2013 Sleepers

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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#41 » by Cal_Bears » Thu Aug 2, 2012 6:07 pm

ManualRam wrote:marcus smart > lebryan nash
i think lebryan's too dumb of a player to be anything more than a physical tease.


Are you really high on Marcus Smart? I heard has a great demeanor but I'm a little turned off by his size. Would he fill a Tony Allen role, or be a bigger Eric Bledsoe? I say both since they're strong compact guards and that's how Smart appears.

Also, I'm not very high on Nash as well. I think he'll still be a 1st round prospect based on his physical aspects alone. But he has no concept of team basketball..
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#42 » by ManualRam » Thu Aug 2, 2012 6:36 pm

Cal_Bears wrote:
Chris Braswell from Charlotte also is someone I'd keep an eye on. He's a good rebounder and solid scorer from inside. Additionally, he has developed a solid jumpshot out to about 20ft. He's a big guy at 6'9" 240.

Also, Brandon Paul looks like an interesting prospect out of Illinois. He needs more consistency to his game but he has great athleticism and reminds me of a poor man's Dion Waiters.

braswell's still in college?
seems like he's been out of the preps for like 6-7 yrs. he might follow the same career path as herb pope.

im an illini fan and i loathe brandon paul. he's athletic, but he's so damn erratic and his decision making seems to regress every single yr.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#43 » by ManualRam » Thu Aug 2, 2012 6:48 pm

Cal_Bears wrote:
ManualRam wrote:marcus smart > lebryan nash
i think lebryan's too dumb of a player to be anything more than a physical tease.


Are you really high on Marcus Smart? I heard has a great demeanor but I'm a little turned off by his size. Would he fill a Tony Allen role, or be a bigger Eric Bledsoe? I say both since they're strong compact guards and that's how Smart appears.

Also, I'm not very high on Nash as well. I think he'll still be a 1st round prospect based on his physical aspects alone. But he has no concept of team basketball..


smart is a tough guy to project because he's such an intangibles guy. i wasnt sold on him as an NBA prospect until i saw him this summer for team usa. he impacts the game in so many ways because he's like the ultimate team guy and plays so hard defensively. it might take him 2-3 yrs since i think he's converting to the point, but the kid is the ultimate winner. he's only about 6'3, but he plays much bigger than that because he's got great length and natural body strength. defenders seem to just bounce off him when he puts the ball on the deck. he's also a sneaky athlete who can finish at the rim with power.

tony allen's a solid comparison, but i think marcus has more combo guard skills with his natural passing and playmaking ability. this might sound like a weird comparison, but he reminds me of one of those all-around greek guards who never came over to the NBA (diamantidis or a shorter papaloukas). he might not be the most skilled guy in terms of shooting and handling, but he's a super high intangibles playmaker and defender who does all the little things to help teams win. kid is a born leader.

if he rubs off on lebryan nash, then maybe i might change my tune on nash, but i think the success of ok st starts and ends with how much marcus is able to lead right away.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#44 » by FORMIDABULLS » Fri Aug 3, 2012 1:27 am

Guys any thoughts on Jamaal Franklin of SDSU who's the Mountain West Player of the Year?

Thanks.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#45 » by Cal_Bears » Fri Aug 3, 2012 1:55 pm

Formidable Bull wrote:Guys any thoughts on Jamaal Franklin of SDSU who's the Mountain West Player of the Year?

Thanks.


I think he's a real sleeper. He has great athleticism and is a good scorer. I think if SDSU goes far this year he should get a lot of publicity. He averaged close to 8 rebounds which is ridiculous for a guard.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#46 » by skiz2 » Fri Aug 3, 2012 7:12 pm

As a biased UNC fan outside of McAdoo I could see 4 players making some noise from our roster:

Joel James is a man amongst boys. He will I think work his way up to the first round especially if he delivers a very good Freshman season. He is a late bloomer but is 6'11" with a 7'4" wingspan weighing in at 260 with decent athleticism.

