I think the Pistons should look at him at 37. Would have Jerami Grant to study under.
I played pickup ball with Gary Grant at the old IM building once; have probably bragged about that here before! (Well, I ran up and down the floor as he swooped and shot, covered nine or ten feet with every dribble.) Guy was unbelievable. Iām gonna go out on an old man limb and say that Franz isnāt as good, but I am in no way contesting the fact that he is a marvelous defender.
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How about Tayshaun Prince for a Franz comparison? Thatās who he reminds me of defensively with the crazy length.
I like the Batum compare. I think that Franz might easily be that large in no time. Prince, IIRC, was a string bean when he reached the league.
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Thatās been my comp. Can post a little. Decent shooter. Glue guy on offense. Long limbed perimeter defender.
I think Liddell is better today ināpositionlessā world than 10 years ago. I could see him setting screens, corner shooter, etc. Defense is the major concern, obviously. A 4? Maybe a 3? Hard to see. But heās impressively skilled.
I find it hard to believe Garza would be picked before Kofi. I know Garza can shoot but defensively i donāt get it. I suppose the NBA comp for Garza is Kelly Olynyk (sp?) with a better post game, but KO has some mobility whereas Garza seems to have none.
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Tay is a good comparison for me, given he comes from an era in which I watched a lot more NBA. Mabye there are better comps with more-recent players; I canāt say.
I think that Tay came in with a similar level of point-foward/secondary-playmaker expectations, and came with a versatile offensive game that didnāt all translate in the NBA, and thatās whatāll happen with Franz. He isnāt likely to average 4-5 apg or be a three-level thread, but heāll be a guy who finds his spots and scores efficiently from them. Wonāt be creating for others necessarily, but heāll be a plus-level passer who helps make the offense go and gets you a few more assists than your average 3&D wing.
But itās hard to project. Heās still just 19 and you can see heās still figuring himself out. Thereās a lot of upside and reaching it will be both a physical and a mental process.
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Prince is a little more in my comfort zone as an NBA era so I like that comp a fair amount. Versatile, long-armed defenderā¦solid in all areasā¦good secondary scorerā¦streaky shooterā¦probably never going to be a #1 option for any team but valuable piece for a good team.
If Wagner could mimic his career - that would be awesome:
13 years, 11ppg, 4rpg, 2.5apg, 37% from three, 45% overall.
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I would say Franzā closest comp is Klay Thompson with a little bit of Nate Robinson and Shaquile OāNeal. Terrific post presence and insane dunking ability for a guy so tiny along with elite sharpshooting. I would add that he has Jason Kiddās passing vision as part of his arsenal but I donāt want to go too overboard.
Far from a 3 and D guy, I project him to be the greatest player of all time at the next level.
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Hard to argue with.
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He also kinda reminds me physically of Robert āTractorā Traylor.
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I said since, implying Grant may be betterāwith the caveat on off-ball D.
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One more name here for Franz:
Aleksej Pokusevski
Heās younger than Franz despite being in the NBA, but has a pretty similar body and skill set.
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Andrei Kirilenko
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I canāt think of a player with more divergent shot perception from Franz than Poku.
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I saw a Tankathon mock a few days ago that had the Pistons taking Todd with their first pick in the 2nd and then Livers with their second.
Thatās a guy I was thinking of with regards to Franz. Or a taller, better defensively, and less-floppy Ginobli. Of course Manu was far more skilled offensively than Franz is at this point.
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I have a friend who is obsessed with that comp. For months now.
Uhā¦no thanks. What pick would that be? I didnāt think Todd was projected in the lottery. If the Pistons get a good pick, they need more of a sure thing. Not another stretch 4 project.