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  1. #1
    5. timvp's Avatar
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    Aleksej Pokusevski

    Country: Serbia
    Position: PF/SF/C/SG
    Age: 18
    Height: 7-feet
    Weight: 195 pounds
    Draft Range: 10 to 25

    Why: Super smooth out on the perimeter for his size. Very good feel for the game. Has advanced court vision and can pass. Really good ball-handler for his size. Fluid athlete, has guard-like coordination. Shooting stroke looks good; release is high and fast so getting it off in the NBA won't be a problem. High rate of blocks and rebounds points to potential on defense. His ceiling is really high due to his size, age (youngest player in the draft) and collection of skills.

    Why Not: So skinny it's scary. Needs to bulk up quite a bit. Gets pushed around even in low levels of basketball. Has been inefficient offensively on every level even though he has only very rarely played against notable compe ion. Plays like a guard on offense but he needs to stay near the basket to have value on defense, which will make him a difficult piece to fit. Obvious bust potential because he's completely unproven and his body needs so much work.

    Spurs Fit: He'd be a major roll of the dice (I'd say there's a 40% chance he's an NBA player, 5% chance he's really good) that the Spurs would develop slowly and with care. It'd probably be two to three years before he's an everyday rotation player. The Spurs would be unlikely to rush that process, especially knowing that he could be a star if they're patient and allow him to grow into his body.

    Spurs Comparison - Ceiling: Supersized Willie Anderson with Range

    Spurs Comparison - Floor: Malnourished Viktor Sanikidze

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  2. #2
    Dyna5ty BatManu20's Avatar
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    Not as has high on this kid as most are. No, he’s not the next Giannis. Not nearly the athlete nor does he have the frame Giannis had at 19 to put on 30+ lbs of muscle. Has very narrow shoulders. He’ll get pushed around at the next level. He’s basically a taller Bertans to me with a better handle and slightly more upside.
    Last edited by BatManu20; 09-06-2020 at 02:43 PM.

  3. #3
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    Struggled to find footage of Alexsej before, glad this one was uploaded. It shows missed shots as well.

    Thoughts:

    I struggled to find a good comp for Poku before. But now I think I understand who he reminds me of. He moves like Jamal Crawford on the court, with a shamelessly high tendency of throwing up WTF threes (half of which were way off).

    Adding strength will do nothing for Poku on offense. Not when the thing he loves most is shooting 3s. He will occasionally post up but that's not his game. He would thrive under a coach that would give him free reign on his 3s, someone like D'Antoni or Steve Kerr.

    The problem with putting Poku on a team with structure (or trying to have structure) is I don't think many coaches or teammates in the NBA will put up with the bull of running full court to run a set on offense only to have a dumbass 3 thrown up and then running back full court to defense. That will tire your players quick.

    Off the ball, he doesn't really try to earn his 3s. He hovers a lot on the 3 point line waiting for the ball to be passed to him. He would be a great fit for the Rockets because of this. Reminds me of Bertans in this regard. But I think even Bertans did SOME movement off the ball.

    I didn't see much setting of picks. Again, I think he has a mind of a wing and that will be his role in the NBA on offense.

    On defense, my opinion remains largely the same. Adding strength will help here. I did notice that he gets some of his weakside blocks from completely leaving his man all the way out on the perimeter and staying inside the paint anticipating the ball handler. Kind of like when you play NBA 2k and you want to be greedy and get a block to pad your stats so you think the computer is dumb enough not to pass it to the man you left because the player animation is already doing a layup. This won't fly in the NBA for Poku.

    Jamal Crawford refresher:

    Last edited by Dejounte; 09-14-2020 at 02:48 AM.

  4. #4
    5. timvp's Avatar
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    I mean, a seven-foot Jamal Crawford would be a pretty epic weapon, tbh ...

  5. #5
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    I mean, a seven-foot Jamal Crawford would be a pretty epic weapon, tbh ...
    Not saying it wouldn't be. Just saying what I think I see in case we do draft the dude. Not a 1 to 1 comp given the obvious differences on defense...not that Jamal Crawford was known for being any sort of pest on defense.

