2013 Draft Prospects

[bajaden]

I do like WCS. He does remind me a little of Chandler, but I think he can be better than Chandler offensively. He's a good prospect but he won't be a star (my opinion may be subject to change - I've only seen 3 Kentucky games so far). I don't think his upside is as high as Noel's.

As for looking to get better than just "good" with a top 3 pick, I'd be fine with getting him (Noel) in that range. He's probably not going to be a superstar, but he's pretty much the perfect partner next to Cousins. Noel runs the floor like a guard, he's a very fluid athlete. He's very active defensively and if/when he gets stronger, he'll be one of the best defensive big men in the league. And he doesn't project as a liability offensively, he has a solid foundation to build on and he's very co-ordinated and athletic. He could easily turn out to be an all-star big if he's developed properly.


Baja, what's your take on two guys I mentioned earlier, Smart and Carter-Williams? I know you're skeptical of Syracuse players, as you should be. But I like him. And Smart reminds me a little of Deron Williams.

Smart is a terrific athlete with great hops. He's big for a PG, as is Carter-Williams. Seems to be a trend these days for everyone except the Kings. The first game I watched with Smart, he blew me away. Everything was clicking including his outside shot. The next game, not so much. I think Williams is a more instinctive PG than Smart, and if your looking for size, he's at the top of the class as far as PG's go. I guess I'm just not as high on Smart as some others are. I can see his potential, but he's lacking skills in certain areas, and has a tendecy to play out of control at times.

If size doesn't matter, then I'd go for Trey Burke, who is probably the best PG in the class of 2013. After him, I have Phil Pressey ranked next. Of course Burke is only 6 foot and Pressey is 5'11". But then Chris Paul is truely only 5'11". I mean if were looking for a 6'5" athletic player that can pass the ball, get to the basket, but struggles with his outside shot, I'd say we already have one of those. And I'm referring to Smart of course. As for Carter-Williams, I have no idea how good a defender he'll be. He's not as athletic as Smart, and he plays for Syracuse, which always plays a zone. I do think that Smart would be a great linebacker though.

As far as Noel is concerned, I'd love to put him next to Cousins. He'd be the perfect pairing, just as Davis would have been last year. I just don't see us having a shot at him. I suspect we'll be drafting somewhere between 7 and 10, and thats why I'm paying attention to Cauley-Stein. Not sure who else might be there just yet. I'll tell you a player that I just love to watch play, and I suspect he may slide into the second round, but more likely he'll be a late first round pick and thats Doug McDermmot from Creighton. Yeah, I know he's not a great athlete. He's to slow and can't jump, but the dude can score on anyone. He's shooting over 50% from the three, and thats not an abberation. Even in the post, where he's only 6'8", he's remarkable with his ability to score on just about anyone. He's also a very good rebounder.

Not sure exactly what position he'll play in the NBA, but I guarantee you he'll play in the NBA. I'll tell you this, if he's sitting there when I pick in the second round, I'm taking him in a heartbeat. I'll figure out the rest later. The kid has outstanding BBIQ. Probably because his father is the coach.

[bajaden]

Being were on the subject of PG's, I thought I'd mention one that doesn't get a lot of national attention. Nate Wolters, a 6'4" PG from South Dakota St. I'd love to say I've seen him play a thousand times, but they're simply not on that much. However, since he's a senior, I have seen him on quite a few occasions, and he's improved evrey year. He's probably a second round pick in the upcoming draft, and he's one of those guys that ends up with a long NBA career as either a backup, or perhaps eventually a starter. He's a smart player and a creative passer. He's also a deceptive athlete, who can take you off the dribble with clever hesitation moves or crossovers. This season he's averaging 37.4 MPG and 21.2 PPG. He's also rebounding well for his position with 5.8 boards per game. He's also averaging 5.8 assists per game. His overall shooting percentage is not bad at 46.4%, but his 3 pt percentage is down a little at 34.7%.

