Draftees 2016 – Brown, Yabusele, Žižić, Jackson, Nader

[Smog]

Yabs is looking like a player. In the summer league, there were also times that he looked the best player on the team. It looks like he belongs in the NBA..

Stevens will probably use him in the Jared Sullinger role, right? He'll basically be an undersized center who uses his strength to push guys like Gasol and Brook Lopez and Gortat away from the basket. Maybe the D doesn't matter as much for this reason, because he's not going to be guarding 4s so much. Didn't they even bring that up as a possibility after he was drafted?

[Elrod is Back]

I think he will guard 4s, in time successfully. He doesn't need to be Dennis Rodman to get playing time. Just competent. (If he becomes a plus defender, then holy Moses we have a total stud.)

The real question may be this: who is going to be able to guard Yabusele, especially once he gets some experience? I think we are seeing evidence that he has the tools to be big-time dynamite at the offensive end.

[Writebloc]

Yabs is looking like a player. In the summer league, there were also times that he looked the best player on the team. It looks like he belongs in the NBA..

Stevens will probably use him in the Jared Sullinger role, right? He'll basically be an undersized center who uses his strength to push guys like Gasol and Brook Lopez and Gortat away from the basket. Maybe the D doesn't matter as much for this reason, because he's not going to be guarding 4s so much. Didn't they even bring that up as a possibility after he was drafted?

I doubt Stevens even wanted to use Sullinger in a Sullinger role. If you look at how this team plays this year they play five wide to maximize spacing, Stevens likely had to make concessions to get Sullinger on the court. I think Yabs plays on the perimeter like the rest of the bigs on this team. Maybe you are saying the same thing but I'm interpreting it differently?

[Gant]

On Yabusele's turnovers: I do not think this is a long term problem. He just made a major jump in competition level going from China to the D-league. He's not used to every player on the floor having speed and quick hands. He'll adjust.

Now he's got to make another leap to the NBA. The height deficit is still somewhat of a question mark (He's shorter than Hansborough and Mickey). If he can overcome that with length, nimbleness, shooting and power, he'll be a really good player.

That was the most coherent level of basketball I've seen in the D-league. Just a top notch game, rightly with playoff intensity wire to wire.

[Curmudgeon]

On a related topic, Darussafaka has made the Euroleague playoffs as the 8th seed and will begin a quarter final series against top seeded Real Madrid on April 19th. Zizic will be going against Gustavo Ayon and Othello Hunter, both of whom have a bit of NBA experience.

Real Madrid also has Doncic and Liull in the backcourt and Anthony Randolph at power forward. Old friend Luke Harangody and Scottie Wilbekin play for Darussafaka. I'm hoping to find the games on TV somewhere.

[24istheLAW]

On a related topic, Darussafaka has made the Euroleague playoffs as the 8th seed and will begin a quarter final series against top seeded Real Madrid on April 19th. Zizic will be going against Gustavo Ayon and Othello Hunter, both of whom have a bit of NBA experience.

Real Madrid also has Doncic and Liull in the backcourt and Anthony Randolph at power forward. Old friend Luke Harangody and Scottie Wilbekin play for Darussafaka. I'm hoping to find the games on TV somewhere.

That's a name I haven't heard in a while. Othello Hunter, Moor of Ohio State University.

[Smog]

Yabs is looking like a player. In the summer league, there were also times that he looked the best player on the team. It looks like he belongs in the NBA..

Stevens will probably use him in the Jared Sullinger role, right? He'll basically be an undersized center who uses his strength to push guys like Gasol and Brook Lopez and Gortat away from the basket. Maybe the D doesn't matter as much for this reason, because he's not going to be guarding 4s so much. Didn't they even bring that up as a possibility after he was drafted?

I doubt Stevens even wanted to use Sullinger in a Sullinger role. If you look at how this team plays this year they play five wide to maximize spacing, Stevens likely had to make concessions to get Sullinger on the court. I think Yabs plays on the perimeter like the rest of the bigs on this team. Maybe you are saying the same thing but I'm interpreting it differently?

No, that's what I mean. They tried to have Sullinger on the perimeter on offense, he just couldn't shoot it out there. But Sullinger sort of worked for them otherwise; he kept really big centers from bullying them inside while having enough skill to at least try to play the offense Stevens likes.

If Yabusele has the strength to handle centers in the post and the skill to play on the perimeter on offense, that solves a big problem for this team, doesn't it? They've been pushed around by big teams all year. Yabusele might even be a better fit at center than Zizic because he can do more on offense.

[TheOGJabroni]

I've seen plenty of comparisons for Yabusele but I would like to hear people's best comparisons for him, Zizic, Jackson & Nader. I would love to see all of them here next year since we'll be in such a salary crunch.

[Curmudgeon]

A young Paul Millsap. I'm sure if givden the minutes Yabusele would easily put up numbers comparable to those Millsap put up in Utah.

[sam_I_am]

A young Paul Millsap. I'm sure if givden the minutes Yabusele would easily put up numbers comparable to those Millsap put up in Utah.

