[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

Randle, Exum, and James Young have the potential to be very good top 10 guys at their positions in the NBA. I hate to point out the obvious, but I think Marcus Smart, Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins & Joel Embiid will be studs & here’s why:

Wiggins–OK I get it. He’s not anywhere near a finished product. He doesn’t seem to, atleast right now, possess that alpha-dog personality like a Kobe or Jordan or even LeBron. He seems to only score in spurts for a few possessions & then goes right back to deferring for minutes at a time. I was talking to somebody & they told me they would’ve thought he was the 4th option after watching him play vs. Iowa State. Well, he scored 17 points & had 19 rebounds. Thats a great stat line for a 4th option. Would I like to see him assert himself more? Of course. But that doesn’t worry me much because his game isn’t as dependent upoin him scoing as a Jabari Parker. He can crash the boards, he plays good on D as well. People say he gets easy baskets. Well, to me, it shows he can score without toching the ball a lot, which is something A LOT of NBA guys can’t do. His consistency on his jumper & his ball handling will naturally improve. He has pro moves in his repertoire, a la the stepback against Duke & Florida or his spin move. He has a long way to go, but for a guy that everybody says is raw & a "3rd or 4th option", he averages16-6-2-1-1 compared to Jabari being an obvious first option averaging 19-7-2-1-1. I compare him to Tracy McGrady in the Toronto days as that he can do a little of everything, is super young, has all the tools & upside, but needs to continue to develop & get reps in big games. He will be fine. There’s more spacing & the NBA is played at a higher pace, which leads to more transition points, which is his biggest strength. His rookie yr I could see him averaging the same thing he does his freshman year, but in 3-4 years I think he will most definitely be the best player in this class. He can be as good as he wants to be.

Parker–He has the most polished and complete offensive game I’ve seen since Melo was a freshman. He’s finesse meets power. He can bull his way to the rim or he stepback & stroke it. He take it coast to coast, he can handle it a bit, pass a little, rebound a little, post up a little. His defense hasn’t really been good, some would argue that he’s been poor defensively, but how many guys are great on both ends? The only thing I worry about is how much upside does he really have? I only say that because he’s already such a cerebral & complete offensive player that his only true weakness lies in his defense & your success on that end is based on effort & foot speed; two things that I think he can be questioned for on the defensive end. I don’t think he lacks athleticism as much as he’s just not a freak like Wiggins or LeBron, he’s not as quick as Melo, but he’s not Larry Bird either. He could work on shot selection as well, as I think he would benefit from working in the post a bit more as it would open up other parts of his game. I honestly think with the faster pace & the spacing of the NBA, he could average 20 a game his rookie yr. 1-2 is definitely between him & wiggins.

Smart–He’s the most complete player in the country & also one of the youngest. He plays fantastic defense & he’s built like a tank. He can still improve his shot & decision making though. I think he can be special at point guard. In terms of his ability to stuff a stat sheet, I compare him to Fat Lever. He’s not a freak athlete like Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook, but it hasn’t seemed to effect him. Plus, I love his attitude. I think he’s a lock for the top 5. 

Embiid–We’ve seen big guys who could jump (Dwight). We’ve seen big guys that can move (Davis). We’ve seen big guys that do a little of both (Drummond). But, the NBA doesn’t have a center thats as fluid as Embid. His footwork is amazing. He’s thin, but I think he can feel out. The only thing that I worry about is him being too thin & the fact that he has to get roughed up a little before he starts playing physical, which in recent games has led to technicals. I think he has the best chance of any guy in this year’s class to be the best guy at his position, not so based on him or guy’s in this class, but based upon the lack of depth at the center position. I think at the worst, he’s DeAndre Jordan. He’s a big time shot blocker. He has all the tools to develop into a 20-10 guy.

 

The thing all of us need to keep in mind is that 3 of these guys are 18 & 1 is 19. They are extremely young & will continue to get better, especially the 3 freshman. Embiid has tremendous tools & upside, but I think the fact that there is a possiblity of him not developing and being DeAndre Jordan is too much of a risk for him to be drafted 1st. I think the 1st pick comes down to Jabari or Wiggins, then Embiid @ 3, then Smart @ 4..

