Following potential 2012 draftees
- Thread starter Dr. Jones
- Start date
There's no disputing that Davis has to learn to be an effective scorer in the post. He's much further along to call 'raw', but he certainly has a ways to go.
Disappointed that he can't shoot the ball a lick. I thought he was a 6'3 guard his junior year of HS? I thought he would have a tad bit more shooting skills. I may be wrong, but every game I have watched he takes about 2 or 3 (wide open) perimeter shots and has missed them all so far.
He's a better shot than he's shown, thus far, this year. He was 39.3% from 3 last year and shot nearly 2.9 per game.
Jazz4ever
Well-Known Member
PER of the potential lottery picks and a few others (through 7 or 8 games). It confirms what we already know, the PG crop is doing awful. Sullinger, Cody Zeller, and Davis have been tour-de-forces.
1. C. Zeller: 38.6
2. Sullinger: 38
3. Davis: 33.6
4. J. Lamb: 30.8
5. T. Jones: 28.7
6. D. Lamb: 26
7. Robinson: 25.6
8. Q. Miller: 24.8
9. Ross: 24.2
10. Henson: 23.7
11. Barnes: 23.1
12. Beal: 21.7
13. T. Zeller: 21.3
14. Kabongo: 20.4
15. Gilchrist: 20.5
16. Rivers: 20.3
17. Young: 20
18. Drummond: 19.3
19. Wroten: 17.9
20. Teague: 16.3
21. Marshall: 15.9
P. Jones: (one game played so not worth mentioning)
1. C. Zeller: 38.6
2. Sullinger: 38
3. Davis: 33.6
4. J. Lamb: 30.8
5. T. Jones: 28.7
6. D. Lamb: 26
7. Robinson: 25.6
8. Q. Miller: 24.8
9. Ross: 24.2
10. Henson: 23.7
11. Barnes: 23.1
12. Beal: 21.7
13. T. Zeller: 21.3
14. Kabongo: 20.4
15. Gilchrist: 20.5
16. Rivers: 20.3
17. Young: 20
18. Drummond: 19.3
19. Wroten: 17.9
20. Teague: 16.3
21. Marshall: 15.9
P. Jones: (one game played so not worth mentioning)
Cool stuff. BY the way, Anthony Davis and Cody Zeller go head-to-head this coming Saturday.
He's taken 3 all year. But your point still stands.
Chad Ford was at the UK/UNC game and provided his thoughts on Davis, Jones, K-G, DLamb, and Teague. I'd link, but it's premium.
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Top-ranked Kentucky's basketball game against North Carolina on Saturday - a 73-72 victory for the Wildcats - included as large a collection of NBA prospects as is likely to be seen on a single court this college season.
Dozens of NBA executives and scouts were at Rupp Arena to evaluate the talent on both teams.
ESPN NBA draft analyst Chad Ford, who has five UK players ranked on his Big Board of 2012 prospects, was also in attendance.
Last week, Ford had ranked the Cats' players as follows: No. 1 Anthony Davis, freshman power forward; No. 12 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, freshman small forward; No. 13 Terrence Jones, sophomore power forward; No. 18 Marquis Teague, freshman point guard; and No. 29 Doron Lamb, sophomore shooting guard.
Ford spoke with CatsIllustrated.com after Saturday's game and gave his thoughts on the professional potential of those five UK players.
Derek Poore/Cats Illustrated
Anthony Davis' game-saving block against North Carolina is an example of why he is "far and away the No. 1 pick in the draft" in 2012, ESPN's Chad Ford said.
CatsIllustrated.com: Davis had the gave-saving blocked shot at the end. How much is that kind of length and shot-blocking going to get the NBA general managers interested?
