Adopt-A-Prospect! Scout the next Detroit Piston draft pick
by NotoriousCPC on Jan 26, 2010 10:53 AM EST
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Print{Ed note: Awesome idea, thanks to NotoriousCPC for the brainstorm. -- Matt}
Despite what Richard Hamilton might believe, the Detroit Pistons, as currently constructed, are going nowhere fast. The team is steadily sinking into the depths of the bottom of the Leastern Conference and look to get a surefire top-10 pick. And picking in the top 5 or top 3 isn't out of the question.
With this season a wash and trades pretty unlikely, I think we should start a new project to keep fans informed and engaged: The Official Detroit Piston Fan Community Adopt-A-Prospect.
It would work like this: Pistons fans who are passionate followers of college basketball and can watch many of the necessary games would adopt a prospect that the Pistons may draft. For instance, if you live in North Carolina, Kansas, Georgia, Kentucky or you will be able to personally watch the performance of Ed Davis, Cole Aldrich, Favors, Wall, Cousins, Patterson, respectively you would adopt that player and keep tabs on him throughout the rest of the college basketball season.
That would include updated stats, match-ups where they excelled or struggled, and indications that they would excel or struggle in the NBA. Mock drafts and quick player write-ups and draft profiles can only provide so much. This is an opportunity to look beyond the box score and rally behind players that will make the Pistons the perennial powerhouse we are used to.
The same player could be adopted by more than one poster, the more info the merrier, but the goal would be to have all the top prospects adopted and maybe even some second-round possibilities, too.
FanPosts are user-created posts from the Detroit Bad Boys community and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all fans or the staff at DBB. The DBB staff reserves the right at any time to edit the contents of FanPosts as they reasonably see fit.
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This is a great idea!
The only potential problem is if (using last season as an example) I chose to look closely at a PF who was incredibly productive in college, and I really spent a lot of time breaking down all his big games, looked at his stats against future 2nd overall picks, really broke down his strengths and weaknesses and became convinced that he would be at least a solid NBA big man… and then if Jod passed on him for some random guy with (almost) the same first name, I think I would go nuts.
by Gabe F-B on Jan 26, 2010 11:14 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
Adoptions
I’ll adopt Patrick Patterson and Ed Davis. There’s also a HUGE possibility I might see Larry Sanders play live, because he’s the star player at my future alma mater.
I’m higher on Ed Davis then I am Patterson mainly because most people talk about Patrick Patterson as a rebounding specialist guy like Buck Williams, which i would take, but Ed Davis has been compared to Emeka and Bosh.
by Biz Markie Moon on Jan 26, 2010 11:34 AM EST reply actions
I like it.
I don’t watch a whole lot of college ball, so I’m no scout. I’d like to stay informed though.
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
Regardless of what we do with our top pick...
We need to do some type of trade to give us another pick in the late first round so we can take Jarvis Varnado before some sneaky bastards like the Spurs take him.
On the YEAR so far:
13.8 ppg
11 rpg
5.3 bpg — yeah, that’s not a type-o
.592 fg%
He’s, for whatever reason -smallish school, undersized for C- he’s a projected early 2nd-rounder. We need to take him late in the 1st. We want the next Ben Wallace? That’s him.
YES!
100% co-signage. Are you adopting him? He’s far and away #1 on my wish list of “easily get-able” guys.
Fits a need perfectly. Has shown an ability to improve his weaknesses. Passing on him, especially if his stock stays so crazily low, would be criminally dumb.
INDEED
I have a basketball man crush on Varnado.
by Biz Markie Moon on Jan 26, 2010 4:43 PM EST up reply actions
YouTube
For whatever reason, I didn’t turn up many hits on YouTube.
Here’s a nice one, though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGACVsZfvSM
He's one of the few guys I've seen play and thought "Piston Material"
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
Don't you fellars know
That Jod reads DBB and selects the polar OPPOSITE player of who we want? Don’t say anything about Varnado!!
Jod Eumars
please don’t take Jarvis the Tarnado Varnado. He doesn’t like Detroit.
