[JNixonParticipant]

2: Derrick Williams, 6’9 248, PF/SF, Arizona, Soph.

Williams is as talented a scorer as there is in the class, and he’s also one of the players in this class that wasn’t very highly touted coming out of HS. His had 2 extremely productive and efficient seasons as the go-to man for Arizona, and he improved across the board from his Fr. season. Williams seems like the classic hard working prospect, improving from unheralded recruit, to a standout Fr.,  and then to an All-American. Physically, Williams has average size for a PF. His height is adequate, and he appears to be pretty strong for the position with decent length with his 7’1 wingspan. For a SF, he would be oversized though. His strength and size is great for a wing, and at 6’8 248 he’d be one of the biggest wings in the NBA immediately. Athletically, Williams isn’t a freak but he’s still good. His fluidity and smoothness are great, and he shows some explosiveness as a 2-foot leaper. His quickness is good enough for either forward spot, although it would be best effective against PF’s.

Offensively Williams is quite remarkable. On top of being incredibly efficient last year (19 ppg on 10 FG attempts a night), Williams was/is one of the hardest players to guard in college and in this draft. As a combo forward, Williams has the ability to beat PF’s with his athleticism and touch and at SF he is generally too big for wings to cover with much effectiveness. Possesses an easy way of shooting, with compact fundamentals and a soft touch. Was a 57% 3-point shooter from 3-point range (albeit on 2 attempts a game), and he used the threat of his shot to keep the D honest. Shots the ability to stick shots with ease when left open as far out as 22 feet. Has NBA range, but it’s not as effective from that far. Has a strong mid-range game as well, able to make some shots off the dribble. Possesses the ability to post up as well, and uses his strong frame to seal his man effectively. He can establish some deep position on SF’s, and he usually has the touch and decisiveness to finish. Against PF’s he doesn’t establish quite as deep, usually around the 12-15 ft area, but he has the athleticism, skills, and handle to either use his athleticism to beat PF’s off the dribble or stick a turnaround jumper. Clearly a tough cover, and he will continue to get to the foul line a good bit due to it. Shows the ability to finish with both hands around the rim. Williams sometimes struggles with defenders collapsing on him, and though he’s generally decisive around the rim he does have some trouble taking too long getting into his moves and he often fails to make good passes/travels with the ball in these instances. Williams has good ball-handling ability for his size, and a smooth and rangy 1^st step. Understands how to use his body to shield the ball from defenders. Pretty good in the pick and roll game, and he shows the ability to convert explosive dunks when leaping off 2 feet with a running start. Doesn’t pass the ball much. Alright offensive rebounder, who will get high % looks on the glass.

Williams was a pretty modest college defender. Sees himself as a SF more than a PF, but he’d struggle on the defensive end against NBA wings. Against PF’s he’d fare better, but he still is a fairly average physical presence against NBA PF’s as well. Doesn’t have the lateral quickness to defend consistently on the wing, and has average length and size to defend PF. Didn’t give the best effort on this end either, and he had some trouble against the more athletic and bigger PF he matched up, allowing them to finish around the rim without much resistance at times. Was a little foul prone at times, and saw his minutes limited for stretches due to foul trouble this past season. Mediocre rebounder on the defensive end,  who will give up offensive rebounds at times by ball-watching. Not likely to be a huge threat shot-blocker or ball thief.

Offensively, Williams will be a tough cover as a mismatch combo forward. Guys with his skill set are coveted in today’s NBA, and he has the skills to be a viable option on this end in the NBA. The work he’s put in to become the prospect is noteworthy. He’s not a great defender or rebounder, and he’s a bit of a tweener, but he will have value as an NBA scorer. Whether he truly lives up to his draft position will be  based on how well he does other things besides score and if he can contribute his scoring skills to a team and help them win more.

 

1: Kyrie Irving, 6’3 191, PG, Duke, Fr.

We only got to see a little of Irving, but boy he was sensational when he played. Irving was the best PG in the country in the 11 games I saw him play this past season, impressive to even be in that conversation as a Fr., and it would’ve been fun to watch him if he had stayed healthy. Given the concerns about his turf toe injury, and the fact that he held out of workouts and the combine leave doubts to some. Has a charismatic personality, and the smile that will likely make him an easy endorsement (no homo?). Shows solid leadership potential, and he was able to run a veteran Duke team that won a Nat’l title the year before as a Fr. Plays very confident and is smart. Physically, Irving has prototypical size for a PG at 6’3 191. His length is below average, but he has the frame to continue to get stronger. Irving is a decent athlete, with great fluidity and the ability to play a great game at his own pace and speed. He’s not a freak like Derrick Rose, and he’s not super explosive, but his body control and quickness are both good.

