Homerclease wrote:Duke4life831 wrote:Homerclease wrote:Here’s the thing about Ainges last two draft choices. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were very highly regarded prospects respectively for their draft classes for years prior to going to college. Ainge had his eye on these guys for years before they ever worked out for us. They weren’t late risers, they were blue chip prospects from the get go.
The prospect who fits this bill this year is Ayton. This guy has been touted as the gem of this class for years and I think Ainge knows it. Ayton hasn’t snuck up on anyone and hasn’t come out of the blue or risen up late like a Fultz. If Ayton is on the board when we select he’s a Celtic.
Ayton is the only one that fits this bill though. Scouts have pretty much been drooling over Bagley before he even stepped foot in high school. The dude has been talked about as a legit generational talent from scouts since he was in the 7th grade. Same goes for Bamba as well who had offers from all the top colleges since basically his freshman year. None of the guys in the top 5 from America in this class snuck up on anyone or has been late risers. Ayton, Bagley, Bamba and Porter have all been elite prospects all throughout high school.
This is true which is part of what makes this draft class so special and why I’m gonna chuckle at the fool who blows their pick on Doncic. But Ayton was viewed up until recently as the consensus number 1 pick for years with Bagley not even thought to be available for this class. They really can’t go wrong with any of them and I’m a huge Bagley fan as well. To me Ayton has the raw size you just can’t teach. 3 point range, passing out of the post, honestly I view him as a bigger Horford one day.
I agree Ayton has always been the big dog for this class. Throughout the past couple years his name would slip from the #1 spot every once in awhile but that was just because of motor questions, not because of skill or potential questions. Im just saying all 4 of these guys have been blue chip guys since basically the day they stepped foot in high school or even before.
I also think if you want an Al Horford clone in this draft I think Wendell Carter fits that bill much better than Ayton. Carter is probably the best passing big man in this class, when you watch him you can just see how smart he is on both sides of the ball (same as Horford). Neither of them are superstar franchise guys but theyre winning basketball players. I think Carter is basically a more bouncier Horford who can rebound and protect the rim.
Ayton to me is a hulked up KAT. 5s that have it all offensively when it comes to scoring, can use their size down low to score over guys or have their jump shot as well. Ayton a little better down low than KAT at the same stage while KAT had the more consistent jumper. Both serviceable passers and arent looked at as black holes offensively. I also can see Ayton struggling to begin with defensively, he doesnt have the awareness on that side of the ball like Bamba or Bagley have right now and we see KAT struggling defensively also. But he has tremendous defensive potential because of his size and athleticism. Just have to hope he puts it together unlike KAT on that side of the ball.