He good at attacking the basket, and has gotten stronger each year, making it easier for him to take contact and still score. At 6'4" he's tall enough to play some SG, but I think his future is at the point, where he has good instincts. The question of course, is the same question that was asked about Lillard last year. How will his results at a lesser conference translate to the NBA. I'm not comparing him to Lillard, who is terrific athlete. It would be nice if South Dakota St. could somehow squeek into the tourney so we can see him up against top competition. At the moment South Dakota St. is down two games in conference play in the Summit league. I imagine that the League will only get one at large bid, so the chances aren't looking good right now.

[Arby's Roast Beef]

Love Wolters. He's not the best outside shooter, but he's a pure PG at 6'4" and is tough as nails--he draws fouls at will and rebounds very well for his size. I think he has late 1st round talent. There's some Jeremy Lin-esque type stuff he's doing--he's definitely not as athletic as Lin is and really doesn't make his mark as much defensively, but stylistically there's some similarities.

I'm huge on Marcus Smart and Michael Carter-Williams. Top three material IMO.

[bajaden]

Love Wolters. He's not the best outside shooter, but he's a pure PG at 6'4" and is tough as nails--he draws fouls at will and rebounds very well for his size. I think he has late 1st round talent. There's some Jeremy Lin-esque type stuff he's doing--he's definitely not as athletic as Lin is and really doesn't make his mark as much defensively, but stylistically there's some similarities.

I'm huge on Marcus Smart and Michael Carter-Williams. Top three material IMO.

Funny you should say that about Wolters outside shot, and then mention Smart and Williams in the same post, since Wolters is a better outside shooter than either of them. However, Carter-Williams shot the ball well from the outside last season. I was just struck by the irony of it. I'm not sure if either of them are top three, but who the hell knows. Its always in the eye of the beholder. Personally I'm more intrigued by Carter-Williams simply because I think he's more skilled than Smart. At least at the moment. Just wish he wasn't going to Syracuse. However, I think smart will get chosen before Williams because of his athleticism. The dude certainly has an NBA body.

What do you think of Kyle Anderson? He's played PG all his life, and now he's playing SF, or SG, or whatever Howland wants. Not sure at times. But you can see his PG instincts regardless. Just curious...

[Arby's Roast Beef]

Yeah, you can probably tell that I value guys who can fill in the blanks rather than shoot . Wolters is a better shooter than Carter-Williams and Smart, though, but we can't be too sure of anything since he plays in a weak conference and spent four years in college (the other two are underclassmen). But, I can already tell I'm on the generous side because most people have Wolters deep in the 2nd round. I'd like to think I'm right and he'll be a steal. He certainly has the toughness to be one, and that's a huge part of the battle IMO.

Great question on Kyle Anderson. I have friends in UCLA who really, really like him and I know that he's pissed that Larry Drew is stealing the PG thunder, but even regardless of that, if he entered in this year's draft, I'd have him as a lottery pick, based on his current play. That's how high on him I am. Great rebounder. At 6'8", he has the passing and ballhandling skills of a combo guard, one who can play the point at a pinch. And that's just his freshman year. Love the kid's athleticism--racks up steals and blocks, draws fouls very well, excellent rebounder. Everyone's going to fixate on the shooting and the lack of range, but you already know the drill with me--if you can do everything else, who cares about the shooting? I follow that tenet that shooting's the easiest thing to improve in the league. Maybe that explains why I was unnaturally high on Honeycutt, but Honeycutt passed like a small forward, never rebounded this well and was way more of a jumpshooter. Anderson seems to have no flaws apart from the shooting. Seriously. I think he should enter this year, especially accounting for the legendary UCLA fudge factor that makes UCLA players play well better in the league than at UCLA. He's the real deal IMO. Will be a lottery pick anytime he enters.

[bajaden]

Yeah, you can probably tell that I value guys who can fill in the blanks rather than shoot . Wolters is a better shooter than Carter-Williams and Smart, though, but we can't be too sure of anything since he plays in a weak conference and spent four years in college (the other two are underclassmen). But, I can already tell I'm on the generous side because most people have Wolters deep in the 2nd round. I'd like to think I'm right and he'll be a steal. He certainly has the toughness to be one, and that's a huge part of the battle IMO.

