Team Canada Basketball Thread V2.0

[LuDux1]

It's also a little bit suspicious that Zalgiris and their players got much worse after they got caught taping the other team's practice and EuroLeague put in that new rule blocking them access to video monitoring of the other team's practices. From that moment almost exactly, their whole offense system became much worse. So i'm not even sure how much of what they did last season was legit.

Dat Lithuanian basketball mafia..

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/754158/euroleague-clears-up-incident-between-baskonia-and-zalgiris/

[Mirotic12]

It's also a little bit suspicious that Zalgiris and their players got much worse after they got caught taping the other team's practice and EuroLeague put in that new rule blocking them access to video monitoring of the other team's practices. From that moment almost exactly, their whole offense system became much worse. So i'm not even sure how much of what they did last season was legit.

Dat Lithuanian basketball mafia..

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/754158/euroleague-clears-up-incident-between-baskonia-and-zalgiris/

They simply took the word of Zalgiris that they never did it before and it was all an accident. They have no way of knowing. It's a strange coincidence for sure, that their offense got so much worse immediately after that happened.

[Mirotic12]

Messina would be amazing. Roy Rana I guess deserves a chance, but still

NBA and US/ Canada sports media has extreme overrating of these coaches that left Europe for USA..........

Like in this thread Blatt is implied to have best resume of any coach in Europe, when in reality I'm not even sure if he's considered a top 10 coach even. He's failed miserably with several clubs in Europe. He's been coaching 25 years in Europe and won EuroLeague an amazing one time..........

Messina is talked up like he's the best European coach ever...........when he was fired from the last 3 jobs he had in Europe specifically for doing a bad job.

They are good coaches certainly, but so many miles from what North American basketball claims. Neither of them has ever been considered an elite coach in Europe.

You guys really need to temper your expectations about what level these kinds of coaches are actually at.

Alexander-Moncrieffe the only Canadian on the world roster for the Nike Hoop Summit. Rana the coach again.

https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2019/03/world-team-roster.aspx

Yes, and Moncrieff is even a 2020 prospect (at least for now). Meaning that there's no one from the 2019 class. I actually agree with this, as this is one of our weaker classes in years. Addison Patterson (who may also re-class to 2019) should have probably also been there though. Overall, not a very strong roster for the world team. A bit strange that none of the very gifted prospects from the 2020 international class was invited (e.g. Avdija, Hayes, Maledon, or Wagner).

Not really. The best European prospects haven't played at that for like 10 years now. They focus on the Treviso Camp.

[LuDux1]

Dat Lithuanian basketball mafia..

https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/754158/euroleague-clears-up-incident-between-baskonia-and-zalgiris/

They simply took the word of Zalgiris that they never did it before and it was all an accident. They have no way of knowing. It's a strange coincidence for sure, that their offense got so much worse immediately after that happened.

Well duh, they have no other choice than say "yes sir" and apologize profusely for bothering or else

But seriously, how do you explain this
"the home club (in this case Zalgiris Kaunas) is neither responsible for nor involved in the TV Camera and Instant Replay System installation and test, nor does the home club operate any of the TV cameras, nor does the home club have access to any recorded footage"

I did quick 4am calculations and Zalgiris PPG improved in 2nd half of reg.season 81.1 > 81.9 but maybe you meant percentages?

[Hair Canada]

Mirotic, if you are quoting what others are saying, at least try to remain faithful to what they said. I didn't say Blatt is the greatest European coach. I did say he has the most DIVERSE record of all, with titles at multiple local leagues, multiple inter-European leagues (including the Euroleague), titles with national teams, and NBA experience (and success) as head coach. He only has one Euroleague title because he never coached one of the top teams (by the way, he's very much responsible for the Maccabi titles at the beginning of the 2000s, even if Gershon got the credit as head coach).

Obradovic, Messina, and Gershon are the only coaches who clearly boast a better Euroleague record (with Obradovic being the best of the bunch). But Obradovic doesn't do national teams, Gershon is not coaching anymore, and Messina is actually being considered for the Canada job. You act as if there are tons of more qualified coaches than Blatt and Messina when the truth is that both are clearly at the top of the available options, with both experience and resume, and team Canada would be lucky to get any of them.

