Thursday, June 25, 2015

For more in-depth assessments of these players, check out my player capsules. The way I rank players is in three ways; ceiling, floor, and final grade. The tiers are based on a number grade each prospect is given by me. The 2014 draft is a tough one to stack up with. Nobody here with the upside and grade of Wiggins, but some promising talent. The other thing is this draft, in my opinion, is filled with less potential starters and more potential guys in an 8-9 man rotation. I have 25 players ranked here. These are not my top 25, but merely 25 guys I have watched during the season and watched youtube videos on. I'll try to tackle more players after the draft and see if there are any second round steals, but for now this is what I have.

Grading system: 1-100

A+/A 100-95 = Can’t Miss Franchise Player. Best Player on championship contender potential. Perrenial MVP candidate. (LeBron/Duncan would have graded as 100)

A/A- 94-90 = Potential multiple All-Star and 1st /2nd team NBA potential. Potential Franchise player. Might be good enough to be best player on championship contender with good supporting cast or be an excellent second banana on championship team (think Westbrook, Kevin Love)

B+/B 89-85 = Potential all-star 1-3 times in career. 3rd team NBA potential. Average to Low end second best player on championship contender, high end 3rd best

B/B- 84-80 = Might be 3rd best player on championship contender on high end, solid starter on low end

C+/C 79-75 = Starter on high end, 6th-7th man on low end

C/C- 74-70 = Potential rotation player, quality backup

D+/D 69-65 = Bench filler. Might get a few minutes here and there.

D/D- 64-60 = 12th man. Never seen this dude without warmups on

F 59-0 = Bust on high end, Bobby Thompson at the zero end (pre blowing out his knee on storied crossover)

1. D'Angelo Russell 6'5" 193 lbs. Freshman PG/SG Ohio St.
Ceiling 94       Floor 71       Grade 92

2. Karl Anthony-Towns 7'0" 248 lbs. Freshman PF/C Kentucky
Ceiling 95       Floor 73       Grade 91

3. Emmanuel Mudiay 6'5 200 lbs. 19 years old PG China
Ceiling 93       Floor 77       Grade 90

4. Justise Winslow 6'6" 223 lbs. Freshman SF Duke
Ceiling 89       Floor 75       Grade 86

5. Jahlil Okafor 6'11" 270 lbs. Freshman C Duke
Ceiling 92       Floor 70       Grade 85

6. Kristaps Porzingis 7'1" 230 lbs. 19 years old PF Sevilla
Ceiling 94       Floor 67       Grade 82

7. Kelly Oubre 6'7" 202 lbs. Freshman SG Kansas
Ceiling 91       Floor 63       Grade 81

8. R.J. Hunter 6'6" 185 lbs. Junior PG/SG Georgia St.
Ceiling 89       Floor 68       Grade 81

9. Montrezl Harrell 6'8" 253 lbs. Junior PF Louisville
Ceiling 85       Floor 70       Grade 77

10. Mario Hezonja 6'8" 200 lbs. 20 years old SG/SF Barcelona
Ceiling 89       Floor 60       Grade 76

11. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 6'7" 210 lbs. Sophomore SF Arizona
Ceiling 85       Floor 71       Grade 76