Great question on Kyle Anderson. I have friends in UCLA who really, really like him and I know that he's pissed that Larry Drew is stealing the PG thunder, but even regardless of that, if he entered in this year's draft, I'd have him as a lottery pick, based on his current play. That's how high on him I am. Great rebounder. At 6'8", he has the passing and ballhandling skills of a combo guard, one who can play the point at a pinch. And that's just his freshman year. Love the kid's athleticism--racks up steals and blocks, draws fouls very well, excellent rebounder. Everyone's going to fixate on the shooting and the lack of range, but you already know the drill with me--if you can do everything else, who cares about the shooting? I follow that tenet that shooting's the easiest thing to improve in the league. Maybe that explains why I was unnaturally high on Honeycutt, but Honeycutt passed like a small forward, never rebounded this well and was way more of a jumpshooter. Anderson seems to have no flaws apart from the shooting. Seriously. I think he should enter this year, especially accounting for the legendary UCLA fudge factor that makes UCLA players play well better in the league than at UCLA. He's the real deal IMO. Will be a lottery pick anytime he enters.

We agree on Anderson. I have him as a lottery pick as well, and I think he's surpremely talented, and once again, Howland is doing everything he can to hide a players talents. I know he played primarily PG in highschool, but I've always questioned his ability to guard PG's at the NBA level. However, if you use him like a Scottie Pippin, then I think you get the best of both worlds. So in some ways, Howland may be doing him a favor by playing at SF. He does need to improve his shooting, but I could say that about two thirds of the players in the draft. One of the reasons I like McLemore is his ability to shoot the ball, but even he has flaws. Its very difficult to find a 19 year old thats perfect.

Your right about Wolters being a four year player, and in some ways its not fair to compare him to a freshman and a sophmore. But Wolters is another one of those players, that if he's sitting there in the second round, I'd have to give him serious consideration.

[Dime Dropper]

I've yet to see Anderson, so can't comment on him. I'll definitely try to catch a UCLA game next time they're on here.

As for McDermott who Baja mentioned earlier, I haven't seen him, but would Mike Miller be a decent comparison? That's what I'm getting from reading about him. Bigger, but less athletic.

[Dime Dropper]

Just watching Maryland and NC State, so it's my first time seeing Len and Leslie. It's only 5 mins in and I'm fairly sure I'm going to like Len more than Isaiah Austin, who is one of the skinniest big men I've ever seen. Len looks pretty big, and made a beautiful pass to his teammate a moment ago. Leslie has done nothing as of yet. Does anyone know anything about Maryland's freshman PG? Don't know yet if he's a serious prospect, but he's already made two eye-opening moves. One an impressive crossover going full speed which took his defender out before making an athletic shot over a big guy, and the second not too dissimilar. Maybe it won't happen too often, but it was impressive.

[Arby's Roast Beef]

I just don't know about guys like Doug McDermott. I have him pretty deep into the 2nd round (45th out of 76 prospects I saw) and the guy just looks like a glorified Luke Harangody type. There are three concerns with him: He has near center like passing ability, his level of competition's a step down, he has an absolutely horrid (like possibly NCAA-worst) rate of steals and blocks. He literally can't get them at all at the NCAA, so how's that going to fare in the NBA? He'll really be stretched defensively. There's always a ton of these types in college. Adam Morrison, Jimmer Fredette (sad, but true I think), Harangody. You know, he's just a really, really awesome college player, and...

Anyone like Aaron Craft from OSU? I know he's super polarizing--there are a few who really love him, and then there's a ton who counter that he lacks upside, lacks athleticism, is far too invisible in offense, wants to go to med school instead of playing ball (yay!). I actually really like him and think that if the draft were held today, he'd be the 23rd best talent (late 1st round). There's just something about is heart and hustle that I think can make him a mainstay in the league for many years. Few possess that. I know people said that about Kirk Hinrich and Derek Fisher, and they've been solid investments even though none of them were ever more than 4th options at their peaks. I think Craft is cut from the same cloth.

