Izan Almansa

Hal14 · Post #1 » by **Hal14** » Mon Jul 17, 2023 6:55 pm

Didn't see a thread on him yet. But at the moment, see him as a top 20 guy for 2024.

Anyone else watch this and get Kevin McHale vibes?

Watch on YouTube

Village Idiot · Post #2 » by **Village Idiot** » Wed Jul 19, 2023 3:29 pm

Based on this clip I would say he has a decent skill level and BBIQ but isn't very explosive. That limits his upside. He projects to be a end of rotation type of guy.

bravor · Post #3 » by **bravor** » Wed Jul 19, 2023 5:32 pm

Defensive monster. Still struggling a bit when he deals with traps, but he improves almost everytime we see him play (offensively at least, since he was more than raw just couple years ago from now).
High motor as well, switchable, does all the dirty work pretty well, more than decent passer on the other hand... Hard not to expect him high (unless nba wants to add more 'softies' in their line up) esp considering the average level of nba centers...

big-shot-ROB · Post #4 » by **big-shot-ROB** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 5:00 am

He has has little Larry Nance - Al Horford to his game

BostonCouchGM · Post #5 » by **BostonCouchGM** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 8:27 am

lol at "top 20" and "end of rotation type of guy" You people do realize he just turned 18 y/o right? That he was the best player at the FIBA 2023 U19 and named MVP? A year after being the named MVP of the FIBA 2022 U18? That he's 6'10"? Almansa will be in the realistic discussion to go #1 and at worst, should be in the top 5.

Watch on YouTube

Mirotic12 · Post #6 » by **Mirotic12** » Thu Jul 20, 2023 10:07 am

Style wise, I think closer to a Giannis type, at least the FIBA version of Giannis, but less explosive, and with a better post game, than a Kevin McHale type.

sisibilio · Post #7 » by **sisibilio** » Fri Jul 21, 2023 4:42 pm

BostonCouchGM wrote:lol at "top 20" and "end of rotation type of guy" You people do realize he just turned 18 y/o right? That he was the best player at the FIBA 2023 U19 and named MVP? A year after being the named MVP of the FIBA 2022 U18? That he's 6'10"? Almansa will be in the realistic discussion to go #1 and at worst, should be in the top 5.

Watch on YouTube

Flagg should have been named MVP though.
I don't think Almansa has the upside to be in the discussion for 1, or even top 5. He's solid all around but nothing in his game screams "potential star".

SeattleJazzFan · Post #8 » by **SeattleJazzFan** » Fri Jul 21, 2023 5:04 pm

i need to see more of him, but looks like a really good prospect. seems to have an elite motor, pretty skilled, aggressive and solid athleticism.

Hal14 · Post #9 » by **Hal14** » Fri Jul 21, 2023 5:55 pm

BostonCouchGM wrote:lol at "top 20" and "end of rotation type of guy" You people do realize he just turned 18 y/o right? That he was the best player at the FIBA 2023 U19 and named MVP? A year after being the named MVP of the FIBA 2022 U18? That he's 6'10"? Almansa will be in the realistic discussion to go #1 and at worst, should be in the top 5.

Watch on YouTube

Not every guy who wins MVP at some FIBA tournament with a bunch of 18/19 yr old kids in it is drafted in the top 5.

By that logic, Juan Nunez would've gone top 5 in 2023..and Aldama would've gone top 5 in 2020..

EvanZ · Post #10 » by **EvanZ** » Fri Jul 21, 2023 7:09 pm

This kid is playing with GLI?

EvanZ · Post #11 » by **EvanZ** » Fri Jul 21, 2023 7:11 pm

He seems like Leonard Miller+

clyde21 · Post #12 » by **clyde21** » Fri Jul 21, 2023 11:35 pm

EvanZ wrote:This kid is playing with GLI?

yes just signed with GLI to play with Buz and Holland

Mirotic12 · Post #13 » by **Mirotic12** » Sat Jul 22, 2023 12:28 am

Hal14 wrote:Not every guy who wins MVP at some FIBA tournament with a bunch of 18/19 yr old kids in it is drafted in the top 5.

By that logic, Juan Nunez would've gone top 5 in 2023..and Aldama would've gone top 5 in 2020..

Non-Europeans tend to really have a high draft rate from awards at junior levels. For European players, for whatever reason, a lot of them don't get drafted.

Nikos Zisis, Sani Becirovic, Vassilis Charalmpopoulos, among others that had huge careers at the youth level and didn't get drafted. Zisis not being drafted still puzzles me. He was an incredible youth player.

But since Almansa is playing in the G-League, that should help him avid that issue.

BostonCouchGM · Post #14 » by **BostonCouchGM** » Sat Jul 22, 2023 4:23 am

Hal14 wrote:
BostonCouchGM wrote:lol at "top 20" and "end of rotation type of guy" You people do realize he just turned 18 y/o right? That he was the best player at the FIBA 2023 U19 and named MVP? A year after being the named MVP of the FIBA 2022 U18? That he's 6'10"? Almansa will be in the realistic discussion to go #1 and at worst, should be in the top 5.

