Prospects you should have more respect for

[nazrmohamed]

Over the course of this crappy season I've watched alot of prospects and know what I want, the type of players I typically salivate over and ideally want to build around. But as I look around this draft there's just so much talent so I figured I'd make a thread about guys I under appreciate and then try to sell them to myself as players. Keep in mind, we don't run a system that anyone else does so therefore what we may like in a player might actually be considered a flaw while skills that we undervalue might be a strength. So im gonna promote done guys and I hope yall join me with some of your own.

Malik Monk- started out not liking him at all. Yall probably know me by now. I salivate over players who are taller than thier listed position yet play more skilled. For example when I hear about a 6'11 kid playing SF my ears perk up. Or a 6'7 SG and on and on. So you take a guy like Monk whose listed as a PG/SG at 6'4 with skills more shooting guard like I tend to balk at that. What do I know.
-he's a lights out shooter
-he's pretty athletic
-he is a playmaker as most SGs still are but not really ball dominant like a Harden even or Brandon Roy.
At SG Im just not interested but then I look at whos playing PG for us at this very moment. That's right, Ron Baker. And what do we say about Baker? Well if he ever learns to shoot the three he could be something. Well let's face it, Baskets never gonna ascend to starter level even in the triangle but we can take some lessons from what he does and the opportunity he is getting as a combo guard paying in our system as a lead guard. Well apply that to Monk who on day one could be our best shooter. I suspect in the triangle where the focus on being a ball dominant facilitator is less critical than someone who....i wanna be careful to use the right words cuz you still gotta set the table but let's agree it's far less of penetrate and kick or pick and roll heavy. I think if you keep that in mind Monk could be someone Phil salivates over.


Miles Bridges- I think we'll be picking way before him so it might not matter but I must say I've been pretty unfair to him and is not really his fault. It's hard for me to get over the fact that he's a 6'6 SF whose more a SF/PF than he is a SG/SF. I have a soft spot for the latter. I want my Scottie Pippen/TMac more than I want my Maggette/Melo/Larry Johnson. But make no mistake, those guys could play and so can Miles. Maybe I should stop being so prejudiced against that skill set. I just see where we are, and see that were very paint based and want guys on the perimeter from the 1-3 who play like guards more than having 2 guards and 3 bigs essentially. That's just my vision. However when you think of KP being somewhat of a frail PF, perhaps that's what's necessary. Perhaps you'll need a power-SF just to mitigate some of that finesse. Here's what I have seen
-the guy is other worldly athletic. He can dunk off one foot or two feet, in transition or in traffic in the half court
-he can back down opponents with his strength which is already at an nba third year player level
-he's actually a pretty good shooter so dispite how I initially described him he can spread the floor out to the three, I just don't know that he can create from out that far.

I got more but I want some of you guys to chip in.

[KnicksFanInSouthFL]

I've been pretty open-minded about most of the players I've watched this season except for maybe two... Lonzo Ball and Lauri Markkanen.

Now, I overstand the premise behind this thread and would like to be able to overlook the flaws as well as the potential issues I see awaiting these guys at the next level but I cant... However, from the standpoint of a fan knowing how obsessed our President of Basketball Operations is with the Triangle system I know that both Ball and Markkanen possess the skills necessary to effectively run this BS system.

Lonzo Ball - great offensive awareness, good shooter, and his length at the PG position could help disrupt opposing offenses. Phil couldn't have imagined a better version of a prototypical PG to run his system... If we somehow draft him and he's able to create the same easy opportunities he created for TJ Leaf and Thomas Welch our stretch-4 could be an All-Star by next season...

Lauri Markkanen - great shooter, good playmaker, and he looks comfortable putting the ball on the floor/driving to the basket. He's definitely more of a forward than Putback-P is... And in this era of small-ball they'd be a nightmare for opposing coaches. At least on the offensive end.

[lxn_]

agree with you on Miles Bridges nazr.. He grew on me these past few months. Hes like a slightly bigger justise winslow who can shoot better. We share that interest in players who are big and long for their position( I want my sg between 6'5-6'7 and my sfs 6'7-6'10). I always wanted Og anunoby for his wingspan(7'6) and height(6'8-9) at the 3 position. But ive been reminded that having a long wingspan doesnt guarantee a great defender. My underrated guy would be TJ leaf, in my opinion hes a pretty good facilitator and can play a high pace style.

