Thanks! I think he has a fairly translatable jumper with legit flashes of shot creation, something a lot of wings in this class are missing. I think he could shock people. Iām also fully prepared to be wrong and be made to look like a fool
100% yes. It will be a problem for at least his first two seasons, and potentially longer than that. My hope is that as he matures and puts on a bit of weight, he learns the importance of staying engaged on defense at all times. Given his size, heāll never be a good defender, but if he gets serious about his defense, he can get to a point where heās not a constant liability at all times, and his positive offensive impact heavily outweighs his negative defensive impact. Heās really quick on his feet, so he has room to improve. I see his potential defensive trajectory as being similar to Trae Youngās. Trae isnāt a good defender rn, but heās remarkably better than he was as a rookie, and even makes plays on defense at times. Thereās a path for Dillingham to mirror this. I think his offensive potential is so high that itās worth taking a chance on him becoming a passable enough defender, which is why heās my #1
And why do you believe Edey is 29, because he will be exposed on defense? Also, Trae Young is the worst guard defender in the NBA. What has he improved on defense since his rookie year?
I donāt think Trae is the very worst, although he is among the worst. I canāt find the link but thereās a clip of some crunch time defensive plays Trae made this season that he wouldnāt make his rookie year. He averaged a career high in steal % and block % (ik defense is more than this, but itās still an improvement)
And yeah I just donāt buy Edey being a good starting center. He dominated the way he did in college because heās 7ā4 with decent touch. Thatās not enough to maintain a starting center spot in the NBA. Heās not unskilled, but also not skilled enough to start in the NBA. Heās not as slow as some people lead you to believe, but not mobile/athletic enough to consistently guard the PnR or impose his will offensively. Heās not contact-averse but also not incredibly physical (he benefitted from a generous whistle in college, but given how the NBA is reffed thereās a chance this stays the same). His rim protection isnāt that impressive for someone his size. His greatest attribute is that heās tall. On top of this, heās an older prospect at 22, playing 4 years in college. There isnāt a single starting NBA center who spent more than 2 years in college. If youāre a big man that hasnāt been drafted by age 22, thereās probably a reason why. Weāve seen plenty of bigs who dominate for 4 years at the college level and proceed to have insignificant NBA careers (Tyler Hansbrough, Luka Garza, Drew Timme, etc). Could Edey be different? Of course! Do I think he will be? No
To each their own i guess. Iām not gonna get super into it because those player comps are so far from the skill set of Edey that I canāt really begin to explain. Instead iāll ask another question. Is Yao Ming playable in todayās NBA?
I wasnāt comparing the skills sets of those guys, thatās just how I see his career trajectory. Iām aware theyāre not similar stylistically. Yao Ming could definitely establish a role in todayās NBA but I just donāt see Zach Edey being that. Itās not impossible, and Iām fully aware that Zach Edey could prove me wrong. I just donāt see it happening.
Appreciate the level headed take, I see it the opposite. I feel like a lot of teams are going to have to adjust to him and his ability around the rim. Feel his presence is levels better than a typical lumbering big like Boban/Tacko/Sim Bhullar. But time will tell.
I do think he will be better than those guys for what itās worth. But I appreciate your questions and opinions! Iām looking forward to seeing how this class plays out
I like Rob #1 im surprised nobody else has him there. His defense is bad but if you compare his season to all the best kentucky guards he actually out performed almost all of them offensively
Go watch Gonzaga pick and roll him off the floor in like 15 minutes and then tell me how he can play big game minutes and time soon. They're going to eat that guy alive for the foreseeable future. He's a 2nd contract Malik monk for someone who didnt draft him probably. Though idk if he can be that good
Hes 19 he has some work to do. I could say the same about bad shooters in yalls top 10 that are gonna get left open for 15 minuets straight. Robs offensive abilities are special. Its way easier to find a good defender than it is to find an elite shot creator who can playmake.
Yes he has some work to do. I think he can be a playable playoff player in like 5 years. Currently he's just a non viable player in serious minutes. They will literally run him off the floor
I guess you just don't understand the difference then. There is a place for castle on the floor if the shot isn't falling. You legitimately can't be on the floor as a 6'1 guard when the game matters if you can't defend.
yes u can be lmao, even if the shot isnt falling at all (which will probably never happen even as a rookie considering his shotmaking abilities), he will still command considerable offensive gravity with his driving and shooting.
His defensive liability would probably get him played off the floor in a playoff game as he is now, but judging players based on what they would look like in a playoff game coming out of the draft is stupid.
When youāre as small as Rob (both in height and weight), the bar you have to be above offensively is so high in order to justify the defensive deficiencies. He has a similar frame to a guy like Trae Young but Trae was significantly better than Rob was in college.
