The Official Myck Kabongo Thread

[KDBG]

I created the Marcus Smart thread, and it seems to be of no use anymore since he more than likely a top 3 pick. So in comes my next favorite target as of right now... Myck Kabongo.

I've actually followed Kabongo's career since the summer of 2011, and was extremely disappointed in his freshman campaign. I was even more disappointed when he was suspended for ridiculous reasons by the NCAA.

Well, I'm back on the Kabongo bandwagon for good now, especially after tonight's game in which he carried his putrid team from a 22 point deficit to win the game. He scored on a coast-to-coast buzzer-beater to force the game into overtime as well. Tonight Kabongo had a line of 31 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals. For the last 3 games, Kabongo has averaged 22.3 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 1.6 steals on 61% FG, 40 3PT%.

Although he's FAR from an unfinished product, he certainly has the makeup of a guy that could be a franchise PG. I'd rather swing for the fences, than take a guy like Trey Burke who is a way safer bet, but far less of a ceiling than Kabongo has. Burke seems to be getting way too much hype from Jazz fans lately. And I don't blame anyone for doing so, because we are so desperate for a PG on this team, it's really sad. You know our PGs suck a$$ when our 21 year old shooting guard is our best point guard option right now. That's so damn pathetic for a team who's offense revolves around solid PG play.

I like Kabongo, because he has the type of leadership, and charismatic personality to rally a team together, and make everyone around him better. He's super quick, and knows how to run the half court and push the tempo. Although last year, he caught himself running at full speed way too often. But he's young, and it looks like he's made vast improvements from last year to now.

It may be a blessing in disguise that Kabongo was suspended for most of the season. Because IMHO, Kabongo would have been a lottery pick for sure, maybe even a top 10 pick in such a weak draft, if he had been playing this entire season.

If I were to guess, I would say that Kabongo goes anywhere from the 15-30 range. If a guy like Tony Wroten can be a 1st round pick based completely on potential after playing such a horrible season for Washington last year, Kabongo will for sure be gone before the 1st round is over. We will have 2 picks in the 15-30 range. I'd use one of those on Kabongo. Hell, with how sorry our PG situation is, I'd might even be fine with picking Kabongo AND Burke if they were both BPA. Have those guys battle it out. Trade the loser after the season.

Also, two other little tidbits... Kabongo has been running the Flex Offense, the exact one the Jazz run, for the last 2 years. That would make his transition to the NBA much, much smoother. The other tidbit? His favorite player is John Stockton. Hence, why he wears #12.

[RyanStorm]

I had had Kabongo in my list of PG's but he has become a 2nd round pick and not even in most mock drafts.

Ever since the top 30 nominations for that trohpy award, those 30 guys have all been bumped up in the top picks.

[RyanStorm]

Trey Burke was in our sights but now people got him up higher in the mock drafts cause he is in that list.

[Inigo Montoya]

i don't like kabongo. his ceiling is jeff teague imho. i wasn't impressed with him last year and like you i was disappointed. he hasn't impressed my much this season too. trey burke scares me and i'm not sold on him like others are. if you want to swing for the fences, my sig gives up the guy i want.

[RyanStorm]

I would like someone like Smart, CWilliams or McCollum, but were gonna need Lottery for them. So I kind of settled on Burke. Chances are we go for a big guy to replace Favors and Kanter on the bench, cause of course they will be starters next year....

I am guessing there is enough FA's PG's...
Collions, Mo, Calderon, Jack, Evans..etc.

I am guessing Kabongo might be a perfect 2nd rounder...pick him up and drop tins or wats, and build him up as bench PG....

[KDBG]

I can guarantee that Kabongo will NOT be picked in the 2nd round. He will be long gone. And he has way too much ceiling to be picked that low. The only way he would have been picked that low is if he had missed the entire season, and then submitted his name into the draft. Like I said earlier, Tony Wroten Jr. was a top 5 talent that played like absolute garbage the entire season last year. Yet he still found a way to get picked in the 1st round of a deep draft. Kabongo has that same type of natural talent. Someone will take a chance on him. I'm hoping it's Utah.

I like Wolters, Inigo. But that really wouldn't be swinging for the fences if we were picking him in the 2nd round. Now if you're talking about picking him in the 1st?... ehhh... will see how the season plays out. Right now that's a stretch. Then again, you probably think picking Kabongo in the 1st in is a stretch. But after the NCAA tournament, and combine workouts and things of that nature, a lot of things change for both Wolters and Kabongo, for better or for worse.

I totally disagree on you with the Teague comparison. Kabongo is as true of a point guard as you can get. Teague is just another dime a dozen speed/scoring point guard. Teague is not, and will never be an all-star PG. Kabongo at least has the potential to be a perennial all-star in this league. Kabongo has way too many qualities you just can't teach. Leadership, intangibles, handles, quickness, passing ability, vision, ect.