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
A couple of my favorite players have already been mentioned. I’m adopting a few centers who look good:
1) DeMarcus Cousins. Right now, he’s putting up numbers that suggest he’s capable of becoming a major NBA star. There are “character” red flags, which has led scouts to keep his rating down, but there is also incredible production (so good that his stock is beginning to rise already). It will be interesting to see if he can keep his production up through conference games. If he can, he’s either the 2nd or 3rd best prospect in the draft.
2) Cole Aldrich. He’s looked good to me, and his numbers are very strong. IMO, he’s suffering a little bit from “Right DeJuan Syndrome” where he doesn’t totally look the part of a great NBA prospect. He’s someone that might slide as the draft gets closer because he’s probably not going to be much of a workout wonder.
Sleeper choice:
3) Hassan Whiteside. I haven’t seen him play, have only read some profiles and looked at his stats. But damn, for a freshman (though 20 years old), he’s putting up some amazing numbers. He has a similar overall profile to Varnado, and is also putting up some insane block rates. The one problem from our perspective is scouts might warm more to Whiteside (than they have to Varnado), because he’s taller and heavier, and could push his stock into the lottery. Either way, he’s someone worth keeping an eye on.
Cole Aldrich. He’s looked good to me, and his numbers are very strong. IMO, he’s suffering a little bit from "Right DeJuan Syndrome" where he doesn’t totally look the part of a great NBA prospect. He’s someone that might slide as the draft gets closer because he’s probably not going to be much of a workout wonder.
I have seen Kansas play 2-3 times now, and I’ve thought the same thing.
Currently watching Kentucky vs. S. Carolina on ESPN.
Cousins feet are freakishly quick for his size. And holy crap is he a big dude. He could be scary good very soon. One problem is that his “measurable’s” are off the charts, which makes me think he’s going to start climbing draft boards and out of our range unless we end up with a top-3 pick. Fun player to watch though, tons of talent.
Kentucky’s first loss tonight, but Cousins played really good.
27 points (9-17 fga’s), 12 rebounds (3 offensive), 3 blocks, 1 steal, 3 turnovers.
He’s almost overly aggressive when going for rebounds and attacking the rim, which I love. He plays with an edge, which is probably why scouts are wary at the moment, but I’ll take a young player that’s too aggressive (especially a PF/C) over a guy that’s too passive every time.
RE: the game. UK lost because star PF Patrick Patterson (who has otherwise been great this season) had an unusually passive game, only scoring 5 points on 4 shots, and UK’s backcourt of Wall and Bledsoe combined for 9 turnovers with only 7 assists. Still, a pretty fluky loss, they held SC to a 35% fg% but all the supporting players for UK had off nights and Wall wasn’t as efficient as he’s been.
Cousins
If Cousins can keep from going nuts or whatever his character issues are, I want Joe to draft him instead of Patterson. Patterson seems like he could be in between a role player and a star, but Cousins is going to be a freaking beast.
I WANT the Pistons to draft an aggressive guy. Cousins is also a badass defender.
Now, my adopted player Patterson didn’t have a great game last night, but again, fluky night. Ed Davis had 12 points and 9 rebounds last night, but that game wasn’t on so I’m just reading the box score.
by Biz Markie Moon on Jan 27, 2010 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
awesome idea
Detroit Bad Boys- SB Nation's Detroit Pistons Blog
Twitter
by Packey on Jan 26, 2010 2:29 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Cool Idea!
Especially for lazy schlubs like me who don’t follow college hoops and like to be spoon fed all the relevant info. Bring on the prospects!
by garrettelliott on Jan 26, 2010 7:10 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Summers was my "Adopt a Prospect" last year
And I’ve been pushing Varnado (along with QD) since the summer. So we can take that for whatever it’s worth.
/sad trombone
You mean like Charlie Villanueva plays?
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
by Skylar on Jan 28, 2010 12:06 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Artisom Parakhouski
A big guy from Belarus He plays for Redford in Big South. Not a top conference. However he is ranked in the top 5 in the NCAA in EFF (#1) PPG (#4), RPG (#3) and PER. (#3). Jason Thompson came from Rider and is doing just fine in his sceond season, so big guys from small schools can still become very good NBA players.