[Hair Canada]

And as for the top European prospects not playing in the Nike Hoop Summit game (Mirotic again), just two years ago, in 2017, the world team included Kostja Mushidi, Tadas Sedekerskis, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Borisa Simanic, all NBA prospects who played in Europe at the time (some still do).

[aminiaturebuddha]

Good write up on Brandon Clarke in The Ringer today.

https://www.theringer.com/march-madness/2019/3/28/18285014/brandon-clarke-gonzaga-nba-draft

[aminiaturebuddha]

Also, some comments about the top Canadians remaining in the NCAA tournament in an ESPN Sweet 16 predictions article.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/26371789/which-no-1-seed-fall

"Give us one player still in the tournament who has impressed you, and one you might have expected more from to this point.

Medcalf: Mfiondu Kabengele is the man for Florida State right now. Terance Mann has been a superstar for FSU, too, but Kabengele is a force who tore through the first two rounds and led his squad to the Sweet 16. He has made 63 percent of his 3-pointers and had three blocks in FSU's lopsided victory over Murray State in the second round. He's averaging 21.5 points through two games. The 6-foot-10 Canadian is the player Gonzaga must stop to win Thursday's game. Earlier this season, Ignas Brazdeikis was a breakout freshman. He has to show up for the Wolverines this week after shooting 6-for-18 overall and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc in the first and second rounds. He's better than that.

Gasaway: Brandon Clarke has impressed me, and I started the tournament already on the record as thinking he's the best player in the country not named "Zion" or "Ja." Not sure I need to add much to that sentence other than referring any questions to the Baylor-Gonzaga box score."

[Hair Canada]

Good write up on Brandon Clarke in The Ringer today.

https://www.theringer.com/march-madness/2019/3/28/18285014/brandon-clarke-gonzaga-nba-draft

Thanks, Buddha. A good write up indeed. Seems like everyone has suddenly discovered Clarke, about half a year after the Stepien and more than a year after our own mojo, who called it before Clarke himself knew he was that good.

[Sakkreth]

Guys, there is no point in reading what Mirotic12 aka Euroleague aka Lakasfanyo etc. has to say. Save your time. His extreme takes and delusions never bring anything good in the end.

[Mirotic12]

And as for the top European prospects not playing in the Nike Hoop Summit game (Mirotic again), just two years ago, in 2017, the world team included Kostja Mushidi, Tadas Sedekerskis, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Borisa Simanic, all NBA prospects who played in Europe at the time (some still do).

None of those are "top" European prospects. More like 2nd tier, or even 3rd tier for some. I mean Mushidi for instance....is miles from being a top prospect.

Mirotic, if you are quoting what others are saying, at least try to remain faithful to what they said. I didn't say Blatt is the greatest European coach. I did say he has the most DIVERSE record of all, with titles at multiple local leagues, multiple inter-European leagues (including the Euroleague), titles with national teams, and NBA experience (and success) as head coach. He only has one Euroleague title because he never coached one of the top teams (by the way, he's very much responsible for the Maccabi titles at the beginning of the 2000s, even if Gershon got the credit as head coach).

Obradovic, Messina, and Gershon are the only coaches who clearly boast a better Euroleague record (with Obradovic being the best of the bunch). But Obradovic doesn't do national teams, Gershon is not coaching anymore, and Messina is actually being considered for the Canada job. You act as if there are tons of more qualified coaches than Blatt and Messina when the truth is that both are clearly at the top of the available options, with both experience and resume, and team Canada would be lucky to get any of them.

Well the best or second best coaches in Europe (based on career "record" or "resume" or whatever words you are using here) - wouldn't be fired for poor performance from 3 straight jobs within a few years (Messina), and actually 4 times if you consider CSKA fired him twice, and wouldn't have failed miserably with several different clubs in Europe (Blatt - Efes, Aris, Olympiacos so far).

The best or second best coach in Europe in terms of resume / record....no not correct and not accurate at all. Neither one of them has any place being even mentioned among a top 2 European coach discussion.

And as for the claim Blatt never coached one of the top teams in Europe...Maccabi was a top team when he coached it, Efes had a huge budget when he coached it, and Olympiacos might have a modest depth and budget, but it has 3 of the best players in Europe and also a couple of good role players - no way should it be around a .500 team. In fact, Darussafaka had the 2nd highest budget in Europe when he coached it to a .500 EuroLeague record.

