2019 NBA Draft Prep

[Spud2nique]

But that's the thing. We need a guy that can generate his own offense. Anything less than that and it's a waste.

I'm not confident Williamson can do that at the NBA level.

I dunno man, from what I’ve seen. Zion is a coast to coast type guy. He will get the defensive board, be able to take it coast to coast for the finish, if that’s inability to create offense I’m not sure what he has to do. He reminds me of Barkley with that aspect of his game.

Bazemore can do that too. The problem is no one wins on a steady diet of fastbreaks and dunks. Teams win on the ability to generate offense as needed, despite what the defense is doing. I don't see Williamson as being able to do that at all.

Bazemore?? The headless chicken coast to coast maybe. Look, Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh were all artists with different styles but obviously the superstar talent was there like it seems to be with Zion duplicating players from the past and being able to pattern his game after the likes of the aforementioned sir Charles and LJ and others.

But when you are comparing Bazemore’s coast to coast drives, you might as well compare one of my personal paintings to a great from the past. Lots of people can do it, but when you’re that 1% or less that can do it THAT WELL, then you make an impact on winning in some capacity in my opinion.

[personanongrata]

Zion will have about the same kind of offensive impact as a John Collins. I think he will be better in half court sets than JC. He’s a better ball handler, has a bowling ball body, and uses all his gifts to create looks at the basket. Long term JC may be the more complete out of two as he seems to be showing a very good perimeter shot. Zion will be much more effective in close and will get more FT opportunities.

Like Ken said, the difference maker between them will be defensive capability. Zion has rare two way potential. A guy who can be a 20-25 ppg scorer and also be in the running for DPOY.

We still need to take the BPA and sort out the fit later. If Morant is who we’re left with, I’d even take him.

Id also take Morant if we can't get a good trade. Trae and Ja can learn to play together.

[jayu70]

I dunno man, from what I’ve seen. Zion is a coast to coast type guy. He will get the defensive board, be able to take it coast to coast for the finish, if that’s inability to create offense I’m not sure what he has to do. He reminds me of Barkley with that aspect of his game.

Bazemore can do that too. The problem is no one wins on a steady diet of fastbreaks and dunks. Teams win on the ability to generate offense as needed, despite what the defense is doing. I don't see Williamson as being able to do that at all.

Bazemore?? The headless chicken coast to coast maybe. Look, Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh were all artists with different styles but obviously the superstar talent was there like it seems to be with Zion duplicating players from the past and being able to pattern his game after the likes of the aforementioned sir Charles and LJ and others.

But when you are comparing Bazemore’s coast to coast drives, you might as well compare one of my personal paintings to a great from the past. Lots of people can do it, but when you’re that 1% or less that can do it THAT WELL, then you make an impact on winning in some capacity in my opinion.

I gotta give Spud the win on this one, even if its only for the Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh analogy.

[King Ken]

Jaxson Hayes has a chance to move into the top 5 of my Hawks draft board. He fits and covers a lot of space on D.

Outside of his large hands I don’t want him. How can you possibly not like Keldon Johnson but somehow think this guys brings it? Comon Ken DONT make this a jjj Bagley thing lol.

Potential. I don't see a lot of potential in Keldon. I see a lot of potential in Hayes. He is still up in the air for me but I wouldn't be stocked he moved into the top 5.

[King Ken]

I dunno man, from what I’ve seen. Zion is a coast to coast type guy. He will get the defensive board, be able to take it coast to coast for the finish, if that’s inability to create offense I’m not sure what he has to do. He reminds me of Barkley with that aspect of his game.

Bazemore can do that too. The problem is no one wins on a steady diet of fastbreaks and dunks. Teams win on the ability to generate offense as needed, despite what the defense is doing. I don't see Williamson as being able to do that at all.

Bazemore?? The headless chicken coast to coast maybe. Look, Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh were all artists with different styles but obviously the superstar talent was there like it seems to be with Zion duplicating players from the past and being able to pattern his game after the likes of the aforementioned sir Charles and LJ and others.

But when you are comparing Bazemore’s coast to coast drives, you might as well compare one of my personal paintings to a great from the past. Lots of people can do it, but when you’re that 1% or less that can do it THAT WELL, then you make an impact on winning in some capacity in my opinion.