On offense, Irving is great. He is the type of PG who knows when to be dominant and when to defer to teammates, being unselfish and also showing and understanding when to look for his own offense. As a shooter, Irving is nice. He is a knockdown shooter when open with NBA range, and he has the ability to smoothly stick shots off the dribble as well. His mid-range game is advanced for his age, and he’s just as good a shooter from that area as he is shooting 3’s. His mechanics are just about impeccable, as his release is quick and touch is very soft. Will knock down shots in you dive his screens. Slashing to the rim, Irving is also a standout. His 1^st step isn’t as great as past top PG prospects like Rose and John Wall, but it’s not bad by any stretch. He uses his great handle and the special pace he plays at to get in the lane, where he can either finish with either hand or find teammates. Has all kinds of hesitation, stop-and-start, and jab step moves that always make him unpredictable  as a player. Has big potential as a finisher around the rim due to his ability to finish with both hands, his soft touch around the rim, and his ability to finish high off glass or use the rim and net to shield the ball from shot-blockers. Not one to look for his own shot exclusively on forays to the rim, Irving keeps his head up and will look to find teammates when on the move. His chemistry with Mason Plumlee was well-documented, and it was seen that Plumlee became less effective when Irving went out. When teams looks to rotate to Irving on drives he did a good job of finding teammates for easy shots. Excellent pick and roll PG, who can score and dish in these situations with effectiveness. It will be interesting to Irving to play with Cleveland, as he should be an immediate threat to find teammates on the wing or bigs in the pick and roll. Rarely is out of control on the floor. Can play in transition. Will be both a big threat to score and a savvy distributor in the NBA, which is always welcomed in the NBA, and especially for the Cavs.

Defensively, Irving is also solid. He sometimes struggled with getting through screens quickly, but his fundamentals and attention to detail are impressive and pretty rare for a guard as young as him. His size, lateral quickness and promising strength are great for his development. He shows timing in the passing lanes to make up for his lack of length, and he is a solid on-ball defender. Off the ball he’s not bad either.

Irving to me is the best prospect in this class. He hasn’t played much, but whenever he takes the floor he’s clearly the best player out there. Even on a college team with experience and talent like Duke, Irving being able to come in as an 18 year old Fr. and be the best player on the team when he played speaks to just how talented and confident he is. He should have no trouble being the face of Cleveland and their rebuilding process.

 

[kobyzParticipant]

Kyrie Irving = Chauncey Billups meets Tony Parker

Derrick Williams = Michael Beasley meets James Worthy

[kobyzParticipant]

Kyrie Irving = Chauncey Billups meets Tony Parker

Derrick Williams = Michael Beasley meets James Worthy

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

As good as Irving should be, will the Cavs have patience if he take Chauncey like time to develop?  Derrick is going to be a star if he ends up in the right system.  His worst case is a more explosive Big Dog.

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

As good as Irving should be, will the Cavs have patience if he take Chauncey like time to develop?  Derrick is going to be a star if he ends up in the right system.  His worst case is a more explosive Big Dog.

[JNixonParticipant]

"As good as Irving should be, will the Cavs have patience if he take Chauncey like time to develop?"

They can always play Baron Davis in the event Irving doesn’t develop fast enough to play starter minutes immediately for Cleveland. It’s not like they don’t have the options to work him in the lineup if he struggles with the speed of the game or something like that. I seriously doubt he does struggle with those things, but Cleveland has the gift/curse of not being a contender so they won’t have to force the younger guys to develop super fast because they shouldn’t be in a win-now mode.

[JNixonParticipant]

"As good as Irving should be, will the Cavs have patience if he take Chauncey like time to develop?"

They can always play Baron Davis in the event Irving doesn’t develop fast enough to play starter minutes immediately for Cleveland. It’s not like they don’t have the options to work him in the lineup if he struggles with the speed of the game or something like that. I seriously doubt he does struggle with those things, but Cleveland has the gift/curse of not being a contender so they won’t have to force the younger guys to develop super fast because they shouldn’t be in a win-now mode.

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

I know they can, and I hope Cleveland is patient with it.  He’s a #1 pick and I’m not sure how prepared the team (media and fans more than the organization) is to not get an immediate All Star at that spot.  I’d take Kyrie, which is a huge reversal for me, but I do see the potential for failure.

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

I know they can, and I hope Cleveland is patient with it.  He’s a #1 pick and I’m not sure how prepared the team (media and fans more than the organization) is to not get an immediate All Star at that spot.  I’d take Kyrie, which is a huge reversal for me, but I do see the potential for failure.

[lalailaParticipant]

idk when we had Oden Rose Griffin Wall and now Kyrie? I know he will be at least a very good pg but he doesn’t have IT to be legit #1. I’m not saying Derrick Williams is as legit as guys above but that combination of strength athleticism skills is something rare and worth to be ahead of other draftess..

 

of course it’s just my opinion, just sayin.. 

[lalailaParticipant]

idk when we had Oden Rose Griffin Wall and now Kyrie? I know he will be at least a very good pg but he doesn’t have IT to be legit #1. I’m not saying Derrick Williams is as legit as guys above but that combination of strength athleticism skills is something rare and worth to be ahead of other draftess..

 

of course it’s just my opinion, just sayin.. 

[JNixonParticipant]

"I’d take Kyrie, which is a huge reversal for me, but I do see the potential for failure."

I’d be past surprised if he failed.

[JNixonParticipant]

"I’d take Kyrie, which is a huge reversal for me, but I do see the potential for failure."

I’d be past surprised if he failed.

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

Excuse me, let me be more clear. I see the potential for failure in Cleveland and then success elsewhere.  I don’t see it overall – barring injury, he will be at least a low level star. 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

Excuse me, let me be more clear. I see the potential for failure in Cleveland and then success elsewhere.  I don’t see it overall – barring injury, he will be at least a low level star. 

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