Interesting draft prospect insights from owner\creator of DraftExpress.com

[slamtheking]

Lab would still be top three for me it's all about potential.

that kind of thinking led to the picks of players such as Olowakandi as #1, Kwame Brown as #1, Anthony Bennett as #1, Darko as #2, Stromile Swift as #2, etc....   

only looking at potential leads to busts too often (not saying always, just often).  have to look at current performance as well.

Slow down there buddy. Lab is not those players. Those players had last minute rises and questions surrounding them even at draft day. Lab has been on people's scouting radars since beginning senior year in H.S. Lab is also playing out of position and has dealt with a while bunch of stuff. Once he is locked into playing basketball and in his natural position PF. He will be a stud.

and would be just swell there buddy.  let's see him in that position before we anoint him the next savior  of the franchise that takes him.  Everything you just said applied to the Harrison twins as well.  How are they doing?  Same with Ricky Ledo -- prime recruit at PC on everyone's radar since HS.  He's D-league.

I'm not saying ignore potential.  certainly should consider it-->would prefer to draft a player with projected room to grow instead of a finished product but it shouldn't be the sole consideration when drafting which is what you initially suggested.  right now, Skal is only highly rated due to potential, not for what he's actually shown on the court.  I don't take HS performance into account because most HS studs are playing against players that won't make a college team (or at least division I). 

Let him show something against players that are bigger/stronger/more-skilled than HS players.  If he's truly going to be great, that will show regardless of what position he's playing.

[kozlodoev]

Cool...get The Dragan!

I think he's going to be really good.

"More of a SF/PF" is code speak for "he's really tall but he can't play inside to save his life". Which is a red flag to me because I don't think you can count on a 7-footer to be a full-time perimeter player in the NBA.

I agree that a lot of times people hype the perimeter skills of a big man as code for "he can't play inside", but my impression of Bender is that he's a legit perimeter player. This small forward talk isn't something new that is just coming around to boost his value. It's really what he has been projected as for a few years. Who knows if it will prove true though.

So far rebounding is the biggest question mark for me, especially on the defensive glass. One can hope that this will improve once he's no longer 215 lbs, but it's not a given. The ghost of Andrea Bargnani still lives...

[ThaPreacher]

when you use the word "buddy" does it secretly mean something else?

[Csfan1984]

Lab would still be top three for me it's all about potential.

that kind of thinking led to the picks of players such as Olowakandi as #1, Kwame Brown as #1, Anthony Bennett as #1, Darko as #2, Stromile Swift as #2, etc....   

only looking at potential leads to busts too often (not saying always, just often).  have to look at current performance as well.

Slow down there buddy. Lab is not those players. Those players had last minute rises and questions surrounding them even at draft day. Lab has been on people's scouting radars since beginning senior year in H.S. Lab is also playing out of position and has dealt with a while bunch of stuff. Once he is locked into playing basketball and in his natural position PF. He will be a stud.

and would be just swell there buddy.  let's see him in that position before we anoint him the next savior  of the franchise that takes him.  Everything you just said applied to the Harrison twins as well.  How are they doing?  Same with Ricky Ledo -- prime recruit at PC on everyone's radar since HS.  He's D-league.

I'm not saying ignore potential.  certainly should consider it-->would prefer to draft a player with projected room to grow instead of a finished product but it shouldn't be the sole consideration when drafting which is what you initially suggested.  right now, Skal is only highly rated due to potential, not for what he's actually shown on the court.  I don't take HS performance into account because most HS studs are playing against players that won't make a college team (or at least division I). 

Let him show something against players that are bigger/stronger/more-skilled than HS players.  If he's truly going to be great, that will show regardless of what position he's playing.

That applies to everyone then. Simmons is putting up numbers but it's in college lower players than NBA. And on top of that he gets the ball all the time. Same for Ingram. Neither of those guys are in the situation Lab is in but they get all the credit in the world. I'm look at the teams and the way the players are being used. We could use the same reverse thinking for Harrison twins and mention guys like Rondo who were bad because of college team fits but great in the pros. Its like the draft site rep said Lab has all the tools.

[chilidawg]

Have you actually watched Skal?  He looks completely lost out there.

I'm not saying he doesn't have potential, but he's a huge gamble.