Would make an excellent pickup if he is still available when the Pistons pick in the 2nd round. He could fill a big need that the Pistons have in the middle. Most likely he will be gone by the second round, but he is not a lottery pick. So Dumars would need to do a deal to get him.
by Buddahfan on Jan 27, 2010 11:06 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Wrong Dejuan
Trade him for a second round pick.
by Biz Markie Moon on Jan 27, 2010 11:51 AM EST up reply actions
I agree, trade him.
I would love that, just so I never have to read about how wrong he is again. The dude never even plays, he’s just an question mark with “an NBA-ready body”.. The ballad of Amir Johnson dragged out for so fucking long.. Dumars, do me this one favor and put that kid on a plane.
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
The Parakhouski Train
I didn’t see your post before I made my own comments on Parakhouski. He’s good and I think he can get better. His athletic background sounds like Hakeem Olajouwon but his body looks like Greg Ostertag. If he’s anywhere in between as a player, it’s a great payoff for a late 1st round pick.
Montijunas rhymes with aceitunas
and Aceitunas means olives in Spanish…I like olives. I’ll adopt this guy…especially if Joe Dumars pays attention to this blog.
In other hypothetical news, I was looking at the draft lottery and started thinking about the teams that could win John Wall…Minny just drafted two point guards so if they win the lotto, Chad Ford thinks they still go with Wall (and I’d agree) so what do they do with Rubio/Flynn?
How about they trade us Al Jeff, and Rubio for Stuckey, Tay, and our 1st round pick for 2010 to go after another big (maybe Cole Aldrich?) that plays better alongside Kevin Love (how could an all-white starting front court NOT work?). Slide Stuckey over to the 2 to play alongside Rubio/Flynn/Sessions
Jonas Jerebko once killed a charging female rhinoceros in heat protecting its young with nothing more than a hook shot.
I like Rubio's bball style
But I don’t want that kid anywhere near a red, white, and blue jersey. And I’m a fan of him in theory: if he was on another team, I’d probably be like: “That Ricky Rubio’s alright.” but I’d probably contemplate murder if he was a Piston. He’s like Pistol Pete without the shooting.
I might feel a little better about this if we could get his rights and play him next to Stuck. Why? No clue. I’m a sucker for flashy passes.
by Biz Markie Moon on Jan 27, 2010 4:43 PM EST up reply actions
Worst Case Scenario: Spanish Jason Williams
Jonas Jerebko - the Tiger Woods of Swedish Basketball
by Thom_not_Tom on Jan 27, 2010 7:14 PM EST up reply actions
C Artsiom Parakhouski
I’m in. This is for the Round 2 pick.
Artsiom Parakhouski is a C for Radford (don’t laugh) who has put up good numbers against top competition in college (23 and 14 vs. Duke, 21 and 13 vs. Kansas). He’s 6’11" 260 and has only been playing ball for 5 years. He wants to be the first NBA player from Belarus and his family is filled with top national athletes in a variety of sports so the guy knows how to train and improve.
Cousins or Aldrich? Great problem to have.
DeMarcus has really impressed me as of late. His ability to get position against just about any time he wants it is just dominant. He seems to draw a double team on every possession. He can really fill our need of drawing fouls, but more importantly, today he made a really impressive pass to Patterson (I believe) for an easy bucket, so his court vision is actually pretty good.
I think a fair comparison is the Right DeJuan 2.0, as “Heavy D” had some weight problems but would have had a 30-25 game had he not fouled out. He’s got great footwork and soft hands already, if he can just develop a nice jump hook or perhaps clean up his turn around jumper he can be a dominant 20-10 back to the back scorer.
I noticed something else, his handles are absolutely terrific. In fact I thought of an inverted version of Charlie V when I saw it. His jumpshot is serviceable (in the sense that it has the potential to be improved, not just passable) but unlike CV he chooses to create his shot deep in the post on just about every possession. This not only leads to a lot of high percentage scorer but a ridiculous rebound rate that’s even better than Varnado’s.
The only red flag to me is his jumping ability. It’s not an issue that’s harming his rebounding or dunking, but he’s getting his shot blocked way too much for a guy of his size (especially against SC, he could have had 30 and 16 easy with a bit better athleticism).
Aldrich on the other hand is far more mobile. His footwork might be the be just as good as Blake Griffin’s. But Griffin has will always have a dependable jumper that Aldrich won’t.