Leslie McDonald by all accounts was beating out Dexter Strickland as the starting SG before his ACL injury last season. Most expect a breakout year from him. He has a silky smooth stroke and has really expanded his offensive game.

Reggie Bullock is a monster defender with excellent size and defensive instincts to guard 4 positions on the court. He is very athletic, this year will be a good indicator of how he operates with more offensive responsibility on his shoulders. Needs to expand his offensive game outside of shooting 3's.

Marcus Paige, could be getting a lot of playing time early if Strickland hasn't recovered fully from his ACL injury. He needs to pack on about 20 lbs of muscle but he has some Mike Conley to his game and scored at will on the HS level.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#47 » by teamjosh04 » Fri Aug 3, 2012 7:46 pm

no PJ Hairston mention?

Robert Covington is another sleeper that can make noise this year. He can do a bit of everything and his perimeter game is coming together. If he can become a full time SF, he has a ton of upside. Situation reminds me of Danny Granger a bit
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#48 » by Gram » Fri Aug 3, 2012 9:32 pm

Surprised no one's mentioned Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. I have high expectations for him and he will be a valuable piece for Georgia - especially going into the tournament.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#49 » by ManualRam » Sat Aug 4, 2012 12:59 am

skiz2 wrote:
Joel James is a man amongst boys. He will I think work his way up to the first round especially if he delivers a very good Freshman season. He is a late bloomer but is 6'11" with a 7'4" wingspan weighing in at 260 with decent athleticism.



he's my deep sleeper. he's probably progressed more than any big man in his class. unlike a lot of the fat bigs in his class, he lost about 40-50 lbs, has improved his conditioning and looks primed to hit the ground running. the heels are gonna need him right away since they have no other beef on the interior.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#50 » by FORMIDABULLS » Sat Aug 4, 2012 1:25 pm

Cal_Bears wrote:
Formidable Bull wrote:Guys any thoughts on Jamaal Franklin of SDSU who's the Mountain West Player of the Year?

Thanks.


I think he's a real sleeper. He has great athleticism and is a good scorer. I think if SDSU goes far this year he should get a lot of publicity. He averaged close to 8 rebounds which is ridiculous for a guard.


From a nobody to winning a POTY award... yeah I'm wondering if he could be a real sleeper in the NBA and I got curious to know what people think of him.

From what I saw on youtube, his ball handling skills looks suspect but he thrives in the open court, getting to the rim using his great strength and athleticism to finish and draw fouls. Decent 3 point shooter from his stats and an ugly shooting form but high release point is what I observed. Looks like strictly a spot-up shooter at this point. Other than that, Jamaal plays good defense and is generally an all-around player with high motor and high effort. Has good intangibles and an inspiring character when he stepped up in a couple of crunch time to hit game winning shots.

That's what I saw from the highlights though. Hope somebody can explain a bit about why he projects to play shooting guard but read a few articles saying he plays PF on the team. Is he not a natural shooting guard?
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#51 » by nolang1 » Sat Aug 4, 2012 9:11 pm

The nobody part is what worries me. I can't think of many players outside of Russell Westbrook who couldn't get much playing time their freshman year before exploding as a draft prospect, and Westbrook was backing up a first-rounder while playing for a notoriously conservative coach. Between the percentages and the shooting form, Franklin has to do a lot more developing skillwise to be more than an energy off the bench type of guy.

Dario Saric is someone I think will be even more of a sleeper due to his new contract in Spain scaring off a few teams (a similar situation to Nikola Mirotic in 2011). He's very Rubio-like in his ability to leave his mark on a game even when his shot isn't falling, and a team drafting in the late first round or early second would be getting an absolute steal.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#52 » by jman3134 » Tue Aug 7, 2012 8:15 pm

teamjosh04 wrote:no PJ Hairston mention?

Robert Covington is another sleeper that can make noise this year. He can do a bit of everything and his perimeter game is coming together. If he can become a full time SF, he has a ton of upside. Situation reminds me of Danny Granger a bit


And the award for best breakout player goes to.....