Aris even had a big budget when he coached it and failed badly in EuroCup, having a sub .500 record.

Messina and Blatt's record and resume isn't just success, it's also failures, and you are only counting success. You can't do that. Messina had tons of success for many years, but when the game started to change (modern style basketball, which came to EuroLeague first, then to NBA)...he failed over and over again.

Blatt had some very good successes as you point out, while also having some seemingly really bad failures also (I'm not even looking at the Cavs because there is a lot of questions about what happened there). A truly top 2 European coach can't have the recent bad record at multiple jobs like Messina had, or so many big coaching failures as Blatt has had.

[Hair Canada]

Mirotic, I'm starting to think Sakkreth is right that it's useless to try debating with you because you pick and choose and twist what I say. But here's one last try. I didn't say that either Blatt or Messina is the second best in Europe, although they are surely at the top. Focusing on coaches' failures over a career of 25 or 30 years is very shortsighted, especially when Blatt, for example, saw success with an underdog team just last year. Anyone who has coached that long (save maybe for Popovic in the NBA and Obradovic in Europe) has known some bad years, including with teams that have large budgets and expectations. That's the nature of the beast.

What I did say, and you are unable to dispute (or just choose to ignore), is that both Messina and (especially) Blatt have a very diverse record of achievements, one which bodes very well for leading a national team with a few NBA players which comes without a long tradition of achievements. They had success not only with European club teams, but also with national teams (again, Blatt led a total underdog Russian team to a European gold medal and then, a couple of years later, came back after they were underperforming and led them to another great achievement -- an Olympic bronze) and even with NBA teams. Obradovic, for example, has not. Now, the main problem I think is that you just throw mud at these two coaches, without really offering reasonable alternatives. Which European coach has had a better and more diverse career and deserves the job more? Naturally, you can't even come up with names that match your criteria of "winning more than just one lousy Euroleague title".

Now, I like Rana a lot, and he has the advantage of being a Canadian, which certainly gives him points in my book. He's also already familiar with the players and the system, which is certainly an advantage. But to say that he's a better/equal coach to Blatt or Messina? Based on what? When did he lead an adult basketball team to success at either an international professional league or with a national team? What NBA experience does he have? Rana didn't fail with a European club team like Blatt or Messina have over their very long careers. But that's because he never coached such a team or for that matter, any other team at that level... So that makes him a better coach because he didn't fail? I doubt if you realize how absurd this argument is, but I'm sure others here do.

[Mattd97]

Basketball coaches get fired from teams even if theyve been successful for much of their tenure!? No way!

[Mirotic12]

I just watched the Olympiacos versus Zalgiris EuroLeague game...

Olympiacos (the team Blatt coaches) had an offense in the game that consisted of this....

1. Hand the ball to Briante Webber (a point guard with almost zero creation skills), have him ISO at the top of the key one to one...rinse and repeat, over and over and over...

2. Mix that in with an occasional low post play for Nikola Milutinov, who isn't that good at low post scoring, or an occasional high post chance for Georgios Printezis (who played the game with the flu and a severe fever)...........

Their offense was horrible, and well below the standard of even an average EuroLeague team. To call it merely simple is an exaggeration - more like amateur like, in terms of creativity, imagination, and complexity.

Something as simple as a basic high pick and roll even seems to be too creative and complex for Blatt.

Blatt is far from being one of the better coaches in EuroLeague. The offense his team ran in a must win home game against a mediocre opponent was embarrassing. Canada is better off with Roy Rana.

[Mirotic12]

Mirotic, I'm starting to think Sakkreth is right that it's useless to try debating with you because you pick and choose and twist what I say. But here's one last try. I didn't say that either Blatt or Messina is the second best in Europe, although they are surely at the top. Focusing on coaches' failures over a career of 25 or 30 years is very shortsighted, especially when Blatt, for example, saw success with an underdog team just last year. Anyone who has coached that long (save maybe for Popovic in the NBA and Obradovic in Europe) has known some bad years, including with teams that have large budgets and expectations. That's the nature of the beast.

