2013 Sleepers

[Cammo101]

To be honest, Ryan Kelly's NBA comparison is Dirk.

Best Case: Borderline All-star version of Dirk.

They take the same garbage mid range jumpers. Doesn't rebound that well for their height. Decently high basketball IQ, nice hustle, high character, mediocre defense.


Worst Case: Poorman's Ryan Anderson.

This was pretty much my exact reaction.

Dirk doesn't get nearly enough credit from the average fan for his skill and athleticism.

[Golabki]

How do you guys like SA drafting Jackie Carmichael with the late 2013 first?
Most Spurs fans are more interested in International prospects with the pick, like Dieng or Mam Jaiteh.

He's my draft crush at the moment for the Celtics.....now if they can just figure out a way to get rid of Bass. For the Spurs I see him as being a good fit. He's really going to surprise some people his rookie year.

Carmichael = yuck.

He's a 23 year-old playing for a 3rd rate school against 4th rate competition. Even against that level of competition he isn't dominating.

He should get drafted because he has an NBA body, is reasonably coordinate and can hit jumpers, but I wouldn't take him in the 1st round.

I wouldn't take him in the first round. Great pick for the Spurs at 59 or 60 though... but of course they use that pick on some random euro dude.

[Curmudgeon]

Spurs will take Leo Westermann in round 2 if he's there, or maybe Dubjevic, the big kid from Montenegro.

IMHO the biggest sleeper in this draft is Giannis Adetokunbo, although he's not much of a sleeper any more since both the Lakers and the Celtics are rumored to have scouted him.

[discord]

That Dirk-Kelley comparison has to be trolling. Literally had a 5 minute laugh fit. RK will be a fringe journeyman in the NBA.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

What do you guys think of Nate Wolters?

One of those "unathletic" players who is more athletic than he appears. I think he can play offense, it's his defense that will be questionable. He's not just a scorer but has good ballhandling and passing skills. I guess if Steve Nash can play despite weak defense, Wolters has a chance. I'd say he could be a taller, little more athletic Luke Ridnour.

If Calderon and Rubio can start and be good NBA PGs, I see no reason why Wojters won't eventually start in the NBA. I think he's possibly the most underrated player on most mock drafts.

[Ruzious]

dez wells-6'5 220-G/F: one of 2 musketeers who i believe have first round potential. he wasnt as heralded as some of his other fellow Word of God alumni, but he's very talented and in a position to be productive with holloway and lyons gone. he's a powerfully built wing with an attacking style. has great body strength and athleticism and will try to dunk on anybody. needs to work on his jumper, but he showed progress last yr, shooting 38% from 3 in low volume.

That's a quote from the first post in the thread. And Wells is finally living up to it. After a rough MD season, Wells has lit it up the last 5 games - averaging 21 points and 6.6 rebounds. And he's finally hitting his 3's with some consistency. He's actually made nearly 60% of his 2's - as he's an excellent mid-range shooter and finishes well on the break - and if Maryland emphasized running more under Turgeon, Wells would have put up better numbers this season. And he can get better. If he hits the 3 consistently, he becomes able to score in pretty much every way. Maryland lists him at 215, but I think he bulked up too much (to play the 3) and looks closer to 230. I think losing 10 lbs would help him with lift around the basket and give him a bit more quicks - and still stay strong enough to out-physical most guards. Some will laugh, but I'd bet on Wells having a better NBA career than teammate Alex Len.

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Tony Snell of New Mexico looks pretty intriguing. He's a junior, had a mediocre season, at 12.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 41%, 37% from 3, but could be a solid role player it seems in the NBA. Good athlete, long arms, really moves EXCEPTIONALLY well off of the ball, I can't say that enough about him. Coached well by Alford.

12-19 3pt FGs in the MWC tourney

[ManualRam]

Tony Snell of New Mexico looks pretty intriguing. He's a junior, had a mediocre season, at 12.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.9 APG, 41%, 37% from 3, but could be a solid role player it seems in the NBA. Good athlete, long arms, really moves EXCEPTIONALLY well off of the ball, I can't say that enough about him. Coached well by Alford.

