Giannis Adetokoubo: 18 year old freak of nature

[Lumthemad]

Talk about an intriguing talent. He's got length, some very great skills and about forty billion red flags.

He's clearly got the talent to play at this level but he's one of those odd kinds of players who does various things well. I see a lot of Boris Diaw to his game and if you recall back when Diaw was drafted he was taken a lot higher than he should've been due to said skills.

With a kid like him , you've got to worry if he'll ever become an assertive scorer or if he'll just be a blend kind of player. You'd like to be able see those kind of kids grow and get better versus coming over and being stuck on our bench. He needs to be playing and getting better but as i said...man oh man, i loved some of the passing i saw out him!

 

[adam81king]

Talk about an intriguing talent. He's got length, some very great skills and about forty billion red flags.

He's clearly got the talent to play at this level but he's one of those odd kinds of players who does various things well. I see a lot of Boris Diaw to his game and if you recall back when Diaw was drafted he was taken a lot higher than he should've been due to said skills.

With a kid like him , you've got to worry if he'll ever become an assertive scorer or if he'll just be a blend kind of player. You'd like to be able see those kind of kids grow and get better versus coming over and being stuck on our bench. He needs to be playing and getting better but as i said...man oh man, i loved some of the passing i saw out him!

You see Boris Diaw, I see Nicolas Batum. I don't think he'll ever be a stud scorer, but I think he'll keep defenses honest with his ball-handling, passing and decent scoring. I think he's a much higher ceiling version of what people see in Otto Porter. I can see him averaging 16ppg, 7rpg, 5.5apg, 2.3spg and 1.3bpg.

 

[Lumthemad]

You see Boris Diaw, I see Nicolas Batum. I don't think he'll ever be a stud scorer, but I think he'll keep defenses honest with his ball-handling, passing and decent scoring. I think he's a much higher ceiling version of what people see in Otto Porter. I can see him averaging 16ppg, 7rpg, 5.5apg, 2.3spg and 1.3bpg.

Batum is a fair comp as well but i think Batum had/has more scoring on his mind than Giannis. Trust me, i very much feel you on his ceiling and abilities. When you have these kids though that have played at those lower levels oversea's, you've got to question how it translates. For every success story there is a whole bunch of guys who flame-out. I keep on thinking about how Ajinca rose up on draft night and how he's already gone and out of the league. If you take this kid, you've got to make certain he's getting time either up here (in which i don't trust Brown on doing that) or playing every day down in the NDBL. He'll be a first round pick more than likely and i'm uncertain if we'd want to take him at 19. --skillwise it'd be fine just a matter of the team understanding he might take a bit more time--

 

[jvpertz]

The player comparisons in this thread are TERRIBLE!!!!

I watch this kid and I dont see anything near Kevin Durant. Durant is a SUPERSTAR level NBA player with endless range as a shooter and a feel for the game that is probably only second to Lebron.

With that being said, Kevin Durant is nowhere near the raw athlete that this kid is. This kid is something FREAKISH as an athlete out there. This kid is palming the ball left or right and slamming it home.

And is he anything near Lamar Odom? No not in any way shape or form. Lamar Odom is thick, has point guard skills, and is nowhere near the athlete that this kid is.

No I would say that this guy looks like a freakish version of an Andre Igoudala if he were to pan out. He has the crazy athleticism, decent enough handle, the dribble drive with serious hops, and the ability to be an elite level wing defender.

He is definitely an intriguing talent but who knows what his true ability to put on weight is and who knows what kind of confidence he'll have as NBA player.

There are too many question marks to take him top 5, just too many. And I know the upside is something spectacular, but you take a kid like this 10-20 in the 1st round.

 

[The Oi]

I like the Iggy comparison a lot actually. He'd have to put on some serious upper body muscle, but I see the projection.

 

[Pioneer10]

I wouldn't project anything till we see how he does at Eurocamp: he's not even playing first division basketball in Greece. He's essentially going against Division III type of talent right now.

 

[Cavatt]

I wouldn't project anything till we see how he does at Eurocamp: he's not even playing first division basketball in Greece. He's essentially going against Division III type of talent right now.

Yeah this makes him basically a draft and stash pick, unless the scouts really think he is something truly unusual. 19 seems to high based off his level of competition. Who knows tho if he works out with other draft prospects and dominates.

 

[foucault87]

Watching those videos and based on the reports we have, he reminds me of Paul Pierce.

 

[Adam]

With the disappointing top end of the draft I can see a team gambling on him in the first round, especially if he has no buyout in Greece. I think it might be an eyenga type mistake to take him too high as they might be pressured into bringing him over sooner than he should. He's the perfect second round pick in a normal draft

 

[MYoung23]

I wouldn't project anything till we see how he does at Eurocamp: he's not even playing first division basketball in Greece. He's essentially going against Division III type of talent right now.

Draft Express compared the level of competition to American HS.

 

[MRMsix6]

Draft Express compared the level of competition to American HS.

Watching those videos, it might be DII or DIII HS at that. :chuckles:

 

[The Oi]

Draft Express compared the level of competition to American HS.

Short Greek guys. The Centers are probably 5'10 and stocky.

 

[adam81king]

Draft Express compared the level of competition to American HS.

Considering he's not much older than most American HS kids (3mos older than Andrew Wiggins, 4mons older than Jabari Parker, 2 weeks YOUNGER than Julius Randle), that isn't too far off. I'm not saying he's advanced, or done "growing," but it's not like he's a 23yr old playing against low-level competition.

 

[myriadwhims]

MYoung, do you think he's worthy of a second round pick?

 

[HNR]

I definitely don't take him in the first round! I'm not saying that he doesn't have some talent, but what I am saying is that the talent he has shown doesn't compel me to want to see him taken anywhere in the 1st... even if we had 10 1st round picks. His competition level isn't that great, and he doesn't exactly tear up the games he plays against that competition. Freakish Measurables and athleticism only come into play on kids who have demonstrated that they are head & shoulders above their competition - he hasn't done that, imo. I think he should wait a year, or two. I', not inclined to even take a chance on him with a 2nd rounder.