If the Spurs draft 11th

[Dejounte]

His match-up during this game appears to have the size and strength of an NBA player

This game was interesting to watch because this was a VERY physical game with his match-up. A lot of jawing between the two in the 2nd half. Isaiah is TOUGH.

Also… what a CRAZY ending to this game.

2:28 Nice block on a smaller guy

3:39 Drive and dunk against two players (though it didn’t count because of his teammate?)

2:46 Nice pass outside pad300

3:28 Nice display of agility to get the put back shot

3:34 Gets double teamed and passes it out for an assist

5:06 Amazing timing for a rebound

5:38 Gets QUADRUPLE TEAMED and passes it out for a nice assist

8:52 Good man to man defense on his matchup

13:18 Seems like he’s impossible to stop 3 feet within the basket

15:25 Superb pass

17:42 Good timing on this block

21:02 INSANE catch and shot

27:14 Clutch bucket

I urge people to pay attention to this prospect and watch his tape. He may be projected as a end of the 1st round pick, but I feel that’s going to change leading up to the draft.

tim_duncan_fan
Sugus

[Dejounte]

Going against one of the top center prospects in this draft, Zeke Nnaji

This game is interesting because they played him at the 4 at times and he guarded more on the perimeter.

2:12 Gets covered pretty good by Zeke, catches the ball and lays it in

11:43 Gets double teamed, makes the shot

12:15 Makes a nice 3

12:38 Makes a smart read and nice pass

16:46 Good switch and cover

18:58 Good defense by Zeke on Isaiah

Overall, a quieter game by Isaiah. Arizona really denied him the ball and they would not let any entry passes get to Isaiah.

This was his second worst game of the year (statistics-wise) it looks like judging from his game logs. Ended up with 9 Points, 11 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 1 Block.

His match-up, Zeke Nnaji, ended up with 9 Points, 8 Rebounds, No Assists/ Steals/ Blocks

[Chinook]

I'm going to take an exception to this. There have been effective skinny centers in this league, in a much more physical era. Manute Bol played C at 200 lbs and 7'7" (basketball reference). As as spurs example, Francisco Elson, was a lightweight (not a particularly good player mind you, but a player. It was a much heavier era for bigs, and he was skill-deficient).

The video clips that show Poku getting pushed around in his league are very real, but so is his statistical output of blocks and rebounds. The way to square that circle, in my opinion, is that he has a very good nose for the ball. I cannot see that skill not applying in the NBA; despite his lack of strength (which may rectify with time), he will still be able to get some board and blocks in the NBA (again, IMO).

Manute Bol wasn't actually a good NBA player. He was just crazy tall and shot threes at a time when bigs just didn't do that. He as a massive net-negative. If that had to do with his weight or other things, I don't know. Elson was way better than Bol, but according to BBall Ref, he was 235. Even coming into the league he was 213. And again, he and Bol were not good players, nor did they have stable roles in the NBA. DeJuan Blair and Chuck Hayes were much better player than either, but people still realize that 6-6 is too short for a center. Yes one can overcome that, especially at the lower levels. But I wouldn't take the fact that Poke can avoid getting pushed around sometimes by scrubs as evidence he could hang playing a plodding center role (which was the part of my post that you bolded).

[duncan2150]

My questions answered:

Interviewer: Your coach at Washington, Mike Hopkins, is a disciple of Jim Boeheim of Syracuse. Both of them are known for having their teams play a zone defense. Do you think there will be an adjustment for you to get back to playing man-to-man in the NBA?

