Caleb Wilson

[tontoz]

he's an elite prospect in the same tier as Flagg but there's like zero hype surrounding him for some reason. I don't get it. He's a high motor pogo stick that dunks with power, has touch around the rim, promising looking shot, high BBIQ, very good handle for his size, elite defensive potential and can pass. Len Bias was the last guy I can remember with his size and this combination of traits and Bias was 1b to MJ's 1a in college and would have completely transformed the league and changed the course of history had he not died. I want him on the Kings so bad.

He doesn’t really shoot 3s and his handle is actually not very good, he struggles with self creation and settles for super tough acrobatic shots/finishes. It’s unclear where an off-ball 4 who isn’t a shooting threat really fits in a modern NBA offense. You should really watch the SMU tape as it was concerning in a real way.

He’s not a Flagg level prospect. He’s also not a Len Bias one either.

And I say this as someone who has watched every minute of his college career. He should go top 4, but I’d still take Dybantsa, Boozer, DP over him

I'd take Caleb over Boozer but not over Peterson or AJ. Caleb loses his balance a lot when he takes contact and his ball skills are lacking. His shot looks good but it is just a guess whether or not he will deliver when asked to shoot more.

[EmpireFalls]

he's an elite prospect in the same tier as Flagg but there's like zero hype surrounding him for some reason. I don't get it. He's a high motor pogo stick that dunks with power, has touch around the rim, promising looking shot, high BBIQ, very good handle for his size, elite defensive potential and can pass. Len Bias was the last guy I can remember with his size and this combination of traits and Bias was 1b to MJ's 1a in college and would have completely transformed the league and changed the course of history had he not died. I want him on the Kings so bad.

He doesn’t really shoot 3s and his handle is actually not very good, he struggles with self creation and settles for super tough acrobatic shots/finishes. It’s unclear where an off-ball 4 who isn’t a shooting threat really fits in a modern NBA offense. You should really watch the SMU tape as it was concerning in a real way.

He’s not a Flagg level prospect. He’s also not a Len Bias one either.

And I say this as someone who has watched every minute of his college career. He should go top 4, but I’d still take Dybantsa, Boozer, DP over him

I'd take Caleb over Boozer but not over Peterson or AJ. Caleb loses his balance a lot when he takes contact and his ball skills are lacking. His shot looks good but it is just a guess whether or not he will deliver when asked to shoot more.

Yeah, I could definitely see him over Boozer if you’re as low on Boozer’s defense as some are. He’s put some scary stuff on tape at times where it’s unclear if he can guard wings or bigs at the next level.

But just to be clear if Wilson was actually as good as Boozer offensively there would be no debate for the #1 overall pick. He’s actually a good passer but his on-ball craft, his shooting, his general control of pace and ability to break down a defense are all below Boozer’s. Boozer is also a much better outside shooter and has a quality in between and finishing game. Caleb is still out of control when going downhill and while he has a nice post fade he’s no threat to shoot from outside or off the dribble like Boozer.

And again I love Caleb Wilson. He’s my favorite freshman in 20+ years at UNC. Amazing player and person. But he’s more raw and much more of a project than the stats would indicate.

[ezhkw8u69e]

Excited to see Caleb up close at Maples Pavilion this week.

[tmorgan]

Agree about the “project” part. The draft decision between Wilson and Boozer is all about who you perceive as having the higher ceiling, and by how much. It’s clear Boozer has the higher floor and will be a productive player. But if you can’t envision Cam as an All-Star, and think Wilson has even a 25% chance to get there, I know what I’d do if I’m the GM of a typical team picking 3rd. Safe picks rarely get you far, unless it’s a Tim Duncan kind of safe, like safely an All-Star or better. None of these guys are that, not even Peterson or Dybantsa, although DP is close.

[FarBeyondDriven]

he's an elite prospect in the same tier as Flagg but there's like zero hype surrounding him for some reason. I don't get it. He's a high motor pogo stick that dunks with power, has touch around the rim, promising looking shot, high BBIQ, very good handle for his size, elite defensive potential and can pass. Len Bias was the last guy I can remember with his size and this combination of traits and Bias was 1b to MJ's 1a in college and would have completely transformed the league and changed the course of history had he not died. I want him on the Kings so bad.

He doesn’t really shoot 3s and his handle is actually not very good, he struggles with self creation and settles for super tough acrobatic shots/finishes. It’s unclear where an off-ball 4 who isn’t a shooting threat really fits in a modern NBA offense. You should really watch the SMU tape as it was concerning in a real way.

He’s not a Flagg level prospect. He’s also not a Len Bias one either.

