2016 NBA Draft and beyond (labelplant edition).. 4/4/16 UPDATE: 2017 Draft Big Board
- Thread starter labelplant
- Start date
@str8up here is your chance
I wonder how in depth ESPN is going to let them go. Think they'll just be more seasonal now instead of all year round?
Edit: Looks like their shyt requires Insider too
Scouting potential 2019 No. 1 pick R.J. Barrett, more U19 prospects
Insider
R.J. Barrett helped lead Canada to the U19 FIBA World Cup title. Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP CAIRO, Egypt -- The FIBA Under-19 World Cup has produced 80 NBA draft picks in the past decade, including the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, Nikola Jokic, Nicolas Batum, DeAndre Jordan and Jayson Tatum. This year, tournament MVP R.J. Barrett stood out as clearly the best and most productive prospect despite only recently turning 17 and, in some cases, competing against players two and a half years older.
On the verge of reclassifying to the 2018 high school class and in turn making himself eligible for the 2019 NBA draft, Barrett made a strong case as a potential No. 1 pick while leading Canada to its first ever title in the event.
Barrett completely outplayed U.S. wings Cameron Reddish (No. 3 in ESPN's 2018 Top-100) and Hamidou Diallo (a potential 2018 lottery pick) in their head-to-head matchups, looking virtually unstoppable off the dribble and getting to the free throw line 15 times en route to a 38-point, 13-rebound, five-assist, one-turnover outing -- one of the best individual performances we've ever witnessed at the FIBA youth level.
The young forward even knocked down a pair of 3-pointers against the U.S., something that is considered the weakest part of his game (he's a 33 percent career 3-point shooter on 83 attempts in 26 games in our database). His mechanics are sound and he was effective at this tournament rising up and making shots off the dribble, so it's likely only a matter of time until he's able to expand his range. The rest of his game is as polished as you'll find from a 17-year-old.
He's incredibly smooth in transition, displays elite body control and footwork attacking the rim in the half court, looks unselfishly for the open man and can play lock-down, multi-positional defense when he puts his mind to it. Barrett's poise was arguably the most impressive thing he showed in Cairo earlier this month. His demeanor never changed in the medal rounds, looking locked in and focused as he delivered big play after big play.
Barrett currently sits atop the ESPN 2019 recruiting rankings and he has a strong case for No. 1 status in 2018 as well once he formally decides to reclassify, which seems inevitable at this stage. He has made himself easily accessible to NBA talent evaluators, putting up strong performances in FIBA tournaments at the U16, U17 and U19 levels, as well as at the Nike Hoop Summit, the Jordan Brand Classic International game and the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global camp. All of those events were heavily scouted.
Winning the U19 championship already separates him from Canadian prospects that have come before him, including Andrew Wiggins. No Canadian has ever won a medal in a FIBA tournament or even advanced past the quarterfinals of a world championship. Barrett is so young that he could attempt to defend his U19 title in 2019, but that seems somewhat unlikely considering he'll probably be drafted just weeks before then. It will be interesting to see if he decides to play at the 2018 U18 FIBA Americas Championship next June, an event that will reportedly be held on Canadian soil for the first time ever, in Niagara Falls.
Along with Barrett, two other players from the 2017 tournament cracked the top-10 all-time best performances in terms of Estimated Wins Added (EWA).
NCAA intrigue
• Gonzaga rising sophomores Rui Hachimura (Japan) and Killian Tillie (France) both had solid showings in Cairo, an important sign for last year's NCAA tournament finalists considering the amount of firepower the Bulldogs lost. Despite playing a combined 17 minutes per game last season, Hachimura and Tillie could very well end up being the main anchors of Gonzaga's frontcourt alongside fifth-year senior Johnathan Williams. Hachimura, in particular, is interesting even from an NBA standpoint, standing 6-foot-8 with a wingspan of more than 7-feet, huge hands, a strong frame and what appears to be a significantly improved jump shot. Defensively, he's somewhat caught between positions. Offensively, he needs to improve his awareness and ball-handling skills to emerge as a more consistent contributor for Gonzaga as an upperclassman.
• Oregon's Abu Kigab looks like the next in a long line of highly versatile, multi-positional forwards to play for head coach Dana Altman. Kigab spent a significant amount of time at the center position for Canada and, despite standing just 6-foot-7, was able to hold his own inside the paint thanks to his toughness. His ability to grab defensive rebounds and ignite fast breaks on his own was a major key to head coach Roy Rana's game plan.
• Kentucky's Hamidou Diallo and P.J. Washington had up-and-down showings in Cairo, particularly shooting the ball from outside. They were a combined 3-16 from 3-point range in what may end up being a theme for the Wildcats in 2017-2018. John Calipari has what many consider to be his best recruiting class ever coming to Lexington, but there are real question marks about shooting and if the lack of spacing may end up being a major hurdle to the Wildcats' Final Four aspirations.
