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Following Potential 2025 Draftees

KqWIN said:
I think it's both. When there's a defender between he in the basket his heavy preference is to pullup from mid range. But I also don't think he has the skill or explosion when he does attack the rim. I know what the combine numbers say, but he's not taking off from barely inside the FT line like VJ is. And he doesn't have the craft that Fears/Kas have in the same situation. Those guys are both more skilled in that situation and way more physical. So while he could choose to attack more, I don't think he's on the level of these other guys and I'd also put him behind theoretical Ace Bailey who decides to attack the hoop.
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Yeah, I'm trying to remember and it seems like he very rarely initiated contact.
 
Thought about star outcomes for VJ and the only one that seemed kind of realistic for him if is he becomes like a super elite shooter.

Then defenders would have to closeout extremely hard on him and he would be able to use his athleticism to just straight line drive to the basket. If a center came over to help, VJ is good enough to find his center for a dunk. This would also allow more back cuts for dunks for him as defenders would have to chase him close around screens.

But he has to become just an elite elite shooter.
 
I don't really see why VJ's improvement must come from shooting. I think he can improve his finishing, his handle, and his shooting. Don't think any of those these are unreasonable to improve or completely dead in the water. Surely some combination of the 3 could get him somewhere, and the better he gets at some things the less development would be required elsewhere to get to a certain level.

And just to get ahead of it, I am not saying these things a guarantee to happen. The impossibility of certain improvements just seems strange to me when these are all things that have a track record of improving.
 
I HATE his handle, he looks like he's going at 1/4th speed, he seems like he wants to look down while dribbling. I would be pretty shocked if he got good at ball handling.

My other thought is that VJ should probably be in an OKC like scheme where they're constantly gambling for steals to get out in transition and that makes him a uniquely terrible fit with Hardy's defensive scheme... Then again, hopefully Hardy stops coaching defense as he's terrible at it. VJ needs to be gambling for steals as much as possible in the NBA.
 
If I was PHI, I would take Ace at 3. But if we're looking at it from a Jazz perspective, I might just fade him. Environment is always important, but I think it's especially important for Ace. With PHI, he will be forced to take a step back. It could make him sink or swim, but this is probably the best likelihood of developing the right habits and realizing his potential. He doesn't need freedom and opportunity, he needs to be put in a box for a bit. PHI just better hope it ends up like Tatum/Brown and not like Kuminga.

I don't like Ace on this Jazz team. The tanking environment is not good for enforcing those good habits. I think the problem with Ace is nobody has every coached him correctly in his life. While I think you should be able to put trust in your coach you just extended, it's an uphill battle for Hardy to instill these habits in a tanking situation like ours. If he comes to the Jazz, I think he's head for a Rudy Gay like career and then maybe he transitions into a role player like Barnes/Wiggins later on.
 
jom2003 said:
Watching Siakam cook in this playoffs kinda gives me the feeling how Fleming could similarly become the ultimate sleeper pick in this year's draft.
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I don't see the Fleming comparison. I think Yaxel is closer to Siakim, but neither is that close.
 
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