[bajaden]

I just don't know about guys like Doug McDermott. I have him pretty deep into the 2nd round (45th out of 76 prospects I saw) and the guy just looks like a glorified Luke Harangody type. There are three concerns with him: He has near center like passing ability, his level of competition's a step down, he has an absolutely horrid (like possibly NCAA-worst) rate of steals and blocks. He literally can't get them at all at the NCAA, so how's that going to fare in the NBA? He'll really be stretched defensively. There's always a ton of these types in college. Adam Morrison, Jimmer Fredette (sad, but true I think), Harangody. You know, he's just a really, really awesome college player, and...

Anyone like Aaron Craft from OSU? I know he's super polarizing--there are a few who really love him, and then there's a ton who counter that he lacks upside, lacks athleticism, is far too invisible in offense, wants to go to med school instead of playing ball (yay!). I actually really like him and think that if the draft were held today, he'd be the 23rd best talent (late 1st round). There's just something about is heart and hustle that I think can make him a mainstay in the league for many years. Few possess that. I know people said that about Kirk Hinrich and Derek Fisher, and they've been solid investments even though none of them were ever more than 4th options at their peaks. I think Craft is cut from the same cloth.

First, Craft! I love Aaron Craft, and I'm amazed when people say he's not athletic, but yet he's the best defensive PG in all of college. I mean how can you be unathletic, and still be that good on defense. I've seen some of the quickest PG's in college try and get by Craft, and all they get is frustrated. Now how good a PG Craft is, is an entirely different story. He's not an above average ballhandler, but he's adequete. His outside shot has improved every year, but since he doesn't take a lot of shots, its hard to tell how consistent he would be if he did.. He's a good passer, but he won't blow anyone away with his creative ability.

So I don't know that he could start for an NBA team someday, but anything is possible. I think that on the right team, where all you need is a PG to bring up the ball, start the offense, and take the open shot, he would fit in nicely. Where he would excell is on the other end of the floor.

As for McDermott, I've seen him play a lot over the last three years. He's a far better prospect than Harangody. He's a better athlete, but thats not saying alot. Harangody can't even compare to McDermott when it comes to shooting the ball. I won't call him automatic, but almost. He hits half of his three point shots, and close to 70% of his 2pt jumpers. Where he surprises people is in the post, where he's lightning quick with his decisions on what to do with the ball. He's so quick that many times defenders don't have time to react. From the moment the ball hits his hands in a postup, to when its in the basket is usually around 2 seconds. There's no hesitation, and it catches defenders off guard. So offensively, I think McDermott can score anywhere on just about anyone.

The question is, can he defend well enough to warrant having him on the floor for his offense. I can't answer that, and I doubt anyone can. So he's a gamble in that area. But there have been players that have carved out a spot for themselves that aren't known for thier defense. Novak springs to mind, and McDermott is as good a shooter, if not better than Novak. All I can say about his defense, is that he gives a good effort in that area. He's hurt by just avearge lateral quickness, and if not for that, he might translate to the SF position in the NBA. I just have my doubts about him guarding the quick SF's. He has the skill level to play PF, but lacks the size and strength, at only 6'8" and around 220 Lb's.

All in all, he's a surpremely talented player on the offensive side of the ball, with serious questions about the defensive side of the ball. I suspect he'll get drafted somewhere in the middle of the 2nd round, but don't be surprised if a team takes a flyer on him earlier in the draft. Thats assuming he declares for the draft, which he may not, since his father is coaching the team.

[bajaden]

Just watching Maryland and NC State, so it's my first time seeing Len and Leslie. It's only 5 mins in and I'm fairly sure I'm going to like Len more than Isaiah Austin, who is one of the skinniest big men I've ever seen. Len looks pretty big, and made a beautiful pass to his teammate a moment ago. Leslie has done nothing as of yet. Does anyone know anything about Maryland's freshman PG? Don't know yet if he's a serious prospect, but he's already made two eye-opening moves. One an impressive crossover going full speed which took his defender out before making an athletic shot over a big guy, and the second not too dissimilar. Maybe it won't happen too often, but it was impressive.

