The Dante Exum Thread

drsd · Post #301 » by **drsd** » Sun May 25, 2014 9:23 am

Skin wrote:Defense can be taught ....

Team defense can be taught. What Exum brings is a physical skill set that projects as "disruptive" for man-on-man defense. I really cannot see Orlando questioning Exum's defensive future.

..

basketballRob · Post #302 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 9:56 am

Gordon isn't in the running just like Oladipo wasn't in the running for the 2 pick this time last year. No way Vonleh or Smart go ahead of Gordon. I think as we get closer to the draft the mock drafts will catch up.

basketballRob · Post #303 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 10:58 am

Gordon may be a better dunker than even Griffin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gvQIvVAcLs

Baller2014 · Post #304 » by **Baller2014** » Sun May 25, 2014 11:10 am

Oladipo was always in the running for 2nd, and in advance of the draft I strongly felt he was going #2. A lot of the mock drafts agreed, for what that is worth. Gordon has major, major, non-fixable problems with his game. It's a fantasy to think he is going ahead of sure things like Smart. He's basically projecting as Kenneth Faried at this point (albeit a rich mans version if he's lucky). He insisted all last year he was a small forward, but when he tried to show it off it was a huge disaster. He can't shoot, he has no handles or offensive game to speak of. Similarly, he has no offensive game for the 4 spot, it's all put backs and the like. He isn't especially big either. He's a major, major project. No chance he goes top 4.

Post #305 » by **damo[23]** » Sun May 25, 2014 11:28 am

I actually really like our draft position. While it would have been great to be higher, we do have the position where Exum, a PG that we need, is the best choice, and if anyone above us does anything surprising, we end up with a great pick anyway. I think we have the least risk best reward in 4th.

But honestly, I want a PG out of this draft, and Exum seems like the choice for us.

Post #306 » by **damo[23]** » Sun May 25, 2014 11:29 am

drsd wrote:
Skin wrote:Defense can be taught ....

Team defense can be taught. What Exum brings is a physical skill set that projects as "disruptive" for man-on-man defense. I really cannot see Orlando questioning Exum's defensive future.

..

Just look at JJ Redick. He was a weak overall defender, while he hasnt become a great 1v1 defender, his team D is actually well above average (possibly bordering into good team D) - which is more than acceptable.

basketballRob · Post #307 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 11:43 am

Really, I don't recall or have seen any mock drafts that had Oladipo going 2 at this time last year. Most had Ben Mclemore going 2. Gordon has all the same traits that Oladipo has. High IQ, motor, athletic ablility, and character.

basketballRob · Post #308 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 11:48 am

This is the date that Oladipo started moving up. They were comparing him to Tony Allen.

http://nbadraft.net/extended-nba-mock-draft-40

Baller2014 · Post #309 » by **Baller2014** » Sun May 25, 2014 11:53 am

Sure, and then people looked closer at Oladipo, looked at how lacking the other options were, and realised he was probably the safest course. Or at least that's what I felt like as the draft approached. With Gordon I don't see what he can show in the next month that changes things. He has had a whole year to show he could be a different player, and the other options are very attractive and safe.

I mean even in that mock, a month before the draft, Dipo is going #4. Then look at the guys in front of him. Nerlens dropped because of (real) injury concerns, Porter stayed where he was, and people decided McLemore was too thin (which was the original concern, but he'd had a good tourney overall, so people rode the hype wave a little bit, given how bad the class was in general; eventually that hype wore off). The guys ahead of Gordon aren't there because they're riding a hype wave, and there are no better options. The guys ahead of Gordon have almost all faced extensive scrutiny over a long period. Some are even ranked high in spite of poor tourney showings.

basketballRob · Post #310 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:01 pm

To say Gordon has non-fixable flaws is an overstatement. He's a late bloomer, who isn't fully grown, and will be the youngest player in the draft.

basketballRob · Post #311 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:04 pm

I think Mclemore fell because they found out he wasn't smart. Kind of like Smart and Vonleh.'

Baller2014 · Post #312 » by **Baller2014** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:05 pm

He can't shoot (not even FTs), he can't dribble, he can't create his own shot, he has no post-up game, etc. That and a whole lot more are huge, huge problems, and some of them are very, very, very hard to fix (if you could just turn a 40-50% FT shooter into a good shooter, teams would do it more often). It's hard to understate the problems with Gordon.

Baller2014 · Post #313 » by **Baller2014** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:06 pm

Smart has a very high bball IQ. No idea where you got that idea.

basketballRob · Post #314 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:12 pm

Listen too Smart's draft combine interview. Blake Griffin shot in the 50's when he was in college and he was a year older than Gordon as a freshman.

Baller2014 · Post #315 » by **Baller2014** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:23 pm

Blake Griffin utterly dominated the college game in a way Gordon didn't even come close to. The bad FT's were one isolated problem Griffin possessed, whereas Gordon has a huge number of problems to fix. Where Griffin "needed to work on" some parts of his game, with Gordon those dimensions of his game don't even exist.

Post #316 » by **Bensational** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:35 pm

here is the abridged Spain game. again, quality is terrible, but it's better than nothing.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5dw9g4ufDw&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

basketballRob · Post #317 » by **basketballRob** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:39 pm

Who's to say that if Gordon played two more years of college that he wouldn't average 25 and 14 his final season.

Post #318 » by **Bensational** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:41 pm

Skin wrote:Defense can be taught, but your size, speed and desire will limit you.

that's what i question, is his desire. given that he looked to even take offensive plays off, it makes me think he doesn't share the same drive that JJ had, which he used to become quite a serviceable defender.

Jameer's defense has always been terrible. the only thing he did well was to at least funnel his man towards Dwight. if we had Dwight, i wouldn't be concerned.

Post #319 » by **Bensational** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:46 pm

Baller2014 wrote:He can't shoot (not even FTs), he can't dribble, he can't create his own shot, he has no post-up game, etc.

he can dribble. not sure why he didn't do more of it in college, but he's actually got a decent handle, particularly if he ends up a PF. if he reincorporates that into his game, he'll be able to create his own shot more. post game takes time to learn for most prospects, unless they're naturally bigger than everyone else and can bully their way through the learning curve.

Gordon shouldn't be in consideration for the #4 pick though, not by any means.

Baller2014 · Post #320 » by **Baller2014** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:53 pm

basketballRob wrote:Who's to say that if Gordon played two more years of college that he wouldn't average 25 and 14 his final season.

Blake played two seasons in college, not three, so Gordon would have to have done that next season. If he proved he could do all that and play like Blake then he'd be in consideration for a top 3 pick. But he didn't, and what we've seen so far is he can't. Guys don't get credit for what they might have been able to show they can do... not enough to get drafted top 4 in this draft. Gordon is a major project.