That's an interesting comparison. The way Yabs nimbly and quickly attacks driving lanes and shoots the 3 is similar but the extra 30 - 40 lbs. is unique (for good or bad at NBA level)

[Slartibartfast]

what can Brown do for you? I think JB is ok. In hindsight I'd rather have had Murray but Jaylen has a chance to be a solid player. I don't see superstar though. He's still young and he has drive and he works at his game so he has a lot of intangibles going for him but outside of his ability to dunk I can't thinkof much else. He needs to improve his handle big time. That and get a better haircut and longer shorts

Take your tempered expectations and shove it up your defeatist ass. JK

"Brown will be a superstar" was an understandable homer overreaction to a number of good games he put together before being bitch-slapped by reality. Realistically, he has a lot work to do, particularly with the handle and it's unreasonable to expect his ascension to superstardom. There is a chance, but it's not particularly high.

Nonetheless, Brown has shown a lot of good traits in his game, particularly when it comes to scoring (by that I mostly mean finding easy openings in defense, something Smart can't do until this day) and improving on defensive side of the ball, it seems as if Brown can be a good piece to a winning team in a few years time. Therefore, I project him to be somewhere between Danny Green and Draymond Green (by impact, of course, their games are so different). Is Draymond a superstar? Of course not. Is he a top 15 player by sheer talent? No. Is he a top 15 pick for making a winning team? Absolutely. I'm excited to see what Brown can do with Celtics.

I haven't seen Murray enough in Denver to know much more that what I did at the draft time, which was that I liked him a lot, but I don't think he'd have been a good fit with Thomas or Bradley and thus not a right pick for the Cs from player/asset maximization standpoint.

Draymond Green the wrong Warrior. His rookie season is ridiculously similar to Harrison Barnes on a role/per 36 basis.

Barnes: 13/6 per 36 as a 4th/5th option on a playoff team with 44/36 shooting splits, 53TS% and a .303 FTr. Competent defensively without being a defensive playmaker.
Brown: 14/6 per 36 as a 4th/5th option on a playoff team with 45/34 shooting splits, 54TS% and .293 FTr. Also competent defensively without being a defensive playmaker.

I like Brown's potential a bit better because of his first step but it will be interesting to see if he has the same issues as Barnes trying to grow as a player while having a tertiary role on a team gunning for contender status.

[ConstableGeneva]

Not sure if posted already...

Watch on YouTube

[Celtic King]

A young Paul Millsap. I'm sure if givden the minutes Yabusele would easily put up numbers comparable to those Millsap put up in Utah.

Agreed. a very good comparison.

[sam_I_am]

Mickey, Jones and Nader average 20 ppg and 16 shots per game. Yabousele is averaging 18 ppg on 9 shots.

[GregB]

A young Paul Millsap. I'm sure if givden the minutes Yabusele would easily put up numbers comparable to those Millsap put up in Utah.

Agreed. a very good comparison.

I don't love the Milsap comparison. Milsap was the best rebounder in NCAA history and a solid shot blocker coming into the league. He also was a bit thinner and a better athlete.

That's not to say Yabu can't be good. But he will get by more on his bulk and quick feet and athleticism. To me he's like a less fat Big Baby who hopefully can hit the 3 ball at a solid clip. Two things big baby wasn't able to do.

[24istheLAW]

Not sure if posted already...

Watch on YouTube

Awesome interview. I loved this part:
Interviewer: "Were you ever recognized out on the street in Shanghai?"
Yabusele: "A lot because.... I'm tall, compared to zem."

[smart_celtics]

A young Paul Millsap. I'm sure if givden the minutes Yabusele would easily put up numbers comparable to those Millsap put up in Utah.

Agreed. a very good comparison.

I don't love the Milsap comparison. Milsap was the best rebounder in NCAA history and a solid shot blocker coming into the league. He also was a bit thinner and a better athlete.

That's not to say Yabu can't be good. But he will get by more on his bulk and quick feet and athleticism. To me he's like a less fat Big Baby who hopefully can hit the 3 ball at a solid clip. Two things big baby wasn't able to do.

I agree that Milsap isn't great since as you note he was a pretty good defender who eventually became a really good defender. Yabu doesn't have a real defensive track record, although he has some potential with good coaching and more effort. I still stay with the Larry Johnson comparison (probably a poor man's Larry Johnson pre-injury if he had been shooting more threes). Similar body types (height of SF but weight of PF and the mobility of a combo SF/PF). More offensive-oriented with a good handle for a big man and decent catch-and-shoot.

[Curmudgeon]

A young Paul Millsap. I'm sure if givden the minutes Yabusele would easily put up numbers comparable to those Millsap put up in Utah.

Agreed. a very good comparison.

I don't love the Milsap comparison. Milsap was the best rebounder in NCAA history.

No he wasn't.

Career:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_career_rebounding_leaders

Single season:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_season_rebounding_leaders

[sam_I_am]

Milsap gets 7-8 rebs per game. I don't think it's homerism to think Yabousele can rebound at that rate too. He's doing it in Maine, China, Summer League and that seems to be one stat that does translate well to NBA.

[GregB]

Agreed. a very good comparison.

I don't love the Milsap comparison. Milsap was the best rebounder in NCAA history.

No he wasn't.

Career:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_career_rebounding_leaders

Single season:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NCAA_Division_I_men%27s_basketball_season_rebounding_leaders

Sorry it may have been blocked shots but he led the nation in one of and was near the top in the other during his last year at college. So history was a poor choice of words. But he was elite in both of those areas coming out of college.