That original list of potential go-to scorers seems to have held up pretty well through the pre-draft process. Will Barton would probably be another name to add to the discussion.
I've been thinking more about Quincy Miller tonight, which is why I brought this old thread back up.
I get the feeling very few guys in the NBA are going to be able to shut him down.
He seems like he'll be a definite, but not major liability on defense. He grew up in AAU culture as a golden child, and played injured last year. I'm sure some of his non-elite defensive instincts can be attributed to his upbringing, and that Doc, Paul, and Kevin can teach him a whole lot about defense.
But if this kid is getting tutorials from Paul Pierce every day, I really just can't see him not being a stand-out scorer in the NBA within 2 years.
A 6'10" small forward is almost unheard of except KD, one of the 2 best players in the NBA.
Quincy Miller has a lot of Paul Pierce to his game, with KD's height. I don't think Miller will reach KD's heights as a scorer, especially from 3 point land, but I can see Miller becoming just about as effective a scorer as Paul Pierce someday.
Just about every game, Miller is going to be going up against guys at a distinct height and length advantage. In isolation, from mid-range and in, Miller seems to be just about as good as it gets for a 19 year old.
His handle will open up that crucial inch or two to get his shot off, from wherever he wants to get his shot off. This would also make him a good last-shot-of-the-game option after the Paul Pierce era.
Pierce is probably the ultimate mentor for Miller, as they both rely on herky-jerky moves off the dribble to create their offense, instead of elite athleticism.
For the average small forward to have a chance of blocking Miller's shot, they will need to play way up on him, which opens up Miller to beat them off the dribble.
Miller would be a great 6th man option for an aging Paul Pierce. Miller could be the offensive focal point of that second unit, where he will be playing against backup small forwards with even less length and athleticism.
He's at his best when scoring in bursts, and even as a rookie, Miller could keep the offense going while the starters catch their breath.
Miller's also a good passer, and because he will be taller than most every other small forward, he'll be able to see the whole court easily, at all times.
When he gets hot offensively, and help defense starts showing up regularly, Miller is able to hit the open man. He refers to himself on Twitter as a point forward. Those ambitions are not unhealthy.
Right now I am pretty much down to four prospects who I really like with the 21st and 22nd picks. Royce White, Fab Melo, Quincy Miller, and Tony Wroten. The order in which I like these four changes daily, pretty much. In some ways, Melo is probably the safest of the four picks, because he fills a need and knows his role as a defensive specialist.
Topic: Drafting for go-to scoring potential (Read 12703 times)