I watched the same game last night after the Kings game. I think Len shows a lot of promise. He appears to be an above aveage athlete for a 7 footer, and he has great length. I don't know what his wingspan is, but it appears to be huge. He's quite intimidating in the post with his arms straight up in the air. Obviously his post game needs some refinement. Its a little mechanical, and at times a little rushed, but you can see the foundation there to build on. Unfortuately, he doesn't get the ball enough in the post to have the kind of impact on the game that he could. Personally I got sick and tired of seeing Marylands guards driving out of control to the basket and throwing up wild crazy shots. From some of the nice passes Len made in the post, it seemed they could benefit from running the ball through him at times. Anyway, I think he's a good looking prospect, but he's still raw in some areas, which isn't unusual. He does block his share of shots, but at the moment, he's not the shotblocker that Withey and Noel are. Not sure he has as good of instincts as they do.

As for C.J. Leslie, I wouldn't give you the powder to blow him to hell. Well, maybe thats a bit extreme, but needless to say, he's been a major disappointment for me, and frankly I'm sick and tired of waiting for him to develop into this so called great player thats hidden somewhere inside of him. His jumpshot has improved, but when contested, his percentage drops like a rock. He is a terrific athlete, and perhaps thats what all the noise was about when he came out of highschool. But this is his third year of college, and the amount of improvement he's made is not very noticable. On occasion, he will impact a game, but I can't begin to tell you how many games I've watched, where you wouldn't have noticed he was in the game, if he wasn't listed on the roster. In short, Leslie, in my opinion, hasn't lived up to anyone's expectations. Doesn't mean that a light won't go on in the future, but I sure wouldn't use a 1st round pick on him.

[Dime Dropper]

Currently watching Michigan/Minnesota. First time seeing Burke - colour me impressed. His talent is pretty obvious, I'm a fan and will definitely tune in to catch more of their games. I actually missed the first half so don't know how he did, but he's showing some nice things in the second half. Is the Robinson for Michigan a son of Glenn? He's an excellent athlete.


BTW, on Craft: He's clearly not a poor athlete. He's above average. It's just the stereotype again. I have no idea how he'll get on in the NBA, I haven't seen him enough times, but he's pretty damn quick.

[Capt. Factorial]

Is the Robinson for Michigan a son of Glenn? He's an excellent athlete.

Yes, he is his son.

[Gilles]

If Michigan goes deep, and I think right now I would put them in Final Four, for sure, he might declare and would go in the lottery. A bit smallish for SF, now that every team tends to have 6'9"-6'10" guys, so he's a true swingman (SG/SF), but an excellent athlete, who can shoot, slash in a pinch and defend.

[bajaden]

Currently watching Michigan/Minnesota. First time seeing Burke - colour me impressed. His talent is pretty obvious, I'm a fan and will definitely tune in to catch more of their games. I actually missed the first half so don't know how he did, but he's showing some nice things in the second half. Is the Robinson for Michigan a son of Glenn? He's an excellent athlete.


BTW, on Craft: He's clearly not a poor athlete. He's above average. It's just the stereotype again. I have no idea how he'll get on in the NBA, I haven't seen him enough times, but he's pretty damn quick.

If I had to choose a PG right now, it would be Burke. He's having a terrific year, and he's the master of changing speeds and hesitation moves. I don't thing there's anyone he can't get past. His abilitly to just freeze players, and then blow by them is outstanding. Other than being just 6 foot, which used to be the norm, he's the whole package

[bajaden]

If Michigan goes deep, and I think right now I would put them in Final Four, for sure, he might declare and would go in the lottery. A bit smallish for SF, now that every team tends to have 6'9"-6'10" guys, so he's a true swingman (SG/SF), but an excellent athlete, who can shoot, slash in a pinch and defend.