Covington is going to be solid. I watched him a bit last year and I was very impressed with his aggressiveness. He played well this summer as a counselor at Adidas. His conversion to SF will be critical, but I think that he is capable.

Others who are poised for breakout years are Ray McCallum of Detroit, who looked like the best point guard in attendance. Additionally, Sean Kilpatrick will likely start to get the attention he deserved after last season. There's a reason Cincy was winning without Yancy Gates on the floor. Namely, Kilpatrick had a great year in 11-12 and will likely continue to demonstrate that he is a good draft selection next season.

As for guys that I have my eyes on, I continue to love Kendrick Perry of Youngstown St. Again, no one is talking about this guy, but he is definitely someone that people should be keeping an eye on. He produced better than McCallum at times last year and is a lock down defender. He is a small point guard, but he has the athleticism and quickness to compensate. Eventually, people will recognize his name. Whether this happens next season or during NBA workouts, it will eventually happen.

I'm going to continue sticking with my twitter prediction that Gorgui Dieng will be a lottery selection whenever he decides to come out. His shot blocking is game changing and he has a developing game. Even more impressive than this skill, though, is his ability to grab rebounds and bang inside. His offensive game needs some work and his shooting form is fairly odd at this stage, but he impacts the game in so many ways. He's another guy that people will warm up to later on. But, remember where you heard it from first.

On a more random note, Western Illinois' Terell Parks is going to receive a few looks from scouts next year. He is undersized at 6'7, but if he can ever develop an outside game, I think that he could warrant a selection. Much better prospect than Jeremy Evans ever was.

Rodney Williams is going to be a big riser next year. The NIT proved that he has finally put it all together and is attacking the basket with the fire and aggressiveness that he always should have had. He is very difficult to stop, and is an NBA caliber athlete. The Hollins' are also going to be very good for Minnesota next year, as I think Manual mentioned in his first post. Their development was key for Minnesota's NIT run a year ago.

CJ Aiken is an elite level athlete that needs to receive more attention. He and his St. Joes squad should be very good next year, and I would be surprised if his post game has not advanced a bit.

I also really like Seton Hall's Fuquan Edwin. He may not be as nationally renowned, but he has tremendous hands defensively and is going to have to step up next season with Herb Pope and Jordan Theodore gone. I would be surprised if he does not have an All Big East First or Second Team level season.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#53 » by Johnlac1 » Wed Aug 8, 2012 1:27 am

Indy2thaWindy wrote:What do you think of Victor Oladipo now that he'll have a point guard who can create looks for him instead of relying on creating off the dribble or picks and post passes from Zeller to score off of? Jordan Hulls and Verdell Jones weren't doing him any favors last year.

Oladipo is a player I like a lot. Pro scouts have to like him for his defense. He gave Craft fits with his defense. His jump shot looked good at times and other times not so good. But he really gets with it on the defensive side and plays with a lot desire. Everybody is raving about Cody Zeller, but Oladipo will be almost as important for Indiana.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#54 » by teamjosh04 » Wed Aug 8, 2012 5:21 pm

jman3134 wrote:
I also really like Seton Hall's Fuquan Edwin. He may not be as nationally renowned, but he has tremendous hands defensively and is going to have to step up next season with Herb Pope and Jordan Theodore gone. I would be surprised if he does not have an All Big East First or Second Team level season.


Good call here. I love his game. He has a long way to go on offense, but his defense is top notch. And hes not a guy who just gambles for steals.

The Hollins twins are nice too. And yea, if Rodney Williams truly has put it together, that could be big. Minnesota is a sleeper team.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#55 » by ManualRam » Wed Aug 8, 2012 6:33 pm

the hollins boys are not related.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#56 » by Cal_Bears » Fri Aug 10, 2012 7:37 pm

How do you all feel about James Ennis?

He's a pretty long smooth wing player at 6'7" 200lbs. From the few times I saw him play last year, he looked like he has a great first step and a solid stroke. LBSU should be a good team again this year and I can see him getting a call to Portsmouth and impressing.

I've always thought he was the superior prospect compared to Casper Ware and Larry Anderson..

