Kasparas Jakucionis

[76ciology]

FWIW, my guess is its the Jazz.

Yeah, Utah Jazz makes sense, they do not have any young guards beside Keonte George I think. Walker Kessler is fine, Markannen I think is underrated, especially defensively. But man, they need a big star, they will tank again and hope next lottery favors them, if they get Dybantsa, that roster would start to make sense.

To me it is weird that they speculating he has a promise from teams that have 16th and 13th. picks. Yeah, they could have made promise to take him, but he is projected to go even earlier than that, so not like those promises matter much, or that he shouldn't try to impresse in workouts anymore. If he has a promise from a top 5 picking team, that makes more sense to me then.

they drafted Collier last year

If you ask me, I’d rank Kasparas ahead of both Keyonte and Collier. In some ways, he’s a blend of the two, both the strengths and the weaknesses. Given that Jazz drafted both guys, Kasparas may have the traits that they value.

At the very least, he gives them another guard option to evaluate as a potential piece for their future backcourt. Jazz has a history of building around a lead guard and Kasparas would be a great candidate for them.

[UcanUwill]

KOC compared him to Haliburton.

I don't see that comp at all. The huge discrepancy in ball security is one big difference but there are others. Haliburton is just a way more advanced playmaker, sees the floor much better, place with a lot more pace. Even as a prospect. He's also quicker on his feet and with his hands. Meanwhile one of Jakus big strengths is his versatile scoring arsenal and physicality inside the arc which Haliburton lacked (just compare their respective FTr, for instance). Haliburton was also more disruptive defensively off the ball though both struggle to stay attached to their match-ups. So yeah, just not a comparison I understand.

I agree. It was basically just a taller pg comp, outside of body build they arent that similar. Some people say KJ has very high bb iq, but is it really that high, or is he given a boost from white euro pg stereotype? Not saying KJ aint smart, but i don't know if i would say his iq is VERY high.

[76ciology]

KOC compared him to Haliburton.

I don't see that comp at all. The huge discrepancy in ball security is one big difference but there are others. Haliburton is just a way more advanced playmaker, sees the floor much better, place with a lot more pace. Even as a prospect. He's also quicker on his feet and with his hands. Meanwhile one of Jakus big strengths is his versatile scoring arsenal and physicality inside the arc which Haliburton lacked (just compare their respective FTr, for instance). Haliburton was also more disruptive defensively off the ball though both struggle to stay attached to their match-ups. So yeah, just not a comparison I understand.

I agree. It was basically just a taller pg comp, outside of body build they arent that similar. Some people say KJ has very high bb iq, but is it really that high, or is he given a boost from white euro pg stereotype? Not saying KJ aint smart, but i don't know if i would say his iq is VERY high.

He has a high basketball IQ, you can see it in his efficiency, his decision-making (knowing when to shoot, pass, isolate, or run pick-and-roll), and his assist rate. Despite his physical limitations, he holds up as a decent defender thanks to his awareness and positioning. The main concern is his turnovers, which are mostly a product of youth and inexperience. But it’s easy to see a path where he tightens his handle, improves as a shooter, and becomes a neutral, if not solid, defender at the next level.

[KingDavid]

Welp, #20 to Miami. How we feeling?

[DayofMourning]

Welp, #20 to Miami. How we feeling?

My top player in the draft.

[The-Power]

Welp, #20 to Miami. How we feeling?

The value is great and thus you should be really happy. I'm not convinced that Miami is the best fit for him, though.

[King Ken]

Welp, #20 to Miami. How we feeling?

Great pick considering how Miami develops guards.

[76ciology]

Kasparas
Herro
Wiggins
Bam
Ware

Not bad

[kobyz]

i think he's the Jared McCain of this year

[Chi town]

i think he's the Jared McCain of this year

Great fit with the heat.

Spo will develop him.

[greg4012]

When evaluating a playmaking guard, especially in college, I like to try to look at numbers to better understand the context around a player.

Here are some notable numbers for context:

- Illinois ranked 29th in NCAA in team 3-point rate (47.2% of FGA were 3s) >> so they were generating 3pt looks at a high rate and prioritizing as much
- Illinois ranked 305th (out of 364 teams) in the NCAA in team 3-point percentage (31.3%)
- Illinois ranked 15th in the NCAA in team shot quality >> according to this metric, Illinois was generating some of the best and most efficient looks in the country, but was failing to convert them at the rate they should

To me, this makes a good case to further support KJ's playmaking chops. Undoubtedly, Illinois was generating a lot of solid 3-pt looks and converting at a low rate. As the lead PG and playmaker for the team, I have to believe a decent amount of these looks were generated by KJ.

With that said, Illinois' abysmal 3-pt shooting was also partially dragged down by KJ's own poor shooting over the back half of the season. But, no one in the Illini rotation shot better than 35% from 3.

[bucknut]

The biggest thing that stands out watching him in summer league is how big his shoulders are. He has a heavy stiff wide and encumbersome set of shoulders that brings his overall athletic look down.

The heat are taking the ball out of his hands which seems interesting. His whole game is based on feel and he gets it through pounding nails to set his rythm