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I know a lot of people don't have him in their boards/mocks if they even have him there but I think he really could go high. Some team is going to be looking for the next Amare/Bynum type of guy and he is a perfect candidate IMO. He's only 18, he has rediculous length, he has a lot of athleticism, he has a ton of potential as some team's PF of the future. Nobody here has really seen him play except from the hoop summit game but IIRC he plays good minutes for a decent team in France. I'd actually love to see my team's GM(Geoff Petrie) take a gamble on this guy because at #12 you aren't getting a sure thing anyway, so why not try to hit a home run basically? Sure he's not guarenteed to end up being a quality player, his basement is probably lower than a guy like Collison or Love or whoever you could pick in the 12-20 area but his cieling is way higher too. I'm telling you guys some team is going to take a gamble on him if he stays in.

The guy's a stud. The Raptors could use a guy like him.

As for where he will go in the draft, I don't even think he's going to enter the draft this year. Draft Express has him going in 2009 (Top 10 at that).

The guy is so raw its scary. I mean, he could become a top PF or never make the league, its so weird to see a guy that raw. With that said, I wonder why he doesn't go in 2009.

I could see MN gambling on him with one of the early 2nds.

Do they have the Nike Hoop Summit game on the net somewhere? I'd love to see what he looks like on the court.

A definite consideration for the Sixers at #16 if Arthur, Thabeet, and Love are gone.

I dont really see how anyone on these boards really knows much about him besides scouting reports and maybe the occasional youtube video. We just dont have access to these Euro guys.

moocow007 wrote:Do they have the Nike Hoop Summit game on the net somewhere? I'd love to see what he looks like on the court.

Yahoo has it up if you want to watch. It is on the NBA "video spotlight."

Ibaka plays in the Spanish second league if I recall correctly.

All I know about his game comes from the Nike Hoops Summit. I think he was trying a little to hard to impress scouts so I won't try to bash him. The form on his jumper looked fine so he has room to improve his range. His handles looked poor. If he wants to go and play outside a little, he needs to improve his handles. With his athletic ability he can be dangerous if he can handle to ball. As for rebounding, during the Hoops Summit he did a poor job boxing out and relied too much on his athleticism.

He's a terrifying help side shot blocker, and can come from nowhere to swat shots on the break.

He's a Josh Smith level athlete... 6'10, and approaching 40 inches of vertical at least.

Most intriguing is he actually has some skills shooting the basketball, unlike most athletic 6'10 freaks at his age.

agentzerotoTO wrote:The guy's a stud. The Raptors could use a guy like him.

Yeah, because the Raptors don't have enough high-risk, high-reward prospects on the roster.

NO-KG-AI wrote:He's a terrifying help side shot blocker, and can come from nowhere to swat shots on the break.

He's a Josh Smith level athlete... 6'10, and approaching 40 inches of vertical at least.

Most intriguing is he actually has some skills shooting the basketball, unlike most athletic 6'10 freaks at his age.

He supposedly has a higher vertical than anyone in the 2007 draft, which would put it at 42+ inches. That's absolutely ridiculous for a 6'10" guy with arms as long as his are.

Very, very unproven, but he sure is intriguing.

mitchweber wrote:Very, very unproven, but he sure is intriguing.

I dont think he's unproven... hes proven himself to be quite useful in a good league in Europe.

Is he enough right now to warrant everyone to watch him? No... but if he attended an NCAA school, he'd be a top 10 pick, minimum... whichever team lands Ibaka (I'd guess he comes out for real in 09) is getting a helluva steal... he looked great during the Hoops Summit. Just dont ask him to be a go to scorer and you'll be happy with the results.

I think he'd be a good pick for a team that is either in full rebuilding mode, who has multiple first round picks, or who is that good they don't need immediate help. Any team wanting any sort of production from their 2008 pick in their first year should probably give Ibaka a miss.

That said, as a player, I can only echo some of what has already been said - athletically, the guy is off the charts, and you can add to his length, vertical and quickness the fact that his frame looks like it could carry an extra 30 - 40lb easily without affecting his mobility. Physically, if he fills out, he could be another Dwight Howard type (I'd love to see him fall to Orlando, even though they don't really fit the mould of the types of teams that might take a flyer on him - imagine have two 6'11, 270lb human pogo sticks roaming the paint. Don't think he'll drop that far, though).

He is raw, but given that the most overused phrase used in connection with the NBA draft is 'upside', I don't think that will put anyone off. Someone will pick him, and I reckon that eventually they will be very happy with that pick, although it won't pay off right away.

Well.....the guy is closer to 6-9 225,and you rarely see a guy add 30-40 lb and not sacrifice quickness and hops. Personally-Ajinca impressed me more,a bit longer,more aggressive. Neither has the skills package yet. A HS All Star game showcases athletic talent and there Ibaka rates high. In the NBA you need a full set of skills,the focus to bring it all for 80+ games,the drive to work on getting better,the instincts to instantly have the right reaction.

Ibaka or similar projects need some self motivation but also need a team with a staff that can teach and a coach willing to PLAY a guy more minutes than he can " earn" for awhile. a good contrast would be Hansborough. Next November....Hansborough could play major NBA minutes and do just fine,he has the work ethic to take his good skill set a few notches higher while being an asset on the floor. He'd SCHOOL Ibaka,pick apart his weak spots and exploit them. In 4 years....Ibaka MIGHT be better. Too often teams...and fans...assume every raw or underexperiance prospect will develop " Best Case Scenario". Many do not. Some don't develop much at all and even regress from lack of playing time.

Freshmen and the equivalent Euro teens, can have a nice highlight reel while averaging 12.5 pt and sucking on D and many will just figure...well...if he was a senior he'd be a 24 pt a game guy. Maybe.

Do you feel lucky?