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phailing101 wrote:JV is a great prospect but the Bleacher Report overlooks the fact that Kanter made him his son on numerous occasions.
daner01 wrote:Please can someone please explain to me why they would consider taking a potential tweener in Derrick Williams, but want nothing to do with say, Brandon Knight? It seems both don't have a 100% set position yet the stance on both is rather different. Just because Williams says he wants to play SF does not mean he can and same with Knight at PG. Thanks.
5DOM wrote:phailing101 wrote:JV is a great prospect but the Bleacher Report overlooks the fact that Kanter made him his son on numerous occasions.
But that was from 2-3 years ago. Apparently, Valanciunas got bigger and he actually improved his game a lot. Maybe Kanter did too, but who knows?
Reignman wrote:daner01 wrote:Please can someone please explain to me why they would consider taking a potential tweener in Derrick Williams, but want nothing to do with say, Brandon Knight? It seems both don't have a 100% set position yet the stance on both is rather different. Just because Williams says he wants to play SF does not mean he can and same with Knight at PG. Thanks.
I think many many people are concerned with DWill's tweener status, I know I am; however, the difference between he and Knight is that DWill has the requisite athleticism/length needed to be a very good defender at SF, we just haven't seen it yet. But with Knight, he's never really shown much PG skills in HS and College.
That's the difference. You add that we already have Bayless as a very comparable prospect to Knight and a guy who has already shown to have "some" PG skills and it pushes Knight down a few notches.
And I'm a huge Knight fan and have argued with many in Knight vs. Walker debates.
phailing101 wrote:5DOM wrote:phailing101 wrote:JV is a great prospect but the Bleacher Report overlooks the fact that Kanter made him his son on numerous occasions.
But that was from 2-3 years ago. Apparently, Valanciunas got bigger and he actually improved his game a lot. Maybe Kanter did too, but who knows?
Judging by his complete domination of Sullinger at the Hoops Summit, he's improved as well.
I actually like that he sat out this year and acted as a coach. I think he's had a chance to work on his Basketball IQ and the mental aspects of the game while also staying healthy and presumably concentrating on working out and getting his body into a pro-ready weight.
I'm pretty excited to hear about the workouts/measurements/weight of both these guys as a C would be a great pick for the Raps.
5DOM wrote:Reignman wrote:daner01 wrote:Please can someone please explain to me why they would consider taking a potential tweener in Derrick Williams, but want nothing to do with say, Brandon Knight? It seems both don't have a 100% set position yet the stance on both is rather different. Just because Williams says he wants to play SF does not mean he can and same with Knight at PG. Thanks.
I think many many people are concerned with DWill's tweener status, I know I am; however, the difference between he and Knight is that DWill has the requisite athleticism/length needed to be a very good defender at SF, we just haven't seen it yet. But with Knight, he's never really shown much PG skills in HS and College.
That's the difference. You add that we already have Bayless as a very comparable prospect to Knight and a guy who has already shown to have "some" PG skills and it pushes Knight down a few notches.
And I'm a huge Knight fan and have argued with many in Knight vs. Walker debates.
+1
And it might just be me but I can live with a 4 playing the 3. A 2 playing the 1? Not so much
daner01 wrote:These are good points. Do both of you feel he will not make it as a PG? I have heard a few comparisons to Westbrook...is he fairly close?
daner01 wrote:5DOM wrote:Reignman wrote:I think many many people are concerned with DWill's tweener status, I know I am; however, the difference between he and Knight is that DWill has the requisite athleticism/length needed to be a very good defender at SF, we just haven't seen it yet. But with Knight, he's never really shown much PG skills in HS and College.
That's the difference. You add that we already have Bayless as a very comparable prospect to Knight and a guy who has already shown to have "some" PG skills and it pushes Knight down a few notches.
And I'm a huge Knight fan and have argued with many in Knight vs. Walker debates.
+1
And it might just be me but I can live with a 4 playing the 3. A 2 playing the 1? Not so much
These are good points. Do both of you feel he will not make it as a PG? I have heard a few comparisons to Westbrook...is he fairly close?
dagger wrote:For those who would trade our pick, it made me think of trading partners and strategies. One team with a possible fit is the Clippers, who don't have a pick this year but have Minnesota's first next year, unprotected. The key would be Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter. Do they love Williams at SF more than they like the potential of Al-Farouq Aminu, who looks like a long-term project? And while DeeAndre Jordan is venerated like religious relics around here, would a more conventional C do better for the Clippers long-term, complementing Griffin, and allow Donald Sterling to cheap out on a Jordan extension.
The idea would be to acquire the better of the Clips two 2012 picks, with minimal (say, top 3) protection. For example, our pick, for Aminu and one of the Clip's 2012 picks. Or, the player we draft and Barbosa in a sign and trade for Jordan (no pick involved), Aminu and Gomes.
dagger wrote:For those who would trade our pick, it made me think of trading partners and strategies. One team with a possible fit is the Clippers, who don't have a pick this year but have Minnesota's first next year, unprotected. The key would be Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter. Do they love Williams at SF more than they like the potential of Al-Farouq Aminu, who looks like a long-term project? And while DeeAndre Jordan is venerated like religious relics around here, would a more conventional C do better for the Clippers long-term, complementing Griffin, and allow Donald Sterling to cheap out on a Jordan extension.