What are you guy’s thoughts?

Please don’t say my opinion’s dumb if you’re not gonna give us yours. This is a discussion. I’m curious to see how you guys see the prospects & share other prospects that you think could be studs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TRC1991Participant]

 James Young huh…Now THAT is someone more people need to be talking about…Smooth, silky smooth in fact, with a lot of growing to do but a massive ceiling

[TRC1991Participant]

 James Young huh…Now THAT is someone more people need to be talking about…Smooth, silky smooth in fact, with a lot of growing to do but a massive ceiling

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I’m also very high on him. He is the full package for what you look for in a sg. The size, length, athleticism, skill, shooting stroke and is a lefty that can actually put the ball in his off hand. Believe when it is all said amd done he’ll be the top sg out of this draft.

[For_Never_EverParticipant]

I’m also very high on him. He is the full package for what you look for in a sg. The size, length, athleticism, skill, shooting stroke and is a lefty that can actually put the ball in his off hand. Believe when it is all said amd done he’ll be the top sg out of this draft.

[Sewok15Participant]

He also has a 7 foot wingspan…I can hear Jay Bilas already.

[Sewok15Participant]

He also has a 7 foot wingspan…I can hear Jay Bilas already.

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

 Yeah, Young’s a player. I think he can be a big time scorer in the NBA. Sneaky athlete.

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

 Yeah, Young’s a player. I think he can be a big time scorer in the NBA. Sneaky athlete.

[highflyer0Participant]

 I think you have to look at the prospects solely based on their college seasons so far and try to ignore the hype that they had in high school.   In other words, if we had heard absolutely nothing about any of these guys until this season, where would we rank them?  If I knew nothing before I watched them play, I would not come away being overly impressed with Wiggins.  Honestly, it’s hard to really argue that Lavine is not at his level in terms of long term potential, if that is all we are looking at.  When I watch Wiggins, I see some nice flashes of athleticism and solid speed, a developing shot, and an underdeveloped handle.  If it weren’t for all the hype, I wouldn’t really consider him to have great blowby ability, although that is probably due to his ball handling inabilities.  Just by watching him play, you probably would never guess he was the number 1 ranked high school player in the country.

If I had no knowledge of high school rankings, I’d probably assume that Randle had been the highest rated, because I have no idea how anyone could stop him at the high school level.  He looks absolutely dominant at times and can get to wherever he wants on the court.  I worry about his turnovers and his defense, but he just looks like an NBA player.  His ball handling ability is terrific for his size and his strength is amazing for his age.  Again, if I was not familiar with the scouting reports, I would not consider his athletic ability to be far inferior to that of Wiggins.  Wiggins drives in looking to convert an acrobatic layup while Randle goes in looking to bring down the rim.  

When I watch Jabari Parker, I see the most talented player in college basketball.  Once again, if I were completely oblivious to rankings, I’d definitely say he was in an entirely different world from Wiggins in terms of basketball ability.  He has star quality galore.  I would never think that he was questioned about his athleticism after seeing him throw down one handed alley oops and sky for other dunks.  There is no move that he can’t make and he has terrific size for his position.  We focus on the "flashes" that Wiggins shows and become worried when Parker struggles, but that’s ridiculous.  Parker didn’t just show flashes of greatness.  He was the best player in college basketball for a month.  His lateral quickness doesn’t look great, but he doesn’t even look like hes toned his body yet.  When he gets in top physical condition, he could be much improved.  

So, to sum it all up, if I had never seen a mock draft, high school rankings, ESPN articles, or anything of the sort, and simply relied on what I had seen, I would assume the order of top prospects went something like this:

1. Jabari Parker
2. Julius Randle
3. Joel Embiid
4.  Marcus Smart
5.  Andrew Wiggins
6.  Zach Lavine
7.  James Young
8.  Rodney Hood
9.  Aaron Gordon
10. Glenn Robinson III

This is not necessarily who I think will be the best but who have looked like the best prospects to me, based on watching games, regardless of hype or detailed scouting analysis. (I left off Exum because I have never seen him play a full game).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[highflyer0Participant]

