Rak's pro chances?

[jordoo]

Rak took a beating last night...hhhhmmmmm. FSU ran three seven footers out there to play against him. All Rak did was score 14 points, grab 11 rebounds and block 5 shots. They were very physical with him the entire game, but he put up pretty good numbers.

It did effect his shooting percentage as he missed a couple he would normally make but he did what star players do, found a way to put up his numbers and effect the game no matter what they throw at you.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Not to mention the whole they don't play defense in the NBA thing. That cracks me up. They don't allow contact and actually blow the whistle on first contact. These are the best offensive players in the world surrounded by guys who filled it up in college. Its nothing like defending a college team because you simply aren't stopping NBA teams from scoring you are playing defense to try and force them into lower percentage shots that you can live with, that's it. That's all you can do and against superior ball movement and talent even the best help defense in the world cannot do that on a regular basis. This is the way the game was meant to be played not this crappy wrestling we see in the NCAA these days. The NBA is much nicer to watch and simply better on all levels. Sure there are some lulls when you play 82 games and 48 minutes per and I would be fine with shortening the schedule by 20 games for that reason, but in the end the NBA players, teams and coaches are so much better overall.

Tough to defend when minimum 4 out of 5 guys on the court can shoot from 20 feet.

 

[jordoo]

Tough to defend when minimum 4 out of 5 guys on the court can shoot from 20 feet.

Exactly which by no means indicates bad defense. Its amazing that fans of a sport have a hard time understanding this. When you help in the NBA you are leaving a college star open somewhere that he is comfortable shooting.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Rak is right now good enough to be a 2nd unit 5 in the NBA and no he isn't too small for that just look around plenty of 6-9 and 6-10 guys playing the 5 in the NBA especially off the bench. The thing is the more he shows that jump shot the more POTENTIAL he has as a 4 down the road. ...

Exactly. Tyler Hansbrough has carved out a decent career for a kid who was old for his class, and a tweener even though he didn't play the 5 in college. Plus he wasn't exactly a jump shooter. Frankly, I think Rak is showing a lot more skill around the basket right now than Hansbrough ever did. And Christmas has about a 6" greater reach.

There's plenty of room in the NBA for a quick jumper with a 7' 5" reach who can finish with either hand.

 

[zhanjuzi]

After this year, any chance he gets a shot in the NBA? He has finally shown the athletic burst and dominance that we all hoped for when he committed here. He has great size and has improved his offensive game (albeit still a lot of improvement to be had) 5 fold from two seasons ago.

Thoughts?

Hilton Armstrong similarly exploded his senior year and played in the NBA for at least 5 years. Was Drafted 12th.

Rak will get his shot.

 

[longislandcuse]

Quincy Acy plays in the NBA. Rak should get drafted and will be a serviceable backup 4, 5 in a pinch guy.

 

[RF2044]

Hilton Armstrong similarly exploded his senior year and played in the NBA for at least 5 years. Was Drafted 12th.

Rak will get his shot.

This is the comparison I often think about, as well.

 

[Full_Rebar]

He's still probably a 2nd rd pick, but I think he'll stick. He's an elite athlete and would help a lot of teams as a bench player/energy guy. If he can keep working on his mid-range game, he could be a Carl Landry type player.

 

[JrodCuse]

As a Heat fan I would love love looooove for Rak to get drafted by the Heat in the 2nd round. He is going to have a very servicable career in the NBA, maybe even ending up like a Birdman type player.

 

[SWC75]

The question is how tall is Rak actually? Can he play the 5 and cover in the NBA, that will be what deterimines his future




And you prefer to watch college? Yes, the draft is about potential but the league day to day isn't. Guys like Duncan still playing, look at Anthony Davis? Third year, played his way to probably a top 5 guy at this point. Potential gone the right way, many draft busts as well. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about the NBA from people who don't watch it. Sure the NBA draft is about potential, doesn't mean these guys are all ready. It's the draft, but if guys are good enough to play they will.

The NBA in my opinion is basketball at it's best with the greatest athletes in the world. Just my opinion of course but, do you watch Golden St? San Antonio? Potential, I don't think so

College should be about potential. The NBA should be about skill.

 

[Fly Rodder]

College should be about potential. The NBA should be about skill.

It'll probably swing the other way eventually. The major theme of Moneyball was identifying market inefficiencies in talent acquisition. At the time, the A's came to believe that too often teams were drafting guys that looked like baseball players or had athletic skills, but not necessarily the talent or ability. They were drafting on potential and more skilled players with some obvious warts were falling to the later rounds. Pro teams are largely like flocks of seagulls chasing the next tasty bit of flotsam and aren't always the most rational actors.

I have a hard time believing that if you were picking between these two players, player B is so clearly best choice that Player A doesn't warrant consideration because he's shorter:

Player A (6'8", 250lbs, 7'4" wingspan, 34" vertical)
Player B (7'0", 275lbs, 7'0" wingspan, 32" vertical)

 

[MCC]

It'll probably swing the other way eventually. The major theme of Moneyball was identifying market inefficiencies in talent acquisition. At the time, the A's came to believe that too often teams were drafting guys that looked like baseball players or had athletic skills, but not necessarily the talent or ability. They were drafting on potential and more skilled players with some obvious warts were falling to the later rounds. Pro teams are largely like flocks of seagulls chasing the next tasty bit of flotsam and aren't always the most rational actors.