Zion in the half court is more like Westbrook than Bazemore. The athletic gap is larger than the one between Jared Dudley and Jarrett Allen.

[Jamaaliver]

Zion in the half court is more like Westbrook than Bazemore.

I wholeheartedly agree. But I'm not sure that's a good thing. Westbrook is extremely aggressive, but terribly inefficient in half court play.

Has he even made it out of the first round of the playoffs since Durant left OKC?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BUT DAMN!! Can this kid stuff a stat sheet.
He'll be immensely productive in the association.

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[Jamaaliver]

If this dude falls out of the top-5 of the draft, it'd be a real win for us to snag him. He's had an underwhelming season but remains an elite prospect and could benefit from playing with a high-level initiator like TRae.

He'd be our Shawn Marion -- with Kawhi-like upside.

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[kg01]

Zion will have about the same kind of offensive impact as a John Collins. I think he will be better in half court sets than JC. He’s a better ball handler, has a bowling ball body, and uses all his gifts to create looks at the basket. Long term JC may be the more complete out of two as he seems to be showing a very good perimeter shot. Zion will be much more effective in close and will get more FT opportunities.

Like Ken said, the difference maker between them will be defensive capability. Zion has rare two way potential. A guy who can be a 20-25 ppg scorer and also be in the running for DPOY.

We still need to take the BPA and sort out the fit later. If Morant is who we’re left with, I’d even take him.

Id also take Morant if we can't get a good trade. Trae and Ja can learn to play together.

Any hesitation due to the level of comp and the status of the last dominant guard to come out of Murray State?

[hawkmanreturns]

Zion will have about the same kind of offensive impact as a John Collins. I think he will be better in half court sets than JC. He’s a better ball handler, has a bowling ball body, and uses all his gifts to create looks at the basket. Long term JC may be the more complete out of two as he seems to be showing a very good perimeter shot. Zion will be much more effective in close and will get more FT opportunities.

Like Ken said, the difference maker between them will be defensive capability. Zion has rare two way potential. A guy who can be a 20-25 ppg scorer and also be in the running for DPOY.

We still need to take the BPA and sort out the fit later. If Morant is who we’re left with, I’d even take him.

Id also take Morant if we can't get a good trade. Trae and Ja can learn to play together.

Any hesitation due to the level of comp and the status of the last dominant guard to come out of Murray State?

Cameron Payne's worst mistake was mentioning himself in the third person on Draft night. Truly cringe worthy!

[Jamaaliver]

This seems a classic example of achievement vs potential: which of these is the greater portent of success in teenagers?

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The Most Disappointing 2019 NBA Draft Prospects This Season

Cam Reddish (Duke, SG/SF, Freshman)



Scary stats

True shooting percentage: 50.9 percent

Spot-ups: .766 PPP, 29th percentile

Guarded catch-and-shoot jump shots: 6-of-35

Cam Reddish will get a pass from NBA teams for the inconsistency, given his dramatically changed role from No. 1 option in high school to role player (spot-ups account for 31.3 percent of offense) behind Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. His inability to adapt has still been disappointing.

He's shooting just 37.4 percent, generating .784 points per possession in the half court (34th percentile), where he's converting 29.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot chances and 36.0 percent of his pull-ups.

Reddish hasn't been able to build or sustain any rhythm from outside, but he's also struggled to create and finish in tighter two-point windows. He's missed nine of 11 mid-range shots and all four of his runners, while a lack of strength, explosion and feel has led to an uninspiring 50.0 percent finishing mark around the basket.

He's also totaled 49 turnovers to 26 assists, with poor shooting performances appearing capable of affecting his decision-making.

The NBA long-term scouting scope still admires his positional tools, shot-making (2.4 3PTM) and defensive potential. But since he arrived at Duke, more questions have been raised about whether Reddish can convert talent into impact.

Bleacher Report

[King Ken]

Zion in the half court is more like Westbrook than Bazemore.

I wholeheartedly agree. But I'm not sure that's a good thing. Westbrook is extremely aggressive, but terribly inefficient in half court play.