 I think you have to look at the prospects solely based on their college seasons so far and try to ignore the hype that they had in high school.   In other words, if we had heard absolutely nothing about any of these guys until this season, where would we rank them?  If I knew nothing before I watched them play, I would not come away being overly impressed with Wiggins.  Honestly, it’s hard to really argue that Lavine is not at his level in terms of long term potential, if that is all we are looking at.  When I watch Wiggins, I see some nice flashes of athleticism and solid speed, a developing shot, and an underdeveloped handle.  If it weren’t for all the hype, I wouldn’t really consider him to have great blowby ability, although that is probably due to his ball handling inabilities.  Just by watching him play, you probably would never guess he was the number 1 ranked high school player in the country.

If I had no knowledge of high school rankings, I’d probably assume that Randle had been the highest rated, because I have no idea how anyone could stop him at the high school level.  He looks absolutely dominant at times and can get to wherever he wants on the court.  I worry about his turnovers and his defense, but he just looks like an NBA player.  His ball handling ability is terrific for his size and his strength is amazing for his age.  Again, if I was not familiar with the scouting reports, I would not consider his athletic ability to be far inferior to that of Wiggins.  Wiggins drives in looking to convert an acrobatic layup while Randle goes in looking to bring down the rim.  

When I watch Jabari Parker, I see the most talented player in college basketball.  Once again, if I were completely oblivious to rankings, I’d definitely say he was in an entirely different world from Wiggins in terms of basketball ability.  He has star quality galore.  I would never think that he was questioned about his athleticism after seeing him throw down one handed alley oops and sky for other dunks.  There is no move that he can’t make and he has terrific size for his position.  We focus on the "flashes" that Wiggins shows and become worried when Parker struggles, but that’s ridiculous.  Parker didn’t just show flashes of greatness.  He was the best player in college basketball for a month.  His lateral quickness doesn’t look great, but he doesn’t even look like hes toned his body yet.  When he gets in top physical condition, he could be much improved.  

So, to sum it all up, if I had never seen a mock draft, high school rankings, ESPN articles, or anything of the sort, and simply relied on what I had seen, I would assume the order of top prospects went something like this:

1. Jabari Parker
2. Julius Randle
3. Joel Embiid
4.  Marcus Smart
5.  Andrew Wiggins
6.  Zach Lavine
7.  James Young
8.  Rodney Hood
9.  Aaron Gordon
10. Glenn Robinson III

This is not necessarily who I think will be the best but who have looked like the best prospects to me, based on watching games, regardless of hype or detailed scouting analysis. (I left off Exum because I have never seen him play a full game).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

 Thats true, but at the same time, how many NBA guys is Parker playing with? 1-Rodney Hood. Wiggins is playing with atleast 4 future NBA guys (Selden, Embiid, Black, Ellis) that he has to share the rock with. And how effective can Parker be when his shot isn’t falling? There’s a two way street.

 

But, just to go along for a minute. I also think Parker can be a bit of a ball stopper. If we’re going based on games, Wiggin’s game is more condusive to winning than any other prospect outside of Smart because he doesn’t haven’t to dominate the ball to effect the game. He already is a good defender, he’s the fastest guy in the country end to end, can hit the boards, can go back door to catch the lob & can knock down the open 3. Even if he doesn’t improve any more, he will be a starter from Day 1. I think ppl are underrating Wiggins. Plus, when he does decide to be assertive with the ball, he makes a major impact. 

We can’t ignore upside & scouting reports because thats what draft position is based on. GMs in the lottery don’t draft for that year, their drafting for the future. Appreciate your opinion though.

 

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

 Thats true, but at the same time, how many NBA guys is Parker playing with? 1-Rodney Hood. Wiggins is playing with atleast 4 future NBA guys (Selden, Embiid, Black, Ellis) that he has to share the rock with. And how effective can Parker be when his shot isn’t falling? There’s a two way street.

