Height: 6-8
Weight: 220 lbs
Birthday: 06/20/1989
College: Nevada
DraftExpress
nbadraft
after he declared and hired an agent DX now has ranked him at #25.
so in their mock he pretty much replaced the returning Kyle Singler.
I think that Spurs fans would hate this pick, but I can't resist the feeling that the spurs have him on their list. maybe not on top, but he is there, book it.
he is to much of an Spurs type player that they wouldn't at least follow his development.
Was about to post on this guy. Givony tweeting on DX that he's ranked higher on teams' boards than expected.
I can really see him on the Spurs' radar and I wouldn't be disappointed in the pick. He's a terrific shooter from everywhere - and deadeye from the free throw line. He hustles like . As a strictly bench player who will bust his ass and hit shots, get rebounds, maybe not be quick enough to be a shut-down defender (likely not), but can provide needed scoring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0_PCqoB0aI
I agree that these youtube highlight reels are just that, highlights, but this kids jumper is pretty sick..I have seen his ht posted anywhere from 6'7 to 6'9, so we should find out when the measurements start up..
i don't think he is quick enough to be able to play the 3, otherwise he were a top 10 pick, he remind me a little Danilo Gallinari from the Knicks.
yeah, Gallinari is a nice comparison. Gallinari has the more complete game and those outstanding ball handling skills (that's why he was picked at #6 and Babbit likely #20-30), but Babbitt is pretty close overall. poor man's Gallinari is still an intriguing profile.
Ya, I too like that comparison...Well be interesting to see how he does against other prospects at the 3. Guess he's a little to short to replace bonner huh?
I read an interesting ESPN Insider article dedicated to Babbitt. It's a paid service, so I'll post the link but you may not be able to access it. Here's a snipit of it...
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/blog?...aft&id=5146748
This article lends credence to the fact that Babbitt very well may be a target of the Spurs and/or several teams drafting in the late lottery to mid-first round. I found the Rashard Lewis comparison especially interesting.Every year there are a few players who find their way into the first round that no one expected. Some players prove that everybody else had it wrong, like Aaron Brooks (2007, No. 26, Houston Rockets), while others, like Quincy Douby (2006, No. 19, Sacramento Kings), prove they were a surprise for a reason.
We will have a clearer picture of the first round once the May 8 withdrawal date has passed, but based on conversations with NBA decision makers, one name keeps coming up that could get drafted a lot earlier than currently projected: Luke Babbitt.
The Nevada product is a 6-foot-9, 220 pound sop re capable of playing both forward positions. He is currently ranked No. 24 on Chad Ford's Top 100, which reflects the general consensus on his stock. But at least one talent evaluator thinks he's much better than that.
An Eastern Conference scout's take on Babbitt: "He won't go in the top 10, but I have him in my top five. I know he has the same issues as a lot of guys, such as who is he going to defend? There is some question about his lateral quickness, too. But he is just so gifted as an offensive player."
Is his offense advanced enough to get him in the lottery?
"Look at Rashard Lewis. Can he defend or rebound? Not really, but he gets you 20 points a night, and Babbitt is that kind of guy, but a better rebounder."
On film Babbitt doesn't resemble Lewis, but his production validates the comparison. Babbitt shows a collection of offensive moves rarely seen from a player his size. As a lefty he can create off the dribble, catch and shoot and uses his wide shoulders to set up in the post. The offense consistently operates around him, but when Babbitt is away from the ball he never stops moving.
An NBA coach will worry about his defense and probably tell him to leave the 30-foot attempts in Nevada, but you can't argue with his shooting numbers: 50.0 FG%, 41.6 3PT% and 91.7 FT%.
A GM from the Western Conference also has Babbitt as a name to watch over the next two months. "A month ago he was in the 25-to-35 range. Right now he's got a lot of buzz. He's probably somewhere in between picks 12 and 20."
As for whether I'd like the pick for the Spurs...I'd say it depends on who else is available. To me, Babbitt's ceiling is as a role player because of his apparent defensive limitations. He may be a nice replacement or potential upgrade to Matt Bonner, but if the Spurs have an opportunity to draft a player with greater-than-role-player potential, I'd be disappointed to see them go this route.
Rashard Lewis isn't very athletic. Interesting comparison. I didn't realize he wasn't a good rebounder, either. Strange, Lewis plays as a starter, although a horribly expensive one. Babbitt busts his ass much more, which is why he won't slip into the 2nd round the way Lewis did.
Could this kid be a possible bonner replacement? His rebounding is better already than bonner's, I think his offense is way ahead of bonner when he entered the league. I know he is a little bit shorter and his defense seems to be on par with him as well. I really like his skills and think he could het get minutes right away.