Watch on YouTube

Not every guy who wins MVP at some FIBA tournament with a bunch of 18/19 yr old kids in it is drafted in the top 5.

By that logic, Juan Nunez would've gone top 5 in 2023..and Aldama would've gone top 5 in 2020..

weird...I don't remember making that argument :roll:

he's won MVP in major tournaments three years in a row :lol:

Nunez is a tiny PG. Aldama is a slow-footed, low BBIQ, defensive sieve. Imagine bringing up these guys in comparison to Almansa

sisibilio · Post #15 » by **sisibilio** » Sat Jul 22, 2023 9:15 am

Nuñez is 1.92 barefoot, that`s 6'4" - 6'5" in NBA standards, far from tiny. His main problem is inconsistent 3p shooting.

Pokuokic · Post #16 » by **Pokuokic** » Sat Jul 22, 2023 9:37 am

Reminds me of Lakers Jordan Hill but way more alert/active on defense.

Mirotic12 · Post #17 » by **Mirotic12** » Sat Jul 22, 2023 8:12 pm

sisibilio wrote:Nuñez is 1.92 barefoot, that`s 6'4" - 6'5" in NBA standards, far from tiny. His main problem is inconsistent 3p shooting.

Yeah, by NBA standards that's 6-5. I always try to explain in these draft threads that the guards in Europe definitely tend to be bigger than the guards in the NBA. Because there is so much more physical contact allowed. Smaller guards in Europe are basically for the most part guys that mainly shoot off screens and/or switches.

Even in these youth tournaments, the guards are way bigger than typical NCAA guards. So a lot of people will watch these games and think these guys are like 6-0, when they are like 6-4. Because the other teams might have guards that are actually 6-7 or 6-8, and so a lot of people watching it just assume those guys are actually like 6-5.

The same thing in general actually with so many players in Europe. Like all the discussions here about how Sengun was really only like "6-7 by NBA standards", when actually by NBA standards he's 6-11.

peZt · Post #18 » by **peZt** » Sat Jul 22, 2023 8:53 pm

Mirotic12 wrote:
Hal14 wrote:Not every guy who wins MVP at some FIBA tournament with a bunch of 18/19 yr old kids in it is drafted in the top 5.

By that logic, Juan Nunez would've gone top 5 in 2023..and Aldama would've gone top 5 in 2020..

Non-Europeans tend to really have a high draft rate from awards at junior levels. For European players, for whatever reason, a lot of them don't get drafted.

Nikos Zisis, Sani Becirovic, Vassilis Charalmpopoulos, among others that had huge careers at the youth level and didn't get drafted. Zisis not being drafted still puzzles me. He was an incredible youth player.

But since Almansa is playing in the G-League, that should help him avid that issue.

Because drafting Euros based on Youth level performance has been the #1 reason for drafting Busts in the lottery

Bender, Hezonja, Ntilikina, Doumbaya, Exum. All were drafted cause they dominated a bunch of 17 year olds before they even proved themselved at the pro level.

I think scouts are slowly realizing there there is more to prospects than just dominating other kids

BostonCouchGM · Post #19 » by **BostonCouchGM** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 7:25 am

sisibilio wrote:Nuñez is 1.92 barefoot, that`s 6'4" - 6'5" in NBA standards, far from tiny. His main problem is inconsistent 3p shooting.

he's maybe 6'2.5" barefoot and that's being generous. Tiny in that he's such a below average athlete that can't shoot his only path to being an NBA PG with his skillset is to be big and tall like Josh Giddey. Comparing a one-time fluke MVP to a three-time MVP in consecutive seasons is dumb is my main point anyway.

Mirotic12 · Post #20 » by **Mirotic12** » Sun Jul 23, 2023 3:24 pm

BostonCouchGM wrote:
sisibilio wrote:Nuñez is 1.92 barefoot, that`s 6'4" - 6'5" in NBA standards, far from tiny. His main problem is inconsistent 3p shooting.

he's maybe 6'2.5" barefoot and that's being generous. Tiny in that he's such a below average athlete that can't shoot his only path to being an NBA PG with his skillset is to be big and tall like Josh Giddey. Comparing a one-time fluke MVP to a three-time MVP in consecutive seasons is dumb is my main point anyway.

He's officially listed at over 6-4 barefoot.

https://www.fiba.basketball/europe/u20/2023/player/Juan-Nunez

Height: 194cm / 6'4"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

194 cm = almost 6-4 1/2, and the players are listed by barefoot height. So in NBA standards, that would make 6-5 or 6-6.

I remember when NBA fans used to make fun of JC Navarro and say that he was such a tiny shooting guard and that he was so undersized. They said he was like 6-2 and because he was "so small" he couldn't play in the NBA. But he was actually 6-4 barefoot, so 6-5 in NBA standards.

There were actually some comments about it in US sports media, after he came to the NBA, about how the other players couldn't believe how he was so much taller than they thought he would be. Since they all had heard that he was a "tiny" undersized shooting guard....