Future draft classes

[CBB_Fan]

I'll be focusing first on the 2015 draft class, mainly on high school players in the next recruiting class. There's a chance Jabari Parker or Joel Embiid stays, and in that case I'd take either #1 or #2 overall, but it is hard to judge which college level players will take their games to the next level. First, Emmanuel Mudiay.

Highlight video.

Mudiay is NOT just a tall PG. We've seen them come and go, and often times they get overhyped because of their size. Mudiay is 6'5", but he has the other stuff as well. In comparison to a similar profiled athletes this year, Mudiay is quicker and has more PG skills than the Harrison twins. He's still not a pure point, like a Nash or Paul, but more of a scoring point guard like a Westbrook or Rose.

The most important physical trait a PG needs at the NBA level is quickness, and Mudiay is quick. His combination of size and speed give him a big advantage when he attacks the paint, which his #1 scoring method. Mudiay also makes use of a step-back jumper, though it remains to be seen whether he'll be a good shooter at the next level. I would take Mudiay #1 overall if the 2015 draft happened now.

Past Mudiay, you have a variety of post options. Jahlil Okafor is the best prospect of these, a 6'10 center spending his college year at Duke. He's not an explosive athlete, but he's quick enough. Highlights. He's a true center with good touch, good footwork, and good hands.

Next up, Myles Turner. Highlights. He is a currently undeclared footer that thinks he's a stretch four, and is very skilled. He likes to stick around the perimeter, but he's a half step quicker than Okafor. I get a worrisome Isaiah Austin vibe from him though; it is very hard for a young post player to balance out shooting from long range and developing the inside game needed to succeed at an NBA level. Shooting ability is nice in a big, but scoring on the block and off the pick and roll should still come first.

Karls Towns Jr. is another big man infatuated with the perimeter; he chose Kentucky. He's a little slower than Turner, but a maybe a better shooter. Highlights. He does have decent post skills, but needs a bit more polish and strength training than the posts I've mentioned earlier. Still a top 5 or top 10 pick though.

The final post at the top of the 2015 draft class is Cliff Alexander, who like Okafor is another Chicago area talent (seriously, that city is amazing at producing talent) who chose Kansas over Illinois in a very publicized hat ceremony. At 6'8", he's the shortest of these prospects but plays like the biggest, with an impressive 7'3" wingspan. Highlights. I've avoided giving NBA comparisons because they always seem to fall short, but Alexander plays like a shorter Drummond. He dunks and blocks everything and is very theatrical about it, and in an age of face-up big men is a refreshing blast to the past. I think he'll be the best freshman post next year because he knows his game, and he's the perfect Bill Self big. Will probably get docked on his height come draft time though.

Those are the big four from this class, the guys that I believe are sure one and dones. Next, I'll talk about the other guys. First off, a group of fairly similar PGs. Top of of the list, Tyus Jones, who chose to go with Okafor to Duke. He is a Tyler Ennis, Fred Van Vleet type college PG, and probably not a one and done unless Duke wins it all next year. Makes his teammates better, does everything well, but not very tall or very quick by NBA standards.

Joel Berry is another multiple year PG that chose UNC, but he's more athletic than Jones. He's short though, at only 6'0". Most concerning, he shows a lot of favoritism for his right hand. Tyler Ulis (UK) is another athletic PG, but at 5'9" is almost certainly not an NBA prospect. The point I'm trying to make is that next year does not seem to be a good year to pick up a PG after Mudiay.

There are a variety of wing prospects as well, but none at the same level as Wiggins or Parker this year. At the top of that list are Stanley Johnson (Arizona), Justin Jackson (UNC), Theo Pinson (UNC), and Kelly Oubre (KU). Pinson is the top athlete of the bunch and probably going to be picked the highest. Oubre is the next best athlete from what I've seen, and probably also a lottery pick. Johnson is a good defender and very strong, but he seems to play a lot of bully ball. Jackson has the most range and shooting, and if that holds up might be able to jump the others for draft position.

