Countdown to NBA Draft: Prospect Talk

[NBA Fan 1234]

I've seen Kaminsky play and have been a fan of his since last year. I just don't see how he's a better fit. Towns can score from post, mid range, pass from everywhere, face up, and plays great defense (especially for a FRESHMAN).

Okafor is a good passer. Watch the games and see how he reads when the double comes. It's not his fault he doesn't have any consistent outside shooters. His defense isn't great (it's bad in space), but his help defense isn't bad -- watch how he plays defense the way NBA bigs do (paint 2 seconds, touch someone or step out, back in, bump, etc). He does a nice job with that. He's just bad on the perimeter.

I've just seen your message. I apologize for any insults to i said to anyone from my previous posts

anyway

There is nothing you said about Towns skills that Kaminsky don't already posses. If i was Phil i would rather select experience over someone that's still learning. Towns should stay a year or two more to develop his skills. His game is not ripe yet. OK4 does not play defense compared to NBA Centers. His defense is equivalent to Al Jefferson and Greg Monroe. He's not a true Center

All good dude.

The only thing Kaminsky has that Towns doesn't is an outside jumper. Okafor has shown flashes of a face up game, but obviously needs work. He is, however, only 19(?). Jefferson's poor defense was masked last year by having him back off pick and rolls / pops -- Clifford was a damn genius with that move. I think his defense is significantly better than Monroe's was (at the same stage).

With a top pick, I've always been a fan of picking the guy with the highest ceiling BUT with the highest floor (lowest bust potential) too. Should Towns stay to get better? I mean, I guess...but he's already incredibly versatile and I don't think staying another year in college is going to do him any good. Would much rather get a team to work on his game at a young age.

Again though, I like Kaminsky...however, I think his ceiling is somewhat limited and he is what he is. Players like Okafor, Towns, etc are guys who have high ceilings (Towns with the higher ceiling, IMO) and high ceilings (Okafor has the higher floor, but I don't think Towns' is that much lower).

[Jheri Curl]

Kaminsky is a role player through and through. He tries on defense but he's slight of build and isn't what I would call a rim protector at all. Frank would be food to quite a few big men in the paint, Okafor has a good 40 lbs on him, much longer wingspan and standing reach. Okafor can become a good defender with time, he has the tools but Frank is limited in that regard. Too slow to guard 4s, too weak to guard 5s, no explosiveness, short arms...it just doesn't work in his favor at all.

Towns doesn't need another year in school. If he wants to learn how to play in the league, the best way would be to learn from NBA coaches and so on. Another year in school usually doesn't do much for most high level picks, the issues they have aren't fixable within a years time.

[god4gives]

I've seen Kaminsky play and have been a fan of his since last year. I just don't see how he's a better fit. Towns can score from post, mid range, pass from everywhere, face up, and plays great defense (especially for a FRESHMAN).

Okafor is a good passer. Watch the games and see how he reads when the double comes. It's not his fault he doesn't have any consistent outside shooters. His defense isn't great (it's bad in space), but his help defense isn't bad -- watch how he plays defense the way NBA bigs do (paint 2 seconds, touch someone or step out, back in, bump, etc). He does a nice job with that. He's just bad on the perimeter.

I've just seen your message. I apologize for any insults to i said to anyone from my previous posts

anyway

There is nothing you said about Towns skills that Kaminsky don't already posses. If i was Phil i would rather select experience over someone that's still learning. Towns should stay a year or two more to develop his skills. His game is not ripe yet. OK4 does not play defense compared to NBA Centers. His defense is equivalent to Al Jefferson and Greg Monroe. He's not a true Center

All good dude.

The only thing Kaminsky has that Towns doesn't is an outside jumper. Okafor has shown flashes of a face up game, but obviously needs work. He is, however, only 19(?). Jefferson's poor defense was masked last year by having him back off pick and rolls / pops -- Clifford was a damn genius with that move. I think his defense is significantly better than Monroe's was (at the same stage).

With a top pick, I've always been a fan of picking the guy with the highest ceiling BUT with the highest floor (lowest bust potential) too. Should Towns stay to get better? I mean, I guess...but he's already incredibly versatile and I don't think staying another year in college is going to do him any good. Would much rather get a team to work on his game at a young age.

Again though, I like Kaminsky...however, I think his ceiling is somewhat limited and he is what he is. Players like Okafor, Towns, etc are guys who have high ceilings (Towns with the higher ceiling, IMO) and high ceilings (Okafor has the higher floor, but I don't think Towns' is that much lower).

