Countdown to NBA Draft: Prospect Talk

[Meat]

Mudiay is no Jason Kidd.

no he's more like ason kidd

[BeagleBoss]

#1. WTF?!? Is the curse finally over?! KARL ANTHONY TOWNS WHOOOOO!!!!!
#2. YESSS!! We didn't drop!!! JAHLIL OKAFOR!!!!!
#3. YAY!! We only dropped one!!! RUSSELLMANIA!!!!!
#4. Ehh!! This sucks!!! I only see 3 guaranteed All-Stars and they will all most likely be gone.
#5. Pissed!!!!!! We tanked and suffered an entire season for the damn 5th pick!??! It's got to be curse!!!!

[BeagleBoss]

Mudiay is no Jason Kidd.

no he's more like ason kidd

Or Antonio Daniels.

[delvec19]

4th isnt the end of the world. Especially depending on what teams pick ahead of us. There could still be a shot at Russell or maybe even Okafor if the planets align correctly.

It's a good thing that we can't trade the pick before we make it...so Phil won't "panic" that we got 4th and try to trade it ASAP before he sees who's avail.

[Workforce250]

If Philly lands #1, will they take a guard or big?

[El Poochio]

4th isnt the end of the world. Especially depending on what teams pick ahead of us. There could still be a shot at Russell or maybe even Okafor if the planets align correctly.

It's a good thing that we can't trade the pick before we make it...so Phil won't "panic" that we got 4th and try to trade it ASAP before he sees who's avail.

I know. But comparing the season we had and the fact that we should have tanked to the bottom and not lose the first spot, I would be pissed mate. It will probably pass when i start watching more Mudiay videos though lol

[Knicksfan1992]

If we get the 3rd pick don't let this kid get away from us. I salivate at the though of Him and Galloway getting after people defensively.

What are your reasons for prefering him over Russell? Dont know much about Mudiay but isnt his greatest strength playmaking is where Russell is strong too, with a more polished game and better shooting? Is Mudiay the way better athlete? He was getting compared to Kidd though sounds stiffy

Yes, his best trait is playmaking which is what Russell is good at but, I think Mudiay is going to have an easier time playing "his game" in the NBA than Russell will playing his if that makes sense. Mudiay is going to be able to get in the paint in the NBA due to his unique blend of size and athleticism for a lead guard position. Russell's lack of athleticism and poor showing against top defenses correlate to me and i'm nervous that it will be a similar trait in the NBA. I think both are outstanding prospect but, I think Mudiay's weaknesses are able to be coached up while you can't really teach elite athleticism to Russell.

[BeagleBoss]

If Philly lands #1, will they take a guard or big?

I still say they take Towns. Noel would be a fit next to him and you can always trade Embiid, who they don't even know if he's healthy enough, when he's going to be healthy enough or if he's any good.

[Dantares]

ok since we will know where we pick in about 10 hours or so I am going to admit I kind of want to pick 3rd or 4th, pick position doesnt really matter but I really just want us to draft a guard whether its at 3 or 4 or trading down and getting an asset then drafting Mudiay or Russell. and it seems like Phil wants to draft a big at the 1 and 2 spots

I want Russell or mudiay because it seems like we have Greg Monroe in our back pocket. Monroe can do what Okafor does and I am not sold on Towns.

[E-Balla]

So because you're honest and realistic in assessing a prospects strengths and weaknesses, that equates to "bashing"? This generation is twisted. It reminds me of how nowadays when you say anything that a person doesn't like, they say "you hatin" ...nevermind the fact that you're telling the truth.

If you want Okafor, don't wanna pick him justifying it by expecting him to become something he is not. Pick him for reasons trumpeting what he is good at, with the expectations of surrounding him with players who will mask his weaknesses. If he improves those areas and develops defensively, consider it gravy. But to have a mindset which is the other way around will ultimately lead you down that bitter road of disappointment when the player doesn't morph into another prototype or improve his weaknesses.