Isaiah Stewart: No, because I've played man-to-man my whole life. That was one of the knocks on the University of Washington for me. I told Coach Hop I wasn't sure I wanted to go there because I didn't want to play zone. I wanted to play man-to-man. He didn't think I was going to choose the University of Washington, but I ended up choosing them anyway. I'm a guy who loves a challenge. I love playing man-to-man. It's something I've been doing my whole life. I feel like, after one year, I don't see why people have to question whether I can guard man-to-man when I've been doing it my whole life. If you look back at everything and everywhere I have played, I have always played man-to-man. I never had to go zone, and no one ever worried about me switching out onto a guard.

https://www.bab hoops.com/amp/isa...mpression=true

Isaiah jumping up my list again. He's definitely my sleeper pick. People are going to wonder why he went so low (if he stays there where he's currently projected at).

You bring something interesting here. Stewart was at the top of my list at the beggining of the process cause I really want an atheltic big for the team.

After that I have some doubts about his ability to Switch on the perimeter so I don't have him in My top list now. But if he can switch and defend on some guards sometimes then he is really interesting.
Still I think he is a little bit heavy on his foot.
The combine if we have one will Be very determinant for those kind of bigs.

Watch another prospect who is climbing a little bit : Jalen Smith. Rc was seeing scouting him à few times I think and he has a Nice combination, of shooting the 3, blocks ,athletism...while also showing some capacity to defend on the perimeter.

Tough it will Be a little high at 11

[Dejounte]

In this one, he’s going up against top 10 pick-- Onyeka Okongwu.

1:06 Good defense by Isaiah on Onyeka

2:30 Great post-up move against Onyeka

3:14 Getting chippy down low, Onyeka makes a shot against Isaiah. Looked like an offensive foul to me though

3:59 Nice post move

13:00 Nice fake against Onyeka. Gets the bite > Free throws

13:20 Mid-range shot over Onyeka

16:14 Hook shot over Onyeka

16:37 Nice post defense by Isaiah, better post offense by Onyeka

18:21 Isaiah overpowers Onyeka and scores

18:48 Great post defense by Isaiah

Isaiah Stewart’s statline in this game: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks

Onyeka Okongwu’s statline in this game: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, no blocks

My observations:

-Isaiah’s strength against top 10 prospect, Onyeka
-Isaiah boxes out well for his teammates

[rankingtear]

You bring something interesting here. Stewart was at the top of my list at the beggining of the process cause I really want an atheltic big for the team.

After that I have some doubts about his ability to Switch on the perimeter so I don't have him in My top list now. But if he can switch and defend on some guards sometimes then he is really interesting.
Still I think he is a little bit heavy on his foot.
The combine if we have one will Be very determinant for those kind of bigs.

Watch another prospect who is climbing a little bit : Jalen Smith. Rc was seeing scouting him à few times I think and he has a Nice combination, of shooting the 3, blocks ,athletism...while also showing some capacity to defend on the perimeter.

Tough it will Be a little high at 11

Really like Jalen Smith, insane development curve indicative of great work ethic. Analytics darling , 4th in box plus minus, 99th percentile in transition , 93th percentile in half court , 94th percentile in offensive rebounding, 68th percentile on 3's, 78th percentile unguarded 3's. Projected to be a better offensive player than he is in college.

[Dejounte]

Last one for today...



This game was interesting because it gives us a peek of how Isaiah would do against small ball. Colorado’s tallest player played on the perimeter and their other big only played 13 minutes.

1:05 Good interior defense/ block on Tyler Bey

1:50 Nice 3

2:58 Nice post move

4:24 Easy 2

5:28 Another easy hook shot

6:27 Nice screen for his teammate

6:52 He bullies Tyler Bey here for an easy 2

12:19 Goes around Tyler Bey completely and scores an easy 2

12:45 Feels like this is his signature move. Lean in, bump, hookshot

13:53 Abuses Tyler Bey defensively, gets a block

16:01 Great post defense, gets the block

19:43 Signature move again

Nice stat line by Isaiah, but they lost: 23 Points, 8 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 4 Blocks

My observations:

-Isaiah would bully in the interior if the opposing team plays small ball
-This was a good game to watch for how Isaiah would deal with the modern NBA (on offense at least. On defense, still hard to gauge since they played zone).

