Following potential 2015 draftees

[fishonjazz]

I hope the jazz don't draft mystery guy #3 again anytime soon. Enes Exum has been enough for me.

This.
I like what I have seen from that foreign point guard whose name I don't know how to spell (mudiay?) but I'm wary of guys who get thier hype playing overseas or against high school age kids now

 

[spycam1]

This could be a fun discussion.

Who would you guys pick between Gobert and Okafor? Both are franchise centers, but in completely different ways.

(I know who Hack would pick)

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

This could be a fun discussion.

Who would you guys pick between Gobert and Okafor? Both are franchise centers, but in completely different ways.

(I know who Hack would pick)

This is crazy, but I'm not sure Okafor can affect the game like Gobert does. It is tough to grade Okafor because he doesn't post up guys his own size. He also has to play against the zone which can neuter the post game a bit.

You also have to factor in that most teams have gone away from postcentric offenses. Would having a great post player give us a matchup advantage or is the post just too ineffective and should be abandoned. If we won the lotto I'd be inclined to trade the number one and move back (collecting a king's ransom on the way).

Really good question... I'm sure it will start some internet fights.

 

[BTP]

I hope the jazz don't draft mystery guy #3 again anytime soon. Enes Exum has been enough for me.

What does qualify as a mystery man in your opinion?

This.
I like what I have seen from that foreign point guard whose name I don't know how to spell (mudiay?) but I'm wary of guys who get thier hype playing overseas or against high school age kids now

Like Nikola Mirotic?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

This could be a fun discussion.

Who would you guys pick between Gobert and Okafor? Both are franchise centers, but in completely different ways.

(I know who Hack would pick)

Gobert ya bish.

 

[fishonjazz]

Like Nikola Mirotic?

If he had only played against completion that exum and kanter played against before being drafted, then yes I would have been wary and cautious of drafting him too..... just like I was with kanter and exum

 

[BTP]

If he had only played against completion that exum and kanter played against before being drafted, then yes I would have been wary and cautious of drafting him too..... just like I was with kanter and exum

Yes but you said "getting their hype playing overseas". If you didn't mean competitions like EuroLeague, the ACB, VTB United League and others then sorry. But I assumed you meant European basketball in general by that, so I wanted to point out one of the many positive examples for success of European players in the NBA.

What's funny though is that for the next decade a ton of Euro 7 footer will populate the league rotations.

 

[Beer]

Butler is not a good comp for Johnson. He plays SG for the Bulls most of the time, and much more athletic than Johnson (nearly hits his head on the rim when dunking)

He's also had a few seasons of NBA training to get there. He was a very good athlete in college, but I'd say Johnson is a better athlete now than Butler was when he was 18.

 

[fishonjazz]

Yes but you said "getting their hype playing overseas". If you didn't mean competitions like EuroLeague, the ACB, VTB United League and others then sorry. But I assumed you meant European basketball in general by that, so I wanted to point out one of the many positive examples for success of European players in the NBA.

What's funny though is that for the next decade a ton of Euro 7 footer will populate the league rotations.

No you are right, I'm sorry.
I don't have a problem with adult pro leagues in other countries for the most part.

It's the high school competition and high school all star tourneys that I am cautious of.

 

[berkkobe]

ma BOY OKAFOR WILL BE SELECTED BY MY KNICKS

 

[Carbon13]

Gobert or Antetokounmpo?

 

[Stifle Tower]

Kanter played **** *** prep school ballers (really low competition level even for USA) in the USA and was still noted as being a lazy *** defender.

But just like Exum, Kanter had one amazing int'l game where he outplayed the competition. I remember Kanter supporters kept bringing that up as the reason for taking him over Valanciunas - because of that head-to-head matchup.

Rule of thumb should be to take players who have been successful over the course of an entire season, whether that be at a U.S. university or top-level international league. That player should also have NBA-level measurements in terms of size and speed. I know there might be outliers we miss. That's ok...draft "projects" with a later pick. But missing on lottery selections is the surest way to perpetual mediocrity: Kanter, Burke and maybe Exum. Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see Dante as all-star material. He just doesn't have the attitude to develop into anything more than a solid rotation player. Stars have swagger; they've had swagger since elementary and intermediate school. You see it in youth leagues. You see it throughout HS and into college. I'm not saying that's a perfect way to evaluate. But there aren't many all-stars who don't have that "alpha" attitude. Some MIGHT develop a little as they mature; I think Favors is going through that now. And some "alphas" are selfish, offense-only idiots - that's what you weed out in interviews and workouts and scouting as you speak with their coaches and look at game film.

But lottery, especially high-lottery, you definitely need to go for players who have a "resume" AND have attitude/desire AND have NBA-level size/speed for their positions. Like I said, there will ALWAYS be exceptions. And there will be busts who had all the prerequisites. But the lottery is about getting players with the highest percentage of being successful.