Will Marquese Chriss be this draft’s Russell Westbrook?

I’m a huge pac 12 fan and I saw Chriss quite a bit. I had no idea he would be coming out this year so I didn’t pay a lot of attention to him, but I love his potential. In today’s nba we often talk about 3 and d wings or stretch 4’s and I think Chriss fits the mold of both. He has really good form on his jumper, Hes a crazy athlete that can finish above rim. He’s just a few years away in terms of Bball iq and physical development. One thing I don’t like about the Westbrook comparison though is Russ had a very sound final year of college where he started on a team that went like 36-1 and was loaded with talent( Westbrook , Kevin love, Darren collision, like Richard mbah a mouth). And even in their final 4 loss to Derrick roses Memphis squad, Russ put up 20 and handled his business. Chriss didn’t prove anything in terms of success at the college level where you can say he was held back by great teammates.

I’m a huge pac 12 fan and I saw Chriss quite a bit. I had no idea he would be coming out this year so I didn’t pay a lot of attention to him, but I love his potential. In today’s nba we often talk about 3 and d wings or stretch 4’s and I think Chriss fits the mold of both. He has really good form on his jumper, Hes a crazy athlete that can finish above rim. He’s just a few years away in terms of Bball iq and physical development. One thing I don’t like about the Westbrook comparison though is Russ had a very sound final year of college where he started on a team that went like 36-1 and was loaded with talent( Westbrook , Kevin love, Darren collision, like Richard mbah a mouth). And even in their final 4 loss to Derrick roses Memphis squad, Russ put up 20 and handled his business. Chriss didn’t prove anything in terms of success at the college level where you can say he was held back by great teammates.

Other than both having played in the PAC-12, and both coming out early for the draft, I don’t see this as an apt comparison.  Westbrook was an uber-athletic guard who ahot the ball (and could make it) from all over, could play smothering defense on the perimeter, and by his second year at UCLA could run a team’s offense incredibly well.  He also got to the free throw line a ton.  He was wild at times though, and he turned the ball over a lot.

Chriss is a forward and projects to be a rim protecting 4 who can spread the floor.  But if you look at what he’s done this year, other than being a rim protector, he didn’t do anything tremendously well.  He was a clumsy defender too, and had the most personal fouls of any player in the NCAA averaging over 4 per game.

While I agree that both players were/are upside picks, and I agree that like Westbrook Chriss has a high ceiling, they are both very different players.  I remember the pre-draft hype Russell Westbrook was getting at the time, and I agreed with it at the time as I felt that he improved tremendously between his first and second years at UCLA.  In other words, I saw his upside at the next level more clearly and it was easier to understand his rise up the draft board at that time.  Chriss, on the other hand, is even more of an upside pick because although he was a rim protector and he is, like Westbrook was at that stage, an athletic outlier I have a harder time seeing him making an impact early on in the NBA.  Chriss is extremely raw, and is unskilled compared to where Westbrook was when he came out in 2009.

Other than both having played in the PAC-12, and both coming out early for the draft, I don’t see this as an apt comparison.  Westbrook was an uber-athletic guard who ahot the ball (and could make it) from all over, could play smothering defense on the perimeter, and by his second year at UCLA could run a team’s offense incredibly well.  He also got to the free throw line a ton.  He was wild at times though, and he turned the ball over a lot.

Chriss is a forward and projects to be a rim protecting 4 who can spread the floor.  But if you look at what he’s done this year, other than being a rim protector, he didn’t do anything tremendously well.  He was a clumsy defender too, and had the most personal fouls of any player in the NCAA averaging over 4 per game.

While I agree that both players were/are upside picks, and I agree that like Westbrook Chriss has a high ceiling, they are both very different players.  I remember the pre-draft hype Russell Westbrook was getting at the time, and I agreed with it at the time as I felt that he improved tremendously between his first and second years at UCLA.  In other words, I saw his upside at the next level more clearly and it was easier to understand his rise up the draft board at that time.  Chriss, on the other hand, is even more of an upside pick because although he was a rim protector and he is, like Westbrook was at that stage, an athletic outlier I have a harder time seeing him making an impact early on in the NBA.  Chriss is extremely raw, and is unskilled compared to where Westbrook was when he came out in 2009.

