Btw, these aren't my own opinions. This is just things I've heard from multiple people who follow college basketball who have more valuable opinions than Kobe Bryant - who by the way, is on record as saying that college basketball doesn't help players: http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/01/nba-kobe-bryant-college-basketball-ncaa ... So if anything he's just being PC when specifically asked about buddy hield.
Ok- I mean it's certainly hard to challenge the unknown opinions of unknown other people. The fact that Kobe isn't a great analyst doesn't matter. Nobody is judging Hield based on what Kobe says, despite the thread title.
What doesn't add up is the idea that most if not all "good" analysts are ranking Hield in the Nick Young / Redick / Ben Gordon camp. None of those guys would be lottery picks if teams had a crystal ball to see their career arcs, let alone if that arc was their ceiling.
And I guess that speaks volumes about how this draft is perceived. Two guys with star potential and a lot of role players. It's not unheard of... Anthony Bennett went #1 in a draft... nobody really had him projected as a future star either.
Like it was mentioned before... #3 in this draft might be equal to the #10 pick in the 2014 draft. And Hield might not even go in the Top 5.
It actually makes a lot of sense. Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton suggested Boston's options at #3 were between Murray, Dunn, Bender and Chriss. So based on that, looks like they are projecting Hield 7th at the highest. And Pelton said that Boston should consider moving #3 for Jusaf Nurkic. Nurkic was selected #16 in 2014 and spent most of last season injured. So there you go... two draft experts who think the #3 pick is the equivalent of a mid 1st in 2014... and don't see Hield going 3rd.
And this is the same kind of stuff the people I know who follow College ball are telling me... that there's nobody with star potential available at #3 (though nobody knows anything about Bender) and that Buddy Hield's ceiling is limited. And fwiw, I'm pretty sure it was on Bill Simmons podcast that they suggested Hield would fall somewhere in the Nick Young -> JJ Reddick spectrum. Whoever drafts Hield will be hoping he can be more Reddick than Nick Young.
Really? No one? Wow. Is this the bubble tea guy again?
Dude it's not just Zhihong, though his avacado honeydew blend is delightful and rivals his knowledge of College basketball.
It's several others who have told me these things... such as the guy who I buy my kati rolls from. He agrees. He adds a wonderful chana masala filling with tamarind spices and lime zest and he's told me point blank Buddy Hield will not be as good as Jamal Murray on the next level... and that if Jamal Murray stayed in College for 4 years and had the type of shooters surrounding him that Hield had this season, Murray would average 80 points per game... and despite this, he doesn't anticipate anyone available at #3 will be a star on the NBA level.
Man, I don't even know what any of that stuff is, lol. I would like to know this guy's thoughts of whether or not Hield could have put up even better numbers if he'd been on this year's Kentucky team, because Ulis commands much more respect from the opposing defense as opposed to anyone with whom Hield played, right? Just curious.
An interesting thing was brought up to me about Hield from the guy I buy my Bulgogi from. It's not the best Bulgogi in the region, but it's centrally located and I appreciate that the marinade used has a subtle hint of ssamjang... so I trust his analysis of Buddy Hield.
We know that Hield shot .457% from three and made 147 threes. Ignore his age for a moment. Do-yun brings up the point that Hield shared major minutes with Jordan Woodard (.455% shooting from three - 80 threes), Isiah Cousins (.411% shooting from three - 65 threes) and Ryan Sprangler (.364% shooting from three - 32 threes). All three of them were dangerous three point weapons that impacted spacing and Hield's shooting. Or was it the other way around? Did Hield help them more than they helped him? A little of both? Being that Do-Yun only makes the 3rd best Bulgogi in the region, at best, I can't be certain.
Meanwhile, 19 year old Jamal Murray as a Freshman (.409% shooting from three with 119 threes) had the following shooters surrounding him:
Tyler Ulis (.344% shooting from three with 55 threes), Derek Willis (.442% from three with 53 threes) ... and that's about it. Dominique Hawkins had 8 threes with .276% shooting. So really all Murray had was Derk Willis, who certainly shot a high percentage but only averaged 18 minutes per game) and Tyler Ulis (whose .344% shooting was worse than Woodard, Cousins and Sprangler).
So according to my 3rd-best Bulgogi guy, Buddy Hield would not have the same luxury of floor spacing and multiple dangerous three point weapons surrounding him had he played in Kentucky... meanwhile, Jamal Murray might have flourished even more had he been playing next to guys like Woodard, Cousins and Sprangler. A small level version of what the Golden State Warriors are doing this season. The more outside weapons you have, the more spacing and the better the shot opportunities. How much are Draymond Green (.388% shooting from three), and Harrison Barnes (.383% shooting from three) impacted by having Klay Thompson and Steph Curry out there with them?
Do-Yun's concern is that Hield's insane shooting may have been slightly flukey. He brings up that during Hield's Junior season last year, he only shot .359% from three and that Jamal Murray might just be a naturally gifted shooter who will develop into a better player.
Interesting points, but I haven't spoken to my top Bulgogi guy for confirmation.