I have a hard time believing that if you were picking between these two players, player B is so clearly best choice that Player A doesn't warrant consideration because he's shorter:

Player A (6'8", 250lbs, 7'4" wingspan, 34" vertical)
Player B (7'0", 275lbs, 7'0" wingspan, 32" vertical)

The smart teams track down jetsam: players whose value went unrealized / unrecognized by previous teams.

The really cool events are resurrected careers: lagan?

I guess we should consider Fab Melo's NBA career derelict.

And... I'm spent. Nautical jargon exhausted.

 

[moqui]

100% chance that he plays professionally

very good chance that he gets at least a look this summer from an NBA team, but I think the odds are long against him making a roster.

next to no chance that he's a "10-12 year NBA player." JB has had, what, maybe half a dozen or so guys who have lasted that long in the Association?

 

[Macky44]

So you prefer 45-42 rock fights where a 15 foot jump shot is a lost art. OK, to each his own

I do indeed.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Ball movement in the NBA is sick good

 

[jordoo]

Ball movement in the NBA is sick good

NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!! I tell you the defense is bad then the defense is bad.

 

[Eagles20]

It is very rare for a senior to be able to improve their draft stock in the modern NBA. Generally if guys stay that long, they either aren't good enough or their flaws get dissected / picked apart so much that it ends up hurting them.

Rak has pulled off a rare feat--he's actually played himself into being draftable. I thought his level of play might drop off, but now I don't expect it to.

Kudos to him for staying focused.

Cj McCollum and Damian lliard did recently...Im interested to see how Christmas does in the NBA summer league.

 

[Eagles20]

My comparison has always been JJ Hickson for Christmas

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Rak is right now good enough to be a 2nd unit 5 in the NBA and no he isn't too small for that just look around plenty of 6-9 and 6-10 guys playing the 5 in the NBA especially off the bench.

Yeah, people evaluate NBA prospects against the wrong points of comparison. People will say "Sure, Rak's good in college, but can he guard the Gasol brothers?" Well, no, but everybody struggles guarding the Gasols. Better points of comparison might be how well do we think Rak would do against Jason Smith, Rudy Gobert, etc.

 

[Bayside44]

San Antonio is one of the only teams i can watch and not want to turn the channel. I hate the fact that defense is an afterthought in the NBA for the most part. Don't give me your best athletes in the world garbage in regards to defense either. Noone in the 80's would play O-lay defense and give Lebron and open lane for dunks. Get in front of that crap or foul the hell out of him.

So yes...i prefer to watch college. I don't need to see every game be in the 100's for a score because i don't have ADD. I enjoy defensive battles in football as well.

No one in the 80s was built like these guys are now.

 

[Macky44]

No one in the 80s was built like these guys are now.

It's all the same. If guys are bigger now, than they are bigger and should be able to play D on him. I don't understand this argument.

 

[Bayside44]

It's all the same. If guys are bigger now, than they are bigger and should be able to play D on him. I don't understand this argument.

Collisions are a lot worse in football now too with the bigger players.

If Robert Parrish got in front of LeBron once he wouldn't twice. Even a Michael Jordan gives up height, weight and force to a LeBron, by a lot.

 

[Brooky03]

Collisions are a lot worse in football now too with the bigger players.

If Robert Parrish got in front of LeBron once he wouldn't twice. Even a Michael Jordan gives up height, weight and force to a LeBron, by a lot.

Jordan didn't play the same position as LeBron does. Compare Jordan to Kobe and Jordan actually has the size/strength advantage.

LeBron is obviously a freak, so I'd point more to an 'average' size NBA player instead of him. Not looking it up, I'd gues the heights haven't changed much and the weights are maybe 10-15lbs more.

 

[Madbiker]

You know what NBA GMs say about college seniors who stayed 4 years:
1. If they were any good they would have come out after 1 year.
2. They are too old. (You obviously can't teach new things to a 22-23 year old).
3. See more "upside" in drafting total unknowns out of high school.

Then again nobody ever said most of these GMs were geniuses. Most see no problem in giving away millions each year to raw kids who will never play or contribute in any meaningful way to their teams. Apparently this is OK with their owners who then complain that they aren't making any money.

 

[moqui]

Then again nobody ever said most of these GMs were geniuses. Most see no problem in giving away millions each year to raw kids who will never play or contribute in any meaningful way to their teams. Apparently this is OK with their owners who then complain that they aren't making any money.

I don't think you really understand how the draft works. there are two key facts at work here;

1. the vast majority of players in the draft are going to wash out quickly. there are only a handful of sure things in any given draft - at most; sometimes only one or two
2. you have to pick somebody, you cannot pass. sure you can trade your pick but there are still 30 picks in every draft and every one of them has to be used and every one of them has a guaranteed salary attached to it.

NBA GMs have no choice in the matter; they have to dole out those millions and most of them will be like throwing dollars into a bonfire.

now, since there are few sure things (indeed, the surest thing is that you are going to draft a bust far more often than a hit), and since the odds are that your money is going to be wasted anyway, it's a reasonable approach to put your bet on something with a high payoff at the other end if it does happen to hit. Why draft a senior who has already demonstrated that his top end is a replacement level journeyman when you can take a freshman who has the potential to blossom into so much more?