[lakeshow22Participant]

can someone post Chad Fords 10 biggest draft questionts for 2012

here is link

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?name=nba_draft&id=8096957&_slug_=2012-nba-draft-anthony-davis-worth-hype-other-key-questions&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fblog%3fname%3dnba_draft%26id%3d8096957%26_slug_%3d2012-nba-draft-anthony-davis-worth-hype-other-key-questions

[machu46Participant]

I don’t have Insider, but I can tell you the answer is that he’s much closer to Bayless.

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

Austin Rivers and Kobe Bryant should not be mentioned on the same sentence…..come on now!

[lakeshow22Participant]

calm down thats Part of Chad Fords 10 biggest draft day questionts

[machu46Participant]

The one thing that really kills Rivers is that he’s regarded as a sharp shooter, but he didn’t shoot well at Duke, and his left hand was exposed.  He’s basically non-existant as a finisher and his left hand is slightly better than Jeremy Lin’s (not good).  Yeah, he has swagger, but he’s nowhere near Mayo skillwise and shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as Kobe or even Monta Ellis for that matter.

[mlevensoParticipant]

 This years draft offers a couple different combo guards that are sure to have long NBA careers. A few that come to mind are Bradley Beal, Dion Waiters, Austin Rivers, and Tony Wroten. Doron Lamb and John Jenkins have combo guard size but will probably be designated sharp shooters off the bench for their careers. 

I think that Rivers comparison lies somewhere in between Kobe and Jerryd Bayless, but closer to the lower end of the comparison spectrum. I would say he reminds me of a combination of OJ Mayo and Monta Ellis. He has more athleticism and is better at getting to the rim than OJ. 

I also believe that he is more of a competitor than OJ and brings more star power/all-star potential.  

Thoughts?

[mlevensoParticipant]

Just to make things clear, I am not making a serious current comparison to Monta or OJ, or a combination of the two. I am simply saying that his skill set, playing style, and potential for the future, are all similar to a combination of Monta and OJ. 

He is not realistically close to either of those players currently, and he has lots of work to do to improve on some of his weaknesses, but his ceiling is pretty high. 

 

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Rivers may be better at getting to the rim than Mayo, although I think Mayo is the better finisher at the rim and the better shooter.  Rivers does have a better handle, though.  

What sets Mayo apart though, is his strength and shooting.  Mayo can very effectively play the 2, while Rivers potential as a 2 is limited by his inability to make catch and shoot jumpers.  Rivers only made 24% of his catch and shoot jumpers last season.  Mayo also has the strength to take contact in the lane and finish.  

I think Rivers is more similar to Jamal Crawford, an instant offense lead guard off the bench who shouldn’t be a starter due to his inability to score efficiently within a team offense.  Crawford has started in his career, but not effectively.  

Rivers is an outstanding scorer and has almost no bust potential.  Rivers may not have the star potential of most lottery picks, but he already has a defined NBA skill in his ability to create his own shot.  

 

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

Sure Rivers can be used in the same sentence as Kobe.  Watch:  Austin Rivers patterns his game after Kobe Bryant, but lacks both the athletecism and size that made Kobe a star.  See?

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

Or Austin Rivers is Kobe Bryant without the size, athleticism, skill, explosiveness, finishing ability, work ethic, composure, talent, drive, and strength.

[TheMOSTHATEDoneParticipant]

 

Things that are different as prospects (picture in your mind young Kobe)

Kobe Bryant standing reach is about 8´10", while Austin Rivers is 8´1

In a game of inches thats HUGE 9 inches difference. That helps Bryant with his finishing ability, add more strenght and explosiveness and you have even more difference. Bryant has a post game, in fact one of the best post games even counting bigmen, but this was developed later in his career, but Rivers has no size to have a nice post game. his reach is like a 6´1 PG.

Things they are similar.

They are both cocky.

They are good Ballhandlers.

They are pure scorers.

