Aleksej Pokusevski

[clyde21]

With boston having 3 1st. Rd. Picks the celtics will be at least looking at 1 maybe 2 draft and stash players poku makes more sense going to the celtics

Poku is not getting stashed

if he goes to the celts, I think he will. If he goes to the bucks later, I think he will.

Poku is not getting stashed

[patman66]

if those are 45s then it's 135 lbs

I thought euro weights were 25Kilo, or maybe it is just the set we have. We counted as 55 lbs and that is probably a 200 cm bar so about 35 lb so about 150, which is plenty for that reach, he probably has to lift it 30"to extend.

[patman66]

Poku is not getting stashed

if he goes to the celts, I think he will. If he goes to the bucks later, I think he will.

Poku is not getting stashed

Just like the 6ers did with saric and about the same spot too. Hayward is on his last year of his deal and next year he can come over.

[mademan]

if he goes to the celts, I think he will. If he goes to the bucks later, I think he will.

Poku is not getting stashed

Just like the 6ers did with saric and about the same spot too. Hayward is on his last year of his deal and next year he can come over.

It's a 2-way street. He has to want to get stashed, and everything ive read about him is he wants to come over. NBA first round salary is kind of a big attraction i cant see him forgoing.

[kobyz]

Poku is not getting stashed

Just like the 6ers did with saric and about the same spot too. Hayward is on his last year of his deal and next year he can come over.

It's a 2-way street. He has to want to get stashed, and everything ive read about him is he wants to come over. NBA first round salary is kind of a big attraction i cant see him forgoing.

Does he have a buyout?

[mademan]

Just like the 6ers did with saric and about the same spot too. Hayward is on his last year of his deal and next year he can come over.

It's a 2-way street. He has to want to get stashed, and everything ive read about him is he wants to come over. NBA first round salary is kind of a big attraction i cant see him forgoing.

Does he have a buyout?

I think its at a mill. If a team drafts him in the top 20, and he's slated to make 5-6 mill on an NBA contract, i have no idea why he would chose to stay over. He's a project; getting into the NBA with NBA trainers and a team who's 100% behind getting the best out of you is the best way to make a career. Worst case scenario, you've made 6ish mill and can go back to Europe in 3 years

[BlazersBroncos]

Ya, getting him into a NBA strength and conditioning regiment ASAP should be the #1 priority for any team that drafts him.

[Mirotic12]

I think its at a mill. If a team drafts him in the top 20, and he's slated to make 5-6 mill on an NBA contract, i have no idea why he would chose to stay over. He's a project; getting into the NBA with NBA trainers and a team who's 100% behind getting the best out of you is the best way to make a career. Worst case scenario, you've made 6ish mill and can go back to Europe in 3 years

Yeah, his buyout is a million. But he wouldn't actually make 5-6 million. NBA contracts are gross, and the players have to pay taxes and agent fees out of it. So more like half that amount.

Ya, getting him into a NBA strength and conditioning regiment ASAP should be the #1 priority for any team that drafts him.

A big EuroLeague club has the same exact kinds of strength and conditioning programs that any NBA team has. So that really is irrelevant.

The difference isn't that. It's that in EuroLeague they don't have the "magic pills", because they actually have strict testing in Europe.

[mademan]

I think its at a mill. If a team drafts him in the top 20, and he's slated to make 5-6 mill on an NBA contract, i have no idea why he would chose to stay over. He's a project; getting into the NBA with NBA trainers and a team who's 100% behind getting the best out of you is the best way to make a career. Worst case scenario, you've made 6ish mill and can go back to Europe in 3 years

Yeah, his buyout is a million. But he wouldn't actually make 5-6 million. NBA contracts are gross, and the players have to pay taxes and agent fees out of it. So more like half that amount.

Ya, getting him into a NBA strength and conditioning regiment ASAP should be the #1 priority for any team that drafts him.

A big EuroLeague club has the same exact kinds of strength and conditioning programs that any NBA team has. So that really is irrelevant.

The difference isn't that. It's that in EuroLeague they don't have the "magic pills", because they actually have strict testing in Europe.

Its over 3 years he'd be getting the 6 mill, even at half that with fees, it's more than he'd make in europe in the same time frame. And like i said, foot in the door in the NBA is a real thing. He doesnt even have to be great to get a second contract worth a lot more than he'd make in Europe.

And no matter what you think about steroids and such, NBA teams, by virtue of being bigger and richer, will be the best bet to get Poku's body to where it needs to be. And he can do that while acclimating to the NBA environment and the US as a whole. There arent many benefits to staying in Europe for him, if he eventually wants to play in the NBA

[TheSuzerain]

NBA teams can pay up to 750k of the buyout without tapping into the player's salary right?

[EvanZ]

I heard Poku is already coming to the US to train, which is unlikely if he was intending to be stashed.

[jezzerinho]

Is it such a given that Poku will have to be a 4/5 in the NBA and therefore will need to bulk up massively?

Or is there a path for him as a wing/combo fwd, at least in his early years where he may struggle defending quicker wings but he's playing into his strengths?

[Revenged25]

Is it such a given that Poku will have to be a 4/5 in the NBA and therefore will need to bulk up massively?

Or is there a path for him as a wing/combo fwd, at least in his early years where he may struggle defending quicker wings but he's playing into his strengths?