I really don’t like his shooting mechanics. Yes it works for now, but it just reminds me too much of Joakim Noah, in that it’ll be serviceable, but it really limits his offensive potential.
In addition I kind of like Cousin’s nasty side. Perhaps I’m too used to Roscoe, but with how much Stuckey gets smacked around, we could use an enforcer. Aldrich’s attitude is much more like Charlie’s, just too mellow for my tastes.
If Big Ben comes back, or at least is willing to sign as a mentor, I say draft Cousins in a heartbeat. Because of his attitude, it’s looking like he’ll be available for sure (I don’t think we fall bellow the 6th pick). Ben’s work ethic, defensive prowess and conditioning will no doubt wear-off (I mean even CV looks like he’s trying on defense now) and we can have our potential center of the future. The question that remains is, with all his ability, how much will his lack of explosiveness hold him back? What kind of PF will he need to be paired with to spread the floor and guards perimeter forwards?
Should Big Ben not return (which I think is highly unlikely), I would take Aldrich if he’s available. He looks to be a solid 15 and 10 guy, so it’s not like we’d be truly “losing out.” Cousins looks like a great team player, but I like Aldrich’s overall attitude more for a rebuilding franchise. Without an intimidating mentor like Body to smack some sense around, having a potential Zach Randolph could really uphold future problems.
by bearded thundar on Jan 30, 2010 8:05 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Aldrich's jumpshot
Actually after watching today’s game, his free throw mechanics look really fluid and consistent, much more than I had previously thought. so I retract my comparison to Noah, as there is no side spin, just his release is too slow. I just don’t like how he always raises the ball so high above his head. That’s great for a turn around jumper, ala Sheed, but not so much for a quick release pull up.
But definitely, today is showing that Cousins is far better at establishing position. Perhaps Aldrich would actually better fair as a PF in the NBA, as he’s athletic, albeit his release is slow, it is consistent and looks like he should be able to expand his range, but he just doesn’t seem to have the authority to consistently establish position against more athletic competition.
At least in my mind, this changes the question a bit. Of course my wet dream situation would be to some how get a second high lottery pick in exchange for Tay+anyone but Stuckey and draft both (I think they could complement each other quite well as an epic rebounding duo, akin to what Minnesota currently has).
I think that players like Cousins are harder to find, but on the flip-side Aldridge + a cheap defensive big would solve a lot of this team’s problems right now. However in the long run, in my opinion we’d have to get draft another legimate big in the long run for Aldridge, where as Charlie V could complement Cousins if he learns how to actually defend. But playing devil’s advocate again, Cousins could potentially make life harder on Stuckey by clogging the lane.
I guess the correct answer is that the Pistons should win either way if they are presented with the problem. This should be fun to see which ends up being the better player.
by bearded thundar on Jan 30, 2010 9:18 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Damn, them there are some thorough ass posts.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
I tried my best
I figured that people would want thorough writeups on potential draft picks. Draftexpress generally does a great job, however they don’t update the players profiles very often. I’m not the greatest writer, but I think some people might find them a useful supplement.
by bearded thundar on Jan 31, 2010 10:13 AM EST up reply actions
That was not a slight.
sometimes I word my compliments in a strange manner.
Speaking of bearded thunder, Jerebko should grow a technoviking beard next time we get into the playoffs.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
Cousins vs. Aldrich.
They’re both good, and I’d be very happy with either. Cousins is two years younger, which makes him a stronger overall prospect. But, Aldrich looks like a potentially great future pro as well.
The main difference really comes down to size, and the effects it has on their games. Cousins is giant, which makes him a dominant rebounder and inside scorer on the college level. Aldrich is leaner, longer, and quicker, which makes him an excellent help defender (especially considering he’s a pretty big kid as well).
I think a simple comparison is to when Al Horford and Noah where in the same draft. Cousins is like a super-sized college-Horford, a PF/C who is at least solid in every category and is a dominant rebounder and inside scorer. Aldrich seems a lot like Noah in his “glue-guy” potential, where he’s not as physically dominant, but he brings a broader range of skills to the table, plays within his limits (Aldrich averages twice as many blocks as turnovers), and is generally a better defensive anchor.
