www.nbadraft.net

[madness31]

NBA does reward 3 point shooting more now than before but it is still a league of athletes over skilled players. There are specialists but not as many as extreme athletes. Sumner has the advantage over TB but his play up until the Eastern Washington game had been poor so it is not surprising he dropped out of the draft. Sumner must keep the turnovers down to show he can successfully lead a team. TB will be lucky to play in the NBA. He rarely puts the ball on the floor and lacks the athleticism most NBA players have. He has a quick release and is doing a much better job this year bodying up his opponent. NBA has never been big on defense but playing good defense can make a player more attractive.

Sumner can easily play his way back into the draft. TB will remain in the conversation but I just don't know if he will be able to stick if he gets there. Macura has a shot but needs to improve his shot selection and let the game come to him. If he decides to focus on creating for others and taking what the defense gives him, he will get an invite to the league. Macura has a better shot at staying in the league than TB should he get drafter because of all the little things he does but is less likely to make it at this point.

Gaston has an outside chance of playing his way into the conversation. This is low probability at this point but there is some potential here.

Jones is raw but his energy and defensive desire makes him an interesting prospect. Possibly just a good future college player but could be more.

[edgecliff hall]

madness31, your comments are smart and interesting. What is your basketball history? Please excuse my question if you have already posted on this subject.

[jct1941]

?????? Now Ed is as 12-22-16 he is 19 (first round) to Toronto so it is a guessing game. Go Xavier!

[Anti-Homer]

http://www.nbadraft.net
That site is fairly reliable (at least as much as any such a site can be) and I have followed it for about six weeks. I was mainly interested in how Edmond and Trevon were slotted. Three ratings back Ed was at 11 in the first round, the second rating he dropped to 19, and the latest rating He is not even rated in the first OR second round. I know its early and those predictions mean very little now (much like the RPI ratings at this point) but it does seem odd he fell out completely. Tre remained 59 or 60 (second round). I feel like this JUST HAS to be an oversight on their part because it does not make any sense. Go Xavier!

Way too early to look at projections. I also don't believe any site that doesn't have Sumner in the top 30. I don't even look at those now. I remember looking at one last year, showing TB would be a late 1st rounder. That was with his old body, and current lack of athleticism, which he'll always have to compensate for. Even with his sporadic year, ES would go in the 1st round, if he declares, which I think is all but a certainty. There are less than a handful of guys who get to the rim as fast at ES from 30 feet out. That is the most coveted skill of an NBA pg. He isn't the greatest finisher, because he tries too many circus shots, and can't adjust "on the fly" like a Tu Holloway could. If he developed a pull up 6 footer, or a "tear drop," he'd score 20 points a game, particularly in X's current offense.

In the NBA, they don't pack the lane. Even the majority of bigs can hit a 17 foot jumper, creating many lanes, and discouraging help. He is not a prototypical college PG, though he'll play that in the NBA. I'm not suggesting he will ever become a Russel Westbrook, but while at UCLA, RW avg 13 pts a game, while shooting 47 % & 33% from the field and 3. He was a lottery pick, and drafted due to his athleticism, ability to create, and potential; not due to his current body of work in 08.

Thus far, Ed is averaging 14ppg,while shooting 49%, & 26% from the field and 3 pt. range respectively. The year before , he posted numbers of 11 ppg, 40%, and 30% respectively. He does not have a good shooting form. Neither did Westbrook. When ES attended the Nike Super 24 (or whatever it was called) one NBA scout stated ES wasn't the best player there (and apparently was not even close), but he opined that he could turn out to be the best NBA player. at the camp IF he wants to go, he will be in the league next year. He may spend time in the developmental league, but he will be a productive NBA player at some point.

Currently, he is largely timid with the ball, makes careless turnovers, and is a below average shooter. He thrives in fast break situations, not in the half court. His effectiveness as an offensive players diminishes when he catches the ball parallel to the basket, because he cannot reset his body and hit a jumper like TB can. Defenders give him plenty of space, daring him to shoot.

He is an upgraded version of Semaj, who is now in the NBA, though his long term prospects are still unknown, but improving. Unlike Mman's prediction years ago that Obi Harris would be a 1st rounder, mine re: ES will come to fruition. AH out.

[Anti-Homer]

Maybe this will help Ed relax a little and accept that he needs time and more experience to develop his game.
While we all want the players to realize their dreams, I've often wondered about how NBA aspirations affect their experience of playing on their college team.

Watch TB's 1st 6 games this year.