Looking at his stats last year, he didn't shoot a huge volume of 3pters. That can be a bad thing, but for our purposes, it means he's not a volume shooter. He can pick his spots. He got to the line at a good clip, also, where he hit almost everything, and his rebounds, as said, were very strong. Didn't face the greatest of compe ion, but scouts seem to like him nonetheless.
just watched his highlights pretty good
its hard
if i was the spurs i would choose him or paul george
but ive heard this guy has problems with defense
and who is better at driving the ball?
can't remember where I read it (probably Givony on his Twitter, but I'm not sure), it was a comment that some teams might be much higher on Babbitt than mocks currently rank him. much higher means something like late lottery.
You're a bit late on this. The DX from Givony is where everybody started buzzing on him (who weren't attached to teams). 'Much higher than teams are ranking him' placed him in the mid-20s for now, which is where DX has him.
These stats keep sticking with me on this guy: 50/40/90
Those are his shooting percentages, which are just filthy. Remind me a lot of George Hill, whose percentages were fairly similar.
Except that George Hill is in the "elite" category athletically and was a solid on-ball defender before coming to the Spurs.
I understand the frame of reference for your post, but Babbitt still seems a bit one-dimensional at this point...and that likely makes him a role player at best.
Who knows though...Spurs clearly have a role on their team for perimeter-oriented forwards that can stretch the D and have targeted players in the draft like that in the past (i.e. Ryan Anderson).
If they like him enough, who am I to say he's not worth the pick?
I really like this kid and think he can fill a bonner type role on next seasons roster for a much cheaper salary. I think he is big enough to play small ball 4 and can play the 3 in a regular set. Just like bonner however his defense may be his worst attribute but unlike bonner this kid goes after rebounds much better and is much more aggressive on offense. I am hoping it comes down this kid, George, or Ebanks for that 1st rd pick.
Even if Bonner continues to struggle in the postseason I see the Spurs having trouble letting him go without a replacement of some kind. Babbitt can't provide the sometimes decent Bonner post-defense but that won't be as necessary if Splitter is able to come over.
It may be he just doesn't have the size for a part-time, small ball PF, and I'm not saying Babbitt is my pick, just that I would wholly endorse the pick. He's not like a Steve Novak or a Jason Kapono where his athleticism is a severe restriction (or, say, a Jared Dudley); he's actually fairly athletic in NBA terms, busts his ass, and can get off the ground. I'll be interested to see how he comes out.
yavozerb -- I couldn't pick btw him and George knowing as little as I do, but I cannot support a Ebanks pick.
I didnt realize his outside shooting was so bad,so if had a redo on that statement I would have to leave Ebanks off my list since I really believe the spurs will be searching for outside shooting this offseason.
Adam Morrison 2.0
Spurs need shooters in the worst way, and this guy can fill that role. He seems to have more versatility than the Spurs' current unathletic guy with his ability to play SF and score from pretty much anywhere.
Given his likely role-player upside, I'd like to see him in a two-pick first round scenario where the Spurs use the other pick to nab a higher upside guy.
I'm really high on Pondexter but at this point I'd agree that we need a shooter like Babbitt.
If Xavier Henry isn't there, which he won't be, I get the feeling the spurs will draft Babbitt at #20. He is a shooter that the spurs need and he is kind of going under the radar.
Henry-gone before #20
George-gone before #20
I agree with you scott that I think this kid fits the spurs needs currently the best If henry and goerge are not on the board.
I actually think he will make more of an immediate impact in the NBA than George will. With Babbitt you know what your going to get. He is a good shooter and he will hustle and work hard. I think George will eventually be the better player, but I believe he has a lot more developing to do than Babbitt.
Right now Babbitt is a better shooter than George and I believe Babbitt will fit better than George because the spurs are desperate for a shooter now. Tim Duncan and company can't wait on players to develop any more the time is now. Both players have weird releases on their shots, but George's definitely needs more work.
That being said I think Henry is better than both and will be a knock down shooter in the league for a long time. He won't be there at pick 20 though. If he slips out of the top ten spurs should be making calls to trade up. I wouldn't mind trading pick 20 and next year's first to move up 6 or seven spots. Maybe you add Malik Hairston if a certain team likes him. If the spurs get Henry he is the type of player that will make the spurs a top 4 contender again assuming splitter comes over.
I'm not sold on other wings like Gordon Hayward and James Anderson. Anderson is more of a penetrator which is getting redundant on the spurs roster right not. And Hayward is not that good of a shooter if you look at the %'s and he needs more developing.
The wild card for the spurs on draft night in my opinion is whether they want to go for a n offensive wing or a defensive wing. Also do you draft a big man if a good one drops that the spurs like. If they prefer defense then they will be looking at Stanley Robinson, Damion James, Kevin Ebanks, Avery Bradley, and Quincy Pondexter. All of these players have major flaws and at least early in their careers will do nothing offensively. All of their games need developing.
If a big man like Udoh or Whiteside slips do you go there? The spurs could really use a young athletic big man that can defend. I think you almost have to go big if splitter stays in europe.
Assuming a big man doesn't drop i think the spurs best route to take for short term success would be to draft one of the shooters. Why i posted this in the Luke Babbitt thread is beyond me.
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