'14 Draft Thread - Now With a Poll: VOTE OR DIE.

[Mikeylikesit]

One bad game? He has been unimpressive in 3 games. If you watched him, you can tell he doesn't have the passing skills or the ability to run a team. It shouldn't matter WHO you play against, you need those skills. He had 3 assists on a team full of talent as the PG. He wiped that out with 4 turns. He wasn't aggressive at all. He was constantly beat by Harris and Appling resulting in 4 fouls. He whined the entire game and got frustrated when things weren't going his way. I just don't see, outside of size and maybe athletic ability, how this guy is a top 10 pick. Of the 6 guards that started, he was the 5th best. And that is only because his brother was even worse.

Besides Julius Randle, that entire Kentucky squad has been "unimpressive" to start the year. Is it really that surprising that an 18 year old true freshman point guard is struggling to run an offense with a bunch of guys he's never played organized basketball with before?

If this were even half way through the season, then it would be more concerning, but 3 games in? I think you're jumping to conclusions. Point guard isn't a position that you just master on day one. I'll take what scouts have been saying and John Calipari's recent track record with PG's (Rose, Wall, Bledsoe) over a 3 game sample size.

James Young has been pretty good, so I wouldn't say that.

The fact that he isn't making plays is concerning. Even if he can't run the show right now, he should still be able to drive and kick. Oh and playing defense should be something he should do. Completely dominated by Harris and Appling. Sorry, not top 10 pick worthy right now.

[machu46]

Before the year started, I said that Harrison never impressed me in high school in terms of NBA talent. So far, I stand by what I said. He isn't the PG I want.

I want to see more of Randle, because his struggles to finish against the first two undersized opponents was alarming to me, but dominating the second half against a Tom Izzo team is hella impressive.

Personally, I'd still go Wiggins #1 overall. You can say what you want about not having the motor and not being as skilled as Randle and Parker yet, but even with all that being said, he's still competing with them. That says a lot about the kind of natural talent/potential he has.

[TroyD92]

I think Randle struggled a bit early, because he's never played a team who can play such sound defense to go along with the athleticism. I'm sure it was a bit of an adjustment period.

[stellation]

Where can we get highlights, etc on Exum?

Good Chad Ford interview at this link.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9957456

As Ford said, I don't need the number one pick in the draft to get a superstar. I need a top five pick to get a superstar in this draft. He's right.

Just hope like heck the Bucks don't blow this. This is our ticket out of this mess. Parker, Wiggins and Randle all looked like all-world players last night.

jc8 has posted probably the best one, but the below is from a QF game against a very good Spain team at the u19 WC. You get a good idea of how easily he can get past guys.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IBvtMkkEdA[/youtube]

[skones]

Color me completely unimpressed with Wiggins last night. Both Randle and Parker looked like better prospects to me last night.

22 points on 9-15 shooting with 10 rebounds. He sure isn't very impressive.

FIRST, he didn't pull down 10 boards, and since when do we evaluate draft prospects on statistical production alone? This goes deeper than numbers, it's the way Wiggins scored his points, and he did so in getting his buckets with off the ball movement. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, a transcendent prospect should show the ability to create his own look and Wiggins didn't really do that last night.

[Ayt]

Color me completely unimpressed with Wiggins last night. Both Randle and Parker looked like better prospects to me last night.

22 points on 9-15 shooting with 10 rebounds. He sure isn't very impressive.

FIRST, he didn't pull down 10 boards, and since when do we evaluate draft prospects on statistical production alone? This goes deeper than numbers, it's the way Wiggins scored his points, and he did so in getting his buckets with off the ball movement. While that's not necessarily a bad thing, a transcendent prospect should show the ability to create his own look and Wiggins didn't really do that last night.

Someone earlier ITT said he could already be a #1 option type on offense in the NBA right now. He's not even that in college.

Also, this was a Smoove B approved move.

[whatthe_buck!?]

My only real concern with drafting Parker is the possibility of him deciding he wants to go on a two-year mission trip. He'd probably figure that out half-way through his rookie year here.

Wtf? Is he a morman or some sh*t??

[emunney]

He's Mormon, yes.

I'm fine with the idea of him going on a mission trip. Worked out ok for the Spurs when the Admiral was in the service. Wouldn't be so bad to get a Sean Elliott to pair with him.

[Ayt]

Here is a highlight vid of Wiggins from last night.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhTaImYwFHc[/youtube]

Jabari highlights.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb-ghooJsBk[/youtube]

[Ayt]

Another major factor in Parker's favor is his build. He's currently listed at 6-8, 235. He has a very thick build for an NBA prospect. Currently, he still has some baby fat on him.

Once he fills out that body, he's going to be an extremely smooth 6-8, 245+ SF. He'll be the biggest SF in the league other than LeBron.