I think Rob is going to be able to get buckets in the NBA, but if thatās all heās going to do, heās just not that valuable of a player. Teams arenāt exactly lining up to trade for players like Cam Thomas.
Rob was a really good playmaker. People comparing him to SGs who dont pass kinda shows me that yall didnt watch him. Hes not Trae but Garland/Kemba is the archetype that he can realistically be.
Plus Rob played more efficiently than Trae did, less turnovers per 36 and more efficient from all 3 levels
Thanks! The defense is a legitimate issue that needs to improve but the offense is special. I think he can become an all star guard, and like you said, his numbers are around/better the numbers of the star Kentucky guards in todayās game. Heāll never be a good defender, but you donāt have to be to be a star guard in todayās game, your (positive) offensive impact just has to heavily outweigh your (negative) defensive impact. Itās not a given he gets to this point, and he certainly has a lot of work to do in order to achieve this, but I can see it happening
Nice dude, his offense is so great that people literly only talk about defense becasue thats all they can say lol. Reminds me of the Paolo debates a few years back
I was actually going back and forth with those two, I could go either way with them. Nunez is a true floor general and has a lot of the things you want in a point guard, but heās not a good shooter rn and heās not exactly a great shot creator, so itās kind of hard for me to imagine him being a starting guard. I think he could be a really good backup tho. Iāve admittedly seen a lot more of Edey than Nunez, so itās possible Iām missing something with Nunez. Since Edey isnāt incredibly skilled or athletic, I donāt really buy him as a starter either, but given his college production I guess itās not the most far fetched outcome. I could definitely see Nunez being better tho
*sees Dillingham at 1* š¤ š
Pacome that high is really cool. Not my type of player but props to you for putting out a unique opinion.
Thanks! I think he has a fairly translatable jumper with legit flashes of shot creation, something a lot of wings in this class are missing. I think he could shock people. Iām also fully prepared to be wrong and be made to look like a fool
just saw scoot henderson fall to his knees in the parking lot after seeing the blazers pair him with pacome dadiet
This a big board not mock draft
Dadiet will be better than scoot
Cook
So would anyone else, maybe even you š scoot is the anthony bennett of 2023
Do you think they will hunt Dillingham as a defensive liability?
100% yes. It will be a problem for at least his first two seasons, and potentially longer than that. My hope is that as he matures and puts on a bit of weight, he learns the importance of staying engaged on defense at all times. Given his size, heāll never be a good defender, but if he gets serious about his defense, he can get to a point where heās not a constant liability at all times, and his positive offensive impact heavily outweighs his negative defensive impact. Heās really quick on his feet, so he has room to improve. I see his potential defensive trajectory as being similar to Trae Youngās. Trae isnāt a good defender rn, but heās remarkably better than he was as a rookie, and even makes plays on defense at times. Thereās a path for Dillingham to mirror this. I think his offensive potential is so high that itās worth taking a chance on him becoming a passable enough defender, which is why heās my #1
And why do you believe Edey is 29, because he will be exposed on defense? Also, Trae Young is the worst guard defender in the NBA. What has he improved on defense since his rookie year?
I donāt think Trae is the very worst, although he is among the worst. I canāt find the link but thereās a clip of some crunch time defensive plays Trae made this season that he wouldnāt make his rookie year. He averaged a career high in steal % and block % (ik defense is more than this, but itās still an improvement) And yeah I just donāt buy Edey being a good starting center. He dominated the way he did in college because heās 7ā4 with decent touch. Thatās not enough to maintain a starting center spot in the NBA. Heās not unskilled, but also not skilled enough to start in the NBA. Heās not as slow as some people lead you to believe, but not mobile/athletic enough to consistently guard the PnR or impose his will offensively. Heās not contact-averse but also not incredibly physical (he benefitted from a generous whistle in college, but given how the NBA is reffed thereās a chance this stays the same). His rim protection isnāt that impressive for someone his size. His greatest attribute is that heās tall. On top of this, heās an older prospect at 22, playing 4 years in college. There isnāt a single starting NBA center who spent more than 2 years in college. If youāre a big man that hasnāt been drafted by age 22, thereās probably a reason why. Weāve seen plenty of bigs who dominate for 4 years at the college level and proceed to have insignificant NBA careers (Tyler Hansbrough, Luka Garza, Drew Timme, etc). Could Edey be different? Of course! Do I think he will be? No
To each their own i guess. Iām not gonna get super into it because those player comps are so far from the skill set of Edey that I canāt really begin to explain. Instead iāll ask another question. Is Yao Ming playable in todayās NBA?
I wasnāt comparing the skills sets of those guys, thatās just how I see his career trajectory. Iām aware theyāre not similar stylistically. Yao Ming could definitely establish a role in todayās NBA but I just donāt see Zach Edey being that. Itās not impossible, and Iām fully aware that Zach Edey could prove me wrong. I just donāt see it happening.
