A look ahead to the future
Dec 25, 2016 21:32:21 GMT -5
Golden State Warriors (Caleb), Yacob (freelance idiot), and 3 more like this
Post by The Athletic on Dec 25, 2016 21:32:21 GMT -5
The season is in full swing and a lot of teams are gearing up for the playoffs. Some other teams are starting to gear towards the draft and figure out what pieces in this upcoming draft will help take their team to the next level. Here are five of our favorite prospects and who we think they'd fit well with.
Lonzo Ball | PG | UCLA
Boston Celtics
Lonzo Ball i think right now is probably the #1 player in the class, and i could see him fitting in really well in Boston under Yacob. The Celtics right now really have no guards, and have guys like Bender and Jokic developing down low. Ball would step in right away and contribute for this team. I haven't really been able to talk to Yacob much about who he likes in this class, so this is more of a guess, but Ball's bball IQ is through the roof, he has excellent size and athleticism, and has great vision and passing. Yes, his jump shot needs work but that is the easiest thing to clean up. I think Lonzo would be a perfect fit, and has shown he can do just about everything. Another thing i really like about him is his unselfishness, he plays well with others. He doesn't need the ball in his hand 24/7 for his impact to be felt, he impacts the games in so many different ways, and that is why he is out #1 player as of now.
Markelle Fultz | PG | Washington
New Orleans Hornets
This draft is loaded with elite talent at the point guard position. Fultz was a late bloomer, but has fully blossomed into a do it all point guard. He has good size at 6'5 and has shown elite atheism and ability to score the ball in a variety of ways. He has great explosion in terms of changing direction and quick twitch movements. He has the alpha dog mentality which is just about important as anything in my opinion. Despite this, he still does need to work on the leader aspect. Like Lonzo he can fill it up, he scores, rebounds, plays defense, and dimes. He really can do it all. He is very streaky though, but the consistency just comes with time. He could stand to add a little bit more strength but that's not a big deal. His midrange game also leaves a little to be desired. OVerall he would be a good fit in Charlotte as like, Ball in Boston he would be able to step in right away as the team's #1 point guard.
Josh Jackson | SG/SF | Kansas
Brooklyn Nets
I actually wasn't a huge fan of Jackson coming in. I obviously knew he was very good, but wasn't quite as sold as others were. After watching him this year, he is definitely as good as advertised. To start off he has that passion and leadership that you love to see in a young player. Almost reminds me of a Jaimes Winston type of leader. Outside of that he has all the skills. He is a silky smooth scorer. He's got a much more advanced handle then i thought. He does a great job of getting to his spots on the floor and working. He has unbelievable athleticism, and uses it well on defense and offense. Like many at this age his jumper struggles in terms of consistency but all the tools are there and he can get hot from out there. He is a great defender for his age/size in terms of both blocks and on ball defense. Overall he'd slot in very well in Brooklyn on the wing.
De'Aron Fox | PG | Kentucky
LA Lakers
This point guard class is unbelievably loaded, and some lotto teams this year are going to be very lucky. Fox reminds me somewhat of a left handed John Wall. He doesn't have the size of Ball and Fultz but has very solid length. He is insanely athletic, i mean the dude can just jump out of the gym. He changes speed and direction very well and is very crafty around the basket. He isn't an amazing shooter, but his motion is very fluid and he has the potential to be a very good next level shooter, as he shoots well of the dribble and spotting up. He's got very solid vision and passing ability and is a nightmare to guard in the open court. He is an absolute blur in the open field and will look to push at every opportunity. He's also a top notch defender on the ball, his quickness allows him to stay with everyone. His only weaknesses right now are his slight frame, decision making at times and his consistency. He would be a great addition in LA pushing Knight to the two and running with Paul George.
Jayson Tatum | SF | Duke
Cleveland Cavs
Finally we have Jayson Tatum who i think would fit right in, in Cleveland. At 6'8 he's very smooth and versatile. He uses his length to shoot over small defender out of the post. He's able to have the game run through him out of the post even at his size, kinda like Jabari did. He has great footwork and vision out of the post that allows him to find the open cutter or work on a bigger guy using his footwork. He does a great job of getting to the line, something not everyone at this level can work on. He really doesn't have any major weaknesses and can fill it up. He'd be a great fit in a rebuilding Cleveland team. He is going to make a GM very happy come this summer.
