8" with a 7'-2" wingspan and weighs 250lbs (sound familiar). From a height/weight perspective, he's like Jared Sullinger but a little bit longer. However, he's jacked and ripped up vs. just fat. He is extremely quick/explosive even relative to guys much smaller/lighter. Plus, he's a good 3 point shooter (37% on over 5 attempts per game), a good rebounder, a decent ball handler, a decent passer, and was great defensively in China (which is actually rare in that league). He will never be the passer that Draymond is, nor does he have the otherworldly defensive instincts, but he is a better athlete and a better shooter with a similar body type.

He's got the strength/length to bang with small ball centers in the NBA despite being closer to the athleticism-level of a 3 or 4. His quickness makes him perfect in a switch everything defense, and his ability to handle the ball, stretch the floor, attack the basket, and finish in the paint make him the ideal 4 man in today's NBA. If it wasn't for Draymond and Jamychal Green (poor man's Dray) being so effective, I doubt Yabuselle would go above Labisierre. Draymond is arguably the most important player on a perennial contender and all time great team. Reaching for a guy who could be anything close to that doesn't seem like too much of a reach.

Considering you would take Labisierre over Bender and Chriss, I imagine you would strongly disagree that Skal and Yabs are close. Chriss has been just a good as Skal since his minutes bump at the AS break, but he's far more athletic/mobile and spaces the floor out to the 3. I'd take Chriss over Skal for the present and the future. Ask me again at the end of the season and that could change, but the sample size for Skal is just way too small. A couple of great games against subpar competition where his shot is on point are hard to evaluate. Bender is a tough one, but I liked him before the draft and knew he'd be a bit of a project.

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

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"This list is an outrage. It totally biased and horrible. It just so happens that the biggest example of this horrify bias of this article is that they didn't rank the guy from my team higher."

Lol at this point you're just baiting but thankfully I won't bite. I never once said that it was an outrage, I said it was clearly favoring Boston.

At this point there's several rookies I'd put ahead. Levert, Prince, willy Hernangomez, Siakam.. since you know all of these guys have proved they can play against nba talent?

Keep on baiting on.
[quote="Golabki"][quote="RipPizzaGuy"][quote="Djh7475"]

[LightTheBeam]

Two GM's (outside of Boston) have said Zizic would have a top ten pick this season. The kid is the best big man in Europe at the moment playing this season at 19. I'm not tomfamiliar with Yabusele, I know he looked good in the summer league and in China, but it's China and the summerleague. Skal has played twenty games, he just started scoring in double digits what, six games ago? It's a incredibly small sample size yet I do think Skal should have been drafted higher on draft night.

I prefer to see it in nba action prior to giving such praise. It's possible he will be a good player, also possible he will be a bust. Either way, you can't sit there and talk about Skals small sample size and then praise zizic for his international ball.

Skal performed great in d league which is likely similar competition to the euro leagues. I tend to lean with the guy I've seen perform against nba competition. If you actually watch Skal against nba competition you'll see it isn't a fluke, those turnaround jumpers, hitting the board hard, mid range game, athleticism and motor, this isn't a fluke player it's a kid needing an opportunity.

Eh you don't have to believe it, I prefer Skal being a sleeping and busting out next year. There's a reason this kid was so highly regarded out of HS. He will turn out to be the steak of the draft, looking forward to seeing it.

I know it's early but I seriously think he has top 3 position potential. I can't remember a player so young I've seen with so little holes and such a polished offensive game at such a young age

Skal performed great in the G-League? According to who/what?

Hahahaa he put up the same stats as Zizic did overseas I'm done hahahaha

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[LightTheBeam]

Spoiler:

Almost every analyst that has covered Zizic says he'd be in the top 10-12 of this year's draft class. It isn't just rave reviews, it is the fact that he was more dominant at a younger age in the same league that brought us Jokic and Nurkic. He was so good that David Blatt traded for him knowing for a fact that he'd be a half season rental. Considering 20 year olds typically can't get on the court in Euroleague (top league outside of the NBA - most teams don't waist their time on young guys who are going to ride off to the NBA), analysts saw it as a big eye opener that he was not only going to be playing in the Euroleague, but a team was trading for a half season of him to play a big role during a playoff run.

