Raptors NBA Draft Thread: Jeremy Lamb (HOU)

[Waylon Mercy]

Where does Lamb rank on your personal draft board right now?

Right after Lillard. Call it 9th, Maybe 10th at worst. That may change as I take a closer look at some of the late lottery guys, but I doubt it. On a different team's draft board I might rank Lamb higher, but the Raps offense is a little too hot-messy for me to be any more excited about Lamb than I am. I think Lamb would be much better served to play in a better structured offense with better offensive options around him. The Raps need to add a guy or two who can really eat up some USG% on solid efficiency, and Lamb just doesn't look like that guy relative to some other guys on the board.

Make a case for Lillard over Lamb

[Garmfay]

First off, I'm not even pro-Lillard. But you basically trashed every other prospect except Lamb at this point. Double standard LOL? PJ3 unskilled, Rivers is a scrub etc

I've trashed every prospect? Go back to the draft thread before you call me out here. I've been watching these prospects since day one along with the other homies, so don't say what you don't know. You have a tendency to put words in other's people mouth because not once did I say Rivers was a scrub.

Um people with pro-Rivers comments ie Rivers > Lamb and you GO LOL Ball hog guy whos short but hes measured 6'5'' now yet you still discredit his height.

I mean its nothing new though, once you like a certain prospect you are obviously gonna be more biased and discredit the other prospects because YOU BELIEVE that prospect is superior. I've been guilty of that. But don't say its double standard when you are biased yourself.

[Undefeated]

Um people with pro-Rivers comments ie Rivers > Lamb and you GO LOL Ball hog guy whos short but hes measured 6'5'' now yet you still discredit his height.

Haha how's that hating? And where did I say he was a scrub or discredit his height? Stop with this bs.

[Garmfay]

Um people with pro-Rivers comments ie Rivers > Lamb and you GO LOL Ball hog guy whos short but hes measured 6'5'' now yet you still discredit his height.

Haha how's that hating? And where did I say he was scrub or discredit his height? Stop with this bs.

So there is no scientific possible way Rivers could be a better prospect than Lamb? I'm not even saying Rivers > Lamb. Please go.

[Undefeated]

So there is no scientific possible way Rivers could be a better prospect than Lamb? I'm not even saying Rivers > Lamb. Please go.

I'm not sure if this makes any sense. Since they're both pure scorers, their 2-pt% tend to translate over to the NBA and Lamb shoots the mid-range jumpers at a far more efficient rate than Rivers hence why I believe Lamb > Rivers. But if Rivers turns out to be better, I'll gladly eat my plate of crow. But don't put words into my mouth and make it as a fact.

[fredericklove]

First off, I'm not even pro-Lillard. But you basically trashed every other prospect except Lamb at this point. Double standard LOL? PJ3 unskilled, Rivers is a scrub etc

Now look at who's the fool for making this claim.

[Garmfay]

So there is no scientific possible way Rivers could be a better prospect than Lamb? I'm not even saying Rivers > Lamb. Please go.

I'm not sure if this makes any sense. Since they're both pure scorers, their 2-pt% tend to translate over to the NBA and Lamb shoots the mid-range jumpers at a far more efficient rate than Rivers hence why I believe Lamb > Rivers. But if Rivers turns out to be better, I'll gladly eat my plate of crow. But don't put words into my mouth and make it as a fact.

Don't start an argument here I'm just stating the fact that some previous posters said Rivers will be better than Lamb and yet you laugh them off as an idoit.

[fredericklove]

So BC doesn't even mention Lamb today and Ryan Wolstat also said this a few days ago:

Ryan Wolstat ‏@WolstatSun

@timpchisholm Nice read. Would be shocked if they take Lamb at 8 people in org. wary for some of reasons you mention.

On to the next prospect.

BC's smokescreen, if you're a raptors fan you should have known by now already. He's being invited to the raps workout too, so don't make a huge deal out of it lol.

[Undefeated]

Don't start an argument here I'm just stating the fact that some previous posters said Rivers will be better than Lamb and yet you laugh them off as an idoit.

Lmao chill out buddy it was a tongue-in-cheek comment. Why you holding grudges?

[Rhettmatic]

Guys, please let it go or hash it out in private. This is a thread to discuss Jeremy Lamb and it's getting derailed a bit.

