The NBA Draft Thread

[pmatic]

Ben Simmons hot takes!

 

[ValarMorghulis]

hahaha thanks for this!

Barkley truly does hate the NBA right now

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

If we view Greek freak as next up then I kind of have to say Simmons should warrant the top pick considering the weakness of the class

Granted he doesn't have the wing span, he's pretty much a better potential version of what Greek freak could become right?

 

[addict4sneakers]

It's time to turn Chuck's mic off

 

[al3xis]

So what do you some of you think would have happened to Ingram if he went to LSU?

He would have drowned. School and coach does matter - it's minimal when you compare Kentucky to Duke but when you get to an LSU situation with a terrible coach and a dysfunctional roster, I think that's opened up criticism that wouldn't have been there otherwise.

 

[wavycrocket]

So what do you some of you think would have happened to Ingram if he went to LSU?

He would have drowned. School and coach does matter.

Pretty much. He'd be Malik Newman status right now.

 

[ValarMorghulis]

Tom Izzo, Cal, Boehiem would of got the most out of Ben no question in my mind

 

[osh kosh bosh]

So what do you some of you think would have happened to Ingram if he went to LSU?

He would have drowned. School and coach does matter - it's minimal when you compare Kentucky to Duke but when you get to an LSU situation with a terrible coach and a dysfunctional roster, I think that's opened up criticism that wouldn't have been there otherwise.

I don't agree, it's not that hard to figure out what to do with Ingram, he's a jump shooter. obviously he wouldn't play as well with LSU as he did with Duke, but he's ultimately a simpler piece to make work than Simmons.

If we view Greek freak as next up then I kind of have to say Simmons should warrant the top pick considering the weakness of the class

Granted he doesn't have the wing span, he's pretty much a better potential version of what Greek freak could become right?

not sure why you think he should be better than Greek. no one ever questioned Gannis's desire/compete level. and while Gannis can't shoot he's not a non-shooter. and the wingspan standing reach makes him play way bigger than Simmons.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Tom Izzo, Cal, Boehiem would of got the most out of Ben no question in my mind

Johnny Jones problem was mostly on the defensive end



on offensive what would you have had him do? he played Ben 3, moved him to small ball 4-5 like Coach K did with Justice Winslow. Ran spread pick and rolls with him, put him in the post, ect ect. what was johnny jones not doing?


when it comes down to it; in the half court, when people are playing 10 feet off of Ben it is difficult to create.




no matter what school he went to he would have ultimately disappointed because he was billed as something he was not.

 

[al3xis]

There's no way to prove it but I think you would have seen real competitiveness/desire issues with Ingram at a place like that - and that's wiped away with him now. Or on the flip-side had Simmons been at Duke - it's a non-issue. I said in November if K breaks through to Ingram it shows how good he is. He did it.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

There's no way to prove it but I think you would have seen real competitiveness/desire issues with Ingram at a place like that - and that's wiped away with him now. Or on the flip-side had Simmons been at Duke - it's a non-issue. I said in November if K breaks through to Ingram it shows how good he is. He did it.

This competitiveness desire stuff didn't start yesterday, its always been a knock on simmons from jump.

unless you have reports on Ingram in HS questioning that what you're saying is pure conjecture.

 

[wavycrocket]

Yeah...Ben with coach K would've worked. Hell, y'all acting like Ben ain't average 20/12/5 with Johnny Jones . Dudes being overly critical right now. Typical.

I could see the ball out of Ben's hands a lil bit more with a good coach...as well as putting him in better situations.
Johnny Jones is just terrible.

At the end of the day...Ben still has SUPERSTAR potential...and at worst...he's the #2 pick in the NBA draft. Nothing to see here but hot takes and overractions.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

I don't now how anyone could say I'm overreacting, I've been very consistent.

 

[wavycrocket]

I don't now how anyone could say I'm overreacting, I've been very consistent.