People talk about Wiggins being a physical marvel, but there aren't a whole lot of 18-year-olds that are 6-8, 235 who move and play like Parker.

[skones]

Here is a highlight vid of Wiggins from last night.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhTaImYwFHc[/youtube]

Jabari highlights.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb-ghooJsBk[/youtube]

Pretty stark contrast there. I really don't know how anyone can say Wiggins looked like the superior prospect last night.

[whatthe_buck!?]

Here is a highlight vid of Wiggins from last night.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhTaImYwFHc[/youtube]

Jabari highlights.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb-ghooJsBk[/youtube]

Pretty stark contrast there. I really don't know how anyone can say Wiggins looked like the superior prospect last night.

Um, I watched both and I find this comment strange. I say wiggins definitely looked like the superior prospect. He plays at a totally different speed out there vs Parker. Love Parker's game but I'm taking the guy making unbelievable athletic plays without so much as breaking a sweat. Just has a different gear, and that's taking into account the fact that Jabari Parker looked like an incredible athlete in his own right out there last night...

[Ayt]

I'd be shocked if Parker wasn't battling for scoring titles within just a few years of entering the NBA. He's easily one of the most gifted scorers I've ever seen at that age. It is hard for me to think of a situation offensively that he'd struggle with, and he's only 18.

Incredible, incredible talent.

[TroyD92]

If Parker could lose maybe 10lbs I'd love to see how much more explosive he gets.

[Baddy Chuck]

Pretty stark contrast there. I really don't know how anyone can say Wiggins looked like the superior prospect last night.

Because I saw a lot more then jumpshots from the one I thought was the better player. Wiggins showed me INSANELY quick and crisp moves all around the court, with and without the ball. Parker on the other hand looked like a guy with suspect moves with the ball, relying quite a bit on brute force whenever he wasn't just pulling up for a jumper and was pretty campy without the ball in his hands. Parker has a ton of talent, especially scoring the ball, but I have huge reservations on what he actually gives to your team when his jumpshot isn't falling. Towards the end of that game when he was chucking up some ill-advised shots that went in earlier and his wild running hook didn't fall he was more of a liability then this superstar people seemed to think he looked like. Like said, he had a great shooting performance in the first half, when that wasn't falling he was still taking them and offering little else.

[whatthe_buck!?]

I'd be shocked if Parker wasn't battling for scoring titles within just a few years of entering the NBA. He's easily one of the most gifted scorers I've ever seen at that age. It is hard for me to think of a situation offensively that he'd struggle with, and he's only 18.

Incredible, incredible talent.

Anybody knocking Parker is crazy, absolutely agree he's an unbelievable talent. In fact there's a good case to be made that taking the guy who's more of a sure thing and whose game relies less on athleticism is the right move if u want to maximize the value of a top pick in this draft. But to pretend wiggins didnt show incredible skill in last nights game is also incorrect analysis. His step back midranger looked as pretty as a perfect pair of oiled up t*tties and the way he moves around on the floor mimics Kobe or Jordan imo. I'm taking the guy with Jordan athleticism and ceiling over basically anybody so Wiggins is still my guy until further notice...

[Ayt]

This clumsy move sums up my reservations with Wiggins. I expect him to average more TO than AST this year (he had 0 assists against Duke). I think he could very well average less than 2 assists on the year (awful for an elite SG prospect). I also think he'll have more games where he has more TO than AST compared to the opposite (by a fairly large margin, if I had to guess).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... YwFHc#t=14

I had major reservations about his ball handing and his overall offensive awareness in HS. So far in the NCAA, he's played the same way. He really is not the type of guy you can run an offense through even in college.

You can be a super crazy athlete, but if you can't create offense for yourself or others in a variety of ways, you aren't all that special.

[Baddy Chuck]

I expect him to average more TO than AST this year. I think he could very well average less than 2 assists on the year (awful for an elite SG prospect). I also think he'll have more games where he has more TO than AST compared to the opposite (by a fairly large margin, if I had to guess).

I'm not exactly sure how anything you saw from Parker could make you think differently from this either though.

[emunney]

I thought Wiggins looked really good overall but his step back was weak. He's not creating space with that in the NBA. Step back isn't supposed to mean you just take a step back. That has to be a bound or a leap.

[whatthe_buck!?]

I thought Wiggins looked really good overall but his step back was weak. He's not creating space with that in the NBA. Step back isn't supposed to mean you just take a step back. That has to be a bound or a leap.

Does he need to create space honestly? He's so f*cking quick with his jumps and with his hands that no mere mortal is blocking his shot anyway without a ton of pure luck, I feel like he has the first ten years of his career to improve his ability to create space with his footwork as that's how long it's probably gonna be before he loses his cat-quickness...