Post by eric on Feb 15, 2023 17:02:03 GMT -5
Larry Nance Sr.
PF
6'10"
206
22
Clemson
Due to some wormhole/time travel/freaky Friday type situation... Larry Sr. is entering the league a year later and younger than his son Larry Nance Jr. Scouts have agreed to shut up about it and just pretend like it's normal. Nance Sr. comes to the league with two primary calling cards: leaping ability and incredible quickness. He runs the court like a gazelle and finishes fast breaks like a gazelle that also has hands and can dunk basketballs, hands he uses for passing perhaps more than he should. There are some in the community that see a ton of potential in his future, if he gets proper coaching and he keeps at it. The downsides for Nance Sr. are not numerous, but his FT form is merely average and he's not a three point threat at all, plus he is obviously super skinny and needs weight training. The latter is the main cause of his weakness on the defensive backboard, but he utilizes his all directions athleticism very well for shot blocking.
Tom Chambers
PF
6'9"
222
22
Utah
With thunderous dunks and short shorts, Thomas "Tom" Chambers got everyone rowdy in SLC last season. He is a unique leaper from the PF position, who can outjump just about any other big in the league. He should be an auto-entrant into the Slam Dunk event from Year 1. Besides thunderous dunks, he brings a slick midrange game and even some three point shooting acumen... and not a whole lot else. Despite good performances in the weight room Chambers doesn't have the functional strength to fight for rebounds or lateral quickness to defend, and he over dribbles into way too many turnovers. Doesn't block shots or steal well. His stat sheet most games may end up with some 0s in those key areas... but he is still a solid player with a great work ethic... just unique.
Steve Johnson
PF
6'10"
6'10"
238
24
Oregon State
The oldest collegian in the draft, you are getting a ready made player in Johnson... but you aren't betting on any upside. He led the nation in FG% (shooting .746!!!) this past season, as he is nearly unstoppable on the block against any bigs... unless of course you foul him. His FT shooting leaves a ton to be desired, and forget about threes. Also showed a troubling lack of awareness of weak side traps, opportunistic guards will pad their steal totals as he just doesn't keep the ball high enough. His rebounding is dreadful for a big... he just doesn't pull down defensive boards at all and hasn't in any significant way during any of his seasons in Corvallis, but he has a decent nose for putbacks. It's quite the oddity for the beast of man he is. Defensively his calling card is some powerful blocks, swatted from the sky with his sledgehammer hands, though scouts question whether his lack of vertical explosion will hold him back in the pros.
Isiah Thomas
PG
5'11"
165
20
Indiana
Despite being the youngest player in the draft class, Isiah is clearly the most decorated. A consensus All-American and NCAA Tournament MOP, Thomas led the Hoosiers to the title and is now ready to ply his trade in the big leagues. A rare combination of scoring and facilitation in a small body, he is one of the rare PGs that could potentially lead the league in scoring and assists at the same time. He is a tough, gritty big-dude in a little-dude body. He scores inside regularly, but a lack of impressive hops could limit his efficiency against pro defenses. He finds his way into a plethora of steals... but that might be covering up some defensive flaws if you look too close. His size alone hurts him on the perimeter or inside, but he just isn't a committed defender every time down the court... or at least he hasn't shown it yet. He has struggled with TOs, but that is to be expected with his sky-high usage in Bloomington... and he cut TOs by 30% year over year at IU. Will need some work to hit from TMBSL three point range reliably.
Kelly Tripucka
SG
6'6"
190
22
Notre Dame
Part of the reason Orlando Woolridge didn't shoot a ton is because Tripucka was busy doing it instead. A high volume, high efficiency scoring guard, Tripucka thrived in Digger Phelps' system, replacing the scoring output of Adrian Dantley in previous years. Not an outside threat, but his FT stroke is quite excellent. So... what are the problems? Well, as stated, he doesn't really venture outside to shoot. His shot is good to 16-17 at maximum. Defensively... yikes. He just isn't fast enough or skilled enough outside to stay on his man, and while he finishes strong, bumbling through the lane gives opponents plenty of opportunities to strip him or force him into an awkward pass, which he resorts to far too often. Give him a solid shot blocking team around him and you can probably hide his flaws... so that's nice. The prototypical four year college player, Tripucka will probably not see much growth in the pros.
Buck Williams
PF
6'8"
218
21
Maryland
Despite his frame, Williams has made his living inside during his 3 years at Maryland. He is an efficient inside player... but has scored almost entirely on dunks and layups. His jump shot is very bad and his free throw stroke mediocre. His rebounding numbers are very good for his position, but not elite elite. His hands are soft and instincts solid, so he's been a surprisingly low TO player as a Terp... but he definitely isn't considered to be a play-maker on his own. He needs a good system around him to feed him the ball. Defensively his lack of heft has gotten him pushed around on the block. He would excel against smaller forwards, but legitimate bigs will probably bowl him over unless he gets significantly stronger, and so far he hasn't shown much interest in putting in the work to do so.
Orlando Woolridge
SF
6'9"
215
22
Notre Dame
Woolridge is a fascinating prospect. He is incredibly efficient (he shot .585 his junior year and .650 (.650!!!) his senior year)... but his volume has always been, well, low. Despite the pleas of Digger Phelps, Woolridge never seemed to have that drive to score in bunches or add three point range to his very solid jump shot. His defensive rebounding has been a disappointment, he's a good defender, although it doesn't always show up in the counting stats. But still... the biggest question remains to most scouts... does he want to be a great player? If his volume increases, he absolutely could be... if not, he'll probably go pro in something else.
Mark Aguirre
SF
6'7"
235
21
DePaul
He giveth and he giveth away. After winning the National Player of the Year award as a sophomore, Aguirre returned to DePaul to chase a championship. Now that that has failed, he seeks glory in TMBSL. He is a voluminous scorer especially attacking the rim... but he also turns the ball over, exacerbated by his penchant for getting teammates involved. A lot. Whoever selects him will need to understand that he brings a lot of skill, especially in scoring via his inside/driving game where he is very fast and strong... but that he's turnover prone and not overly interested in playing sound defense, or getting steals, or blocking shots, and often gets caught looking for steals and loses his man on backcuts or screens, and forget about defensive rebounds. Unlike many players in the class, he has flashed a bit of a three point shot.
Rolando Blackman
SG
6'6"
194
22
Kansas State
A steady hand, especially via the jumpshot, that projects to have a decent stroke from distance as he moves into the TMBSL, Blackman is a pure scoring guard. Many scouts think he hasn't much room to grow, given his real training/development in the Little Apple the last few years. He takes care of the ball, which is a big bonus, even though he gets a very good number of assists for a shooting guard. Aside from scoring, the rest of his game is a bit thin. He's not an ideal defender either, but he hasn't really been asked to do so over the past few years, and has a good understanding of team schemes.
Danny Ainge
SG
6'4"
177
23
BYU
The engine of BYU, Ainge sported an insane usage rate and MP for his entire career in Provo. A knockdown shooter, Ainge's mid-range game is exceptional and he is steady from the line even under pressure, and should be at least a solid three point shooter from game one in the pros. What he lacks in explosive leaping he makes up for in his strength, which is considerable for such a wiry frame. He doesn't back down on offense or defense from a challenge and has developed a reputation around the WAC as a prolific thief, nabbing nearly 2 steals per game over his entire career, but a lack of lateral quickness will limit his ability to stay in front of TMBSL guards. A full on combo guard, Ainge will rack up assists without many turnovers. His rebounds really suffered after his freshman season, as he was clearly focusing on other aspects of the game, especially with regard to the offensive glass, where he almost never collected a board.