[cragganmor]

sindarius thornwell.

he's got a bit of a choppy running motion, just average first step and not a good leaper, average size for a swing.

however, he understands how to use his size and length, defends all 5 spots in ncaa, shares the ball willingly despite being the best player on his team, led sc to a final four. i think he's one of those unusual players that is more than the sum of his parts. watcher said he reminded him of paul pierce; that's pretty apt describing his style of play, a tough, smart, skilled and crafty player that competes every night. he could definitely play the 2 & 3, maybe some small ball 4. i think he'll need to tighten up his handle in the nba but he's going to do a lot of stuff to help his team win. he's quite crafty in figuring out how to get his shot off from different parts of the floor against different defenders and adept at drawing fouls; excellent ft shooter.

[Don Che]

Malik Monk, not a fan of his for us at all but i gotta respect what he does on offense a bit more

I see everyone liking Tatum....i dont. He doesnt have one advantage on the next level ppl mention he's like Melo..well Melo was 20 pounds heavier with a quicker first step and better athlete. Think about that but based on what scouts say and some fans...maybe im wrong

Sindarius is an interesting prospect. Ppl say hes like peirce but in college..Da Truth was more athletic than most guys...heck even in his early years he was dunking on cats...Sindarius isnt in the same lane as Da Truth but if he's at the 2 spot he may have an advantage since 2's in today's NBA are kinda slackin


Even Josh Jackson who I like...i dont see Tmac or Vince or even paul george game there..he's not fluid when i see him..it all looks stiff with a short wingspan and ugly jumper but....hes more blue collar than any of those guys and is more a killer than them also...he reminds me a bit of MKG and Jimmy Butler than those other wing players ...I think Josh's floor is higher than anyone's in the draft ..im not sold on his reaching his ceiling

Lonzo in the triangle would be lethal but we'd need a wing player that can get to the rim because Lonzo isn't that guy. One thing I will say...hes the best passer I've ever seen that doesnt dominate the ball which is something thats so rare and actually fits our style of play.

[thewatcher]

Yes Monk, in the span of 60 seconds won me over. he made two absolutely most 3's in a row, draped all over by 2 defenders both times. This guy has so much heart, courage, and confidence, honestly he's moving way up for me. Also like cragg's guy from SC a lot. Not with our lottery pick, but four year players are completely devalued in the draft and if we could somehow take advantage Id be thrilled.

[noypi]

Frank Ntilikina (knee-lee-ki-nuh?)

He's too much of an enigma but I have a feeling he's top 2-3 among pg prospects. Not enough videos of him but he's physically impressive. 6'5" with 7' wingspan and broad shoulders. I also love tall guards especially pgs (Penny Hardaway fan!). He's also gonna be the youngest in this year's draft and we all know Euro players are fundamentally sound and not all about the flashy stuff. If he impresses in the combine and if Jackson is impressed with his interview, just like as he did with KP, then I think he's gonna be our pick. He has the tools and hope he has the right attitude and work ethic to succeed.

Here's the scouting report on him by some boards which intrigued me most:

-Lockdown, multi-positional defender. Outstanding lateral quickness, footwork, timing, length and smarts allows him to smother opponents on the perimeter. Switches seamlessly between all three backcourt positions.
-Makes plays defensively on and off the ball. Reads the floor, knows the scouting report and where to position himself to rotate and help, far better than your average 18-year old. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Fra ... ina-77051/ ©DraftExpress

[KnicksFanInSouthFL]

^^^
Ntilikina does look good but his only competition has been against 18 year old euro's... And I'd be willing to bet that ALL of the freshmen prospects would shine against that level of competition.

[n8 the gr8]

I've gotten more wary of Frank. Look at his assist numbers, he's not a primary distributor and he's not blowing guys out of the water in Europe. KP was in the same boat- he was going to the NBA and didn't really get a fair shake because of it, but Frank's assists per minute are still really low. I'm imagining a worst-case scenario where Frank isn't really a good enough passer to be a full-time PG so you need another really heady guard along side him and his size becomes a lot less impressive if he's a SG, with his lack of speed his physical tools become incredibly average.

