2016 NBA Draft Prospects Thread

[cavsfan817]

Thon projected in the 2nd in a lot of mocks is just a joke. He will be the best player out of this draft, without question. I'm also a big fan of Poeltl out of Utah.

 

[bosoxlover12]

lol

there is nothing other than a mixtape from 2013 that says Thon Maker will be anything more than decent in the MBA

 

[cavsfan817]

lol

there is nothing other than a mixtape from 2013 that says Thon Maker will be anything more than decent in the MBA

 
Thon literally has all of the intangibles. There are tons of videos out there showcasing exactly what he can do in all aspects of the game.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

The chances of Thon being the best player in this class are 0.0%

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I posted this a while back:

Back to Thon though, what makes y'all so intrigued by him? I wouldn't even take him with a late first, I think that little or him.

He's big, real cool. He's a good athlete for his size, but he's not some amazing athlete. He's not Anthony Davis getting up and down the court. He's really not that fluid and he's kind of clumsy to be honest. He could be a good hedger in the league? When I hear "inconsistent shooter" I really hear unreliable shooter. And I look back at his feel for the game, his instincts, his awareness. All of those things are well below average.

The best thing I could say about him is his motor, he's a high hustle player. But there are a lot of guys like that. If it wasn't for that mix tape a few years back I'm not sure there would be any hype for him. I would say that whoever takes him is taking a guy that is just too much of a project to amount to anything.

 

[cavsfan817]

It's like you guys don't even watch basketball. "Steph Curry is one of the best defenders in the league" "Thon is clumsy and doesn't look like he can play".

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Who ever said Steph is one of the best defenders in the league?

I mean I'm not trying to get into a bitching match, but it's really like you're the only person who sees anything in Thon Maker. Forget fans, have you see what scouts have said about him? Nobody is falling in love with him, they're scared of him because or how raw and how big of a project he is. Just above you said he has "all the intangibles" which couldn't be any further from the truth.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

He's a guy that I think is more two or three years away. If we were drafting him, [we'd tell him to] go spend two or three years in Europe or in the D-League. In my opinion, I don't even think he's a roster guy next year. At some point, I feel like it's just been a hype machine. I've watched probably five games. And what really wows you is that he's super tall. I tried to watch him and then I tried to go back and watch Kevin Durant in high school. This kid has some things where you're like, 'maybe.' But Kevin Durant you knew was a sure shot. I don't see that in this kid. So when you start making comparisons and say he's gonna be a player, we've been saying that since the 10th grade, but now he's in the 12th grade and we're not saying he's a sure shot. We haven't seen that evolution. We haven't seen him take that next step. So what makes me want to take him even in the first round at all, unless you're a deep playoff team and you don't care if he plays in three years or not.​

Even though he usually plays hard, the game often goes on around him due to his lack of awareness and limited polish. Hes the polar opposite of someone like Kristaps Porzingis from a feel standpoint. The list goes on from there: his lack of strength will be a serious issue for at least the next few years, and his weak handle, shaky shot and somewhat clumsy mobility make it hard for him to work as a stretch big in the short term. Hes also not exactly menacing in the paint or defending the rim at this point. If youre a 7footer and you hold down the basket area, own the glass, reliably hit threes, or make plays for others, how valuable can you be at the NBA level these days? Yes, those assessments are subject to change, as with any 19yearold, but Maker enters the draft as a project with a capital P. I think the most likely scenario is that he spends at least the next two seasons as an afterthought.​

I think he should go to school. He's not ready to play at this level. The only strength he has is that he plays hard and he runs the court extremely well for a 7-footer. He has a high motor, but on our level that doesn't help him get on the court. He has to be able to do other things. His offensive game is very limited. His weight and strength is extremely poor for the NBA. He right now is probably more of a D-League player than he is an NBA player. I wouldn't be surprised if someone took the risk in the first round. Nothing surprises me in the draft these days. You have to look at those teams that have multiple [first round] picks. But if they don't have the position available, than they may go European and stash. He's got a lot of work to do offensively, with his low post game. He likes to step out and shoot jump shot and he's not a very good jump-shooter, I don't think. His total offensive game needs to improve before he can even step on the court.

 

[cavsfan817]

Who ever said Steph is one of the best defenders in the league?

I mean I'm not trying to get into a bitching match, but it's really like you're the only person who sees anything in Thon Maker. Forget fans, have you see what scouts have said about him? Nobody is falling in love with him, they're scared of him because or how raw and how big of a project he is. Just above you said he has "all the intangibles" which couldn't be any further from the truth.