Bottom line: This draft class is for Mudiay and posts. Very little PG depth, not a lot on the wings. But the posts in this class are the best in a years, and Mudiay looks to be an elite scoring PG at the next level. I'll talk about 2016 and 2017 next, particularly the freak that is Thon Maker.

[reanimator]

Not a lot of wings? Stanley Johnson, Kelly Oubre, Rashad Vaughn, Marzo Hejzona, Glenn Robinson III, Caris LeVert, Justice Winslow, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Wayne Selden, Sam Dekker, Jabari Bird, Delon Wright, RJ Hunter, maybe Harrison twins, maybe Dario Saric, maybe KJ McDaniels, maybe Jerami Grant, maybe Jabari Parker, maybe Jordan Adams, maybe Terran Petteway, Sindarius Thornwell plus whomever emerges in college. Really odd statement. Maybe no superstar but tons of depth and potential in that group.

[Notanoob]

I honestly think that Delon Wright is the best PG prospect in this draft current draft class and the upcoming one.

Okafor looks like he has terrible hops based on that highlight video, and he doesn't even look 6'10" honestly. That's pretty poor, anyone have a better video that shows him off?

Turner looks like a much bigger, better athlete, but perimeter bigs are silly. They are often very overrated as shooters. Hopefully he is willing to bang around down low.

I like your comparison for Alexander. He looks like a guy who simply knows his role. That's fantastic, as it really is a pain watching players try to do things that they simply shouldn't be doing on the court.

[ManualRam]

a few things i disagree with:

-mudiay is becoming more of a distributor/playmaker, than a score first pg. the transformation has happened this yr, but he has not been as aggressive looking for his own offense.

-i don't think height will be an issue for cliff. he's a PF prospect, not a center prospect. he's got a big body and a massive wingspan.

-turner's athletic and agile so i wouldn't be too worried about him becoming another i.austin.

-i think tyus' athleticism is underrated. he's plenty quick. he just doesn't play like his hair is on fire like most pgs who are known for their quickness. he can turn on the jets when he needs to and he can actually attack the basket with tremendous body control. imo, he's got a kyrie like finishing game with the way he can contort his body and hang to get off different releases and spins off the glass. i think he's definitely a better athlete than joel berry, who's stronger with his stockier build, but not more athletic overall. i'd compare tyus' athleticism to that of mike conley. very sneaky.

-if the 2015 draft class was the topic of your post, berry didn't need to be mentioned. he looks more like a 3 yr guy at least. also, where are the returning players? the int'l players? the sleepers? if this was more about the HS class of 2014 you could've added to the same topic on the front page.

-there are plenty of wings. wings with really good potential too. the bigger names have already been covered, but there are others with potential like devin robinson, isaac copeland, jonah bolden and kam chatman who all have great tools with impressive, well-rounded skill sets.

-pinson might be the fastest but i think johnson and oubre are both more athletic. johnson with his power and explosion, oubre with his vertical athleticism and strength. jackson's not a great shooter with range either. he's more of a mid-range jump shooter who's expanding his range. there are much better deep shooting wing prospects than jackson who are also legit nba prospects.

[CBB_Fan]

Not a lot of wings? Stanley Johnson, Kelly Oubre, Rashad Vaughn, Marzo Hejzona, Glenn Robinson III, Caris LeVert, Justice Winslow, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Wayne Selden, Sam Dekker, Jabari Bird, Delon Wright, RJ Hunter, maybe Harrison twins, maybe Dario Saric, maybe KJ McDaniels, maybe Jerami Grant, maybe Jabari Parker, maybe Jordan Adams, maybe Terran Petteway, Sindarius Thornwell plus whomever emerges in college. Really odd statement. Maybe no superstar but tons of depth and potential in that group.

I was talking lottery level wings, and there aren't many wings I'd put in that level, whereas I see a lot of upper-level talent in the bigs.

