2022 NBA Draft

[EMG518]

Nobody is concerned with AJ Griffin's quickness? He seems pretty slow to me.

[Duke4life831]

Nobody is concerned with AJ Griffin's quickness? He seems pretty slow to me.

He seems to be a weird kind of athlete. Because ya for large chunks of the game he can definitely look slow. He also runs with a weird gait as well. But he will have flashes of really good athleticism. I believe it was against Virginia Tech, he grabbed a rebound and pushed it and he was legit fast. And I remember thinking to myself, where the hell did that come from.

So I dont know if he just has bad first step quickness, or kind of just chills at a lower level athletically for the majority of the game. Kuminga was kind of like that, there were some on here questioning his athleticism because especially in the G League last year, he kind of went throughout the game at a lower level athletically and kind of has a short chunky gait to his jog.

So ya dont know if that is the case or ya he just isnt that quick. But I have definitely noticed it as well.

[babyjax13]

Nobody is concerned with AJ Griffin's quickness? He seems pretty slow to me.

He seems to be a weird kind of athlete. Because ya for large chunks of the game he can definitely look slow. He also runs with a weird gait as well. But he will have flashes of really good athleticism. I believe it was against Virginia Tech, he grabbed a rebound and pushed it and he was legit fast. And I remember thinking to myself, where the hell did that come from.

So I dont know if he just has bad first step quickness, or kind of just chills at a lower level athletically for the majority of the game. Kuminga was kind of like that, there were some on here questioning his athleticism because especially in the G League last year, he kind of went throughout the game at a lower level athletically and kind of has a short chunky gait to his jog.

So ya dont know if that is the case or ya he just isnt that quick. But I have definitely noticed it as well.

Watch him laterally, that's where his athleticism shows, it's pretty nuts how much ground he can cover on defense.

[Duke4life831]

Nobody is concerned with AJ Griffin's quickness? He seems pretty slow to me.

He seems to be a weird kind of athlete. Because ya for large chunks of the game he can definitely look slow. He also runs with a weird gait as well. But he will have flashes of really good athleticism. I believe it was against Virginia Tech, he grabbed a rebound and pushed it and he was legit fast. And I remember thinking to myself, where the hell did that come from.

So I dont know if he just has bad first step quickness, or kind of just chills at a lower level athletically for the majority of the game. Kuminga was kind of like that, there were some on here questioning his athleticism because especially in the G League last year, he kind of went throughout the game at a lower level athletically and kind of has a short chunky gait to his jog.

So ya dont know if that is the case or ya he just isnt that quick. But I have definitely noticed it as well.

Watch him laterally, that's where his athleticism shows, it's pretty nuts how much ground he can cover on defense.

Oh I agree 100% on this, I meant to say this but forgot to add it. Defensively he moves laterally very well and he moves quick on his side step 3s.

This is part of the reason why Im not just sold on him being a slow athlete and brought up the idea of him just idling at a lower level like a Kuminga. Because again there are clear flashes of AJ's athleticism. Or if he might just be a better lateral athlete but lacks a good first step going forward.

Because again if we look back at the Kuminga threads, multiple people were questioning his athleticism. I think that has to do with him just idling at a lower level and he has a short chunky jogging gait. And now in the open court of the NBA, no one is questioning Kuminga's athleticism. And athleticism was one of AJ's strengths coming out of high school.

[babyjax13]

He seems to be a weird kind of athlete. Because ya for large chunks of the game he can definitely look slow. He also runs with a weird gait as well. But he will have flashes of really good athleticism. I believe it was against Virginia Tech, he grabbed a rebound and pushed it and he was legit fast. And I remember thinking to myself, where the hell did that come from.

So I dont know if he just has bad first step quickness, or kind of just chills at a lower level athletically for the majority of the game. Kuminga was kind of like that, there were some on here questioning his athleticism because especially in the G League last year, he kind of went throughout the game at a lower level athletically and kind of has a short chunky gait to his jog.

