Interesting draft prospect insights from owner\creator of DraftExpress.com

[Yenohb]

Jonathan Givony on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio)

http://www.draftexpress.com/podcast/2016-01-10_Jonathan_Givony_Jody_Mac.mp3

1.) Ben Simmons
   - not sure if he has same ceiling as Wiggins.
   - disagrees that he's the consensus no.1.

2.) Brandon Ingram
   - different development stage as of Simmons(Ingram is a year younger) and that's why he struggled at the start of the season but has progressed tremendously.
   - heard some NBA teams say that he's in the mix for No.1

3.) Kris Dunn
   - Podcast host Jody Mac thinks Kris Dunn is the best PG prospect since John Wall(Did not put Kyrie Irving on the mix)
   - Unbelievable ambassador of College basketball, very well spoken and great teammate.

4.) Dragan Bender
   - Bender is further along than Porzingis was at the same age.
   - more of a SF\PF.
   - also in the mix for no.1.
   - once he comes to the US and starts to lift weights he'll be able to take his game to the next level.

5.) Skal Labissiere
   - Givony is still very high on Skal but thinks he's a project.
   - Started to play basketball late and thus the current struggle.
   - Skillset is off-the-charts; has everything you look for 7'0" prospect; great hands, extremely skilled rim protector.
   - thinks that he's not the kid that reacts well to being screamed at(John Calipari).

[Evantime34]

Jonathan Givony on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio)

http://www.draftexpress.com/podcast/2016-01-10_Jonathan_Givony_Jody_Mac.mp3

1.) Ben Simmons
   - not sure if he has same ceiling as Wiggins.
   - disagrees that he's the consensus no.1.

2.) Brandon Ingram
   - different development stage as of Simmons(Ingram is a year younger) and that's why he struggled at the start of the season but has progressed tremendously.
   - heard some NBA teams say that he's in the mix for No.1

3.) Kris Dunn
   - Podcast host Jody Mac thinks Kris Dunn is the best PG prospect since John Wall(Did not put Kyrie Irving on the mix)
   - Unbelievable ambassador of College basketball, very well spoken and great teammate.

4.) Dragan Bender
   - at the same stage is a better player than Porzingis was last year.
   - more of a SF\PF.
   - also in the mix for no.1.
   - once he comes to the US and starts to lift weights he'll be able to take his game to the next level.

5.) Skal Labissiere
   - Givony is still very high on Skal but thinks he's a project.
   - Started to play basketball late and thus the current struggle.
   - Skillset is off-the-charts; has everything you look for 7'0" prospect; great hands, extremely skilled rim protector.
   - thinks that he's not the kid that reacts well to being screamed at(John Calipari).

Great recap. Givony said that Bender is further along than than Porzingis was at the same age. Bender would be coming out at 18 while Porzingis came out at 19. So he was saying Bender is further along than Porzingis was 2 years ago, not last year.

[Smitty77]

Jonathan Givony on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio)

http://www.draftexpress.com/podcast/2016-01-10_Jonathan_Givony_Jody_Mac.mp3

1.) Ben Simmons
   - not sure if he has same ceiling as Wiggins.
   - disagrees that he's the consensus no.1.

2.) Brandon Ingram
   - different development stage as of Simmons(Ingram is a year younger) and that's why he struggled at the start of the season but has progressed tremendously.
   - heard some NBA teams say that he's in the mix for No.1

3.) Kris Dunn
   - Podcast host Jody Mac thinks Kris Dunn is the best PG prospect since John Wall(Did not put Kyrie Irving on the mix)
   - Unbelievable ambassador of College basketball, very well spoken and great teammate.

4.) Dragan Bender
   - Bender is further along than Porzingis was at the same age.
   - more of a SF\PF.
   - also in the mix for no.1.
   - once he comes to the US and starts to lift weights he'll be able to take his game to the next level.

5.) Skal Labissiere
   - Givony is still very high on Skal but thinks he's a project.
   - Started to play basketball late and thus the current struggle.
   - Skillset is off-the-charts; has everything you look for 7'0" prospect; great hands, extremely skilled rim protector.
   - thinks that he's not the kid that reacts well to being screamed at(John Calipari).

Thanks so much for the info Yenohb!!!!  Nice work!!!

Smitty77

[Yenohb]

Great recap. Givony said that Bender is further along than than Porzingis was at the same age. Bender would be coming out at 18 while Porzingis came out at 19. So he was saying Bender is further along than Porzingis was 2 years ago, not last year.

I did hear it wrong. Thanks for the correction.

[Evantime34]

Great recap. Givony said that Bender is further along than than Porzingis was at the same age. Bender would be coming out at 18 while Porzingis came out at 19. So he was saying Bender is further along than Porzingis was 2 years ago, not last year.

I did hear it wrong. Thanks for the correction.

TP!

[chilidawg]

Nice find.  I'd say Simmons is certainly impacting the game more than Wiggins did as a Freshman, but maybe that's because he's on a weaker team.  I'm still high on him.

[The One]

Jonathan Givony on the Jody Mac Show (CBS Sports Radio)

http://www.draftexpress.com/podcast/2016-01-10_Jonathan_Givony_Jody_Mac.mp3

1.) Ben Simmons
   - not sure if he has same ceiling as Wiggins.
   - disagrees that he's the consensus no.1.

2.) Brandon Ingram
   - different development stage as of Simmons(Ingram is a year younger) and that's why he struggled at the start of the season but has progressed tremendously.
   - heard some NBA teams say that he's in the mix for No.1

3.) Kris Dunn
   - Podcast host Jody Mac thinks Kris Dunn is the best PG prospect since John Wall(Did not put Kyrie Irving on the mix)
   - Unbelievable ambassador of College basketball, very well spoken and great teammate.