[Jersey Generals]

Jonah Bolden is legit, Manual. I'm excited to watch him next year, even if it's at UCLA and not UNLV.

[bigboi]

If we're looking at future draft classes. I think Malik Newman could be a player, extremely athletic and smooth player, better than Mudiay to me. I think the next super hyped class is the 2017 class, just so many freaks-Thon Maker, Seventh Woods, Dennis Smith Jr, etc

[CBB_Fan]

If we're looking at future draft classes. I think Malik Newman could be a player, extremely athletic and smooth player, better than Mudiay to me. I think the next super hyped class is the 2017 class, just so many freaks-Thon Maker, Seventh Woods, Dennis Smith Jr, etc

Yeah, in terms of freakish athletes that class takes the cake. Thon Maker may be the freakiest athlete I've ever seen, though he's far from Lebron as a basketball player (shoots 40% from the field, 3rd on his AAU team in scoring).

[Marcus]

-i think tyus' athleticism is underrated. he's plenty quick. he just doesn't play like his hair is on fire like most pgs who are known for their quickness. he can turn on the jets when he needs to and he can actually attack the basket with tremendous body control. imo, he's got a kyrie like finishing game with the way he can contort his body and hang to get off different releases and spins off the glass. i think he's definitely a better athlete than joel berry, who's stronger with his stockier build, but not more athletic overall. i'd compare tyus' athleticism to that of mike conley. very sneaky.

you see Tyus as a one and done similar to say Ennis because his game is as complete as its gonna be? or will he be sticking around for a few years at Duke?

as for the topic, Delon Wright should be money going into the 2015 draft. If he got his jumper right then definitely a lottery pick. Would think working with his brother on it in the off-season would help. Marcus Paige needs to do the same. Mudiay looks like a beast and certain one and done. he plays a lot more under control and use explosion instead of break neck which I love out of a PG. Ulis is either 2 impressive years or a 4 year guy. Gonna have to be stellar to make the league I think.

I think most of the bigs outside of Towns and Lyles are one and done barring injury and bad play.

Wings Stan Johnson, Kelly Oubre, and Pinson could be one and done guys with good first years. Hollis Jefferson, Dekker, Seldon should add some depth. holding out for Seldon to make some big improvements this year.

Should be a good class that adds some good complimentary talent and add to the overall talent of the league. Including this 2014 class I like the talent projected to join the NBA over the next 4 to 5 years.

[Marcus]

If we're looking at future draft classes. I think Malik Newman could be a player, extremely athletic and smooth player, better than Mudiay to me. I think the next super hyped class is the 2017 class, just so many freaks-Thon Maker, Seventh Woods, Dennis Smith Jr, etc

Josh Jackson, VJ King, and Jayson Tatum too. Lots of wings with tons of versatility.

In that 2016 class I love Ben Simmons and Ivan Rabb if Rabb can add some size.

[ManualRam]

-i think tyus' athleticism is underrated. he's plenty quick. he just doesn't play like his hair is on fire like most pgs who are known for their quickness. he can turn on the jets when he needs to and he can actually attack the basket with tremendous body control. imo, he's got a kyrie like finishing game with the way he can contort his body and hang to get off different releases and spins off the glass. i think he's definitely a better athlete than joel berry, who's stronger with his stockier build, but not more athletic overall. i'd compare tyus' athleticism to that of mike conley. very sneaky.

you see Tyus as a one and done similar to say Ennis because his game is as complete as its gonna be? or will he be sticking around for a few years at Duke?

as for the topic, Delon Wright should be money going into the 2015 draft. If he got his jumper right then definitely a lottery pick. Would think working with his brother on it in the off-season would help. Marcus Paige needs to do the same. Mudiay looks like a beast and certain one and done. he plays a lot more under control and use explosion instead of break neck which I love out of a PG. Ulis is either 2 impressive years or a 4 year guy. Gonna have to be stellar to make the league I think.

