SU player with the most NBA potential?

[Nerlo Rangel]

obviously, carter-williams has the body and seemingly the ability to be a good NBA guard, but i think if CJ can improve each summer the way he did from freshman to sophomore year, then he has as good a chance as any SU player to succeed in the league.

CJ has good instincts and a high basketball IQ. needs to focus on defense and ball handling and improving his shooting range and consistency.

 

[jdubs30]

CJ is a tweener, that's his issue. I think he's too slow to be an NBA 3 and not big enough to be an NBA 4. His skillset lends itself to that too.

I think for next years team I'd def say MCW (I think Rak is #2). A sleeper is Southerland.

 

[Gabjon]

Ok I will bite. I think James has the second most NBA potential (MCW is a giving). He is NBA long, NBA athletic, and has NBA range on his shot. I see him as a wing defender/spot-up shooter in the NBA. High IQ guys don't get drafted CJ has not developed a NBA skill yet.

 

[Gabjon]

CJ is a tweener, that's his issue. I think he's too slow to be an NBA 3 and not big enough to be an NBA 4. His skillset lends itself to that too.

I think for next years team I'd def say MCW (I think Rak is #2). A sleeper is Southerland.

Rak is a good one I want to see how he develops this year.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

MCW looks to have a lot of potential...

CJ needs more range to make the league. Southerland has no chance, as he can't put the ball on the deck.

Triche's ceiling is too low. There is no potential there.

 

[Eric15]

CJ is a tweener, that's his issue. I think he's too slow to be an NBA 3 and not big enough to be an NBA 4. His skillset lends itself to that too.

I think for next years team I'd def say MCW (I think Rak is #2). A sleeper is Southerland.

I agree with your assessment of CJ, MCW and Rak. In terms of Southerland, I can't think of any shooting guard or small forward that has ever played in the NBA with worse handle than him.

 

[moqui]

I like CJ - he is a solid player and a valuable contributor . . . but he is also insanely overrated by the population of Syracusefan.com

• MCW looks to have a valuable NBA skill set and the frame that could develop into a quality NBA player
• Rak has an NBA body; let's see if he develops the skill set
• DC looks like he has the skills and the strength, but guys with his body type tend to peak before they reach the top level

and that is the whole list. Sure, anyone could explode out of the blue and play themselves into position, but based on what we know & what we have seen, that's it. As nears the end of his 4th decade as head coach, JB's track record is crystal clear - he generally develops program kids, not NBA players.

 

[jekelish]

MCW seems to clearly be the guy with the most NBA upside. I don't think it's even close. If Dirty could get any sort of handle and a little more consistent with his jumper, he could be a rich man's Demetris Nichols, which isn't such a bad thing.

I will throw out another name: Cooney. If he's a legit 6-4 and the shooter everyone says, no reason he couldn't develop into a JJ Redick.

I love CJ, but I'm not sure where he fits in the NBA. I don't see him ever being more than a 7th or 8th man in an NBA rotation, but he could obviously still develop.

 

[Eric15]

If Dirty could get any sort of handle and a little more consistent with his jumper, he could be a rich man's Demetris Nichols, which isn't such a bad thing.

A rich man's Demetris Nichols? Nichols averaged 19 ppg his senior year. How much richer are we talking here?

In my opinion, a rich man's Nichols = Caron Butler or Luol Deng.

 

[newmexicuse]

No luv here for DC2 ???

I would at this point go w MCW as the #1 choice, but I think DC2 may well be next in line.

 

[jekelish]

A rich man's Demetris Nichols? Nichols averaged 19 ppg his senior year. How much richer are we talking here?

In my opinion, a rich man's Nichols = Caron Butler or Luol Deng.

I mean because he's taller and more athletic, and therefore SHOULD be a better pro prospect. Don't get me wrong, I loved DNic, and maybe saying "rich man's" was overstating things, but I think his prospects COULD be better than DNic.

 

[Eric15]

I mean because he's taller and more athletic, and therefore SHOULD be a better pro prospect. Don't get me wrong, I loved DNic, and maybe saying "rich man's" was overstating things, but I think his prospects COULD be better than DNic.

Obviously I hope you're right, but I think at this point, JS is what he is. A nice kid with good athleticism, streaky shooting, and suspect handle, who will max out at around 8-10 ppg... oh, and a propensity for farting during games.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

MCW seems to clearly be the guy with the most NBA upside. I don't think it's even close. If Dirty could get any sort of handle and a little more consistent with his jumper, he could be a rich man's Demetris Nichols, which isn't such a bad thing.

I will throw out another name: Cooney. If he's a legit 6-4 and the shooter everyone says, no reason he couldn't develop into a JJ Redick.

I love CJ, but I'm not sure where he fits in the NBA. I don't see him ever being more than a 7th or 8th man in an NBA rotation, but he could obviously still develop.