Kaminsky's game is not limited because he's not one dimensional which is why he rapidly kept improving. OK4's game is. He does a lot of the same moves. When mentioning high & low ceilings, I'm looking for versatility which Towns has but he is not polished yet. He's still a little raw. He's going to be a sheep amongst wolves if he enters the NBA as a starting C/PF. Also Kaminsky is a much better ball handler due to him being a former point guard. He can attack in any direction facing up and finish with either hands naturally in the post. You already know Kaminsky has a better perimeter game and a killer behind the arc so I'm not gonna even go there. He gives his defenders problems because he brings them out of their comfort zone. He has the ability to switch his game and score as a traditional Center with a back to the basket/post game and a stretch 4. He boxes out better than OK4 who's stronger. He knows how to put himself in position. Most people say his weakness is his strength which i can agree upon because it was times when OK4 bullied his way in but he still held his own. He's still 7' 0" & 245 pounds. That's still good size for a C/PF. His is no way near Olynyk or Bargnani whose post games are wack. His game is closer to Dirk Nowitzki & Marc Gasol combined

[NBA Fan 1234]

I just don't think Kaminsky is worth a top pick. I like him, and he was one of the guys I was aiming for had we played better and ended up at the end of the lotto / outside, but not with a top pick.

He's got nothing in common with Gasol. Gasol is the best defensive big in the game, is the best passing big in the game from anywhere on the court, has a beautiful post game, mid range game, and is unselfish (almost to a fault). Dirk because he's tall and can shoot? I don't see that comparison really either aside from that.

[god4gives]

[StephNYKurry]

D'Angelo Russell could very well be a point guard at the next level.

Been following him since he popped on Carolina's recruiting radar and told everybody that would listen that he was a player. Had no idea that he'd wind up being this good. I thought of him more as a Jalen Rose type player, but his shooting his bumped that ceiling up quite a bit.

Incredible vision and his shot/handle combination should be enough to consistently get him in the paint.

He's more Stephen Curry than he is James Harden in the fact that his whole game is based on his skill level. Harden has some elite physical gifts in his strength and length. James is also an above average athlete if he isn't an explosive one. Steph on the other hand is quick and has a great first step, but the better part, if not most of his game is based purely on the fact that he is a basketball savant.

My Dad calls him Stephen Bird. Otherworldly shooting combined with Otherworldly ball handling combined with Otherworldly passing combined with Otherworldly basketball IQ/vision. He simply sees the game differently than normal human beings. It would take 3 replays from an overhead angle to see openings that Stephen Curry sees as he's going full speed down the floor.

D'Angelo is the same as Steph in some aspects. He sees the floor incredibly well, especially for a player at his age and he can also knock down a variety of shots off the dribble and catch. He has a feel and touch that aren't found in most basketball players and most players of his ilk tend to be very successful in the pro's.

Draymond Green
Boris Diaw
Manu Ginobili
Goran Dragic
James Harden

All guys of varying levels of athleticism (some have none and others are above average) but they all have the innate ability to see the floor and the skill to make defenses pay for the slightest mistake.

How great a player D'Angelo will become will largely depend on how good of a shooter he is. If he's truly a knock down shooter off the dribble and catch, then he's probably going to become a star.

[Marty McFly]

first name that popped into my head with russell was jalen rose.

[TheBigBoss]

I wish we had 2 top 5 picks, if we could draft for instance Towns and Russell, those guys would compliment Melo nicely while being good fits in the triangle. Then make some smart moves with FA and we might have been able to surprise alot of teams like the Bucks did this year, oh well.

[Jheri Curl]

Okafor can easily develop a shot on the perimeter with practice. He already has a soft touch which is a great building block as it is. Versatility doesn't always mean superiority however. A truly dominant low post player doesn't need to be a deadeye 3 shooter. Not every player has to be a stretch 4 or 5 even with the modernization of the game. Dwight has 3 post moves at best and defenses still can't stop him.

Okafor is averaging more PPG, RPG, higher FG%, similar BPG and SPG. Frank shoots better from 3 and the line but both big men make about 3 to 4 FTs a game with Okafor getting 2 additional shots from there. He gets frontline defenders in trouble.

I definitely understand finding a diamond in the rough but blatantly ignoring Frank's flaws ain't the way to go about it. I wouldn't even call him Kelly Olynyk as Kelly is even more coordinated and agile than Frank. He's more like an advanced Spencer Hawes.

[siar617]

So now you guys are saying Towns can't shoot?
Cocaine is a powerful drug

[knicksfan974]

So do people think Okafor would be worth the #1 pick?

