Good article on CJ Fair by CNNSI...

[Deano]

Has some good quotes from Autry in it too. Hope he gets drafted and can make a team.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20140515/cj-fair-syracuse-nba-draft-combine/

 

[RF2044]

Great article. Kid was a very good player for us throughout his career at Syracuse.

Would love to see him make the league and stick. I'm confident that he will.

 

[Nicknack]

Great article. Kid was a very good player for us throughout his career at Syracuse.

Would love to see him make the league and stick. I'm confident that he will.

Agree 100% with everything you said but just one thing... I would add a "not" between the words "I'm" and "confident".

I just don't see Fair making it in the NBA. It's not due to talent as a player, it's about talent at his position in the NBA. I don't see him as a 3 or a 4. Too bad there isn't a 3.5 position; I could see Grant there as well.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Has some good quotes from Autry in it too. Hope he gets drafted and can make a team.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nba/news/20140515/cj-fair-syracuse-nba-draft-combine/

As a senior he was "2nd in the nation in minutes". Not the kind of record I'm looking for our players to be setting.

 

[OttoMets]

As a senior he was "2nd in the nation in minutes". Not the kind of record I'm looking for our players to be setting.

Unless that player is Carmelo Anthony and all of his teammates are Greg Davis.

 

[jimsonjunction]

I have a sneaky feeling that Fair will surprise people by lasting in the NBA.

Something I've always noticed about the NBA is that if you can't hit an open shot, you're a liability and you're out of the league before long. Fair can punish teams who double off of him and I think that's a valuable trait. But I could be completely wrong.

 

[PhatOrange]

I think Fair has more upside and will be a better pro than Grant. Fair is a way better shooter and handler.

 

[leftytg]

I think Fair has more upside and will be a better pro than Grant. Fair is a way better shooter and handler.

that's just nuts. He may be a better pro (doubtful, but the possibility exists. Time will tell.) But there is just no way he has more upside. It is certainly true that Fair has more developed and refined skills today and Grant may never develop and flame out, but Grant's upside is considerably higher than Fair. It is beyond dispute.

 

[PhatOrange]

that's just nuts. He may be a better pro (doubtful, but the possibility exists. Time will tell.) But there is just no way he has more upside. It is certainly true that Fair has more developed and refined skills today and Grant may never develop and flame out, but Grant's upside is considerably higher than Fair. It is beyond dispute.

nah people think his upside is higher because he can jump higher. he's not going to develop a jumper at this point. surely will never shoot better than fair. And grant's handle is not that good. it can be improved but really how much - to the point that he can break down nba defenders out on the wing? I mean what's the true upside ? his athleticism?

fair has a way better all around game.

i was wrong about mcw but even so, i'd draft Fair before Grant.

 

[Waltdods]

nah people think his upside is higher because he can jump higher. he's not going to develop a jumper at this point. surely will never shoot better than fair. And grant's handle is not that good. it can be improved but really how much - to the point that he can break down nba defenders out on the wing? I mean what's the true upside ? his athleticism?

fair has a way better all around game.

i was wrong about mcw but even so, i'd draft Fair before Grant.

I am a big Fair fan. But, man, I don't know about this.

Shooting: Grant was 6-15 on threes as a freshman, better than what Fair managed as a frosh or sophomore. Grant was obviously told not to shoot those this past year, but I'm not sure there's any basis to write him off as never being a competent shooter. CJ had the best mid-range game any non-Carmelo Orangeman has had in a long time but NBA teams aren't going to want either CJ or Grant to shoot contested mid-range shots, so I'm not sure that gets him anywhere.

Handle: Fair's handle as a senior was not very good, and he seemed to be at the end of his development curve. He looked more in control than Grant but Grant seemed to actually maintain possession more than CJ did. Given another year or two of development, it seems likely he'll be better.

To the last point: I think you could see Grant developing into either a 3 or a 4 in the NBA. It's not clear that Fair really can do either. He's too slight to be a 4. At the 3, he has a minus handle and a slow-developing shot with a low release point.