lilfishi22 wrote:Biff wrote:lilfishi22 wrote:The thing was Edey is he has a lot of the hallmarks of a C who dominated college but couldn't make it at the NBA level. The fact that it's 2024 and he's built and plays like a 90's or early 2000's C is a legit question mark. I'm usually of the thought that if you're a stiff, I don't care what you average in college, I just think the odds are against you in the NBA. That's just the odds though, it doesn't mean he can't be an NBA player and have a decent career but it's not a wagon I want to hitch onto with one of my very few FRP. He might end up having a great career but I still wouldn't change my rule against drafting stiff C's to the NBA because he'd be the exception to that rule. If he didn't dominate college and lead his team all the way to the Finals, I just don't think any scout or team is looking at his profile thinking he's the kind of player I want to draft in today's NBA.
With Kolek, I see why he has a ceiling and also why he's looking at a late 1st round/early 2nd round pick but I think what he brings just fits and should fit from day 1. What I want from this draft is to get someone who doesn't necessarily have to put up great stats but they should be able to elevate others either directly or indirectly through their own play. I could see Edey possibly making us more difficult to defend by putting him in the post to get easy shots (unlike Nurk) and grab O boards but I also see him giving up a lot more on the defensive end. With Kolek I think he's real value add because he not only could stretch the floor for the guys but also able to make the smart passes, be that traditional PG initiating the offense and being a great complement to the Big 3.
The other side to this equation is getting a new offensively minded coach who could really tap into the full offensive potential of this team.
I don't think Edey has any chance at all at becoming a starter in the NBA. He will be a situational big. He's far too slow laterally to come close to covering anyone on the perimeter. He will get targeted over and over on defense and will be mostly unplayable in the playoffs.
There's a scenario where he could have a Zubac-esque career. They are both massive plodding bodies who sets great screens, is a huge presence on both ends of the court in the paint and Zubac has found a role as a starter on a good team. Am I counting on it? Absolutely not and the odds are stacked heavily against him but can't say impossible either.
That's also why I'm higher on Kolek. I can see a pathway for him to bring real value to an NBA team
JV was always thought of as slow on the inside. There are a lot of big Cs in the NBA that can't cover on the perimeter and are not exactly fast. I figured he could be a better, bigger, longer, taller version of JV, Adams, Zubac....with the length of Gobert (a little longer and 3 inches taller). He will deter shots. Edey has been compared a lot to Brook Lopez when he came out. Brook was thought of as a plodder who was basically an inside scorer. In Lopez' first 6 years he attempted 7 3s, making none. In his 7th year, he took 10, making 1, and in his 8th, he was 2-14, so a lot of Cs who didn't take 3s added it. Heck, Frye never took 3s in college or like his first 4 years in the pros. Then guys like Gasol, Vucevic and others added them.
I understand what you mean about not being able to move laterally but he's a little better than initally scouted...people have written about it with videos in the tourney. He can cover a lot of ground with his length and just deter shots.
But the main thing is most all guys that are like him do not average 25 ppg in college and have a great post game and get to the line so much. AD averaged 14 in college, Embiid 11, Towns 10, Ayton 16 and even Duncan as a senior was at 21. Two of the best college players ever, Kareem (Lew Alcindor at the time) averaged 24 as a senior and Bill Walton 19 as a senior. The best I can find are guys who competed for scoring titles in the NBA...David Robinson as a senior averaged 28, Shaq averaged 24 his last year as a junior. Olajuwon almost 17 his last year as a junior.
Of course Kareem, Robinson, Shaq, Olajuwon, Embiid, Towns and Walton are not guys who could really guard on the perimeter either, though you didn't need to except with Embiid and Towns. Jokic either or those guys I mentioned like Adams, Zubac and JV.
Not saying Edey is like any of those guys but none of them move quickly on defense. Maybe Robinson did because he was so lean and fit...but probably didn't guard on the perimeter (but didn't need to). Duncan either.
