Vonleh, Gordon, Or Saric?

[Galeto]

There is no way Saric has the potential to be the best player in this draft.  Maybe last year's draft but he's not even close this year.  Just watch his games and how he moves and his size.  His skill level is impressive, especially at PF but it's hard to see him being a franchise player.  His athleticism is far, far below that standard.  For one, I think he's going to have real difficulty finishing around the hoop as he's just not all that good getting off his feet.  He can be a really nice player who is a key cog in a ball movement offense but I doubt there are any all-star games in his future.

He reminds me of a Boris Diaw who is more willing to shoot.  I think the two biggest attractions with him is that he has the height, heft and rebounding ability to be a PF and at that position, his passing ability becomes a huge plus.  I would be entertained watching him getting a pass after setting a screen and picking out a teammate for an open shot.   

I've always been impressed with Saric's skill set and thought it was more than enough to overcome for his lack of elite athleticism. I recently watched some of his latest performances and saw an explosiveness and footspeed that wasn't apparent in his earliest highlights. I saw effortless dunks, great steals, and fantastic shot blocks due to some very quick ups. I don't think he's a Wiggins or Gordon type athlete or anything, but I think he's more athletic than many give him credit for.

I don't know if you've seen full games of him or not but here they are: http://www.abaliga.com/n149/FullMatchVideo

I don't see very "quick ups."  I saw him block some shots but at the same time, he wasn't blocking the shots of even good athletes by NBA standards.  I wouldn't mind him with the 17th pick but I'm not seeing a special player here.  Even his skill set is not in the special category because his outside shot isn't all there.  He shot really well from deep in the Adriatic League playoffs on his way to earning the MVP but for the season, he shot 34.5 percent from 3 in the Adriatic League and only 30.8 from 3 in Eurocup.  His free throw percentage was only 78 and 68 respectively.

I don't know how to rate Saric's athleticism on the scale of below-average to elite on the NBA scale.  I just haven't seen him be able to blow by guys off the dribble and this is against the proverbial big, slow white guys he's often been matched up against. And at the end of his moves, he doesn't get off the ground much.  Even in his shot blocks, he's not off the ground much and he doesn't have the benefit of a long wingspan to get away with that in the NBA.  In the NBA, I'm not seeing a guy who can take advantage of matchups individually whether in the post or out on the perimeter.  I see a supporting role player. 

I'm all for players being sneaky athletic.  I watched Pierce defy his seemingly "unathletic appearance" for more than a decade with excellent lateral quickness and a very quick first step.  I'm just not seeing that with Saric. 

[CM0]

There is no way Saric has the potential to be the best player in this draft.  Maybe last year's draft but he's not even close this year.  Just watch his games and how he moves and his size.  His skill level is impressive, especially at PF but it's hard to see him being a franchise player.  His athleticism is far, far below that standard.  For one, I think he's going to have real difficulty finishing around the hoop as he's just not all that good getting off his feet.  He can be a really nice player who is a key cog in a ball movement offense but I doubt there are any all-star games in his future.

He reminds me of a Boris Diaw who is more willing to shoot.  I think the two biggest attractions with him is that he has the height, heft and rebounding ability to be a PF and at that position, his passing ability becomes a huge plus.  I would be entertained watching him getting a pass after setting a screen and picking out a teammate for an open shot.   

I've always been impressed with Saric's skill set and thought it was more than enough to overcome for his lack of elite athleticism. I recently watched some of his latest performances and saw an explosiveness and footspeed that wasn't apparent in his earliest highlights. I saw effortless dunks, great steals, and fantastic shot blocks due to some very quick ups. I don't think he's a Wiggins or Gordon type athlete or anything, but I think he's more athletic than many give him credit for.

I don't know if you've seen full games of him or not but here they are: http://www.abaliga.com/n149/FullMatchVideo

I don't see very "quick ups."  I saw him block some shots but at the same time, he wasn't blocking the shots of even good athletes by NBA standards.  I wouldn't mind him with the 17th pick but I'm not seeing a special player here.  Even his skill set is not in the special category because his outside shot isn't all there.  He shot really well from deep in the Adriatic League playoffs on his way to earning the MVP but for the season, he shot 34.5 percent from 3 in the Adriatic League and only 30.8 from 3 in Eurocup.  His free throw percentage was only 78 and 68 respectively.

I don't know how to rate Saric's athleticism on the scale of below-average to elite on the NBA scale.  I just haven't seen him be able to blow by guys off the dribble and this is against the proverbial big, slow white guys he's often been matched up against. And at the end of his moves, he doesn't get off the ground much.  Even in his shot blocks, he's not off the ground much and he doesn't have the benefit of a long wingspan to get away with that in the NBA.  In the NBA, I'm not seeing a guy who can take advantage of matchups individually whether in the post or out on the perimeter.  I see a supporting role player. 

I'm all for players being sneaky athletic.  I watched Pierce defy his seemingly "unathletic appearance" for more than a decade with excellent lateral quickness and a very quick first step.  I'm just not seeing that with Saric.

I have not watched his full games, just 10-15 game highlight vids. This is the video is was referring to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF8DXvmy73Q

Earlier scouting reports called him a knock-down shooter and his mechanics seem solid. He looks good off the dribble and the catch and seems adept at creating shots. I've wondered if his overall FG% was due to taking low-percentage shots from having to carry his team offensively. Is that at least part of the case from what you've seen?

[ManUp]

Vonleh!

Size, Length, Athleticism, Rebounding and shooting all in one. He has as much potential and upside as Wiggins, Parker, Embiid, etc. Randle is more NBA ready, but from a height, length, and athleticism standpoint Vonleh is the better prospect. As for Saric, I'm just not a believer in drafting Euro guys high especially when they lack shooting and athleticism in combination. I'd draft Saric at 17, but definitely not with 6. Gordon is going to be a defensive specialist but, I don't know if he has enough offense to warrant taking him at 6 above Randle or Vonleh.