His ceiling has me jazzed and I'd be fine if he's taken. But there are 4 prospects that I'm really confident can hold down the PG position in the NBA for years to come.

[nazrmohamed]

Look up Rubio and Jennings numbers in Europe. Not highlights, actual stats. Frank could be a bum, but youre not gonna determine it in euro stats.

Different views on usage at different ages, no coddling young players destined to leave anyway. Full team passing, not ball dominant guards. Frank's also playing at the 2 in a two pg lineup.

Lots of intricacies for an 18 yr old. I think he looks great. However the things I salivate over ate the things that'll make him take about 2-3 yrs to be productive. He's young. Awesome in Milwaukee, bad in NY where fans wanna dump you in your sophmore slump

[lxn_]

^^ yeah frank's stats arent impressive considering hes playing at a lower tier euro competition. But so did Giannis, they both played at a 2nd to 3rd tier league.

[shakespeare]

Malik Monk - started out not liking him at all. Yall probably know me by now. I salivate over players who are taller than thier listed position yet play more skilled. For example when I hear about a 6'11 kid playing SF my ears perk up. Or a 6'7 SG and on and on. So you take a guy like Monk whose listed as a PG/SG at 6'4 with skills more shooting guard like I tend to balk at that. What do I know.
-he's a lights out shooter
-he's pretty athletic
-he is a playmaker as most SGs still are but not really ball dominant like a Harden even or Brandon Roy.
At SG Im just not interested but then I look at whos playing PG for us at this very moment. That's right, Ron Baker. And what do we say about Baker? Well if he ever learns to shoot the three he could be something. Well let's face it, Baskets never gonna ascend to starter level even in the triangle but we can take some lessons from what he does and the opportunity he is getting as a combo guard paying in our system as a lead guard. Well apply that to Monk who on day one could be our best shooter. I suspect in the triangle where the focus on being a ball dominant facilitator is less critical than someone who....i wanna be careful to use the right words cuz you still gotta set the table but let's agree it's far less of penetrate and kick or pick and roll heavy. I think if you keep that in mind Monk could be someone Phil salivates over.

Here's a good read on Malik Monk, in his own words, I wouldn't have a problem if he was drafted by New York. Based on his shooting skills, I'm not sure he'll be available at the 6th or 7th pick. During the pre-draft workouts, I believe he'll impress some GM into taking him around 4th or 5th.

While his height isn't idea for a "shooting guard," I can see some GM and head coach thinking he'd be able to play the combo guard position ala Jordan Clarkson.

[shakespeare]

My bad. Here's the article on Monk, thanking Kentucky and Calipari for the opportunity https://www.theplayerstribune.com/malik ... e%20Nation

[cragganmor]

here's a clip of wes iwundu https://twitter.com/jlapplebome/status/ ... 3735570433

he's a 6'7" swing from kansa state, 7" wingspan that really improved his perimeter shot, excellent defender, can slash and handle the ball; would be awesome to land him at #45.

[cragganmor]

if you like the raps norm powell, then kadeem allen is a good bet, plus he's a better ballhandler. 6'1" with a freakish 6'9" wingspan, a very unique defender.

[Don Che]

Wesley fits the triangle and what we are lacking.

[cragganmor]

just thought i'd mention, aaron holiday is still in the draft (hasn't signed with an agent); 6'1" with a 6'6" wingspan, a good defender, efficient scorer and playmaker, excellent all-around game that got overshadowed by lonzo at ucla.

[Don Che]

huge fan of his...but I'm not sure how he fits in with us

is he better than Randle?

is he better than Baker?

Does he fit what we do?

[cragganmor]

he's a much better defender than randle or baker, fights over screens and slides well, really does a great job of staying in front instead of on the ballhandler's hip. very efficient shooter from inside and outside the arc, can finish at the rim. a very good passer/playmaker, just a very fundamentally sound player that can play triangle ball as well as pnr sets, which ucla ran heavily. he won't contribute right away, but will figure out his pro game in a season or two. if we don't get the pg that we want and land a say, a wing, then he might be an excellent choice in the 2nd round for us.