2022 NBA Draft

[johnb]

Reddish looks like the same shooter he was when he was at Duke. …

I don't hold out much hope unless he puts in the work to add at least another 10 percentage points to his shooting percentage. He has to adopt Barrett's work ethic and work with a shooting coach to remove the warble from his game.

Larry
DevilHorse

Not to pick on one bit of this particular post. I do the same thing when I assert that Zion needs to play at a weight 20 pounds less than his lowest playing weight since 10th grade. Or when I assert (from the comfort of my couch) that Trevor (and a couple of recent Duke guys who haven’t thrived in the NBA) desperately need to lower their body fat—I’m basically asserting that it just takes more effort. I wonder how accurate any of us are are when we shift from observable information to assertions about mindset, effort, and training.

Your particular assertion may be true, for example, but how do we know about Cam’s effort/commitment, or anyone’s? Some guys have a reputation for being gym rats (because they stay late, according to their coaches or PR firm), and some guys have especially low body fats and fast sprints or high jumps. But there is a limit on how much an individual can improve.

Plenty of extremely hard working gym rats peak as 6th men on their mediocre high school team, and other guys—like Ben Simmons or our own Billy King—have/had superlative skills without commensurate ability to hit a 20 foot jumper. And it’s not like they didn’t think they might want to practice that outside shot. Similarly, great defense among mediocre 13 year olds is largely about effort, I’d guess, but at the elite level, there’s something about fast twitch muscle fibers, arm length, teammates, coaching, and an intrinsic understanding of court dynamics (here should go a photo of Shane Battier, who was unusually prescient but also a 6’8” great athlete, so it wasn’t all brains).

Anyway, I’m reminded that there are things I do easily and well, and other things that just don’t come to me naturally. And there are some things that I did very well, like math, but when I rubbed elbows with real mathematicians, I realized I should look for a different career.

How can Cam become an RJ with a better jump shot? I have no idea, but since there’d be $200m in CamDollars riding on the transition, I’m guessing someone has mulled it over. He does look relaxed on the court, but almost all of our players aside from Hurley and Wojo have tended to look serious but relaxed on the court. But I’m guessing that doesn’t mean they’re taking it casually. Anyway, this is mostly a personal mull, but when I (or anyone) starts to make specific suggestions, well, unless we’re very knowledgeable about someone’s actual training habits AND about how to develop an elite basketball player, I’m skeptical that our suggestions are useful.

[kidA]

I hate to be that guy (and I despise the Cheats...), but they still beat us in the Final Four despite our 5 NBA Draft picks to their zero...I would trade that in a heartbeat. Argh!!! I recognize this storyline/stat though helps us to continue to attract top talent to our program.

I, the guy that pointed out that the Cheats had zero draft picks last night, also totally agree. I didn’t mean to inadvertently channel Kentucky and suggest winning draft night trumps winning even a regular season game. Just wanted to poke a little fun toward the diploma-mill down the road

[Steven43]

I’m skeptical that our suggestions are useful.

Quote of the day!

[JasonEvans]

I’ve had more than one UNC fan today tell me they’re calling PB “The Joker” because of his suit. Usually, I’m pretty quick with comebacks to them. Unfortunately, couldn’t come up with one this time.

Listen to the podcast... the suit was a very specific tribute to a truly special person. Donald Wine picked up on it. Listen here: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/duk...=VMP9864772066 (cue to the 43:00 mark to hear Donald's analysis of Paolo's amazing suit).

[JasonEvans]

For folks who did not see it, Shelden Williams tweeted that he wishes Trevor had stayed at Duke and not entered the draft.

https://twitter.com/SheldenWilliams/...68172850102273

As I said on the pod, if Keels had slipped outside of the top 45, there was a very real risk he would not have gotten any kind of guaranteed contract and might have only been signed to a 2-way deal. In that case, his money earned from hoops would have been pretty similar to what he could reasonably make via NIL at Duke. But, by going #42 I think he was drafted just in time and likely gets 2 years guaranteed, maybe 3, at an average of about $1.2 mil per season, which is likely better than what he could earn at Duke. He si also the only rookie drafted by the Knicks, which may help a bit with his quest to make the roster.

So, Trevor made at least an ok decision -- not great, but not terrible. Still, I can certainly understand Shelden's point of view.