This is why this fanbase always sours on rookies by year 2. Shump was gonna improve his handle and ability to finish. Hardaway Jr. was gonna improve his defense. Toney Douglas was gonna improve his PG skills. Players are what they are. You can improve skill areas but you're not gonna improve mental makeup, physical attributes, instinctual awareness/BBIQ areas.

You keep contradicting yourself that's why we call you a hater. If you were consistent and even in your criticism of Jahlil and Towns I don't think anyone would complain. I mean in your last post you literally said Jahlil can't improve any of his weaknesses and now you wonder why you're called a hater? We really soured on Shump, Landry, and Tim not because they didn't improve but because they actually regressed. I mean of course there were irrational people but as a whole we only cared because they were better rookies.

[El Poochio]

So how athletic is Mudiay in a scale from 1 to 10, where Westbrook is probably 10 and Josh Harrellson is 1?

[E-Balla]

So how athletic is Mudiay in a scale from 1 to 10, where Westbrook is probably 10 and Josh Harrellson is 1?

8.5

[god4gives]

Okafor, Towns, & Mudiay should've shown up at the combine. I keep reading and seeing positive things they say about the Knicks but scared to talk to the Zen Master who likes to talk face to face and know the mindset of these prospects. They didn't have to participate on agility and speed tests but they could've at least did what Willie Cauley Stein, D'Angelo, Jerian, & Frank Kaminsky did taking measurements and doing interviews.

eh whatever, never mind

[2010]

So because your honest and realistic in assessing a prospects strengths and weaknesses that equates to "bashing". This generation is twisted. It reminds me of how nowadays when you say anything that a person doesn't like, they say you "hatin" ...nevermind the fact that you're telling the truth.

If you want Okafor, don't wanna pick him justifying it by expecting him to become something he is not. Pick him for reasons trumpeting get what he is good at with the expectations of surrounding him with players who will mask his weaknesses. To have a mindset which is the other way around will ultimately lead you down that bitter road of disappointment when the player doesn't morph into another prototype or improve his weaknesses.

This is why this fanbase always sours on rookies by year 2. Shump was Gonna improve his handle and ability to finish. Hardaway Jr. was gonna improve his defense. Toney Douglas was gonna improve his PG skills. Players are what they are. You can improve skill areas but you're not gonna improve mental makeup, physical attributes, instinctual, awareness/BBIQ areas.

Let's take these one at a time.
Mental Makeup? What suggests he has poor mental make-up? That he avoided fouls? I'm thinking that's by coaching design. Can't see anything else you could complain about here.

Physical Attributes...not sure what you mean. He has NBA size for C and cutting weight/improving fitness is just as doable as Towns improving his strength.

Instinctual and BBIQ, I've literally never heard someone try to question Okafor's instincts or IQ. Ibraheim even shared an article suggesting that Okafor has an advantage in these two areas over everyone else and I'm inclined to agree.

Okafor is a great prospect, so is Towns. I like Okafor more because big men don't come out of college as advanced as he is.

MENTAL MAKEUP
Okafor does not have a dominant personality. Okafor is not high strung. This translates into his playing style. He is not aggressive defensively. He does not protect the rim ferociously as a last line of defense. He does not consider it a personal affront when smalls attack the rim when he's in the paint. He doesn't have that nasty mentality that I prefer that makes defensive bigs great. He has defensive mental lapses. He falls asleep defensively. He is low energy defensively yet he is mentally engaged offensively. That last sentence should tell you all you need to know about his mental makeup.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
Most players usually fall true into a prototype based on their physical characteristics. Much in the way of when you're creating a player in a video game. Okafor is a big boned, dense bodied, player who is NOT an athletic freak. So scratch off the Shaq or Barkley or Kemp prototypes. He's more in line with big butt types who are fluid and nimble...light on their feet but not above the rim explosive players. Guys like this usually tend to be offensive minded. Yet they're low energy guys on defense. Think of a Brad Dougherty or to a lesser extent Eddy Curry. And I only say lesser extent cuz Curry actually was capable of playing more above the rim than most give him credit for. Now at the other end of the spectrum, the leaner wiry strong prototypes are usually more defensive-oriented, more tenacious, more nasty, and higher energy guys. Think KG, Camby, Mutombo, Olajuwan, etc.

