Dennis Schroeder

[Yogi]

If GMs aren't revealing to anyone what they're thinking, how can you be so definitive about where Schroeder will be drafted? That is what seems so odd to me.

And while all draft predictions are "opinions" about what GMs are thinking, that doesn't mean that all opinions are equal. I have my own opinions but I would never claim that mine are more well-informed than the opinion of someone who talks to scouts and team sources.

Look friend, we would both love to have Schroeder fall to the Celtics.  I am just using logic.  Damian Lillard shot up to the top 10 out of nowhere last year and became the rookie of the year.  Why wouldn't Schroeder who is very similar but also younger not do the same?  Especially in a weak draft like this year?
Paul, Rondo, Rubio, Rose, Wall, Curry, Irving, Lillard the point guard is quickly becoming the most important position.  The days of Mo Williams and Jameer Nelson being all stars are long gone.  Schroeder is the point guard that best fits the mold of these guys physically and he is only 19 with experience playing more successfully at a professional level than Rubio or Jennings!  If you were a GM would you pass on that?

[Monkhouse]

We need a big, not a point guard... Yes we have never ever had a true back up PG in a while, but I see potential in T-Will, and the last thing I want to do is sacrifice the best draft pick we've had in not picking a good Center.

[Yogi]

We need a big, not a point guard... Yes we have never ever had a true back up PG in a while, but I see potential in T-Will, and the last thing I want to do is sacrifice the best draft pick we've had in not picking a good Center.

We might need a big but that doesn't change your draft strategy.  If you need a big and a big is the best player available you draft him like Sullinger.  If a point is the best available, you draft him and possibly trade him to get the a big of equal quality. 

In an extreme hypothetical scenario, you wouldn't draft Tyson Chandler even if you have no center and two point guards if Chris Paul is available.  That being said which big would you consider better than Schroeder. 

In my mind Only Nerlens Noel seems like he has more upside.  The other two I like are Alex Len and Steven Adams.  I would not pick Olynyk, Gobert, Zeller, Plumblee, or Nogueira over Schroeder.  Although I wouldn't mind if we end up with Len, Adams, Olynyk.

[Monkhouse]

We need a big, not a point guard... Yes we have never ever had a true back up PG in a while, but I see potential in T-Will, and the last thing I want to do is sacrifice the best draft pick we've had in not picking a good Center.

We might need a big but that doesn't change your draft strategy.  If you need a big and a big is the best player available you draft him like Sullinger.  If a point is the best available, you draft him and possibly trade him to get the a big of equal quality. 

In an extreme hypothetical scenario, you wouldn't draft Tyson Chandler even if you have no center and two point guards if Chris Paul is available.  That being said which big would you consider better than Schroeder. 

In my mind Only Nerlens Noel seems like he has more upside.  The other two I like are Alex Len and Steven Adams.  I would not pick Olynyk, Gobert, Zeller, Plumblee, or Nogueira over Schroeder.  Although I wouldn't mind if we end up with Len, Adams, Olynyk.

You draft a big this year, because if you don't have a back up Center, there is no way in hell KG is staying. If KG doesn't stay, and we draft a PG, then we need to trade all of our players to acquire said big.

I still don't think PG is any area we suffer in, as a) Rondo will be healthy next year, since its partial tear. b) T-Will given the full summer league work out, will definitely be a good back up PG.

We have too many guards, the last THING we need is a PG... We would need to get rid of Lee/Terry/Crawford, before even trying to acquire a PG.

[Yogi]

Monkhouse, I am curious.  Do you really think that whether KG returns next year or not depends on whether we draft a big guy?  What is the reasoning behind that thought process? 

What about Fab Melo?  Whoever we draft at 16 is going to be a lot closer to Fab Melo than Dwight Howard.  Even if what you speculate about KG is true, it would make more sense to draft the best player available and trade him to the team that drafts a big guy later for the big and a second round pick like we did with Marshon Brooks and JaJuan Johnson. 

[Boris Badenov]

If GMs aren't revealing to anyone what they're thinking, how can you be so definitive about where Schroeder will be drafted? That is what seems so odd to me.

