Why it needs to be Mobley...

So in one sentence you imply that it's easy for a player to gain size and in the next sentence you reference Christian Wood? So how come Wood hasn't gotten bigger and stronger? D-Mo's frame was much bigger than Wood or Mobley's.

Mobley certainly could switch 1-5, but against elite NBA guards and wings he will be torched. The top perimeter defenders in the NBA can't stop those guys. Mobley has no chance.

You're also referencing Mobley and Wood playing together. There's no issue there? We already have Wood getting bullied inside, so now we have two bigs getting pushed around? How does Wood get room to operate inside? You're going to have Mobley, Porter and Tate on the floor together? How many defenders will be packing the lane and daring them to shoot an outside shot? Wood can shoot from the perimeter so that should open up space for Mobley inside but unfortunately, Mobley doesn't have a post game.

 

Well usually it's only one guy doing the pushing around so 1. they're not going to both get pushed around if they are playing together and 2. Wood will get pushed around no matter the pick, so wouldn't it be better to have some backside defensive help from a premier shot blocker?

 

Wood was never really trying to put on weight, he wasn't ever a center, he always played PF and hovering around 215-220 is absolutely fine for a PF.

When you have both Mobley and Wood patrolling the paint, even if you are a bruiser, you're likely to get blocked. That's the advantage of having more than one competent defender above 6'6 on the roster.

Porter can score from all 3 levels and he can create for others at a near elite level, Both Mobley and Wood can draw defenders out of the paint because both of them can shoot well enough to demand attention. There's simply not a problem on either side of the ball pairing Wood and Mobley.

 

Wood's was fighting to make it in the league for years, he never tried to gain weight? Please. It was the biggest knock on him.

We already saw Wood get bullied by lots of people last year. He wasn't blocking anyone he was getting manhandled. Not sure how Mobley being on the floor will change that. Mobley got pushed around in college, you think it's going to get better in the NBA?

Porter is very inefficient scorer and he's inconsistent. He's also not an elite passer. Let's be real.

So, now Mobley is going to draw defenders out of the paint? The guy who shot 30% from a 21' 1" arc is now going to demand attention from a 22'9" arc ? Teams will be sending written invitations to get him to shoot outside shots.

 

Gaining weight was never what Wood needed, he was never trying to be a center and he had more than enough size for a PF, he focused on the other parts of his game that was lacking when he was younger.

It's very odd for people who suggest Wood got bullied last year to be advocating for him being the only player over 6'6 on the roster.....

The fact that Wood needs help in the frontcourt is one of the reasons the tie should go to Mobley, if you're getting bullied in the paint, what more would you want than help defense from a 7 footer with elite shot blocking ability?

When it comes to shooting, Mobley currently isn't a sharpshooter or anything like that, but you absolutely have to respect his ability to shoot....it's not like he's Clint Capela or anything. On top of that, he's a very good passer and would come in day one better at running an offense than someone like Jalen Green. You give Mobley the ball with space and he can make things happen either for himself or for others.

 

I take your point, but I don’t see kJP as a good shooter. Green is. I think there’s a lot of differences in their games.

 

With Green, his shooting ability is largely based on 15 games in the G league where he shot 36% from 3 on 5.7 attempts per game but was "streaky"

KPJ started the season off poorly from 3, but in his last 15 games he was shooting 38% on 6.3 attempts per game.

For sure there's large differences in their games, KPJ can run the offense and play as a PG, Green can't do that due to a complete lack of PG skills. They both are incredibly athletic, they both are weak defensively, and they both have a LOT to work on before being a finished product.

 

@aelliott always bringing the FIRE. Efficiency! One thing we always see in the playoffs, that ALPHA scorer taking the team to the next level. Get that guy.

 

I like how @aelliott goes out of his way to bring facts, player names with real info into his posts instead of just nebulous arguments.

 

Having over a 60% TS in 15 games in the G league isn't THAT impressive. If it was, wouldn't Bruno Caboclo, who averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds with a 64% TS have been able to stay on an NBA roster?