Jarvis Varnado vs Artsiom Parakhouski
Both these guys would be great second round pick ups, but which one? I think it comes down to our first round pick, if we go for Aldrich, Cousins or Whiteside(although I dont think he will nominate) then I say pick Varnado.
If we pick Favors, Patterson, Motiejunas or Davis or win the lottery and get Wall or Turner, then it has to be Parakhouski. The C is the position that we need the most help in and he has a bigger body to bang down low with the NBA bigs.
If Ekpe Udoh (14ppg, 2.7apg, 10.9rpg, 4.3bpg) is still availible, doubtful, I would take him over both Varnado and Parakhouski.
If we pick Al-Farouq Aminu with our first round pick I will be pissed and jump on the Dumars must go bandwagon.
I did not read
a single word in that wall-o-text. BRGulker, you should know better than to create a pseudonym so you can get away with dropping bricks of poo poo here.
Huh, after re-reading it, I don’t get it either? I think I was somehow suggesting you took on a pseudonym to drop walls o’ text again. Maybe in my head it was funny after a bottle of wine, but it clearly wasn’t (oh, and your posts are never poo poo)
When your team puts the product out there on the court that they have been
the bottle doesn’t call, it yells.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
What's crackin shawty
What are you cracking?
I’m doing an ’05 Tinto from Douro, Portugal
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
i'm crack free tonight, MFSKY
but the other day I had a bottle of Gouguenheim Malbec 08 and was pretty damn impressed. part of my job gets me a free twelve pack and a pair of bottles from the Beer of the Month Club and the Wine of the Month Club. it certainly does NOT suck.
Never had that Tinto, never even heard of it! I’m nowhere near as educated about wine as I am about beer, so I can’t really talk the talk on what’s good and what isn’t. But when I see that shit, I’ll have to cop it.
If you like Malbecs
go for a Douro region like what I’m drinking. Same purple color, long legs, bright fruit, and deep body… and it was under 10 bucks.
and any Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina is going to make you wanna drank the whole bottle.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
Keith Benson- still has one year of elgibility left but I’m assuming he’ll jump ship from OU just because team will be losing their 2 best guards after this season (Jones and Nelson). Somewhat likely he would be still on the board early in the 2nd round… his potential is amazing and has improved dramatically in 4 years (3 years actually playing) at OU. Only averaged like 6 ppg senior year at DCD. Now has a dependable jumpshot and some moves, just needs to get stronger. Quick jumper, ghood instincts, legit 6’11.
http://lifeondumars.com/
This is just an FYI...
in case anyone out there is unsure of who we need to draft, regardless of how high the pick is (yes, ahead of John Wall):
On DeMarcus Cousins, courtesy of DraftExpress:
You’d be hard pressed to find a freshman who has dominated his opponents from a statistical standpoint the way DeMarcus Cousins has for Kentucky so far this season.
#1 in PER (actually ranking #1 in the last 8 years in that category), Points per-40 minutes pace adjusted, rebounds per-40p, field goals made and second in free throw attempts, Cousins has answered his many critics by going out and producing in unbelievable fashion.
A man amongst boys at the college level, Cousins’ combination of size, length and strength is simply unparalleled at this level of competition. There are only a handful of players that can even match up with him from a physical standpoint, and outside of a couple of ho-hum performances against the strongest big men he’s faced (UConn and North Carolina), he’s completely destroyed the slew of largely mediocre post players he’s been forced to deal with.
Watching him on film, it’s not difficult to see why. Cousins can establish position deep in the post pretty much whenever he wants at the college level with his huge frame, huge and extremely soft hands, and incredible wingspan— making him the perfect target to lob the ball inside the paint to. He’s the type of guy who wants the ball in his hands and shows a real hunger to score as much as possible, which is a big part of the reason why he’s currently ranked as the #1 per-minute scorer in college basketball.
Once he gets the ball where he wants it, Cousins is more than skilled enough to know what to do with it, showing quick feet, terrific footwork, excellent body control and fantastic touch to finish off plays. Often-times you’ll see him creating his own shot by spinning off his man abruptly in impressive fashion, and then just using his terrific length to convert easily at the basket. Although he isn’t the most explosive guy you’ll find in terms of his ability to play above the rim, this aspect of his game can probably be improved as well (although only to a degree) by shedding the 10-15 pounds of baby fat he’s still sporting.
