2014 NBA Draft Discussion Thread

[BleedGreen1989]

Jusuf Nurkic!

Very difficult not to go overboard from what we saw from Jusuf Nurkic tonight. 16 points & 15 rebounds in 17 minutes, w/out breaking a sweat

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 22, 2014

Probably need to move Nurkic into the lottery, and that might still be too low. His talent is simply off the charts.

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 22, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx2IXpr5Wzk

[Celtics18]

Jusuf Nurkic!

Very difficult not to go overboard from what we saw from Jusuf Nurkic tonight. 16 points & 15 rebounds in 17 minutes, w/out breaking a sweat

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 22, 2014

I've found him intriguing for a while now.  Glad to see he's still dominating.  The more Euros who become top flight prospects, the deeper this draft gets. 

Clint Capela is shooting up draft boards, as well. 

[VitorSullyandKOFan]

Wiggins and Nurkic would be a nice combo.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Jusuf Nurkic!

Very difficult not to go overboard from what we saw from Jusuf Nurkic tonight. 16 points & 15 rebounds in 17 minutes, w/out breaking a sweat

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 22, 2014

Probably need to move Nurkic into the lottery, and that might still be too low. His talent is simply off the charts.

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 22, 2014

Ive been on board with this dude ever since I saw his Draftexpress package.

I really believe he's a quicker Nikola Pekovic in the making. Quick on his feet yet can bruise down low with some raw talent that can be polished.

And he's 19.

[indeedproceed]

Jusuf Nurkic!

Very difficult not to go overboard from what we saw from Jusuf Nurkic tonight. 16 points & 15 rebounds in 17 minutes, w/out breaking a sweat

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 22, 2014

Probably need to move Nurkic into the lottery, and that might still be too low. His talent is simply off the charts.

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) February 22, 2014

Ive been on board with this dude ever since I saw his Draftexpress package.

I really believe he's a quicker Nikola Pekovic in the making. Quick on his feet yet can bruise down low with some raw talent that can be polished.

And he's 19.

Props to Yoki, he's been bangin this drum for a while now.

[henr1k]

Wiggins vs Parker for #1 pick was the storyline before the season started. Things have changed but those two are still almost a lock to go in TOP5.

I have to admit I was in Wiggins camp simply because I was blown away with his size, athleticism and potential. Plus, Parker's defense reminds me of Melo,  who I really dislike as a player.

Anyway, I found this peace about Wiggins and I was really surprised with some stats http://deanondraft.com/2014/02/14/andrew-wiggins-an-ordinary-player-in-an-extraordinary-body/

Basically Wiggins is a beast in transition and is terrible in halfcourt, which translates better in the NBA. Like really really bad. He also has a huge issue with finishing in traffic which is weird considering his athletic ability.

Author makes a point that his best NBA comp for Wiggins is Thadeus Young. I mean he is a good player but not a guy you want when picking in TOP5 in draft that is supposed to be historically good.

After reading this and some other articles I am more and more convinced Parker has a better shot of being an all star type player. Thoughts?

[TwinTower14]

Wiggins vs Parker for #1 pick was the storyline before the season started. Things have changed but those two are still almost a lock to go in TOP5.

I have to admit I was in Wiggins camp simply because I was blown away with his size, athleticism and potential. Plus, Parker's defense reminds me of Melo,  who I really dislike as a player.

Anyway, I found this peace about Wiggins and I was really surprised with some stats http://deanondraft.com/2014/02/14/andrew-wiggins-an-ordinary-player-in-an-extraordinary-body/

Basically Wiggins is a beast in transition and is terrible in halfcourt, which translates better in the NBA. Like really really bad. He also has a huge issue with finishing in traffic which is weird considering his athletic ability.

Author makes a point that his best NBA comp for Wiggins is Thadeus Young. I mean he is a good player but not a guy you want when picking in TOP5 in draft that is supposed to be historically good.

After reading this and some other articles I am more and more convinced Parker has a better shot of being an all star type player. Thoughts?

Great article - I feel that Wiggins doesn't even know how good he really is?  I wrote this the other day, the C's are the best fit for him.  Rondo ( or any elite PG ) would be the ideal situation, for transition and in the open court.  I was skeptical of him earlier in the season but I feel like the light has come on for him.  I know it's rare but I could see him having a Paul George type of rise...

Secondly - I am a huge tarheel fan, if Ainge can get Hairston with his second pick I will do cartwheels around the living room.  I will try and find the quotes but Roy Williams was saying earlier this year that he was the most dominate player he has ever coached during the summer and preseason before he got kicked off the team.  And now he is tearing up the D-League...

[Tr1boy]

Nurkic has little lift off the ground. How is his rim protecting capabilities?

[Mr October]

Nurkic has little lift off the ground. How is his rim protecting capabilities?