So ya dont know if that is the case or ya he just isnt that quick. But I have definitely noticed it as well.

Watch him laterally, that's where his athleticism shows, it's pretty nuts how much ground he can cover on defense.

Oh I agree 100% on this, I meant to say this but forgot to add it. Defensively he moves laterally very well and he moves quick on his side step 3s.

This is part of the reason why Im not just sold on him being a slow athlete and brought up the idea of him just idling at a lower level like a Kuminga. Because again there are clear flashes of AJ's athleticism. Or if he might just be a better lateral athlete but lacks a good first step going forward.

Because again if we look back at the Kuminga threads, multiple people were questioning his athleticism. I think that has to do with him just idling at a lower level and he has a short chunky jogging gait. And now in the open court of the NBA, no one is questioning Kuminga's athleticism. And athleticism was one of AJ's strengths coming out of high school.

I wonder if the injuries could have affected his straight-line burst more than his horizontal movement? Honestly even if he's just below average in a straight line I think that's fine. It's not like Bojan Bogdanovic blows by anyone, but just like AJ he is built to be an absolute bully if you have anyone smaller or thinner on him. Not that this is the kind of player AJ will be on offense, just saying that he can create separation with his strength and lateral movement just fine, and defensively lateral movement is much more important.

[Duke4life831]

Watch him laterally, that's where his athleticism shows, it's pretty nuts how much ground he can cover on defense.

Oh I agree 100% on this, I meant to say this but forgot to add it. Defensively he moves laterally very well and he moves quick on his side step 3s.

This is part of the reason why Im not just sold on him being a slow athlete and brought up the idea of him just idling at a lower level like a Kuminga. Because again there are clear flashes of AJ's athleticism. Or if he might just be a better lateral athlete but lacks a good first step going forward.

Because again if we look back at the Kuminga threads, multiple people were questioning his athleticism. I think that has to do with him just idling at a lower level and he has a short chunky jogging gait. And now in the open court of the NBA, no one is questioning Kuminga's athleticism. And athleticism was one of AJ's strengths coming out of high school.

I wonder if the injuries could have affected his straight-line burst more than his horizontal movement? Honestly even if he's just below average in a straight line I think that's fine. It's not like Bojan Bogdanovic blows by anyone, but just like AJ he is built to be an absolute bully if you have anyone smaller or thinner on him. Not that this is the kind of player AJ will be on offense, just saying that he can create separation with his strength and lateral movement just fine, and defensively lateral movement is much more important.

Ive always liked the Butler comparison with him. I think he is similar to Butler in the athletic department. Jimmy has never been known to be an elite athlete, I think AJ might be in the same tier athleticism as him.

And ya I dont think we will be seeing AJ using his first step to blow by people at the next level but ya I dont think he will have an issue creating space. Like you said, the dude is a big boy. He has some Dwight Howard kind of shoulders on him. And he has a nice tight handle and already has that nice side step/step back move. Then ya defensively Im not seeing him having any issues staying in front of guys or staying on a ball handler's shoulder.

[EMG518]

Oh I agree 100% on this, I meant to say this but forgot to add it. Defensively he moves laterally very well and he moves quick on his side step 3s.

This is part of the reason why Im not just sold on him being a slow athlete and brought up the idea of him just idling at a lower level like a Kuminga. Because again there are clear flashes of AJ's athleticism. Or if he might just be a better lateral athlete but lacks a good first step going forward.

Because again if we look back at the Kuminga threads, multiple people were questioning his athleticism. I think that has to do with him just idling at a lower level and he has a short chunky jogging gait. And now in the open court of the NBA, no one is questioning Kuminga's athleticism. And athleticism was one of AJ's strengths coming out of high school.