Zizic has continued to look great in the most competitive basketball outside of the NBA and is the perfect mix of being NBA ready but also having a high ceiling. I'm surprised he wasn't higher on this list, but it is hard to compete with guys that were drafted higher based on potential who haven't gotten an opportunity to show it yet or as guys that have been able to put up empty numbers for bad team.

Regarding Yabuselle, you've got me there. Just from the standpoint that most people probably don't even know who he is, I feel like there had to be a little bit of bias for him to go 14 over Skal, Poeltl, and Maker who are all household names at this point. Yabuselle was statistically incredible in China, but I've looked into it extensively and most of the raw numbers there can essentially be thrown out the window. The only reason I can see him going over Skal when both have intriguiging upside (with Skal getting the nod for some big NBA games) would have to be because of Draymond Green.

Yabs is 6'8" with a 7'-2" wingspan and weighs 250lbs (sound familiar). From a height/weight perspective, he's like Jared Sullinger but a little bit longer. However, he's jacked and ripped up vs. just fat. He is extremely quick/explosive even relative to guys much smaller/lighter. Plus, he's a good 3 point shooter (37% on over 5 attempts per game), a good rebounder, a decent ball handler, a decent passer, and was great defensively in China (which is actually rare in that league). He will never be the passer that Draymond is, nor does he have the otherworldly defensive instincts, but he is a better athlete and a better shooter with a similar body type.

He's got the strength/length to bang with small ball centers in the NBA despite being closer to the athleticism-level of a 3 or 4. His quickness makes him perfect in a switch everything defense, and his ability to handle the ball, stretch the floor, attack the basket, and finish in the paint make him the ideal 4 man in today's NBA. If it wasn't for Draymond and Jamychal Green (poor man's Dray) being so effective, I doubt Yabuselle would go above Labisierre. Draymond is arguably the most important player on a perennial contender and all time great team. Reaching for a guy who could be anything close to that doesn't seem like too much of a reach.

Considering you would take Labisierre over Bender and Chriss, I imagine you would strongly disagree that Skal and Yabs are close. Chriss has been just a good as Skal since his minutes bump at the AS break, but he's far more athletic/mobile and spaces the floor out to the 3. I'd take Chriss over Skal for the present and the future. Ask me again at the end of the season and that could change, but the sample size for Skal is just way too small. A couple of great games against subpar competition where his shot is on point are hard to evaluate. Bender is a tough one, but I liked him before the draft and knew he'd be a bit of a project.

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

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No, he didn't. Skal scored exactly 2 points when Chriss was guarding him. The rest of his points Skal scored when he was guarded by Dudley and Alan Williams, 2 6'8" fat guys who can't jump over a phone book.

And what exactly can Skal do that Chriss can't? Skal is 6/33 (18%) from 3-point range in 17 D-League games (5/30) and 21 NBA games (1/3) combined this season. Chriss is 20/45 (44%) in 14 games since the all-star break. Saying that Skal is more skilled offensively based on a 1 game sample size is laughable.

I'm not basing it off 1 game. I'm basing it off ability. Chriss doesn't have the footwork or finesse Skal has.

I've got no reason to argue. Skal hasn't had the opportunity that Chriss has had. I'm happy to discuss next year when this is clear.

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[Andre Roberstan]

Spoiler:

Almost every analyst that has covered Zizic says he'd be in the top 10-12 of this year's draft class. It isn't just rave reviews, it is the fact that he was more dominant at a younger age in the same league that brought us Jokic and Nurkic. He was so good that David Blatt traded for him knowing for a fact that he'd be a half season rental. Considering 20 year olds typically can't get on the court in Euroleague (top league outside of the NBA - most teams don't waist their time on young guys who are going to ride off to the NBA), analysts saw it as a big eye opener that he was not only going to be playing in the Euroleague, but a team was trading for a half season of him to play a big role during a playoff run.

