Vonleh, Gordon, Or Saric?

[SHAQATTACK]

Randle

[arctic 3.0]

Saltlover: sorry I can't seem to find the quote button on my phone.
I was under the impression that saric is definitely coming over.
If not were in rebuild mode anyway so a year or two overseas will only improve his game/ value

[Tr1boy]

If randle develops a jump shot I would consider him. He could also play some time at the sf spot.  Not ideal but I like to see what a trio of sully, ko, randle could do if it came down to it

[saltlover]

Saltlover: sorry I can't seem to find the quote button on my phone.
I was under the impression that saric is definitely coming over.
If not were in rebuild mode anyway so a year or two overseas will only improve his game/ value

There's been some agent-speak, but actions speak louder than words.  It's clear he withdrew from the draft last year.  He also took a long time to put his name into the draft.  It's also clear that his father gets to make the decisions currently.  The gist I've gotten is that he'll come over when he feels he's ready.  In one sense, that's good because if he took a few years to continue to develop his game, we'd get a player who's ready to step in Day 1.  On the other hand, "ready" could be when his father is ready to have him several thousand miles away, or when he feels "ready" to make his own decisions about his future, and that could be significantly longer than 1-2 years.

As for quoting on the phone -- press your finger on the comment you want to quote, and the quote button should appear.  It took me awhile to figure that out recently, too.

[Evantime34]

Gordon, we need defense and athleticism if we plan on playing our draft pick with Olynyk and/or Sullinger. Are we going to draft Saric at the 6 have him play the 3 and then have main players at 3 different positions who are either neutral or minuses defensively? Do we need another subpar athlete?

Gordon is the youngest player in the draft and one of the best ahtletes meaning he has more upside than any player who will be available to us at 6.

I like Vonleh but I prefer Gordon.

[Tr1boy]

Gordon, we need defense and athleticism if we plan on playing our draft pick with Olynyk and/or Sullinger. Are we going to draft Saric at the 6 have him play the 3 and then have main players at 3 different positions who are either neutral or minuses defensively? Do we need another subpar athlete?

Gordon is the youngest player in the draft and one of the best ahtletes meaning he has more upside than any player who will be available to us at 6.

I like Vonleh but I prefer Gordon.

I agree. But If gordon cannot prove he has drastically improved his jump shot though dont think danny will draft him.  Danny like fans here likes players that can score on top of everything else. Thats why KO was drafted instead of plumlee or dieng last summer. Its not always the best way imo but the way he likes it

As of now I have on dannys list

Smart
Saric
Randle/gordon - whoever has improved on their jump shots the most

[saltlover]

Gordon, we need defense and athleticism if we plan on playing our draft pick with Olynyk and/or Sullinger. Are we going to draft Saric at the 6 have him play the 3 and then have main players at 3 different positions who are either neutral or minuses defensively? Do we need another subpar athlete?

Gordon is the youngest player in the draft and one of the best ahtletes meaning he has more upside than any player who will be available to us at 6.

I like Vonleh but I prefer Gordon.

I mean, Vonleh is all of a month younger than Gordon, is longer, pretty athletic in his own right (at least according to combine results) and a better shooter.  I'm not sure how much different their upsides are.  They're different players, certainly, but in terms of the nebulous concept of upside, I don't think it's a slam dunk that Gordon  has more upside than Vonleh.

[indeedproceed]

Saltlover: sorry I can't seem to find the quote button on my phone.
I was under the impression that saric is definitely coming over.
If not were in rebuild mode anyway so a year or two overseas will only improve his game/ value

There's been some agent-speak, but actions speak louder than words.  It's clear he withdrew from the draft last year.  He also took a long time to put his name into the draft.  It's also clear that his father gets to make the decisions currently.  The gist I've gotten is that he'll come over when he feels he's ready.  In one sense, that's good because if he took a few years to continue to develop his game, we'd get a player who's ready to step in Day 1.  On the other hand, "ready" could be when his father is ready to have him several thousand miles away, or when he feels "ready" to make his own decisions about his future, and that could be significantly longer than 1-2 years.

As for quoting on the phone -- press your finger on the comment you want to quote, and the quote button should appear.  It took me awhile to figure that out recently, too.

This is a accurate summation I think, but to clarify, here's the actual quote from the agent.

DraftExpress: What will need to happen for Saric to join a NBA team immediately next season?

Misko Raznatovic: It's very difficult to predict now. Dario's ultimate dream is to be a NBA All-Star and he absolutely does not accept anything less than that. At this moment he believes that is better to stay in Europe for a season or two, to get a taste of the Euroleague, and then to enter the NBA when he has more experience. He believes that it will be a shortcut for making his dream. But he did not make a final decision about that, and I will not absolutely exclude that option as well. He just wants to make a proper step and be in a place where he will be able to develop and play.