[Garmfay]

First off, I'm not even pro-Lillard. But you basically trashed every other prospect except Lamb at this point. Double standard LOL? PJ3 unskilled, Rivers is a scrub etc

Now look at who's the fool for making this claim.

You guys are so immature about Lamb stuff. Did I trash Lamb? I've said exactly what Fernis and others have said. Funny how you kept calling me a Lillard lover when I've been anti-Lillard alot. Just keep making impulsive posts.

[Undefeated]

The Raps need to add a guy or two who can really eat up some USG% on solid efficiency, and Lamb just doesn't look like that guy relative to some other guys on the board.

If you compare Lamb to other SGs on the board that are projected to go in the 1st Round per DX, he's pretty much the most efficient SG on so-so USG% currently, so I think he can eat up some USG% while still maintaining an above-average TS%.

Bradley Beal - .575 TS% on 23.0 USG%
Dion Waiters - .565 TS% on 26.7 USG%
Terrence Ross - .558 TS% on 25.3 USG%
Orlando Johnson - .560 YS% on 30.5 USG%
Jeremy Lamb - .589 TS% on 24.0 USG%

Let's say if Lamb had upped his usage rate to around 26-28 like Dion Waiters, I think it's possible he can still maintain a TS% of .560+ which is still pretty good. Thoughts? At 8th, I think the Raptors would be lucky to even have a serviceable potential 2nd Banana/3rd option.

Guys, please let it go or hash it out in private. This is a thread to discuss Jeremy Lamb and it's getting derailed a bit.

Sorry Rhett will not happen again

[Garmfay]

Guys, please let it go or hash it out in private. This is a thread to discuss Jeremy Lamb and it's getting derailed a bit.

My bad, trying to help out Fernis a bit only to get attacked .

[highness]

LOL does me being a DD fan bother you that much? Almost all your responses to me is Demar this, Demar that. I get it, you don't like him. It's all good I don't care. I'm here trying to talk about Lamb.

You do know Lamb will have everything to do with Demar if he's being drafted by the raptors right? Both will have competition, both will be fighting for the SG starting role and both will be heavily compared. So everything will have to do w/ Demar especially talking about SG prospects, its good to compare them both on all aspects, cos Lamb will pretty sure take over Demar's SG starting role if he's in the lineup, its bound to happen if he's a raptors.

The only starting role Lamb will take from DD is on the summer league team.

[fredericklove]

Accept what? We show logic, unlike the ones over there in Lillard thread that talks about how Lillard has NO flaws. You're the one that agrees to the NO flaws comment over there. So don't come to us saying we're ridiculous on Lamb.

What you show an inability to put forth a balanced analysis of the draft prospect in question. There's a little too much rah-rah pom pom waiving going on here and not enough honest evaluation. That's equally true of anyone who says Lillard has no faults of course. Lillard has very little in the way of proven team leadership skills and that's a pretty big issue when you're the best ranked PG on the board. What Lillard doesn't have is motor issues, range issues, or FTA issues, which is why a lot of very sensible people prefer him to Lamb as a prospect. Some other very sensible people like Lamb more becuase of the mid-range game and scoring instincts. It's not a contest though.

If you could stop treating this as an us versus them paradigm for a little while everyone would be better off. I don't dislike Lamb as a prospect at all, and I wouldn't even be upset if the Raps draft him. I don't think he's any kind of lock to be a great NBA player though, and I have legitimate worries about the holes in his game. Why that makes everyone so defensive is beyond me.

I don't put balanced analysis and honest evaluation of a draft prospect? Lol. Sure I love to argue, but I've neutrally made so many balanced analysis of players in the past draft threads, ask anyone in case you don't know much about me.

No, people say they worry about one or two holes in Lamb's game, ignoring the other strengths and make quick conclusion labeling these as legitimate reasons why he should not be drafted or why he'll be a crappy player, if people say us lamb fans ignore weaknesses which I personally haven't ignored his many obvious weaknesses if you just go back to few pages ago. But for those who make claims on us lamb fans ignoring things like that, then that goes the same to people that ignore his strengths.

[fredericklove]

The only starting role Lamb will take from DD is on the summer league team.

Lol, you do know it's not hard to take over someone who doesn't play like a SG, right?