Wasnt directed at you. More so the media...the hot takes. All of it. You've been consistently critical on the low though. More so critical than other top prospects. But I get it.

I'm talking bout the media. It's build you up to unreasonable expectations...then take you down when you don't quite make them . I predicted this long ago.

Same way you have people who said Anthony Davis will be the best player in the league THIS YEAR....and sour on him when he doesn't meet that. There's already some saying Towns>AD....

 

[al3xis]

unless you have reports on Ingram in HS questioning that what you're saying is pure conjecture.

There are, I'm pretty sure some of it is on a DX 'weaknesses' video before the season.

his first 6-7 games this year were shaky, I mean Coach K benched because of his defensive effort and that he didn't seem focused.

And I love Ingram, but he needed to be pushed. Simmons has not had that yet.

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

I don't agree, it's not that hard to figure out what to do with Ingram, he's a jump shooter. obviously he wouldn't play as well with LSU as he did with Duke, but he's ultimately a simpler piece to make work than Simmons.
not sure why you think he should be better than Greek. no one ever questioned Gannis's desire/compete level. and while Gannis can't shoot he's not a non-shooter. and the wingspan standing reach makes him play way bigger than Simmons.

Was Greeks ball skills on Simmons level at age 19? That is ball handling, passing ability and play making

 

[dacomeup]

Superstar potential is a stretch for Simmons.

 

[wavycrocket]

Superstar potential is a stretch for Simmons.

How so?

 

[Vincent Van Goat]

What is a superstar though

I don't think he is a lebron prospect or even a Kat prospect but all star potential is certainly there IMO

 

[wavycrocket]

What is a superstar though

I don't think he is a lebron prospect or even a Kat prospect but all star potential is certainly there IMO

Blake Griffin level prospect. Top 10-15 type of ceiling.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Was Greeks ball skills on Simmons level at age 19? That is ball handling, passing ability and play making

Ben Simmons passing is a little better, ball handling and playmaking comparable.




Gannis was a much more projectable shooter.

 

[Verde Shuttles]

I'm a #1 type prospect I go to Duke or UK

 

[doctor love]

Was Greeks ball skills on Simmons level at age 19? That is ball handling, passing ability and play making

Kind of hard to judge since we saw Antetdoakfpo as a 19 year old in the NBA vs seeing Simmons at 19 on the college level. Who's to say if Antetdoakfpo came to the us, played hs ball, and went one and done, that he wouldnt be a top 3 pick and viewed as a potential superstar as well?

 

[frshstunna]

Don't matter where Simmons picked he still gon ball out ...need him to find his way to the magic

 

[jpzx]

The scouting view: The best round of 64 NCAA prospect matchups

Jonathan Givony I The Vertical

While the NCAA tournament is not the culmination of scouting players, it does serve an important purpose. For one, it is often the last chance NBA teams have to watch college players in live competition. It also creates some unique matchups on neutral courts in high-stakes, pressure-packed situations that take players out of their normal routines and comfort zones. With four early games each day, scouts can bounce around different venues and get a live look at a huge number of prospects, which is especially useful for small-school players who rarely match up against NBA-sized competition.

With the 2016 NCAA tournament about to begin, we take a look at the top prospect matchups and what NBA teams will be analyzing in the early games.

No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 11 Wichita State
Providence, R.I.,
Thursday, 9:15 p.m. ET, TNT

Arizona likely wasn't expecting to face such strong competition this early in the tournament, but it will be tested mightily. Wichita State was considered a likely NIT participant by most after falling earlier than expected in its conference tournament following a disappointing regular season, but advanced to face Arizona by demolishing a very talented Vanderbilt team.

Wichita State is led by seniors Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, who are among the most recognizable names in college basketball after leading Wichita State to the Final Four two years ago and upsetting Kansas in the NCAA tournament last year.

