2021 NBA Draft Preview (new thread)

[Saint Cy of JFC]

All I can say is we keep trying. It's not

My husband plays hoops with some of the guys in Front Office and they told him if Ayo Dosunmu is still there Jazz will select him. He a Chicago guy and Wade a Chicago guy and they are basically letting Wade run the show and have a say on players who should be drafted and picked up. Not sure if it's wise. Does any other team have a minority (percentage, not race) owner who is so involved with the outcome? I've heard Jazz could spiral out of control because to many people making choices instead of one guy making the final choice

Do they play basketball in Best Buy?

 

[Saint Cy of JFC]

Ayo & Trent Forrest are the exact same height. Ayo's wingspan is longer (indeed quite good), though he measured smaller on standing reach (probably on the Pat Connaughton plan). In rebounding (one of Ayo's strong points), assists, and turnovers he and Trent were quite similar as collegians. Ayo seems to have more dynamism, scoring potential, and shooting (though I wouldn't put him in the upper echelon in any of these as compared to NBA players). I suspect his defensive chops are similar to Trent's.

I think he's a defensible pick, and he may help in some ways, but he certainly doesn't solve the big-wing defense problem. He can contribute to a bigger, more versatile backcourt.

Think Mudiay when you think Ayo. That's his likely outcome

 

[Keefe]

Honest question, where is Primo lacking? What is he bad at?

He had a 7.6% advanced rebounding number (bad), 6.5% advanced assists, and 1.4% advanced steals.

Not sure if anyone can intelligently state how these stack up against other players and if they’re bad, if there is a legitimate reason why. One of my arguments is age. He was freakin 17 for many games last year.

 

[The Thriller]

I too would be interested in getting multiple picks this draft. I think we have multiple holes that won’t be plugged by free agency and I think we should do what we can to plug them with cheap athletic young players. We need to get another wing defender, giving Royce some help. We also need another guard who can create off the dribble. Especially if Conley leaves.

 

[The Thriller]

I’m tired of going after guys considered to be light on athleticism and defense and somewhat limited. Maybe the jazz need to rethink their standard of prospect they go after. Had the jazz had better perimeter defenders, maybe Gobert stays home a little more on Mann and he doesn’t kill us for 39 ****ing points.

Underrated Post.

one thing we need to do better this year is generate turnovers and score in the break. Our lack of athleticism prevents this from happening. I’d like to get more athletic and get easier buckets. If we have to score everything in the half court then we’re screwed

 

[Chargers Jazz Angels]

I was just going to say that. He looks like a 6'10" Joe Ingles with a fraction of the charisma. Why look for a 3rd string point when you can give this guy the ball by mid-season without sacrificing flexibility.

Great minds my friend, Great minds.

Sent from my SM-N960U using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[Chargers Jazz Angels]

Low priority. Also, I think the Jazz like Forrest enough to give him another year.

Besides Forrest is a jump shot away from being a decent player

 

[Jingled]

How's his defense? His offensive skillset looks impressive, especially for someone his size.

 

[idiot]

Think Mudiay when you think Ayo. That's his likely outcome

Curious what you see there. Defense seems rather unlike Mudiay's. Taller and lankier than Mudiay. Seems more likely to turn into a secondary playmaker/good & versatile defensive guard type role to me.

Perhaps are you seeing?:
- game depends on dribble drive, despite not having a great handle
- propensity to drive right, attempt to end up with (often contested) layups
- likelihood of never being efficient offensively
- overrated (just adequate) athletically
I guess I can see these

 

[NAOS]

He's long, mobile and active enough to defend. He needs to add strength and work on his technique. In terms of sheer measurables, he's in the same ballpark as Andrei Kirilenko. Vrenz has a 7'2" wingspan compared to AK's 7'4". Vrenz is reportedly an inch or two taller than AK.

In other words, you don’t know.

 

[NAOS]

Herb Jones gives me visions of a slightly smaller version of Aminu.

 

[Hekate]

Vrenz could potentially fit into the elusive playmaking 4 role Quin has been wanting. It would definitely give us a different look if he can run the PnR with Gobert that Bojan, Niang, Royce can't run.

 

[The Thriller]

Herb Jones gives me visions of a slightly smaller version of Aminu.

Very good comparison actually.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Vrenz could potentially fit into the elusive playmaking 4 role Quin has been wanting. It would definitely give us a different look if he can run the PnR with Gobert that Bojan, Niang, Royce can't run.

I find myself having a very hard time believing this dude is for real since I don’t see him on mocks. How would a player with what’s being advertised be anything less than an obvious 1st rounder? It’s just hard to believe he isn’t like missing an ACL or something. I don’t get it.

In other words, I’m in on Vrenz in a HUGE way if I’m not missing some kind of catastrophic shortcoming.

 

[Bodhi]

I

I find myself having a very hard time believing this dude is for real since I don’t see him on mocks. How would a player with what’s being advertised be anything less than an obvious 1st rounder? It’s just hard to believe he isn’t like missing an ACL or something. I don’t get it.

In other words, I’m in on Vrenz in a HUGE way if I’m not missing some kind of catastrophic shortcoming.

I like his highlights a lot but am I crazy to think he’s not even close to 6’10”?