I agree with you! I have Michigan in my final four right now. That can change of course, but right now they're one of the best teams in the country. They're loaded with talent, including Tim Hardaway Jr., who is having an outstanding year. They've got great outside shooting from Nik Stauskas. Robinson might come out, but I think he would be best served to stay another year. Good athlete, but just a tad undersized for the SF position. However with the trend now in the NBA to go with smaller, quicker lineups, his size may not matter. They're not great inside, but they have size to match up, with two other freshmen, Mitch McGary, and Jon Horford. I could see Michigan winning the whole thing.

[Arby's Roast Beef]

Glenn Robinson and Trey Burke should both enter the draft--they're both late lottery picks IMO. I'm not crazy about GRIII's long term upside, because I believe in the ever-evolving NBA it's way better to be a swiss knife rather than be singular minded, and GRIII's mindset is like his father's: score first, score second, score third, and do everything else. The Big Dog did this in the '90s though when scoring was super valuable. GRIII's great at creating a ton of shots without the ball over like his dad is, so I think he'll be an immediate NBA contributor, but settle into a high level roleplaying scorer at the end. In this relatively weak draft, he's strong enough to be a fringe lotto pick regardless, so he should jump.

On that team, if anyone should return, it's Tim Hardaway Jr (#40th). He's a mid 2nd round talent right now. But I always get the feeling that sons of storied NBA players always feel that greater itch to jump ship, and THJr's a junior so time is ticking. But still, on a talent-basis, he should really stay--he should get control of the ship next year, so we could truly see if he has what it takes (even though I tend to hate 4-year players by rule).

I've looked at two other guys over the weekend and I really like them: I know most people watch Colorado games to look at Andre Roberson (rightfully so, he's #17th in my mock) but has anyone looked at the other side of the coin, Spencer Dinwiddie? Many people don't talk him up, but he's a smooth scorer with range and who can really draw fouls with the best of them at the NCAA level. He's a SG through and through and doesn't contribute much in way of defense and rebounding, but he has some refined scoring skills that should translate to the next level, and he's very young for his class. I have him at 21st in my mock. He isn't an uber upside guy, but should settle into a solid scorer at the next level. I don't think he'll jump the ship yet, but he has a great base to build off of.

Another guy I'd like to get opinions on is Kendall Williams (37th). Many people have him undrafted, but I remember when he was relatively hyped after his production in his freshman year. He hasn't regressed per se as much as he's stagnated after two years, and playing at a weak conference I think he's lost quite a few fans. But still, he's a pure PG with great size for his position (6'4") and he features an offensive game that involves hitting threes and drawing fouls. He's not a lights out shooter, but should develop into a very solid one at the next level. To recap, 6'4" pure PG who can slash and shoot solidly from deep. Yeah, he isn't very athletic and doesn't rebound or make defensive plays, but there's a lot to like with him, and he should be a flyer in the early to mid 2nd. Again, probably won't jump ship, but keep an eye out for him next year.

A long time Arby's favorite is Arsalan Kazemi. From Iran. If you've followed my scouting exploits last year, just a huge fan. Uber active player--manically draws fouls, rebounds extremely well especially for his size, makes a ton of defensive plays and has extremely quick hands for steals in particular. He's a better scorer than most think and while he might lack range, his free throw shooting is decent enough for his size. Can be a huge steal. He transferred to Oregon from Rice after some controversy, and he's still maintaining very good production, doing Kazemi-like things, even in the face of steeper competition. This guy needs to be recognized. If Reggie Evans can last in the league for a decade just by only rebounding very well, Kazemi should be able to do the same, plus more, because he's well more talented than an Evans. I have him 22nd in my mock and there's a part of me that has even put him in the late lotto in the past, but a mid/late 1st round pick should be in more line with his talent.