11-18 3pt FGs in the MWC tourney

he really needs to fill out and he's already gonna be 22.
good handle and length. streaky shooter who happens to be on a good streak.
super long arms though. could be a near 7' wingspan for a wing.

[PhilasFinest]

Deep sleeper.

Jerrelle Benimon F Towson. Orginally played at Georgetown, Could be a Paul Millsap.

Someone brought his name up and I remembered seeing him vs Drexel this year.
Paul Millsap type player/build. Solid strong frame at 6'8. 5th in the nation in Rebouding and Double Doubles.
Has range on his jumper out to college 3 and can handle the ball a bit too.

[re49gb_2gho32fp]

An inquiry about Ricky Ledo was put forth to Chad Ford whereafter he speculated about possibility of a darkhorse first round pick.

Anyone dares to comment about Ledo? Where is he playing?

he's very skilled offensively with good length for a sg, but his athleticism is just ok. there are questions on how he fits in a team setting, similarly to how people questioned tyreke, but at least ledo can shoot. i had him late first before the season, but his stock was definitely hurt by being ineligible, which put him squarely on the 1st round bubble imo.
given his prep history (no stability and going to multiple schools) it wouldn't surprise me if he made the mistake of declaring early without being guaranteed a 1st rounder.

how he pans out will depend on how he matures in terms of learning the team game and the mental aspects of the game, which a yr of college ball would help him accomplish. he has the skills, but i question his mental makeup and ability to play winning basketball.

Watched some YT highlights recently,
Weighting the pros and cons, one has to assume that any 2nd round pick is worth using on Ledo?
Send to d-league for tutelage for an entire year perhaps

[moocow007]

What do you guys think of Nate Wolters?

Big fan.

I think people see a white guy and immediate think he can't play, that all he can do is shoot and that he wont' be able to guard anyone. The only thing that's accurate in the previous statement is that he's white. He's absolutely a terrific player, has absolutely terrific handles (it's been said by a lot of folks, but he really does look like he's got the ball on a string), has great instincts for where the defense is and what opening he has and does a real job of changing directions quickly. He's not the fastest PG out there but his great ball handling ability, his ability to turn on a dime and his ability to read the defense should at least make him a terrific backup PG right off the top. And he can shoot quite well which will prevent opposing defenses from simply packing the paint when he has the ball. Reminds me quite a bit of Jeremy Lin in terms of being able to suddenly cut and drive to the basket. Kinda built a bit like Lin as well...low center of gravity and big strong calves which help him stop and change direction well. Defensively he's also quite capable showing the same kind of instincts on getting a feel of where the ball is going and what his man is going to do that he's able to anticipate quite well to make up for his average-ish athleticism.

Unlike some of the other PG prospects floating around (like Kabongo) who IMO will have problems adjusting to role and pace, I think Wolters is one of those guys that will adjust quickly to his new role and someone that you can play right away in many different offenses off the bench. Not sure if he can be a starter right away but as a backup PG absolutely. He'd be great for a team like the Spurs or the Pacers (who really don't have a true PG). Really humble guy, smart, great feel for the game, should be able to execute offenses and also contribute defensively for some team out there.

[Ell Curry]

I think Trevor Relaford will be an NBA bench player. He was dominant in transition this year, didn't tak bad shots and plays hard on D.

From Umhoops.com:
Releford is the most effective transition player in the country (minimum 70 possessions):
Nat. Rank Player Team % Time PPP eFG%
1 Travis Releford Kansas 31.5% 1.487 81.4%

Couple that with his solid D, 3pt shooting and the fact that he's already realized he will only hurt his team by trying to score in the mid-range when there are better options, and you've got an NBA player.

He measured 6'4 with a 6'9.5 wingspan. I think he's a backup 2 in the NBA.