More than just a brute force in the lane, Cousins sports some intriguing perimeter skills as well, showing better ball-handling skills and jump-shooting ability than you would typically expect from a player his size. The problem is that he tends to over-do this aspect of his game from time to time, forcing up bad shots and making a couple of questionable decisions pretty much every game. To his credit, he’s gotten much better about this as his freshman season moves along.
Cousins’ free throw shooting is another area he’s made strides in as the season moves on, as he seems to be showing better focus here than he did earlier in the year. He gets to the charity stripe at a simply outrageous rate of 12-times per-40 minutes pace adjusted, and converts 66% of his attempts once there.
by The Joel on Feb 2, 2010 11:12 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
About John Wall
Something in me tells me he won’t be as good as the hype.
I’d much rather have a guy like Cousins, thanks for the great post.
yeah you see flashes of greatness when you watch wall, but overall im not sure he is the guy who is going to get you a championship
i wouldnt mind it if we got him, but if this cousins dude is all that then he would address our needs more.
I agree
re: John Wall. I’m already sick of hearing dude’s name (but not as sick as I was of hearing Ricky Rubio), and I am willing to bet that a few years after the draft, he’ll only be top 3 at best in that class.
Im on this boat too
Perhaps the game I watched he didn’t play so good, but honestly I don’t get the hype.
Cousins has impressed me and so has Evans, but if nothing changes with out roster I don’t see how it can be justified drafting Evans.
Draft day is exciting and scary
It’s so hit or miss…. It’s imperative that Dumars has a strong draft, people are already looking at him sideways.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
I'm looking at him upside down, diagonally, and any cross direction you can think of.
He needs a no debate homerun of a draft. Darrell Morrey shit. Otherwise I’m calling for his head.
Hopefully he's noticed.
Internet, TV & Radio has people calling for his resignation pre-draft (now) so you would expect him to try to bet on a sure thing. I think he’s gambled some times, and others just flat out picked foolishly when there was very solid talent right in front of him.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
Whatta you guys think about the new 96-team NCAA playoff format?
I think it’s unneeded, but then again I watch a minimal amount of college ball, even in March.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
Seems like it was perfect before.
And they got greedy.
"I’ve had to overcome a lot of diversity." — Drew Gooden
DRAFTEXPRESS
Has some of its comparisons up:
I think there’s a good chance that the Pistons will get either Cousins, Favors, Aldrich or Davis.
If we take another "tweener" with our high-lottery pick (Aminu)...
This will be me.
by The Joel on Feb 3, 2010 12:49 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
YEAH RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Time to do a google search.
Now I’m bummed out.
by Biz Markie Moon on Feb 3, 2010 9:21 PM EST up reply actions
That photo fills me with sadness everytime I come across it.
"I didn’t even know Elvis was from Memphis, I thought he was from Tennessee." — Drew Gooden.
check out my latest report
I think in all fairness, we should have separate threads for all major prospects, in particular the bigs.
I have made an updated scouting report on Cousins, that has quite a lot of new thoughts on it. Once I have time to watch some more games, I’ll try to produce more.
To keep the post clean, I am considering making another post purely for commenting on my writing, that way comments about Cousins do not get diluted.
Cole Aldrich vs Colorado
He’s disappointed me so far. He should be dominating right now, and yet he’s out with foul trouble and isn’t exactly making his presence felt. He has good numbers (9 and 7), but they feel kinda empty.
I have to agree with draftexpress, he’s got great physicals, but he doesn’t quite use them yet. Perhaps he needs more lower body strength, as he’s been boxed out very well on the offensive glass and is constantly getting sealed off by his man on the defensive end.
On the brightside he is a very mobile defender. His length has already altered quite a few shots.
I’ve watched a few Kansas games, and at least from what I’ve seen he isn’t really an automatic presence. He’ll score when asked to, and can create for himself with a nice turn-around jumper and hook, but at best he’s a 12 and 10 guy in the NBA until he really starts letting the defense know who he is. He just reminds me too much of Sheed: not very aggressive until someone forces the ball down his throat.
