NBA 2017 Draft Prospects Thread

[Tom349]

Surprised given the love for Skal on here especially by Stitches that their isn't much talk of Chimezie Metu. He hasn't yet committed to the draft and may not but the similarities to Skal are endless.

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Surprised given the love for Skal on here especially by Stitches that their isn't much talk of Chimezie Metu. He hasn't yet committed to the draft and may not but the similarities to Skal are endless.

I haven't watched him enough, but he looked really good in the tournament. He has some skill. I'm not sure he has great tools defensively. Unlike Skal he doesn't seem to have great length. At least from his last measurement. Maybe he's grown since then. Under 7' wingspan is not great for a big.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Looks like Anigbogu from UCLA declared for the draft and it's looking like Zach Collins might do the same.

Earlier I said this draft wasn't as deep as people were making it out to be, but if Collins and Anigbogu are in, along with the foreign prospects that have already declared... man, it is pretty darn deep. If the Jazz lose to the Spurs and Warriors, we're going to be sitting pretty at pick 30 and 23 or 22. Going to get a shot at really great prospects at both spots.

[stitches]

Looks like Anigbogu from UCLA declared for the draft and it's looking like Zach Collins might do the same.

Earlier I said this draft wasn't as deep as people were making it out to be, but if Collins and Anigbogu are in, along with the foreign prospects that have already declared... man, it is pretty darn deep. If the Jazz lose to the Spurs and Warriors, we're going to be sitting pretty at pick 30 and 23 or 22. Going to get a shot at really great prospects at both spots.

OH WOW!! I didn't expect this. Some people are really really high on Anigbogu and he was expected to be a lottery pick next year. His physical profile and athleticism are elite, but he looks very raw. Definitely good draft to have 2 picks in, even if in the 20s.

[KqWIN]

Kuzma is testing the waters. He could be someone to watch as a D-League stash prospect. I like how his game fits in the NBA as a playmaking 4. He needs to be more active on defense, but he's got a ton of game for his size. Not a terrible"if he can learn to shoot" prospect in the second round.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Kuzma is testing the waters. He could be someone to watch as a D-League stash prospect. I like how his game fits in the NBA as a playmaking 4. He needs to be more active on defense, but he's got a ton of game for his size. Not a terrible"if he can learn to shoot" prospect in the second round.

I think Kuzma will go to the NBA. Utah's program is a mess right now with them bleeding transfers. No real reason for him to stay. Won'y improve his stock by playing for a bad Utah team and he's only getting older.

I like his game. I think he has to sharpen up on several things, but I wouldn't mind taking him late in the 2nd round.

[KqWIN]

Kuzma is testing the waters. He could be someone to watch as a D-League stash prospect. I like how his game fits in the NBA as a playmaking 4. He needs to be more active on defense, but he's got a ton of game for his size. Not a terrible"if he can learn to shoot" prospect in the second round.

I think Kuzma will go to the NBA. Utah's program is a mess right now with them bleeding transfers. No real reason for him to stay. Won'y improve his stock by playing for a bad Utah team and he's only getting older.

I like his game. I think he has to sharpen up on several things, but I wouldn't mind taking him late in the 2nd round.

He's graduated, and has already said that he will not transfer to another D1 program. I definitely think he'd prefer being stashed on the Utah stars instead of staying another year at the U. The program is falling apart as you said.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Sounding like Miles Bridges is more than likely heading back to Michigan State. Surprising considering he's consistently project to be a top 10 pick. Also a bummer because I think he's on my very short list of guys that I would've like to trade up for.

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Zach Collins and Jarret Allen declaring for the draft. Interesting.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Zach Collins and Jarret Allen declaring for the draft. Interesting.

Seen a lot of guys pretty high on both of them. Not sure how I feel about them... seem more like traditional big men to me. Not so much the stretch bigs who can guard the perimeter. Allen seems like the better of the two, but Collins is so young. I need to watch more tape on both of them.

[stitches]

Zach Collins and Jarret Allen declaring for the draft. Interesting.

