NBA Scout: "I'm hearing Malachi will be a top 10 pick."

[bpo57]

I remembered Higgins and Burr (and a lot others) letting the opposing teams get with murders, namely Pitt, L'ville, Nova etc., which is precisely why I think college game's clutch and grab makes the game more physical.

Yeah we disagree. No worries. I stand by the view though that the level of comp is severely higher in the NBA. Some folks have the notion that they don't play defense up there. That is completely wrong.

 

[QUSE]

Yeah we disagree. No worries. I stand by the view though that the level of comp is severely higher in the NBA. Some folks have the notion that they don't play defense up there. That is completely wrong.

Level of comp and physicality are two entirely different things. And at no point did I say they don't play defense in the NBA. Letting ppl get to the rim does not equal bad defense either, often times it could just be a tactical move: maybe you forced your opponent to drive with his weaker hand and he stopped aimlessly in the paint; maybe your opponent is way better shooter than he is a finisher at rim so you purposely let him drive; maybe the opposing team is tremendous at passing but lack elite athleticism so you isolate and stagnate their offense by letting whoever has ball dribble and drive and shut down passing lanes, etc. The NBA's tactical scope is way beyond college's where often times teams just use physicality to unravel the opponents. But yeah agree to disagree.

 

[TheCusian]

If you can get by ACC defenders consistently, you'll figure out how to do it the NBA.

 

[bpo57]

Level of comp and physicality are two entirely different things. And at no point did I say they don't play defense in the NBA. Letting ppl get to the rim does not equal bad defense either, often times it could just be a tactical move: maybe you forced your opponent to drive with his weaker hand and he stopped aimlessly in the paint; maybe your opponent is way better shooter than he is a finisher at rim so you purposely let him drive; maybe the opposing team is tremendous at passing but lack elite athleticism so you isolate and stagnate their offense by letting whoever has ball dribble and drive and shut down passing lanes, etc. The NBA's tactical scope is way beyond college's where often times teams just use physicality to unravel the opponents. But yeah agree to disagree.

I agree you didn't say they didn't play defense in the NBA and to be clear I didn't say you did.

 

[bpo57]

If you can get by ACC defenders consistently, you'll figure out how to do it the NBA.

I know, you're the guy that says defense in the NBA doesn't matter. Meanwhile please explain how guys like Andre Roberson and Iman Shumpert ever get on the court for a lot of minutes. Their entire role is to defend and every team in the NBA has a few guys like that.

 

[bpo57]

If you can get by ACC defenders consistently, you'll figure out how to do it the NBA.

There are plenty of guys that had success in the ACC that never did anything in the NBA.

 

[bpo57]

I remembered Higgins and Burr (and a lot others) letting the opposing teams get with murders, namely Pitt, L'ville, Nova etc., which is precisely why I think college game's clutch and grab makes the game more physical.

Meant to respond earlier to this. I felt both but particularly Higgins loved to over officiate. There would be games with SU and Georgetown where they called 40 to 50 fouls.

 

[longtimefan]

Meant to respond earlier to this. I felt both but particularly Higgins loved to over officiate. There would be games with SU and Georgetown where they called 40 to 50 fouls.

To be fair, back in the day, any official would have been justified in calling 50 fouls on Georgetown alone, regardless of who they were playing against.

That was Thompson's M.O.--just foul, foul, foul. The officials can't (or won't) call them all.

 

[two3zone]

If you can get by ACC defenders consistently, you'll figure out how to do it the NBA.

Lol. What?

 

[TheCusian]

I know, you're the guy that says defense in the NBA doesn't matter. Meanwhile please explain how guys like Andre Roberson and Iman Shumpert ever get on the court for a lot of minutes. Their entire role is to defend and every team in the NBA has a few guys like that.

Cute. I didn't say it doesn't matter. Nice try though .

I said: When looking at a player's potential spot in the NBA, offense - specifically offense that translates - will get you in the league quicker and teams will give you more leash. Offensive role players > defensive role players. Especially if your measurements are solid (like MR's).

As to your examples, Roberson couldn't be on the floor for very long UNTIL he started hitting shots. Then he played more. He's also an elite defender.

Shumpert's D is vastly overrated. He's a guy who should be great on D due to physical attributes, but thinks he's a good offensive player and plays pretty bad team defense.

 

[TheCusian]

There are plenty of guys that had success in the ACC that never did anything in the NBA.

Ha! Nice. There are plenty of guys in every conference you can say that about. It's a crapshoot and getting by a defender is just one skill.

But if you can do it in the ACC at will - that holds weight with scouts.

 

[TheCusian]

Lol. What?

Excellent deep dive. Agree with point b, but point c seems clownish.

 

[Gabjon]

Cute. I didn't say it doesn't matter. Nice try though .