Zizic has continued to look great in the most competitive basketball outside of the NBA and is the perfect mix of being NBA ready but also having a high ceiling. I'm surprised he wasn't higher on this list, but it is hard to compete with guys that were drafted higher based on potential who haven't gotten an opportunity to show it yet or as guys that have been able to put up empty numbers for bad team.

Regarding Yabuselle, you've got me there. Just from the standpoint that most people probably don't even know who he is, I feel like there had to be a little bit of bias for him to go 14 over Skal, Poeltl, and Maker who are all household names at this point. Yabuselle was statistically incredible in China, but I've looked into it extensively and most of the raw numbers there can essentially be thrown out the window. The only reason I can see him going over Skal when both have intriguiging upside (with Skal getting the nod for some big NBA games) would have to be because of Draymond Green.

Yabs is 6'8" with a 7'-2" wingspan and weighs 250lbs (sound familiar). From a height/weight perspective, he's like Jared Sullinger but a little bit longer. However, he's jacked and ripped up vs. just fat. He is extremely quick/explosive even relative to guys much smaller/lighter. Plus, he's a good 3 point shooter (37% on over 5 attempts per game), a good rebounder, a decent ball handler, a decent passer, and was great defensively in China (which is actually rare in that league). He will never be the passer that Draymond is, nor does he have the otherworldly defensive instincts, but he is a better athlete and a better shooter with a similar body type.

He's got the strength/length to bang with small ball centers in the NBA despite being closer to the athleticism-level of a 3 or 4. His quickness makes him perfect in a switch everything defense, and his ability to handle the ball, stretch the floor, attack the basket, and finish in the paint make him the ideal 4 man in today's NBA. If it wasn't for Draymond and Jamychal Green (poor man's Dray) being so effective, I doubt Yabuselle would go above Labisierre. Draymond is arguably the most important player on a perennial contender and all time great team. Reaching for a guy who could be anything close to that doesn't seem like too much of a reach.

Considering you would take Labisierre over Bender and Chriss, I imagine you would strongly disagree that Skal and Yabs are close. Chriss has been just a good as Skal since his minutes bump at the AS break, but he's far more athletic/mobile and spaces the floor out to the 3. I'd take Chriss over Skal for the present and the future. Ask me again at the end of the season and that could change, but the sample size for Skal is just way too small. A couple of great games against subpar competition where his shot is on point are hard to evaluate. Bender is a tough one, but I liked him before the draft and knew he'd be a bit of a project.

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

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No, he didn't. Skal scored exactly 2 points when Chriss was guarding him. The rest of his points Skal scored when he was guarded by Dudley and Alan Williams, 2 6'8" fat guys who can't jump over a phone book.

And what exactly can Skal do that Chriss can't? Skal is 6/33 (18%) from 3-point range in 17 D-League games (5/30) and 21 NBA games (1/3) combined this season. Chriss is 20/45 (44%) in 14 games since the all-star break. Saying that Skal is more skilled offensively based on a 1 game sample size is laughable.

If offense solely consisted of small samples of 3pt shooting, you'd be correct. Chriss has to this point been better stretching the floor (though FWIW that sample size since the all-star break isn't enough to indicate much of anything—3pt shooting is prone to massive volatility). But Chriss is raw and still learning a lot of the fundamental footwork, positioning, etc. Skal is too, but if you watch him his footwork is far better than Chriss's.

I don't know which one will wind up better, as Chriss was clearly drafted as a long-term project. But Skal's got a lot more polish out of the gate.

[LightTheBeam]

Spoiler:

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

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No, he didn't. Skal scored exactly 2 points when Chriss was guarding him. The rest of his points Skal scored when he was guarded by Dudley and Alan Williams, 2 6'8" fat guys who can't jump over a phone book.

