Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
I see little separation physically between the three Randle, Gordon, and Vonleh. It just depends how you see the guys fitting into your team.
Gordon's glaring weakness is his shooting but he might be the best guy if you are going to be a running team. He will be a liability if he plays the four simply because he can't shoot and his FTs are horrible. If he plays the SF his outside shooting will be a hinderance. I think Gordon is a classic tweener I think he is going to need to put some weight on or learn to shoot from outside.
Randle - measurements overall were a surprise. His athleticism is better than I thought but I still think he will struggle if he doesn't develop a nice 15 to 18 ft jumpshot. I think the Jazz would have to get rid of either Favors or Kanter if they were going to get Randle. I worry about him being too predictable on offensive and his glaring weakness is defense.
Vonleh - is the most intriguing guy to me because of his size and youth. Throw in a nice jump shot. His athleticism was surprisingly better than expected. My main concern is his motor. I don't know if he was just being ignored at Indiana or he was just playing passively. Overall I think right now he has the more balanced game between the three. He has a raw but potentially a prototype NBA PF game with the ability to go outside and inside. His rebounding is very strong and I am sure his big hands help with that. Defensively, I don't think he is great but he certainly is better than Randle. I know that isn't saying much but I think he has potential for a defender. HE moves well and has great size and length.
I think I am leaning more towards Vonleh but since I don't get to see the private workouts or interviews I could be wrong about that choice. I think all three have pluses and minuses but I would be shocked if anyone of them didn't have a decent career. I just feel the Jazz are going to get a very good player with their lottery pick.
There were some other guys who impressed me at the combine. I know one has to be careful about putting too much weight on the combine but I really think there are some solid role players at 23 and 35 potentially.
I am intrigued with Alec Brown. He shot the lights out and could be a stretch four. Robinson III played well too.
Nice analysis.
I've had Vonleh rated as #5 for the last couple of weeks. I've taken Embiid off my board. Just too big a risk with that back. And there's no way of knowing before the draft how healthy he is. Sure, you can get the opinion of a physician, but IMO, you need to evaluate him on the court - and if his agent is controlling which doctors a team has to use, that's another HUGE red flag. Jazz only get one shot at this. They can't afford to miss on Embiid. Teams like the Lakers can...they simply move on to a great free agent. Utah doesn't have that luxury.
Wiggins
Exum
Parker
Vonleh
Gordon
Randle
Reason I have Gordon rated higher than Randle is he has elite defensive skills and athleticism. Randle will be better initially. He's a safer pick. I just don't see him becoming an elite player.