Here is a clip right here from tonights game that shows you Kabongo's progression. Fast forward to the 2:00 mark:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmmq9a7K7bU

Dude's shot looks so improved. Absolutely silky smooth jumper. He is so quick, and is fearless driving to the rack. He looks so much more controlled and composed than he did last year. He seems to have ignited that edge/swagger, and definitely has the clutch gene.


My whole goal is to convert at least some of you to the Kabongo wagon. Haha. I'm usually really good when it comes to surveying talent, being a former athlete and all. I'm not perfect, but I'm 110% confident that Kabongo will be a starter in the NBA at the very least.

[Inigo Montoya]

I like Wolters, Inigo. But that really wouldn't be swinging for the fences if we were picking him in the 2nd round. Now if you're talking about picking him in the 1st?... ehhh... will see how the season plays out. Right now that's a stretch. Then again, you probably think picking Kabongo in the 1st in is a stretch. But after the NCAA tournament, and combine workouts and things of that nature, a lot of things change for both Wolters and Kabongo, for better or for worse.

i agree. NCAA tournament, combine and workouts could very well land kabongo in the first round. i just think it's the same with wolters, and that both of their ceilings in the draft is late 1st round. right now nbadraft.net ranks isaiah cannan at #25 and wolters at #34 (kabongo is currently not rated and when he was it was in the 2nd round), and DX ranks canaan at #56 and wolters at #54, so i think essentially they are in the same range and that wolters can end up in the 1st round. i'd like the jazz to get him with their lower pick if his draft stock rises due to the factors we both mentioned.

My whole goal is to convert at least some of you to the Kabongo wagon. Haha. I'm usually really good when it comes to surveying talent, being a former athlete and all. I'm not perfect, but I'm 110% confident that Kabongo will be a starter in the NBA at the very least.

dude, you can't just go around converting people from one player to the next. you already converted us to marcus smart.

[RyanStorm]

I will admit that if all the other point guards are taken, I would likely go to Kabongo.

NBA 2013 Draft:
Smart /PG
CWilliams /SG
McCollum
Burke
--------------------^Likely Lottery Picks
Canaan
Kabongo
Wolters
Young /SG
------------------^Likely 1st rounders(this is where were at with our 2 1st picks)
Brown /SG
Green
McCallum /SG
Pressey
-------------------------^Likely early 2nd Rounders(This is where were at with our 3rd pick)
Smith
Nedovic
Jackson
Westernmann
--------------^2nd rounders and not as likely as rest


Take these potential PG"s, add in the FA PG's, and compare them to our back court(Mo, Tins and Wats):
Paul-top 3 playoff
Jennings-playoff
Teague-playoff
Calderon-non-playoff
Collison-non-playoff
Evans-non-playoff
Vasquez-non-playoff
-----------^Starters
Jack-bench playoff
Jenkins-bench playoff

[RyanStorm]

Taken from another thread: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1214871&start=30

List of teams who are likely to pick a Point Guard in the draft. I don't have the nice color so check it on the other thread. If were lucky we could land a 3rd or 4th pick. ATL's first pick is HOU's pick, so if the eastern teams Hawks and Bucks get better records then us, and let HOU pass us, we would 4th in line.

Charlotte - walker
Orlando - nelson 1st
Washington - wall
Cleveland - irving
Phoenix - dragic
Sacramento - thomas\brooks\jimmer\evans 2nd
New Orleans - vasquez
Minnesota - rubio
Detroit - knight\calderon
OKC - westbrook
Philadelphia - holliday
Dallas - collison 3rd
Phoenix - dragic
Charlotte - walker
Milwaukee - jennings (?) 4th
Atlanta - teague 5th
Boston - rondo
Utah - X 6th
Atlanta - teague 7th *Don't think they will go for two point guards
Chicago - rose
Utah - X 7th/8th

With this as minimum on guys taken, were looking at getting the 6th best point guard option at best.

[Neon Black]

It's still up in the air for me, but there's definitely room for Kabongo to surpass Trey Burke in my mind.

[KDBG]

It's still up in the air for me, but there's definitely room for Kabongo to surpass Trey Burke in my mind.

Exactly. Tons of room. Kabongo's ceiling is way higher than Burke's. Burke's ceiling is a solid starter. Kabongo's ceiling is an all-star. This is a classic example of production vs. potential. I'd go with potential on this one.

[StocktonShorts]

It's still early; last year at this time Lillard was still a late first round pick.

[RyanStorm]

Burkes hype is getting higher. With way high chances that he will be a lottery pick, probably be picked up by Atlanta, with Bucks picking up McCollum. Smart and Williams are sure fire top 10, I think we have this figure out.

Assuming with our 1st pick we pick a PG, Kabongo is looking to fit the profile. If not him, its Canaan or Wolters.

I am not an expert but I think he is easily the best pick when you take away the top 4 I have above.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bC-sV1tDE8

[KDBG]

It's still early; last year at this time Lillard was still a late first round pick.

