Did Caleb Houstan Get a Draft Promise from the Spurs?

[The Truth #6]

Anything is possible!

[RC_Drunkford]

Do the Spurs even regard Athleticism and Quickness as assets in a player at all?

Height matters little without Athleticism and Quickness.

"athleticism and quickness don't matter if you don't have great character"

[R. DeMurre]

This “jumping early, ahead of the curve” philosophy of picking a player so early in their embryonic stage that is becoming popular seems highly problematic. Sounds like an overly intellectualized way to rationalize desperate, impulsive decision making. Sounds “smart” but making choices with even less data seems unlike the Spurs, yet here we are. Also, with so many picks and potential trades that we should be considering, promising any player has its problems, also. “Yeah, we’d love to make this awesome trade but, you know, we promised to pick this underwhelming player at 25 so maybe next time.”

And it's always accompanied by the same phrases: this prospect has shown flashes, he has the physical tools, etc... meaning, that like 90% of all prospects, he kinda looks like a basketball player.

[exstatic]

And it's always accompanied by the same phrases: this prospect has shown flashes, he has the physical tools, etc... meaning, that like 90% of all prospects, he kinda looks like a basketball player.

There’s no one at 9 you can look at and say, “they’re going to be a star”. You HAVE to project development, and you have to do it over and over. Drafting a Johnny Davis is going to glue you to the treadmill.

[The Truth #6]

And it's always accompanied by the same phrases: this prospect has shown flashes, he has the physical tools, etc... meaning, that like 90% of all prospects, he kinda looks like a basketball player.

That, but maybe more concerning for me is that we're getting associated with players who are young, haven't shown that much yet, and have very mediocre athletic capabilities. I'm not loving that combination.

[R. DeMurre]

There’s no one at 9 you can look at and say, “they’re going to be a star”. You HAVE to project development, and you have to do it over and over. Drafting a Johnny Davis is going to glue you to the treadmill.

I'm more talking about people like Emoni Bates, Patrick Baldwin Jr, and the like. Imagine if it were permissible to draft 17 year olds-- in that case, some team very likely would've grabbed one of them as the "best" high school prospect in the country, and today would probably be feeling pretty disappointed.

[offset formation]

That, but maybe more concerning for me is that we're getting associated with players who are young, haven't shown that much yet, and have very mediocre athletic capabilities. I'm not loving that combination.

This is far and away the most disappointing aspect of Primo's game tbh. His ceiling appears capped at shooting 3s (hopefully with much better efficiency than his first season) and perhaps a midrange game because he simply lacks the athleticism to beat players in a one-on-one, half game defense, with any regularity whatsoever. And if you're going to get on your high horse as an organization about drafting a player a year early because you think that he'll be taken high in the following year's draft, you damn well better be selecting a player whose game is immediately limited. Especially when other players that were more polished were available for selection then.

[RiverwalkParade]

Wouldn’t hate taking this guy in the first if we traded back from 25 to say 29 or 30 and got another 2nd.

[duncan2150]

[Mr. Body]

Improvement Areas: Everything

[The Truth #6]

Beautiful jumper but not much else. I suppose he could give Lil Weezy some compe ion for a roster spot. Not entirely joking.

[XDT76]

Looks like a taller Forbes.

[rankingtear]

Do the Spurs even regard Athleticism and Quickness as assets in a player at all?

Height matters little without Athleticism and Quickness.

Weiskamp was a top 5 in lane agility and max vert in the combine.

[Ariel]

Improvement Areas: Everything

So you're telling me he has UNLIMITED UPSIDE???

[PhantomDashCam]

31:30 - 34:00 mark, Raf. discusses Caleb Houstan working out Pre-Combine.

Said he's a fantastic kid, doesn't have social media - really nice person to talk to.
However, this should give people pause, he doesn't think he's nearly as good a shooter as what his reputation is/was. He saw him miss a tonne, in an open gym too.

[stnick2261]

However, this should give people pause, he doesn't think he's nearly as good a shooter as what his reputation is/was. He saw him miss a tonne, in an open gym too.

If I knew I was going to be exposed at the combine and end up undrafted, I would skip the combine and float a rumor that I got a promise.

[mo7888]

If I knew I was going to be exposed at the combine and end up undrafted, I would skip the combine and float a rumor that I got a promise.

I'd just pull out and go back to school...

[John B]

Caleb is a good size with good shooting mechanics, not very athletic and lacks 1st step burst. Honestly underwhelmimg

[Uriel]

If Houstan is so bad, why was he considered a top recruit coming out of high school? Is it possible that his poor freshman showing was due to being in the wrong environment, and that if he had played for another team that could showcase his skillset, he would be ranked much higher?

[exstatic]

If Houstan is so bad, why was he considered a top recruit coming out of high school? Is it possible that his poor freshman showing was due to being in the wrong environment, and that if he had played for another team that could showcase his skillset, he would be ranked much higher?

They don't have a college combine. It's all done by buzz and hype.

He really should have showed up at the combine, measured, and then sat on the sidelines. His skill tests didn't help him at all. He probably would have been drafted higher without them.

[Mr. Body]

If Houstan is so bad, why was he considered a top recruit coming out of high school? Is it possible that his poor freshman showing was due to being in the wrong environment, and that if he had played for another team that could showcase his skillset, he would be ranked much higher?

That's not really how it works. Take a look at any year of ESPN's high school rankings and you'll see at the top of each board players that were highly coveted and you literally cannot remember even playing in college:

http://www.espn.com/college-sports/b...s/_/class/2015

http://www.espn.com/college-sports/b...s/_/class/2011

Some of them become good college players then suck in the NBA. Some make it all the way. But one thing I don't think ever happens is a ty college player suddenly becoming a good NBA player. This draft seems to have a lot of utter dreamers.

[spurraider21]

6'8 or taller i dont care about anything else

Stanley "6'8" Johnson baby