Also, Will Cherry is a baller. He's a great on ball defender and would have gotten much more publicity (IMO) if Lillard wasn't in the Big Sky last year. His shot is a little streaky but I expect him to have a big senior year. In terms of "quality PGs" this year, I don't see why he cannot be in the same boat as Isaiah Canaan
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#57 » by Cal_Bears » Fri Aug 10, 2012 7:42 pm

jman3134 wrote:
teamjosh04 wrote:
I'm going to continue sticking with my twitter prediction that Gorgui Dieng will be a lottery selection whenever he decides to come out. His shot blocking is game changing and he has a developing game. Even more impressive than this skill, though, is his ability to grab rebounds and bang inside. His offensive game needs some work and his shooting form is fairly odd at this stage, but he impacts the game in so many ways. He's another guy that people will warm up to later on. But, remember where you heard it from first.

Rodney Williams is going to be a big riser next year. The NIT proved that he has finally put it all together and is attacking the basket with the fire and aggressiveness that he always should have had. He is very difficult to stop, and is an NBA caliber athlete. The Hollins' are also going to be very good for Minnesota next year, as I think Manual mentioned in his first post. Their development was key for Minnesota's NIT run a year ago.



Nice call on Dieng. I think he'll have a great season this year and will absolutely shoot up mock drafts. He has great size and a great frame. He seems like a mix between Keon Clark and Serge Ibaka. He brings a lot to the defensive table.... and he's not rail thin like a lot of other big men.

and...are you sure Williams will breakout? I just don't see it.... For like 3-4 years all we keep reading an hearing is that this is his time to really shine.. I know he is a fantastic athlete and has a lot of potential as a defensive player but he doesn't have the necessary ball handling skills to really create for himself and his shot isn't the greatest.. I hope you're right, but I stopped holding my breath on him last season..
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#58 » by joseph mamah » Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:05 am

kyle anderson 6'8 215 SF-you guys should be familiar with his game. i dont see his name in 2013 mocks though. i think he can go late lotto


Yeah im interested to see what he can do with shabazz. Ive watched a few aau games and he has great cout vision/passing ability, solid handles, and an insane wingspan. but he didnt seem too committed on defense, seemed a little bit slow and had a tendancy to overpass i watched him pass up a lot of open shots to pass to a covered teamate. I didnt see him take many jump shots so im not sure what kind of range he has, but i think he has top ten potential if he commits on D and has a decent J.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#59 » by ManualRam » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:12 pm

joseph mamah wrote:
kyle anderson 6'8 215 SF-you guys should be familiar with his game. i dont see his name in 2013 mocks though. i think he can go late lotto


Yeah im interested to see what he can do with shabazz. Ive watched a few aau games and he has great cout vision/passing ability, solid handles, and an insane wingspan. but he didnt seem too committed on defense, seemed a little bit slow and had a tendancy to overpass i watched him pass up a lot of open shots to pass to a covered teamate. I didnt see him take many jump shots so im not sure what kind of range he has, but i think he has top ten potential if he commits on D and has a decent J.

i dont think he lacks commitment on defense. maybe it was the setting you watched him in but he played for one of the best coaches in all of HS ball. i doubt he couldve gotten away with not playing hard on D playing for bob hurley. kyle's just slow and doesnt really have a position defensively.
like most young american players he needs to work on his catch and shoot. he has nice touch and a high release, but his shot is a bit deliberate. if he can catch and shoot better he wont have to over-pass or and catch and hold.
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Re: 2013 Sleepers 

Post#60 » by joseph mamah » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:35 pm

yeah like i said i only watched a few games and they were aau. It seemed like he was more worried about looking cool than playing D, but hes an interesting player, he kind of reminds me of a tayshaun 2.0. thats why i made the post, im curious what other people think about him that may have seen him more. Do you think hes quick enough to eventually guard SFs in the NBA, and what kind of mental makeup does he have. The Pistons are most likely looking to draft a SF next summer so ive been trying to scout some of the prospects out.

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