[jimsumner]

For folks who did not see it, Shelden Williams tweeted that he wishes Trevor had stayed at Duke and not entered the draft.

https://twitter.com/SheldenWilliams/...68172850102273

As I said on the pod, if Keels had slipped outside of the top 45, there was a very real risk he would not have gotten any kind of guaranteed contract and might have only been signed to a 2-way deal. In that case, his money earned from hoops would have been pretty similar to what he could reasonably make via NIL at Duke. But, by going #42 I think he was drafted just in time and likely gets 2 years guaranteed, maybe 3, at an average of about $1.2 mil per season, which is likely better than what he could earn at Duke. He si also the only rookie drafted by the Knicks, which may help a bit with his quest to make the roster.

So, Trevor made at least an ok decision -- not great, but not terrible. Still, I can certainly understand Shelden's point of view.

I'll be astonished if Keels gets any significant NBA playing time next season. The Knicks need to stash him in the G-League and let him develop there rather than sit on the bench and twiddle his thumbs at the Garden.

[kshepinthehouse]

I'll be astonished if Keels gets any significant NBA playing time next season. The Knicks need to stash him in the G-League and let him develop there rather than sit on the bench and twiddle his thumbs at the Garden.

Agreed. He prob won’t see minutes for a couple years if he ever does.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I'll be astonished if Keels gets any significant NBA playing time next season. The Knicks need to stash him in the G-League and let him develop there rather than sit on the bench and twiddle his thumbs at the Garden.

The Knicks G-League team used to play in White Plains, not far from where the NBA Knicks practice. I had always hoped to get to a game but never made it out there. Now they play further out of NYC in Bridgeport. As much as I would love to see Trevor, that is too much of a trek.

I haven't dissected the roster but I agree that he is unlikely to play, particularly since Tibs tends to not love rookies, so he is likely better served to be in the G-League. Last year's first round pick Grimes is a somewhat similar player and had some decent moments, and I think Burks and Fournier are still on the roster. Quickley also showed promise, though one might consider him a PG.

[Billy Dat]

Agreed. He prob won’t see minutes for a couple years if he ever does.

Give him a chance. If he dedicates himself, and gets the support, to improve his fitness/physique and improve his shooting, he should be a rotation player within a few years.

[kshepinthehouse]

Give him a chance. If he dedicates himself, and gets the support, to improve his fitness/physique and improve his shooting, he should be a rotation player within a few years.

That’s what I’m saying. Realistically he prob won’t be playing for them for a few years.

I read an interesting story on the Warriors draft plans. Before the draft they said they weren’t drafting someone to play right now. They were hoping for that person to help them in 2-3 years. Meaning, someone that gets drafted in that range prob isn’t gonna be ready for a while.

[dukelifer]

I'll be astonished if Keels gets any significant NBA playing time next season. The Knicks need to stash him in the G-League and let him develop there rather than sit on the bench and twiddle his thumbs at the Garden.

I agree. Hopefully he gets a decent contract while developing his game.

[brevity]

NBA.com: Day after becoming No. 1 pick, Paolo Banchero arrives in Orlando

bancherojersey.jpg

The pundits were just confused. It wasn't Banchero to Houston, it was Banchero and Houstan to Orlando.

[Mike] Miller, who won the NBA rookie of the year award in Orlando and now will try to help Banchero do the same as an agent, said he started getting hints about a half-hour before the pick was made.

Summer League practice awaits, and Banchero and second-round pick Caleb Houstan of Michigan both intend to play. There will be tons of attention on that, right from the get-go: the made-for-TV first game in Las Vegas pits Orlando against Houston, the team that used the No. 3 pick on [Jabari] Smith — after he was widely expected by many to end up in Orlando.

The Orlando Magic had a post-draft press conference where they introduce both players. Pick your poison: their website version has a crappy picture, and their official YouTube version has crappy sound.

I'm embedding the local Fox affiliate's version as a compromise:

[moonpie23]

thanks to 99.9 THE FAN today, for bringing in that mental idiot, Bomani Jones, to hate on the Magic for the Duke pick...

way to go, "local" radio

[brevity]

thanks to 99.9 THE FAN today, for bringing in that mental idiot, Bomani Jones, to hate on the Magic for the Duke pick...

way to go, "local" radio

Eh, let's keep it positive. Today I learned...

mikemiller.jpg

That's a screenshot from this video:



Regarding Paolo: "Terrence Ross said he's Ben Simmons with a jumper. Imagine Ben Simmons with a jumper... that's Luka Dončić!"

[arnie]

thanks to 99.9 THE FAN today, for bringing in that mental idiot, Bomani Jones, to hate on the Magic for the Duke pick...

way to go, "local" radio

I missed it, but one thing about Bomani: his hate for all things Duke is consistent.

[Dukehk]

Going out on a limb to say that Jeremy will be drafted higher than keels eventually.

I really wish this years class will look at Wendell and what he has done. Not everyone is a lottery pick. Some guys need to stay a few years to get in the first round and that’s ok.