Has he even made it out of the first round of the playoffs since Durant left OKC?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
BUT DAMN!! Can this kid stuff a stat sheet.
He'll be immensely productive in the association.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Westbrook is a chucker as well as a slasher and he is doesn't have the size to consistently bang with bigs so he settles for jumpshots which most shashers do. The thing is some, like Harden, can shoot.

[King Ken]

This seems a classic example of achievement vs potential: which of these is the greater portent of success in teenagers?

Read on Twitter

The Most Disappointing 2019 NBA Draft Prospects This Season

Cam Reddish (Duke, SG/SF, Freshman)



Scary stats

True shooting percentage: 50.9 percent

Spot-ups: .766 PPP, 29th percentile

Guarded catch-and-shoot jump shots: 6-of-35

Cam Reddish will get a pass from NBA teams for the inconsistency, given his dramatically changed role from No. 1 option in high school to role player (spot-ups account for 31.3 percent of offense) behind Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. His inability to adapt has still been disappointing.

He's shooting just 37.4 percent, generating .784 points per possession in the half court (34th percentile), where he's converting 29.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot chances and 36.0 percent of his pull-ups.

Reddish hasn't been able to build or sustain any rhythm from outside, but he's also struggled to create and finish in tighter two-point windows. He's missed nine of 11 mid-range shots and all four of his runners, while a lack of strength, explosion and feel has led to an uninspiring 50.0 percent finishing mark around the basket.

He's also totaled 49 turnovers to 26 assists, with poor shooting performances appearing capable of affecting his decision-making.

The NBA long-term scouting scope still admires his positional tools, shot-making (2.4 3PTM) and defensive potential. But since he arrived at Duke, more questions have been raised about whether Reddish can convert talent into impact.

Bleacher Report

I still like him. All of his issues are either fixable or isn't really hindering his potential if you think he can be a pretty good modern NBA wing. A superstar view is where you can have issues.

[King Ken]

Zion will have about the same kind of offensive impact as a John Collins. I think he will be better in half court sets than JC. He’s a better ball handler, has a bowling ball body, and uses all his gifts to create looks at the basket. Long term JC may be the more complete out of two as he seems to be showing a very good perimeter shot. Zion will be much more effective in close and will get more FT opportunities.

Like Ken said, the difference maker between them will be defensive capability. Zion has rare two way potential. A guy who can be a 20-25 ppg scorer and also be in the running for DPOY.

We still need to take the BPA and sort out the fit later. If Morant is who we’re left with, I’d even take him.

Zion will be a difference maker on offense and defense. But on defense, he will be a clear game changer for us. He makes Collins a lot less of a liability. That's what I been looking for. Who can defend in space but protect the rim and the paint. Those guys are extremely rare and hard to find.

[kg01]

Zion will have about the same kind of offensive impact as a John Collins. I think he will be better in half court sets than JC. He’s a better ball handler, has a bowling ball body, and uses all his gifts to create looks at the basket. Long term JC may be the more complete out of two as he seems to be showing a very good perimeter shot. Zion will be much more effective in close and will get more FT opportunities.

Like Ken said, the difference maker between them will be defensive capability. Zion has rare two way potential. A guy who can be a 20-25 ppg scorer and also be in the running for DPOY.

We still need to take the BPA and sort out the fit later. If Morant is who we’re left with, I’d even take him.

Zion will be a difference maker on offense and defense. But on defense, he will be a clear game changer for us. He makes Collins a lot less of a liability. That's what I been looking for. Who can defend in space but protect the rim and the paint. Those guys are extremely rare and hard to find.

Not sure it matters for us anyways. We're not getting the #1 pick.

[Jamaaliver]

Not sure it matters for us anyways. We're not getting the #1 pick.

Agreed. I also don't believe undersized/overweight PF can defend the rim against the likes of Embiid and Giannis.

Or guard guys like Tatum, Kawhi and Simmons in space.

[kg01]

Not sure it matters for us anyways. We're not getting the #1 pick.

Agreed. I also don't believe undersized/overweight PF can defend the rim against the likes of Embiid and Giannis.

Or guard guys like Tatum, Kawhi and Simmons in space.

