2021 NBA Draft Discussion

I agree. I never saw the Camp Sanderson transformation from him so maybe he’s not got a body that can pack on muscle and he leverage strength as a defender of 4s, but nor is he a beanpole. I also don’t see tons of NBA 4s that can can punish him over and over in the post either.

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I thought the Garza one was funny

Luka Garza, 6-11 senior center, Iowa. “He’s a non-athlete and he knows it. Maybe the greatest interview I’ve ever had. He lost 30 pounds. Does that change his ability to rebound and push people off the block? He needs to be a lights-out shooter because all that shit he got away with in the Big Ten will be hard for him to do in our league. He did some workouts in Chicago and he shot the ball very well. All he does is produce. I can’t count him out. He’s not going to get the same usage in the NBA as he did in college, so his ability to do some of the high-motor stuff is going to be important. He has physical limitations defending pick-and-rolls.”

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I have to imagine that would be an understatement.

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Last one given that it’s a paid article and whatnot, but it still gets me that we have NBA draft scouting articles that say someone can be a Duncan Robinson. What a story.

Joe Wieskamp, 6-6 junior guard, Iowa. “He could be a smaller Duncan Robinson. He can really shoot it. He’s longer than you think. He’s a second-round pick, and I think he makes a rotation because he makes shots. Defensively he’s going to struggle. He’s not the toughest kid. Helped himself a lot in Chicago. Shot the ball well, tested well. Got a 6-11 wing span. I would take a chance on him. You wonder if he’s too mild-mannered.”

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Earlier I said that Livers should have called Duncan and asked for every tip to learn how to get his career, to me Garza should have put in a call to Frank Kaminski. I think there are some similarities to their development, skill level, and physical limitations. Kaminski got a little run in the playoffs with mixed outcomes, but had a good game six. That’s what I think you’re trying to become if you’re Garza - I’ll be your backup center, come in and drill some shots against the other team’s second unit, and try not to get destroyed on defense.

Livers will need to develop the ability to shoot off screens if he doesn’t have that ability already. It’s been mentioned already, but he is an elite shooter at catch and shoot minimal-movement 3s, the rest is unknown.

I wonder if the same person scouted Wagner and Wieskamp. :thinking:

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Also look. There can only be one toughest kid.

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Gonna need the :fire: or :100: emojis to properly reward @Mdemorest4 for this comment.

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I heard that in Hubie Brown voice. Wonderful.

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And if you haven’t heard about Tjarks’ personal story, it’s terribly sad:

link to donate: Fundraiser for Jon and Melissa Tjarks by Kirk Henderson : Let's help our friend Jonathan Tjarks

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Ugh yeah poor Tjarks. Just terrible.

sigh

He and Greg Brown have this issue. Would be a red flag for me if I were in a front office

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Agreed. 6’11 and you think your a 3 :joy:

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Yeah that’s exactly what I was referring to. I really don’t understand it tbh. It’s a pride thing I guess and most successful athletes are extremely proud people but there’s a degree of lack of BB IQ mixed in as well. Smarter players realize what they are

It’s just laughable to think of Kai Jones as a 3. Guessing Shaka and his triumverate of huge dudes didn’t help either

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Wouldn’t be surprised if Jericho Sims has the best career of the three.

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I expect it at this point. Brown is a pure 2nd round flier. Jones is a definite step ahead of him but has a few issues I just have a hard time getting past. Sims seems like a guy that can stick around a while as a 2nd big

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It is correctable

If you recall DeAndre Ayton went his entire college season playing the four next to another 7-footer and shooting threes. Playing him as a forward was one of the criteria to recruiting him!

Now he basically doesn’t shoot if he’s more than 4 feet from the hoop.

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I don’t know why these guys don’t want to be in a situation where they have an advantage in their matchup too. Having an NBA 3 defend you who is going to be in your face, or a 5 who isn’t that quick and you have an advantage on the perimeter? Sure you might be at a mismatch defending a 5 posting up, but nba teams aren’t throwing it into the post all game anymore, so is it that big of an advantage?

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