Post by beaverstever on Jan 5, 2018 16:09:56 GMT -8
Thinking about the 2018 class with a little more insight into the players and their longer-term roles. I have a hard time getting excited about this class just because of the type of players are in it and the needs it endeavors to fill. The class makes sense based on the roles needing backfilling next few years (a lot of size).
- Jack Wilson: I've watched him periodically since his frosh year (he plays at a local HS). He looked thicker as a frosh then he did as a junior. He was never a 7' string bean needing his body to catch up, he was always a solid guy. I haven't seen him play yet this year, but but his junior year I was still seeing the gaps he had as a Frosh. That is, smaller, quicker guys could get around him and neutralize his size with their speed difference. He's fundamentally sound, and has a nice mid-range jumper, and he's good about not tempting foul calls on his shot blocking - rarely leaves his feet in general. The bad news is that he's the opposite of Eubanks in terms of his leaping ability, so I don't see him developing into a shot blocker. He won't get pushed around, and blocks out well - but I don't see him collecting a lot of boards either due to his lack of quickness, but he does know how to secure it when it comes his way. And it's nice to see a kid that clearly has been coached extensively as a big. I see his contribution on boards as being good at keeping the other team's big off the offensive boards. I'd put his ceiling at someone like Jason Heide, as he is a true big man with back-to-the-basket moves as has never pretended to be anything but a low-post guy. I'd also see him not being able to play against teams with smaller lineups, as he won't be able to stay with SF/PF athletes, and I don't think he will develop the offensive firepower to punish smaller lineups in the low post enough to balance that. Maybe that will change, but am seeing that happen at the HS level.
-Kylor Kelly: Wayne has sold him as a late bloomer, which needs to be said to justify an offer on someone who wasn't dominant at a much lower college level. It looks like he's also been hurt much of this season so far, but maybe someone more local has better insights. In any case, for someone coming in with 3 to play 2, the assumption is that they are ready to contribute, not develop. This feels like a reach - likely insurance on a reserve needed to spell Jack fouls/breathers/time to develop should Eubanks go and Big G only having another year anyway.
-Warren Washington: Not coming in with the frame of a PF, so will need to build out his frame to contribute. But being at least a combination of size with athleticism, he seems to have a much higher ceiling. Haven't seen enough of him to have much of an opinion (for what little it's wroth anyway), but his AAU videos I've seen show a big guy that plays facing the basket and moves pretty well, but appears to have a ways to go fundamentally.
I understand that there's not a lot of Trae Youngs out there, but I get a lot more excited about prospects that can carry the team rather than players that will need to do the dirty work of taking up space around the basket, setting screens and blocking out. But that's needed to, and that's what appears to be the focus of the class.
- Jack Wilson: I've watched him periodically since his frosh year (he plays at a local HS). He looked thicker as a frosh then he did as a junior. He was never a 7' string bean needing his body to catch up, he was always a solid guy. I haven't seen him play yet this year, but but his junior year I was still seeing the gaps he had as a Frosh. That is, smaller, quicker guys could get around him and neutralize his size with their speed difference. He's fundamentally sound, and has a nice mid-range jumper, and he's good about not tempting foul calls on his shot blocking - rarely leaves his feet in general. The bad news is that he's the opposite of Eubanks in terms of his leaping ability, so I don't see him developing into a shot blocker. He won't get pushed around, and blocks out well - but I don't see him collecting a lot of boards either due to his lack of quickness, but he does know how to secure it when it comes his way. And it's nice to see a kid that clearly has been coached extensively as a big. I see his contribution on boards as being good at keeping the other team's big off the offensive boards. I'd put his ceiling at someone like Jason Heide, as he is a true big man with back-to-the-basket moves as has never pretended to be anything but a low-post guy. I'd also see him not being able to play against teams with smaller lineups, as he won't be able to stay with SF/PF athletes, and I don't think he will develop the offensive firepower to punish smaller lineups in the low post enough to balance that. Maybe that will change, but am seeing that happen at the HS level.
-Kylor Kelly: Wayne has sold him as a late bloomer, which needs to be said to justify an offer on someone who wasn't dominant at a much lower college level. It looks like he's also been hurt much of this season so far, but maybe someone more local has better insights. In any case, for someone coming in with 3 to play 2, the assumption is that they are ready to contribute, not develop. This feels like a reach - likely insurance on a reserve needed to spell Jack fouls/breathers/time to develop should Eubanks go and Big G only having another year anyway.
-Warren Washington: Not coming in with the frame of a PF, so will need to build out his frame to contribute. But being at least a combination of size with athleticism, he seems to have a much higher ceiling. Haven't seen enough of him to have much of an opinion (for what little it's wroth anyway), but his AAU videos I've seen show a big guy that plays facing the basket and moves pretty well, but appears to have a ways to go fundamentally.
I understand that there's not a lot of Trae Youngs out there, but I get a lot more excited about prospects that can carry the team rather than players that will need to do the dirty work of taking up space around the basket, setting screens and blocking out. But that's needed to, and that's what appears to be the focus of the class.