 
He had some of the highest grades EVER for a big man at the combine. He's raw but he already has skills. He can stretch the floor, rebound on both ends of the floor at an exceptionally high rate, is a great rim protector, and he does have some mobility as a passing forward. He has all of the intangibles that you look for in a player + an extremely high ceiling. How do you guys not see that? He's extremely comparable to Giannis. 

 

[cavsfan817]

 

He's a guy that I think is more two or three years away. If we were drafting him, [we'd tell him to] go spend two or three years in Europe or in the D-League. In my opinion, I don't even think he's a roster guy next year. At some point, I feel like it's just been a hype machine. I've watched probably five games. And what really wows you is that he's super tall. I tried to watch him and then I tried to go back and watch Kevin Durant in high school. This kid has some things where you're like, 'maybe.' But Kevin Durant you knew was a sure shot. I don't see that in this kid. So when you start making comparisons and say he's gonna be a player, we've been saying that since the 10th grade, but now he's in the 12th grade and we're not saying he's a sure shot. We haven't seen that evolution. We haven't seen him take that next step. So what makes me want to take him even in the first round at all, unless you're a deep playoff team and you don't care if he plays in three years or not.​

Anonymous scout #2: I think he should go to school. He's not ready to play at this level. The only strength he has is that he plays hard and he runs the court extremely well for a 7-footer. He has a high motor, but on our level that doesn't help him get on the court. He has to be able to do other things. His offensive game is very limited. His weight and strength is extremely poor for the NBA. He right now is probably more of a D-League player than he is an NBA player. I wouldn't be surprised if someone took the risk in the first round. Nothing surprises me in the draft these days. You have to look at those teams that have multiple [first round] picks. But if they don't have the position available, than they may go European and stash. He's got a lot of work to do offensively, with his low post game. He likes to step out and shoot jump shot and he's not a very good jump-shooter, I don't think. His total offensive game needs to improve before he can even step on the court.

 


 
The difference in these quotes is that they are feeding into the "hype" that they are trying to separate him from... Nobody is comparing him to Durant. Nobody even brought up the two in the same sentence. Being a top player in a draft does not mean you have to be the next LeBron/Durant. The two aren't even similar players whatsoever.

 

[cavsfan817]

And you can't tell me that all scouts believe that. Straight from ESPN Insider:
 
SCOUTING REPORT

ESPN Analyst
Updated 01/11/2016
Strengths:
Maker is an extra long post that is very athletic, mobile and skilled for his size and age. He runs the floor with long strides and catches and finishes on the move extremely well. Maker hunts block shots and what he doesn't block he changes. He finishes above the rim when he receives drop off passes, scorers over his left should and with high elevating turn shots in addition to his ability to face up and knock down the open three when his feet are set with needed time and space. Maker can also make passes with either hand under ball pressure. He rebounds and rim level and plays with great energy and urgency on both ends.
Weaknesses:
Maker will have to add strength, makes better passing decisions when be doubled and work to make his shooting and free throws more consistent all in which he is very capable.
Bottom Line:
Maker who has that super long and lean Kevin Garnett body type is has off the chart upside and with continued development and hard work is an immediate impact player on the college level and potential NBA lottery pick.
 

The difference is that so many people are wary these days about taking someone that either didn't play professionally oversees or in college because there have been busts coming out of high school in the past and it was outlawed for a reason.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

To be fair that's a scouting report for college basketball

 

[jonathanlambert33]

 
He had some of the highest grades EVER for a big man at the combine. He's raw but he already has skills. He can stretch the floor, rebound on both ends of the floor at an exceptionally high rate, is a great rim protector, and he does have some mobility as a passing forward. He has all of the intangibles that you look for in a player + an extremely high ceiling. How do you guys not see that? He's extremely comparable to Giannis. 

You literally didn't say one true thing about him.

1) nobody cares about the combine and their "grades"
2) he is a unreliable jump shooter
3) he's not a good rebounder, he has below average feel for the game which leads to easy opportunities for rebounds for the opposing defense and on defense he doesn't has a tendency to not find someone to box out.
4) he's FARRRRRR from a great rim protector
5) 50 assists to 171 turnovers, nothing more needs to be said

And he's not comparable to Giannis. It's pretty clear you've watched the mixtapes, probably to many of them for your own good. You clearly haven't seen him against legitimate competition, and not the competition that's in the mixtapes. I already referenced the 50 assists to 171 turnovers, how about the 47.5% fg percentage inside the arc? What about the fact that at just 216 lbs he is bullies out of position and opposing players are able to finish through him because of his lack of core strength? He's essentially gone all out on trying to be a playmaker and shot creator while ignoring all the traits that make a successful NBA big, issue is he isn't any good at the playmaking or shot creating.

 

[cavsfan817]

You literally didn't say one true thing about him.