I wonder if the injuries could have affected his straight-line burst more than his horizontal movement? Honestly even if he's just below average in a straight line I think that's fine. It's not like Bojan Bogdanovic blows by anyone, but just like AJ he is built to be an absolute bully if you have anyone smaller or thinner on him. Not that this is the kind of player AJ will be on offense, just saying that he can create separation with his strength and lateral movement just fine, and defensively lateral movement is much more important.

Ive always liked the Butler comparison with him. I think he is similar to Butler in the athletic department. Jimmy has never been known to be an elite athlete, I think AJ might be in the same tier athleticism as him.

And ya I dont think we will be seeing AJ using his first step to blow by people at the next level but ya I dont think he will have an issue creating space. Like you said, the dude is a big boy. He has some Dwight Howard kind of shoulders on him. And he has a nice tight handle and already has that nice side step/step back move. Then ya defensively Im not seeing him having any issues staying in front of guys or staying on a ball handler's shoulder.

I'm personally concerned and I didn't have that feeling about Kuminga in the athletic department. I'm not sure where I would play him honestly, I feel like he is going to have trouble staying in front of guards and you lose his size advantage if you move him up the lineup to a forward spot. I think people are misjudging him right now. I dont see him having a large role of offense either.

[clyde21]

I wonder if the injuries could have affected his straight-line burst more than his horizontal movement? Honestly even if he's just below average in a straight line I think that's fine. It's not like Bojan Bogdanovic blows by anyone, but just like AJ he is built to be an absolute bully if you have anyone smaller or thinner on him. Not that this is the kind of player AJ will be on offense, just saying that he can create separation with his strength and lateral movement just fine, and defensively lateral movement is much more important.

Ive always liked the Butler comparison with him. I think he is similar to Butler in the athletic department. Jimmy has never been known to be an elite athlete, I think AJ might be in the same tier athleticism as him.

And ya I dont think we will be seeing AJ using his first step to blow by people at the next level but ya I dont think he will have an issue creating space. Like you said, the dude is a big boy. He has some Dwight Howard kind of shoulders on him. And he has a nice tight handle and already has that nice side step/step back move. Then ya defensively Im not seeing him having any issues staying in front of guys or staying on a ball handler's shoulder.

I'm personally concerned and I didn't have that feeling about Kuminga in the athletic department. I'm not sure where I would play him honestly, I feel like he is going to have trouble staying in front of guards and you lose his size advantage if you move him up the lineup to a forward spot. I think people are misjudging him right now. I dont see him having a large role of offense either.

ding ding ding

problem with AJ is that he doesn't have a clearly defined role or archetype, I've seen the Butler comps and I agree with them on some level, but he's got a ways to go from a skills standpoint to be that level of player

i think his handle needs work, I disagree that he has a tight one, he can create some shots for himself but pretty inconsistently, he has + length but size wise he's more of a 2 than wing sized, he's strong yea but is it functional, in that will he use it bully his way to the rim or on post ups or to get spacing on his shots? he's already well developed physically and that advantage is going to shrink considerably once he's in the NBA.

i think it's more likely he's Josh Okogie than Jimmy Butler, which is perfectly fine...I think you can make a lotto argument because he can hit some 3s, run the court and play some solid switch defense, decent baseline as a 3+D guy with potential for more if the skills develop, but I can't get to top5 even in this class.

but really biggest issue for me is I still can't pinpoint a good role for him in the NBA at this point other than a 3+D guy, right now he's kinda decent at a bunch of stuff but don't really see any elite traits or skills...but we'll see how some of his other ancillary skills grow over time.

[clyde21]

he's also mechanical in his movements a bit, could be because his body developed early and the quick twitch fibers haven't kept up yet, but I think if you compare his athleticism to a guy like Brown for example, there is a huge difference in functionality and how translatable it is, tho he is more advanced as a scorer than Brown at this point that's for sure

[The-Power]

Ive always liked the Butler comparison with him. I think he is similar to Butler in the athletic department. Jimmy has never been known to be an elite athlete, I think AJ might be in the same tier athleticism as him.