INSTINCTUAL / BBIQ
Okafor lack defensive awareness. He is half a second ahead on offense yet half a second behind on defense. Yes, the article Ibraheim posted proves he is a post playing savant on offense. But he has a sense of retardation on defense. It's like how Amar'e had a great understanding of where to be, roll to the rim, where to attack, and spacing on offense but didn't have a clue of where to be on defense. That's lack of instinctual defensive awareness or BBIQ on d. He also is not a natural shotblocker. He does not have that natural element of timing. He gets blocks cuz he's big with a tremendous reach, but not cuz he's actually good at it. Same thing with rebounding. He gets the boards that fall to him cuz he is so big and takes up space. But he lacks the mental awareness to box out, the knack to anticipate rebounds, lacks a nose for the ball, and doesn't rebound out of his space or area. As such, he lacks a defensive motor. These points are solidified in #'s when the stats show he's a mediocre defensive rebounder yet a decidedly better offensive rebounder. Low defensive BBIQ, high offensive IQ. A savant on one side of the floor, an imbecile on the other. Dude is a 1-way player and I don't see that changing.

[Workforce250]

If Philly lands #1, will they take a guard or big?

I still say they take Towns. Noel would be a fit next to him and you can always trade Embiid, who they don't even know if he's healthy enough, when he's going to be healthy enough or if he's any good.

But they won't get a high (1-3) pick for Embiid due to his injury, so they'll have to accept a lower none lottery pick. Don't you think that Russell is the flashy pick they may want?

[GONYK]

Okafor, Towns, & Mudiay should've shown up at the combine. I keep reading and seeing positive things they say about the Knicks but scared to talk to the Zen Master who likes to talk face to face and know the mindset of these prospects. They didn't have to participate on agility and speed tests but they could've at least did what Willie Cauley Stein, D'Angelo, Jerian, & Frank Kaminsky did taking measurements and doing interviews.

eh whatever, never mind

They will talk to him at the workouts

[Thorn]

This is true

This is my every night... I am not sure what else I can do to really hammer myself into oblivion and calm my nerves. I am however open to suggestions..

[delvec19]

4th isnt the end of the world. Especially depending on what teams pick ahead of us. There could still be a shot at Russell or maybe even Okafor if the planets align correctly.

It's a good thing that we can't trade the pick before we make it...so Phil won't "panic" that we got 4th and try to trade it ASAP before he sees who's avail.

I know. But comparing the season we had and the fact that we should have tanked to the bottom and not lose the first spot, I would be pissed mate. It will probably pass when i start watching more Mudiay videos though lol

We've been through this. Yes there were a lot of bad "wins" but the players we had were not EVER going to try and miss shots and not try. Everyone is trying their best at all times. It's Fisher's fault for keeping Schved, Gallo, and whoever else was hot at the time, in at the end of the game. Let's just say it could have been a lot worse, we lost A LOT of close games.

[BeagleBoss]

If Philly lands #1, will they take a guard or big?

I still say they take Towns. Noel would be a fit next to him and you can always trade Embiid, who they don't even know if he's healthy enough, when he's going to be healthy enough or if he's any good.

But they won't get a high (1-3) pick for Embiid due to his injury, so they'll have to accept a lower none lottery pick. Don't you think that Russell is the flashy pick they may want?

I don't think they have the guts to take Russell #1.

[DaGawd]

Just toyed with tankathon a few times... Timberwolves consistently getting the number 1 pick... Shouldve been us b