What I did say, and you are unable to dispute (or just choose to ignore), is that both Messina and (especially) Blatt have a very diverse record of achievements, one which bodes very well for leading a national team with a few NBA players which comes without a long tradition of achievements. They had success not only with European club teams, but also with national teams (again, Blatt led a total underdog Russian team to a European gold medal and then, a couple of years later, came back after they were underperforming and led them to another great achievement -- an Olympic bronze) and even with NBA teams. Obradovic, for example, has not. Now, the main problem I think is that you just throw mud at these two coaches, without really offering reasonable alternatives. Which European coach has had a better and more diverse career and deserves the job more? Naturally, you can't even come up with names that match your criteria of "winning more than just one lousy Euroleague title".

Now, I like Rana a lot, and he has the advantage of being a Canadian, which certainly gives him points in my book. He's also already familiar with the players and the system, which is certainly an advantage. But to say that he's a better/equal coach to Blatt or Messina? Based on what? When did he lead an adult basketball team to success at either an international professional league or with a national team? What NBA experience does he have? Rana didn't fail with a European club team like Blatt or Messina have over their very long careers. But that's because he never coached such a team or for that matter, any other team at that level... So that makes him a better coach because he didn't fail? I doubt if you realize how absurd this argument is, but I'm sure others here do.

I'm not twisting anything you are writing. I am merely stating if something isn't factually correct. It isn't factually true that Blatt never coached a big team - he did. It's also not factually correct that he coached an "underdog team last year".

Last season, Darussafaka had the largest budget of any team by far and away in the EuroCup. The next highest budget in the league was 1/4 lower, and the next after that 1/3 lower. Most of the other teams had a pittance by comparison in budget. They were the clear favorite from before the season began. Not an underdog team.

The team with the biggest budget in the league, by a very large margin, isn't an underdog team. Let's look at what Blatt actually did in Europe since he left the Cavs.

2016-17 season with Darussafaka in EuroLeague --->

The 2nd highest budget in Europe, at €36 million euros, which at the time was higher than Real's or Fener's budget, and second only to CSKA's budget.

They finished with a 17-17 record, and finished in 8th place out of 16 teams. So 2nd highest budget, a .500 record and an 8 place out of 16. In the Turkish League...with the highest budget of any team in the league, they got swept in the league's semifinals..even though they had the biggest budget in the league.

2017-18 season with Darussafaka in EuroCup (level below EuroLeague) --->

They won the EuroCup championship, having the by far and away biggest budget in the league. Great. Did what they were supposed to do. In the Turkish League, they had the 2nd biggest budget in the league. Did they finish in 2nd place during the regular season? No. They finished in 6th place, with an 18-12 record. Did they make the league's finals? No. They were swept in the first round of the playoffs, despite having the second biggest budget in the whole league.

2018-19 season with Olympiacos in EuroLeague --->

Olympiacos is 14-15 with one game left in the regular season, and stand a very good chance of not even making the playoffs. That's with 3 of the best players in Europe, a couple of champion level type role players, and some other guys that can at least contribute something....this team might not even make the playoffs.

Let's not pretend that this isn't a big team, or that this isn't some kind of huge failure for Blatt. Olympiacos has made the EuroLeague playoffs in 12 out of the last 13 seasons. The one time that they missed the playoffs during that time (2015-16), they had a ton of injuries through the season. The previous coach had them in the playoffs the last 2 seasons, and in the league final just 2 years ago. Blatt comes in this season, when the team increased it's budget....and now might not make the playoffs.

Greek League results are irrelevant, because everyone knows the league is rigged. So can't conclude anything from his performance based on that. But he does deserve the blame for the EuroLeague results.

Blatt has been, at best, mediocre in Europe over the last 3 seasons.

Also, Russia wasn't an underdog team in 2007. The 2007 Russian team was the best team Russia ever had. The deepest, most experienced, most versatile, and most talented and complete Russian team 1-12 ever. You could make the argument they were the underdog in the final against Spain, since it was a home game for Spain. But not in the tournament overall. The best Russian team ever isn't an underdog under almost any circumstance, save maybe playing against a serious USA team.

[Young_Buc]

Rana has a solid (if not fantastic) record with our younger teams and with Ryerson. What's the reasoning that Jay Triano gets more opportunity?

[VanWest82]

I know there's a lot of excitement about a certain Canadian entering the draft but Brandon Clarke is the best Canadian NCAA player right now. I'm still a little unclear of how he's going to fit as a pro unless he learns to shoot but man is he a good. Does anyone know if he has a history of playing for Canada basketball? I hope he participates moving forward.

