Seems like this kid is one to watch. I love players, like Bobby Portis last year, that have great motors and work ethics. He's 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2 reach and a nearly 41" vertical. He looks very fast and agile for his size, posting the best time in lane agility (10.26 sec), and he's got strength, recording the most bench press reps (19). He's a terrific rebounder, but there are other things that make me feel like he could be a good long-term (future) fit for a D'Antonio club: He's a strong cutter/finisher on the pick-and-roll. Great motor. He can defend multiple positions. Starting to develop some range. He's already 22, but started late. His father is from the Congo and his mother is Russian (where he was born), but he grew up in Texas (Dallas). I like this quote from his coach at Weber State. "He's such a refreshing kid. He's got a little innocence to him, a little naivete to him. He's not spoiled by all this AAU stuff." [youtube]2oDmLigJi50[/youtube]
He possibly could become. ......possibly.....maybe. .....but not likely. .....could become the latest version of Shawn Marion. He has that kind of athleticism. But I don't see the speed end to end and I don't see the bball iq. I've looked at him a lot. Would prefer Uthoff over him by a bunch. JMO But if Uthoff were gone and we still had a pick he'd be worth taking. His no-step vertical is very impressive. Gives him a vertical reach of 11'9" with no step, which is an interesting measurement and worth noting regarding his NBA potential on the defensive end. Bigs in the low 11's are overwhelmingly physically deficient on the defensive end at the NBA level. Bigs in the high 11's have a very high probability of being good to great paint/rim defenders at the NBA level.
Great find clutch. I'd encourage all to see his draft express page as well. Check out the more recent scouting video. His offensive game has much higher potential, imo, than someone like Harrell. http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Joel-Bolomboy-66144/ He has Green like offensive potential because he's got a more than ok outside shot, and really solid ballhandling skills for a PF. With the exceptional rebounding, you are pretty confident that will translate. Can he be there defensively other than as a motor guy? Hard to tell, but potential is there. He won't have a guy like Green's base to be that effective against bigs, but has the athleticism. I really like this guy, especially if available in the second as seems to be likely at this point. Other than age, its a little confusing as to why he is projected so late in teh draft?? But there are always misses.
I like his build. It's refreshing to see a "big man" who isn't rail-thin. Has broad shoulders and looks solid. And generally AFAIK rebounding does translate well from college to pros.
I can see it. The kid reminds me of a old school player name Larry Nance. Did the Rockets work this kid out?
at first i was like but then he also hit that three and i was like How the heck is he projected to go 58? That's late first rounder material, maybe early second, at worst. Shooting touch to work with, can block shots, rebound, pivots well, and can easily rise to finish with dunks. Needs experience because he started late, but that'll come.
Sign me up. Great Project. This is a good video breakdown of certain things he does well: Post game- Good footwork but tends to work into traffic but is pretty good in tight spaces. Wants to finish everything with a dunk. Shot- In game shooting doesnt look like a high percentage but shoots at the max height and looks like it can improve with practice. Reminds me of Brandon Bass shooting at the high point. PnR- Needs to set harder/better screens. Looks like a god pick and popper with shooting practice and is a good finisher around the rim so he can dive to the basket as well. Rebounding- High motor. Should take him far just for that. Doesnt look like a good "battler" down low and seems to get boxed out. Relies on length/reach for rebounds. Defense- Turribal man defender. Takes bad angles and slow hips to recover. Good enough footwork for PnR team defending. Pretty bad overall. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VR_6KeblFBE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Everyone focuses on his crazy defensive rebounding numbers or his freaky vert, but I love his motor and work ethic even more. Any team needs guys like Bolomboy to be successful but Rockets desperately need his kind of attitude and work ethic.
Quick reminder and NBA is looking into this recently: For many players, this NBA combine inflated vertical and deflated standing reach(give or take 2 to 3 inches). The players I'm monitoring all have surprising vertical numbers and strangely lower standing reach...
The important number is the max vertical reach. That number is full extension + max vertical and is the key number anyways because that tells you how high he can get his hand to rebound and contest shots.
Shawn Long is an interesting prospect. You should start a thread, post some video and state your case.
Can't make threads anymore and I haven't quite figured out how to post videos from tablet. But the best I can tell you about Long is he can shoot 3's at a good percentage and he is a capable defender as well. I feel he will definitely be able to contribute early.