Yup. And I don't see Kabongo's stock going anywhere else but up. I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks his way into the late lottery if he finishes the season on a high note. Although a very small sample size, he's playing at an elite level right now. If he was not suspended, and playing this way all season long, he would be a top 10 pick.

[KDBG]

Burkes hype is getting higher. With way high chances that he will be a lottery pick, probably be picked up by Atlanta, with Bucks picking up McCollum. Smart and Williams are sure fire top 10, I think we have this figure out.

Assuming with our 1st pick we pick a PG, Kabongo is looking to fit the profile. If not him, its Canaan or Wolters.

I am not an expert but I think he is easily the best pick when you take away the top 4 I have above.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bC-sV1tDE8

I agree. And interesting video you posted. I say that because in that video Kabongo looks like a very talented, but very raw player compared to what he is now.

The form on his shot didn't look to good. And he was really skinny in high school, and his freshman year in college. He was 165 pounds. Way too frail. This year, he's noticeably thicker. I read that he bulked up to about 185-190, and hasn't lost any of his quickness and speed. He looks so much better finishing at the rim, and is able to take the punishment. And about his jump shot, his jumper now is near picture perfect.

We're such a unique team in the modern NBA, that it's almost a necessity with our offensive system to have a "true" "pure" point guard to have any kind of success. It's what makes our offense run. Imagine Kabongo having Burks run the baseline, Hayward on the 3-point line, Kanter beasting down low, and Favors setting a pick for the pick n' roll. All of the core 4's numbers would go up if they had a true PG to get them the ball.

And I can't understate how important it is to have a leader to rally the players together. Especially a team like ours without a megastar like LeBron or Durant. I was listening to a podcast with Locke interviewing one of the Lakers commentators. He was telling Locke that the biggest reason for the Clippers' success this year, is their unbelievable chemistry. He was saying a huge part of that was Chris Paul, who is the best floor general, and leader in the league. He said that Chris Paul basically forces the entire team to spend time together outside of basketball. Everybody gets along, which affects their chemistry on the court as well. So saying all of that, I believe that Kabongo is that type of leader. I don't see that kind of leadership in anyone else in the draft besides Marcus Smart.

[RyanStorm]

Smart, Williams, Burke, Canaan and Wolter are all candidates for the NCAA Naismith Award. All of them have increased in stock since the announcement.

Burke is actually higher than Smart and Williams on some lists now, after spending a long thinking he is gonna be a later pick for us in the late teens. I am hoping all the east coasts teams get better records so we can pick before them. ATL also has a HOU pick.

My statistics say lakers finish 41 wins, with Jazz and Rockets at 44 wins and Warriors with 48. Yet every professional prediction has Jazz at 41 wins and Lakers and Rockets with 44 wins. I really think Jazz are being underestimated more than usual. I mean guys are hitting the switch out of nowhere on the Laker prediction.

I just wonder how getting a lottery pick will change our outcome. I truly don't want to give Laker's the satisfaction and the nation of "I told you so", cause now everyone and Shaq's mom, are saying Utah is the team Lakers are "going" to knock out of the playoffs, cause thats just how it is(not this season).

I hope we keep our two late teen picks, and go in at 7th or 8th, and not let lakers beat us. I don't care if they beat HOU or GSW, thats their business.

[RyanStorm]

I really say this, if we can nab someone like Kabongo with one of our later picks. There is plenty of talent to stay in 8th. Its not like if we bomb we keep a top 7 pick like what warriors did. I rather have the playoff seed, and the 19th pick and GSW's 20th.

[Inigo Montoya]

very interesting game today - Texas@Oklahoma State, Kabongo vs. Smart. i'll be watching.

[StocktonShorts]

very interesting game today - Texas@Oklahoma State, Kabongo vs. Smart. i'll be watching.

I'm glad there are people willing to watch college basketball and tell me who the good players are, because I can't stand watching it.

[Inigo Montoya]

very interesting game today - Texas@Oklahoma State, Kabongo vs. Smart. i'll be watching.

I'm glad there are people willing to watch college basketball and tell me who the good players are, because I can't stand watching it.

i actually don't like it either. the level of play is low, there's ton of mistakes and dumb plays, bad execution, low scores and many many many more things that turn me off.

the main thing that makes me interested in college basketball is watching players in an NBA context, and see how they are projected as pros, how good they can be, how much potential they have, what they need to improve, their strengths and weaknesses, their fit and roll in the NBA and that kind of stuff. kinda like playing a scout. and it really kicked into high gear for me this year because of the jazz's dire need of a PG that was obvious even before the season started, and the uninspired basketball with the known low ceiling of this team that made this NBA season relatively boring for me from a jazz's standpoint. this following prospects in the jazz context this season really makes this season more interesting for me and makes me more exited about the draft. with the C4 not getting enough playing time, i think i'm not the only one who wants to fast forward this season.