 

But, just to go along for a minute. I also think Parker can be a bit of a ball stopper. If we’re going based on games, Wiggin’s game is more condusive to winning than any other prospect outside of Smart because he doesn’t haven’t to dominate the ball to effect the game. He already is a good defender, he’s the fastest guy in the country end to end, can hit the boards, can go back door to catch the lob & can knock down the open 3. Even if he doesn’t improve any more, he will be a starter from Day 1. I think ppl are underrating Wiggins. Plus, when he does decide to be assertive with the ball, he makes a major impact. 

We can’t ignore upside & scouting reports because thats what draft position is based on. GMs in the lottery don’t draft for that year, their drafting for the future. Appreciate your opinion though.

 

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

 Black’s not exactly playing like a NBA guy right now, but he’s someone thats had a little hype of having a future in the NBA.

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

 Black’s not exactly playing like a NBA guy right now, but he’s someone thats had a little hype of having a future in the NBA.

[JM40Participant]

No one in the country is playing with as many NBA prospects as Julius Randle. I can honestly say there are possibly 10 NBA players on that roster at the moment;
1 Randle
2 Young
3 Cauley-Stein
4 Harrison
5 Harrison
6 Poythress
7 Johnson
8 Lee
9 Willis (maybe)
10 Hawkins (maybe)

[JM40Participant]

No one in the country is playing with as many NBA prospects as Julius Randle. I can honestly say there are possibly 10 NBA players on that roster at the moment;
1 Randle
2 Young
3 Cauley-Stein
4 Harrison
5 Harrison
6 Poythress
7 Johnson
8 Lee
9 Willis (maybe)
10 Hawkins (maybe)

[JM40Participant]

One can also make the argument that Naadir Tharpe, Frank Mason, and even Jamari Traylor are looking like better pro prospects than Black at the moment……

[JM40Participant]

One can also make the argument that Naadir Tharpe, Frank Mason, and even Jamari Traylor are looking like better pro prospects than Black at the moment……

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

Very true, but Randle’s the most consistent guy on that roster. He’s gonna put his shots up, he’s gonna get his touches. He’s their 1st option & he only averages a shade more than Wiggins in scoring. 

I’m not trying to belittle any of the other guys, I was just rying to show that if Wiggins is disappointing & raw & so unpolished, that he still should be #1 because he’s still one of the top guys in the country while being so raw. So imagine if he improves even just a little bit. He’s different than the other guys in scoring. Where as Parker or Randle may score a loud 25, Andrew may score a quiet 22 or 23. He does it in the flow of the game. 

Plus, the things these other guys can do, Wiggins can work on & add to his game, but what Wiggins can do, they can’t just work on that. It’s just something that only he can do in this class. 

Plus, he’s easily the best 2 way player in this class outside of Smart.

 

 

 

[TONYDABOSS77Participant]

Very true, but Randle’s the most consistent guy on that roster. He’s gonna put his shots up, he’s gonna get his touches. He’s their 1st option & he only averages a shade more than Wiggins in scoring. 

I’m not trying to belittle any of the other guys, I was just rying to show that if Wiggins is disappointing & raw & so unpolished, that he still should be #1 because he’s still one of the top guys in the country while being so raw. So imagine if he improves even just a little bit. He’s different than the other guys in scoring. Where as Parker or Randle may score a loud 25, Andrew may score a quiet 22 or 23. He does it in the flow of the game. 

Plus, the things these other guys can do, Wiggins can work on & add to his game, but what Wiggins can do, they can’t just work on that. It’s just something that only he can do in this class. 

Plus, he’s easily the best 2 way player in this class outside of Smart.

 

 

 

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Wiggins isn’t even the most dominant offensive player on his team.  It makes sense for him to make post entry passes to Embiid rather than hogging the ball.  Embiid is looking like the alpha-dog.  That doesn’t take away from Wiggins game, in my opinion.  He may not run a bunch of iso plays in the half court, but his production is increasing along with Embiid.  He still needs to develop his feel for moving without the ball, but Wiggins has been very effective off-the-ball early on.

I agree with TonyDaBoss that Wiggins can improve the weak aspects of his game more easily than Randle and Parker.  Not that those guys can’t improve, but Wiggins is more likely to develop a post game than Randle is to develop into a major threat in transition.  Wiggins is still a very raw ball handler, but, even with the lack of spacing in the NCAA game, he is able to attack the rim off-the-dribble.  He doesn’t need Kyrie Irving’s handles to become a dangerous slasher.  