Lonzo Ball | PG | UCLA
Boston Celtics
Lonzo Ball i think right now is probably the #1 player in the class, and i could see him fitting in really well in Boston under Yacob. The Celtics right now really have no guards, and have guys like Bender and Jokic developing down low. Ball would step in right away and contribute for this team. I haven't really been able to talk to Yacob much about who he likes in this class, so this is more of a guess, but Ball's bball IQ is through the roof, he has excellent size and athleticism, and has great vision and passing. Yes, his jump shot needs work but that is the easiest thing to clean up. I think Lonzo would be a perfect fit, and has shown he can do just about everything. Another thing i really like about him is his unselfishness, he plays well with others. He doesn't need the ball in his hand 24/7 for his impact to be felt, he impacts the games in so many different ways, and that is why he is out #1 player as of now.
Markelle Fultz | PG | Washington
New Orleans Hornets
This draft is loaded with elite talent at the point guard position. Fultz was a late bloomer, but has fully blossomed into a do it all point guard. He has good size at 6'5 and has shown elite atheism and ability to score the ball in a variety of ways. He has great explosion in terms of changing direction and quick twitch movements. He has the alpha dog mentality which is just about important as anything in my opinion. Despite this, he still does need to work on the leader aspect. Like Lonzo he can fill it up, he scores, rebounds, plays defense, and dimes. He really can do it all. He is very streaky though, but the consistency just comes with time. He could stand to add a little bit more strength but that's not a big deal. His midrange game also leaves a little to be desired. OVerall he would be a good fit in Charlotte as like, Ball in Boston he would be able to step in right away as the team's #1 point guard.
Josh Jackson | SG/SF | Kansas
Brooklyn Nets
I actually wasn't a huge fan of Jackson coming in. I obviously knew he was very good, but wasn't quite as sold as others were. After watching him this year, he is definitely as good as advertised. To start off he has that passion and leadership that you love to see in a young player. Almost reminds me of a Jaimes Winston type of leader. Outside of that he has all the skills. He is a silky smooth scorer. He's got a much more advanced handle then i thought. He does a great job of getting to his spots on the floor and working. He has unbelievable athleticism, and uses it well on defense and offense. Like many at this age his jumper struggles in terms of consistency but all the tools are there and he can get hot from out there. He is a great defender for his age/size in terms of both blocks and on ball defense. Overall he'd slot in very well in Brooklyn on the wing.
De'Aron Fox | PG | Kentucky
LA Lakers
This point guard class is unbelievably loaded, and some lotto teams this year are going to be very lucky. Fox reminds me somewhat of a left handed John Wall. He doesn't have the size of Ball and Fultz but has very solid length. He is insanely athletic, i mean the dude can just jump out of the gym. He changes speed and direction very well and is very crafty around the basket. He isn't an amazing shooter, but his motion is very fluid and he has the potential to be a very good next level shooter, as he shoots well of the dribble and spotting up. He's got very solid vision and passing ability and is a nightmare to guard in the open court. He is an absolute blur in the open field and will look to push at every opportunity. He's also a top notch defender on the ball, his quickness allows him to stay with everyone. His only weaknesses right now are his slight frame, decision making at times and his consistency. He would be a great addition in LA pushing Knight to the two and running with Paul George.
Jayson Tatum | SF | Duke
Cleveland Cavs
Finally we have Jayson Tatum who i think would fit right in, in Cleveland. At 6'8 he's very smooth and versatile. He uses his length to shoot over small defender out of the post. He's able to have the game run through him out of the post even at his size, kinda like Jabari did. He has great footwork and vision out of the post that allows him to find the open cutter or work on a bigger guy using his footwork. He does a great job of getting to the line, something not everyone at this level can work on. He really doesn't have any major weaknesses and can fill it up. He'd be a great fit in a rebuilding Cleveland team. He is going to make a GM very happy come this summer.