[BackHome]

He will go mid first to early second round.

[Dejounte]

He will go mid first to early second round.

And I feel teams will regret passing up on him, similar to Keldon.

He holds his own and in some ways, wins the compe ion against prospects projected higher than him.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Who is the Spurstalk consensus?

Someone make a poll.

And I feel teams will regret passing up on him, similar to Keldon.

He holds his own and in some ways, wins the compe ion against prospects projected higher than him.

Agreed.


Also, mid-first is pick 15 and we are #11. Not much of a reach if the team thinks he could become a 18-20 ppg post scorer.

[Thomas82]

Really like Jalen Smith, insane development curve indicative of great work ethic. Analytics darling , 4th in box plus minus, 99th percentile in transition , 93th percentile in half court , 94th percentile in offensive rebounding, 68th percentile on 3's, 78th percentile unguarded 3's. Projected to be a better offensive player than he is in college.

If we don't get James Wiseman or Precious Achiuwa, I would be happy with Jalen Smith.

[XDT76]

Wonder if we could interest Boston to give us the 14 and 30 pick with our 11 and 41 then we just get Jalen Smith and one of the Bey brothers.

[JuneJive]

I'm on the Jalen Smith train as well.

Weren't there some news that he was scouted by R.C. in person.

[BackHome]

Really like Jalen Smith, insane development curve indicative of great work ethic. Analytics darling , 4th in box plus minus, 99th percentile in transition , 93th percentile in half court , 94th percentile in offensive rebounding, 68th percentile on 3's, 78th percentile unguarded 3's. Projected to be a better offensive player than he is in college.

I think your own to something I watched a lot of his vids and came away quite surprised I am starting to really like this kid he has both an offensive and definitely a defensive mind set. Need to watch some more vida but definitely is now in my top 3 picks.

[duncan2150]

I'm on the Jalen Smith train as well.

Weren't there some news that he was scouted by R.C. in person.

I saw this a few days ago.
https://twitter.com/EricSal_7/status...358816256?s=01

[Dejounte]

I'm checking out Jalen Smith a bit more. My first impression before was that it would be a boring high floor, low ceiling pick. A pick that would be perfect if we already had stars in place. My second impression today remains largely the same, but I do admit, his switchability is impressive. My main observation is that he plays within himself/ knows his role, and has solid fundamentals. While I think he doesnt have star upside, he would be a nice piece that wont mess up the chemistry. He knows where to be at all times. He's not chaotic at all. I think his defense along with White would be pretty crazy. It doesn't stand out like a player who's a hound and being overly aggressive, but he knows how to get in position very well. Would be a really useful player. If the Spurs really dont see any star potential at 11, I would be fine with Jalen.

[Chinook]

It's okay to draft a role-player at 11, especially if he can come in and be a starter right away. The issue is that the guards are going to have to develop to carry the offense, because Poeltl doesn't have the ceiling to do more than ride the wave. If they go White, Walker, Johnson, they have some potential, but you'd wish they have someone like Nesmith to compete and add some more offense to that unit. Still more potential than anything else. Drafting Smith would very possibly mean DeRozan stays, as he'd still have an obvious role with the team for a couple more years. Not ideal, but it could make sense for the right money.

[duncan2150]

I'm checking out Jalen Smith a bit more. My first impression before was that it would be a boring high floor, low ceiling pick. A pick that would be perfect if we already had stars in place. My second impression today remains largely the same, but I do admit, his switchability is impressive. My main observation is that he plays within himself/ knows his role, and has solid fundamentals. While I think he doesnt have star upside, he would be a nice piece that wont mess up the chemistry. He knows where to be at all times. He's not chaotic at all. I think his defense along with White would be pretty crazy. It doesn't stand out like a player who's a hound and being overly aggressive, but he knows how to get in position very well. Would be a really useful player. If the Spurs really dont see any star potential at 11, I would be fine with Jalen.