Danny Green's excellent Stocks (Blocks + Steals) numbers suggest Releford doesn't have his ceiling. Releford gets steals, but not blocks, indicating he lacks the athleticism Green has. I think Releford will be a solid backup 2 in the league (don't think he's big enough for a ton of 3 time), getting some points in transition (where he is very intelligent and crafty) and from 3. I see him going in the 2nd round to an up-tempo team who wants a cheap backup 2, like the Rockets looking for someone to grow into the role Delfino played this year. The Timberwolves could use him if they've soured on Malcolm Lee. Assuming Ridnour finally leaves and they get a starting 2 guard, they'll still need a backup unless Roy can get healthy, and Releford looks like a nice fit.

[Ell Curry]

I've literally never heard of this dude, but he sounds like he has decent potential as a backup, smallball 4:
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Rob ... ton-17037/

He's around 6'6 barefoot, has awesome wingspan (7'2) and got steals (2.2), blocks (2.0) at a high rate while hitting 37% of his 3's and 84% of his FT's and getting 7.5 boards. Seems to be a weak finisher inside, but maybe he can stick around in the NBA as a poor man's Jeff Green?

[teamjosh04]

Deep sleeper.

Jerrelle Benimon F Towson. Orginally played at Georgetown, Could be a Paul Millsap.

Someone brought his name up and I remembered seeing him vs Drexel this year.
Paul Millsap type player/build. Solid strong frame at 6'8. 5th in the nation in Rebouding and Double Doubles.
Has range on his jumper out to college 3 and can handle the ball a bit too.

Ive seen him quite a few times in person. He has some Royce White to his game with his ability to handle the ball in transition and pass. Can get the rebound and go coast to coast. He's strong inside as well and you said he's a great rebounder. His defense will be a question mark and needs to get in better shape, but he has good face up ability off the dribble and spotting up (hit 3s at over 40% clip and hit 43% of 2-pt jumpers according to hoop-math)

Not convinced he has the kind of athleticism to play in the NBA either, but the CAA is a tough league to show off athleticism inside. If Jamelle Hagins makes a NBA team this season, Id give Benimon a shot next year as well.

[teamjosh04]

I've literally never heard of this dude, but he sounds like he has decent potential as a backup, smallball 4:
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Rob ... ton-17037/

He's around 6'6 barefoot, has awesome wingspan (7'2) and got steals (2.2), blocks (2.0) at a high rate while hitting 37% of his 3's and 84% of his FT's and getting 7.5 boards. Seems to be a weak finisher inside, but maybe he can stick around in the NBA as a poor man's Jeff Green?

I thought he would be poised for a breakout season this year, but it never came to fruition thanks to injuries and terrible guard play. If he makes it, he will make it as a SF. Even played a lot of SF in college. He was asked to make more plays himself this season and that didnt go well at all, he's weak and not a very good dribbler.

But he can shoot, defend, and score from multiple positions on the floor. He looked solid at Portsmouth. I currently have him ranked as the 67th best prospect (not including many international guys)

[Joel Embust]

I think Phil Pressey will be better than Isaiah Thomas, who has a starting job in the NBA.

[noobcake]

Time to jump on the Seth Curry bandwagon.

If he can someday turn on the Curry genes, he'll be a good 6th man combo guard off the bench ala Bobby Jackson.

[Piston Pete]

A guy I think a lot of people are currently sleeping on is Dario Saric. In 5 years time, he could be one of the best players from this draft.

[Johnlac1]

I think Phil Pressey will be better than Isaiah Thomas, who has a starting job in the NBA.

I think you're correct. Pressey was a little erratic at times, but has the ability to be a pass-first pg. Thomas I've never regarded as anything more than a typical shoot-first pg who is better coming off the bench.

[str82daleague]

Sorry if someone's already mentioned him and I didn't see it, but what about Kenny Kadji from the U? Dude's an athletic 6'11" with an outside shot...the X-factor for Miami's success this year behind Larkin