Man, this Cooney love is out of hand. No matter what anyone said about JJ Redick in college, the one thing that got him to the next level wasn't just his shot. Lots of guys have a shot like him. Redick never stopped moving and played with more drive than most players ever will. If Cooney has that drive/heart/will/whatever it is that Redick had, awesome for us. But the mere mention in the same terms before most of us has even seen him play a single college game is astounding to me.

 

[Nerlo Rangel]

i dunno, CJ is a solidly built 6'8. i'm thinking two years from now, if he has developed a consistent 18-20 foot shot, and if he handles the ball well, he has a shot at being a 1st round draft pick. i just think he'll improve a lot by senior year.

and i anticipate DCII to be a good NBA prospect, but i don't want to make any predictions before he played a single game in college.

 

[jekelish]

Man, this Cooney love is out of hand. No matter what anyone said about JJ Redick in college, the one thing that got him to the next level wasn't just his shot. Lots of guys have a shot like him. Redick never stopped moving and played with more drive than most players ever will. If Cooney has that drive/heart/will/whatever it is that Redick had, awesome for us. But the mere mention in the same terms before most of us has even seen him play a single college game is astounding to me.

I know, and Redick is basically what I'm saying is his ceiling. But I know Redick had more than just a jumper, you don't break the ACC scoring record by only being able to shoot. But Cooney is also an underrated athlete, and I'm hopeful he's got the intangibles to become more than just a three point specialist.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

CJ Fair would have to become a defensive stalwart as well to have any shot in the pros. He'd have to hope to be an 8th man/energy guy off the bench.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I know, and Redick is basically what I'm saying is his ceiling. But I know Redick had more than just a jumper, you don't break the ACC scoring record by only being able to shoot. But Cooney is also an underrated athlete, and I'm hopeful he's got the intangibles to become more than just a three point specialist.

I don't understand what you mean by underrated athlete. Because he's white? Or because he was a three point shooter mostly? Is he on par with Southerland's jumping ability? I guess having never seen him play yet is why I don't understand all these Cooney posts.

 

[igor]

obviously, carter-williams has the body and seemingly the ability to be a good NBA guard, but i think if CJ can improve each summer the way he did from freshman to sophomore year, then he has as good a chance as any SU player to succeed in the league.

CJ has good instincts and a high basketball IQ. needs to focus on defense and ball handling and improving his shooting range and consistency.

thatsa esay rak he ll be an nba alstar jb misreasd his game

 

[jekelish]

I don't understand what you mean by underrated athlete. Because he's white? Or because he was a three point shooter mostly? Is he on par with Southerland's jumping ability? I guess having never seen him play yet is why I don't understand all these Cooney posts.

Because he's only known as a shooter, and that is his entire reputation. But no one ever mentions he's capable of doing this:

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Thanks jekelish. I'm looking forward to seeing him play. I'd love to see him do that against guys his own size as well.

 

[moqui]

i dunno, CJ is a solidly built 6'8. i'm thinking two years from now, if he has developed a consistent 18-20 foot shot, and if he handles the ball well, he has a shot at being a 1st round draft pick. i just think he'll improve a lot by senior year.

now he's not just an NBA player, but a first rounder? He doesn't even have the skill set of Kris Joseph, upon whose professional grave most here have already shoveled dirt

 

[Nerlo Rangel]

now he's not just an NBA player, but a first rounder? He doesn't even have the skill set of Kris Joseph, upon whose professional grave most here have already shoveled dirt

kris jo had the potential as a sophomore, he just didn't evolve. CJ is at that point of his college career. i think his game goes up a level, but i could be wrong.

 

[jekelish]

now he's not just an NBA player, but a first rounder? He doesn't even have the skill set of Kris Joseph, upon whose professional grave most here have already shoveled dirt

It's actually funny you bring up Kris, because the talk about CJ after his sophomore season reminds me of the talk about Joseph after his sophomore season. Hopefully his final two years show a little better upward trajectory than KJ's did.

 

[moqui]

It's actually funny you bring up Kris, because the talk about CJ after his sophomore season reminds me of the talk about Joseph after his sophomore season. Hopefully his final two years show a little better upward trajectory than KJ's did.

and I will admit I was one of those who thought Kris would become first team All Big East and possibly an All American . . . and the larger point is that CJ as a sophomore doesn't have the skill set that KJ did as a soph, so he has less of a base to build upon

 

[jekelish]

and I will admit I was one of those who thought Kris would become first team All Big East and possibly an All American . . . and the larger point is that CJ as a sophomore doesn't have the skill set that KJ did as a soph, so he has less of a base to build upon

I would say CJ has a different skill set, not a worse one. Remember, Kris was never much of a shooter until he finally improved this year, and he's never had a very good handle. CJ is already a better rebounder than Kris ever was, and I'd say he finishes better around the basket than Kris, as well. Kris was purely a slasher as a sophomore, and he was a better passer than CJ, but otherwise I'm not sure he really did anything (as a sophomore) that much better than CJ last year.