Some thoughts and comparisons

[MedellinHeel]

So due to living overseas and work/sleep I was unable to catch the draft live. 

 

First thing I saw was that we drafted Vonleh. I was like ok that is pretty good but not sure id take him over Stauskas. Then went and checked the after draft tracker and discovered Staus was picked at 8 right before up. At which point I was quite happy with the selection of Vonleh. 

 

I then see we drafted Napier who I was projecting / wanting us to draft at 24. Under normal circumstances I would be happy but I was about to rage at the fact of not getting a SG in this draft and with Hairston on the board. Shortly after I realize / hear we traded the pick for Hairston. Complete jubilation kicked in. 

 

Vonleh and Hairston is just an unreal haul for this draft (potentially). 

 

Vonleh kinda scares me a bit. It just recently struck me of who he reminds me of in a sense of qualities and concerns. Vonleh is very very skilled and coordinated for his size much like Drummond was. Also like Drummond, Vonleh underachieved in college or atleast didnt live up to the high school ranking / hype. Vonleh I feel can be really good. He has the coordination and feel to be able to develop a solid post game. However, I am wondering about his year at Indiana and why his talents and skills did not translate to a dominant force. Well, let me give credit where credit is due, Vonleh is/was a beast of a rebounder. Outside of being more assertive and scoring more, he also needs to up his blocks. I am gonna try and remain positive and optimistic on Vonleh. 

 

Hairston easily has to be the steal of the draft. Pretty much everyone thought that had he went to school last year he would have been one of if not the best SG in the country and been a lottery pick. This guy can get hot quick and light it up. All along I said there was only two SG's I wanted in this draft, Stauskas and Hairston. To get Vonleh AND Hairston is just more than I could have every realistically hoped for. That really helps dampen the disappointment of missing out on Staus. 

 

Fug guys, I can not wait until summer league! 

 

EDIT* Forgot to add, sign Gordon Hayward to complete this awesome offseason!!!!!!!

 

 

[carolina-chuck]

I'm not sure if I agree with your thoughts on Vonleh. IMO, he lived up to the hype. I mean he wasn't Wiggins or Parker going into college. At times, he looked like the best BIG in college last year. He even led the Big10 in rebounds last year. Pre draft, many believed that he may be even better than Embiid.

We haven't seen the best of Vonleh. Like Wiggins, I believe that his game is better suited for the NBA.

[MedellinHeel]

I'm not sure if I agree with your thoughts on Vonleh. IMO, he lived up to the hype. I mean he wasn't Wiggins or Parker going into college. At times, he looked like the best BIG in college last year. He even led the Big10 in rebounds last year. Pre draft, many believed that he may be even better than Embiid.

We haven't seen the best of Vonleh. Like Wiggins, I believe that his game is better suited for the NBA.

 

You see Vonleh in highschool? This guy was a FREAK and nightmare for opposing teams. It is rare to see someone his size moving and handling the ball like that. 11ppg for a guy like him is really underachieving. Def did not live up to the hype. 

 

I am hoping and optimistic about him improving and being more assertive. 

[teeray]

Vonleh was a guard his first two years in high school.

He has a chance to be a superstar, but he is going to need time to develop.

Almost all of his issues at Indiana were due more to inexperience than lack of skill. He played like an 18 year old who didn't know his assistant from a hole in the ground at times.

But the special talent was still there. At worst he is going to be a maniacal rebounder at PF, at best he will be an all-star.

[MuchAdoAboutNewton]

B1G Freshman of the Year in the best conference on a mediocre team. Yeah, he underachieved. /sarcasm

 

 

[Captain Morgan]

Guys, remember, he's 18.  

 

I love his size and the fact he can score with both hands.  His hands are freakishly big.

 

He's going to be very, very good, imo.

 

[bLACKpANTHER]

you guys might like this but you know who Vonleh reminds me of...............

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MedellinHeel]

MuchAdo,

 

Lmao at thinking an elite blue chip recruit big with with insane coordination & guard skills averaging 11ppg is good. He underachieved just like Drummond did in college. 

 

Blackpanther,

 

Come to think of it, that might be a great comparison for Vonleh. 

[Zaximus]

Difference in him and Drummond is he can actually shoot.  He can shoot the three too.  More accurate comparison is Bosh, where he'll create mismatches on the outside. 

 

Physically, he's ready, for once we got a big that isn't a twig and we "hope" he gets muscle.  Dude is big.

[MedellinHeel]

Difference in him and Drummond is he can actually shoot.  He can shoot the three too.  More accurate comparison is Bosh, where he'll create mismatches on the outside. 

 

Physically, he's ready, for once we got a big that isn't a twig and we "hope" he gets muscle.  Dude is big.

 

I am not comparing their games. I am simply comparing their college careers and questions coming into the draft. Both were top 10 high school recruits. Both had insane guard like skills. Both didn't quite live up to the hype in college. 

 

Bosh had a better post game imo and Vonleh has better handles / guard skills. 

 

I really like the Mashburn comp. 

[Keith Moons Liver]

This thread is making me angry.

Vonleh plays nothing like Mashburn and the Bosh comparison is a lazy one based on physical appearance. 

 

Vonleh didn't have anywhere near the hype Drummond did out of high school and he hardly disappointed at Indiana. He was the conference freshman of the year and pretty much lived up exactly to his expectation of being very talented but raw and unrefined. 

 

While he was in high school Drummond was marked by many as a future #1 pick and a potential next great NBA center- by those criteria he underachieved in college. Vonleh was a highly ranked recruit but never had that level of hype. 

 

Sometimes I don't even know why I click on the basketball forum on this board. 

[Zaximus]

I only compared to Bosh because of his ability to stretch the floor and get mid range/outside at the PF position, creating mismatches.  This he can do.

[Jakob]

I'm not worried about Vonleh, Look at his skill set at age 18, eighteen years old. Only place he can go is up.

[MedellinHeel]

5star blue chip top 10 recruits are expected to come in and have good years whether or not that is fair or not. 11ppg is something 3 and 4 star recruits can do. Nothing special. 

 

Yes Drummond had more hype than Vonleh but both were elite recruits with guard skills who failed to light it up.