And I say this as someone who has watched every minute of his college career. He should go top 4, but I’d still take Dybantsa, Boozer, DP over him

for someone that is 6'9" and 19 y/o his handle is already more than fine for a 4 in the NBA. He has such an athletic advantage in college that he pretty much stays in the lane and he has good form and touch so I'm not too concerned about his shooting since it's clearly not a focus for him or anything coaches are asking from him. Yeah, he's definitely a Flagg level prospect. No doubt

Wilson - 20/11/3 with nearly 3 stocks
Flagg - 19/8/4 with nearly 3 stocks

Flagg shot better in college but how has that translated to the NBA? He's currently shooting 29% from three

[Dat2U]

Caleb in my view is like the PF version of Alex Sarr as a prospect. Meaning that there are some incredibly unique athletic traits combined with a raw but developing skill level and frame. Sarr had immense trouble finishing around the rim up until this season as he got stronger. Like Sarr, Caleb requires projection but there are shades of Amare' & Antonio McDyess with better defense as he gets stronger. I like the mid-range flashes but need to expand that range to unlock his offensive upside. On the middle end of his projection, some variation of Aaron Gordon with more rebounding.

[ezhkw8u69e]

he's an elite prospect in the same tier as Flagg but there's like zero hype surrounding him for some reason. I don't get it. He's a high motor pogo stick that dunks with power, has touch around the rim, promising looking shot, high BBIQ, very good handle for his size, elite defensive potential and can pass. Len Bias was the last guy I can remember with his size and this combination of traits and Bias was 1b to MJ's 1a in college and would have completely transformed the league and changed the course of history had he not died. I want him on the Kings so bad.

He doesn’t really shoot 3s and his handle is actually not very good, he struggles with self creation and settles for super tough acrobatic shots/finishes. It’s unclear where an off-ball 4 who isn’t a shooting threat really fits in a modern NBA offense. You should really watch the SMU tape as it was concerning in a real way.

He’s not a Flagg level prospect. He’s also not a Len Bias one either.

And I say this as someone who has watched every minute of his college career. He should go top 4, but I’d still take Dybantsa, Boozer, DP over him

for someone that is 6'9" and 19 y/o his handle is already more than fine for a 4 in the NBA. He has such an athletic advantage in college that he pretty much stays in the lane and he has good form and touch so I'm not too concerned about his shooting since it's clearly not a focus for him or anything coaches are asking from him. Yeah, he's definitely a Flagg level prospect. No doubt

Wilson - 20/11/3 with nearly 3 stocks
Flagg - 19/8/4 with nearly 3 stocks

Flagg shot better in college but how has that translated to the NBA? He's currently shooting 29% from three

This is a wildly bad take. It's hard to believe someone can look at Wilson and think he's anywhere near Flagg as a prospect.

[mattg]

He's not a Flagg level prospect, but Caleb Wilson is awesome. Gotta love his mindset and also his ability to make quick reads and willingness to move the ball, that's generally something that young bigs just don't have at all and gives him more potential than just a play finisher. Obviously the athleticism, aggression around the rim, and physical tools are phenomenal too. Love his ability to be effective off ball.

He's some version of Amare Stoudemire who wants to play defense and can make decisions/reads offensively.

[HadAnEffectHere]

Very weird prospect to analyze

99th percentile athleticism
Productive
Bad defender
Too small to play center
Too horrid a shooter to easily play PF
Very old Freshman

I don't know how to project this guy.

[ezhkw8u69e]

UNC is looking worse and worse, losing to both Stanford and Cal. It's not a good look for Caleb or Veesaar.

[HadAnEffectHere]

UNC is looking worse and worse, losing to both Stanford and Cal. It's not a good look for Caleb or Veesaar.

He's this weird prospect where he's basically if AD was too small to play center and also had just the worst defensive IQ.

Really don't know how to evaluate him. He needs to be Amen Thompson good at interior scoring and offensive rebounding (probably) and defense (oh....) to be a valuable player in the NBA.

[ezhkw8u69e]

It's reminiscent of Tristan Thompson early days?

[FarBeyondDriven]

He doesn’t really shoot 3s and his handle is actually not very good, he struggles with self creation and settles for super tough acrobatic shots/finishes. It’s unclear where an off-ball 4 who isn’t a shooting threat really fits in a modern NBA offense. You should really watch the SMU tape as it was concerning in a real way.

He’s not a Flagg level prospect. He’s also not a Len Bias one either.

