I wanted him last year too, he’d be a good guy to groom behind Davis. Not sure I’d trade up for him, but maybe that’s only because I have my eyes set on two other players that I’ll dream about until they land elsewhere.
Everyone that suggests Grayson Allen should get banned. He's no where near the shooter that Redick is. And his attitude is horrible and he's a punk. He's not even a first round talent and his attitude makes him undraftable.
Never wanted to watch or look into Grayson Allen because of his fuckery and general aura, but I did, and I’ve come around on him somewhat. First, the attitude. Everything I’ve read about him says he’s a great teammate and a super competitor who tends to lose his shit during games. Is that a character flaw? I don’t know, but there aren’t any glaring off court concerns with him, and we also have to remember that we’re talking about a college kid. He’ll most likely mature. Build and Athleticism: Has a decent SG build and gets after it in the weight room. He looked leaner at the combine which might be better for him going forward, because he posted impressive agility and vertical numbers and had one of the lower body fat percentages. Hes an above average athlete and more explosive than some of the Duke alumns like Redick and Kennard. Game: don’t think I need to break his down, as I’m sure most are familiar with it. I will say I really like his release. It’s clean and it’s quick. And I also like how he moves to get open off the ball. He’s not just a set shooter. As for the claim that he’s not anywhere near the shooter Redick is? His TS % would suggest otherwise. I don’t know where he’s projected to be drafted, but I’m not as against taking him as I was before I really read or got into watching him play. I have quite a few other players I like more, but I think Allen has quite a bit of value in the late first round.
I've heard from unbiased people in the local media that interviewed him at PK80 and said it was one of their most unpleasant experiences ever. Said he was just as bad as he seems like. You're using TS% to reflect their 3pt and mid-range shooting? Allen gets to the line more.
You said he’s nowhere near the shooter Redick is. True shooting % is the best available stat to measure a player’s shooting ability. But you know that, since you use them in your arguments all the time. And getting to the line more is a good thing, no? And I don’t care about what media said about their experience with Allen, or anybody else. They’re not the ones players have to make an impression on.
TS% is affected by FT Rate, as well as buckets around the rim. If we're talking about jumpshooting only, TS% isn't the best measure. Okay, have fun supporting the next Zaza Pachulia.
See if this affects your view: Note Brunson's FG% at rim - much higher than Dame or CJ and a smidge below Kyrie:
I'd certainly get more excited about Okobo than Brunson. But (besides the fact that he's likely to go before we pick) he'd also take a while to be any good, and he's much more likely to be a bust. Higher ceiling but lower floor. Brunson is the boring pick. But that's what people would've said about someone taking Draymond Green at #24.
Think you need to sell how Brunson would help Portland specifically as opposed to his overall talent as a prospect. How would he play with Lillard or in a three guard lineup? And if he can’t, then why draft him? We’re not talking about passing on an elite talent here. There’s a reason he’s not projected to be a high pick. Big school guys usually don’t get overlooked, especially ones with Brunsons pedigree. Draymond is almost an outlier because I can’t think of other similar examples.
1. Let's remember we're picking at 24 here. In any draft there's probably max 3 stars, max 12ish rotation players. You're lucky to get a contributor at 24. Almost certainly he will be a bench player. 2. Why 3 guard? Why not think in terms of "somebody who'd actually HELP US IN THE PLAYOFFS" (unlike Shabazz "not played at all" Napier). How about like Shaun Livingston for Golden State? Or better yet, how about Terry Rozier for the Celtics? Did they think they'd made a mistake with drafting him when they had first Thomas and then Irving? 3. I take Brunson to be a possible Derek Fisher. His worth exceeds his apparent skills. Derek Fisher ended up being a more important BBall player than (and it pains me to say this) Andre Miller. Miller was undeniably more talented, but also not a leader. Brunson oozes leadership. Beware of flashy players whose teams don't win. Brunson is nonpareil as a winner. I think it's crazy to say that. This guy has been decorated all the way - McDonald's All-American, Mr. Basketball of Illinois (not like being Mr. Basketball of North Dakota, say), and PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Players like that USED to get drafted top 10. Can he score? Absolutely - he's a rock-solid shooter and he can score at the rim at a high % AND defend. And he's won state championships in high school and 2 NCAA championships in 3 years! And he's not even a Senior! That's both true and not true. There's also a "familiarity breeds contempt" factor. It's VERY common to have a guy be an exciting freshman and be projected first round, decide to go back to school, have a BETTER sophomore, and slip all the way to the second, because he's old news. And there are a million examples: Carlos Boozer is an example of a star, but there are a ton of players for big schools who were passed over. A lot of them are backup PGs: Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet were an all-American backcourt at Wichita State and both are now contributing NBA players, and BOTH went undrafted. Look at Quinn Cook. Also undrafted, has DEFINITELY earned himself a solid contract this year. And neither VanVleet nor Cook has the pedigree of Brunson. See here for a comparison. Others include TJ McConnell, Yogi Ferrell and Frank Mason III. (There's so many, in fact, that you might use this list to argue against drafting Brunson because we'll be able to get a good guard without drafting him. But we tried that with Shabazz.)
Okobo would be a solid pick, I honestly don’t care who we pick, just as long as he can do one thing... score. We need scorers.
Brunson had the third highest shooting % on that Nova team. If having teammates who can shoot 3s at a high % help you get to the rim, then why wasn't anyone else on that team just as good ?
