Following Potential 2026 Draftees
- Thread starter Miggs
- Start date
Here's where I'm at for the moment --- I think his problem is related to physical strength. It's his lower body and his core that are limiting him. His body is a work in progress and is going to take a couple more years to mature. Depending on how well that goes, Nate's a versatile, multi-dimensional offensive player, and he has potential to have a 2-way impact. He's just running a year or two behind the top prospects in this class physically.
His jumper is a bit of a set shot or push shot, which is a habit that some high school players use to compensate for a lack of strength. He'll need to rework that in the NBA and both tighten the motion and speed of his release, but that becomes possible if he adds strength.
Nate isn't the same as Risacher. Nate can change speeds, change directions and change hands handling the ball. He can make reads and deliver high-level passes, though his processing speed is a bit slow. He should be able to play in pick-and-roll. He's a more natural playmaker than the Jazz's other big wings. The idea is for him to get in the middle of the floor and be a triple threat.
He might eventually turn out to be something like Keith Van Horn, and he might be a bit better at getting downhill than KVH was, but he's got to make his shots. The FT% is the only signal that looks a bit promising so far.
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If I'm Mikel Brown's agent, I'd try to steer him away from Utah. I don't want my guy competing for touches and on-ball reps with Keyonte. The Jazz even have competition for backup minutes from Walt and Isaiah. Mikel can play off the ball, and the Jazz are pretty egalitarian, but Mikel should have his own team. He can get that opportunity in Sacramento, and ideally, I'd want Mikel to be the lead guard playing next to Cooper Flagg in Dallas.
Is Wagler that crafty and shifty off the dribble?
I'm souring a bit on Neo Avadalas. He doesn't make an effort to rebound, he really only defends when the action is in front of him, and his shooting isn't so great that you'd overlook those things. He's a pretty phenomenal passer, but there's something about his demeanor or gait that's just a bit off to me. I'm not 100% sure if he's the type of player the Jazz really want, though someone will surely go for him.
Wagner is a smart player with good size who does little things (defense not great tho). He also looks very fluid.
Brown strikes me as a false promise of superstar who has rather low upside unless he becomes "the guy", and I dont buy him becoming the guy.
I hated Scoot and Harper (for top 3) but liked Fears a bit so Im all over the place with my guard takes.
Wagner is my type tho.
Having Wagner ahead of Brown isn't crazy, I have them in the same tier right now. I also think your description isn't crazy either, as I do think Wagner is a do all of the little things type of player. The only point of my previous post is that it's hard to see a guy doing all of the little things in highlight vids. Brown looks great in highlight videos because he does some stuff that not many basketball players can do, so it really pops in my opinion. I think it's easier to appreciate Wagner when watching full games.
Anyway, I'm not arguing with you, I just thought it was an interesting comment that took me by surprise.