    I personally don't think it's a type of pick the Spurs would normally make due to the wildly erratic nature of his playstyle and questions on how his fit will be on defense (will likely match up against PF full time)... But we will see!
    Last edited by Dejounte; 09-14-2020 at 02:45 AM.

  6. #6
    BLACK LIVES MATTER Play Boban's Avatar
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    High iq

  7. #7
    Every game is game 1 Seventyniner's Avatar
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    I mean, a seven-foot Jamal Crawford would be a pretty epic weapon, tbh ...
    If that's what he turns into then he's strictly highlight reel material imo. He would be a fun to watch on a bad team, but if he's on your team and you want your team to make noise in the playoffs you'd probably tear your hair out.

  8. #8
    Veteran R. DeMurre's Avatar
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    Shooting % right now is Poku's main area that needs work, so the Crawford comp doesn't really seem on point to me. Crawford's main (some would say only) strength was in scoring. Poku's strength so far in his young career has been that of an all around stat stuffer who won't lead the team in scoring, but will probably lead them in blocks, steals, rebounds, +/-, and possibly assists... That's a whole different creature. If he can become a 36% or better three point shooter, that becomes a huge weapon, as it'll force a big to guard him on the perimeter, and it's clear he's not afraid or tentative about taking them. Try to guard him with a wing in that scenario, and he shoots the three at will, with no impediments.
    Last edited by R. DeMurre; 09-14-2020 at 01:05 PM.

  9. #9
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    Shooting % right now is Poku's main area that needs work, so the Crawford comp doesn't really seem on point to me. Crawford's main (some would say only) strength was in scoring. Poku's strength so far in his young career has been that of an all around stat stuffer who won't lead the team in scoring, but will probably lead them in blocks, steals, rebounds, +/-, and possibly assists... That's a whole different creature. if he can become a 36% or better three point shooter, that becomes a huge weapon, as it'll force a big to guard him on the perimeter, and it's clear he's not afraid or tentative about taking them.
    Did you really just say the Crawford comp isn't on point because of shooting percentages? Have you seen Crawford's percentages? He's been a career long chucker whose reputation comes from being able to score in bunches off the bench because he shoots so much (and poorly because most of them are ill-advised shots bred from his supreme confidence).... Very much like Poku on offense. Again, the Crawford comp I made was strictly based off offense. Tendencies, body movement, and dribble/ layup/ shot packages.

  10. #10
    Veteran R. DeMurre's Avatar
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    Did you really just say the Crawford comp isn't on point because of shooting percentages? Have you seen Crawford's percentages? He's been a career long chucker whose reputation comes from being able to score in bunches off the bench because he shoots so much (and poorly because most of them are ill-advised shots).... Very much like Poku on offense. Again, the Crawford comp I made was strictly based off offense. Tendencies, body movement, and dribble/ layup/ shot packages.

    No, I'm pointing out that you're keying on Poku's greatest weakness in your comp, to the complete exclusion of all of his strengths. I generally enjoy your takes, but this one seems way off to me because it goes out of the way to ignore his most fundamental positive features.
    Last edited by R. DeMurre; 09-14-2020 at 02:33 PM.

  11. #11
    Veteran R. DeMurre's Avatar
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    Poku led his Olympiacos team in +/-, PER, Rebounds, steals, and blocks. He was second in assists, and the only player on the roster to be named to the all defense team for his league. Crawford never did anything remotely like that.

  12. #12
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    No, I'm pointing on that you're keying on Poku's greatest weakness in your comp, to the complete exclusion of all of his strengths. I generally enjoy your takes, but this one seems way off to me because it goes out of the way to ignore his most fundamental positive features.
    Poku's strength IS that he can play like Jamal Crawford though, at his size of 7'.

    If you're saying I'm excluding rebounds and blocks - those are on defense, which I've acknowledged is a different creature.

    If I'm still misunderstanding you, please elaborate.