[TheBigBoss]

Frank Kaminsky will be drafted by Utah. Deal with it god4gives!

[JBreezeNY]

Dukies looking flabby but Okafor did a good job leading them today.

[NBA Fan 1234]

Dukies looking flabby but Okafor did a good job leading them today.

They have so many kinks in that offense...so often do they go a few minutes at a time without scoring. Not as much movement off ball once Okafor gets the ball in the post. Aside from Jefferson's cut from the elbow, I don't remember much action towards the basket when Okafor touches it.

[JBreezeNY]

Dukies looking flabby but Okafor did a good job leading them today.

They have so many kinks in that offense...so often do they go a few minutes at a time without scoring. Not as much movement off ball once Okafor gets the ball in the post. Aside from Jefferson's cut from the elbow, I don't remember much action towards the basket when Okafor touches it.

Yup, I don't know if I wanna blame it on having a guy that's a low post presence so all the focus goes on him but yea they're pretty much statues out there.

[DaGawd]

So do people think Okafor would be worth the #1 pick?

This aint even a question. He IS the number 1 pick. Passing on him is taking a huge gamble if you have the number 1 pick

[god4gives]

Jahlil Okafor

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/jahlil-okafor

NBA Comparison: Al Jefferson
Strengths: Big, powerful body with huge hands, palms the ball easily which allows him to control rebounds in traffic ... Polished, skilled back to the basket scorer with a variety of moves ... Smooth for his size, solid rebounder, very good IQ, plays to his strengths, knows his limitations and doesn't try to do things that he can't do ... NBA body and strength, quick feet for a player with such a big frame ... Has great moves and counters, the footwork of an NBA vet, soft touch around basket ... Heady passer out of double teams ... Understands how to establish position and knows how to use his body, never rushes his move and plays with great pace and patience ... savvy beyond his years for a young post player, rebounds his area ...

Weaknesses: Not a great athlete, rebounder, or shot blocker ... Lack of athleticism and ability to be a game changer on the defensive end limits his upside ... Has trouble moving his feet in pick and roll situations ... Not a great shooter and doesn't offer much in terms of pick and pop situations ... Doesn't rebound out of his area ... Doesn't impact the game defensively ... Has problems finishing over length due to the fact that he's not an explosive athlete ... Conditioning has been an issue, though he has shown solid dedication to improving his body ... Lack of athleticism will hurt him at the NBA level ... Close to being a finished product, lacks great upside, will be dominant in college ...




Karl-Anthony Towns

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/karl-anthony-towns

Strengths: Center prospect with the size and skill set to make a strong impact at both ends of the floor in the NBA ... Hard worker, smart kid, with strength of character ... Shows desire and a competitive nature ... Possesses a great feel for the game ... Offensive game oozes potential with a text book shooting form, great touch and ability to hit outside and mid range jumpers effortlessly and consistently ... Has even implemented a steadily improving hook shot into his repertoire ... His length and strong body gives him excellent ability to rebound and hold position in the post ... Tremendous rebounder on a per 40 minute basis, with big hands, good box out fundamentals, post positioning and energy ... Has worked hard on his body and has developed broad shoulders and good strength ... Should be able to add additional weight and play comfortably in the 260-270 range ... Shows a willingness to play physical and fight in the post ... Terrific passer, good vision, he's able to find players when doubled, and even have the offense run through him at the high post ... Very good shot blocker. Though not a huge leaper, has excellent timing and shows the ability to use his great length as a rim protector ... Shows better speed than quickness, and can really motor once he gets a head of steam ... Hustles and shows the willingness to defend and play hard ... Underrated foot speed and perimeter defensive ability ... Doesn't seem to get winded easily, though the UK platoon system helps in this area ... Has shown the ability to defend players much smaller than himself with success on the perimeter ...

Weaknesses: Has struggled mightily with his post offense early in the season. Post play, foot work and confidence on the block needs a lot of work ... Still appears to be growing into his body, movements are gangly ... A very solid athlete, but not the most explosive leaper without momentum, though he's shown the ability to dunk from the free throw line, so he's not exactly a plodder ... Second jump leaping not a strong point ... Appears to leap better off of one foot than two which is better for wing players ... Huge feet seem to weigh him down some and challenge his ability to make quick moves from a standstill position ... Has shown a tendency to get in foul trouble and the current "platoon system" at Kentucky does not allow scouts to accurately judge his ability to play full games and stay out of foul trouble ... Has a lot less pressure to produce on a daily basis on a stacked UK team. It's easy to look good when teams are not able to focus all of their attention on a player the caliber of Towns. Coach Calipari's system also does an excellent job of showcasing a player's strengths while masking their weaknesses ... Top heavy. Despite showing a huge set of arms and shoulders, his lower body strength needs work, as he gets knocked off balance and pushed around at times. Balance can improve. Granted, considering his age and work ethic, these are not hugely concerning issues ...


