And I hate to add to this kid's embarrassment but @Clutch just continues to own him. I understand preferring a certain player, heck love him all you want, but the lies just have to stop. #RocketsFirst
Can't believe a lot on the mocks. My company has worked with various NBA teams on evaluating players from a certain perspective and I've been surprised by where teams have certain players slotted as compared to the media. Believe your eyes, more than some of the mocks. Also, teams look for different things that media or fans might not be considering.
too me he's best when it's fully fluid and all in one motion. he has a tendency to make it more of a 2 motion shot and that throws off the consistency. he also varies in how his elbow looks from shot to shot and that's something that can use improvement as well.
The biggest issue for the Rockets defense was in the paint .... they gave up the most paint points in the league. Two problems created most of that - C.Wood just refusing to play big man defense and Sengun being overmatched in most one on one matchups. Seems like every center in the league had a career night against those two .... You plug a good defensive anchor type in at the 5 spot that can deter some of those paint attempts and hold up in one on one matchups and it the Rockets defense is close to middle of the pack. Having that anchor in the middle makes everyone else better ....
People are watching HS tape now??? The only thing that should be taken away from that is how different(growth) they look now 1/2 years later both physically and game wise.
And Chet is going to be that guy? For sure? I think for Sengun it was just getting accustomed to the league - like with all rookies. If his massive frame struggled with the physicality that NBA 5's bring every night how in the world is Chet going to be better in that department? Chet will be a very good HELP defender and a decent perimeter guy given his length, but Chet isnt going to magically fix all the paint woes by himself - thats a fairy tale. It would improve some yes I would agree with that. I think it will improve without Chet too though.
I think its cute to see guys go back to high school clips trying to discredit their perceived "worst" pick LOL. Ignoring the latest film and practice sessions still clutching their stat sheets and high school highlight videos shaking their fist at Rafael Stone - OMG I can already see this place turn into the Thunder Dome if 'You Know Who' gets picked! Dave becoming the best version of his petty self on twitter is even more gratifying! Wish he would play here with us more!
Every year people clamor for these "raw" players with length and athleticism because we've been spoiled by Tmac, Kawhi, Giannis draft types. There are just a lot more Josh Jackson, Meyers Leonard, Winslow types. Banchero gets penalized for working on his body earlier, knowing his goal is the NBA, and people saying he has no room to grow as he is at his peak... What? He is younger than both Ivey and Chet. The dude is polished with just as much potential... All of these guys success will depend on a multitude of variables some of which they cannot control. Jabari/Chet/Paolo are going to look very different depending on if they get drafted by say the Spurs vs the Kings. I really hope the kings don't get any of them... I don't trust that organization.
Most of the work we've done is with teams in later lottery to mid-20's. The highest pick we had any input on was #9. BTW, who was selected with that pick was not who I would've went with. With no insider knowledge here's how I see it... 1 - Chet Holmgren: For me he's clearly the best of this class and it's not close for me. After him, I believe it's how the lottery turns out because teams see potential, fit, risk, etc. differently. For example, I could see Keegan Murray penetrating the Top 5 for some teams, and Ivey or Sharpe going before some of the Big 3. If we got Murray at #5, I'd actually be content. I think those 6 are in play for Top 5 spots. After that, I think Eason is definitely lottery, maybe Top 10. Also see Dieng as a potential lottery wild card. His stock has been shooting up like a rocket (pun intended) and he has some intriguing traits/skills that could entice teams to take a swing much earlier than what mocks are showing us now. Teams have a ton more info on these guys than us, but sometimes they decide to weight certain factors above others. Those decisions can make or break their team, and it's interesting to look back on those choices to see whether they paid off or not.
I can guarantee you one thing. If Chet is a liability in post defense - he will find himself in plenty of post defense. NBA teams are pretty smart. They will find the weak link and expose it. Its why the "switchability" aspect of his game is pushed as a strength. If he cant defend 5's then he will be exposed by quicker players on the wing where he has suspect athleticism and will have to rely on just his length to account for the quicker, more elite athletes he will face. He must use his length to his advantage in all facets of the game, not just with blindside blocks. He will have to nut up and bang whether he wants to or not.
Yep. I get the thrill of wanting to be in on the "next big thing" especially in a sport we all apparently love. Its been really interesting to see this cycle evolve and how far the "Anybody but Banchero" crew will go to slander and minimize his game. So odd to bring up high school ANYTHING when these guys have just completed their college seasons and some even have some new workout sessions to gloss over. Location will be important for these guys I agree. In the same thought I think they could all play well for Houston so besides the obvious concerns that get tossed around for each of them I dont feel I need to search far and wide for obscure memes and strange hills to die on just to diminish any of them for whatever reason. Reminds me of last year and how Jalen Green was supposed to be a "bad pick". I'm going to defer to Rafa Stone on this one after his mastery of the last draft and if he determines Chet is the guy i'll be happy with the pick and hope for the best. Same for Jabari or Ivey or whoever.