And while all draft predictions are "opinions" about what GMs are thinking, that doesn't mean that all opinions are equal. I have my own opinions but I would never claim that mine are more well-informed than the opinion of someone who talks to scouts and team sources.

Look friend, we would both love to have Schroeder fall to the Celtics.  I am just using logic.  Damian Lillard shot up to the top 10 out of nowhere last year and became the rookie of the year.  Why wouldn't Schroeder who is very similar but also younger not do the same?  Especially in a weak draft like this year?
Paul, Rondo, Rubio, Rose, Wall, Curry, Irving, Lillard the point guard is quickly becoming the most important position.  The days of Mo Williams and Jameer Nelson being all stars are long gone.  Schroeder is the point guard that best fits the mold of these guys physically and he is only 19 with experience playing more successfully at a professional level than Rubio or Jennings!  If you were a GM would you pass on that?

Wow, now you're speaking for me too. Thanks.

But actually I think McCollum projects much more similarly to Lillard, since you mention it. I personally hope he falls to us.

Here is a comparison of Lillard to McCollum. Both played in mid-majors so I think the stats can be compared usefully:

Lillard: 24.5/5.0/4.0/1.5 in 35mpg, shooting 52/41/89
McCollum: 23.9/5.0/2.9/1.4 in 32mpg, shooting 50/52/85

Lillard was 6'3" 189 with 6'8" reach
McCollum is 6'3" 192 with 6'6" reach

Statistically they are almost a perfect match.

Schroeder on the other hand has been hot because of his Hoop Summit performance, but there's not much else to go on.

I don't like the Rubio and Jennings comparisons because Schroeder's league is substantially below the level of the Euroleague or top Italian league. I mean, I went and looked up the MVP list of the German BBL and had never heard of any of the guys.

[Yogi]

Damian Lillard is a 3 point shooter, who uses his quickness to get to the rim and is great at passing out of the pick and roll.  Those are the exact strengths of Schroeder.  McCollum is not quick, he is a guard that uses his size, strength and handles to score.  I like McCollum too, but Lillard and Schroeder are true point guards unlike McCollum which gives them an advantage. 

[Yogi]

Unfortunately, the three teams likely to pick right before us are Utah, Dallas and Milwaukee (depending on Jennings situation).  They are all looking for starting point guards.  Other teams looking for a pg include Orlando, Detroit, Sacramento and possibly New Orleans (Vasquez) and Phoneix (Dragic.) Highly unlikely Schroeder falls out of the lottery.

[Boris Badenov]

Damian Lillard is a 3 point shooter, who uses his quickness to get to the rim and is great at passing out of the pick and roll.  Those are the exact strengths of Schroeder.  McCollum is not quick, he is a guard that uses his size, strength and handles to score.  I like McCollum too, but Lillard and Schroeder are true point guards unlike McCollum which gives them an advantage.

In his senior year Lillard hit 2.9 3s per game hitting 41%.

McCollum before his injury was hitting 2.8 3s hitting 52% from 3.

I think the concerns about being a true PG existed for both at the college level:

"Lillard still hasn't shown a great deal in terms of pure playmaking ability, but he looks to have nice passing instincts on dribble penetration, and his role at Weber State calls for him to be their primary scorer, so it's tough to get a gauge of just how much of a distributor he might be in a different situation. This might be the biggest question he faces as enters the draft process, as he's clearly not big enough to play any other position besides point guard."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Damian-Lillard-6152/

"A crafty shot creator with a high skill level and basketball IQ, McCollum shows good court vision, but is not a natural facilitator for the Mountain Hawks, nor is he asked to be one. The Ohio native does make very good decisions pushing the ball in the open floor, and has impressive ball-handling skills, leaving plenty of room for optimism that he could fill a role that calls for both scoring and distributing as a NBA point guard long-term."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/C.J.-McCollum-5860/

From what I can tell Schroeder seems to fit the point guard mold better.

Don't get me wrong he seems intriguing, and I might be happy with either one.

[Yogi]

Damian Lillard is a 3 point shooter, who uses his quickness to get to the rim and is great at passing out of the pick and roll.  Those are the exact strengths of Schroeder.  McCollum is not quick, he is a guard that uses his size, strength and handles to score.  I like McCollum too, but Lillard and Schroeder are true point guards unlike McCollum which gives them an advantage.

