I was just in another thread where 'GetLucky' compared Mickey to a poor man's Serge Ibaka which I think was a great comparison - this got me thinking about comparisons for our other rookies.
Here's what I came up with.
Terry Rozier
Player Comparison:
Eric Bledsoe
Physical similarities:
Pre-draft Bledsoe was measured at 6'1" (with shoes) with a solid build (190 lbs), a chiseled physique (5.6% body fat) and great length (6'7" wingspan). He's an explosive athlete who is very quick with the ball, and who can jump out of the gym.
Pre-draft measurements for Rozier have him at 6'2" (with shoes) and 190 pounds, with 5.6% body fat and a 6'8" wingspan. We have already seen that he has explosive quickness and speed, and he recorded a max vertical of 38" at the combine.
The physical similarities are uncanny.
Game similarities:
Eric Bledsoe is essentially a Shooting Guard in a Point Guard's body. He's has never been a natural PG in terms of his passing and playmaking ability, but he's developed that side of his game well enough to be able to get by as a PG. He's a very capable scorer, but gets most of those points by getting to the basket - more than one third of all his field goal attempts are inside 3 feet, and his 36% career Free Throw Rate is excellent. He's not not an outstanding shooter, but he has grown in to a capable one. He is very well known for his aggressive, hard nosed defense.
All of the above pretty much describes Terry Rozier in a nutshell. He's a natural SG, but will likely spend plenty of time at PG during his career due to his size and solid ball handling ability. He is not a great pure shooter by any stretch, but he's a capable shooter who scored plenty of points in college off jumpers and three point shots. His biggest offensive weapon in college was his ability to get to the basket and get to the line. He's not a natural playmaker, but shows potential to become a passable one.
In college Rozier averaged 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists and 2.5 turnovers per 40 minutes. By comparison Bledsoe averaged 14.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3 turnovers per 40 minutes.
General similarities:
Bledsoe was taken 18th overall in the 2010 NBA draft at the age of 21. Rozier was taken at #16 at the age of 21. Bledsoe is hnown for his toughness and his great motor - two characteristics Rozier is already getting praise from his teammates for.
R.J. Hunter
Player Comparison:
Tayshaun Prince
Physical similarities:
Tayshaun Prince is 6'9" with a lanky build (215 lbs) and crazy wingspan (7'2"). He's never been an elite/explosive athlete, but is still quite athletic and mobile for his size.
Hunter is 6'6" with a lanky (185 lbs) frame and an extremely long wingspan (6'10"). He's not known for his athleticism but runs the floor well and has good lateral mobility for his size.
Game similarities:
Prince lacks physical strength, but despite this he has been a very good defensive wing his entire career. He's never really been a 'star' player, and spent most of his career as a very good 'swiss army knife' style role player. He's always been a reasonable (but not great) rebounder and a skilled passer with very high basketball IQ. He's also been a good outside shooter, sitting at 37% from three for his career.
Hunter isn't an exact match for Prince (since he's one position down, basically) but his overall attributes are quite similar. He's known for his three point shooting, and he has already surprsied a lot of people with his quality defensive play - something nobody really expected from him. He's got great basketball IQ and an uncanny ability to always be in the right place at the right time. He's already shown he can rebound and pass well for a wing. He doesn't look like he has the potential to be a star, but he looks like he could be a very good (and versatile) starter or role player in the future.
General similarities:
Tayshaun Prince was drafted 23rd overall in 2002, while Hunter was taken 28th overall. Pricne is well know for his excellent intangibles - great leadership, great work ethic, great motor, outstanding basketball IQ. These are all characteristics that R.J. Hunter shares.
Jordan Mickey
Player Comparison:
Serge Ibaka
Physical similarities:
Draft Express has Ibaka listed at 6'10" and 220 lbs. They don't list his wingspan, but other sources indicate it is between 7'2" and 7'4". He is well known for his athleticism, especially since he made a name for himself early on via the dunk contest.
DE has Jordan Mickey listed at 6'8" (with shoes) and 238 lbs so he is a little shorter than Ibaka, however he has similar length (7'3" wingspan). His max vertical was measured at 37.5", which is hugely impressive for a big.
Game similarities:
Ibaka's most famous attribute is his elite shot-blocking ability, while he also impressed early in his career with his ability to hit the midrange jumper at a nice rate. He has been decent (but not exceptional) his whole career as both a rebounder and inside scorer. He is highly valued defensively for his combination of strength, length and mobility - this allows him to cover multiple positions on the defensive end while also protecting the rim. He has developed a capable three point shot, but this only happened in the past year or two.
Mickey's greatest skills coming into the league are his shot-blocking ability and his mid-range jumper. He's also highly valued for his defensive versatility, with his length/strength/mobility allowing him to guard three positions on the floor and also protect the basket. He doesn't have a top notch post game, but he's a capable scorer around the basket. He's a good rebounder (11 Per 40 minutes) but not elite. He is on record saying that he feels he has the potential to develop three point range on his jump-shot in time.
General similarities:
Ibaka was drafted 24th overall in 2008. Mickey was taken at #33 this year, so both were late draft selections. Both are seen as hard worker with an excellent motor.
Those are my comparisons, and while they are no doubt on the optimistic side, none of them are (IMHO) that unrealistic.I honestly feel there is a pretty good chance that at least one of these three guys lives up to this 'comparison' over he course of his career. Thought the chance of all three happening is very slim.
Topic: Potential player comparisons for our rookies - what do you think? (Read 7245 times)