And ya I dont think we will be seeing AJ using his first step to blow by people at the next level but ya I dont think he will have an issue creating space.

To me, the second part doesn't sound like Jimmy Butler at all. Butler absolutely does blow by people with his first step.

[God Squad]

Is Zach Edey draftable? The production is undeniable, but I had questions about his lateral movement and just the speed of the NBA game. But he doesn't seem that slow at all to me.

First rounder? Early Second? China?

[The-Power]

Is Zach Edey draftable? The production is undeniable, but I had questions about his lateral movement and just the speed of the NBA game. But he doesn't seem that slow at all to me.

First rounder? Early Second? China?

I don't think he's really draftable. Maybe someone invites him to summer camp as an undrafted free agent but anything more than that I'd consider a reach honestly. Also, I'd much rather have Trevion Williams because he has one elite and highly useful NBA skill.

[TheSuzerain]

Ive always liked the Butler comparison with him. I think he is similar to Butler in the athletic department. Jimmy has never been known to be an elite athlete, I think AJ might be in the same tier athleticism as him.

And ya I dont think we will be seeing AJ using his first step to blow by people at the next level but ya I dont think he will have an issue creating space.

To me, the second part doesn't sound like Jimmy Butler at all. Butler absolutely does blow by people with his first step.

Yeah Butler is one of the most explosive players in the league. He just has a mediocre wingspan.

[CptCrunch]

One thing people never mention is that he is the son of current assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors. You can tell he plays smart basketball and his natural basketball IQ is high enough to harness all that coaching during his youth.

Griffin is 3 great games away from top #3. A great streak away from darkhorse #1 pick.

Also Griffin is quite young. Due to the well known age (within same year developmental effect, if you doubt this go look at studies or read article about how wealthy families of New York plan pregnancies to give birth such that their child is the oldest in their school cohort), most of the top of the draft are filled with older kids for their year and/or held back kids. He is 1 year younger than regular aged members of this class (Paolo/Chet), and 2 whole years younger than older kids like TyTy.

[babyjax13]

Ive always liked the Butler comparison with him. I think he is similar to Butler in the athletic department. Jimmy has never been known to be an elite athlete, I think AJ might be in the same tier athleticism as him.

And ya I dont think we will be seeing AJ using his first step to blow by people at the next level but ya I dont think he will have an issue creating space. Like you said, the dude is a big boy. He has some Dwight Howard kind of shoulders on him. And he has a nice tight handle and already has that nice side step/step back move. Then ya defensively Im not seeing him having any issues staying in front of guys or staying on a ball handler's shoulder.

I'm personally concerned and I didn't have that feeling about Kuminga in the athletic department. I'm not sure where I would play him honestly, I feel like he is going to have trouble staying in front of guards and you lose his size advantage if you move him up the lineup to a forward spot. I think people are misjudging him right now. I dont see him having a large role of offense either.

ding ding ding

problem with AJ is that he doesn't have a clearly defined role or archetype, I've seen the Butler comps and I agree with them on some level, but he's got a ways to go from a skills standpoint to be that level of player

i think his handle needs work, I disagree that he has a tight one, he can create some shots for himself but pretty inconsistently, he has + length but size wise he's more of a 2 than wing sized, he's strong yea but is it functional, in that will he use it bully his way to the rim or on post ups or to get spacing on his shots? he's already well developed physically and that advantage is going to shrink considerably once he's in the NBA.

i think it's more likely he's Josh Okogie than Jimmy Butler, which is perfectly fine...I think you can make a lotto argument because he can hit some 3s, run the court and play some solid switch defense, decent baseline as a 3+D guy with potential for more if the skills develop, but I can't get to top5 even in this class.

but really biggest issue for me is I still can't pinpoint a good role for him in the NBA at this point other than a 3+D guy, right now he's kinda decent at a bunch of stuff but don't really see any elite traits or skills...but we'll see how some of his other ancillary skills grow over time.