The G league is a glorified rec league. Dominating that league doesn't mean you are an NBA caliber player, I could run though dozens and dozens of players that did considerably better than Green on both sides of the ball in the G league that never ended up anything.....and those who did so over a MUCH larger sample than merely 15 games.

I think the kid has a high ceiling, but he's a raw project player who is being ridiculously overhyped right now.

 

Your entire argument assumes Green will be efficient in the NBA. I have no idea why anyone would assume that just because he did so in the G-league which is several...several tiers below the NBA.

I'm not sure why 60% is the line here for being efficient?

Were those players playing poorly in college? Were they bad scorers?

Again, your big assumption is that Green can replicate what he's done in the G to the NBA, we know for a fact it doesn't always work that way.

The concerns about his passion are very much in doubt, sounds more like how people said the same thing about Anthony Edwards who just trolls and DGAF about what people think about him when he gives interviews.

I don't know why you think you have to do more projecting for Mobley and that Green is this sure fire thing. I think you should read and watch a few scouting reports on Mobley because saying he has no offensive skills is just not what's being said about him by NBA scouts. He's not just projected to be a defensive center, if he were, he'd be projected to go 8th or something...and not 2nd.

If Green gets guarded by actual NBA wings he won't score...I can flip that argument and say the same thing. In the end, you think Green's game will project.

In fact, that's the fear for any guard or wing you draft that their handles and speed won't translate to the NBA level and what looked like an explosive scorer is just...some guy that can barely get past his man and can only chuck up difficult shots. Nearly every guard bust has had this issue and yes...as I've said...they were all projected to be great scorers but of course NBA defenders are different.

 

The thing about the G is that just dominating there doesn't mean it's the NBA. I keep seeing people say "What Green did he did against the professionals!" which is nice. People made and make this same argument for Euros it doesn't always translate to the NBA because of course the NBA is a different beast.

Guys dominate the G all the time and get called up to be...okay. The fear one should have of Green is that this 'dominance' of the G won't fully translate. He'll be alright, he'll score, and that's it. Like the argument of "I don't know if he can do this against NBA competition" should stand for Green too.

 

In a year, half of these threads should be bumped before we enter the 2021-2022 draft.

With how frequent professional scouts miss, and they do miss. I am dubious at how folks here can be so sure their guy is the guy.

 

I think this is the biggest myth that I keep seeing "Oh he did this in the G-league..." and yeah, the G has 'professionals' but the idea that if you dominate there it's some sign of dominating in the NBA just isn't true at all.

As you point out, Bruno dominated. If you are a prospect dominating that league should be expected...ESPECIALLY in a bubble environment where distractions are kept at a minimal (and we already saw how the bubble made some guys look a ton better than they actually were).

Not saying Green shouldn't be picked 2nd but yeah, people are way overrating that aspect of it. I don't think it's a guarantee at all that because he averaged 18ppg in the Gleague on good shooting that this is his floor in the NBA...

 

I think people are claiming the gleague is a better indication of NBA success than college ball and I agree.

You are playing against career proffesionals who were already the best in college or in international leagues.

 

The Rockets are also in a very different situation as let's say the Warriors were last year.

Latter could bounce back at any time with one trade or just by being completely healthy.

This could take years. It's a patience game.

 

Never seen a single person suggest that. It's like you think Mobley is the only person over 6'6 available in the draft. Newsflash, he isn't, and there's plenty of opportunity for us to draft size without drafting a big that looks like a bust waiting to happen. I'm sure he was a great defender in college, in the NBA 200lb 7 footers who look like they'd snap if you sneezed on them tend to be Hasheem Thabeet more often than they're a big star.

 

Hey that's my job. But the fact is we have to pick, so we have to have a favorite. Does anyone have certainty? Hell no, how many top 5 picks have busted in the last 10 years. But sports is for passion and argument. Pick a side and pile in!