Rivers' Draft Prospects

[DukieTiger]

All due respect, AR blows the doors off IT the younger once the shoulders fill out.

I think they were comparing the Lillard kid to the younger Isaiah.

[mr. synellinden]

SI latest mock draft has Rivers going 8th.

[subzero02]

The more I watched the nba finals matchup the more I saw Rivers thriving... Watch that first step, who has a better one in the NBA?

[sagegrouse]

SI latest mock draft has Rivers going 8th.

Austin going north of the border to the Raptors at #8. Miles going "Back Home in Indiana" to the Pacers at #26.

sagegrouse

[roywhite]

The more I watched the nba finals matchup the more I saw Rivers thriving... Watch that first step, who has a better one in the NBA?

One of my memories of this past season was seeing the reaction of LeBron and some other NBA players when they watched Austin in action during Coach K's win #903 at MSG. They chuckled, shook their heads, and appeared decidedly impressed.

[sagegrouse]

One of my memories of this past season was seeing the reaction of LeBron and some other NBA players when they watched Austin in action during Coach K's win #903 at MSG. They chuckled, shook their heads, and appeared decidedly impressed.

I believe Dwyane Wade mouthed, "unguardable." I got no worries about Austin's future. -- sagegrouse

[Billy Dat]

The more I watched the nba finals matchup the more I saw Rivers thriving... Watch that first step, who has a better one in the NBA?

I think Derrick Rose and Russ Westbrook might have some claims to that title but your point is understood. Of course, a great first step is set-up by an ability to consistently knock down an 18 footer, which makes Rose and Westbrook's first-step success all the more remarkable because everyone is playing them to drive - yet they drive anyway.

[A-Tex Devil]

Agreed, except, thing is, even Kevin Martin is 6'7. I sort of see Austin as a mix between Martin and Lou Williams; explosive scorer, but no defined position and kind of unpredictable.

He almost seems like he'd be better on a 2nd team to me, in the Williams/Harden role, if he can improve his vision a bit. That way, he can be aggressive with the ball without having to be as concerned about guarding hotshot NBA wings or taking shots from his team's stars.

Completely forgot Martin was that tall. Man, he doesn't really play like it. I could definitely see Rivers in a Microwave type role, even really early on. There aren't a lot of people that can guard him now in the NBA, so in small doses, before his film gets passed around, I think he can be effective. He'll then need to make adjustments when the league adjusts to him.

[superdave]

One of my memories of this past season was seeing the reaction of LeBron and some other NBA players when they watched Austin in action during Coach K's win #903 at MSG. They chuckled, shook their heads, and appeared decidedly impressed.

Wasnt that the Ohio State game where we got stomped but Austin and Mason played pretty well?

[sporthenry]

I completely agree with you, but I think scoring is all he may be able to provide, much in the mold of Jamal Crawford. This isn't a bad thing at all - he may be a great sixth man or a scorer on a team with a bunch of really good defensive players who need scoring, like Lou Williams. However, expecting Austin Rivers to be an All-Star without anything else may be asking a little too much.

I'm not projecting him to be an All Star, just using that lovely word, potential All Star. And I think that is the reason he is jumping up the boards from a late lottery selection to just about everyone having him in the top 10. When you draft in the late lottery this year you are looking at a lot of very good rotational players but very few guys you could build around. I think Rivers has the potential to be a very good player in the same way the Celtics view Avery Bradley. And as many have mentioned, most likely scenario is that he becomes a scorer off the bench which many of the recent successful teams seemed to have with the likes of Manu, Odom, Terry, Crawford, etc.

I also think you are insinuating that his defense will in some way hold him back but I think he will be average to above average defender assuming he goes to the right situation. I think the NBA will be the first place where he wasn't instantly the go to guy so he will need to learn to play defense every possession but as long as a coach gets into him, I think he will be fine. And I think all of the teams in that 6-14 area have coaches who will serve AR just fine.

[UrinalCake]

Wasnt that the Ohio State game where we got stomped but Austin and Mason played pretty well?

Austin seemed to play better in games where the team was playing poorly. I think this is because he was allowed to step up and be selfish (in a good way) because we needed him to be our offense. This should bode well for his NBA prospects, as the NBA is more of a one-on-one league.