I said: When looking at a player's potential spot in the NBA, offense - specifically offense that translates - will get you in the league quicker and teams will give you more leash. Offensive role players > defensive role players. Especially if your measurements are solid (like MR's).

As to your examples, Roberson couldn't be on the floor for very long UNTIL he started hitting shots. Then he played more. He's also an elite defender.

Shumpert's D is vastly overrated. He's a guy who should be great on D due to physical attributes, but thinks he's a good offensive player and plays pretty bad team defense.

Offensive role players < defensive role players. In the NBA the top 3 offensive plays take 90% of the shots. Everyone else gets there shots in the flow of the offensive and off of double teams. Most teams go 9-10 players deep in the regular season, the other 6 or 7 guys are there to play defense. Sportscenter and marketing companies sell offense and those guys are the face of the franchise, but winning on the court, having a long career, is built on the defensive end. Great offensive players will still miss more than they make, but great defensive plays and players start fast breaks and lead to easy points.

 

[bpo57]

Ha! Nice. There are plenty of guys in every conference you can say that about. It's a crapshoot and getting by a defender is just one skill.

But if you can do it in the ACC at will - that holds weight with scouts.

MR did it at will? Really?

 

[bpo57]

Offensive role players < defensive role players. In the NBA the top 3 offensive plays take 90% of the shots. Everyone else gets there shots in the flow of the offensive and off of double teams. Most teams go 9-10 players deep in the regular season, the other 6 or 7 guys are there to play defense. Sportscenter and marketing companies sell offense and those guys are the face of the franchise, but winning on the court, having a long career, is built on the defensive end. Great offensive players will still miss more than they make, but great defensive plays and players start fast breaks and lead to easy points.

Absolutely true. I'm not sure TheCusian even watches NBA games to have a feel. If you can't adequately guard somebody then you'll be out of the NBA in a hurry unless you're a phenomenal scorer.

 

[TheCusian]

Offensive role players < defensive role players. In the NBA the top 3 offensive plays take 90% of the shots. Everyone else gets there shots in the flow of the offensive and off of double teams. Most teams go 9-10 players deep in the regular season, the other 6 or 7 guys are there to play defense. Sportscenter and marketing companies sell offense and those guys are the face of the franchise, but winning on the court, having a long career, is built on the defensive end. Great offensive players will still miss more than they make, but great defensive plays and players start fast breaks and lead to easy points.

I shouldn't have worded it that way - you're 100% correct in responding that way. I meant:

Teams in the lottery are usually missing that top flight offensive talent. They are harder to find. Teams are more likely to take a chance trying to find a guy like that - then guys who are good defensive players. Look at Philly - Nerlens Noel is a very competent defender and will have a nice career. But he's no Towns or Davis.

People keep thinking I'm undervaluing defense in the NBA. I'm not. I just think great offensive players are harder to find than great defensive players. AND that great offensive players can become great defenders, while great defenders seldom become great offensive players.

The top of the draft is always skewed towards offensive players.

 

[TheCusian]

MR did it at will? Really?

Yes.

 

[TheCusian]

Absolutely true. I'm not sure TheCusian even watches NBA games to have a feel. If you can't adequately guard somebody then you'll be out of the NBA in a hurry unless you're a phenomenal scorer.

I watch 75-100 games a season. If you can't score, you're out just as quick unless you're an elite defender.

EDIT: you keep thinking I'm saying that defense isn't important. I've never said that. I've said that when drafting a player, it skews towards elite offensive talent because most players pick up adequate defensive skills.

You go ahead and draft defense first, I'll take the guys who were drafted for filling it up. I'd take Carmelo Anthony over Bismack Biyambo. You can have Nerlens Noel and I'll take Carl Anthony Towns.

 

[bpo57]

Yes.

Don't get carried away. He shot 38% from two point range. Part of being successful is not only getting to the rim but being able to finish.

 

[TheCusian]

Don't get carried away. He shot 38% from two point range. Part of being successful is not only getting to the rim but being able to finish.

Or getting fouled.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

So, the thing is, I'm pretty sure when scouts look at Malachi and what he can do on offense, and then look at his measurables, they think he's very likely going to be a solid two-way player.

 

[TheCusian]

So, the thing is, I'm pretty sure when scouts look at Malachi and what he can do on offense, and then look at his measurables, they think he's very likely going to be a solid two-way player.

That's exactly it.

 

[bpo57]

So, the thing is, I'm pretty sure when scouts look at Malachi and what he can do on offense, and then look at his measurables, they think he's very likely going to be a solid two-way player.

I'm sure they think that way about every guy they draft in the first round. Yet it very often doesn't work out that way.

 

[Briancuse]

I'm sure they think that way about every guy they draft in the first round. Yet it very often doesn't work out that way.

Everyone likes everyone, every player in the draft a team is high on, thats the draft. no one knows for sure what these teams really feel about a player.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I'm sure they think that way about every guy they draft in the first round.

No, not really.