If OTE just started out in their 1st or 2nd year, the Eye test is not the first thing to make use of...... They need to establish a good business reputation first.....they are doing that but as a team you do not want to be the first one to test out those lab rats. The Rockets do feel desperate at their juncture. Any undrafted guy or lower drafted guy can play in Europe or all over the world, it is not something they worry about. All leagues are inferior.
Giannis was a project, he was picked #15, so not applicable. I have a bigger question, though. How tough is the French League, really? What happens to the anointed Mr. Next Wilt Chamberlain when he gets repeatedly picked-on and punked in his first few months in the League? The history of hyped French big men coming to the NBA is not great.
Jarace Walker is projected to be the Pistons Pick at Tankathon.....just want to put it out there.....
His league is roughly comparable to the G-League, so whatever your view is of that should apply. (Personally, I would rank it slightly above D1 NCAA ball.)
Can someone sell me on Whitmore? He seems like a slightly undersized SF, who is not a great shooter. Yeah, he is good at cutting to the basket or muscling his way to the basket - and he is fine at defense and rebounding, but bad at decision making and court vision. Scottie Barnes was way better in these areas, and Barnes big selling point is that he can do everything - I don‘t think Cam can do everything and I also don‘t think he is elite at one single skill. Now I do believe he will be a good player, but I don‘t see him as a top 5 prospect so far.
Yea but to pick a Giannis out of the crowd is the exception not the rule. If you take the all those Euro teammates who played with Giannis in 2012 (the year before he got drafted), and put them in the NBA; probability-wise, could any of them cut the mustard?
This reminds me when people say; hey you can find a diamond like a Giannis at #15. True, Again more an exception than the rule. #15's since Giannis. ---- 2014 - Adreian Payne 2015 - Kelly Oubre Jr. 2016 - Juancho Hermagomez 2017 - Justin Jackson 2018 - Troy Brown Jr. 2019 - Sekou Doumbouya 2020 - Cole Anthony 2021 - Core Kispert 2022 - Mark Williams. Few solid role players, but no franchise players. Pointing to exceptions instead of the average skews the perception.
Giannis, Kawhi, Cole Anthony projected as a very good starter. Oubre was once also very promising until he became a journeyman and did not develop more. More star power than Bam Adebayo and Michael Porter jr. at 14th. 14th is more like upper level role player versus 15th where it is more a slim chance at something big. 14th was seen as the end of the lottery while 15th is just a normal mid tier pick. Inbetween dross.
I do not think I have encountered a percentage chart with the odds of drafting a Superstar at every draft position yet.....lol. Reminder: Not all All-Stars are alike either. Some are Superstars and some are fringe stars. or Draymond.
I’d say from this list the biggest disappointment is [Rockets Legend (tm)] Sekou Doumbouya… If you go back in time a bit more you’ll find another notorious #15 pick by the name of Frederick Weis. Add these two to other notable first round picks, like Johan Petro, Yabusele, etc., guards like Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon, Nkilitina… and I’d say there is a pattern emerging.
Cam is the youngest player in the draft I believe and is 18 until early July. So essentially a year and a laf younger than Thompson. Great first step with or without the ball. His quick movement without the ball is what makes him a great cutter and an effective offensive rebounder. Explosion with the ball is elite and on pat with Amen. He had a few nice passes but didnt pass or assist often. My personal opinion is that I am not worried about that. I believe that with some structure and the defined role in the NBA he will know what passes are available to him on his actions. Finishing at the rim is maybe his best attribute and should translate with ease. His physical attributes are amazing, considering his young age. Especially in regardsv to strength. The qualities mentioned above are the things that should allow him to be a above average to elite defender at the NBA level. He has quick hands and probably the strength and body type to be somewhat effective guarding larger players inside. He is stout and has a low center of gravity because he is like 6’6 max in shoes. He was either shooting a 3 or attack in the basket. So I am sure that Daryl Morey would absolutely love him lol. Jump-shot looks clean and compact. He hurt his hand early in the year, and this caused him to have to use his offhand more, but he was still insanely effective with that hand. He looks to be very ambidextrous. I expect he will end up 36% 3 ball shooter. Some of those will be off the dribble.. he seems to have a pretty advanced repertoire of sidesteps and step back to generate three point looks with the ball. I think that if cam had stayed in school, he would end up being the clear-cut number one pick next year and would still only be turning 20 after the draft. I go back and forth but Im taking Cam over Thompson right now. They are actually very similar prospects in a sense with one being the point guard model, and the other one being the primary wing score model. He is a notably, better small forwards, prospects than Tari Eason in my mind.
It is a fair criticism. However when he did pass, there were some nice ones. And again he was using his offhand as his primary hand for most of the year because of injury. And I think it really has a lot to do with role at Villanova. He was chasing his one and done status and was their primary guy. I don’t see him coming into the pros and having the same mindset or the coach is allowing the same thing. He is not going to play point guard he would play the two the three or the four even in some stretches. His role will be defend, score, beast in transition, attack the glass and hit the three. While it is unlikely that he becomes a master at creating for others, his youth and his ability to handle the ball with both hands, and a dominant first step leads me to believe he can become average in this regard.
Two things….his athleticism is against kids and he is not even close to the OT player when playing in Eorope as per athleticism (HUGE red flag). Also, what coach in his right mind would play a guy who can’t shoot at the SHOOTING guard spot. This guy has g league bust written all over and certainly not a top 4 pick in the best league in the world. I agree with others that Grady is a better pick. With Cam, you get a five star player who was recruited insanely by the best college teams in the nation and still produced at 18 in half of his only college season. Would much rather take a chance at a “miss” on this prospect at number 4.
Amen seems to be an even bigger risk than Green and Bari, that's politely put. I do not know why certain teams have to follow mock drafts.