In his senior year Lillard hit 2.9 3s per game hitting 41%.

McCollum before his injury was hitting 2.8 3s hitting 52% from 3.

I think the concerns about being a true PG existed for both at the college level:

"Lillard still hasn't shown a great deal in terms of pure playmaking ability, but he looks to have nice passing instincts on dribble penetration, and his role at Weber State calls for him to be their primary scorer, so it's tough to get a gauge of just how much of a distributor he might be in a different situation. This might be the biggest question he faces as enters the draft process, as he's clearly not big enough to play any other position besides point guard."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Damian-Lillard-6152/

"A crafty shot creator with a high skill level and basketball IQ, McCollum shows good court vision, but is not a natural facilitator for the Mountain Hawks, nor is he asked to be one. The Ohio native does make very good decisions pushing the ball in the open floor, and has impressive ball-handling skills, leaving plenty of room for optimism that he could fill a role that calls for both scoring and distributing as a NBA point guard long-term."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/C.J.-McCollum-5860/

From what I can tell Schroeder seems to fit the point guard mold better.

Don't get me wrong he seems intriguing, and I might be happy with either one.

I love McCollum as a competitor and a shooter/scorer but he has not shown the ability to run the pick and roll like Lillard and Schroeder.  In my opinion that's what separates a point guard from a combo guard.  It is possible that McCollum simply did not have the right opportunity to showcase that ability. 

He is too undersized and not athletic enough to be just a scoring guard in the NBA like Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry.  He needs to be able to run the pick and roll to play the point effectively in the NBA.  It won't be as easy for him to score against NBA defenders most of whom will be bigger and more athletic than he is. 

Lillard and Schroeder are excellent at running the pick and roll although they will struggle a little when trapped on the pick and roll until their handles improve.  CJ has good enough handles to deal with the traps but he's not shown himself as a good enough passer on the simple pick and roll. 

[Tr1boy]

Damian Lillard is a 3 point shooter, who uses his quickness to get to the rim and is great at passing out of the pick and roll.  Those are the exact strengths of Schroeder.  McCollum is not quick, he is a guard that uses his size, strength and handles to score.  I like McCollum too, but Lillard and Schroeder are true point guards unlike McCollum which gives them an advantage.

In his senior year Lillard hit 2.9 3s per game hitting 41%.

McCollum before his injury was hitting 2.8 3s hitting 52% from 3.

I think the concerns about being a true PG existed for both at the college level:

"Lillard still hasn't shown a great deal in terms of pure playmaking ability, but he looks to have nice passing instincts on dribble penetration, and his role at Weber State calls for him to be their primary scorer, so it's tough to get a gauge of just how much of a distributor he might be in a different situation. This might be the biggest question he faces as enters the draft process, as he's clearly not big enough to play any other position besides point guard."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Damian-Lillard-6152/

"A crafty shot creator with a high skill level and basketball IQ, McCollum shows good court vision, but is not a natural facilitator for the Mountain Hawks, nor is he asked to be one. The Ohio native does make very good decisions pushing the ball in the open floor, and has impressive ball-handling skills, leaving plenty of room for optimism that he could fill a role that calls for both scoring and distributing as a NBA point guard long-term."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/C.J.-McCollum-5860/

From what I can tell Schroeder seems to fit the point guard mold better.

Don't get me wrong he seems intriguing, and I might be happy with either one.

I love McCollum as a competitor and a shooter/scorer but he has not shown the ability to run the pick and roll like Lillard and Schroeder.  In my opinion that's what separates a point guard from a combo guard.  It is possible that McCollum simply did not have the right opportunity to showcase that ability. 

He is too undersized and not athletic enough to be just a scoring guard in the NBA like Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry.  He needs to be able to run the pick and roll to play the point effectively in the NBA.  It won't be as easy for him to score against NBA defenders most of whom will be bigger and more athletic than he is. 

Lillard and Schroeder are excellent at running the pick and roll although they will struggle a little when trapped on the pick and roll until their handles improve.  CJ has good enough handles to deal with the traps but he's not shown himself as a good enough passer on the simple pick and roll.

not sure why you want to label Mcollum as a pg, when he is not a pure point guard. Most pg's may look to pass in P and R situations but maybe mcollum will instead shoot the ball or drive it in himself.  PnR doesn't have to be textbook all the time to be effective.