And I say this as someone who has watched every minute of his college career. He should go top 4, but I’d still take Dybantsa, Boozer, DP over him

for someone that is 6'9" and 19 y/o his handle is already more than fine for a 4 in the NBA. He has such an athletic advantage in college that he pretty much stays in the lane and he has good form and touch so I'm not too concerned about his shooting since it's clearly not a focus for him or anything coaches are asking from him. Yeah, he's definitely a Flagg level prospect. No doubt

Wilson - 20/11/3 with nearly 3 stocks
Flagg - 19/8/4 with nearly 3 stocks

Flagg shot better in college but how has that translated to the NBA? He's currently shooting 29% from three

This is a wildly bad take. It's hard to believe someone can look at Wilson and think he's anywhere near Flagg as a prospect.

and it's not at all surprising that you fail to see it. Like, I literally just showed their stats compared to one another and it's favorable. They're different players playing different positions with different things required of them but talent is talent and they're in the same tier

[FarBeyondDriven]

Very weird prospect to analyze

99th percentile athleticism
Productive
Bad defender
Too small to play center
Too horrid a shooter to easily play PF
Very old Freshman

I don't know how to project this guy.

here we go again with this guy

[HadAnEffectHere]

It's reminiscent of Tristan Thompson early days?

I don't remember TT being this athletic, but idk.

[The-Power]

Bad defender

I think we need a bit more nuance than that, especially considering we're talking about a prospect. I do agree that he is not an impactful defender right now. He's a bit all over the place, at times too out-of-control and uncoordinated, tends to be pushed around and he doesn't always use his motor for the plays that matter. But he is long and athletic, he has generally a high-running motor, he seeks out rebounds, he can be disruptive – so he does have some interesting tools. I would not count on him being very high-level defensive player in the NBA but I do not think he projects as a bad one either.

[ezhkw8u69e]

Bad defender

I think we need a bit more nuance than that, especially considering we're talking about a prospect. I do agree that he is not an impactful defender right now. He's a bit all over the place, at times too out-of-control and uncoordinated, tends to be pushed around and he doesn't always use his motor for the plays that matter. But he is long and athletic, he has generally a high-running motor, he seeks out rebounds, he can be disruptive – so he does have some interesting tools. I would not count on him being very high-level defensive player in the NBA but I do not think he projects as a bad one either.

Just curious but isn't his entire case built around being a defensive first prospect or are there people who think he's going to morph into some kind of hub?

[The-Power]

Just curious but isn't his entire case built around being a defensive first prospect or are there people who think he's going to morph into some kind of hub?

I think the most likely outcome for him is that he'll become a plus defender and good but not great offensive player. I don't think he needs to be an elite defensive player or offensive hub to be worthy of a high pick. Siakam is a player who comes to my mind who fits that mold and has had a lot of success in the NBA. Mikal Bridges and Franz Wagner are two other names that fit that description even though they are obviously playing different roles and positions and have different strengths and weaknesses (meaning that I am not comparing their styles of play here).

The interesting thing about Wilson and what potentially warrants a gamble on him is, IMO, that there is a realistic a path for him to be an excellent defender and/or a great offensive player. I don't think either is the most likely outcome but if just one of the two comes to fruition (and the odds for that increase accordingly), we are talking about a very high-level player à la Evan Mobley (and if both happens, we are talking about a superstar).

And then he has pretty decent floor IMO. I can't really see him ending up a lesser player than, say, John Collins who is still a fairly desirable rotation player. Certainly not what you want from a player you pick in the top 3-4 but not a complete bust either.

[FarBeyondDriven]

I think he could be as impactful on defense as JJJ. Maybe less blocked shots than those two outlier years JJJ had but a better ability to defend in space. On offense I think you'll see him be a very good PnR partner, some posts ups on smaller guys and ISOs on bigger/slower guys plus he'll be secondary playmaker. He's the type of guy I've wanted next to Sabonis since we got him and who is a must for Sabonis to really get past the first round and beyond. While he has immense upside I think due to his size, athleticism, motor and smarts he also has a very high floor. Like, McDaniels impact at the very worst. A realistic outcome to me is a slightly better Jermaine O'Neal with more all-stars, all-nba and all-defense nods.

[RipCity71252]

I've come around on Caleb in a pretty big way.

I still have issues with what I'd call his competitive stamina on defense (I also think he needs to work on his endurance in general) but his intersection of feel and athleticism are extremely rare.

He's still very rough around the edges as a scorer but the flashes of skill and footwork pop to a huge degree and he has so many elite physical traits (vertical jump, flexibility, reaction time, hand quickness & accuracy are the highlights)

There's a lot of season left but out of the top 4, DP and Caleb are the two I'd bet biggest on right now.