1) nobody cares about the combine and their "grades"
2) he is a unreliable jump shooter
3) he's not a good rebounder, he has below average feel for the game which leads to easy opportunities for rebounds for the opposing defense and on defense he doesn't has a tendency to not find someone to box out.
4) he's FARRRRRR from a great rim protector
5) 50 assists to 171 turnovers, nothing more needs to be said

And he's not comparable to Giannis. It's pretty clear you've watched the mixtapes, probably to many of them for your own good. You clearly haven't seen him against legitimate competition, and not the competition that's in the mixtapes. I already referenced the 50 assists to 171 turnovers, how about the 47.5% fg percentage inside the arc? What about the fact that at just 216 lbs he is bullies out of position and opposing players are able to finish through him because of his lack of core strength? He's essentially gone all out on trying to be a playmaker and shot creator while ignoring all the traits that make a successful NBA big, issue is he isn't any good at the playmaking or shot creating.

 
You're reaching now. I'm beginning to think that you've watched one thing of his other than mixtapes and that has been your entire basis. I've watched all of his games that are available for viewing and I've seen him play in person. You can have your notions about him and that's completely fine, but your basis for his rebounding, playmaking, and shot blocking are so far off that I don't even value your opinion on this topic. He isn't even a center so I'm not sure why you're treating him like he's this guy who's going to plant himself in the paint. He's a PF.  And arguing with you is going to be pointless because neither of us is going to change our opinion, so I'll leave it at that. We'll see in 2-4 years who was right.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I didn't say anything about him being a center? I also said nothing about his shot blocking.

I respect how much you like Thon, but there's a legitimate shot that you are the biggest fan he has.

 

[Stray32]

I didn't say anything about him being a center? I also said nothing about his shot blocking.

I respect how much you like Thon, but there's a legitimate shot that you are the biggest fan he has.

unfortunately not, Thon gets tons of hype all over the internet/social media, mostly from people who've only seen his play in a highlight tape
 
he's big, athletic, and can shoot so I get where it comes from but there's a reason scouts aren't high on him at all, and the Giannis comparisons that multiple people have suggested are lol

 

[Stray32]

 
You're reaching now. I'm beginning to think that you've watched one thing of his other than mixtapes and that has been your entire basis. I've watched all of his games that are available for viewing and I've seen him play in person. You can have your notions about him and that's completely fine, but your basis for his rebounding, playmaking, and shot blocking are so far off that I don't even value your opinion on this topic. He isn't even a center so I'm not sure why you're treating him like he's this guy who's going to plant himself in the paint. He's a PF.  And arguing with you is going to be pointless because neither of us is going to change our opinion, so I'll leave it at that. We'll see in 2-4 years who was right.

rim-protecting =/= shot-blocking, what NOLA was saying (which is true) is that Thon is a great shot-blocker but does not have any type of feel for when to slide over in help defense to protect the rim or for that matter for where to be on the court. His strength is also a major red flag for his rebounding because he gets bullied even by average-sized high school players, and again doesn't know where to be and doesn't read the ball off the rim at a high level
 
To make an NFL comparison, he's Ziggy Ansah when Ansah started at BYU. There's definite upside for him being an All-Star in ~5 years but he has to literally learn the game, right now he's just that size/athleticism/shooting without understanding the game at a high level yet (and without strength to play in the paint or in traffic in the NBA)

 

[jonathanlambert33]

I'll give this to Thon, he's a guy that is going to really work at getting better, his motor is always going to be going 100%. Because of that he has a chance, but you aren't going to know anything about the type of player he could be in 2-4 years (as cavsfan said), he's that raw and that big of a project. He's probably two years away from being two years away to being two years away, that saying that has become familiar. Maybe it's just me, but the little bit of hype surrounding Thon is because of his potential, and guys like that rarely pan out. What's the chances of a guy like Thon, who can't grasp rotations and proper box out techniques and even when he does get there isn't strong enough to hold position, reaching his potential?

And I like the point you making about the shot blocking and rim protection. It's something we have discussed at length on this forum over the years about certain guys. You can absolutely be a great shot blocker but a below average rim protector.

 

[SWISH-banned]

Thon has a shot at being Giannis-esque. Ingram could be a more defensive/slightly less explosive KD or a tall Jimmy Butler type.

 

[Dannyboy77]

I think Simmons is going to dominate in the NBA and quite quickly. I think it's dumb to judge hium on his college career. Terrible team, terrible coach, and he barely had desire there. Idk but I think he has such a high ceiling still. His jumper is not as bad as people say it is either. Just watch him nail mid rangers this year. I hope the Lakers win the lottery and get him. It's my 23rd bday today so I pray my Bulls get a higher pick than 14.