Mcollum is game is compared to Steph Curry's, who is also not a pure pg but running his GSW into a pretty good situation right now. 

[Yogi]

Damian Lillard is a 3 point shooter, who uses his quickness to get to the rim and is great at passing out of the pick and roll.  Those are the exact strengths of Schroeder.  McCollum is not quick, he is a guard that uses his size, strength and handles to score.  I like McCollum too, but Lillard and Schroeder are true point guards unlike McCollum which gives them an advantage.

In his senior year Lillard hit 2.9 3s per game hitting 41%.

McCollum before his injury was hitting 2.8 3s hitting 52% from 3.

I think the concerns about being a true PG existed for both at the college level:

"Lillard still hasn't shown a great deal in terms of pure playmaking ability, but he looks to have nice passing instincts on dribble penetration, and his role at Weber State calls for him to be their primary scorer, so it's tough to get a gauge of just how much of a distributor he might be in a different situation. This might be the biggest question he faces as enters the draft process, as he's clearly not big enough to play any other position besides point guard."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Damian-Lillard-6152/

"A crafty shot creator with a high skill level and basketball IQ, McCollum shows good court vision, but is not a natural facilitator for the Mountain Hawks, nor is he asked to be one. The Ohio native does make very good decisions pushing the ball in the open floor, and has impressive ball-handling skills, leaving plenty of room for optimism that he could fill a role that calls for both scoring and distributing as a NBA point guard long-term."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/C.J.-McCollum-5860/

From what I can tell Schroeder seems to fit the point guard mold better.

Don't get me wrong he seems intriguing, and I might be happy with either one.

I love McCollum as a competitor and a shooter/scorer but he has not shown the ability to run the pick and roll like Lillard and Schroeder.  In my opinion that's what separates a point guard from a combo guard.  It is possible that McCollum simply did not have the right opportunity to showcase that ability. 

He is too undersized and not athletic enough to be just a scoring guard in the NBA like Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry.  He needs to be able to run the pick and roll to play the point effectively in the NBA.  It won't be as easy for him to score against NBA defenders most of whom will be bigger and more athletic than he is. 

Lillard and Schroeder are excellent at running the pick and roll although they will struggle a little when trapped on the pick and roll until their handles improve.  CJ has good enough handles to deal with the traps but he's not shown himself as a good enough passer on the simple pick and roll.

not sure why you want to label Mcollum as a pg, when he is not a pure point guard. Most pg's may look to pass in P and R situations but maybe mcollum will instead shoot the ball or drive it in himself.  PnR doesn't have to be textbook all the time to be effective.

Mcollum is game is compared to Steph Curry's, who is also not a pure pg but running his GSW into a pretty good situation right now.

If he is not a point guard, he would have to guard shooting guards in the NBA.  He would also have to score over bigger more athletic guys unlike in college.  It's not really fair to point to Steph Curry because he's clearly an exception.  Not every undersized guard can be Steph Curry, just like not every skinny 6'10 guys can be Kevin Durant. 

I am not saying it's not possible that McCollum can be very successful, but it's something he's going to have to prove.  He can go anywhere from E'Twaun Moore to Steph Curry.  Steph Curry was fantastic in the pick and roll in college. 

[Tr1boy]

Damian Lillard is a 3 point shooter, who uses his quickness to get to the rim and is great at passing out of the pick and roll.  Those are the exact strengths of Schroeder.  McCollum is not quick, he is a guard that uses his size, strength and handles to score.  I like McCollum too, but Lillard and Schroeder are true point guards unlike McCollum which gives them an advantage.

In his senior year Lillard hit 2.9 3s per game hitting 41%.

McCollum before his injury was hitting 2.8 3s hitting 52% from 3.