Edit: he reminds me a little of Kenyon Martin

[aminiaturebuddha]

I know there's a lot of excitement about a certain Canadian entering the draft but Brandon Clarke is the best Canadian NCAA player right now. I'm still a little unclear of how he's going to fit as a pro unless he learns to shoot but man is he a good. Does anyone know if he has a history of playing for Canada basketball? I hope he participates moving forward.

Edit: he reminds me a little of Kenyon Martin

He hasn't played for Canada internationally, but no one is sure if that is just because he was largely under the radar as a prospect until recently, or because the program didn't contact him, or because he chose not to. We all hope that Barrett Sr. and others have been doing their best to get in contact with him throughout this year.

Kenyon Martin is a comp I hadn't heard before, and it's not a bad one. Their shotblocking abilities are similar, but I think Clarke actually moves better in other areas on defence, staying in front of guards on the perimeter, etc.

The thing with Martin is that his game was almost entirely dependent on his incredibly athleticism, which meant that when he had that horrible leg injury, he came back a shadow of his former self and was never an impact player again. Hopefully Clarke can do a better job of diversifying his game early on in his career. He can still improve his ballhandling, passing and decision-making, along with refining his outside shot. But he should be a very useful starter for almost any NBA team sooner rather than later.

[TrueNorth31]

Latest on coaching search;

Read on Twitter

[BilboBanginz]

Here are some tidbits from the latest ESPN NBA Draft Article; NBA draft stock watch: Intel on top 100 prospects

http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/26411689/nba-draft-stock-watch-intel-top-100-prospects

RJ Barrett | G | Duke Top 100 draft ranking: No. 3

Barrett was having an excellent game until the wheels fell off for Duke late and he was forced to go into save-the-world mode, something that hasn't gotten the best results. Barrett had 18 assists in two games this weekend, operating as Duke's primary ball handler and facilitator and showing quite a bit of trust in his teammates, moving the ball ahead in transition and whipping it around in the half court. He made a number of outstanding reads showing terrific timing and patience operating out of the pick-and-roll. His team couldn't convert all those good looks, and Barrett turned the ball over a season-high seven times. He also went 3-of-6 from 3 -- something he doesn't always do consistently (31 percent shooter) -- bringing his total of 3-point makes to 73 on the season, seventh highest among college players in our top 100.

Barrett likely will never be asked to share the floor with as many non-shooters as he did on this poorly constructed Duke team, which made it much easier for opposing defenses to pack the paint and force him to navigate tight spaces while not possessing elite shooting ability himself. Playing the entire season as an 18-year-old and successfully transitioning from a wing to a full-time guard, Barrett will benefit from the experience he gained from this outsized role in Duke's deep tournament run.

Although some may consider the way the season ended a disappointment, it's hard not to be excited about the way Barrett can control the game at 6-7 with his shot creation prowess, court vision and scoring instincts. With his mentality, work ethic and age, it's likely only a matter of time until he improves on his deficiencies as a shooter, finisher and decision maker and ultimately becomes a real difference maker in the NBA -- something that will probably happen relatively early in his career.

Brandon Clarke | F/C | Gonzaga Top 100 draft ranking: No. 12

One of the more divisive prospects in the draft, Clarke ended his Gonzaga career with an 18-point, 12-rebound, 2-block, 6-turnover effort in a loss to Texas Tech. Clarke's defensive versatility was on full display, as Mark Few regularly threw him onto Culver and he looked comfortable chasing around the wing -- even if he doesn't have the most sound defensive fundamentals. While he gives up more angles to the basket than you'd hope, Clarke proved more than capable of containing penetration against wings and guards while flashing his quickness and rim protection. He stands out as one of the best sub-7-foot-wingspan shot-blockers we've ever evaluated. He put on a verticality clinic against FSU, a skill that should translate well to the NBA. Clarke has occasional defensive lapses, as he simply hasn't played all that much high-level ball basketball, but he covers up any technique mistakes with energy, effort and natural instincts. Offensively, Clarke did most of his damage around the rim, finishing uncontested dunks while also dropping in touch shots. He has proven more than capable of passing out of short-rolls or dribble-handoffs, as he has a good feel for his role.