4.) Dragan Bender
   - at the same stage is a better player than Porzingis was last year.
   - more of a SF\PF.
   - also in the mix for no.1.
   - once he comes to the US and starts to lift weights he'll be able to take his game to the next level.

5.) Skal Labissiere
   - Givony is still very high on Skal but thinks he's a project.
   - Started to play basketball late and thus the current struggle.
   - Skillset is off-the-charts; has everything you look for 7'0" prospect; great hands, extremely skilled rim protector.
   - thinks that he's not the kid that reacts well to being screamed at(John Calipari).

Great recap. Givony said that Bender is further along than than Porzingis was at the same age. Bender would be coming out at 18 while Porzingis came out at 19. So he was saying Bender is further along than Porzingis was 2 years ago, not last year.

Cool...get The Dragan!

I think he's going to be really good. 

[slamtheking]

good to hear a more recent evaluation of the players.

Can't see how anyone wouldn't be getting excited about getting that Brooklyn pick this year.  It'll be top 5 and landing us a very nice foundation player.

[CFAN38]

Good post


Few things I find interesting

The last three years early in the college season we had two clear #1/#2 prospects. 2015 it was Okafor and Towns, 2014 Wiggins and Parker. Both years the early favorite had his shine taken away. For Wiggins it was lack of dominance and for Okafor lack of defensive potential. As the season continues I expect the detractors to pick apart Simmons lack of a jump shot and killer instinct. Ingram will likely get a boost playing on a better team which will put him in high profile end of the season games. In the end Simmons goes 1 and ingram goes 2 unless someone has a terrible injury.

As for Bender looking at stats and what little games I can find online I think its tough to say he is further along at 18 then Porzingis but I trust Givony as he is truly an expert. Bender is often compared to Porzingis but ( as Givony evidently alluded to) they are very different players. Porzingis is a stretch 4/5 shot blocker. Where as Bender appears more like a faceup 4/3. To me Bender is going to potentially be a much bigger version of Hedo Turkoglu. He is a player I would love to see the Cs get at #3 behind simmons and ingram.

Dunn, I could be wrong I just don't see an elite PG. He will be a solid starter but I cant see him as an allstar level guy.

Skal, I wouldn't draft in the top 5 but after that the potential is there. His strength and confidence issues are killing him this year but with 2-3 more years of physical development the team who drafts him could have a ed davis/brandon wright type player but will a jump shot.   

[kozlodoev]

Cool...get The Dragan!

I think he's going to be really good.

"More of a SF/PF" is code speak for "he's really tall but he can't play inside to save his life". Which is a red flag to me because I don't think you can count on a 7-footer to be a full-time perimeter player in the NBA.

[Csfan1984]

Lab would still be top three for me it's all about potential.

[tazzmaniac]

Good post


Few things I find interesting

The last three years early in the college season we had two clear #1/#2 prospects. 2015 it was Okafor and Towns, 2014 Wiggins and Parker. Both years the early favorite had his shine taken away. For Wiggins it was lack of dominance and for Okafor lack of defensive potential. As the season continues I expect the detractors to pick apart Simmons lack of a jump shot and killer instinct. Ingram will likely get a boost playing on a better team which will put him in high profile end of the season games. In the end Simmons goes 1 and ingram goes 2 unless someone has a terrible injury.

As for Bender looking at stats and what little games I can find online I think its tough to say he is further along at 18 then Porzingis but I trust Givony as he is truly an expert. Bender is often compared to Porzingis but ( as Givony evidently alluded to) they are very different players. Porzingis is a stretch 4/5 shot blocker. Where as Bender appears more like a faceup 4/3. To me Bender is going to potentially be a much bigger version of Hedo Turkoglu. He is a player I would love to see the Cs get at #3 behind simmons and ingram.

Dunn, I could be wrong I just don't see an elite PG. He will be a solid starter but I cant see him as an allstar level guy. 

Skal, I wouldn't draft in the top 5 but after that the potential is there. His strength and confidence issues are killing him this year but with 2-3 more years of physical development the team who drafts him could have a ed davis/brandon wright type player but will a jump shot.

Embiid was also in play for the #1 spot in 2014 until his injury.  His emergence so quickly knocked a lot of luster from Wiggins. 

[gift]

Cool...get The Dragan!

I think he's going to be really good.

"More of a SF/PF" is code speak for "he's really tall but he can't play inside to save his life". Which is a red flag to me because I don't think you can count on a 7-footer to be a full-time perimeter player in the NBA.

I agree that a lot of times people hype the perimeter skills of a big man as code for "he can't play inside", but my impression of Bender is that he's a legit perimeter player. This small forward talk isn't something new that is just coming around to boost his value. It's really what he has been projected as for a few years. Who knows if it will prove true though.

[slamtheking]

Lab would still be top three for me it's all about potential.

that kind of thinking led to the picks of players such as Olowakandi as #1, Kwame Brown as #1, Anthony Bennett as #1, Darko as #2, Stromile Swift as #2, etc....   

only looking at potential leads to busts too often (not saying always, just often).  have to look at current performance as well. 

[Csfan1984]

Lab would still be top three for me it's all about potential.

that kind of thinking led to the picks of players such as Olowakandi as #1, Kwame Brown as #1, Anthony Bennett as #1, Darko as #2, Stromile Swift as #2, etc....   

only looking at potential leads to busts too often (not saying always, just often).  have to look at current performance as well.

Slow down there buddy. Lab is not those players. Those players had last minute rises and questions surrounding them even at draft day. Lab has been on people's scouting radars since beginning senior year in H.S. Lab is also playing out of position and has dealt with a whole bunch of stuff. Once he is locked into playing basketball and in his natural position PF he will be a stud.