bboyskinnylegs wrote:CanadaB-Ball wrote:bboyskinnylegs wrote:Lucas has a 7'5.5" wingspan, 9'3" standing reach. I don't think he's a better prospect than Biyombo at all. At the same age, Biyombo weighs 25lbs more than Lucas at 243lbs vs 218lbs (and has a 4.5% body fat vs. Lucas' 7.8%), and despite being a project himself is more polished than Lucas on both ends, and is every bit as quick and athletic.
This is, of course, assuming that Biyombo is eighteen.
I really hope there's conclusive evidence that he is, because I would not feel comfortable having a prospect on my favourite team with a relatively unknown birthday.
well, according to DX the x-rays with Biyombo's growth plates (from when he was 16) are already being evaluated by an NBA team. If those turn out to be valid, then he was no older than 16-17 in the summer of 2009, meaning that he is 18-19 now.
Obviously I would hope that the team does their homework to make sure, but I don't think it's fair to use this age argument when there doesn't appear to be a basis for these rumours in the first place. It's almost like this is something they put out there anytime there's an overseas prospect that looks mature or physically developed for their age (the same issues were brought up for Kanter, who was also physically mature for his age, but it turns out he was born in Zurich). I understand the need to verify their age, but it is kind of sad that they only come under this kind of suspicion simply because of where they are from. I wonder if scouts scrutinized Oden's age the same way.
Just because growth plates haven't fused doesn't mean he was only 16 or 17 at the time of the x-rays (assuming they are Biyombo's x-rays). I continued growing until the age of 22 myself.