I think most of the bigs outside of Towns and Lyles are one and done barring injury and bad play.

Wings Stan Johnson, Kelly Oubre, and Pinson could be one and done guys with good first years. Hollis Jefferson, Dekker, Seldon should add some depth. holding out for Seldon to make some big improvements this year.

Should be a good class that adds some good complimentary talent and add to the overall talent of the league. Including this 2014 class I like the talent projected to join the NBA over the next 4 to 5 years.

i think tyus could if he wanted to. he already plays a pro style game. he's very patient and poised, with an nba ready PnR game. i think he's more skilled and creative than ennis is too. it could depend on how coach k decides to use him. quinn cook will be back and while his play was erratic, seniority matters. will coach k be ok with running out a midget back court for long stretches? will tyus have to 50/50 share ball-handling and decision making? i would lean towards coach k giving tyus as much responsibility as he can handle because i think he's just that good, but you never know...coach k has been out-thinking himself recently imo.

delon not only needs to improve his shot but he needs to get MUCH stronger. shots are fixable and judging by his FT%, his stroke is not bad. his lack of strength is the bigger issue for me when projecting him to the next level.

one pg that i really like for next yr's draft is rysheed jordan out of st john's. his statistical profile isn't much to look at as he had a slow start, sharing the backcourt with more experienced guards, but physically he has all the tools. he's got the size, strength, length to go along with creative ball-handling, great footwork, ability to play through contact, playmaking and defensive potential. i think he has lotto potential and could challenge tyus for that 2nd pg in the draft spot. long term, i like him more than ennis.

[Marcus]

one pg that i really like for next yr's draft is rysheed jordan out of st john's. his statistical profile isn't much to look at as he had a slow start, sharing the backcourt with more experienced guards, but physically he has all the tools. he's got the size, strength, length to go along with creative ball-handling, great footwork, ability to play through contact, playmaking and defensive potential. i think he has lotto potential and could challenge tyus for that 2nd pg in the draft spot. long term, i like him more than ennis.

2017 being considered a freak class

Where would you rank these players amongst each other and their long term outlook

Seventh Woods
Jayson Tatum
VJ King
Dennis Smith Jr.
Thon Maker
Josh Jackson

[CBB_Fan]

one pg that i really like for next yr's draft is rysheed jordan out of st john's. his statistical profile isn't much to look at as he had a slow start, sharing the backcourt with more experienced guards, but physically he has all the tools. he's got the size, strength, length to go along with creative ball-handling, great footwork, ability to play through contact, playmaking and defensive potential. i think he has lotto potential and could challenge tyus for that 2nd pg in the draft spot. long term, i like him more than ennis.

2017 being considered a freak class

Where would you rank these players amongst each other and their long term outlook

Seventh Woods
Jayson Tatum
VJ King
Dennis Smith Jr.
Thon Maker
Josh Jackson

2017 is looking even better than this year. Thon Maker is the freakiest athlete since Lebron, though he isn't half the basketball player Lebron was at the same age. At his height, staying healthy will be the the biggest concern. But if he can stay healthy, he is the fastest person I've ever seen at his height. He has the potential to be the ultimate stretch four. Here is a video of him as a FRESHMAN.

Seventh Woods is another early maturing player. Good height, amazing athleticism, good skills. Early on, I heard that he was reliant on simply overpowering defenders, but apparently he has put effort into extending his range out to the NBA 3PT line. I don't think he's mentally built to be a pure point, but few PGs are. I think he can join the modern scoring guards that have dominated the PG position.

I'll comment on the rest later, but those two are the two I've seen the most of. They are both great athletes, especially considering their age.

[ManualRam]

one pg that i really like for next yr's draft is rysheed jordan out of st john's. his statistical profile isn't much to look at as he had a slow start, sharing the backcourt with more experienced guards, but physically he has all the tools. he's got the size, strength, length to go along with creative ball-handling, great footwork, ability to play through contact, playmaking and defensive potential. i think he has lotto potential and could challenge tyus for that 2nd pg in the draft spot. long term, i like him more than ennis.

