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Actually what do OTE players do? Unlike NCAA, they are supposedly professional players and do need to attend class, don't they even spend time to practise shooting?
I will go with an Amen/ Ja or Amen/ early Lonzo Ball comparison. Simmons hasn't ever been as athletic as Amen.
Actually what do OTE players do? Unlike NCAA, they are supposedly professional players and do need to attend class, don't they even spend time to practise shooting?
I don't think they are really comparable. Simmons is much bigger and has some mental block where he's afraid to shoot. I don't see that with Amen... He's very talented athletically, and even though he doesn't have an outside shot yet, he's not afraid of shooting it like Simmons. Amen is a classic high-risk high reward player.
Last edited by mo7888; 02-17-2023 at 06:50 AM.
The Spurs are going to draft a player who knows how to play right away. Pop recently made a comment on Barlow that he was still learning basketball. The Spurs are likely to believe the Thompsons have not gone through proper “basketball school” given that they have the same background. The expectation from the Spurs will be that their highest pick in decades will be able to join the group and have an aura about them that commands respect, whether by their sheer talent or personality. There are only a handful guys like that in the lottery. For example, I don’t think Brandon gives that kind of vibe but I could be wrong.
Besides the top 2.... who else in the lottery do you see having that quality?
Consensus on the board is that we can't take on too many young kids on the roster because development staff is finite and the development is diluted by having too many young players. Honest question, what precludes the Spurs from hiring more staff that is focused on that development?
Unless we are throwing money at established trainers, new trainers also need time to learn and develop. Then we have the game time available even if we field all 5 youngsters there is only one ball. Then if everyone is not familiar with the play sets no one is there to direct them on court and everything goes into a mess. If we throw Bassey, Barlow, Sochan, Wesley and Branham onto the court at the start of the year everything is gonna be brutal. Even now if we do it probably one or 2 get learning moments if not none and everything would probably be chaotic with a couple of highlights thrown in here and there.
The Austin Spurs seem to have some role in development but not sure of the inner workings of how that is shared.
Jabari Smith still may make it in the NBA.
Don't forget that Smith is 6 months younger than Miller even though Smith's already in the NBA.
Smith is 19 (through half an NBA season) and Miller is 20 (but still in college).
Put another way, Smith was a year and a half younger in college (and on draft day) than Miller. Smith was 18 at Auburn, Miller is 20 at Alabama. That's a big gap in players that young. (Despite the age difference, Smith is 6'11", Miller is 6'9.")
Smith is averaging 12 and 7 in the NBA as a teenager. His 2 point percentage is still awful (39%) but he's hitting 80% from the line and getting one block per game.
That said, hopefully the Spurs first pick will yield a guy better than either Smith or Miller.
On the job training is great for high lottery picks which the Spurs need now.
Smith's biggest problem is the team he's on.... he's surrounded by guys with little to no discipline...that's not a recipe for a player to succeed... I had Paolo #1 last year but if Smith had gone 1st he wouldn't be this bad in Orlando and Paolo wouldn't be this good if he were in Houston .. it matters where you get drafted...
I agree that Smith will probably be fine. My issue, as others have said, is that he's not on a good team for development. Imagine him on a team with structure that can bring him along. He would be effective getting kickouts and knocking them down.
My real issue is that he is more of a role player. He can't really activate his own shot and he's poor inside. I'm not sure whether Brandon Miller is in the same mold. I balk a bit at picking a role-player that high in the draft. Soon Houston will have tough decisions on who to pay and a #3 pick is on a pretty high scale.
Everyone here is saying Sochan is playing great and Smith is bad but Sochan's stats are similar to Smith's.
Smith: Min-30 PTs- 12 FG% - 39 3 PT% - 30 R - 7 A - 1.2 S - .5 B - 1
Sochan: Min-26 PTs-10 FG% - 45 3 PT% - 26 R - 5 A - 2.5 S - .8 B - .5
To me the issue isn't trainers and development staff, it's playing time. In my belief, this is where OTE and even G-League Ignite get things wrong. A player can certainly improve individual skills by working out, dribbling, shooting off screens, when in the gym. But what really matters are the frenetic, chaotic situations of gametime, and playing in hostile arenas, against players and coaches that gameplan against you. In OTE and Ignite, they don't play a single game that matters. Not a single possession matters. No one cares if you win or lose a game. That's so very different in the actual NBA - or, more to the point, college.
With too many rookies, it's hard to get them game time and, imo, you start cannibalizing their development on the court.
I agree with most of this, except lumping the Ignite in with OTE. OTE plays a schedule of HS teams. The Ignite play in the gleague against grown men, 2ways, and assigned NBA roster players, a much better level of compe ion.
I don't think Smith having similar offensive numbers to Sochan makes the case you're trying to make there...
... that Sochan is even a better shooter from 3 than Jabari???!!!
Wow... I wasn't sold on Sochan, but you just convinced me. Thanks rascal, your most compelling argument thus far.
Their stats are actually pretty different. Sochan has double more ass, overall shoots 6% better, 4% worse at the 3 (we would need number of 3s/game) takes 2 rbs less but has 0.3 more steals... Different games.
Last edited by JPB; 02-17-2023 at 02:55 PM.
Who fits that bill though? Every prospect projected in the top 20 is either a freshman, or in OTE. And I can't think of any prospect setting the NCAA on fire, or doing better than Brandon Miller. Not that he's a lock, but I fail to see how your argument applies to this current class, other than ruling out the Thompson twins (which I agree with).
I saw Amen Thompson in person recently and he's an A++ athlete. It's difficult to tell on video because he's going against 16 year olds most of the time but he legit might be more athletic than anyone in the NBA currently. I hate Amen's jumper, he's never been taught defense and his touch in the lane is poor ... but he's ungodly athletic, he's ~6-foot-7, he can dribble and he he has good court vision. Tbh, I was skeptical but now I think he goes No. 3 no questions asked. Once teams see his athleticism in person, I doubt anyone will pass on him after Wemby and Scoot.
My point here on Ignite is that they never play high pressure situations of any consequence. Learning how to play against adversity is really important and rookies who aren't ready don't get it in the NBA either. There's something, too, about superior coaching and gameplanning whether for or against you.
Some team will jump on him then their GM will get killed because he can't do anything on the court.
List of G League Ignite players to get NBA contracts:
2021
Jalen Green (#2 pick)
Jonathan Kuminga (#7 pick)
Isaiah Todd (#31 pick)
Daishen Nix (undrafted)
2022
Dyson Daniels (#8 pick)
MarJon Beauchamp (#24 pick)
Jaden Hardy (#37 pick)
Michael Foster Jr (undrafted)
How would folks rate their ability to put players in the league so far?
Green puts up stats but remains an undisciplined chucker.
Kuminga has shown flashes, but was apparently on the trade block but even the Spurs weren't interested.
Daniels is...?
Hardy had one big game.
6’6” with a 6’9” wingspan, Keldon, minus the big body. He’ll have to play guard, and with those measurements, he’ll never create enough events to be elite defensively. Lonnie Walker was elite athletically, AND had a jumper, and still busted. It’s nice if you’re a basketball player and athletically gifted, but it’s a tragedy for some team if the inverse is true.
I wouldn’t draft either Thompson in the top 10, maybe not even in the lottery.
What did you think about his brother?
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