The fact that Wiggins can be so productive at the college level without standing out as a dominant scorer is impressive.  Wiggins is a similarly productive and efficient scorer to Randle at the NCAA level while not even being the first offensive option on his team.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Wiggins isn’t even the most dominant offensive player on his team.  It makes sense for him to make post entry passes to Embiid rather than hogging the ball.  Embiid is looking like the alpha-dog.  That doesn’t take away from Wiggins game, in my opinion.  He may not run a bunch of iso plays in the half court, but his production is increasing along with Embiid.  He still needs to develop his feel for moving without the ball, but Wiggins has been very effective off-the-ball early on.

I agree with TonyDaBoss that Wiggins can improve the weak aspects of his game more easily than Randle and Parker.  Not that those guys can’t improve, but Wiggins is more likely to develop a post game than Randle is to develop into a major threat in transition.  Wiggins is still a very raw ball handler, but, even with the lack of spacing in the NCAA game, he is able to attack the rim off-the-dribble.  He doesn’t need Kyrie Irving’s handles to become a dangerous slasher.  

The fact that Wiggins can be so productive at the college level without standing out as a dominant scorer is impressive.  Wiggins is a similarly productive and efficient scorer to Randle at the NCAA level while not even being the first offensive option on his team.

[ibe12Participant]

I’ve seen pretty much every Duke, Kansas and KY game and to me there is only one potential franchise player in this draft and that’s Embiid. Don’t get me wrong I think Parker, Wiggins and the other usually suspects have the potential to be all stars and what team wouldn’t want an all star caliber player. I just think out of all the guys I’ve seen play Embiid is the only one that actually seems to be getting better. Also factor in that his basketball experience isn’t any where near the other top players in this draft. You never know how players will develop especially big men but if Embiid develops the way I think he will he has a chance but to be the most dominant player in the league in five years.

[ibe12Participant]

I’ve seen pretty much every Duke, Kansas and KY game and to me there is only one potential franchise player in this draft and that’s Embiid. Don’t get me wrong I think Parker, Wiggins and the other usually suspects have the potential to be all stars and what team wouldn’t want an all star caliber player. I just think out of all the guys I’ve seen play Embiid is the only one that actually seems to be getting better. Also factor in that his basketball experience isn’t any where near the other top players in this draft. You never know how players will develop especially big men but if Embiid develops the way I think he will he has a chance but to be the most dominant player in the league in five years.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

The top pick is Embiid’s to lose.  The second pick is Wiggins’ to lose and I think he could end up as the top pick.  The third pick is a toss up between Jabari Parker and Marcus Smart.  Julius Randle is at 5, 6, or 7 but he could go at 4 depending on team needs. 

Dante Exum will determine some of this too.  Where does he end up?  If teams want a combo guard and go with Exum then Marcus Smart could go at 4 or 5 instead of 3. 

Aaron Gordon could be in the discussion for the fifth pick or he could fall to 15.  He has a big range right now.  If he blows up in the tournament I could see him going 5 or 6. 

Rodney Hood looks like a top ten pick right now and he could be right behind Embiid, Wiggins, Parker, and Randle.  Hood, Gary Harris, James Young, and probably Wayne Selden are in that group from about 7 to 15 where if your team needs scoring and shooting on the wing, then they will look at these guys. 

Not sure who the 4th big guy is behind Embiid, Randle, and Aaron Gordon is.  That might be a big question.  It could be Payne out of Michigan State, but he could also fall out of the lottery.  Not sure Payne has the huge upside but he looks like an ideal guy to put next to a beast center or as a third big off the bench. 

Doug McDermott could either go 8-10ish along with Gordon and Hood or he could fall towards the end of the first round after Payne.  McDermott isn’t a great athlete but he can shoot and score.  He might even be able to play some stretch four in small ball lineups.  He’s basically the moneyball version of Jabari Parker.

This draft has a lot of point guards, but more towards the late first round and deep into the second round, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Napier, Appling, Russ Smith, Joe Jackson, or Aaron Craft sneaks into the top 20.  The point guard position is pretty deep right now, BUT if you don’t have one, you are in deep trouble.  The rest of the spots on the floor are somewhat positionless, but you always need a point guard. 