2017 being considered a freak class

Where would you rank these players amongst each other and their long term outlook

Seventh Woods
Jayson Tatum
VJ King
Dennis Smith Jr.
Thon Maker
Josh Jackson

maker has the most potential, but i already don't like how he's gravitating towards the perimeter at such an early stage of his development. i REALLY like josh jackson and think he has superstar potential. he's got a thin frame, but i think he has the skill, quickness and defensive ability to be a SG regardless of if he keeps growing (i think he's close to 6'8 now). his ball-handling, defense, motor and playmaking are superb for his age. his shot isn't pretty, but he has a quick release and it's effective. i'd have him ranked #1, followed by maker and tatum.

you didn't list harry giles, but i'd put him 3rd in front of tatum. i'm assuming he'll get back to full strength and as such is a better athlete than tatum.

i would rank tyus battle ahead of vj king. i think tyus has similar shot-making ability, but with a better handle and slashing potential.

seventh woods i'd have a little further down. woods is a tremendous athlete, but his PG skills lag behind his athleticism. i actually think derryck thornton is a better PG than woods currently, but he's not the physical specimen woods is. in terms of ball-handling, passing, floor generalship and shooting, thornton > woods and derryck is getting invaluable experience playing alongside great talent at findlay prep. i think if they had thornton, they would've given montverde a run for their money at the HS national championship.

i do not have a good feel for junior smith, so i don't feel comfortable ranking him highly. i've only seen mixes of him and i'd like to see how some of that hotdogging stuff flies in real games vs stiff competition. scouts used to like this kid corey sanders too who had similar athleticism and creativity...until they saw him more in more organized settings.

3 other guys i'm high on that i've seen from that class are josh langford, mustapha heron and MJ cage. they'd probably be somewhere in my top 10 as well, maybe ranked ahead of a couple of guys on your list.
langford is a powerful slasher with a d-wade-esque game. heron is a jack of all trades type player. already has a college ready build. defends, shoots, can play through contact and even has point skills. both heron and langford run some point for their respective teams at around 6'4-5 200+ lbs. mj cage could be the best post prospect in that class. he's got a very refined game for being so young.

[Marcus]

maker has the most potential, but i already don't like how he's gravitating towards the perimeter at such an early stage of his development. i REALLY like josh jackson and think he has superstar potential. he's got a thin frame, but i think he has the skill, quickness and defensive ability to be a SG regardless of if he keeps growing (i think he's close to 6'8 now). his ball-handling, defense, motor and playmaking are superb for his age. his shot isn't pretty, but he has a quick release and it's effective. i'd have him ranked #1, followed by maker and tatum.

you didn't list harry giles, but i'd put him 3rd in front of tatum. i'm assuming he'll get back to full strength and as such is a better athlete than tatum.

i would rank tyus battle ahead of vj king. i think tyus has similar shot-making ability, but with a better handle and slashing potential.

seventh woods i'd have a little further down. woods is a tremendous athlete, but his PG skills lag behind his athleticism. i actually think derryck thornton is a better PG than woods currently, but he's not the physical specimen woods is. in terms of ball-handling, passing, floor generalship and shooting, thornton > woods and derryck is getting invaluable experience playing alongside great talent at findlay prep. i think if they had thornton, they would've given montverde a run for their money at the HS national championship.

i do not have a good feel for junior smith, so i don't feel comfortable ranking him highly. i've only seen mixes of him and i'd like to see how some of that hotdogging stuff flies in real games vs stiff competition. scouts used to like this kid corey sanders too who had similar athleticism and creativity...until they saw him more in more organized settings.