 I agree that in terms of "Super Stars" …… it’s weak in That regard………I agree that Simmons is probably the only prospect w/ a chance to rise to that "Super Star" level……….

But there are some Really Good to Great prospects in this Draft who will Seriously Upgrade the Teams that Draft them………….

B. Ingram, Bender, J. Murray, K. Dunn, B. Hield, J. Brown will most likely take a few years to Develop……… but they are Really strong Talents………..

 I agree that Chriss Belongs in this group………. I absolutely Luv his athleticism……… & I would Add his Univ of Washington teammate Dejounte Murray……….

 I realize Dejounte Murray has A Lot of "Development" ahead of him but like Crhiss he has "Freakish" raw Athletic ability & Fantastic Size & Leength for a PG prospect………… so I like Both guys a Lot……

 I agree that in terms of "Super Stars" …… it’s weak in That regard………I agree that Simmons is probably the only prospect w/ a chance to rise to that "Super Star" level……….

But there are some Really Good to Great prospects in this Draft who will Seriously Upgrade the Teams that Draft them………….

B. Ingram, Bender, J. Murray, K. Dunn, B. Hield, J. Brown will most likely take a few years to Develop……… but they are Really strong Talents………..

 I agree that Chriss Belongs in this group………. I absolutely Luv his athleticism……… & I would Add his Univ of Washington teammate Dejounte Murray……….

 I realize Dejounte Murray has A Lot of "Development" ahead of him but like Crhiss he has "Freakish" raw Athletic ability & Fantastic Size & Leength for a PG prospect………… so I like Both guys a Lot……

at Washington we would of seen the necessary skill development to justify the hype….yes he is a Westbrook type pick…idk if Romar would lead them far as I question his ability to coach but having Murray and Chriss as sophomores and Fultz coming in as a freshman this team could of had a chance to gone far…..so if we are basing it off the same projectory then there is a chance that both Chriss and Murray will be both high upside picks and gone earlier than expected….I expect Chriss to go top 5 now and Murray has been creeping up my board and I can see him going in the top 10……this draft isn’t a weak draft like what was mentioned above….I have Simmons/Ingram/Bender as tier 1 and then Chriss, Poeltl, Dunn, J Murray, D Murray, Ellenson and Beasley as Tier 2. Out of all those players there Chriss has the highest upside and it’s not close…..his body/athleticism is very similar to a one time uber prospect in the name of Tyrus Thomas….and he’s already a way better shooter….I think he has a better head on his shoulders and I could see him being further along than a lot of us think because being super athletic with some ball skills allows you to get away with some fundamental flaws…..

at Washington we would of seen the necessary skill development to justify the hype….yes he is a Westbrook type pick…idk if Romar would lead them far as I question his ability to coach but having Murray and Chriss as sophomores and Fultz coming in as a freshman this team could of had a chance to gone far…..so if we are basing it off the same projectory then there is a chance that both Chriss and Murray will be both high upside picks and gone earlier than expected….I expect Chriss to go top 5 now and Murray has been creeping up my board and I can see him going in the top 10……this draft isn’t a weak draft like what was mentioned above….I have Simmons/Ingram/Bender as tier 1 and then Chriss, Poeltl, Dunn, J Murray, D Murray, Ellenson and Beasley as Tier 2. Out of all those players there Chriss has the highest upside and it’s not close…..his body/athleticism is very similar to a one time uber prospect in the name of Tyrus Thomas….and he’s already a way better shooter….I think he has a better head on his shoulders and I could see him being further along than a lot of us think because being super athletic with some ball skills allows you to get away with some fundamental flaws…..

 I think either him or Dejounte may end up going top five.  This draft flat lines after the first two picks.  I bet there’s a couple unexpected picks in the top ten. Maybe Malik Beasley or Richardson.

 I think either him or Dejounte may end up going top five.  This draft flat lines after the first two picks.  I bet there’s a couple unexpected picks in the top ten. Maybe Malik Beasley or Richardson.

 How could you not see the comparison. Players with elite athleticism and great production that have major skills, major flaws in their game and play passionate basketball.

 How could you not see the comparison. Players with elite athleticism and great production that have major skills, major flaws in their game and play passionate basketball.