All we can judge him on is articles and that draft express video. On one hand he is 19 and does a lot well with his body, especially scoring and rebounding. He could turn into a Pekovic, Greg Monroe or even a Marc gasol as an extreme ceiling. But he also looks like some combo of fab melo, Darko and faverani. He would be the highest risk player, if picked even in the late lottery.

The competition in those video clips look pretty bad too.

He is definitely a below the rim player, and not much of a shot blocker / defender at this point.

I am intrigued by him and wish i could see more. I wish i could see more exum and saric as well.

[Tr1boy]

Nurkic has little lift off the ground. How is his rim protecting capabilities?

All we can judge him on is articles and that draft express video. On one hand he is 19 and does a lot well with his body, especially scoring and rebounding. He could turn into a Pekovic, Greg Monroe or even a Marc gasol as an extreme ceiling. But he also looks like some combo of fab melo, Darko and faverani. He would be the highest risk player, if picked even in the late lottery.

The competition in those video clips look pretty bad too.

He is definitely a below the rim player, and not much of a shot blocker / defender at this point.

I am intrigued by him and wish i could see more. I wish i could see more exum and saric as well.

Exum and saric will be good nba players imo. I posted before u19 usa vs world youtube game link that was played 2 years ago. Both exum and saric were top players along with wiggins for the world. Imo saric and exum provided more impact vs wiggins(who won mvp)

Exum was fearless and extremely quick to the basket(got foul calls) and saric was passing like he was larry bird.

Hard to tell how good nukic is without seeing him play real competition. Faverani/datomi looked good in their league before coming to NA but so far have struggled in the nba.

[Mr October]

Wiggins vs Parker for #1 pick was the storyline before the season started. Things have changed but those two are still almost a lock to go in TOP5.

I have to admit I was in Wiggins camp simply because I was blown away with his size, athleticism and potential. Plus, Parker's defense reminds me of Melo,  who I really dislike as a player.

Anyway, I found this peace about Wiggins and I was really surprised with some stats http://deanondraft.com/2014/02/14/andrew-wiggins-an-ordinary-player-in-an-extraordinary-body/

Basically Wiggins is a beast in transition and is terrible in halfcourt, which translates better in the NBA. Like really really bad. He also has a huge issue with finishing in traffic which is weird considering his athletic ability.

Author makes a point that his best NBA comp for Wiggins is Thadeus Young. I mean he is a good player but not a guy you want when picking in TOP5 in draft that is supposed to be historically good.

After reading this and some other articles I am more and more convinced Parker has a better shot of being an all star type player. Thoughts?

Intersting read. I wonder what this author would have written about Tracy Mcgrady when he was a 19 year old.  Both have outstanding physical gifts, both can just get by at times. But wiggins is already a better defender and 3 point shooter than Mcgrady.
And he looks to be getting more aggressive as the season wears on, i saw wiggins doing big time in traffic work on both ends of the court in the clutch when i caught kansas's narrow win over Texas tech last week. I was blown away by how wiggins and Embiid just took over the game in the flow at the end.

One problem i have with the statistic player comparisons is that a lot of these guys play different positions / roles. Jabari Parker is almost exlusively inside playing center or power forward on a small duke front line. I recall melo being a 4 on Syracuse, same with Durant at Texas.

Also the more i watch the college game this year, the more i am seeing that small forwards don't get the ball as much as 3s in the nba. The offense is dominated by the two guards (especially the point) or a big if you have a decent one. These big wings dont have the same kind of space in which to operate.

I would be completely confident picking wiggins at number 2 behind Joel Embiid.

[Mr October]

Nurkic has little lift off the ground. How is his rim protecting capabilities?

All we can judge him on is articles and that draft express video. On one hand he is 19 and does a lot well with his body, especially scoring and rebounding. He could turn into a Pekovic, Greg Monroe or even a Marc gasol as an extreme ceiling. But he also looks like some combo of fab melo, Darko and faverani. He would be the highest risk player, if picked even in the late lottery.

The competition in those video clips look pretty bad too.

He is definitely a below the rim player, and not much of a shot blocker / defender at this point.

I am intrigued by him and wish i could see more. I wish i could see more exum and saric as well.

Exum and saric will be good nba players imo. I posted before u19 usa vs world youtube game link that was played 2 years ago. Both exum and saric were top players along with wiggins for the world. Imo saric and exum provided more impact vs wiggins(who won mvp)

Exum was fearless and extremely quick to the basket(got foul calls) and saric was passing like he was larry bird. Very gifted at passing the ball

Cool. Those 2 players do look awesome. I am limited by clips and what others are writing about them. exum looks great, and i would consider him a lock in the top 5. I am guessing saric will get picked around 10 but i really dont have a clear idea how he holds up with all the other 3s. Where would you rank saric?

[Tr1boy]

Nurkic has little lift off the ground. How is his rim protecting capabilities?