[bundabergdevil]

Eh, let's keep it positive. Today I learned...

mikemiller.jpg

That's a screenshot from this video:



Regarding Paolo: "Terrence Ross said he's Ben Simmons with a jumper. Imagine Ben Simmons with a jumper... that's Luka Dončić!"

That’s pretty good. I like that they’re about to start mistaking Patrick Mahomes for him!

[DevilHorse]

The Knicks G-League team used to play in White Plains, not far from where the NBA Knicks practice. I had always hoped to get to a game but never made it out there. Now they play further out of NYC in Bridgeport. As much as I would love to see Trevor, that is too much of a trek.

I haven't dissected the roster but I agree that he is unlikely to play, particularly since Tibs tends to not love rookies, so he is likely better served to be in the G-League. Last year's first round pick Grimes is a somewhat similar player and had some decent moments, and I think Burks and Fournier are still on the roster. Quickley also showed promise, though one might consider him a PG.

I haven't seen enough of Grimes yet, but I like his upside.

I'd be willing to bet that neither Burks nor Fournier will be on the Knicks in 2 years, although Fournier is entering the 2nd year of a 4 year $73M contract. They were not that happy with him this year and only had a few games where he was worth the money. But when you are stinking it up, few of your players are.

Larry
DevilHorse

[DevilHorse]

Not to pick on one bit of this particular post. I do the same thing when I assert that Zion needs to play at a weight 20 pounds less than his lowest playing weight since 10th grade. Or when I assert (from the comfort of my couch) that Trevor (and a couple of recent Duke guys who haven’t thrived in the NBA) desperately need to lower their body fat—I’m basically asserting that it just takes more effort. I wonder how accurate any of us are are when we shift from observable information to assertions about mindset, effort, and training.

Your particular assertion may be true, for example, but how do we know about Cam’s effort/commitment, or anyone’s? Some guys have a reputation for being gym rats (because they stay late, according to their coaches or PR firm), and some guys have especially low body fats and fast sprints or high jumps. But there is a limit on how much an individual can improve.

Plenty of extremely hard working gym rats peak as 6th men on their mediocre high school team, and other guys—like Ben Simmons or our own Billy King—have/had superlative skills without commensurate ability to hit a 20 foot jumper. And it’s not like they didn’t think they might want to practice that outside shot. Similarly, great defense among mediocre 13 year olds is largely about effort, I’d guess, but at the elite level, there’s something about fast twitch muscle fibers, arm length, teammates, coaching, and an intrinsic understanding of court dynamics (here should go a photo of Shane Battier, who was unusually prescient but also a 6’8” great athlete, so it wasn’t all brains).

Anyway, I’m reminded that there are things I do easily and well, and other things that just don’t come to me naturally. And there are some things that I did very well, like math, but when I rubbed elbows with real mathematicians, I realized I should look for a different career.

How can Cam become an RJ with a better jump shot? I have no idea, but since there’d be $200m in CamDollars riding on the transition, I’m guessing someone has mulled it over. He does look relaxed on the court, but almost all of our players aside from Hurley and Wojo have tended to look serious but relaxed on the court. But I’m guessing that doesn’t mean they’re taking it casually. Anyway, this is mostly a personal mull, but when I (or anyone) starts to make specific suggestions, well, unless we’re very knowledgeable about someone’s actual training habits AND about how to develop an elite basketball player, I’m skeptical that our suggestions are useful.

I get your point.

Let me express this a different way.

Some players have an apparent trajectory of their career, not unlike a learning curve (with a slow turn up, steep climb, and leveling off). Some go very high, some level off at a medium level, some just don't get there (Pro/Starter/All-Star). A player can do things that will sustain a steep climb; Barrett is doing that. I see Reddish leveling off already. Can Cam do something to continue his ascent? I hope so. If he doesn't, he will be a journeyman instead of finding a home. What is that something is an individual thing. Does New York have a Chip Engelland? Does Cam have a personal coach? How coachable is he? What is his commitment? Is there someone on the Knicks (like Barrett) going to light a fire under him? RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish are both 22 years old. Barrett was even younger than the rookies that came in the year after him (Quickley - 23). Stay tuned.

Larry
DevilHorse

[uh_no]

I’ve had more than one UNC fan today tell me they’re calling PB “The Joker” because of his suit. Usually, I’m pretty quick with comebacks to them. Unfortunately, couldn’t come up with one this time.

Oops. Just saw the typo in the header. Did not realize that part of the post cannot be corrected. ��

kansas was pretty quick on the comback too, so UNC is used to it.