Fab Melo vs. Drummond
Quite frankly I was shocked to see Melo make these jumpers this year. Who knew he had range out to 18 feet? I think Melo could definitely be a mid first round pick this year, the stats arent there but you need to watch him. He is very good
Yes I really like Melo a lot, he is unafraid to challenge any shot from the offense and has an underrated offensive game. I worry about his rebounding he is too long and too athletic to not get more boards. I could see him struggling at the next level with a team that plays mostly man defense, because he has played zone for so long I think that will be an adjustment for him.
Fab did next to nothing in the second half. Andre still has a lot to learn, but you cannot teach his size and athleticism. Fab has the size aspect, but I am still unsure of his conditioning and he is nowhere near Drummond athletically. I was shocked Fab made those first 3 outside jumpers, plus his form looked nice, but that is ultimately something I would want to see more to expect it on a consistent basis.
Fab definitely looks like a future NBA Draft pick if he keeps things up. Drummond is a stud, though. He was much more aggressive than I have seen him in most games and that is a good sign. He has a lot to work on and still needs to get a better idea of where to be on the court at times.
Even with UConn's struggles, Drummond is still a lock to be a top 5 pick whenever he enters the draft. I honestly believe he still has a shot at being the first pick. Anthony Davis is the better player right now and I love certain things about him not to mention his court awareness defensively. The thing is, Drummond is every bit the athlete he is with another 50 pounds. In the NBA, that could make a BIG difference.
I could see Fab Melo becoming a top 10 pick if he stayed for his JR year atleast. If Melo averaged 3 blocks and a double double as a JR. you would gotta think he'd be a lotto pick and it's something he's capable of doing. This year tho I wouldn't even look at him in the lotto. I would take him late first if I needed a center and Zeller and Plumlee were off the board.
Drummond is coming along. He didn't shoot a great % today but I like seeing him take them shots even if he isn't making them. He needs to stay aggressive and eventually them shots will start falling. The fact he took 13 shots against Cuse' zone shows you how much more comfortable he is getting on offense, and once he get's it down, Drummond got a bunch of tools to use down there. What I like most about Drummond is that he can become the type of big you run an offense thru like KG and Chris Webber were. He's a big man with the ability to control the flow of an offense through the high post if he's ever able to put it all together. I hope he does because it'd be a waste to root for anything else.
Drummond is a far better prospect, but in the meantime, a weird point about 'Cuse players. Besides Melo, their players haven't really historically lived up to their potential in the NBA under Boheim's reign. Wes, Flynn, Warrick, John Wallace, Etan Thomas...even DC.
Never, never, never talk about a center in college who never leaves the paint defensively as someone who can change games defensively in the NBA. The league mandates people move their feet, and around half the time enforces the 3-second defensive rule. Fab Melo is sitting in a 2-3 zone and never leaving the paint. Anthony Davis, Gorgui Dieng, and the like basically play zone in a man scheme where they park themselves in the paint whenever the opponent doesn't utilize their center in the offense. That is college defense, and in many ways an international style defense. It is not NBA defense.
As for Drummond, he is playing well for a freshman in the Big East who happens to be facing one of, if not the, toughest schedules in the country (the rankings change daily). He has never had to play with attention to detail in his life, and comes out at times. It comes out with Tony Wroten too. The talent is readily apparent. They probably ought to return to school for another year to work on their games before making the leap, but it doesn't mean the talent isn't there.
Kind of funny how Drummond scored 7-points in a row for Uconn followed by a Lamb 3-pointer to bring them back and people say he isnt dominant. he is making mistake after mistake and is still dominant. Once he stops trying to lay the ball up with finisse around the basket, he gains another 20-pounds of muscle and starts Dwight Howarding people under the rim he will be unstoppable. He has great footwork, increasing touch, and amazing athletic abillity. Needs to work on that jumper though.
Hope he isnt to badly injured this is bad for Uconns tournament chances.
Poor mans Chandler in the sense that he can eventually be a defensive minded center with the ability to finish on alley ops... Im NOT saying he is Tyson Chandler but he can make some legit money as a defender in the NBA.... Why is not so unbelievable???
As I am watching the Syracuse vs. UCONN game on CBS, I am paying attention to this specific matchup. (I like both as center prospects at the next level, and they really seem to be bringing it at one another - however I have only been watching the 2nd half).
Who do you like better as a prospect? Whose game translates better to the NBA?
Just some observations:
-Andre Drummond finishes strong, however he needs to learn how to shoot free throws
-Fab Melo has a nice inside, outside game on offense, and he challenges on defense - however he needs to get to the free throw line