    For reference:

    Jamal Crawford's career averages (offensively speaking only):

    14.6 ppg on .410 fg%
    .348 3 pt %
    3.4 assists per game
    86.2% from the line

    Poku's stats in Greek A2 league:
    10.8 ppg on 40.4 fg%
    32.1 3 pt %
    3.1 assists per game
    78.3% from the line

    I didn't even look at these stats when I made the comparison, but I believe they back up my conclusions (on offense).

  13. #13
    Veteran R. DeMurre's Avatar
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    Poku's strength IS that he can play like Jamal Crawford though, at his size of 7'.

    If you're saying I'm excluding rebounds and blocks - those are on defense, which I've acknowledged is a different creature.

    If I'm still misunderstanding you, please elaborate.

    For reference:

    Jamal Crawford's career averages (offensively speaking only):

    14.6 ppg on .410 fg%
    .348 3 pt %
    3.4 assists per game
    86.2% from the line

    Poku's stats in Greek A2 league:
    10.8 ppg on 40.4 fg%
    32.1 3 pt %
    3.1 assists per game
    78.3% from the line

    I didn't even look at these stats when I made the comparison, but I believe they back up my conclusions (on offense).
    If Poku pans out, it will be as a Swiss Army knife, jack of all trades, glue guy, 5x5 threat... not as a guy that comes in and isn't afraid to lead the team in shot attempts. Crawford's entire career is the polar opposite-- a one dimensional player with mostly bad advanced stats.

  14. #14
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    Poku led his Olympiacos team in +/-, PER, Rebounds, steals, and blocks. He was second in assists, and the only player on the roster to be named to the all defense team for his league. Crawford never did anything remotely like that.
    I think the issue here is when I made my initial post regarding defense, I said "my opinion remains largely the same" and I didn't state what that opinion was.

    To sum it up,
    IN MY OPINION, we should take his rebounds, steals, and blocks and read it with caution. The offensive ability of his opponents were piss poor and like I said about the blocks... This dude backs off his man just to claim the block in the interior. In the NBA, that's a pass to that open man and a quick 3.

  15. #15
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    If Poku pans out, it will be as a Swiss Army knife, jack of all trades, glue guy, 5x5 threat... not as a guy that comes in and isn't afraid to shoot. Crawford's entire career is the polar opposite-- a one dimensional player with mostly bad advanced stats.
    We simply have different reads with our own eye tests then, and that's fine with me...

    To me, he is very much in love with chucking up 3s. I'm not going to deny he doesn't have passing ability. He has that. So did Jamal.

  16. #16
    Veteran R. DeMurre's Avatar
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    I think the issue here is when I made my initial post regarding defense, I said "my opinion remains largely the same" and I didn't state what that opinion was.

    To sum it up,
    IN MY OPINION, we should take his rebounds, steals, and blocks and read it with caution. The offensive ability of his opponents were piss poor and like I said about the blocks... This dude backs off his man just to claim the block in the interior. In the NBA, that's a pass to that open man and a quick 3.
    That may well turn out to be the case, but using Crawford as a comp still doesn't work unless you have the ulterior motive of insinuating that this guy sucks and is secretly one dimensional even though his stats say otherwise. If you said he'd be a poor man's version of Kirilenko, Diaw, or Lamar Odom, I could say, ok, that's a reasonable comp. The Crawford comp just seems like an inherently biased one to me.

  17. #17
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
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    Poku led his Olympiacos team in +/-, PER, Rebounds, steals, and blocks. He was second in assists, and the only player on the roster to be named to the all defense team for his league. Crawford never did anything remotely like that.
    Unicorn potential. He has a broad spectrum of both big man skills, blocks and rebounds, and little man skills, passing and ball handling and steals. Crawford isn’t the comp, Kristaps is, or maybe a taller Kukoc. He’s an enigma, in that he has probably one of the top 3 highest ceilings, and one of the bottom 3 lowest floors in the first round. In the wrong organization, he’ll be a three year blip on the NBA radar.

  18. #18
    Veteran N0 LyF3 ScRuB's Avatar
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    Poku's strength IS that he can play like Jamal Crawford though, at his size of 7'.