Chad Ford: They're already interested, like crazy interested. (laughing) He's far and away the No. 1 pick in the draft, and I know if you just saw him play for the first time tonight (seven points, nine rebounds, two blocks), I know you'd say, "What's that about?" because he was strangely invisible in the first half (two points, five rebounds, zero blocks). Even when he's not scoring, he impacts the game at so many levels, and he wasn't really impacting the game in the way I'm used to seeing him impact the game in the first half. But in the second half, he did what he does. He's such a unique player - that length, that athleticism, he's a great kid, a great motor. (North Carolina sophomore small forward) Harrison Barnes is the No. 2 pick in the draft, and you can see all sorts of concerns with Barnes. He's a good player, but you can see all the concerns about why he may not be quite there. It's hard for me to believe that Anthony Davis doesn't succeed at the next level. What he becomes is a big question mark, but he's going to work hard at his game. His body is going to fill out a little bit. He's going to be really good.
CatsIllustrated.com: And Terrence Jones coming back for his sophomore season, has that helped his draft stock in your eyes?
Chad Ford: I think. I think Terrence Jones has gotten better this year. I've seen more maturity, more consistency from him this year. But maybe it's just when I show up at Terrence Jones' games, but here he was in the first half looking like a top-five pick in the draft and doing everything for Kentucky (14 points, 5-of-11 shooting, three rebounds, one steal), then didn't score a point in the second half (0-of-3 shooting - all three-point tries - four rebounds, three blocks, one steal) and is out there jacking threes, some of them (admittedly) while the shot clock was running down, and it was the tale of two halves for him. NBA teams just want to see that 35 minutes a night, every night, him bringing it. The talent nobody questions. He's got that length. He's not a super-explosive guy, but he's got the length and the talent to be a really good player, a top-five pick. But he's got to bring it every night and bring it consistently the whole game.
Jonathan Palmer/Special to Cats Illustrated
UK freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist impresses NBA GMs with his enthusiasm and defense, Ford said.
CatsIllustrated.com: And Kidd-Gilchrist (game highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds against UNC) had one of his better games.
Chad Ford: I'm crazy in love with him because he's the opposite. Terrence Jones is skilled offensively, but Kidd-Gilchrist brings it every second that he's on the floor. We got the surprise from him tonight of contributing more offensively. Defensively he's great, and he's scrappy. I really think he's going to be a top-10 pick in the draft when all is said and done. Not because teams are projecting him to be a huge offensive player, but he's one of the few guys you can bring out there to guard your best player, your best wing any night and has the potential to shut him down. And he's still going to score. Whether he's a dominant scorer in the league, I don't quite see it yet. But I just think he's a terrific player, and the thing is, he'll play right away because coaches love - you can tell (John Calipari) loves him - coaches love players who bring it like that every minute. He's got a big heart. He's courageous. I love him.
CatsIllustrated.com: Can you see him giving, for instance, Kobe Bryant some trouble?
Chad Ford: Yeah, he's the guy you put on Kobe. Look, I don't want to say a rookie in the NBA is going to go out shutting down Kobe, but you're saying that once he gets his feet under him in the NBA and becomes that sort of player, he is the guy who could guard a Kobe Bryant on sort of any given night, and that's what teams love about him.
CatsIllustrated.com: Your thoughts on Doron Lamb, whether you project him as a first-round pick or not?
Chad Ford: He's No. 29 on our Big Board, so he's right there at the end of the first round, because he shoots the basketball. He's a good athlete. He can play a little point; we saw that (against UNC). I think people get a little confused with the NBA draft and think every lottery pick has to be an All-Star and everybody in the first round should be. But you look at the history of the NBA draft, there are four or five guys in the NBA draft who are All-Stars - in a good draft. By the time you get in the late lottery, you're looking at rotation players. Doron Lamb, to me, can be a rotation player. I don't know if he's ever a starter on an NBA team. I don't think he ever makes an All-Star team, but he can hit shots and he plays under control. I think he'd be a first-round pick if he came out.
Derek Poore/Cats Illustrated
Freshman Marquis Teague's pro potential is high, but he could be well-served by another year of coaching by John Calipari, Ford said.
CatsIllustrated.com: And the final guy, Marquis Teague, who you have No. 18. Do you see him like his brother, (Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague)?