I see PJ Tucker with the ability to manufacture his own shot a bit. I think if we expect him to be a really good linking player instead of possibly a star he makes a lot more sense. e.g. imagine Cleveland with a 6-8 wing who hits open threes at a good clip, can create a bit of separation when the defense has been moving, and is a top 15 percentile defender...I think that's a really valuable player. I have Griffin's upside on offense probably being the level of a Harrison Barnes, but I'm not sure he can get to that kind of shot volume.

[retrobro90]

Is Zach Edey draftable? The production is undeniable, but I had questions about his lateral movement and just the speed of the NBA game. But he doesn't seem that slow at all to me.

First rounder? Early Second? China?

Edey is a boss and 100% draftable imo. The only concern I'd say is his endurance and ability/inability to play heavy minutes (Over 30). However in the minutes he plays I think he moves well enough both up and down the court and laterally. I think the majority of teams' center rotation is all about diversity and he fits a helpful and necessary role. He stood out nicely in the U19s over the summer and at the college level there's truly no one at his size. Maybe late 1st but I would be elated if my team took him anywhere in the 2nd. I think he's a Zubac level contributor ultimately.

[clyde21]

I'm personally concerned and I didn't have that feeling about Kuminga in the athletic department. I'm not sure where I would play him honestly, I feel like he is going to have trouble staying in front of guards and you lose his size advantage if you move him up the lineup to a forward spot. I think people are misjudging him right now. I dont see him having a large role of offense either.

ding ding ding

problem with AJ is that he doesn't have a clearly defined role or archetype, I've seen the Butler comps and I agree with them on some level, but he's got a ways to go from a skills standpoint to be that level of player

i think his handle needs work, I disagree that he has a tight one, he can create some shots for himself but pretty inconsistently, he has + length but size wise he's more of a 2 than wing sized, he's strong yea but is it functional, in that will he use it bully his way to the rim or on post ups or to get spacing on his shots? he's already well developed physically and that advantage is going to shrink considerably once he's in the NBA.

i think it's more likely he's Josh Okogie than Jimmy Butler, which is perfectly fine...I think you can make a lotto argument because he can hit some 3s, run the court and play some solid switch defense, decent baseline as a 3+D guy with potential for more if the skills develop, but I can't get to top5 even in this class.

but really biggest issue for me is I still can't pinpoint a good role for him in the NBA at this point other than a 3+D guy, right now he's kinda decent at a bunch of stuff but don't really see any elite traits or skills...but we'll see how some of his other ancillary skills grow over time.

I see PJ Tucker with the ability to manufacture his own shot a bit. I think if we expect him to be a really good linking player instead of possibly a star he makes a lot more sense. e.g. imagine Cleveland with a 6-8 wing who hits open threes at a good clip, can create a bit of separation when the defense has been moving, and is a top 15 percentile defender...I think that's a really valuable player. I have Griffin's upside on offense probably being the level of a Harrison Barnes, but I'm not sure he can get to that kind of shot volume.

6-8? AJ looks closer to 6-5 to me, he's Okoro size pretty much

thats part of the reason why I don't really know where to put him, if he clocks in at a legit 6-8 then that's a different story.

[babyjax13]

ding ding ding

problem with AJ is that he doesn't have a clearly defined role or archetype, I've seen the Butler comps and I agree with them on some level, but he's got a ways to go from a skills standpoint to be that level of player

i think his handle needs work, I disagree that he has a tight one, he can create some shots for himself but pretty inconsistently, he has + length but size wise he's more of a 2 than wing sized, he's strong yea but is it functional, in that will he use it bully his way to the rim or on post ups or to get spacing on his shots? he's already well developed physically and that advantage is going to shrink considerably once he's in the NBA.

i think it's more likely he's Josh Okogie than Jimmy Butler, which is perfectly fine...I think you can make a lotto argument because he can hit some 3s, run the court and play some solid switch defense, decent baseline as a 3+D guy with potential for more if the skills develop, but I can't get to top5 even in this class.

but really biggest issue for me is I still can't pinpoint a good role for him in the NBA at this point other than a 3+D guy, right now he's kinda decent at a bunch of stuff but don't really see any elite traits or skills...but we'll see how some of his other ancillary skills grow over time.