• Stanford-bound Oscar Da Silva opened up quite a few eyes playing for Germany. The 6-foot-9, Swiss-army-knife power forward showed the ability to defend positions 1-5 with his elite-level mobility, length, body control and smarts. He also did a great job of pushing the ball in transition and finding the open man with impressive court vision. The son of a Brazilian-born boxer, Da Silva speaks six languages and is bound to become a crowd favorite in Palo Alto. He has legitimate NBA potential once his body fills out and he finds a way to translate his smooth shooting stroke in warmups to game settings.
Top takeaways
• Canada achieved the country's most impressive result in its basketball history by defeating the U.S. in the semifinals in convincing fashion and then capturing gold with a 79-60 win in the final over Italy. Thanks to its liberal immigration policy, the Toronto Raptors' creation in 1995, the exploits of Vince Carter and a deep pipeline of talent being funneled through the U.S. high school, AAU and college systems, Canada has made incredible progress in a short amount of time, culminating in this historic accomplishment.
• Despite steamrollering through the group stage, Calipari's USA Basketball squad didn't bring the intensity, chemistry and perimeter skill required to transition its individual talent to the international game and left with a disappointing third-place finish. This was the first loss the U.S. has suffered in any FIBA competition since 2011, which may require USA Basketball officials to brainstorm how the roster was constructed and the virtues of having an NCAA coaching staff in place.
• The eight teams that qualified for the quarterfinals of this tournament all hailed from Europe and the Americas, showing just how much work is still left to be done for Asia, Africa and Oceania (which together sent seven teams) to catch up to the worldwide basketball powerhouses. Puerto Rico finished in ninth place.
• The NBA strongly advised teams against sending representatives to this event, due to security concerns, which made for a strange situation in which only a handful of U.S.-based scouts were in attendance, despite the abundance of talent on hand. It was a shame because the warm and gracious Egyptians did everything in their power to put on a well-organized tournament. The locals came out in droves to support their national team and packed the arena for the final between Canada and Italy, creating an outstanding atmosphere
Link:Scouting potential 2019 No. 1 pick R.J. Barrett, more U19 prospects
Insider
R.J. Barrett helped lead Canada to the U19 FIBA World Cup title. Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP CAIRO, Egypt -- The FIBA Under-19 World Cup has produced 80 NBA draft picks in the past decade, including the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, Nikola Jokic, Nicolas Batum, DeAndre Jordan and Jayson Tatum. This year, tournament MVP R.J. Barrett stood out as clearly the best and most productive prospect despite only recently turning 17 and, in some cases, competing against players two and a half years older.
On the verge of reclassifying to the 2018 high school class and in turn making himself eligible for the 2019 NBA draft, Barrett made a strong case as a potential No. 1 pick while leading Canada to its first ever title in the event.
Barrett completely outplayed U.S. wings Cameron Reddish (No. 3 in ESPN's 2018 Top-100) and Hamidou Diallo (a potential 2018 lottery pick) in their head-to-head matchups, looking virtually unstoppable off the dribble and getting to the free throw line 15 times en route to a 38-point, 13-rebound, five-assist, one-turnover outing -- one of the best individual performances we've ever witnessed at the FIBA youth level.
The young forward even knocked down a pair of 3-pointers against the U.S., something that is considered the weakest part of his game (he's a 33 percent career 3-point shooter on 83 attempts in 26 games in our database). His mechanics are sound and he was effective at this tournament rising up and making shots off the dribble, so it's likely only a matter of time until he's able to expand his range. The rest of his game is as polished as you'll find from a 17-year-old.
He's incredibly smooth in transition, displays elite body control and footwork attacking the rim in the half court, looks unselfishly for the open man and can play lock-down, multi-positional defense when he puts his mind to it. Barrett's poise was arguably the most impressive thing he showed in Cairo earlier this month. His demeanor never changed in the medal rounds, looking locked in and focused as he delivered big play after big play.
Barrett currently sits atop the ESPN 2019 recruiting rankings and he has a strong case for No. 1 status in 2018 as well once he formally decides to reclassify, which seems inevitable at this stage. He has made himself easily accessible to NBA talent evaluators, putting up strong performances in FIBA tournaments at the U16, U17 and U19 levels, as well as at the Nike Hoop Summit, the Jordan Brand Classic International game and the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global camp. All of those events were heavily scouted.
Winning the U19 championship already separates him from Canadian prospects that have come before him, including Andrew Wiggins. No Canadian has ever won a medal in a FIBA tournament or even advanced past the quarterfinals of a world championship. Barrett is so young that he could attempt to defend his U19 title in 2019, but that seems somewhat unlikely considering he'll probably be drafted just weeks before then. It will be interesting to see if he decides to play at the 2018 U18 FIBA Americas Championship next June, an event that will reportedly be held on Canadian soil for the first time ever, in Niagara Falls.
Along with Barrett, two other players from the 2017 tournament cracked the top-10 all-time best performances in terms of Estimated Wins Added (EWA).
NCAA intrigue
• Gonzaga rising sophomores Rui Hachimura (Japan) and Killian Tillie (France) both had solid showings in Cairo, an important sign for last year's NCAA tournament finalists considering the amount of firepower the Bulldogs lost. Despite playing a combined 17 minutes per game last season, Hachimura and Tillie could very well end up being the main anchors of Gonzaga's frontcourt alongside fifth-year senior Johnathan Williams. Hachimura, in particular, is interesting even from an NBA standpoint, standing 6-foot-8 with a wingspan of more than 7-feet, huge hands, a strong frame and what appears to be a significantly improved jump shot. Defensively, he's somewhat caught between positions. Offensively, he needs to improve his awareness and ball-handling skills to emerge as a more consistent contributor for Gonzaga as an upperclassman.