Chad Ford: Look, the talent's there. If you were to ask me among all the guys who should go back to school, I'd say Teague because he's still learning how to be a point guard. And that's pretty apparent eight games into his college career. And it only gets harder at the next level. It's the hardest position to play. If he were to come out right now, he'd get drafted now because of his athleticism and all the things that he brings, and he probably doesn't play a minute in the NBA. I can't see an NBA coach turning, even for five minutes a game, the game over to Marquis Teague right now. I think Coach Cal even has to swallow big when he does it. But the talent is there. If he comes back and keeps working on his game, gets more comfortable running a team, which I think he has to do, he could be better than his brother. I really think that's it, but he's got to be patient. That would be the one kid I'd say (should stay in college). He'll get drafted high on potential, but there's been a lot of kids who get drafted high on potential but they're not ready and never get the chance to get ready at the next level. I think two years with him and Coach Cal would be great.
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Top-ranked Kentucky's basketball game against North Carolina on Saturday - a 73-72 victory for the Wildcats - included as large a collection of NBA prospects as is likely to be seen on a single court this college season.
Dozens of NBA executives and scouts were at Rupp Arena to evaluate the talent on both teams.
ESPN NBA draft analyst Chad Ford, who has five UK players ranked on his Big Board of 2012 prospects, was also in attendance.
Last week, Ford had ranked the Cats' players as follows: No. 1 Anthony Davis, freshman power forward; No. 12 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, freshman small forward; No. 13 Terrence Jones, sophomore power forward; No. 18 Marquis Teague, freshman point guard; and No. 29 Doron Lamb, sophomore shooting guard.
Ford spoke with CatsIllustrated.com after Saturday's game and gave his thoughts on the professional potential of those five UK players.
Derek Poore/Cats Illustrated
Anthony Davis' game-saving block against North Carolina is an example of why he is "far and away the No. 1 pick in the draft" in 2012, ESPN's Chad Ford said.
CatsIllustrated.com: Davis had the gave-saving blocked shot at the end. How much is that kind of length and shot-blocking going to get the NBA general managers interested?
Chad Ford: They're already interested, like crazy interested. (laughing) He's far and away the No. 1 pick in the draft, and I know if you just saw him play for the first time tonight (seven points, nine rebounds, two blocks), I know you'd say, "What's that about?" because he was strangely invisible in the first half (two points, five rebounds, zero blocks). Even when he's not scoring, he impacts the game at so many levels, and he wasn't really impacting the game in the way I'm used to seeing him impact the game in the first half. But in the second half, he did what he does. He's such a unique player - that length, that athleticism, he's a great kid, a great motor. (North Carolina sophomore small forward) Harrison Barnes is the No. 2 pick in the draft, and you can see all sorts of concerns with Barnes. He's a good player, but you can see all the concerns about why he may not be quite there. It's hard for me to believe that Anthony Davis doesn't succeed at the next level. What he becomes is a big question mark, but he's going to work hard at his game. His body is going to fill out a little bit. He's going to be really good.
CatsIllustrated.com: And Terrence Jones coming back for his sophomore season, has that helped his draft stock in your eyes?
Chad Ford: I think. I think Terrence Jones has gotten better this year. I've seen more maturity, more consistency from him this year. But maybe it's just when I show up at Terrence Jones' games, but here he was in the first half looking like a top-five pick in the draft and doing everything for Kentucky (14 points, 5-of-11 shooting, three rebounds, one steal), then didn't score a point in the second half (0-of-3 shooting - all three-point tries - four rebounds, three blocks, one steal) and is out there jacking threes, some of them (admittedly) while the shot clock was running down, and it was the tale of two halves for him. NBA teams just want to see that 35 minutes a night, every night, him bringing it. The talent nobody questions. He's got that length. He's not a super-explosive guy, but he's got the length and the talent to be a really good player, a top-five pick. But he's got to bring it every night and bring it consistently the whole game.