3 other guys i'm high on that i've seen from that class are josh langford, mustapha heron and MJ cage. they'd probably be somewhere in my top 10 as well, maybe ranked ahead of a couple of guys on your list.
langford is a powerful slasher with a d-wade-esque game. heron is a jack of all trades type player. already has a college ready build. defends, shoots, can play through contact and even has point skills. both heron and langford run some point for their respective teams at around 6'4-5 200+ lbs. mj cage could be the best post prospect in that class. he's got a very refined game for being so young.

just started digging into that class recently so I haven't had a chance to take a look at some of the talent you mentioned. Giles I didn't mention not as a slight but because he was one I was already aware of, Tatum's game I like a lot but I can see how he's not on par with Giles athletically. Woods i just recently got caught up on and I like a lot of what I see but clearly there are some questions. Love the pace and smoothness of Josh Jackson's game and he's been the most impressive looking from what i've seen. I'm a big fan of guys that play at their own pace and appear to glide in their movements. Maker i remain on the fence about. I wanna see how his body deals with the bulk he's gonna have to put on to bang. Unless we're suppossed to see him as Durant 2.0 i think he's gonna have to learn how to play away from the perimeter. Just feels like that talent is gonna get wasted somewhere down the line. hope im wrong though. Gonna check out some of the other names you listed. Appreciate the response.

[Marcus]

i do not have a good feel for junior smith, so i don't feel comfortable ranking him highly. i've only seen mixes of him and i'd like to see how some of that hotdogging stuff flies in real games vs stiff competition. scouts used to like this kid corey sanders too who had similar athleticism and creativity...until they saw him more in more organized settings.

3 other guys i'm high on that i've seen from that class are josh langford, mustapha heron and MJ cage. they'd probably be somewhere in my top 10 as well, maybe ranked ahead of a couple of guys on your list.
langford is a powerful slasher with a d-wade-esque game. heron is a jack of all trades type player. already has a college ready build. defends, shoots, can play through contact and even has point skills. both heron and langford run some point for their respective teams at around 6'4-5 200+ lbs. mj cage could be the best post prospect in that class. he's got a very refined game for being so young.

Langford has a really REALLY crisp jumper, the elevation, the balance, the release, looks like he plays with his head up at his pace and does a great job at finding space on the floor from the clips i saw. not explosive but very strong.

Heron's jumper is very nice, i like the fact that he's a lefty, good slasher, not a ridiculously high leaper but explosive enough.

Thornton was shifty to say the least. not sure if they were older clips but he looks teenie, like his court vision and ball handling though. looks like a pretty smooth effortless stroke too. found a findley v bishop gorman game on the tube. gonna check that out.

Would you say that Cage's post game is better than Ivan Rabb's?

[ManualRam]

i do not have a good feel for junior smith, so i don't feel comfortable ranking him highly. i've only seen mixes of him and i'd like to see how some of that hotdogging stuff flies in real games vs stiff competition. scouts used to like this kid corey sanders too who had similar athleticism and creativity...until they saw him more in more organized settings.

3 other guys i'm high on that i've seen from that class are josh langford, mustapha heron and MJ cage. they'd probably be somewhere in my top 10 as well, maybe ranked ahead of a couple of guys on your list.
langford is a powerful slasher with a d-wade-esque game. heron is a jack of all trades type player. already has a college ready build. defends, shoots, can play through contact and even has point skills. both heron and langford run some point for their respective teams at around 6'4-5 200+ lbs. mj cage could be the best post prospect in that class. he's got a very refined game for being so young.

Langford has a really REALLY crisp jumper, the elevation, the balance, the release, looks like he plays with his head up at his pace and does a great job at finding space on the floor from the clips i saw. not explosive but very strong.

Heron's jumper is very nice, i like the fact that he's a lefty, good slasher, not a ridiculously high leaper but explosive enough.

Thornton was shifty to say the least. not sure if they were older clips but he looks teenie, like his court vision and ball handling though. looks like a pretty smooth effortless stroke too. found a findley v bishop gorman game on the tube. gonna check that out.