And what exactly can Skal do that Chriss can't? Skal is 6/33 (18%) from 3-point range in 17 D-League games (5/30) and 21 NBA games (1/3) combined this season. Chriss is 20/45 (44%) in 14 games since the all-star break. Saying that Skal is more skilled offensively based on a 1 game sample size is laughable.

If offense solely consisted of small samples of 3pt shooting, you'd be correct. Chriss has to this point been better stretching the floor (though FWIW that sample size since the all-star break isn't enough to indicate much of anything—3pt shooting is prone to massive volatility). But Chriss is raw and still learning a lot of the fundamental footwork, positioning, etc. Skal is too, but if you watch him his footwork is far better than Chriss's.

I don't know which one will wind up better, as Chriss was clearly drafted as a long-term project. But Skal's got a lot more polish out of the gate.

+1, far better that's it's not even close. Skal looks like a 3 year vet. This isn't some knock on Chriss, this is Skals skill set being further advanced than anyone thought.

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[gaspar]

Spoiler:

Skal dominated Chriss heads up. And you'll see that Skal clearly has range out to the 3 but has been easing into his game. The sheer skill set of Skal makes him easily better than Chriss to me. He seems longer and way more smooth offensively than Chriss.

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No, he didn't. Skal scored exactly 2 points when Chriss was guarding him. The rest of his points Skal scored when he was guarded by Dudley and Alan Williams, 2 6'8" fat guys who can't jump over a phone book.

And what exactly can Skal do that Chriss can't? Skal is 6/33 (18%) from 3-point range in 17 D-League games (5/30) and 21 NBA games (1/3) combined this season. Chriss is 20/45 (44%) in 14 games since the all-star break. Saying that Skal is more skilled offensively based on a 1 game sample size is laughable.

If offense solely consisted of small samples of 3pt shooting, you'd be correct. Chriss has to this point been better stretching the floor (though FWIW that sample size since the all-star break isn't enough to indicate much of anything—3pt shooting is prone to massive volatility). But Chriss is raw and still learning a lot of the fundamental footwork, positioning, etc. Skal is too, but if you watch him his footwork is far better than Chriss's.

I don't know which one will wind up better, as Chriss was clearly drafted as a long-term project. But Skal's got a lot more polish out of the gate.

For the full season Chriss stil shoots a very respectable 33.3% from three (61/183, 4.5 3PA per 36 minutes) and shot 35% in college (21/60). Chriss is a much better 3-point shooter than Skal and it's not even close.

And it's ridiculous to disregard Chriss' shooting stats because of its small sample size and at the same time hype up a guy who's been good for a week, after a very disappointing freshman year at Kentucky and unimpressive run in the D-League. Also, big part of Skal's "success" lately is because of his completely unsustainable hot shooting from mid range, where he shoots 64%.

And please spare me your talk about Skal's incredible footwork. He's at the bottom of every scouting report and that's how guys like Alan Willimas end up guarding him and no one gives a ****. Chriss is 16 months younger than Skal and has been starting for the Suns for most of the season and has shown some very impressive footwork, shooting and face-up game for someone with so little experience.

[Kings2013]

No, he didn't. Skal scored exactly 2 points when Chriss was guarding him. The rest of his points Skal scored when he was guarded by Dudley and Alan Williams, 2 6'8" fat guys who can't jump over a phone book.

And what exactly can Skal do that Chriss can't? Skal is 6/33 (18%) from 3-point range in 17 D-League games (5/30) and 21 NBA games (1/3) combined this season. Chriss is 20/45 (44%) in 14 games since the all-star break. Saying that Skal is more skilled offensively based on a 1 game sample size is laughable.

