I'm aboard the Tobias Harris train, I think the guy is gonna be a really good pro; my preferred comp for him is Jared Dudley; try looking at their freshman year stats/body types, and the way they played at the college level; I think they're pretty eerily similar. One thing about Harris though, is that I really, really doubt he's going to be an instant contributor. Because he's so young, plays below the rim, and doesn't have a good spot up jump shot yet, I'd predict he's going to get buried early on, or produce very mediocre numbers, and will be easily acquired as a throw in in about 2 years and comparatively blow up into a 10+ year pro. Courtney Lee, Kyle Lowry, Jared Dudley, Thabo Sefolosha, these are guys who are very cerebral and got moved early on in their careers, only to become very solid role players later. Look for Daryl to keep tabs on Harris perhaps, and get him later on.
Leonard and Vesley are the only 3s in this draft who could make a difference for us but they are in the top 10. Guys like Hamilton and Harris arent really NBA starter breed. If we stay at 14 then Singleton would be a better role player for us. Likewise Kanter and Biyombo are the only 5s in this draft who could make a difference for us but they are in the top to as well. I wouldnt waste a top ten pick on projects like Donatas or Jonas. Id much rather take a project with Noguiera with 23 or Tyler at 2nd round.
People are forgetting a couple of thing, Harris is: 1 year younger then Kawhi Leonard 2 years younger then Vesely and Hamilton 3 years younger then Singleton The fact that he played all season with 14% body fat, and appeared at the combine with 8,4% is also a plus (work ethic) <iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Tfq9hwnbg3o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Dudes body reminds me of Melo PeAcE
If he can just figure out how to shoot. His combine testing turned out pretty well. Almost a 40 inch vert! WOW!
Honestly in the NBA I think drafting by value (or BPA) isn't really worth doing. The reason is there are only 15 teams, and while theoretically you can trade player A if you manage to get player B, other teams might not be willing to play ball, as teams like Toronto (Bosh+Bargs and Calderon+Ford), Minny (Al J and Klove), and of course the Rox (Lee+Kmart, PP+Hill). It doesn't matter if you do have the superior player, if the market isn't there you won't get full value for your trade chip. So IMHO, you just get the players you want and see going into your team long term, rather than getting a redundant piece in hopes you'll be able to trade your current player for other assets later on. So with that in mind, I'd like us to go and grab are Tobias Smith and Jeremy Tyler at the 23rd. Smith is SEVERELY underrated by the board...remember his college situation was in shambles, and he only stayed there for one year. With no coach to oversee his development 99% of other athletes would have let themselves go, but this guy stayed at 14% bodyfat and actually slimmed all the way down to 8% for the combine. This speaks volumes about his work ethic and discipline, and in the NBA that's especially important. My belief is that his lack of great skills are a result of his coaching more than anything else, shooting really is all about practice, and if he had someone decent working with him I think he would have developed a set shot by now. In the pros, its only a matter of time, esp. if he lands here. He may lack explosiveness and lateral quickness, but he seems to understand plays at a high level, and IMHO that's even rarer and more valuable than athletic ability. We draft him and with Lowry and PP we have our hard-working 3. Tyler oth seems like the 2nd coming of Cousins, except I think he won't be as fat this time around. He killed his draft stock by going overseas, but the truth is if he had stayed in the US he'd be in the top 5 right now. I have a hard time imagining former top picks who dominated college like Hill, Thabeet, etc. would have fared any better in the Turkish league. In the Japanese league JT seems to have gotten his head together, and learned enough fundamentals to earn 16 mins of PT as a bench role. His measurements are excellent, and while still pudgy at least he won't be tipping the obese scale like Cousins does. Plus, our locker room is quite solid with Hayes, Lowry and Scola being the epitome of hard work, I think it would be a great environment for someone with a world of talent like him. We need to draft him at 23, honestly I think some team will get him in the lottery.
I would be very careful about getting excited over someone's body fat % or another workout warrior. Work ethic is nice, but it's down on my totem pole -- talent should be at the very top. Tobias would be a SF who can't shoot from the outside..
I'm more worried about us saying in five years, "If Tobias could shoot, he would still be in the NBA."
The combine if anyone wants to watch it. <iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/piurVABO_20" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Don't worry, his shot will improve, he has good form and even shot 75.3% from the free throw line. With his tireless work ethic, is just a matter of time until he becomes more consistent with his jump shot. I mean his only 18 yrs old, he has time to improve...
Fair point -- though having time to improve doesn't necessarily mean he will. In the end, I'll probably be happy and see the good in anyone Morey drafts. /Moreyite
Tyler never played in the Turkish League. And the Japanese League is well below the level of the leagues in Europe.
The Turkish league never was part of the NBA, and the leagues in Europe are vastly inferior to the NBA.
