Operation Beast: Prospect Thread II

[Biff Cooper]

from Souhan on the strib site today:

Souhan's opinion makes me no more or no less likely to like Evan Turner.

[dunkonu21]

Who says he has to be a good shooter to play at SG? I like how Souhan makes it sound like Turners great handles are a bad thing.

[TrentTuckerForever]

I don't know if I'd claim to be a "great scouting mind" but Souhan is a douche. I don't really consider anything he writes to be particularly legit.

+1. Souhan hates NBA basketball, plain and simple. He never writes about the NBA without contempt.

[shangrila]

from Souhan on the strib site today:

"Evan Turner? I like him, but he may be too slow to play point, he doesn't shoot the three well enough to play the 2, and he may be no more than a better-than-average 3.

His great advantage in college is he got to play point guard against smaller, lesser players. He will be a turnover machine if he has to play the point in the NBA."

I know most folks here are thinking ET or bust. From what I know, he sounds like a good fit. What would the great 'scouting minds' of this board say to souhan's take?

*Are his numbers/defensive capabilities inflated because he's dominating smaller players?
*If he was on the Wolves, would he play 2 or 3?

I'm not terribly concerned about shooting issue at this point. Tyreke can't shoot a lick, and it doesn't seem to be holding him back. This team needs talent in any form.

He is too slow to play point guard. That's why he plays shooting guard (or small forward) and handles the ball from there.

[horaceworthy]

I'm pretty sure Favors will also be much better as a rookie.

I agree that over the entire season, Favors will have a better year. He's bound to be given a much better opportunity to play and get better by getting minutes and experience on the NBA court. My statement was that JaJuan's three years of college experience might make him more NBA ready at the beginning of the year.

Favors is still more physically ready, and a better overall player. The only thing Johnson does better is make jump shots.

I'm not that interested in him in the 1st round (I think he'll go back to school anyway). His upside seems like Hakim Warrick to me, and it looks like there will be better players available at the Utah pick, particularly at SF, a position of more need for the Wolves.

[shangrila]

How would people feel about Avery Bradley? Seems like an ideal Triangle point and a good offensive backup type player who's actually good on defence. Obviously Flynn and Sessions would have to go when Rubio comes over but imagine being able to run a defensive rotation of Rubio and Bradley for 48 minutes.

[Krapinsky]

How would people feel about Avery Bradley? Seems like an ideal Triangle point and a good offensive backup type player who's actually good on defence. Obviously Flynn and Sessions would have to go when Rubio comes over but imagine being able to run a defensive rotation of Rubio and Bradley for 48 minutes.

That's what I'd like to think, but my feeling about him is that he's purely an undersized shooting guard, meaning he'll be even less adapt to running an offense than even Johnny.

[shangrila]

How would people feel about Avery Bradley? Seems like an ideal Triangle point and a good offensive backup type player who's actually good on defence. Obviously Flynn and Sessions would have to go when Rubio comes over but imagine being able to run a defensive rotation of Rubio and Bradley for 48 minutes.

That's what I'd like to think, but my feeling about him is that he's purely an undersized shooting guard, meaning he'll be even less adapt to running an offense than even Johnny.

But that's the point. The Triangle offence usually just needs a point guard to dribble the ball up the floor and then flash to the corner and wait for a kick out for a 3pt shot. Something Bradley should be able to do easily.

And let's remember he is a freshman. While he's really raw as a point guard right now there's the chance he could develop atleast passable point guard skills and certainly enough to be the backup behind Rubio. It's not like he needs to be Steve Nash in that role.

[Steve_Holiday]

Souhan is a douche.

I shouldn't have mentioned his name.

[Esohny]

Souhan is a douche.

I shouldn't have mentioned his name.

It is kinda like feeding a gremlin after midnight.

[jpatrick]

I used to enjoy Souhan when he covered the Twins but since getting his own column he has become a complete douche and he continually makes completely uninformed commnets. I don't know if he feels the need to be a contrarian in an attempt to be relevant in the market or if he just knows nothing about sports outside of baseball so he comes across as a complete idiot when forced to comment on them.

[Krapinsky]

How would people feel about Avery Bradley? Seems like an ideal Triangle point and a good offensive backup type player who's actually good on defence. Obviously Flynn and Sessions would have to go when Rubio comes over but imagine being able to run a defensive rotation of Rubio and Bradley for 48 minutes.

That's what I'd like to think, but my feeling about him is that he's purely an undersized shooting guard, meaning he'll be even less adapt to running an offense than even Johnny.

But that's the point. The Triangle offence usually just needs a point guard to dribble the ball up the floor and then flash to the corner and wait for a kick out for a 3pt shot. Something Bradley should be able to do easily.

And let's remember he is a freshman. While he's really raw as a point guard right now there's the chance he could develop atleast passable point guard skills and certainly enough to be the backup behind Rubio. It's not like he needs to be Steve Nash in that role.

I think this is a common misconception. Even in the half court, it's not quite that easy. What happens when we're not in a half court set? At the pace we want to play at, we need a point guard to do considerably more than that.

I'm perfectly cool with drafting Bradley as an undersized SG though, I just don't expect him to be much of a point for us, or any team.

[shangrila]

Well, if you're talking about being a running team all you'd need is a guy who's unselfish enough to make the extra pass on the break which I think Bradley could manage, although I can see what you're saying. But I think he's too undersized to be a SG of any kind and will have to play the point guard position, or atleast guard it.

[Krapinsky]

Well, if you're talking about being a running team all you'd need is a guy who's unselfish enough to make the extra pass on the break which I think Bradley could manage, although I can see what you're saying. But I think he's too undersized to be a SG of any kind and will have to play the point guard position, or atleast guard it.

Certainly if we had Turner or a player like that then Bradley could probably work at PG.


What about Willie Warren? His stock has slid a lot, but I think he's a player that still has a lot of upside. He's a player that could turn out to be a star that might be available with the Utah pick (according to DX).

[PeeDee]

You'd almost have to take a flier on Warren with the Utah pick. He's got some nice tools to work with, could turn into a steal at that point. Ben Gordon potential @ 23, sign me up.

I do like Paul George better though.

[PeeDee]

On second thought... http://twitter.com/King24George

[Klomp]

On second thought... http://twitter.com/King24George

You don't like him because he has a Twitter account?

[revprodeji]

Yes. 23 is all about "falling" or prospects.

Warren is getting ripped on because he cannot run the pg or be the man on offense. But could he be a Fisher type of pg in the triangle offense? I think so.

[PeeDee]

On second thought... http://twitter.com/King24George

You don't like him because he has a Twitter account?

That's not what I meant. I couldn't care less personally. I'll put it this way... if I'm trying to get drafted as high as possible, I'd put my best foot forward always. Looking immature could cost him lots of money and it shows bad judgement. He's pretty much on a job interview at all times.

[PeeDee]

Although he did proclaim "I like big booties and big ass titties", so I guess we're on good terms again.