Keeping our pick? This might be a Lottery year

oh damn, there's an athletic article about it. I didn't realize he worked out with Beckner as well.

https://theathletic.com/3144399/202...w-kansas-ochai-agbaji-became-an-all-american/

Beckner was so impressed that he wanted to give Agbaji a sneak peek of his master class. So he kept dangling out the possibility of Agbaji joining him for a trip to Portland for a training session with Lillard.

Lillard is particular with who works out with him. In three years working for Beckner, Beamer says that Beckner had never invited any of the pre-draft players to work out with Lillard.

“If you’re going to work with him, you’ve got to be about it,” Beckner says. “I’m like, Dame, you got to give this kid a chance. I’m telling you, he’s working really, really hard. He’s like Phil, he’s not messing up my workout. He’s not getting in the way.”

When it was finally time to go in mid-June, after the Trail Blazers had been eliminated from the playoffs, Lillard gave Beckner permission. Agbaji got the official invite.

“He was so excited,” Olofu says, “It was like Christmas Day.”



One of Lillard’s favorite quotes is “pit bulls and poodles can’t be in the same kennel,” and he wasn’t about to let a poodle in his workout when Agbaji arrived in Portland. So on Day 1, Lillard worked, and Agbaji watched.

Two weeks earlier Agbaji had watched Lillard drop 55 points in the playoffs against the Nuggets, and the thought crossed his mind, What else could Phil possibly say to Dame to make him better?

“It was weird watching them work out,” Agbaji says. “It was not like how he talks to me. They wouldn’t say anything. Phil would be like, ‘OK, get your arm up.’ Dame wouldn’t say anything. He’d just do it.”

Beckner worked on Lillard’s shooting posture. Agbaji sat wide-eyed, thinking, He’s shooting it great. How could he get better?

“It just put a lot of things in perspective as far as never being complacent,” Agbaji says.

After Lillard’s workout, the two traded places. Lillard watched from the sideline. Agbaji was nervous, feeling Lillard’s eyes on him, and tried to be perfect. About 20 minutes in, as Agbaji worked on a dribble move, Lillard couldn’t simply watch anymore. Agbaji was too stiff with the ball. Lillard walked over, put his arm around Agbaji and told him: “Breathe. Move. You want to glide here, dance with your feet.”

Agbaji worked alongside Lillard for the remainder of the trip. Eventually, Lillard invited him over to his house to watch a Philadelphia-Atlanta playoff game before going to watch a high school basketball game. Agbaji peppered him with questions about what it takes to be successful in the NBA, especially as a rookie.

Lillard told him to learn the terms they use in the NBA, memorize scouting reports and be a professional. One of the key components to that, he told Agbaji, was a lesson Beckner had taught him: thank everyone.

“It goes a long way,” Agbaji says. “It means something.”

After every workout now, he thanks everyone in the gym. After the interview for this story, Agbaji thanked the author. And a couple days after Agbaji hit the shot to send the Texas Tech game to double overtime and scored a career-high 37 points against the Red Raiders, Lillard saw ESPN’s Sean Farnham interview Agbaji on TV. He took a picture of his TV and sent him a text, telling Agbaji that he’s getting better and he’s proud of him.

Agbaji, wisely, responded with a thank you.

From one pit bull to another.

 

The knocks on Duren remind me of the knocks on Bam coming out. I was a big fan of him too, but people were saying the same stuff: he looks more of an athlete than basketball player. But its all about projection. You put guys like that with the right coaches and they will thrive. You cant teach what they have physically and athletically. The rest can be developed.

 

Check out the improvement.

 

This isnt Olshey though.

 

i was convinced we were drafting Chandler Hutchison a few yrs back, but we didn't so who knows.

 

Miles Bridges would be cool.
Adbaji seems really interesting.
You've got a lot of good ideas....

But, could you possibly get excited about someone who might be there at 8, who is taller than 6'8"?

 

not at 8. maybe Jovic?

This could change, obviously. Still tons of research to do.

 

Yeah I’ve been an enamored with his potential and posted about him a week ago.

 

Chet’s about 2 inches taller than Durant. If you look back at Durant’s freshman year at Texas they’re similarly skinny.

People are hesitant on Holmgren because he’s white. We’re he black with the same skill set he’s be a slam dunk pick by everyone.

7 footer with guard skills, crazy shot blocking abilities and feel for the game. Without a doubt he’ll add some weight as he’s only 19.

 

KD was 6'9, 215 at Texas. https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kevin-durant-1.html

That's quite a bit different from 7', 190. https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/chet-holmgren-1.html

I wish that comp would just die.

it physically hurts me to watch him run. I'm scared for his joints. Skilled as hell at his size, but there is absolutely no way I'm investing a #1 pick for a guy who would have to be hidden and coddled against certain matchups, while worrying about his health every time he takes a fall.

 

Durant wasn’t 215 at Texas. Not sure why the program made up that number. He was the only player ever to not bench 185lbs once.

I’m not the one comparing the two. I’m just saying that Durant was similarly skinny at the same age.

 

This is where I'm at too. Hard to see Chet playing as a wing in the pros, skillset be damned, and possibly even harder to see him playing down low based on his size. Beyond simply being skinny, I don't see a large enough frame to get add the type of weight he'll need.

I also wonder if there's anything to read into the deals that Joe made at the deadline, in terms of how he views risk... We took 85 cents on the dollar in arguably every deal we made at the deadline, but, at least if you believe the rhetoric, did so with a specific plan in mind, a specific type of player we wanted back, etc. That kind of philosophy doesn't strike me as a "swing for the fences on a high bust potential" type drafter...

 

even at the draft combine, KD measured at 215 lbs.

https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/?SeasonYear=2007-08

 

1) We'll see how many time he can bench 185.
2) Why are you worried about being bad against certain matchups when you're a rookie. OKC hid Durant at the 2, when they thought he was a 4/3.
Dumb, but authentic, question: Can Chet play the 3? the 2?

 

im worried that he might not last 5 years in the nba given how frail he appears. And there is no way he plays anything but 5 at the nba level given his footspeed. And he's an elite shotblocker so you want him near the rim.

The obvious comp for Holmgren is Evan Mobley.

Mobley at USC: 16.4 pts, 8.7 rebs, 2.4 asts, 2.9 blk, 29.1 PER, 13.7 BPM
Holmgren at Gonzaga: 14.7 pts, 9.8 rebs, 1.9 asts, 3.5 blk, 32.3 PER, 15.9 BPM

Mobley has 20lbs on Chet and appeared quite a bit more mobile laterally.

 

He'll bulk up, for sure. It'll also be interesting to get his measurements at the draft combine. If I were him, I'd go full "biggest loser" and drink a ton of water right before the weigh in.

 

In other words, a moderately exagerated version of what people said about Bol-Bol.