most overrated

I wouldn’t call Rivers an average athlete. He did win a dunk contest, after all

I know I’m gonna get flamed for this one, but this site gives him way to much credit. He has all the potential in the world to be a stud second option on a good team, but he lacks that fire. This site kept him at #2 forever, when everyone knew he wasn’t anywhere near worthy of the second pick. They finally put Beal above him in the mocks(something that should have been done months ago). 

perry jones and jeremy lamb 

 I would say Perry Jones, but I think after two years in college, his "overhype" has kind of fallen off and people know its a gamble with him. He has the talent of top 3 pick, but he’s not gonna get drafted until 8-14, because of all the question marks. 

I don’t know where people get this idea that Austin Rivers is a horrible defender. He was probably the best perimiter defender that Duke had this year, which granted isn’t saying much. But regardless, he put forth a solid effort on D and showed some ok lateral quickness. He is by no means a lock-down defender, but at least he tried and wasn’t awful. Duke got absolutely abused by opposing guards this year, but Rivers was the least of Duke’s issues on Defense. 

You’re the kind of fan that is a blatant homer but tries to find some kind of negative against your own team to make it seem that you actually aren’t a homer. Even when that negative on your team isn’t warranted.

Though I enjoy some of your posts and some of your topics are really funny, I’d say 70% of posts are either bashing something about Duke, praising something about UNC, but then saying something bad about UNC and something nice about Duke just to save face.

Not trying to bash you or anything but it almost becomes predicatable when a forum topic is yours. You should keep it more varied.

You, imo, are a bit too harsh on both players. Harrison Barnes should’ve never gone to UNC to improve as a wing player. In that system he is on most occasions the fourth option. The fact that he averaged 18 ppg being the 4th option, I think, is pretty remarkable. When he gets to the NBA, and actually gets some plays made for him, I think he’ll be a deadly shooter who might turn into a deadly scorer if he works on his handle. There aren’t many teams in the NBA nowadays without a great point guard running the show. So unless he’s picked by the Bobcats, he’ll be able to excel with any other team and their point guard.

I actually think Austin Rivers is slowly starting to become underrated. The kid has an advanced offensive skill set and explosive first step so he can get anywhere he wants on the floor. He does have trouble finishing but have you seen him? He’s rail thin and I’m sure once he adds some weight he’ll be a much better finisher. He does need to tweak his jumpshot so that it’ll be easier to shoot in the midrange but other than that if it aint broke don’t fix it. Also I don’t think you can really blame the defensive woes of Duke on Austin. He actually became one of the best if not the best perimeter defenders Duke had by the end of the season. I actually think most of the blame should be put on Coach K. He knew that Duke had some slow footed players (Cook, Curry, Dawkins, Kelly) and should’ve packed in the defense (like they did in 2010) instead of stubbornly sticking with overplay man to man even though we didn’t have the personnel to run it effectively.

Both players have insane work ethics and I’m sure we’ll see a lot of growth from them. Especially in the NBA where the game is much spread out which will not only help Austin in driving, but also giving Barnes more space to shoot.

"You’re the kind of fan that is a blatant homer but tries to find some kind of negative against your own team to make it seem that you actually aren’t a homer. Even when that negative on your team isn’t warranted…

Not trying to bash you or anything but it almost becomes predicatable when a forum topic is yours. You should keep it more varied."

Hypocracy! Just tell him your bashing him don’t soften the blow.

I’m not trying to bash him though. "Bashing" imo would mean that I’m responding to him with a pissed off mindset. I’m not. I’m just trying to help vary some of his topics and try to not totally get rid of his homerism but at least subdue it so he can discuss logically in an open forum.

When I first started posting I was atrocious. (I might still be lol) and though some of the replies to my comments and blatant homerisms weren’t as cordial as I’m trying to be right now…it still helped a lot not only on this site but overall forcing me to construct my arguments as logically as possible.

You’re right you really have been working on it and stopped posting about Duke and UNC as much and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you’re posting has not only become more conducive to a discussion but also much more enjoyable.

I pointed it out to you, because one I was that blatant homer as well, and two so your posts wouldn’t be as predictable.

 I think perry jones is definetly overated. And as a suns fan I don’t want them taking him if he’s there at 13. I remember a few years ago they drafted earl clark in the late lottery and he didn’t work out as a sun. Another high potential guy who didn’t play hard all the time who had great length and athleticism

 Got a light skinned skinned friend look like michael jackson gotta dark skinned friend look like michael jackson

Jeremy Lamb. He has alot of upside in his game, but I just don’t see the one skill to keep him in the league. He’s athletic, and a decent shooter (his numbers actually decrease), but he’s alot of upside right now. I would like it if he went to a Houston, somewhere where he can grow, but if someone expects him to be a star right away, I see dissapointment. 

Thomas Robinson. Slightly overrated. Is he a top 5 pick? Yea, but I don’t like him as the 3rd or even 4th pick. It’s just something for someone to be very solid. He isn’t this great post player, and I think he’s a questionable defensive player. I think he can play in the league for 10 years, but for the most part, I don’t see him being a star, and I think in today’s NBA, I think teams will swing for the fences, rather then hitting a double in the draft. 