All we can judge him on is articles and that draft express video. On one hand he is 19 and does a lot well with his body, especially scoring and rebounding. He could turn into a Pekovic, Greg Monroe or even a Marc gasol as an extreme ceiling. But he also looks like some combo of fab melo, Darko and faverani. He would be the highest risk player, if picked even in the late lottery.

The competition in those video clips look pretty bad too.

He is definitely a below the rim player, and not much of a shot blocker / defender at this point.

I am intrigued by him and wish i could see more. I wish i could see more exum and saric as well.

Exum and saric will be good nba players imo. I posted before u19 usa vs world youtube game link that was played 2 years ago. Both exum and saric were top players along with wiggins for the world. Imo saric and exum provided more impact vs wiggins(who won mvp)

Exum was fearless and extremely quick to the basket(got foul calls) and saric was passing like he was larry bird. Very gifted at passing the ball

Cool. Those 2 players do look awesome. I am limited by clips and what others are writing about them. exum looks great, and i would consider him a lock in the top 5. I am guessing saric will get picked around 10 but i really dont have a clear idea how he holds up with all the other 3s. Where would you rank saric?

Saric main issues are not having a consistent jump shot and a true position(especially as a defender). Like gallinari will be better suited as a sf. He might get torched by more athletic quicker guys like batum, but he can also torch them on the offensive end. He is not a bad defender actually and is all over the place

Outside of ability to pass better than most pgs his ability to grab rebounds and go end to end is deadly. Kyle anderson and saric share similarities in terms of size and skillset. But saric has a better body, is more physical and has pro experience under his belt.

[henr1k]

Nurkic has little lift off the ground. How is his rim protecting capabilities?

All we can judge him on is articles and that draft express video. On one hand he is 19 and does a lot well with his body, especially scoring and rebounding. He could turn into a Pekovic, Greg Monroe or even a Marc gasol as an extreme ceiling. But he also looks like some combo of fab melo, Darko and faverani. He would be the highest risk player, if picked even in the late lottery.

The competition in those video clips look pretty bad too.

He is definitely a below the rim player, and not much of a shot blocker / defender at this point.

I am intrigued by him and wish i could see more. I wish i could see more exum and saric as well.

I strongly disagree with the bold part. Competition he is playing against is far from bad, it's actually much higher than NCAA. His team, Cedevita, is playing Adriatic League and Eurocup.

His teammates are Nolan Smith, Allan Ray (played for C's in 2006 ) and Goran Suton. All of them are former NCAA stars who are now in the prime of their careers and yet he has higher PER than any of them at the age of 19. Most of other teams also have several US players on their rosters.

[TwinTower14]

Wiggins vs Parker for #1 pick was the storyline before the season started. Things have changed but those two are still almost a lock to go in TOP5.

I have to admit I was in Wiggins camp simply because I was blown away with his size, athleticism and potential. Plus, Parker's defense reminds me of Melo,  who I really dislike as a player.

Anyway, I found this peace about Wiggins and I was really surprised with some stats http://deanondraft.com/2014/02/14/andrew-wiggins-an-ordinary-player-in-an-extraordinary-body/

Basically Wiggins is a beast in transition and is terrible in halfcourt, which translates better in the NBA. Like really really bad. He also has a huge issue with finishing in traffic which is weird considering his athletic ability.

Author makes a point that his best NBA comp for Wiggins is Thadeus Young. I mean he is a good player but not a guy you want when picking in TOP5 in draft that is supposed to be historically good.

After reading this and some other articles I am more and more convinced Parker has a better shot of being an all star type player. Thoughts?

Intersting read. I wonder what this author would have written about Tracy Mcgrady when he was a 19 year old.  Both have outstanding physical gifts, both can just get by at times. But wiggins is already a better defender and 3 point shooter than Mcgrady.
And he looks to be getting more aggressive as the season wears on, i saw wiggins doing big time in traffic work on both ends of the court in the clutch when i caught kansas's narrow win over Texas tech last week. I was blown away by how wiggins and Embiid just took over the game in the flow at the end.

One problem i have with the statistic player comparisons is that a lot of these guys play different positions / roles. Jabari Parker is almost exlusively inside playing center or power forward on a small duke front line. I recall melo being a 4 on Syracuse, same with Durant at Texas.

Also the more i watch the college game this year, the more i am seeing that small forwards don't get the ball as much as 3s in the nba. The offense is dominated by the two guards (especially the point) or a big if you have a decent one. These big wings dont have the same kind of space in which to operate.

I would be completely confident picking wiggins at number 2 behind Joel Embiid.

Me too and I wouldn't have said that a month ago.  Big game tonight, they are playing Oklahoma.  I also like that Kansas has played BY FAR the toughest schedule in the country and he is having a very successful freshman season.