grounded comps for top prospects in 2014

[Mr October]

Every year it seems like experts and fans alike seem to over shoot there expectations for draft prospects. This is my grounded player comps for the projected top of the 2014 draft. Includes player and that players career stats (rounded up). Being 30 I found myself pulling alot of names from the 90s.


Embiid, no idea

Parker, Glen (big Dog) Robinson 20pt 6rb

Wiggins, consistent jeff green

Exum, 6'6 Devin Harris 13pt 5ast

Randle, broader frames Antawn Jamison 19pt 8rb

Vonleh, Shareef Abdur-Rahim 18pt 8rb

Gordon, ANDREI KIRILENKO 12pt 6rb

Smart, smaller better passing Tyreke Evans

I like these comps. The thing we cant measure from watching games is a players capacity to tap the rest of their potential due to their professionalism, obsessive competitiveness, and most importantly their determination to keep improving their game each offseason.

Having said that, i think Gordon's high ceiling is Kirilenko. Gordon cant score and shot block like Kirilenko. Maybe a safer comp is a bigger Kidd-Gilchrist / Tony Allen. In the very least he will be athletic and play defense.

[footey]

Wiggins - Vince Carter
Parker- Paul Pierce
Smart - i hate the Tyreke Evans comparison.....nowhere near the ball handling skill or quickness
Gordon - Shawn Marion
Vonleh - Tristan Thompson
Exum - Anfernee Hardaway
Saric - Lamar Odom
Gary Harris - Danny Green

Marion is a great shooter, Gordon is terrible.
Gary Harris reminds me more of Ray Allen, although concededly is not as good a shooter (yet). but better defender.

[PhoSita]

No.  We almost beat Indiana.  Things are looking up.  We're on the verge of some wins.

Sure, sure.  Wink wink, nod nod.

If you want people to truly believe that you're so given to flights of fancy with your predictions for this team, you should try not to occasionally demonstrate that you're capable of in-depth, reasoned analysis.

[PhoSita]

Marion is a great shooter, Gordon is terrible.

Uh . . . are you sure you're thinking of the right guy?

Yeah, Marion has a career 33% three point average.  He's an acceptable spot-up shooter, and he's got a fairly reliable shot from like 10-12 feet.  But calling him a 'great' shooter is quite a stretch.

I don't see a reason that Gordon can't develop a similar jumpshot.  At the very least, his form will be less ugly.

[Galeto]

The comparison is almost too easy and seems lazy but Nikola Pekovic for Jusuf Nurkic.  Both are big, wide Eastern European fellas who aren't leapers but are good scorers who played in the Adriatic League.  I saw a bit of one of Nurkic's game and I liked how aggressive and capable he is in the post.  And refreshingly, he was actually featured most of the time he was in there.  Sometimes I'd see a game of some young prospect and see the prospect never get a touch and mostly spend his time just running up and down the court. 

If anything, Nurkic could be better than Pekovic because his rebounding and shotblocking numbers are superior to any of Pekovic's seasons overseas.