[highness]

I don't put balanced analysis and honest evaluation of a draft prospect? Lol. Sure I love to argue, but I've neutrally made so many balanced analysis of players in the past draft threads, ask anyone in case you don't know much about me.

No, people say they worry about one or two holes in Lamb's game, ignoring the other strengths and make quick conclusion labeling these as legitimate reasons why he should not be drafted or why he'll be a crappy player, if people say us lamb fans ignore weaknesses which I personally haven't ignored his many obvious weaknesses if you just go back to few pages ago. But for those who make claims on us lamb fans ignoring things like that, then that goes the same to people that ignore his strengths.

http://www.thecheapseats.ca/2012/06/uconns-jeremy-lamb-would-be-a-terrible-fit-with-the-toronto-raptors.html

Fun fact: Lamb had more games last season with zero free throw attempts (6) than he did with zero three-point attempts (0).

Which brings us to Lamb’s questionable shot selection in general. Lamb shot 6.2 threes per game last season, yet he connected on only 2.1 of them, good for 33.6%. Based off of last year’s stats, that would rank him as the sixth-best three-point shooter on the Raptors, a team hardly known for its three-point acumen. Last summer, playing with Team USA’s U19 World Championship squad (that finished fifth), he shot 29.4% from three. Keep in mind, both of those three-point lines are shorter than the ones he’ll face in the NBA.

It’s not the percentage that stands out, though, it’s the sheer number of threes Lamb took. For someone as athletic as Lamb, with the array of moves he has at his disposal, to settle for that many threes is a galling waste of talent, and it speaks to his overall disinterest in playing an aggressive brand of basketball. Again, this is a guy that shoots just 3.6 free throws per game, but manages to get off 6.2 threes at a mediocre percentage and he’s a desirable fit for the Raptors? I don’t think so.

How about his defense, though? Since you probably think that I’m harboring a grudge towards Lamb at this point, here is how Walker Beeken from DraftExpress describes Lamb’s defense:

“His energy on this end looked very inconsistent this season, however, not displaying the competitiveness, fundamentals and attention to detail that will likely be demanded from him at the NBA level, particularly off the ball.”

It’s also worth remembering that, in addition to Lamb’s penchant for firing up lazy shots, he doesn’t make up for it by making plays for others. He averaged just 1.7 assists per game last season, 45th on DraftExpress’s Top 100 and 18th out of 22 shooting guards on that list. He had the third-worst assist-to-FGA ratio of the 22 shooting guards and he averaged 2.0 turnovers against those 1.7 assists. That means that when Lamb has the ball he’s most likely to turn it over than he is to make an assist.

So not that great of a 3 point shooter, doesn't get to the free throw line, doesn't attack the basket, settles for long jumpers, doesn't create for his teammates, lacklustre attitude. Like I said before his game may look sexy on paper but in reality it's not. I'd rather take Dion Waiters if we must draft a 2.

[Homer Jay]

If people actually took the chance to watch the UCONN games rather than look at stats on a sheet (which thankfully Scouts actually do), you would have seen Lamb handicapped with a static offense that did nothing to create space for him. From a ball-hogging PG in Napier (trying to play himself into the draft), to a PF and C (Drummond and Oriakhi) that never ventured out from under the basket to set a pick for him. I saw Lamb often get the ball, make two or three attempts to penetrate the three-point line, only to instantly be doubled up. Did his teammates often take advantage of the double and get themselves open for a shot? No. They often stood at the same spot on the floor as when he started his drive. Not many opportunities for assists on that team for Lamb. On top of that he often was frozen out by Napier way too much for being a team's best player.

[highness]

The only starting role Lamb will take from DD is on the summer league team.

Lol, you do know it's not hard to take over someone who doesn't play like a SG, right?

DD doesn't play like your prototypical 2 but at the end of the day you start your best and most effective players and thats why DD starts. Marco Belinelli plays more like your typical 2 but would he start over DD? HAHA No.

[fredericklove]

I know every counter argument you have for him now back to front, we get it. You like Lamb.

Yeah I like him of course, but he has flaws and I've admitted that. Do you see me going "oh, I just found out that this guy has zero flaws". Nope, I'm pretty logical. If one who claimed a prospect has zero flaw and w/ other ppl that agree to that statement, then they're all clearly illogical.