I think the concerns about being a true PG existed for both at the college level:

"Lillard still hasn't shown a great deal in terms of pure playmaking ability, but he looks to have nice passing instincts on dribble penetration, and his role at Weber State calls for him to be their primary scorer, so it's tough to get a gauge of just how much of a distributor he might be in a different situation. This might be the biggest question he faces as enters the draft process, as he's clearly not big enough to play any other position besides point guard."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Damian-Lillard-6152/

"A crafty shot creator with a high skill level and basketball IQ, McCollum shows good court vision, but is not a natural facilitator for the Mountain Hawks, nor is he asked to be one. The Ohio native does make very good decisions pushing the ball in the open floor, and has impressive ball-handling skills, leaving plenty of room for optimism that he could fill a role that calls for both scoring and distributing as a NBA point guard long-term."

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/C.J.-McCollum-5860/

From what I can tell Schroeder seems to fit the point guard mold better.

Don't get me wrong he seems intriguing, and I might be happy with either one.

I love McCollum as a competitor and a shooter/scorer but he has not shown the ability to run the pick and roll like Lillard and Schroeder.  In my opinion that's what separates a point guard from a combo guard.  It is possible that McCollum simply did not have the right opportunity to showcase that ability. 

He is too undersized and not athletic enough to be just a scoring guard in the NBA like Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry.  He needs to be able to run the pick and roll to play the point effectively in the NBA.  It won't be as easy for him to score against NBA defenders most of whom will be bigger and more athletic than he is. 

Lillard and Schroeder are excellent at running the pick and roll although they will struggle a little when trapped on the pick and roll until their handles improve.  CJ has good enough handles to deal with the traps but he's not shown himself as a good enough passer on the simple pick and roll.

not sure why you want to label Mcollum as a pg, when he is not a pure point guard. Most pg's may look to pass in P and R situations but maybe mcollum will instead shoot the ball or drive it in himself.  PnR doesn't have to be textbook all the time to be effective.

Mcollum is game is compared to Steph Curry's, who is also not a pure pg but running his GSW into a pretty good situation right now.

If he is not a point guard, he would have to guard shooting guards in the NBA.  He would also have to score over bigger more athletic guys unlike in college.  It's not really fair to point to Steph Curry because he's clearly an exception.  Not every undersized guard can be Steph Curry, just like not every skinny 6'10 guys can be Kevin Durant. 

I am not saying it's not possible that McCollum can be very successful, but it's something he's going to have to prove.  He can go anywhere from E'Twaun Moore to Steph Curry.  Steph Curry was fantastic in the pick and roll in college.

why is Steph Curry an exception?? He doesn't have over the top quickness nor athleticism. He has tight handle, can shoot the ball well, can penetrate/finish and also pass enough to get his teammates involved.

This is pretty much the exact description of Mcollum. And Mcollum doesn't have to guard , guards if he is going to be a pg in the nba. He won't be a pure pg, but he can succeed similiar to how Curry is right now. Bc he has shown in college, he has also succeded by being a combo guard for his team.

Not stating it is a guarantee he will turn out to another Steph Curry, but watching some games he has played, plus the big one against Duke where he single handedly willed his team to a win, i predict he will be an above ball player in the nba

[Yogi]

Steph is not a bad comparison for CJ but it is unrealistic to expect him to become as good as Steph Curry.  Steph Curry is an exception because he's probably the best shooter in the world right now.  CJ is a great shooter in college, but unless he can eventually shoot like Steph Curry in the NBA he'll have an uphill battle in the league.  For every Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, there are hundreds of Lester Hudsons, Adam Morrisons and solid but not great players like Marshon Brooks, E'twaun Moore and Jimmer Ferdette.

[Tr1boy]

Steph is not a bad comparison for CJ but it is unrealistic to expect him to become as good as Steph Curry.  Steph Curry is an exception because he's probably the best shooter in the world right now.  CJ is a great shooter in college, but unless he can eventually shoot like Steph Curry in the NBA he'll have an uphill battle in the league.  For every Steph Curry and Damian Lillard, there are hundreds of Lester Hudsons, Adam Morrisons and solid but not great players like Marshon Brooks, E'twaun Moore and Jimmer Ferdette.

i do see your point, but you have to remember those other guys like Hudson, Morrison, Brooks etc. don't have handles like Curry nor Mcollum even if they can shoot. Mcollum has the best handles from the 2013 class and uses it in combination to his accurate quick jump shot release. Best handles since Curry/Paul (some say better)

3:15 clip is pretty ridiculous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1IgVnleed4