Gyp Rosetti
Banned
I suppose. I think we may have to go with him if he's there with our first pick.
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- Thread starter Zerol
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I suppose. I think we may have to go with him if he's there with our first pick.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
Biyombo has to be very heavily scrutinized. Gotta watch every second he played in Spain. Looking like Wallace is a lot different than playing like him. I would not draft Biyombo 6 just because he's a freak athlete. I'd draft him 6 because the tape shows he is/can be a dominating interior defender. An elite defensive big is one of the most difficult things to acquire. There's so few of them.
Gyp Rosetti
Banned
I didn't specify that but I agree. That coupled with the fact that next year is going to be so deep with what seems like a lot of perimeter players has me leaning back toward the big man. It won't matter though. We'll be drafting number and two.
billyshelby
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure Biyombo isn't the better pick than Williams, but I'd want to get him lower than 2. The question that has to be answered is why a guy like Thabeet couldn't at least play defense in the league, and why Biyombo absolutely would. If the Spain tape shows a kid who aggressively bodies his man and offensively challenges post position, he's the guy. If the tape shows him to be a defender who has poor fundamentals and relies on his athleticism to be constantly making up ground, he's not the guy.
Jazz4ever
Well-Known Member
Biyombo is much more athletic than Thabeet. He also has a lower center of gravity so can't be backed down like Thabeet's gangly frame was in the NBA. But I agree we need to see just how he plays defense beside his shot blocking. Does he move his feet or reach on defense? How does he handle pick and rolls?
Yes. Thabeet isn't all that athletic, and strength was never his... umm... strength. And his head/heart has been called into question. Early scouting reports say he had an attitude in practice, dragged his feet, and hated work.
If the scouting reports are true, Biyombo is a rare animal. Intense, cerebral, lives to shutdown the other team, communicates, leads, is proud that he's the captain of the defense. Aggressive top to bottom. If that's true - that a team has a shot to work with a 19-year old that is >240 on a minimal or non-existent strength-training regimen with a 9' 3" standing reach, explosive, aggressive, shows leadership skills, and has an endless motor - you have to be pretty excited about that.
At the end of the day, every move is a gamble. But that's life. I like Biyombo a lot. He's 4th on my board at worst.