I’ll get back later and try to create a full profile shortly. As it stands I think the key difference between Cousins and Aldrich offensively is that Cousins is changing the game at all times, just being there, where Aldrich needs the ball to make an impact. On the flipside, on defense, Cousins is a decent man to man defender, while Aldrich is very mobile and can alter quite a few shots. Which brings me back to a thought I had earlier, that Cousins should play C and Aldrich PF in the NBA.
by bearded thundar on Feb 3, 2010 10:04 PM EST up reply actions
Huh, I totally disagree. IMO, he’s looked really good. He’s been very aggressive going for rebounds. And his timing and closing speed on defense is unreal for a guy his size.
I made the comparison earlier in the thread, but he really reminds me of Noah in a lot of ways. Aldrich is a very low mistake player (averages over twice as many blocks as turnovers) and he does a lot of different things well. Those types of guys tend to not look as good, but are actually a lot more valuable than most people think.
I don’t mean this as a knock on Cousins, he’s great also. But, Aldrich’s value is tied both to his strengths and his lack of weaknesses (think of him as a PF/C version of someone like Chauncy Billups). Right now Cousins and Aldrich project very closely in terms of overall production, but Cousins produces in a way that people are more likely to notice.
No, he's quality.
I can’t see him being any worse than Okefor as a pro (who is already an above average center), and he definitely has all-star potential. He’s just a solid ass center with no real weaknesses other than “athleticism,” which is wildly overrated. And he’s a FABULOUS defender. He’s not my first choice, which is obviously Cousins, but I’ll be almost as happy if we ended up with Aldrich.
No, he's quantity
I’ve been burned by jay hawk big men before. smells like pollard/lafrenz/collison/gooden to me.
This is the lame old; “Felton hasn’t been very good in the NBA, so Lawson is going to suck…” argument.
Gooden averaged less than 2 blocks per/40 in college. Aldrich is averaging over 5. Collison was way below Aldrich as a rebounder (adjusting for pace, Collison never averaged more than 11.4 rebs per/40. Aldrich is at 15 this season). Pollard and Lafrenz were drafter over 10 years ago! What the hell do they have to do with Cole Aldrich?
Tim Duncan went to Wake Forest, and he turned out to be awesome, so let’s draft Aminu!!!!!1
get fired up
You say that pollard and lafrenz played over 10 years ago are irrelevant, but address gooden and collison? how do they project on aldrich? I’m not trying to present data to say why aldrich won’t be good, just saying that after having seen him play, he reminds me of other highly rated big men and i’m not impressed. Quick, send me a dave berri link to prove how you’re more right them me. It’s epinion. And I never said a word about either felton or lawson. I thought both would be good nba players.
by C$ on Feb 4, 2010 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
Quick, send me a dave berri link to prove how you’re more right them me.
Jeez, project much?
Look buddy, what you’re saying doesn’t make sense.
Pollard and Lafrenz played before draftexpress kept stats, so there’s no per/40 minutes to draw from. But just glancing at the b-r.com college stats, Lafrenz never averaged above 1.5 blocks per game (and averaged less than 1 block per game both his Frosh and Soph years). Pollard scored less points per game and at a lower efficiency than Aldrich, and he was a worse rebounder.
But, you’re obviously welcome to your epinion.
Reaction has been great
Wow, this has set off a wildfire. I believe it may be time to create separate threads. I wouldn’t want to have valuable posts get lost in the sea of comments. Also, separate posts would allow people the opportunity to have extended debates on particular players.
Looking through the posts we still have a lot of players that have not been adopted or commented on. I think we can get it done so that we have a well-informed fan base leading to the draft. Here, based on a mock draft by nbadraft.net, is the top players of the first round, plus some second round prospects that people have mentioned in the thread:
First Round:
John Wall – UNADOPTED
Evan Turner – UNADOPTED
Wesley Johnson – UNADOPTED
Donatas Motiejunas – The Boourns
Derrick Favors – UNADOPTED
Al-Farouq Aminu – UNADOPTED
Cole Aldrich – Gabe F-B, bearded thundar
Demarcus Cousins – Gabe F-B, bearded thundar
Ed Davis – Biz Markie Moon
Patrick Patterson – Biz Markie Moon
Greg Monroe – UNADOPTED
Second Round:
Jarvis Varnodo – The Joel
Hassan Whiteside – Gabe F-B
Artisom Parakhouski – Buddahfan
Derrick Favors hasn't been adopted yet?
