2014-2015 College Basketball / '15 NBA Draft Thread

[Negrodamus]

we are still in BPA territory. I'd be a little peeved if we reached for another guy because of fit with a guy who hasn't played yet.

If we are sitting at 4 and the other three guys are off the board...passing on Mudiay is a hard choice is all I am saying. Mario is the only remaining guy I'd take over Mudiay. And guess what the remaining PGs aren't exactly marksmen either.

I am just saying I don't agree with this growing sentiment that Mudiay isn't top 5...someone even said he isn't top 8..that is absurd

Agree to disagree then. In my uneducated opinion a PG who cant shoot and isn't uber athletic shouldn't be regarded in the BPA sphere. Herzonja and Porzingis both fit the athletic profile and have perfect form on their jumper. Also, wasn't my intention to suggest he was not top 8. I said 8 is fine but no to top 4, so in between is so, so for me.

Mudiay is BPA because he got attributes that weighs more heavily. Young, Athletic(athletic than most PGs, probably the lower echelon of Wall/Westbrook types), elite sized PG (comparable to Joe Johnson at SG), who can create his shot, run the PnR and attack the rim on offense. That matters over guys whose best attribute is a skillset that can be developed, shooting.

I'm still not high on Herzonja, I think he's going to have a tough time getting his shots off against the long athletic swingman defenders. I think Porzingis is right there with Mudiay, both have mysterious upside. But I have Mudiay because I think he's the safer prospect due to his size relative to guys in the NBA.

My issue with Mudiay is his lacks explosive speed. He just plays Jrue like, where he would use his great body control and physicality to maneuver around the paint.

You like Porzingis and Mudiay and not Hezonja? We are on different pages when it comes to this draft. Then again, those are the three we all have seen the least at the top of the draft, so it's not surprising we have differences of opinions.

[76ciology]

You like Porzingis and Mudiay and not Hezonja? We are on different pages when it comes to this draft. Then again, those are the three we all have seen the least at the top of the draft, so it's not surprising we have differences of opinions.

First off, I have my personal standards in prospects. I don't like perimeter scorers who has only average ability to create off the dribble. I believe that there's a stiff competition at the SF position due to play-off team's prerequisite of having 1-2 long athletic swingman defenders. I also believe that shooting is a skillset that can be develop. Thus, I'm not high on Herzonja.

Porzingis is a guy I'm intrigued with but I just think Mudiay is the safer choice.

I agree with everything you said about the difference of opinion. I think right now, the draft scouting is crapshoot with not much info for now. I think it's just a two man race for no.1 with KAT and Jahlil. I think KAT will impressed scouts, predraft and emerge as this year's embiid. Personally, I think selecting between Mudiay, Porzingis and maybe Russell will be a really really tough decision to make at this point.

[Ericb5]

This Kristaps as "Dirk Nowitzki with shot blocking" is a bit over-the-top. If Porzingis was anywhere near the athlete or shooter Dirk was, he'd be the #1 or #2 overall pick.
Dirk was a far superior shooter, had a far better body, far better explosion and had far better coordination.

Please check some Kristaps' video, then compare how he moves, in comparison to Dirk at age 18...

[youtube]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hCMSe1Injiw[/youtube]

I agree with you that comparing him to Dirk is a bit over the top, but he is definitely a better athlete than Dirk. His foot speed and length both seem a lot better than Dirk's. From a skills standpoint Dirk is amazing though, and Porzingis has a long way to go in that regard, but in terms of pure physical tools I think that he is already there.

I really don't know what you are seeing. That's why I posted the video. Porzingis is nowhere near the athlete that Dirk was. His body isn't near as athletic. He's not as coordinated. Just look at how Porzingis runs up the court. Forget the shooting. Look at everything else. Its not on the same level as Dirk.

I haven't watched the video yet, but I will. I am not arguing that Porzingis has a talent level like Dirk, and you are right that there are different types of athleticism, and Dirk has more body control. I would say that Dirk is athletic in the way that Durant is athletic, but I think that Porzingis is athletic like a Willie Cauley Stein. He would do better in a decathlon type of competition than Dirk would at the same age imo. His defensive ceiling is a lot higher than Dirk's.

If I thought that he would be the next Dirk then he would be the top pick in the draft, but I suppose that I am really just saying that I think he would be a great 5th pick.

[jpatrick]

You can see at age 18 Dirk was extremely coordinated and had incredible body control. Porzingis on the other had looks like a baby deer, all arms and legs and some issues with balance and coordination. However, the hope is that as he grows into his body these things will improve drastically, and he is skilled and athletic. He's the ultimate boom or bust guy because there is a lot of projection with him. Wouldn't shock me if he becomes the best player in this draft or becomes a soft NBA jump shooting PF, ala Channing Frye.

Do we have measurements? I'm curious about his wingspan and reach. He looks like he has incredible length.

[Marcus]

i've heard it said that Lativian's typically stay thin so Porgi may never gain substantial size. similar to Biendris.

[42uptop]

Agree to disagree then. In my uneducated opinion a PG who cant shoot and isn't uber athletic shouldn't be regarded in the BPA sphere. Herzonja and Porzingis both fit the athletic profile and have perfect form on their jumper. Also, wasn't my intention to suggest he was not top 8. I said 8 is fine but no to top 4, so in between is so, so for me.