DraftExpress: How can a NBA team be confident that we aren't talking about another Fran Vazquez situation, where the player gets picked in the lottery and decides not to ever sign a NBA contract, which makes the team that drafted him look incredibly foolish and maybe costs a GM his job?

Misko Raznatovic: I really believe that after talking for five minutes with Dario, that doubt will be gone. He cannot wait to become a NBA player, and this is his ultimate goal. He will be in the league no later than 2016, and with good chances to start earlier.

DraftExpress: Why is Dario's father so anti-NBA?

Misko Raznatovic: He is absolutely not anti-NBA. He is just against him coming to the league this summer, because he believes it's too early for him. He was teammates with Drazen Petrovic, along with other Croatian former NBA players from that period, and he strongly believes that they (Kukoc, Radja, Petrovic) had success in the NBA due to coming later in their career (after a couple of serious seasons in the Euroleague).

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz32YfCD4bc
http://www.draftexpress.com

[Celtics18]

I firmly believe that Dario Saric will be ready to contribute in the NBA next season.  He'll back up the three and the four and defend his position much better than folks are giving him credit for. 

I think the kid is going to be special.  If he becomes a Celtic on draft day, I'll be jumping for joy. 

[LooseCannon]

I think Saric might prefer to wait to come over until he believes he will immediately step into a starting lineup.

[saltlover]

Saltlover: sorry I can't seem to find the quote button on my phone.
I was under the impression that saric is definitely coming over.
If not were in rebuild mode anyway so a year or two overseas will only improve his game/ value

There's been some agent-speak, but actions speak louder than words.  It's clear he withdrew from the draft last year.  He also took a long time to put his name into the draft.  It's also clear that his father gets to make the decisions currently.  The gist I've gotten is that he'll come over when he feels he's ready.  In one sense, that's good because if he took a few years to continue to develop his game, we'd get a player who's ready to step in Day 1.  On the other hand, "ready" could be when his father is ready to have him several thousand miles away, or when he feels "ready" to make his own decisions about his future, and that could be significantly longer than 1-2 years.

As for quoting on the phone -- press your finger on the comment you want to quote, and the quote button should appear.  It took me awhile to figure that out recently, too.

This is a accurate summation I think, but to clarify, here's the actual quote from the agent.

DraftExpress: What will need to happen for Saric to join a NBA team immediately next season?

Misko Raznatovic: It's very difficult to predict now. Dario's ultimate dream is to be a NBA All-Star and he absolutely does not accept anything less than that. At this moment he believes that is better to stay in Europe for a season or two, to get a taste of the Euroleague, and then to enter the NBA when he has more experience. He believes that it will be a shortcut for making his dream. But he did not make a final decision about that, and I will not absolutely exclude that option as well. He just wants to make a proper step and be in a place where he will be able to develop and play.

DraftExpress: How can a NBA team be confident that we aren't talking about another Fran Vazquez situation, where the player gets picked in the lottery and decides not to ever sign a NBA contract, which makes the team that drafted him look incredibly foolish and maybe costs a GM his job?

Misko Raznatovic: I really believe that after talking for five minutes with Dario, that doubt will be gone. He cannot wait to become a NBA player, and this is his ultimate goal. He will be in the league no later than 2016, and with good chances to start earlier.

DraftExpress: Why is Dario's father so anti-NBA?

Misko Raznatovic: He is absolutely not anti-NBA. He is just against him coming to the league this summer, because he believes it's too early for him. He was teammates with Drazen Petrovic, along with other Croatian former NBA players from that period, and he strongly believes that they (Kukoc, Radja, Petrovic) had success in the NBA due to coming later in their career (after a couple of serious seasons in the Euroleague).

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz32YfCD4bc
http://www.draftexpress.com

Thanks for finding that.  This was the "agent-speak" I was referring to.  TP.

I should clarify, I do think it more likely than not that he'll be in the NBA in 2-3 years, but 1) it is not guaranteed, 2) you do have to wait, and 3) when he does come over, there will still be an adjustment period.  To me that means he has substantially more risk than some of the other players at #6, and I'm not sure any more potential value to make the risk worth taking.  Higher risk should mean higher reward.  To me, the reward is probably equal to Vonleh, Gordon, or Smart, so I wouldn't take Saric until those three were off the board (presumably around #9.)

This isn't to say the other players don't have their risks -- they all do, in terms of development.  But Saric has to both develop and come to the US, which is where the extra risk comes from.

[kozlodoev]

I think Saric might prefer to wait to come over until he believes he will immediately step into a starting lineup.

So he's pretty much never coming to the NBA?

[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.   

[PhoSita]

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.

I think my hope with Saric would be along the lines of Danillo Gallinari, with less of a deadly outside shot and more ability to rebound, create for others, and defend.

[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.