Perry Jones is definetaly not overatted at #13 in the draft. He isn’t a projected 1-3 pick anymore and people need to realise that. His stock has had a massive fall off and now ranked late lottery. That is not overrated. 

So majority votes Perry Jones to be overrated. The only red flag that I think this guy has is his passiveness. He needs to push the pedal a little bit more and assert himself. He’s a legit 6’11 small forward, how many small forwards in the nba has that same height for his position. He’s one rare dude.

I think Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is overrated, considering he’s projected to go as high as No. 2 overall. I don’t think he’d be overrated if he was selected somewhere in the 6-10 range, but definitely not No. 2 overall. His strengths are his athleticism, competitiveness, length/size, and work ethic. He’s also a strong finisher in transition. Those are nice strengths, but the three basic skill sets of basketball are dribbling, passing, and shooting, and he’s average at best at all three of those skills. I’m not saying I think he’ll be a bust or a lousy NBA player or anything, but I definitely don’t think he’ll ever be an All-Star or even the best or second-best player on his own team.

 I absolutely love his game….but I just dont see what all of the fuss is about over Terrence Ross.  I mean, he is a great guy to pick up in the mid-first round, no doubt….but on this site….people like him as a solid lotto pick, some mid-lotto even.  Something about him doesnt warrant the risk to take him that high but as I said, maybe from pick 15 on, he is a great pick.  I know I am in the minority but I fell Ross is a tad overated here.

I love MKGs game but I think you ae right. To be selected as high as top 3 a wing player needs to have really good ball skills, on the Grant Hill or Pippen level. Im not saying MKG is going to be a bad player, but for where he is projected it worries me. I want to see what he measures out at

most overated:

1) Andre Drummond

2) Arnett Moultrie

3) Terrence Jones

 Perry Jones III

Arnett Moultrie

Damian Lillard

Tyler Zeller

Meyers Leonard

 Harrison Barnes reminds me a lot of Rudy Gay.  Both guys were on great teams with a ton of NBA talent.  Gay had Williams, Boone, Armstrong and Adrian.  Barnes has Zeller, Marshall, Henson, McAdoo, Hairston.  Both guys faced a lot of critics bashing them for not being aggressive enough and not coming up big in games etc.  However, both players put up very solid numbers with a ton of talent around them.  I don’t see Barnes being a bust at all and see him being a solid pro.  Look at the numbers he put up in College with all the talent around him.  Put him on a bad team and he average 25 per game easy while in College and everyone is foaming at the mouth for him.

^ barnes can’t hold gay’s jockstrap

1.barnes , nuff said
2.beal , I’m not drafting a 6’3″ sg in top 10 , nonetheless top 5

I agree with you. And although MKG is my second favorite prospect, I agree that it is a little scary to see him at #2. I think the think about this draft is that it really doesnt have that #2-#4 range. It is just like Anthony Davis, and then the rest are in the #5-#10 range. This draft is filled with people who look like #5-#10 picks. Even up to pick #25 you see guys like Tony Wroten who look like a top ten pick. You just dont see many unquestionable top 5 picks. The gap between guys like MKG, Harrison Barnes, Brad Beal, and Thomas Robinson to someone like Terrence Jones is really not that significant and they are ranked 10 or so spots higher. This draft is going to have a lot of suprises and will have a lot of starters in the league. Not sure about all stars, but definitley A LOT of starters.

 I am willing to be money that Barnes is going to be an excellent pro.  I dont think some of you guys have seen Barnes play more than a handfull of games.  I also doubt that you truly know how bad the system is under Roy Williams and that it purely talent driven and not a lot of X’s and O’s.  I am also willing to bet that if you were old enough, you probably didnt think Vince Carter would come into the NBA and average over 20ppg for his first 11 seasons in the league, despite never averaging 16ppg in college.  Which team had more talent? Carter’s team or Barnes?  Did Carter have a much better college career than Barnes?  I also bet that none of you wouldve guessed that Paul Pierce….a guy who didnt look so spectacular under Roy Williams would score more points in Boston than Larry Legend.

The reason why Harrison Barnes is overated is because the media made him that way because he was the #1 player out of high school coming to one of the most successful dynasties of all time that had just missed the NCAA tournament the year before.  The hype placed on him was ridiculously unreal…and I dont know how many times I have to keep proving that point.

Other than that, the only player in the 1st round that I could see being overated would be Austin Rivers.   I mentioned Ross, but as I said, I think some people mentioning him in the top 8-10 may be a slight stretch.  I would go for Ross anywhere outside the lottery and Rivers would fall behind him in my book.