Clarke still plays mostly 15 feet in and doesn't have much off-the-dribble game, as he has too often reliant on hard pound dribbles to his left before spinning back to his right. Some teams see Clarke as a highly productive energy guy who lacks NBA upside given his size and so-so shooting, while others place more value on his basketball instincts, versatility and winning impact as a potential lottery pick. How Clarke shoots the ball in workouts will likely play a role in his stock, but at the very least he projects as a better Jordan Bell at the NBA level. -- Schmitz

Nickeil Alexander-Walker | G | Virginia Tech Top 100 draft ranking: No. 22

The 20-year-old's collegiate career (likely) ended on a bit of a downswing as he finished with only 9 points in 28 minutes on 3-of-10 shooting in a narrow loss to Duke. In three tournament games, Alexander-Walker averaged 11.7 points and 4 assists in 32.7 minutes

Alexander-Walker proved to be at his best when he was moving the ball on the perimeter, defending with energy and making open spot-ups, rather than trying to create offense in the half court. At 6-6, the lanky guard has impressive vision, playing as a facilitator out of the post and via dribble-handoffs on the perimeter. Ranking in the 76th percentile on catch-and-shoot jumpers this season, Alexander-Walker is ultimately most efficient when he can hit 3s, attack closeouts and produce off the ball. He also showed he's more than capable on the defensive end, blocking an RJ Barrett step-back jumper and fighting over screens.

His shortcomings show up creating offense against set defenses, having issues beating Javin DeLaurier and Marques Bolden off the dribble, settling for step-back midrangers or killing his dribble in the paint. He lacks burst with the ball and his pull-up is on the slow side, forcing him to rely on a lot of low-percentage non-paint 2-pointers. Despite a down end to the season, he still deserves looks in the Nos. 15-20 range because of his positional size, vision, defensive versatility and touch. -- Schmitz

Mfiondu Kabengele | C | FSU Top 100 draft ranking: No. 31

Kabengele turned in an uneven performance against Gonzaga, showcasing flashes of his incredible physicality, mobility, length and soft touch while also reminding scouts of his shaky feel and discipline. With possessions against both Clarke and Hachimura, Kabengele finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 0 assists on 4-for-11 shooting. The 21-year-old made his presence felt with rebounding, defense and short-post turnarounds. Although he missed both of his spot 3s, his touch from distance was apparent.

But Kabengele did have some issues staying with Hachimura in space. Although he moves well, he lacks a degree of fundamentals defensively, often taking bad angles or gambling for steals. Kabengele can switch every screen while protecting the rim from the weakside when he plays with discipline. On the offensive end, Kabengele remains a little trigger-happy, and the fact that he didn't record one assist over his last seven games is concerning (though FSU's lack of shooting is a factor). While Kabengele may never be more than an average passer for his position, he's certain to look much better with NBA spacing.

The late-blooming Kabengele could use time to gain experience defending the perimeter, learn how to stop pick-and-rolls and develop half-court reads on offense. But his physicality and energy would allow him to see the floor early in his NBA career, buying him time to fine-tune the rest of his game. Kabengele opened some eyes over his last five games, averaging 24.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per 40 minutes while shooting 56.4 percent from 2 and 50 percent from 3. Should he enter the draft, he'll get legitimate first-round looks. -- Schmitz

Ignas Brazdekis | F | Michigan Top 100 draft ranking: No. 88

Brazdekis was Michigan's sole bright spot during it's disheartening loss to Texas Tech, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds in 33 minutes. He attacked the rim aggressively and showed fight until the final buzzer in what could be his last game as a Wolverine. The 6-7 Brazdekis also showed his weaknesses, as he was beat off the dribble consistently, struggled mightily when heavily contested from 3 and left much to be desired as a facilitator.

Brazdekis deserves a lot of credit for how he has improved his body and his productive season averaging 14.8 points on 57.9 percent true shooting. He could certainly hear his name called in the back end of the second round with a strong pre-draft process, but questions still remain about how the 20-year-old Brazdekis moves the needle on an NBA floor. His confidence, aggressiveness and ambidexterity as a straight-line driver are certainly positives, but he'll need to become a much more consistent shooter (career 32.2 percent from 3 on 410 attempts) and more adept passer to make up for his lack of length (6-8 wingspan) and foot speed on the defensive end of the floor. -- Schmitz