If offense solely consisted of small samples of 3pt shooting, you'd be correct. Chriss has to this point been better stretching the floor (though FWIW that sample size since the all-star break isn't enough to indicate much of anything—3pt shooting is prone to massive volatility). But Chriss is raw and still learning a lot of the fundamental footwork, positioning, etc. Skal is too, but if you watch him his footwork is far better than Chriss's.

I don't know which one will wind up better, as Chriss was clearly drafted as a long-term project. But Skal's got a lot more polish out of the gate.

For the full season Chriss stil shoots a very respectable 33.3% from three (61/183, 4.5 3PA per 36 minutes) and shot 35% in college (21/60). Chriss is a much better 3-point shooter than Skal and it's not even close.

And it's ridiculous to disregard Chriss' shooting stats because of its small sample size and at the same time hype up a guy who's been good for a week, after a very disappointing freshman year at Kentucky and unimpressive run in the D-League. Also, big part of Skal's "success" lately is because of his completely unsustainable hot shooting from mid range, where he shoots 64%.

And please spare me your talk about Skal's incredible footwork. He's at the bottom of every scouting report and that's how guys like Alan Willimas end up guarding him and no one gives a ****. Chriss is 16 months younger than Skal and has been starting for the Suns for most of the season and has shown some very impressive footwork, shooting and face-up game for someone with so little experience.

There is nothing unsustainable about it, he has beautiful mid range touch across the board (turnaround/hooks/set shots), he is a much more efficient player as well as rebounder, and does more per 36 across the board

[Andre Roberstan]

For the full season Chriss stil shoots a very respectable 33.3% from three (61/183, 4.5 3PA per 36 minutes) and shot 35% in college (21/60). Chriss is a much better 3-point shooter than Skal and it's not even close.

You're comparing a 183-shot sample size to a 33-shot sample size across both D-League and NBA. Skal so far hasn't show much good outside shooting, but the sample size isn't big enough to say anything certain about his shooting. He basically didn't shoot them at all in college, but FT% (generally the best indicator of overall shooting translating from college to NBA) is almost identical to Chriss. I doubt he's a stretch 4, but we really don't know enough to say.

And it's ridiculous to disregard Chriss' shooting stats because of its small sample size and at the same time hype up a guy who's been good for a week, after a very disappointing freshman year at Kentucky and unimpressive run in the D-League.

it's pretty widely known that Skal was misused in college. I'm not going to say he should be ahead of Chriss in the re-draft at all—Chriss has shown more, mainly cause Labissiere has been buried. Chriss has been getting minutes in a defined role all year and looks like a useful player, though he fouls like crazy and his defense is charitably a work in progress. He's more athletic than Labissiere, too.

I'm not hyping the guy up. In fact, if you go through my post history there are at least a couple of instances you can find where I've told Kings fans they wouldn't get back near as much in trade using Labissiere as they thought. And IMO RipPizzaGuy is way off base in his original post.

Also, big part of Skal's "success" lately is because of his completely unsustainable hot shooting from mid range, where he shoots 64%.

And please spare me your talk about Skal's incredible footwork. He's at the bottom of every scouting report and that's how guys like Alan Willimas end up guarding him and no one gives a ****. Chriss is 16 months younger than Skal and has been starting for the Suns for most of the season and has shown some very impressive footwork, shooting and face-up game for someone with so little experience.

Which of your stable of forwards is the one you put on the guy at the top of the scouting report? Dudley or Bender are probably the best defensive forwards you have, and Bender's not in the rotation. Warren and Chriss are not exactly stoppers.

Chriss has been better than expected for how raw he came in (Sam Vecenie, one of the smarter CBB guys out there, said he didn't think the guy even had an NBA future cause of his BBIQ/lack of skill).

I'm not suggesting you have to agree with RipPizzaGuy (EDIT: Or Kings2013), who I also think is pretty far off base. But it's far too early to say which of the two will be a better pro when one's been buried at the bottom of the rotation for the first half of the year. And Labissiere has shown some very good footwork on the offensive end, even if his midrange is unsustainably hot right now. There's something there to work with.