I see PJ Tucker with the ability to manufacture his own shot a bit. I think if we expect him to be a really good linking player instead of possibly a star he makes a lot more sense. e.g. imagine Cleveland with a 6-8 wing who hits open threes at a good clip, can create a bit of separation when the defense has been moving, and is a top 15 percentile defender...I think that's a really valuable player. I have Griffin's upside on offense probably being the level of a Harrison Barnes, but I'm not sure he can get to that kind of shot volume.

6-8? AJ looks close to 6-5 to me, he's Okoro size pretty much

Listed at 6-6, I thought he was a bit bigger. Still, I think a player of that size with the strength and lateral mobility he has would be an incredible defender. Add that he is comfortable and effective as a spot-up shooter, and can create his own space when he has an advantage from defenders getting out of position, or with his stepback, and I think he's going to be a really valuable player.

[clyde21]

I see PJ Tucker with the ability to manufacture his own shot a bit. I think if we expect him to be a really good linking player instead of possibly a star he makes a lot more sense. e.g. imagine Cleveland with a 6-8 wing who hits open threes at a good clip, can create a bit of separation when the defense has been moving, and is a top 15 percentile defender...I think that's a really valuable player. I have Griffin's upside on offense probably being the level of a Harrison Barnes, but I'm not sure he can get to that kind of shot volume.

6-8? AJ looks close to 6-5 to me, he's Okoro size pretty much

Listed at 6-6, I thought he was a bit bigger. Still, I think a player of that size with the strength and lateral mobility he has would be an incredible defender. Add that he is comfortable and effective as a spot-up shooter, and can create his own space when he has an advantage from defenders getting out of position, or with his stepback, and I think he's going to be a really valuable player.

yea, i don't disagree that there is a path for him to be a valuable piece, i don't think he's a knock down shooter or a shut down defender by any stretch but I think the path is there to him being a valuable 3-D type, but I think we'd be talking about a whole different prospect if he was 6-8 instead of 6-5. if that was the case I might be buying the top5 talk, but now I think end of lotto seems like a decent fit for him.

[babyjax13]

6-8? AJ looks close to 6-5 to me, he's Okoro size pretty much

Listed at 6-6, I thought he was a bit bigger. Still, I think a player of that size with the strength and lateral mobility he has would be an incredible defender. Add that he is comfortable and effective as a spot-up shooter, and can create his own space when he has an advantage from defenders getting out of position, or with his stepback, and I think he's going to be a really valuable player.

yea, i don't disagree that there is a path for him to be a valuable piece, i don't think he's a knock down shooter or a shut down defender by any stretch but I think the path is there to him being a valuable 3-D type, but I think we'd be talking about a whole different prospect if he was 6-8 instead of 6-5. if that was the case I might be buying the top5 talk, but no I think end of lotto seems like a decent fit for him.

I'm imagining PJ Tucker with a larger offensive role, I'd take that player first half of the lottery (6-9), but YMMV, lots of teams would probably hope for someone that projects as a star, but I think that's always an outlier outcome once you are out of the top 5, and I think Griffin still has that outlier potential if he has more burst than we are seeing (either because he is still recovering from injury, because of spacing at the college level, or because of his role w/Banchero on the team). I still have Ivey/Smith/Holmgren/Banchero/Davis/Mathurin ahead of him, but right now I think he and Brown are really exciting prospects with valuable roles at the NBA level and the potential to be more if they either develop some kind of skill they don't have (Brown, shooting), or demonstrate a level of athleticism we aren't seeing fully.