I know Baja's a huge fan of Dellavedova--I also looked at him this week. Impressive. The first thing that stands out to me is his height (6'4") in combination with his legit NBA PG passing. Too many a time we see undersized gunners with no passing skills. In fact, largely because of, Dellavedova earns major points with me. He's also got a very diverse offensive game that sees him slashing at St. Mary's and hitting threes at a very solid clip, and if his free throw shooting is any indication he should be even better. On defense he's an absolute sieve in his poor conference so the upside is a traffic cone at the next level as well. But the height+good offense+passing is enough to get looks in the 2nd round, that's for sure. He's 37th in my mock while many people are just putting him in undrafted territory.

Also, I'm wondering why Shabazz Napier doesn't get much hype. He doesn't have great build, but he's a pure PG who can get to the rim and also spaces the floor with a pretty good shot from three. Very quick hands. That's pretty much all you need, and I think he has lead guard potential in the NBA. I actually have him in the late lottery if he wants to enter this year.

[Gilles]

Watched a few games last night and for me it really was night, not just evening.
First was Maryland@UNC. Len just doesn't impress me. All he has - great length for NCAA, that will become just very good in the NBA. He's not very coordinated or agile and on defense likes to stick his hands out kinda like DFC. Bullock had a very good game scoring in a variety
Then came Missouri@Florida. I understand that they missed Bowers sorely to give them at least some semblance of inside-outside game, but, boy, were they spanked. Pressey is quite turnover prone but yesterday he got under train and it became train wreck - only his double-digit stat were 10 turnovers. Given he doesn't press defense but rather takes which is given to him, I'm 100% percent sure, I'd much rather have IT2.

[Gilles]

I also saw 2/3 of Syracuse-Louiville, so I missed late heroics by MCW, but I saw enough to realise he's not even close to be an NBA PG. He's sure a defensive presence at PG, but he's just too wild to run the team, and if Syracuse didn't have another good ballhandler in Triche, who also got hot last night, I don't think it would be a close game.
Gorgui Dieng really impressed offensively. How can a center shooting 1-5 from the field impress? Well, he busted Syracuse zone with his passing basically every time from high post and showed quite nice ballhandling skills for a center. He still lacks some muscle, and, given his age, will probably always do, Dieng still is a nice player. Don't think he can work with Boogie really well though, since Dieng is effective only within 6-8 feet from the basket. On the other hand so was Dalembert, and I would say Dieng is a similar player.

[bajaden]

Watched a few games last night and for me it really was night, not just evening.
First was Maryland@UNC. Len just doesn't impress me. All he has - great length for NCAA, that will become just very good in the NBA. He's not very coordinated or agile and on defense likes to stick his hands out kinda like DFC. Bullock had a very good game scoring in a variety
Then came Missouri@Florida. I understand that they missed Bowers sorely to give them at least some semblance of inside-outside game, but, boy, were they spanked. Pressey is quite turnover prone but yesterday he got under train and it became train wreck - only his double-digit stat were 10 turnovers. Given he doesn't press defense but rather takes which is given to him, I'm 100% percent sure, I'd much rather have IT2.

Well, everyone see's things differently and thats what makes the world go round. I think Len has promise. As I pointed out, he tends to be a little mechanical in his post game, but he runs the floor very well, and rotates well on defense. So I think his athleticism is fine, when compared with some of the slow plodding centers we have in the NBA. He does need to get stronger, and I think that will help him on both offense and defense. Right now he's knocked off balance too easily. I also think his stat line would look better if he had guards that thought of doing something other than jumpshooting the ball. Fact is, I believe he's the leading scorer on the team despite that.

I didn't see the Maryland/North Carolina game, since I was out of town. But I did see the Maryland/North Carolina St. game, and to point out what I was saying, here are some stats from that game. Len had 8 shot attempts and made 3 shots. He was also 4 for 4 from the line, for a total of 10 points. All the guards combined took 41 attempts and made 12 for a shooting percentage of 29%. Of those 41 attempts, 18 were 3 pt attempts, of which they made 3, for blistering 3pt percentage of 16%. This is why Maryland won't go far in the Tourney, if indeed they make the tourney. And while you don't seem to like Phil Pressey, who has around a 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio, he would make Len's life a lot easier if he was on the Maryland team.