Seen a lot of guys pretty high on both of them. Not sure how I feel about them... seem more like traditional big men to me. Not so much the stretch bigs who can guard the perimeter. Allen seems like the better of the two, but Collins is so young. I need to watch more tape on both of them.

Not a big sample but Collins has the potential to be stretchy big. He's 10/21 from 3 and 75% from FT. He's also a very good rim protector + he has an old school game around the basket. I really like him. I'd love to see how he tests and measures at the combine.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Jazz got some good luck with the tie-breakers today and will remain at 24. Could've moved up to 23 or fallen to 26, so this is good news for them. They'll have a good spread with the 24th, 30th, 42nd and 55th pick. I wouldn't mind spending some cash to get an early second round pick. Package some money with the 55th pick and get another top 40 pick. Plenty of good talent in the second round this year.

[pickIBL]

Jeanne better be one of those picks

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BTW, scratch Vezenkov off your boards, guys. He's not coming over this year it seems. He gave an interview in which he said he's not thinking about the NBA. Says he wants to play a couple more years for Barcelona before exploring the NBA options. Says he's not ready for the NBA.

[pickIBL]

In French... but Jeanne declared.

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In French... but Jeanne declared.

Nice.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Can't say I'm totally surprised about Vezenkov. I think his stock wasn't looking great in this years deep draft. Wouldn't surprise me if he came over next year when the draft crop is a little weaker. I know DraftExpress had him projected to go near the end of the second round this year, which is probably pretty accurate.

Jeanne... I want to like the kid, but I don't. When I first watched him, I said "wow, this kid is oozing with talent and potential!" But then the more I watched him, the more worried I became. Especially about his size. He's just soooo tiny. I keep saying this, but he's like Ingram tiny. I just don't see him being playable against NBA bigs right now or anytime soon. He's not bouncy either like Gobert was coming into the league. I think all the people that keep comparing him to Gobert are out of their minds. The only similarities are that they're french, tall and have long wingspans. That's where the comparisons end. There's literally nothing else beyond those that are comparable. Jeanne is a skill based player who plays with finesse to overcome his lack of strength and bounce. Gobert was a physically dominating player who relied on his athleticism to make plays. To me, Jeanne is far more comparable to Tibor Pleiss than Gobert.

Not sure if I've mentioned these guys on here before, but as far as second round talent goes... here's a few guys that I've really come to like:

Wesley Iwundu: SG with incredible physical tools standing at 6'7" with a wingspan rumored to be around 7'1". He's an excellent passer and playmaker for his position, averaging 4.5 assists per 40 minutes with the ability to run the pick and roll and make plays in transition. He's a decent shooter that has improved over time with shooting percentages of 52% from the field, 37.6% from deep and 76.7% from the line (shooting 4.5 free throws a game). His physical tools allow him to be a good rebounder, averaging 6.3 per game. His rebounding ability and his ability to handle the basketball and make plays for others allows him to "grab and go" off of defensive rebounds, which would be helpful for a team like the Jazz who could use some help in initiating their offense more quickly. He also has the tools to be a lockdown defender. His effort, like most college guys, waivers at times on the defense end, but he's shown flashes of elite level defense (was named to the 2016 Big 12 all-defensive team). His biggest weaknesses include an inconsistent jumper, not overly advanced ball handling skills which limits him in one on one situations, not overly strong in the lower body and inconsistency on the defensive end. He's actually my odds on favorite for the Jazz in the second round right now with his physical tools, passing skills and defensive abilities.