Jonathan Palmer/Special to Cats Illustrated
UK freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist impresses NBA GMs with his enthusiasm and defense, Ford said.
CatsIllustrated.com: And Kidd-Gilchrist (game highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds against UNC) had one of his better games.
Chad Ford: I'm crazy in love with him because he's the opposite. Terrence Jones is skilled offensively, but Kidd-Gilchrist brings it every second that he's on the floor. We got the surprise from him tonight of contributing more offensively. Defensively he's great, and he's scrappy. I really think he's going to be a top-10 pick in the draft when all is said and done. Not because teams are projecting him to be a huge offensive player, but he's one of the few guys you can bring out there to guard your best player, your best wing any night and has the potential to shut him down. And he's still going to score. Whether he's a dominant scorer in the league, I don't quite see it yet. But I just think he's a terrific player, and the thing is, he'll play right away because coaches love - you can tell (John Calipari) loves him - coaches love players who bring it like that every minute. He's got a big heart. He's courageous. I love him.
CatsIllustrated.com: Can you see him giving, for instance, Kobe Bryant some trouble?
Chad Ford: Yeah, he's the guy you put on Kobe. Look, I don't want to say a rookie in the NBA is going to go out shutting down Kobe, but you're saying that once he gets his feet under him in the NBA and becomes that sort of player, he is the guy who could guard a Kobe Bryant on sort of any given night, and that's what teams love about him.
CatsIllustrated.com: Your thoughts on Doron Lamb, whether you project him as a first-round pick or not?
Chad Ford: He's No. 29 on our Big Board, so he's right there at the end of the first round, because he shoots the basketball. He's a good athlete. He can play a little point; we saw that (against UNC). I think people get a little confused with the NBA draft and think every lottery pick has to be an All-Star and everybody in the first round should be. But you look at the history of the NBA draft, there are four or five guys in the NBA draft who are All-Stars - in a good draft. By the time you get in the late lottery, you're looking at rotation players. Doron Lamb, to me, can be a rotation player. I don't know if he's ever a starter on an NBA team. I don't think he ever makes an All-Star team, but he can hit shots and he plays under control. I think he'd be a first-round pick if he came out.
Derek Poore/Cats Illustrated
Freshman Marquis Teague's pro potential is high, but he could be well-served by another year of coaching by John Calipari, Ford said.
CatsIllustrated.com: And the final guy, Marquis Teague, who you have No. 18. Do you see him like his brother, (Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague)?
Chad Ford: Look, the talent's there. If you were to ask me among all the guys who should go back to school, I'd say Teague because he's still learning how to be a point guard. And that's pretty apparent eight games into his college career. And it only gets harder at the next level. It's the hardest position to play. If he were to come out right now, he'd get drafted now because of his athleticism and all the things that he brings, and he probably doesn't play a minute in the NBA. I can't see an NBA coach turning, even for five minutes a game, the game over to Marquis Teague right now. I think Coach Cal even has to swallow big when he does it. But the talent is there. If he comes back and keeps working on his game, gets more comfortable running a team, which I think he has to do, he could be better than his brother. I really think that's it, but he's got to be patient. That would be the one kid I'd say (should stay in college). He'll get drafted high on potential, but there's been a lot of kids who get drafted high on potential but they're not ready and never get the chance to get ready at the next level. I think two years with him and Coach Cal would be great.
Bucknutz
Well-Known Member
Had a dream last night that Davis scored 34 points, grabbed 20 rebounds, 15 blocked shots, and was 6 for 6 from deep. They still lost to Miss. State though.
Haha, you'll get your chance to see if you're pulling a kicky.
My concern is that MKG is going to move up in the draft. He is my guy. I think he has the "it" factor. Barnes seems to be a guy who doubts himself. I would be ok with Barnes with the GS pick but I don't think he will be there. Not a big fan of Terrence Jones, simply because he doesn't seem to play hard all the time. I want the Jazz to get some tough-minded players on the team.
Terrence Ross is not even in the same conversation.
Agree on every point.