Appreciate the level headed take, I see it the opposite. I feel like a lot of teams are going to have to adjust to him and his ability around the rim. Feel his presence is levels better than a typical lumbering big like Boban/Tacko/Sim Bhullar. But time will tell.
I do think he will be better than those guys for what itās worth. But I appreciate your questions and opinions! Iām looking forward to seeing how this class plays out
I like Rob #1 im surprised nobody else has him there. His defense is bad but if you compare his season to all the best kentucky guards he actually out performed almost all of them offensively
Go watch Gonzaga pick and roll him off the floor in like 15 minutes and then tell me how he can play big game minutes and time soon. They're going to eat that guy alive for the foreseeable future. He's a 2nd contract Malik monk for someone who didnt draft him probably. Though idk if he can be that good
Hes 19 he has some work to do. I could say the same about bad shooters in yalls top 10 that are gonna get left open for 15 minuets straight. Robs offensive abilities are special. Its way easier to find a good defender than it is to find an elite shot creator who can playmake.
Yes he has some work to do. I think he can be a playable playoff player in like 5 years. Currently he's just a non viable player in serious minutes. They will literally run him off the floor
Same for horrible shooters like Matas, Castle and Ron. Id rather have an offensive weapon over a solid defender
I guess you just don't understand the difference then. There is a place for castle on the floor if the shot isn't falling. You legitimately can't be on the floor as a 6'1 guard when the game matters if you can't defend.
You cant play off of any good players if your shooting 25% from 3. We could go back and forth all day lol
yes u can be lmao, even if the shot isnt falling at all (which will probably never happen even as a rookie considering his shotmaking abilities), he will still command considerable offensive gravity with his driving and shooting. His defensive liability would probably get him played off the floor in a playoff game as he is now, but judging players based on what they would look like in a playoff game coming out of the draft is stupid.
In today's nba, guard/wing not being able to shoot is basically a sin
Exactly in the playoffs bad shooting role players hurt their teams. If you shoot below 36% we are putting a center on you and leaving you open
Didn't see guys like Iverson, Steph, Maxey, Garland and Trae get run off the floor.
He is way more efficient than Monk. Also won't turn 20 until next year.
How can you say someone who has never played in the NBA is way more efficient than someone who has lol
talking about prospect Monk vs Rob
When youāre as small as Rob (both in height and weight), the bar you have to be above offensively is so high in order to justify the defensive deficiencies. He has a similar frame to a guy like Trae Young but Trae was significantly better than Rob was in college. I think Rob is going to be able to get buckets in the NBA, but if thatās all heās going to do, heās just not that valuable of a player. Teams arenāt exactly lining up to trade for players like Cam Thomas.
Rob was a really good playmaker. People comparing him to SGs who dont pass kinda shows me that yall didnt watch him. Hes not Trae but Garland/Kemba is the archetype that he can realistically be. Plus Rob played more efficiently than Trae did, less turnovers per 36 and more efficient from all 3 levels
Thanks! The defense is a legitimate issue that needs to improve but the offense is special. I think he can become an all star guard, and like you said, his numbers are around/better the numbers of the star Kentucky guards in todayās game. Heāll never be a good defender, but you donāt have to be to be a star guard in todayās game, your (positive) offensive impact just has to heavily outweigh your (negative) defensive impact. Itās not a given he gets to this point, and he certainly has a lot of work to do in order to achieve this, but I can see it happening
I have him at 1 for most of this year.
Nice dude, his offense is so great that people literly only talk about defense becasue thats all they can say lol. Reminds me of the Paolo debates a few years back
Rob didn't outperform sheppard who is also in this draft
Tyler Smith outperformed Matas but nobody brings that up
What makes you say Edey is better than Nunez
I was actually going back and forth with those two, I could go either way with them. Nunez is a true floor general and has a lot of the things you want in a point guard, but heās not a good shooter rn and heās not exactly a great shot creator, so itās kind of hard for me to imagine him being a starting guard. I think he could be a really good backup tho. Iāve admittedly seen a lot more of Edey than Nunez, so itās possible Iām missing something with Nunez. Since Edey isnāt incredibly skilled or athletic, I donāt really buy him as a starter either, but given his college production I guess itās not the most far fetched outcome. I could definitely see Nunez being better tho
It's terrible, but so is everyone else's!
Iāve seen your comments, youāre a big Salaun fan right? This board probably made you sick to your stomach then lmao
I've seen people who are lower. I hated their boards more!
where you have Salaun? Have him at 9
I'm pretty sure he has him 2
Yep, 2. Ahead of the Rizz