    If you're saying I'm excluding rebounds and blocks - those are on defense, which I've acknowledged is a different creature.

    If I'm still misunderstanding you, please elaborate.

    For reference:

    Jamal Crawford's career averages (offensively speaking only):

    14.6 ppg on .410 fg%
    .348 3 pt %
    3.4 assists per game
    86.2% from the line

    Poku's stats in Greek A2 league:
    10.8 ppg on 40.4 fg%
    32.1 3 pt %
    3.1 assists per game
    78.3% from the line

    I didn't even look at these stats when I made the comparison, but I believe they back up my conclusions (on offense).
    Those stats are terrible, esp in the league he is in

  19. #19
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
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    I think the issue here is when I made my initial post regarding defense, I said "my opinion remains largely the same" and I didn't state what that opinion was.

    To sum it up,
    IN MY OPINION, we should take his rebounds, steals, and blocks and read it with caution. The offensive ability of his opponents were piss poor and like I said about the blocks... This dude backs off his man just to claim the block in the interior. In the NBA, that's a pass to that open man and a quick 3.
    Rebounds are one thing that translates from one basketball level to the next, and going inside for a block is what weak side shot blockers do. The defense rotates to cover them.

  20. #20
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    That may well turn out to be the case, but using Crawford as a comp still doesn't work unless you have the ulterior motive of insinuating that this guy sucks and is secretly one dimensional even though his stats say otherwise. If you said he'd be a poor man's version of Kirilenko, Diaw, or Lamar Odom, I could say, ok, that's a reasonable comp. The Crawford comp just seems like an inherently biased one to me.
    I think this is where the confusion begins.

    When I made the Crawford comp, I didn't think of any negative aspect of Jamal. I was strictly looking at three things: body movement, tendencies, move packages.

    Even when you look above, timvp's instant reaction was that having a similarity to Jamal is a good thing because of his size.

    Rarely when I make a comparison is it ever centered on production. There are too many factors that affect production.

    Maybe my mistake was that I didn't offer a defense comparison for Poku. I'll try to do that shortly.

    I don't believe it's as simple as a prospect being a version of any NBA player. There's only bits and pieces.

    On a side note: who did I compare Diaw to recently???

  21. #21
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    Unicorn potential. He has a broad spectrum of both big man skills, blocks and rebounds, and little man skills, passing and ball handling and steals. Crawford isn’t the comp, Kristaps is, or maybe a taller Kukoc. He’s an enigma, in that he has probably one of the top 3 highest ceilings, and one of the bottom 3 lowest floors in the first round. In the wrong organization, he’ll be a three year blip on the NBA radar.
    No offense, but Kristaps isn't a good comparison. Kristaps is a stiff. No fluidity whatsoever. He doesn't move like a guard at all. Poku does. Big difference there.

  22. #22
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
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    Those stats are terrible, esp in the league he is in
    He’s eighteen, and playing against grown men. Dejounte is also cherry picking the stats he wants to show you, leaving off 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 21 minutes.

  23. #23
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
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    No offense, but Kristaps isn't a good comparison. Kristaps is a stiff. No fluidity whatsoever. He doesn't move like a guard at all. Poku does. Big difference there.
    So, throw Kristaps and Kukoc in a blender.

  24. #24
    Veteran Dejounte's Avatar
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    He’s eighteen, and playing against grown men. Dejounte is also cherry picking the stats he wants to show you, leaving off 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 21 minutes.
    God... you're reaching DAF levels of annoying. How can I make this any clearer... my initial post was focused on OFFENSE. Jamal was an OFFENSIVE PLAYER comparison.

    I even stated in the post that was quoted "OFFENSE ONLY".

    Why am I being taken out of context and accused of cherry picking?

  25. #25
    Veteran exstatic's Avatar
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    God... you're reaching DAF levels of annoying. How can I make this any clearer... my initial post was focused on OFFENSE. Jamal was an OFFENSIVE PLAYER comparison.
    Player comps are comprehensive. If you want to cut the player in half, it should be stated: his OFFENSIVE comp is...

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