No one doubts that he's coming out too early. But that wouldn't stop me from wanting him on the Rockets as our 20-30 pick (probably from Dallas). This guy has the pedigree and work ethic of Kobe. Whatever potential is in him, he will see it pan out. What he doesn't have is Kobe's athleticism or talent level. He's shorter, slower, and probably less egotistic. I think his ceiling is a Monta Ellis/Steph Curry. His floor is Courtney Lee in my opinion. Another problem since he's coming out too early is that he won't reach anything near his peak until his third year in the NBA. It's gonna take time. But I would definitely invest in him; look at our squad, we can't even find 13 people with potential to invest in at this moment.
Agreed, for the most part. I don't think he's very similar to Courtney Lee. Lee is more athletic and far stronger than Rivers ever will be. But I agree that Rivers has that "It" Factor that will make him no worse than a solid pro and could help make him an All-Star one day (although I'm not holding my breath on that last part). I'd strongly consider him at #15 and would be ecstatic if he fell to #22.
He will be a superstar one day. If he can gain some mass, he'll be unstoppable 1v1. I've seen enough of him to see that he already possesses an offensive game that few NBA SG's have at the moment.
If Boston drafts him then you will all have your answer as to why he came out "early". He's really only a liability at 2 if you have a weak PG to run with him, a backcourt of Rondo & Rivers isn't a bad proposition, he just is an unathletic 6'3" compared to Courtney Lee, I'm interested to see if he can translate immediately.
Absolutely not true, if you watched a Duke game this season you would see he actually gives an effort on the defensive end.
I'm actually wondering if Rivers is going to become a bigger Steph Curry at the point that will be best when running the show at the top and paired with a very athletic SG that can shoot the 3, create space and defend the opposing point guard when needed.
Being a die-hard Duke fan, I agree he could have really benefited from an extra year in Durham. He never was a good fit at Duke, Coach K stresses team ball and Rivers wasn't used to it all, he tried to take over too often. I WOULD LOVE to see this guy get picked by the Rockets, it's great for us because if he would have stayed I think he would have soared to a top 3 pick, but he's coming out and we have a chance to pick a potential superstar. He hasn't reached his full potential yet but we have seen glimpses of what he can become and that's a superstar. Hopefully he can develop his PG skills so he can be a nice combo guard, he can beat anyone off the dribble just needs to work on finishing, great at drawing fouls but struggles at the stripe. If he would have stayed one more year he would have averaged like 22-5 a game.
He isn't gonna go pass the celtics cause everyone knows why. But I do believe the Rockets would be crazy not to pick him. He clutch and create his own shot, worst case, he comes our Jason Terry which wouldn't be all that bad.
Kyrie Irving is 10 times the player Austin Rivers will ever be. And I say this because people here are proclaiming Austin Rivers as the next big thing. He isn't even in the same realm as Kyrie.
Around this time last year, everyone thought Kyrie Irving was just gonna be a solid starting PG. Now it's looking like he's a future All-Star. Rivers might suck in the NBA, but he might be really good too. We'll see.
I worry Rivers is another Tyreke Evans with less hops. I really think Bradley Beal will be a lot better. But Rivers would be a solid pickup in the 15-25 range.
Rivers Consulting With Family Regarding Draft Mar 23, 2012 6:31 PM EDT Austin Rivers has not decided whether he will declare for the NBA, according to his older brother. “We haven’t talked about it yet,” said Jeremiah Rivers, who is with his brother just outside of Orlando, Fla. “He had a really good year, obviously. But as far as my brother coming out, he hasn’t even mentioned it.” Jeremiah indicated he wasn’t sure when a decision will be made. “My dad (Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers) is not here at the moment,” he said. “There’s not even no timetable or anything like that. We’ll just take it one day at a time right now.” Via News & Observer
Completely bad comparison. Tyreke Evans is a shot jacking gunner with decent court vision. Besides Tyreke was a better prospect than Rivers. Rivers' ceiling is a rich man's Nick Young/OJ Mayo. Tony Wroten Jr is the closest Tyreke Evans this year. And to one of the above poster, Irving is not a future all-star. He is a future superstar. He is having one of the greatest rookie reasons of all times. Only Paul and His Airness had better rookie seasons as guards.
I hate Dook with a passion. Draft Austin Rivers. I don't care how bad he was playing team ball in Durham, the kid can flat out play. I'd love to trade up into the Top 10 and get him. And yes, I think he will go in the Top 10 when it's all said and done.