The idea would be to acquire the better of the Clips two 2012 picks, with minimal (say, top 3) protection. For example, our pick, for Aminu and one of the Clip's 2012 picks. Or, the player we draft and Barbosa in a sign and trade for Jordan (no pick involved), Aminu and Gomes.
Reignman wrote:dagger wrote:For those who would trade our pick, it made me think of trading partners and strategies. One team with a possible fit is the Clippers, who don't have a pick this year but have Minnesota's first next year, unprotected. The key would be Derrick Williams or Enes Kanter. Do they love Williams at SF more than they like the potential of Al-Farouq Aminu, who looks like a long-term project? And while DeeAndre Jordan is venerated like religious relics around here, would a more conventional C do better for the Clippers long-term, complementing Griffin, and allow Donald Sterling to cheap out on a Jordan extension.
The idea would be to acquire the better of the Clips two 2012 picks, with minimal (say, top 3) protection. For example, our pick, for Aminu and one of the Clip's 2012 picks. Or, the player we draft and Barbosa in a sign and trade for Jordan (no pick involved), Aminu and Gomes.
I don't see the Clipper's being bottom feeders for much longer, they have a pretty good cache of young upcoming talent.
I guess the question is if a pick in the 9-15 range in 2012 is better value than a top 3 pick in 2011? It's definitely a question that needs to be asked.
Derrick Williams Q&A Session
PointguardU.com
PGU's Scott Hilkemeyer had a moment with Derrick Williams and Williams [coverattach=1]was kind enough to answer some questions for us. Williams is a 6'8” Forward from La Mirada, CA who recently signed with Arizona.
Do you expect to make an immediate impact on the team?
Yes I do. Thats the reason I came to U of A. I want to be an impact player and I feel that the U of A is a great spot for me
Have you developed a hatred for ASU yet?
There is a little bit of hatred there but not to much yet. As soon as the football season kicks off I will be an ASU hater.
What position do you feel you play your best at?
I play best at the 3. I can shoot and dribble plus I'm 6'8” so coaches normally put big men on me and I am faster and quicker than most of them.
Do you see yourself as a natural 4 or 3? Do you think the coaches will rely on you to play the 4 or 3?
I feel I am more of a 3, just because of my quickness and skill level with the ball. I think the coaches will actually use me for both because this year we are so guard heavy and not that big. Eventually they will use me at the 3.
What was your toughest decision when narrowing down your school to Arizona? How involved was Coach Miller in your decision?
I wanted to find a place where I could be isolated and just focus on school and basketball and felt like Arizona was the best place. Coach Miller was involved big time. I wouldn't have came here if it wasn't for him. Seeing him at Xavier is all i needed because I know for a fact that he will do even more here, especially with the players we have.
How are summer workouts/scrimmages going and are you enjoying the Tucson heat thus far?
The workouts are pretty hard especially compared to high school. I can already feel myself getting stronger and its only been 4 weeks. The heat is pretty crazy. I'm from LA so it never gets this hot but I'm getting used to it.
What do you think are the strength's in your game right now, and what are you trying to improve this summer?
My strengths are my quickness and jumping ability. I'm quick off my feet and that catches most people off guard. I'm trying to improve my three point shot. The college line is different from high school so I'm struggling a little right now but I'll be good by the time season starts.
What were your thoughts as the whole USC situation played out?
To tell you the truth I'm a little upset at the situation because that has been my dream school ever since I was a little kid. It was a school close to home but i believe stuff happens for a reason and I was destined to be at the U of A.
Before committing to USC, how high was your interest level in becoming a Cat, if any?
My interest level was really high. Other then SC being my top choice growing up, I always saw the Cats on TV. Watching RJ, Adams, JT, Bibby just to name a few. I just wanted to be apart of this rich tradition.
What role, if any, did Solomon and Momo coming to Arizona play in your decision?
They were both big parts. I knew Solomon already and he would hit me up every now and then and just ask me questions about where I was with my decision. So he always had an insight on where I wanted to go. Momo got my number and called me a couple days before I decided and basically told me that I needed to be here because I would have a great opportunity to play and get a good degree.
Who is your favorite player? College or NBA.
Lebron James is my favorite player because he is just a beast on the court. He is 6'8 260 lbs and is faster, quicker, and more athletic then anybody in the league. You never know what he is going to go for. It could be 45 pts, 15 rebs, and 11 assists. He also took the Cavs from the worst team in the NBA, all the way to one of the top contenders for the NBA championship every year.
Did you play any other sports growing up?
Yeah I played baseball, football, and basketball all the way up to 9th grade. I couldn't play all those sports anymore because I grew 6 inches in one year and my joints were in too much pain. I was having to many growing pains so I decided to just stick to one sport.
What do you think of Tucson?
Its a nice town. People here love basketball and that's why it has been great so far. SC was football then basketball and here it is the total opposite and I'm enjoying it so far.
Who on the team are you closest with? How is the overall chemistry of the team so far? What are your personal and team goals for the year? When can we expect you and the rest of the '09 freshmen to bring a national title to Tucson?
I'm real close with Solomon Hill and Kyle Fogg. I've known both of them for a while now and they are just both great guys. Everybody is getting to know each other really well. Everybody likes each other and I think that's the first step towards greatness. My personal goals are to help the team win. If coach asked me to get 15 rebs, then that's what I'm going to do for us to win. The team goals I want to achieve are to win the Pac-10 title and for us to get to the final four. It could be this year but before all 5 of us freshmen leave, we WILL win the National title.
5DOM wrote:He likes LeBron James
