[weballin.netParticipant]

Because of the small ball trend, everybody wants to find bigs who shoots from outside. The problem is that real centers who don’t shoot have been underrated in the draft because of that. Behind the crop of outstanding big men projected in the top 5, some throwback centers are still projected in the second round…when projected.

Capela or Gobert, despite their physical tools, rebounding and blocking skills, were picked very late at the 25th and 27th spot and now are two of the top centers in the League.

One month before the draft, I see almost no mock draft with Goga Bitadze in the first round. Bitadze plays for Mega Leks, Jokic’s former team, in the same chamionship where Nurkic also plays.

At age 18, Bitadze is a far better shot blocker and is a better rebounder and scorer than both of them at the same age. Averages of 12pts 7rbds and 2blks  in 23min is not bad.

Another prospect nobody talks about is Icelandic center Tryggvi Hlinason, who suffers from playing for Spanish powerhouse Valencia. He has proved last interseason what he could do with Iceland national team, posting a 19pts 7rbds against Valanciunas.

A tough center will always be positive to a team even if he doesn’t play 35min, too bad some teams don’t see that.

http://www.weballin.net/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CU.LIONSParticipant]

 good read, I am looking out for them.

[BallerScriptParticipant]

 Bitadze is a guy I’m pretty high on.

If I was a GM, I would take him as high as 13 to the Clippers.

Right now though, I see him falling to Philly at 26.

 

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Capela and Gobert weren’t picked low due to their lack of shooting, it’s ’cause they were super raw stringbean foreigners who couldn’t do anything at that stage but be tall.

[weballin.netParticipant]

I’m from France and was at the Treviso Eurocamp the year before Gobert was drafted. He killed everybody and could have been a top 10. Unfortunately, he decided to stay and there was a coaching change in his team the same summer, the new coach being a conservative anti NBA guy who didn’t want Gobert to get exposure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch

Capela was also in the French championship and was averaging 10pts 7rbds 1.7 blk on 66% fg in 22min at age 20. It was obvious he was going to be very good. 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Doing anything in the French championship isn’t really an indicator of NBA success. Those aren’t great numbers and they’re against 3rd rate competition.  There’s a reason that most Euro’s get drafted later, there’s always questions about their toughness and ability to compete at the NBA level.

[cominup7Participant]

 The problem with traditional bigs in this era is that many don’t have the motor, IQ or skillsets to be elite and have their skills fit into a smallball lineup. Gobert and Capela, even though raw when drafted, both had a defined skill (shotblocking/rebounding) and were high energy players who knew they’d be playing a specific role. Good organizations (such as UTA & HOU) can mold and develop those tools into an absolute difference maker 

Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams and Brandon McCoy all are traditional bigs in this class but I dont think any have the motor or IQ to be on the level of Capela or Gobert

 

 

 

[weballin.netParticipant]

 talk about them but about Bitadze and Hlinasson

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