Luke Hancock is a crafty player who can shoot and score from the wing.  Not a great athlete with big upside but I think he could sneak into the first round.  You know what you are getting with that guy.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

The top pick is Embiid’s to lose.  The second pick is Wiggins’ to lose and I think he could end up as the top pick.  The third pick is a toss up between Jabari Parker and Marcus Smart.  Julius Randle is at 5, 6, or 7 but he could go at 4 depending on team needs. 

Dante Exum will determine some of this too.  Where does he end up?  If teams want a combo guard and go with Exum then Marcus Smart could go at 4 or 5 instead of 3. 

Aaron Gordon could be in the discussion for the fifth pick or he could fall to 15.  He has a big range right now.  If he blows up in the tournament I could see him going 5 or 6. 

Rodney Hood looks like a top ten pick right now and he could be right behind Embiid, Wiggins, Parker, and Randle.  Hood, Gary Harris, James Young, and probably Wayne Selden are in that group from about 7 to 15 where if your team needs scoring and shooting on the wing, then they will look at these guys. 

Not sure who the 4th big guy is behind Embiid, Randle, and Aaron Gordon is.  That might be a big question.  It could be Payne out of Michigan State, but he could also fall out of the lottery.  Not sure Payne has the huge upside but he looks like an ideal guy to put next to a beast center or as a third big off the bench. 

Doug McDermott could either go 8-10ish along with Gordon and Hood or he could fall towards the end of the first round after Payne.  McDermott isn’t a great athlete but he can shoot and score.  He might even be able to play some stretch four in small ball lineups.  He’s basically the moneyball version of Jabari Parker.

This draft has a lot of point guards, but more towards the late first round and deep into the second round, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Napier, Appling, Russ Smith, Joe Jackson, or Aaron Craft sneaks into the top 20.  The point guard position is pretty deep right now, BUT if you don’t have one, you are in deep trouble.  The rest of the spots on the floor are somewhat positionless, but you always need a point guard. 

Luke Hancock is a crafty player who can shoot and score from the wing.  Not a great athlete with big upside but I think he could sneak into the first round.  You know what you are getting with that guy.

[Moon RiverParticipant]

I was really hoping Young would remain a quiet prospect and the Bulls pick him up with Charlotte’s pick at #11 (keeping my fingers crossed).

Like your thoughts on the others and you get a thumbs up solely on the Fat Lever reference.  Nice!

[Moon RiverParticipant]

I was really hoping Young would remain a quiet prospect and the Bulls pick him up with Charlotte’s pick at #11 (keeping my fingers crossed).

Like your thoughts on the others and you get a thumbs up solely on the Fat Lever reference.  Nice!

[Sewok15Participant]

Young probably won’t last until the 11th pick. This site has him at 14th now but he is moving up and I feel he will be a guy that moves up even more during the process….I can actually see him going as high as 4th or 5th. Another issue is a bunch of teams that will be picking ahead of the Bulls have shooting guard needs. Memphis, Denver, and Philly come to mind.

If Young doesn’t last until Chicago I would be looking at Doug McDermott, TJ Warren and maybe Montrez Harrell (to replace Boozer once they finally get rid of him).

[Sewok15Participant]

Young probably won’t last until the 11th pick. This site has him at 14th now but he is moving up and I feel he will be a guy that moves up even more during the process….I can actually see him going as high as 4th or 5th. Another issue is a bunch of teams that will be picking ahead of the Bulls have shooting guard needs. Memphis, Denver, and Philly come to mind.

If Young doesn’t last until Chicago I would be looking at Doug McDermott, TJ Warren and maybe Montrez Harrell (to replace Boozer once they finally get rid of him).

[Dpayton11Participant]

 Fourth big behind Randle, Embiid, and Gordon is Noah Vonleh.  He has lottery talent if he comes out.

[Dpayton11Participant]

 Fourth big behind Randle, Embiid, and Gordon is Noah Vonleh.  He has lottery talent if he comes out.

[Author]

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