Porzingis is a 220 pound center who isn't actually that athletic, and fairly overrated as a shooter too. He shouldn't even be in the discussion as a top 5 pick.

He isn't a center, and is very athletic. I don't know how you aren't seeing that.

He isn't a PF if that is what you are implying. His only above average defensive skill is rim protection, he will get crushed in the NBA trying to guard 4s. And he's not particularly athletic either, I'm sure he looks like a high flier compared to his peers in European basketball though.

[42uptop]

Yeah looking at the Dirk video I have no idea what the comparison is. He is nowhere near as fast, strong, or agile as a young Dirk. He might be able to jump high but that is not an all-encompassing trait of a good athlete, which Porzingis is not.

Look at how easily Dirk blows by defenders, gets up and down the court in transition, attacks defenders and gets to the line. That's the exact opposite of how Porzingis plays

[Kobblehead]

A shotblocking big that occasionally can hit threes is intriguing. Porzingis can't rebound for s***, though.

[Ericb5]

Porzingis is a 220 pound center who isn't actually that athletic, and fairly overrated as a shooter too. He shouldn't even be in the discussion as a top 5 pick.

He isn't a center, and is very athletic. I don't know how you aren't seeing that.

He isn't a PF if that is what you are implying. His only above average defensive skill is rim protection, he will get crushed in the NBA trying to guard 4s. And he's not particularly athletic either, I'm sure he looks like a high flier compared to his peers in European basketball though.

I think he IS a PF, simply because he has a PF's game on offense for sure, and he has the athleticism and foot speed to stay with PF's.

Granted, he is sort of a hybrid player, but given his size, I think that you can only pigeon hole him to the 5 if he was too slow, and was unskilled. He clearly isn't that. He may not be able to play in the NBA, and he certainly has a high bust potential, but if he CAN play in the NBA I think that it will be as a 4.

Who knows? It's a gamble to take him, but I think the gamble starts making sense at 5. I could see taking Hezonja ahead of him possibly, but I would have a hard time taking Johnson before him.

[ZarcMumoff]

Like Porzingis a lot from the little I've seen of him. Not many guys have the length, athleticism, and shooting ability he has as a teenager.

Do worry about his rebounding though. While there's a chance it improves as he gains strength, I still think it's likely he's never more than an average rebounder.

[PhilasFinest]

Porzingis kind of reminds me of Motiejunas.

With Embiid,Noel,Saric....Id pass on him unless he was falling and available with the Miami Pick.

[LloydFree]

Its funny. Guys have problems with a PG that can't shoot, but have no problem with a PF that can't rebound.

[Kobblehead]

I would draft guys being mocked in the teens before I'd want half these guys in the back half of the top 10 on our team.

[ZarcMumoff]

Porzingis kind of reminds me of Motiejunas.

With Embiid,Noel,Saric....Id pass on him unless he was falling and available with the Miami Pick.

I'd bet good money Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric will never play on the same team.

[PhilasFinest]

id probably take Myles Turner over Porzingis

[PhilasFinest]

Porzingis kind of reminds me of Motiejunas.

With Embiid,Noel,Saric....Id pass on him unless he was falling and available with the Miami Pick.

I'd bet good money Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric will never play on the same team.

The only person who knows is likely Hinkie...if thats the case, then I'm all for adding a skilled big to come off the bench. Don't think id spend a top 5 pick on him tho...id rather make a move for Turner or Kaminsky with the heat pick.

[Kobblehead]

id probably take Myles Turner over Porzingis

& Kaminsky, IMO.

[jpatrick]

I think people are underestimating how impressive his numbers in the ACB are given his age and crappy team. If he were in the NCAA, he could very we'll be putting up 15/10 with 3-4 blocks and shooting 40% from the college three.

He did put up 10 rebounds and 5 blocks per games in the Euro U18.

I like Hezonja a bit more because spacing is so important in the current game, but Porzingis is intriguing.

[Ericb5]

Porzingis kind of reminds me of Motiejunas.

With Embiid,Noel,Saric....Id pass on him unless he was falling and available with the Miami Pick.

Montejuntas isn't a shooter or a rim protector.

I basically think that it is a crap shoot after the first 4 for the next 5 picks or so. Porzingis has the lowest floor of that group, but I think that he also has the highest ceiling.


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[Mik317]

Like I said before...Poringiz is the one top 15 guy I don't know anything about so I won't complete dismiss him...I can't say that as of right now I'd be super hyped about taking him with our first pick (arguably at all) after the Current top 4...it think it kinda starts melding together in terms of tiers and thus everyone is virtually the same..so a wing or a PG depending on our first pick is the best option for remaining picks.

if we get punished for our tank sins and fall to 5 (or 6) and we are unable to trade up...IMO Henojza or Winslow are my picks (after I cry for hours on end) and then I'm going after the best PG with remaining picks. Poringiz isn't the biggest bummer in this range but yeah I don't see many scenarios in which I am happy with taking him with our top pick. Maybe if he slips a bit and Hinkie hinkies it up and but nah. The Top Pick has to be a potential centerpiece..NEXT year pls.