I’ll gladly take him.
Favors was the guy I wanted, and even with Cousins coming on strong, I still consider Favors the better prospect.
He’s bulked up quite a bit (6’10, 245) and could realistically log minutes at center. A fair comparison is Prime Antonio McDyess or Amar’e Stoudemire. Extremely athletic, explosive, could become a very good shot-blocker, great work-ethic (unlike Cousins), excellent wing-span. And he’s a very good defender already. That’s the biggest thing: he’s not a guy that you’re going to have to put a ton of work into defensively.
by Terrence J. Lynch on Feb 4, 2010 8:36 PM EST reply actions
I disagree
Favors has underwhelmed me (especially offensively). For what we’ve been told about him, he should be posting dominant numbers at the collegiate level, and he’s not even close to Davis, Cousins or Aldrich. Seriously, only 9 rebounds in just shy of 30 minutes? For a guy with his size and athleticism, that is quite disappointing.
I personally don’t like drafting raw players with great “potential.” That’s extremely hit or miss, and its generally nice hit or major miss. I think those comparisons to Dyess and Amare aren’t fair, as those guys both had a pretty good skill level coming into the league and have great jumpers today. In addition, I feel that he’s really around 6’8"; he looks 6’10 the same way Ben Wallace is 6’9". While I wouldn’t say that will greatly inhibit his abillity in the NBA, I wouldn’t use a top 3 pick on him.
For a guy that looks to be a defensive player, I would take him no higher than 7th. This is simply because Davis and Aldrich both provide shot blocking and Cousins is so dominant offensively and does a great job of altering shots just by being there. Throw Wall, Turner and Johnson and you are left with him at the 7th pick.
by bearded thundar on Feb 4, 2010 9:56 PM EST up reply actions
The problem is that Favors game wasn't going to translate to the NCAA level.
Not to mention that Amar’e didn’t even play at the collegiate level and McDyess’ freshman year was nothing special (in fact, very similar statistically).
He’s a guy that was meant to go pro, but got stuck in college for a year because of the stupid rule on age.
I’d still take him over Cousins, especially if Cousin’s has attitude issues and doesn’t get the motor going all the time. Favors is a workhorse by all accounts, which you know he’s going to work hard to improve his craft.
by Terrence J. Lynch on Feb 4, 2010 10:21 PM EST up reply actions
Favors is a complex case. A huge point in his favor is he’s extremely young. He’s almost a full year younger than Cousins, so even though Favors is not putting up the same dominant stats as Cousins, he still looks really good for an 18 year old.
My main issue with Favors is he definitely looks like more of a PF than a true center. If he continues to develop he’ll be a very good PF, but definitely a PF. If a team drafts Favors with the idea of using him at center they would need to have fast paced offense to fully take advantage of his athleticism.
I feel like we have the organization and veteran leadership in place...
To absolutely be able to keep Cousins’ attitude problems in check. Ben Wallace will teach him everything he needs to know about defense, rebounding, and shot-blocking. If people’s main reservation about Cousins is his attitude, really, you just need to get over it. He’ll be fine. But we can’t pass on a guy who literally fits every need we have in a center just because he’s a little hood. If we could get Cousins and still pick up Varnado in the late first or early second round, I’ll be more than happy.
Although, if we’re like 5th or 6th, and Cousins is gone and we have to “settle” for Aldrich, I definitely won’t cry myself to sleep. When’s the last time Detroit had an all-white starting front-court?
I have now posted Aldrich's scouting report
Check it out, I think I did a good job of providing unbiased view on him.
He’s going to be a very useful NBA player, you just have to look at all the little things to appreciate his value. In other words, he should fit perfectly with the Pistons mantra of no superstars.
The real question comes to hand is if Cousins is still on the board when we draft. If he is, I’ll take him everytime as he’s a better rebounder and scorer now and will only get much better with better conditioning. However if he’s off the board, I like him more than Davis or Favors (as I pointed out before, I don’t like raw players with “potential”, I’ll take the slightly less athletic skilled player every time)
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