Frank Kaminsky

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/frank-kaminsky

NBA Comparison: Nenad Krstic/Sean Marks
Strengths: At 7-feet, there not many players around with his offensive skill set .... Highly fundamental, Kaminsky has great footwork, can go left and right and does a great job of using his length on offense ... He can finish at the rim with either hand, post up on either block, shoot from the mid-range, consistently knock down 3’s and even attack you from off the dribble ... The lack of quickness and explosiveness is compensated by his high basketball IQ ... He is able to go by defenders on close outs, controlling his body to avoid charges, but also to basically post up from 16/15 feet and slowly back down defenders to the basket ... His shooting touch is what is really intriguing about him ... He didn’t shoot particularly well in the summer camps (adidas Nations) but he has been very consistent during this first part of the season, so far, even from long range, though he needs to get his feet set to be effective ... He is a scoring threat from everywhere on the court ... He loves utilizing his spin move, going back to the middle of the floor, and knows how to use it to be aggressive and shoot over his defender in a similar way of what Dirk does at the NBA level ... Perhaps an area where he is a little underrated is passing, he has great vision of the court and makes really good decision with the ball, at his height he can see the floor really well and that can help in high-low situations, for example ... A perfect guy to play pick and pop, very hard to ICE on ball screens, he spaces the floor well and he is also effective in the post ... In the NBA, he will have to be a 4 offensively, and life will not be as easy to get by opponents, he will need to be a professor and learn all thr tricks with angles and fakes in order to not be neutralized by his lack of athleticism ... Despite that he is 7-foot and able to contest shots in the paint, the long arms help him get many rebounds, but he will have to add strength to hold off NBA players while boxing them out ... 20 years ago his size would probably have made him more appealing, in today quick, athletic game he will have to find the right system in order to show all of his skills offensively ... He also possesses a high character with a lot of personality and confidence ...

Weaknesses: The most obvious one is his subpar level of athleticism and lateral movement, but one of the main concerns with him ironically is on offense ... It’s possible to find a role for him defensively where he won’t be exploited, he has length after all, but will he be able to succeed in an offensive system different from the one he thrives in at Wisconsin? The fact that he struggled so mightily in the wide open format in front of so many scouts at adidas Nations in the summer has to be a conern ... Theoretically he is the perfect guy to play in the triangle offense, in a way that maybe only Pau Gasol did, and certainly he could find his place an offense like the Spurs (every high IQ player could) ... But could he survive in more ISO oriented offenses where he will not have the ball in his hands much? A lot will depend on his consistency shooting, the percentages show us he is improving but the NBA 3 pointer is a different animal and though the high release will help Kaminsky a lot in shooting over people, his release is pretty slow and could be a problem ... The talent is there but he has to show he can use it at the next level, and his limited upside (because he is already almost at the top of his game) and older age might scare some team away (Tyler Zeller was a much better/faster athlete and he fell to 20 as a senior, and has been traded)... Another big question mark is how will he deal with NBA physicality on both ends of the floor ... He could potentially guard 5s but only if he adds strength to his body, while the 4 position could be too fast and explosive for him ... And on offense people may push him out of the blocks too easily ... The fact that he didn;t really do anything in his first two seasons in college is also a slight concern. Is he just a late bloomer, or is he taking advantage of players younger than himself as an upperclassman? ... All that being said, we are talking about a player with a rare set of skills, who in the right system could utilize his abilities and become a great role player ...

[NBA Fan 1234]

nbadraft.net compared Adam Morrison to Larry Bird and DeShawn Stevenson. Site has little credibility around here.

But...since you like the site (?), here's Kaminsky's report - http://www.nbadraft.net/players/frank-kaminsky

[JBreezeNY]

nbadraft.net compared Adam Morrison to Larry Bird and DeShawn Stevenson. Site has little credibility around here.

But...since you like the site (?), here's Kaminsky's report - http://www.nbadraft.net/players/frank-kaminsky

I actually do like the site, they''re definitely not the greatest with comparisons but their strengths & weaknesses compositions usually are on point.

[god4gives]

I know about nbadraft having little credibility. I realize that they are a little off. Also, I'm not finish editing my post. i was gonna add kaminsky. hold on