He looks 6’7” at best. That’s not bad really, but 6’10” with that skill set is a pretty big deal from a positional/upside perspective.

 

[Ferguson_Mellochill]

I like his highlights a lot but am I crazy to think he’s not even close to 6’10”?

He looks 6’7” at best. That’s not bad really, but 6’10” with that skill set is a pretty big deal from a positional/upside perspective.

He claims to be 6'10" w/o shoes. I guess we'll find out. He also reportedly has a 7'2" wingspan and is up to 208 lbs.

 

[Keefe]

He claims to be 6'10" w/o shoes. I guess we'll find out. He also reportedly has a 7'2" wingspan and is up to 208 lbs.

I forget. Did he show **** beyond playing against chairs like that Asian dude the Bucks drafted about 15 years ago? Can he defend a chair? I’m guessing he’s a poor man’s Zingy…who’s meh btw.

 

[idiot]

I find myself having a very hard time believing this dude is for real since I don’t see him on mocks. How would a player with what’s being advertised be anything less than an obvious 1st rounder? It’s just hard to believe he isn’t like missing an ACL or something. I don’t get it.

In other words, I’m in on Vrenz in a HUGE way if I’m not missing some kind of catastrophic shortcoming.

He's been on the radar of several (certainly not all) draft-oriented sites for a while now. Some see him as a late first-rounder to mid-second rounder. Here's why I think he's not an obvious first rounder:

- Strength. Getting a good weight reading on him is hard, but it's not a stretch to imagine that he's still south of 200 lbs. Unlike Poku last year, he's not the youngest guy in the draft (he's 20, I think), either. He may be able to get the weight/strength he needs to survive in the NBA, but it's not a given. Since he has basically no mid-range game, he's going to have to prove that he can finish at the rim at least adequately.

-Shot. He has to shoot it to survive, I think, and there are real questions about this. I happen to be optimistic, but there are no guarantees.

-Toughness. I think he plays with a good motor/energy, but that's not the same as saying he has NBA toughness. Given his lack of strength, he has a lot to prove.

-Production. Given the rather mediocre league he plays in, stat lines of just under 10 points, 5 rebounds, .6 blocks a game on 38% from the field aren't setting the scouting world on fire. He'd be drafted much more on potential than production at this point.

(I should say that I buy his height. I also think he will be able to survive on defense if the toughness/strength issues work themselves out. He's quick enough and long enough to be effective. I didn't see any glaring issues from the game I was able to watch of him from a season ago (below). Incidentally, he spent some time guarding our old friend Shelvin Mack in that game. But he's by no means a Kirilenko type defensively. If he succeeds defensively, it's coming first on the perimeter rather than the interior.)



EDIT: Vrenz first checks into the game at about the 27:00 mark. In the second half I think he similarly plays near the end of the third quarter and into much of the fourth.

 

[NUMBERICA]

Yeah, I am 100% all in on getting Vrenz (assuming there isn’t a catastrophic flaw/shortcoming/problem we don’t know about). The closest thing I’ve seen to a skill set that may help cushion the blow of losing Ingles (who he may end up superior to in basketball terms).

 

[NUMBERICA]

He's been on the radar of several (certainly not all) draft-oriented sites for a while now. Some see him as a late first-rounder to mid-second rounder. Here's why I think he's not an obvious first rounder:

- Strength. Getting a good weight reading on him is hard, but it's not a stretch to imagine that he's still south of 200 lbs. Unlike Poku last year, he's not the youngest guy in the draft (he's 20, I think), either. He may be able to get the weight/strength he needs to survive in the NBA, but it's not a given. Since he has basically no mid-range game, he's going to have to prove that he can finish at the rim at least adequately.

-Shot. He has to shoot it to survive, I think, and there are real questions about this. I happen to be optimistic, but there are no guarantees.

-Toughness. I think he plays with a good motor/energy, but that's not the same as saying he has NBA toughness. Given his lack of strength, he has a lot to prove.

-Production. Given the rather mediocre league he plays in, stat lines of just under 10 points, 5 rebounds, .6 blocks a game on 38% from the field aren't setting the scouting world on fire. He'd be drafted much more on potential than production at this point.

(I should say that I buy his height. I also think he will be able to survive on defense if the toughness/strength issues work themselves out. He's quick enough and long enough to be effective. I didn't see any glaring issues from the game I was able to watch of him from a season ago (below). Incidentally, he spent some time guarding our old friend Shelvin Mack in that game. But he's by no means a Kirilenko type defensively. If he succeeds defensively, it's coming first on the perimeter rather than the interior.)

The nice thing (perhaps) is his getting on the court would Be contingent on earning it. I’m not worried about him getting to the rim and I would chastise him taking mid-range shots at this stage in his career. His job would be to take open 3s, and if closed out hard on, drive it and make a play. I don’t think in his early career he’d be a priority in an opponent’s scouting report which should buy him some opportunity to work out some of the finer points and skills between his shooting, vision, and passing.

As far as raw production, he played 24 minutes a game and stats tend to be more depressed in European leagues/style of play. And I’m also not looking for him to come in as a star. I actually don’t mind prospects with high upside coming in as role players because there is less adjustment.

Time is on his side on working out the shortcomings while having a skill set that could get him on the court immediately.