• Oregon's Abu Kigab looks like the next in a long line of highly versatile, multi-positional forwards to play for head coach Dana Altman. Kigab spent a significant amount of time at the center position for Canada and, despite standing just 6-foot-7, was able to hold his own inside the paint thanks to his toughness. His ability to grab defensive rebounds and ignite fast breaks on his own was a major key to head coach Roy Rana's game plan.
• Kentucky's Hamidou Diallo and P.J. Washington had up-and-down showings in Cairo, particularly shooting the ball from outside. They were a combined 3-16 from 3-point range in what may end up being a theme for the Wildcats in 2017-2018. John Calipari has what many consider to be his best recruiting class ever coming to Lexington, but there are real question marks about shooting and if the lack of spacing may end up being a major hurdle to the Wildcats' Final Four aspirations.
• Stanford-bound Oscar Da Silva opened up quite a few eyes playing for Germany. The 6-foot-9, Swiss-army-knife power forward showed the ability to defend positions 1-5 with his elite-level mobility, length, body control and smarts. He also did a great job of pushing the ball in transition and finding the open man with impressive court vision. The son of a Brazilian-born boxer, Da Silva speaks six languages and is bound to become a crowd favorite in Palo Alto. He has legitimate NBA potential once his body fills out and he finds a way to translate his smooth shooting stroke in warmups to game settings.
Top takeaways
• Canada achieved the country's most impressive result in its basketball history by defeating the U.S. in the semifinals in convincing fashion and then capturing gold with a 79-60 win in the final over Italy. Thanks to its liberal immigration policy, the Toronto Raptors' creation in 1995, the exploits of Vince Carter and a deep pipeline of talent being funneled through the U.S. high school, AAU and college systems, Canada has made incredible progress in a short amount of time, culminating in this historic accomplishment.
• Despite steamrollering through the group stage, Calipari's USA Basketball squad didn't bring the intensity, chemistry and perimeter skill required to transition its individual talent to the international game and left with a disappointing third-place finish. This was the first loss the U.S. has suffered in any FIBA competition since 2011, which may require USA Basketball officials to brainstorm how the roster was constructed and the virtues of having an NCAA coaching staff in place.
• The eight teams that qualified for the quarterfinals of this tournament all hailed from Europe and the Americas, showing just how much work is still left to be done for Asia, Africa and Oceania (which together sent seven teams) to catch up to the worldwide basketball powerhouses. Puerto Rico finished in ninth place.
• The NBA strongly advised teams against sending representatives to this event, due to security concerns, which made for a strange situation in which only a handful of U.S.-based scouts were in attendance, despite the abundance of talent on hand. It was a shame because the warm and gracious Egyptians did everything in their power to put on a well-organized tournament. The locals came out in droves to support their national team and packed the arena for the final between Canada and Italy, creating an outstanding atmosphere
Link:Scouting potential 2019 No. 1 pick R.J. Barrett, more U19 prospects
I wonder how in depth ESPN is going to let them go. Think they'll just be more seasonal now instead of all year round?
Edit: Looks like their shyt requires Insider too
Yeah, it'll all be behind a paywall so big opportunity for someone to fill the void
Yeah, it'll all be behind a paywall so big opportunity for someone to fill the void
Quit your job and step up
That's the #bbb way
Wargames
One Of The Last Real Ones To Do It
Welp ESPN ruined Draftexpress.....
He's going to USC or Duke. His dad is from Durham, NC and his family is pushing him hard to go to Duke or go to Arizona where he lived before he moved to Cali to play HS ball.
Personally I think he's over hyped. He's good but not a transcendent talent people are making him out to be.
He's going to USC or Duke. His dad is from Durham, NC and his family is pushing him hard to go to Duke or go to Arizona where he lived before he moved to Cali to play HS ball.
Personally I think he's over hyped. He's good but not a transcendent talent people are making him out to be.
He's not a "transcendent" type talent, but next year he's the unquestioned #1, Bamba and Knox aren't close.
I agree with the first part but nah he's not the unquestioned #1. Porter Jr. is better than him and everyone you just named .
In fact Porter Jr. and Ayton will likely have the most dominant seasons out of all the top 5 potential picks - both are the most NBA ready on both sides of the court.
Knox shouldn't even be mentioned in discussion of the top pick imo. He likely won't even be the best freshman on his own team.
I think underrated players like Troy Brown will be a better NBA player than Knox as well.
I don't like Ayton, or really Porter but I understand he'll be fine. Just not a player I'd be interested in having on my squad. Troy Brown is good as well but there are a few guards I like more than him in that later lottery range.
I like Knox, he won't be the best but he'll show enough flashes to go top 10. Vanderbilt is my favorite player on that Kentucky squad next year.
Mikal Bridges is going to keep rising too, big fan of his.