I don't think he'll ever be a real 5 in the NBA as putting on that kind of weight to play it will limit what makes him special. I think if he's paid with another player that can defend the quicker wings then he could defend 4s and play more as 3/4. So maybe someone like Jonathan Isaac would be a good pairing for him?

[pad300]

I personally think he'll end up as a perimeter PF, so I don't expect a large/quick bulking up, and a peak playing weight of 230, maybe.

[TB]

I think his build is a bit deceiving, it's the opposite of alot of bigs that bulk up their upper body but still have toothpicks for legs. Don't get me wrong, he's still really skinny, but his legs look a lot stockier than his narrow shoulders and noodle arms. Build reminds me alot of Bertans. I think he's going to be just fine from a size standpoint to play the 4 or 5.

[nolang1]

I think his build is a bit deceiving, it's the opposite of alot of bigs that bulk up their upper body but still have toothpicks for legs. Don't get me wrong, he's still really skinny, but his legs look a lot stockier than his narrow shoulders and noodle arms. Build reminds me alot of Bertans. I think he's going to be just fine from a size standpoint to play the 4 or 5.

Yeah the collective amnesia people have where they fail to remember how many skinny 18-year-olds put on 30-40 pounds once they get into the NBA is really weird. 220 pounds is easily obtainable for Pokusevski, and that’s totally fine for a combo forward. He also doesn’t let his lack of bulk prevent him from rebounding at a very good rate, especially when you factor in how much of a shotblocker he is.

[Revenged25]

I think his build is a bit deceiving, it's the opposite of alot of bigs that bulk up their upper body but still have toothpicks for legs. Don't get me wrong, he's still really skinny, but his legs look a lot stockier than his narrow shoulders and noodle arms. Build reminds me alot of Bertans. I think he's going to be just fine from a size standpoint to play the 4 or 5.

Yeah the collective amnesia people have where they fail to remember how many skinny 18-year-olds put on 30-40 pounds once they get into the NBA is really weird. 220 pounds is easily obtainable for Pokusevski, and that’s totally fine for a combo forward. He also doesn’t let his lack of bulk prevent him from rebounding at a very good rate, especially when you factor in how much of a shotblocker he is.

I think a lot of people like him as a combo forward, just not as a F-C.

[nolang1]

I think his build is a bit deceiving, it's the opposite of alot of bigs that bulk up their upper body but still have toothpicks for legs. Don't get me wrong, he's still really skinny, but his legs look a lot stockier than his narrow shoulders and noodle arms. Build reminds me alot of Bertans. I think he's going to be just fine from a size standpoint to play the 4 or 5.

Yeah the collective amnesia people have where they fail to remember how many skinny 18-year-olds put on 30-40 pounds once they get into the NBA is really weird. 220 pounds is easily obtainable for Pokusevski, and that’s totally fine for a combo forward. He also doesn’t let his lack of bulk prevent him from rebounding at a very good rate, especially when you factor in how much of a shotblocker he is.

I think a lot of people like him as a combo forward, just not as a F-C.

And that's entirely arbitrary based on the lineup. When basically every prospect 6'6 and up gets talked about as a potential small ball 5, saying he's not a center is just saying that he's not strong enough to guard a small number of players like Embiid or Jokic in the post.

[Revenged25]

Yeah the collective amnesia people have where they fail to remember how many skinny 18-year-olds put on 30-40 pounds once they get into the NBA is really weird. 220 pounds is easily obtainable for Pokusevski, and that’s totally fine for a combo forward. He also doesn’t let his lack of bulk prevent him from rebounding at a very good rate, especially when you factor in how much of a shotblocker he is.

I think a lot of people like him as a combo forward, just not as a F-C.

And that's entirely arbitrary based on the lineup. When basically every prospect 6'6 and up gets talked about as a potential small ball 5, saying he's not a center is just saying that he's not strong enough to guard a small number of players like Embiid or Jokic in the post.

I mean small ball 5 isn't an actual 5 and is used for maybe 10-15 minutes a game, not 30+ minutes. Embiid, Jokic, Drummond, Adams, DAJ, Horford, etc. Even then I think his skillset is still better for a combo forward than a F-C, though obviously he can be a "small ball" 5 for 5-10 minutes a game, but you don't want him constantly banging with true centers in the paint as it will wear him down faster. I mean even Dirk played center at times when needed though he was more ideal at PF.

[nolang1]

I think a lot of people like him as a combo forward, just not as a F-C.

And that's entirely arbitrary based on the lineup. When basically every prospect 6'6 and up gets talked about as a potential small ball 5, saying he's not a center is just saying that he's not strong enough to guard a small number of players like Embiid or Jokic in the post.

I mean small ball 5 isn't an actual 5 and is used for maybe 10-15 minutes a game, not 30+ minutes. Embiid, Jokic, Drummond, Adams, DAJ, Horford, etc. Even then I think his skillset is still better for a combo forward than a F-C, though obviously he can be a "small ball" 5 for 5-10 minutes a game, but you don't want him constantly banging with true centers in the paint as it will wear him down faster. I mean even Dirk played center at times when needed though he was more ideal at PF.

Yeah I don't know what strawman you're trying to put up here. Nobody is saying he's a center.