I’m not sure Barnes has the freak athleticism you’d need to make up for his shooting. Mobley can be a game changer. I agree that he’s not going to be your offensive hub. But I think he’ll be a really good offensive player to go with being the defensive hub.
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I will admit that I got there because Kawhi was sort of a great frame and athleticism when he got drafted. Nobody thought he’d shoot, and he really never played with the ball until late in his Spurs tenure.
I personally think Mobley has star potential, I just don’t love the fit with Detroit. I think he might be the 2nd or 3rd best player in the draft though.
For Detroit, my personal ranking would be
- Cade
- Suggs
- Green
- Mobley
- Kuminga
I think Kuminga has star upside. I just think he’s the highest risk of the 5. He’s a bit redundant as well if the Pistons have Sekou still in their long term plans. If Sekou is not, then he’d make a lot of sense to get. But Kuminga and Mobley are redundant right now, but I think Mobley is the safer bet to be a bit better than Kuminga.
Jalen Green is a better fit for the roster and I think has more upside than Suggs, but Suggs I think has a safer/higher floor because he is very physical and a better defender than Green. Plus I think Suggs would be more likely to stay around long term, whereas I see Green leaving Detroit ASAP. Cali kids wanna be in bigger markets/better weather way more than a kid who grew up in Minnesota and then went to the Pacific Northwest for college.
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Mobley kind or reminds me of Chris Bosh
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in the NBA, though, they have to give up tens of millions of dollars to go somewhere else. If their team is going to give them a max deal, nobody else is going to be able to match the money.
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I’m just saying it’s likely a safer bet one would want to stick around Detroit than the other if given the choice and the money is close to leave or stay.
I’m less worried about fit for the Pistons with this draft. How many players are on the current roster are going to be around in 3 seasons and how many of them will be stars? I think it’s too early in their rebuild to pass on the best available player. There’s no denying it would be better if the best available player was a guard though.
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I think it’s fine to say you’re doubtful that Mobley will actually hit his true potential but I don’t see how you can see what he did at USC and think he couldn’t be a top 5 player in the league. He showed flashes of every skill you could want and his athleticism is undeniable.
I don’t know what to think about Cade. He didn’t compete very hard IMO but his skill level and IQ is crazy for that age. I’m not brave enough to go against the consensus though and that OKST team was still way better than Fultz’s UW team or Simmons at LSU.
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Yeah I don’t think you can care about fit in the draft if you’re drafting in the lottery. Golden State going w Wiseman is a good example. Missed the forest for the trees bc they expected to compete and wanted a starter instead of a star.
If Mobley can hit threes…then I am intrigued. That’s Jaren Jackson territorial.
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This is also fair and probably the correct way to view it. Just taking the best player and going from there is probably the most sensible decision. I’d rather go for a possible superstar even if it’s another PG than going for a good player who’s a good fit. That superstar will carry your team a lot farther than a good roster fit would.
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I understand, just pointing out that isn’t really a concern in the current NBA CBA. I can’t think of the last time a player chose not to sign a max deal coming off their rookie deal to go elsewhere. It only really becomes an issue if they aren’t that great of a player and get offered less than max money and then start to have some choices. But then that’s assuming they aren’t that great when in the draft you just want the best player possible.
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FWIW Jaren was a much better shooter than Mobley despite being a year young for his class. Would guess other than shooting Mobley showed better skill and athleticism at the same age? Hard to compare an AAU year to college though.
Also Jackson is a good example of how much age should factor into evaluation. Ayton and Bagley were preferred by many but adjusting for age that probably should have been flipped even if Ayton has been good.
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Jackson: 40% from three on 96 attempts
Mobley: 30% on 40 attempts.
Definitely different ballparks in shooting.
I think any of the Top 4 would fit with the Pistons. Cade and Green you can slot at the 2 next to Killian (or you can start Cade with a true SG and rotate Killian off the bench.) Suggs is a less ideal fit next to Killian but he gets after it on defense just like Killian and gives you another playmaker to attack with.
I can see why some view Mobley as a less natural fit, but I think he and Stewart complement each other well. Stewart can take the more physical matchup and free up Mobley to roam and disrupt with his length. I think they’ll both be able to shoot it enough for spacing. A rotation of Mobley, Stewart and Jerami Grant at the 4/5 has a lot of potential.
If Knicks beat the Celtics, which they are early in that game the Pistons vs Heat game means nothing to Miami unfortunately
Yes…exactly. my statement was that if Mobley can add a 3pt shot then I’m more excited about him as a game changing pick. I completely acknowledge he doesn’t have it yet. So that’s why I am a little leery of a defensive lob threat as a top four pick. He’s awesome…just not sure he’s going to be a game changer.
I hesitate to make the comparison bc it’s obvious he’s a worse prospect, but it’s worth remembering that Anthony Davis’ offense came a looong way from a not so dissimilar baseline. AD’s 65% TS on 19% USG, 70% FT w just a few 3PA looks a lot like Mobley’s line at USC.
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Why can’t they pass the Hawks? I know they’re playing Houston but the Rockets already locked up the worst record and may actually be trying. Does Atlanta own a tie-breaker over Miami?
Hawks have the tiebreaker
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