Would you say that Cage's post game is better than Ivan Rabb's?

the problem with evaluating kids who are sophomores is that a lot of them are still growing. thornton's listed at 6'2 175, which last time i checked is similar to woods' measurements. i think the 6'2 might be about right now, but not the 175. thornton has a naturally thin frame which could be problematic down the line.

i'm pretty sure the findlay prep vs prime prep (mudiay and terrance ferguson) is on youtube too. that's a good one.

i'd say rabb and cage's post games were similar at the same stage. cage is a little stronger as a soph than rabb was, so maybe he's better at holding his position and sealing off his man, but neither needed elaborate post games at this stage. cage keeps it simple and effective for now. he's got a money jump hook, he has a turnaround jumper left shoulder and he seals, drop steps right shoulder.

[ManualRam]

one pg that i really like for next yr's draft is rysheed jordan out of st john's. his statistical profile isn't much to look at as he had a slow start, sharing the backcourt with more experienced guards, but physically he has all the tools. he's got the size, strength, length to go along with creative ball-handling, great footwork, ability to play through contact, playmaking and defensive potential. i think he has lotto potential and could challenge tyus for that 2nd pg in the draft spot. long term, i like him more than ennis.

2017 being considered a freak class

Where would you rank these players amongst each other and their long term outlook

Seventh Woods
Jayson Tatum
VJ King
Dennis Smith Jr.
Thon Maker
Josh Jackson

so i got e-mailed some footage of dennis smith from adidas gauntlet... and um, wow.
i might get into more detail later, but initial impression is really, really good, like in the mix for top 5 in his class good.

he's much better than seventh woods is right now, who played in another event this past w/e and supposedly looked passive and mediocre overall despite his athleticism. that's kinda how i described him after seeing him last summer for team usa. i think he's trying too hard to be a "pure pg."

[Marcus]

so i got e-mailed some footage of dennis smith from adidas gauntlet... and um, wow.
i might get into more detail later, but initial impression is really, really good, like in the mix for top 5 in his class good.

he's much better than seventh woods is right now, who played in another event this past w/e and supposedly looked passive and mediocre overall despite his athleticism. that's kinda how i described him after seeing him last summer for team usa. i think he's trying too hard to be a "pure pg."

Yeah the youtube clips of Smith's high school team versus Woods' is what drew me in. He obviously had a better squad around him but i didn't see much of anything else that would make Woods the better prospect outside of unworldly gifts. Smith looked like the better ball player and im guessing that still remains the case.

I was thinking about the influx of talented bigmen the league SHOULD be seeing in the near future and how the wing play should also gain some depth with the upcoming classes over the next few years. Which led me to think that the deepest position in the league right now (the PG) might be in for a drought as far as superstar talent. This year's class isn't very deep and it would appear that Mudiay might the only one on the horizon within the next few years with the ability to reach that status. What say you?

[bigboi]

one pg that i really like for next yr's draft is rysheed jordan out of st john's. his statistical profile isn't much to look at as he had a slow start, sharing the backcourt with more experienced guards, but physically he has all the tools. he's got the size, strength, length to go along with creative ball-handling, great footwork, ability to play through contact, playmaking and defensive potential. i think he has lotto potential and could challenge tyus for that 2nd pg in the draft spot. long term, i like him more than ennis.

2017 being considered a freak class

Where would you rank these players amongst each other and their long term outlook

Seventh Woods
Jayson Tatum
VJ King
Dennis Smith Jr.
Thon Maker
Josh Jackson

so i got e-mailed some footage of dennis smith from adidas gauntlet... and um, wow.
i might get into more detail later, but initial impression is really, really good, like in the mix for top 5 in his class good.

he's much better than seventh woods is right now, who played in another event this past w/e and supposedly looked passive and mediocre overall despite his athleticism. that's kinda how i described him after seeing him last summer for team usa. i think he's trying too hard to be a "pure pg."

I don't think Smith is much better than Woods. They basically look like the same player, but for some reason Smith reminds me of Josh Selby. Also if Malik Newman were in that class, where would you rank him