winsomme2 wrote:At #17, this is my current order of preference. There are others I like in this draft more but they will almost certainly not be there at 17.
Aaron Nesmith
Tyrese Maxey
Devin Vassell
Saddiq Bey
Patrick Williams
Theo Maledon
I think Nesmith, Maxey, Vassell, and Bey will also be gone unfortunately. But I think one of Williams and Maledon will be there.
People are currently sleeping on Maledon. He doesn't seem to have the statistical record to rise to the top of the draft but when you watch him play, he screams potential. He's got a good strong base and he moves really well with the ball in his hands. He would do so well in CBS system. His ability to drive and dish or finish is exactly what CBS looks for. He'll open up a lot perimeter shooters. He is a legit BIG point guard. Langford has decent hanldes but is more SG. Maledon can run an offense and he also plays solid defense.
Maledon is definitely moving up my wish list.
Happy to read that some fans watch player's videos and not only stats ^^
I am a fan of ASVEL, so I follow a lot Malédon. And believe me, we had not so interesting PG prospect in France since TP9.
Firstly, people have to understand that European pro championships are not for young players. And european championships are not playing the same level or the same game. French championship is not as good as spanish championship. But in this league, there is not a huge gap between best and worst teams, and it is a physical championship.
Secondly, Malédon had a good 2018-2019 season (born in july 2001), while Killian Hayes expected minutes with Cholet (his father played for Cholet and then has stayed), Malédon get a real role with ASVEL, in Jeep Elite and Eurocup. Other point guards were particulary good for french championship, even for Eurocup (Mantas Kalnietis and Demarcus Nelson). So, appreciate the fact that he took minutes from those Eurocup/Euroleague PGs.
This summer, he was nearly to play world cup at 18. Last guys playing such a competition at this age are Doncic and Rubio. With Heurtel (Barcelona) injuried, Collet preferred Ntilikina instead of him with an older PG (Andrew Albicy, a nobody for you until you saw him defend on Kemba last summer). Collet choose big def for PG ...so out Malédon, not physically developped enough and too young to deal with such pressure at this moment.
Then season started, Kalnietis out, Diot in (best prospect of Batum's generation, but a real injury prone. When he was healthy, he had a really Euroleague level and was Parker's back-up in national team), Demarcus Nelson out (Bayern), Jordan Taylor in. Again, he had to take minutes from two good PGs. But, quickly he took a violent hit on his shoulder (early october). Not a serious injury, you need just time to rest, but no risk that made him an injury prone. Maybe he just need to work his body. While he was absent, coach Mitrovic launched Matthew Strazel (17 years old) as third PG. And he scored 9 points for his first euroleague game. So not any PG could show interesting things with 4 PGs when Malédon came back. He had to find rythm, and weeks before COVID, he did some pretty good games. But people look stats, they only think that he didn't improve, or even worse, they may thing he declined. The truth is that last weeks before lockdown, ASVEL had bad times, but watching Malédon and Strazel I had some hope for the end of the season.He was really doing better choices.
So , remember that as 17 he became international player with France even if he didn't world cup, even TP9 did not have his stats at 17, at 18 he was a euroleague starter (I read once, that he is the only 18 years player with Doncic who played starter majority of his team's euroleague games for the last decade). And I do this bet: for Paris 2024, he will be France starting PG (Hayes playing as SG or as 6th man) for France. Sincerly, I do not understand how you may have such a gap between Hayes and Malédon in mock draft.
Conclusion: Ntilikina at #8 was a bust for Knicks, but Malédon at #17 would be a steal for Celtics. I expect that some GM who know basketball will draft him before.
Frank Ntilikina is a play-off player, but he goes to the Hornets.
Paris 2024 (Starters):
Ntilikina - Malédon - Hayes
Coulibaly - De Colo
TLC - Rupert or Risacher
Wembanyama- Yabusele
Embiid- Poirier - Lessort [without Embiid: Fall]