VC didnt play under the free offense of Roy Williams. He played for Dean Smith and his under study in Guthridge. Dean Smith is noted as the only person to slow down Michael Jordan’s game

Your second comment actually brought up a good point to me, Surve. Im a Jayhawk fan for a long time and Paul Pierce didnt handle the ball much if I recall and thats Barnes biggest knock. Pierce was a jump shooter all the way with Vaughn and LaFrentz. Since you made me realize it, I think the biggest thing that hurt Barnes is that he was the #1 recruit that everyone hoped to be on a LeBron or supersar level. If Barnes turns out to be Paul Pierce, then thats a good career. The site has Barnes compared to Glenn Rice now. Even that is a stellar career.

im goin with damian lilliard for a player who played against nobody hes rated very high imo hes a projected lottery pick and to me his resume is weak i think drafting him that high would be a wasted pick, reggie jackson and marshon brooks were late round picks and i think they were and are far better players

 Dean did slow down MJ’s game, but MJ still avg 20ppg there and only a handful of players have ever done that under Dean Smith.  My point about Carter was, he was a higher recruit than Jameson.  Jameson for a while wasnt even the best player in NC.  Vince was a top 5 player coming out of HS.  He was the best SG in his class iirc.  There were a lot of expectations for Carter as well, obviously no where near the level of Barnes.  After 2 years, Carter didnt look like the superstar he was expected to be.  After his 3rd year, his potential was realized, even still, no one thought he would come in and explode the way he did so early on in the NBA.  So no need to defend Vince, I feel where you are coming from.  

Vince was never the focal point of that offense.  Barnes was the prime option on a team that had more talent, and he may not have been dominant, but he was consistent.  Barnes main weakness is his handle.  With the spacing in the NBA, he will find it much easier to score, for one reason, because he has NBA 3-point range on his jumper.  We didnt see that much at UNC because he really played unselfish ball.  I wouldnt say he isnt an Alpha, but he is definitely not a chucker either.  I wouldnt be surprised to see Barnes move up to number 2 in the draft after workouts.  It depends on how dominant he looks in workouts because college is so much different than pros.  Not even the same game.

Barnes’ biggest weakness, I would agree is his handle. I don’t however consider handle the exact same thing as his ability to drive/finish at the rim and create shots off the dribble. In my opinion, finishing at the rim is the biggest concern. He wasn’t able to do it very well in college and I struggle to imagine him doing it well at the next level. He also isn’t what most would consider an elite athlete, which backs up my point about stuggling at the rim in the NBA.

 I beg to differ about his finishing at the rim ability…..the movement and spacing for UNC was horrible and the lane was always clogged…why else would they be the top rebounding team in the nation?  its because Zeller and Henson were always near by to grab that offensive board.  they lived off the offensive rebound.  Hell, thats the only way they beat lowly teams like Maryland, who they struggled with…..the size was too much, but it also created a logjam in the lane.  Whenever the lane wasnt clogged….Barnes was subject to yam on you….ask Milton Jennings.

I have seen players, including Barnes make many similar plays. You are correct that the spacing in the lane was not always good and resulted in quicker help defense in Barnes’ face when he wasn’t expecting it. Unfortunately in one on one situations I saw him fail many times. I think you can agree that if the help from Jennings wasn’t late there he would have been able to jump off the floor and contest the shot. There aren’t statistics that back up my point so it is difficult to prove it. There is a video of Jeremy Lamb posterizing someone on youtube but that was the exception not the norm. I guess that is the point I am making. I hope you are right and I am wrong honestly because there is still a posibility of him ending up on the Cavs – he was the top prep player coming into the NCAA of his class.

 I hope I am right too, lol.  Seriously, I am going out on a limb by giving a guarantee that Barnes is going to be a good pro and at the very least…is NOT overated and overhyped as a prospect.  I truly believe he can be a steal anywhere after 3, but definitely after 5.

One thing I can say about your feelings about him not finishing at the rim well is….you have a point because his game going to the basket is not refined yet either.  Most of the time he attacks with purpose, but sometimes he didnt.  When his handle and his confidence gets there I think he will have an easier time finishing consistantly.  Your handle can be critical to your gather of the ball in preparation for the finish….and Harrison’s handle has been shaky.

I really dont see anyone as of right now being underated, all the prospects have strong points.  If I had to guess last year I wouldve said Jimmer was overated for his draft position, I think it was a little high for him.  Biyombo as well.  Not to say they wont be good, but they stand out more than anyone from this years draft to me.

 I think John Henson has become an overrated prospect. He’s up to 10 on this site and I personally wouldn’t pick him above number 20. He’s thin, and unlike Davis, I don’t think he can bulk up that much. His offensive game is pretty slim as well, and he’s going to get pushed aroun a lot. He’s athletic and blocked a lot of shots in college, but I don’t think he really translates to the NBA well enough to be a lottery selection.

Hi there. Overrated is Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Solid D, but growing offensive game. A lot of kids in this draft are ahead of him on O. Underrated, by the way, are Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshall. Tony Parker and D-Wade get their points slashing and it’s not as if Wroten’s horrible on D. He’s also pretty much the same type of shooter as a lot of players in this draft. Marshall is in the mold of Stockton, Nash and Rubio and projects as a great playmaker. Take care. Thanks.

                                                                                            Mark