They have crazy handles.

Rivers is a better shooter at this stage of their careers, but Kobe breaks everyones ankles every game, and is an extraordinary finisher.

So stepping aside comparing Kobe to Rivers, which is almost a bad joke, it is more realistic to compare Rivers to Mayo, not to Bayless, Bayless shooting is even worse than Rivers at this stage, both share the size but not the stroke from distance, but share good handles and some finishing ability, but Bayless has a bit more vision.

Rivers is a sort of undersized true SG and Bayless is a Tweener.

Rivers to Mayo is a better comparison and more realistic than one of the two above. Both are true undersized Sg, Mayo has a bit better reach.

—————————-

Rivers to Kobe is like comparing BjMullens with Shaq, just because both are seven footers….

 

 

 

 

 

[mosdefParticipant]

Rivers will be the best Guard to come out of this draft

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

UNCbasketball

Not to mention footwork.

[ENOGSIWONdede]

 OJ Mayo/Rex Chapman

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

Rivers will not be one of the top 5 guards to come out of this draft in 5 years.  I’m fairly certain Beal, Waiters and Lillard will be better, and expect Ross and Lamb to top him, as well. Even if one of those two manage to be busts Teague, Wroten, Doron Lamb, Jenkins, Fournier, or Barton will end up developed really well on a really good team and top Austin.  Rivers best bet is a scorer off the bench for NO.  I really struggle to see him succeeding anywhere else.  He thinks he’s a star and he isn’t.

[Beard13Participant]

Austin rivers is the next austin rivers

[jmb23245Participant]

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIxxC7aRd2o&feature=g-all-lik judging from this video he is no slouch in the athletic department

[jmb23245Participant]

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIxxC7aRd2o&feature=g-all-lik judging from this video he is no slouch in the athletic department

[estebansfParticipant]

 I think Rivers is being underrated by a lot of people, because while he may not have elite athleticism, he is an almost impossible check one on one. Also, in Duke’s system, since no one else could create their own shot, teams crowded the lane against him, and it made it much more difficult for him to penetrate and finish.

His passing improved drastically over the course of the season, and his assist numbers are actually way lower than they should have been. He averaged 2 assists per game, but I watched every Duke game and there were plently of times where he would dish to a Plumlee back door and their stone hands wouldn’t catch it, or where he would set up Dawkins for open looks which he couldn’t hit down the stretch to save his life.

A lot of people’s concerns I have as well, but I don’t see them being nearly as big as other people do. I would take him over every shooting guard other than Beal, and I think he has a chance to be a good NBA player. Chad Ford really does hate the guy, but a lot of the points he uses are way over exaggerated. He seems to think Barnes is an angel, when it is obvious from his UNC teammates comments they didn’t exactly love love him, and he seems to think Rivers is the devil, when all the comments from the Duke players and staff have been nothing but positive.

[estebansfParticipant]

 I think Rivers is being underrated by a lot of people, because while he may not have elite athleticism, he is an almost impossible check one on one. Also, in Duke’s system, since no one else could create their own shot, teams crowded the lane against him, and it made it much more difficult for him to penetrate and finish.

His passing improved drastically over the course of the season, and his assist numbers are actually way lower than they should have been. He averaged 2 assists per game, but I watched every Duke game and there were plently of times where he would dish to a Plumlee back door and their stone hands wouldn’t catch it, or where he would set up Dawkins for open looks which he couldn’t hit down the stretch to save his life.

A lot of people’s concerns I have as well, but I don’t see them being nearly as big as other people do. I would take him over every shooting guard other than Beal, and I think he has a chance to be a good NBA player. Chad Ford really does hate the guy, but a lot of the points he uses are way over exaggerated. He seems to think Barnes is an angel, when it is obvious from his UNC teammates comments they didn’t exactly love love him, and he seems to think Rivers is the devil, when all the comments from the Duke players and staff have been nothing but positive.

[Author]

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