Monte Morris (PG): He has solid size at 6'3" with an average 6'2" wingspan. He's on the light side at 175 pounds, but has a wiry strength to him. He's an excellent passer averaging 6.2 assists per game with a 8.16 pure point rating his senior year (only one of seven players since 2010 with a PPR rating over 8.0 since 2010). He's also a great solid shooter, shooting 50.3% from the field, 37.8% from deep and 80.2% from the line. He's very smooth and calm with the ball and is extremely crafty in beating his man off the dribble, finishing at the rim and getting to the free-throw line. He has a very mature offensive game. Has great potential as a backup PG. However, his biggest weakness is his defense. He has potential there, but often doesn't give high effort or focus. He averages 1.5 steals a game and shows flashes of good D, but not consistently enough to make you a total believer, especially when he's guarding the ball and getting ran off screens. He tends to get blown up on screens. When I've watched him, I've really liked his game. Seems like he's going to be a natural fit with his intelligence, passing and playmaking ability. My only concern is his defense.

Malcolm Hill: Good size for a SG (plays SF in college) at 6'6" with a 6'9" wingspan. Not an incredibly vertical athlete, but is very strong with a weight of 230 pounds. Improving shooter that shoots 50% from the field, 36% from deep (takes 5.3 three's per game) and 78.4% from the line (gets to the line 6 times per game). Hill is also still *fairly* young for a second round prospect being *only* 21.5 years old so he's more comparable to a junior than senior as far as age is concerned. Hill is a solid ball handler and playmaker averaging 3.0 assists per game. He's very aggressive at attacking the rim, averaging 6.0 free throws per game in college. However, his lack of vertical athleticism and advanced ball handling will limit his potential in this area at the NBA level. However, Hill makes up for his lack of explosive athletic ability with a great basketball IQ. He's very smart with the ball and often times out-thinks and outmaneuvers his opponents, especially when he's utilizing his strength against smaller opponents. He's also a solid shooter off the dribble, but his shooting (especially from 3) will need to improve. Overall, Hill is an incredible competitor who plays aggressively and who has the IQ and strength to be a solid player at the NBA level. His shooting is probably his biggest question mark, but has shown potential there with some shooting outbursts sprinkled throughout this seasons. I actually really like Hill to the Jazz at 55 if he's there.

Jonah Bolden and Cameron Oliver are also a couple guys I like. In fact, I LOVE Bolden. I'd be very happy if we landed him. His stock has been dropping lately (for reasons unknown to me) but there's a lot to like about him. I have him near the top of my second round board.

Jaron Blossomgame is another guy I like in the second round. Reminds me of Trevor Booker in a lot of ways, but he's projected to go higher in the second round. Same goes for Jordan Bell, Johnathan Motley, DJ Wilson and Mathias Lessort. I'm not as high on Jordan Bell as others may be because I think several of his fundamentals are weak, but his athleticism is attractive.

[Catchall]

Surprised given the love for Skal on here especially by Stitches that their isn't much talk of Chimezie Metu. He hasn't yet committed to the draft and may not but the similarities to Skal are endless.

I liked Skal at #12 for the Jazz last year, but I like Metu as a prospect more than Skal. Metu has a post game and isn't afraid to bang inside. He's tougher mentally and physically. He doesn't have 3-pt range, but he's decent out to 18 feet. He would be my choice for the Jazz at #24.

Otherwise, I like Lydon, Kennard and Mitchell for the Jazz.

[UTJazzFan_Echo1]

Surprised given the love for Skal on here especially by Stitches that their isn't much talk of Chimezie Metu. He hasn't yet committed to the draft and may not but the similarities to Skal are endless.

I liked Skal at #12 for the Jazz last year, but I like Metu as a prospect more than Skal. Metu has a post game and isn't afraid to bang inside. He's tougher mentally and physically. He doesn't have 3-pt range, but he's decent out to 18 feet. He would be my choice for the Jazz at #24.

Otherwise, I like Lydon, Kennard and Mitchell for the Jazz.

All 3 of Lydon, Kennard and Mitchell are guys I don't like for the Jazz I have Kennard going in the second round on my big board.

Just goes to show how different scouting can be.

[KqWIN]

I'm out on Kennard too. He may play like Hayward, but without the size, athleticism, or effort on the defensive end I don't know if he'll even make it in the NBA. As great of a player Hayward has become, he wasn't that impressive of a prospect of himself. It was unlikely that he became as good as he did.