Yeah, I just don't buy that this guy is a plus defender. Sure he'll get some weakside blocks that'll make Sportscenter (is that still on tv?), but overall I'm not expecting him to be able to do a lot at a high level defensively (which is what matters).

despite what my Duke-fan brethren KingSupes keeps saying. I still luv you, KS.

[azuresou1]

I don't see why he can't be an elite defender when Draymond is at worst a Top 5 defender in the league, just as undersized/overweight, and far less athletic.

Lots of short but stout bigs are easily able to anchor the post as well. Their weight combined with their height means that they have great leverage, and are cinder blocks in the post. Some other short big men who were also great defenders:

Chuck Hayes - 6'6
Jason Maxiell - 6'7
Charles Oakley - 6'8
Ben Wallace - 6'9
Antonio McDyess - 6'9

[Spud2nique]

Zion will have about the same kind of offensive impact as a John Collins. I think he will be better in half court sets than JC. He’s a better ball handler, has a bowling ball body, and uses all his gifts to create looks at the basket. Long term JC may be the more complete out of two as he seems to be showing a very good perimeter shot. Zion will be much more effective in close and will get more FT opportunities.

Like Ken said, the difference maker between them will be defensive capability. Zion has rare two way potential. A guy who can be a 20-25 ppg scorer and also be in the running for DPOY.

We still need to take the BPA and sort out the fit later. If Morant is who we’re left with, I’d even take him.

Id also take Morant if we can't get a good trade. Trae and Ja can learn to play together.

Any hesitation due to the level of comp and the status of the last dominant guard to come out of Murray State?

I hate this kid. Lol. He’s a street baller it’s not gonna workout imo. I’d take a flyer on him with the Mavs pick but top 5, no way for me.

[Spud2nique]

This seems a classic example of achievement vs potential: which of these is the greater portent of success in teenagers?

Read on Twitter

The Most Disappointing 2019 NBA Draft Prospects This Season

Cam Reddish (Duke, SG/SF, Freshman)



Scary stats

True shooting percentage: 50.9 percent

Spot-ups: .766 PPP, 29th percentile

Guarded catch-and-shoot jump shots: 6-of-35

Cam Reddish will get a pass from NBA teams for the inconsistency, given his dramatically changed role from No. 1 option in high school to role player (spot-ups account for 31.3 percent of offense) behind Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. His inability to adapt has still been disappointing.

He's shooting just 37.4 percent, generating .784 points per possession in the half court (34th percentile), where he's converting 29.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot chances and 36.0 percent of his pull-ups.

Reddish hasn't been able to build or sustain any rhythm from outside, but he's also struggled to create and finish in tighter two-point windows. He's missed nine of 11 mid-range shots and all four of his runners, while a lack of strength, explosion and feel has led to an uninspiring 50.0 percent finishing mark around the basket.

He's also totaled 49 turnovers to 26 assists, with poor shooting performances appearing capable of affecting his decision-making.

The NBA long-term scouting scope still admires his positional tools, shot-making (2.4 3PTM) and defensive potential. But since he arrived at Duke, more questions have been raised about whether Reddish can convert talent into impact.

Bleacher Report

He can shoot 10% from the field. I’ve already seen what he can do and it translates better than 90% of the prospects over the last 5 or more drafts. He’s got the smooth NBA game. He just needs to have better body language on the court but the swag is getting in the way a bit.

[EazyRoc]

Zion will have about the same kind of offensive impact as a John Collins. I think he will be better in half court sets than JC. He’s a better ball handler, has a bowling ball body, and uses all his gifts to create looks at the basket. Long term JC may be the more complete out of two as he seems to be showing a very good perimeter shot. Zion will be much more effective in close and will get more FT opportunities.

Like Ken said, the difference maker between them will be defensive capability. Zion has rare two way potential. A guy who can be a 20-25 ppg scorer and also be in the running for DPOY.

We still need to take the BPA and sort out the fit later. If Morant is who we’re left with, I’d even take him.

Id also take Morant if we can't get a good trade. Trae and Ja can learn to play together.

Any hesitation due to the level of comp and the status of the last dominant guard to come out of Murray State?

Naturally, but the little bit I have seen looks very very promising.