For Arizona, this is a big game for freshman Allonzo Trier. He will likely enter the 2016 NBA draft, sources told The Vertical, and is hoping to show enough to convince scouts he's worthy of being a one-and-done. The 20-¬year-old shooting guard lives at the free throw line, is making 37 percent of his 3-¬pointers and has improved quite a bit defensively since arriving in Tucson. His average physical tools and poor passing ability have made it difficult for him to improve his stock, but a strong tournament run, starting with a big showing against Baker, could help him change scouts' minds.

No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Stony Brook
Des Moines, Iowa
Thursday, 9:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Stony Brook senior big man Jameel Warney had arguably the most impressive performance of any player in conference tournament play, scoring 43 points (18-of-22 shooting) with 10 rebounds and four blocks as Stony Brook defeated Vermont in the America East finals.
After a strong showing against Damian Jones and Vanderbilt in non-conference play in November, Warney now has a chance to show what he can do against a much stronger SEC frontline that features freshman Skal Labissiere, who has been maddeningly inconsistent all season.

Warney does not have great height, length or athleticism, but is extremely skilled inside and has an outstanding feel for the game. If he can show his production can translate against Labissiere, Alex Poythress, Marcus Lee and Isaac Humphries, his stock will soar heading into the pre-draft process.

No. 8 USC vs. No. 9 Providence
Raleigh, N.C.
Thursday, 9:45 p.m. ET, TBS

Redshirt junior Kris Dunn has been up and down this season, but has a chance to deliver Providence its first tournament victory since 1997, something that was widely expected once he surprisingly passed up the chance to be a lottery pick last year to return to school. Sophomore Ben Bentil has had a breakout season and is one of the most prolific scoring big men in college, capable of producing in the paint and on the perimeter.
USC has a very young team, but it has some nice prospects who can try to slow Dunn and Bentil. Julian Jacobs, a 6-foot-4 junior, is one of the few collegiate point guards who is as physically gifted as Dunn. He also has the frame to get into Dunn’s body and the quickness to stay in front of him on the perimeter. Scouts will get a better feel for Dunn’s ability to run a team and create his own shot in this game than they normally do when Dunn faces Big East competition.

USC freshman Chimezie Metu is an athletic big man who can protect the rim and should be able to give Bentil problems inside. Fellow freshman Bennie Boatwright is a skilled stretch four who is also getting some NBA looks. He will force Bentil to play defense, something he’s not always fond of. Bentil is reportedly likely to enter this year’s draft, so he will certainly want to go out on as high of a note as possible.

No. 4 California vs. No. 13 Hawaii
Spokane, Wash.
Friday, 2 p.m. ET, TBS

Physically gifted freshman Jaylen Brown has struggled quite a bit recently, shooting 8 of 42 from the field (19 percent) the past four games. He’ll have to find his scoring touch for Cal if it is going to have any chance of making a run.
Ivan Rabb will have a huge size advantage inside against 6-foot-7 Hawaii power forward Mike Thomas, so the task of defending Rabb may fall to stretch five Stefan Jankovic, a highly skilled Missouri transfer. Jankovic averages 24 points per 40 minutes (61 percent on 2-pointers; 38 percent on 3-pointers), but has a reputation for being soft defensively.

No. 6 Seton Hall vs. No. 11 Gonzaga
Denver, CO.
Thursday, 9:55 p.m. ET, truTV

Many players hit the wall late in the season, but Isaiah Whitehead has run straight through it, averaging 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists per 40 minutes (47 percent 3-point shootin) in his last 10 games. He led Seton Hall to its first Big East tournament championship in 23 years and has piqued the interest of NBA teams who had mostly written off the 21-year old after his first season and a half of college basketball.

Seton Hall will have its hands full with Gonzaga’s talented frontcourt, led by projected first-round pick Domantas Sabonis and 6-foot-9 senior Kyle Wiltjer. Sabonis is a tremendous competitor who averages 15 rebounds per 40 minutes. Wiltjer is one of the most skilled scoring big men (25 points per 40) in college basketball.