I'm Ok with you plus his shooting touch. He shoots the 3 pretty well and the form looks pure/clean.

[talkspurs]

I am still wanting the Spurs to trade with boston for two of their picks. I think that is the best outcome. If we can somehow trade LMA or DDR with Gay to GS for their pick and Wiggins that would be even better as it would give us some room under tax limit as well. I would think they would want LMA and with him going to someone that has a good shot at ringing he might be ok with it. If we can then send DDR to Orl for Bamba and a future first. that would be a solid off season. 3 trades is a lot thought so I am not expecting it to happen.

[Dejounte]

Takeaways on offense: Sets nice screens. Can foresee screen and pop being his main thing with the Spurs, other than finding 3pt shots by off-ball movement. Obviously a good 3 point shooter, but isnt soft and doesnt fall in love with just hanging out at the perimeter until someone passes it to him to shoot (like Bertans). He will go down low, within 3 - 5 feet of the basket, do some really basic post moves and gets all his shots inside that way.

Takeaways on defense: he's adequately strong, meaning he can hold his own against big centers. Not full-time, but enough. Poetl and him would be a good tandem. He keeps his arms up like a smart defender, and has good timing for jumping to get a block. He would be backed down occasionally if the center is big and strong (but those are extinct in the NBA), but the main thing is at least he doesn't get shoved away and gets outrebounded because he's not strong enough. Uses chest to make his defender feel him.

[Dejounte]

In this game, his match-up was against top center prospect, Xavier Tillman.

The ending to this game was exciting.

Jalen is the type of player who won’t make you pull your ing hair out (like I think Poku would). He’s solid enough not to get lost on defense and will probably learn complex offensive sets early (saw him setting off ball screens like a smart basketball player would).

Main takeaways on offense: Made a seriously clutch 3 to lead a comeback against Michigan State. Like I said before, he takes confident shots and not stupid ones. I think while that sounds simple, it’s what keeps you in the NBA. Didn’t score much until the second half when he had a flurry of points inside and outside. He doesn’t create shots for players, so don’t expect him to. That won’t be his role in the NBA.

Main takeaways on defense: He was manhandled, I think 1-2 times, by Xavier Tillman, but that’s alright I guess because I don’t expect him to be guarding centers full-time in the NBA. Made a critical defensive play on Tillman late in the game to seal the win. When switched on a perimeter player, he was in good defensive position.

Jalen Smith’s stat line in this game: 17 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers

His match-up, Xavier Tillman’s stat line: 18 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers

[Dejounte]

Observations on statistics:

Jalen Smith having a free throw rate comparable to Onyeka Okongwu and much higher than Toppin's is very telling... His 3 point rate is also much higher than Toppin's as well. Jalen is effective both inside and outside.

[Dejounte]

Says he tries to emulate Mikal Bridges and Anthony Davis.

Observations on character: This is all based on one interview... Sounds self-aware. No red flags so far like sounding like he's spotlight-seeking or has a large ego. Isn't a scholar like Manu (but no player ever will be) but eloquent. Gives detailed enough answers, honest enough to point out flaws in his game (says he's an OK shooter and can be better)

[BackHome]

Observations on statistics:

Jalen Smith having a free throw rate comparable to Onyeka Okongwu and much higher than Toppin's is very telling... His 3 point rate is also much higher than Toppin's as well. Jalen is effective both inside and outside.

That made me look just did a quick compare to Oneyka:
Smith Rebound 12.1
Smith Points 17.8

Oneyka Rebounds 10.2
Oneyka Points 19.0.

[Dejounte]

That made me look just did a quick compare to Oneyka:
Smith Rebound 12.1
Smith Points 17.8

Oneyka Rebounds 10.2
Oneyka Points 19.0.

Yeah, comparatively Jalen's stats are up there with the best. However, advanced stats on offense for Toppin are just crazy. However, he WAS the focal point of their offense and his usage was higher. Maryland (Jalen's team) played within a team concept.