12. Willie Cauley-Stein 7'0.5" 242 lbs. Junior PF Kentucky
Ceiling 84       Floor 70       Grade 75

13. Kevon Looney 6'9" 222 lbs. Freshman SF/PF UCLA
Ceiling 87       Floor 67       Grade 75

14. Frank Kaminsky 7'1" 231 lbs. Senior PF Wisconsin
Ceiling 84       Floor 68       Grade 74

15. Stanley Johnson 6'7" 245 lbs. Freshman SF/PF Arizona
Ceiling 84       Floor 65       Grade 74

16. Cameron Payne 6'2" 183 lbs. Sophomore PG Murray St.
Ceiling 85       Floor 66       Grade 73

17. Rashad Vaughn 6'5" 200 lbs. Freshman SG UNLV
Ceiling 84       Floor 60       Grade 73

18. Devon Booker 6'6" 206 lbs. Freshman SG Kentucky
Ceiling 81       Floor 68       Grade 72

19. Bobby Portis 6'11" 245 lbs. Sophomore PF Arkansas
Ceiling 84       Floor 67       Grade 71

20. Tyus Jones 6'2" 185 lbs. Freshman PG Duke
Ceiling 81       Floor 69       Grade 71

21. Sam Dekker 6'9" 220 lbs. Junior SF Wisconsin
Ceiling 81       Floor 66       Grade 70

22. Cliff Alexander 6'9" 240 lbs. Freshman PF Kansas
Ceiling 81       Floor 67       Grade 69

23. Trey Lyles 6'10" 240 lbs. Freshman PF Kentucky 
Ceiling 85       Floor 60       Grade 66

24. Myles Turner 7'0" 240 lbs. Freshman PF/C Texas
Ceiling 89       Floor 50       Grade 60

25. Christian Wood 6'11" 215 lbs. Sophomore PF UNLV
Ceiling 86       Floor 60       Grade 60

Some bullet points here

  • I think D'Angelo ends up the best player in this draft
  • I agree with Towns having the highest upside, but I don't see a top 10 player here like Chad Ford and others are projecting
  • Mudiay has the highest floor. He's too much of an athletic freak to bust. I also think he may be the quickest to an all-star game IF he gets drafted by an Eastern Conference team. Love him.
  • I really like Winslow, but not as a number 1. He will flourish as a 3rd banana for a winning team
  • The hype has gotten out of control for the Zinger. He was supposed to go mid-first last year. I think he will be a good player, but may not ever make an All-NBA team.
  • I have VERY high hopes for Oubre and Hunter. 
  • Hezonja scares me.
  • Kentucky guys are being inflated. Towns may be the only one to live up to the hype.
  • Dekker = overrated. Not a good enough shooter.
  • Lyles and Turner are my big BUST calls. Stay the f away. Wood shouldn't be a 1st rounder.
That's what I have so far. Agree/disagree? Comment below.


5 comments:

  1. First off - I want to see the C's trade up, they have too many assets not to. the 7 or 8 spot would be nice but the 76ers and Knicks are run by Apes and would love to see Danny sneak one past them. Wyc told us to expect fireworks last Summer and we were deprived. I want them this Summer!

    I'll start with Lorenzo's ~sexual~ man crush of the draft, RJ Hunter, and say that im not a big fan. He comes from playing shit competition in a shit conference. Apparently he can flat out shoot in workouts but his 3PT% took a big drop from his Soph to Junior year - 39.5% to 30.5% respectively. Unlike The Rock, I think he skips leg day everyday. Overall, I think he'll be a spot up shooter that cant defend. Just hoping the C's dont get caught up in the NCAA Tournament hype of this guy. I'd look to draft him in the 20's but not #8.


    If I'm picking #1, gotta go with Towns. He's a beast and is a 2-way player. Guy can defend, post up and can step out and hit an outside shot. Him and Wiggin's are going to be awesome together in a year or 2.


    Jokeafor
    I think he's going to be an awesome offensive player and will rip boards. Loved watching him dominate the college game this past season, no one could stop him when he got the ball. His supposed lack of love for bball would scare me - as I dont think he would be willing to put in the time to get better on D. Also, after watching the NBA Playoff this year, the last thing I want is a big man who cant hit free throws and is a defensive liability. Hackafor is going to be in full effect his entire career and it just sounds like a bore to watch.
    - Apparently if he drops to #3, the Celtics are throwing all they got to get him...

    Russell is going to be awesome. 6'5 PG who can defend the 1 or 2. Guy can shoot. Not much more to say other than; star. If I am the C's I'm trading Smart and whoever else to move up to draft this guy.


    Dont know much about Mudiay but all I hear is great things. I wish I could have seen him play at SMU and learn under Larry Brown for a year. Sat in China with an injury. Dont have an opinion on the guy because all his highlights are against high schoolers.

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  2. Wingers
    - Winslow and Stanley Johnson

    Stan the Man
    I watched a lot of Stanley Johnson this past season out in AZ and when he was into the game, he was really fun the watch. The dude just bullied guys and could get to the rim whenever he wanted. He is so strong and athletic that he could be a special defender. I cant see him dropping out of the top 10. ~totally homering on him right now.

    Justice ~family matters~ Winslow
    Hell of a player to watch. All around stud and I want C's to trade up for him. They need a wing and I think that

    The Foreigners
    The top guys are Zinger and Super Mario. All I hear are great things about these guys but foreigners would scare me. If I'm a GM, I'm scared to draft Zinger but I'm also scared of not drafting him.

    - My opinion is that Zinger is going to be drafted Zinger at 4 or 5. Would be fun to see the Knicks fans freak out at the draft. Would also be fun to watch him join a young Magic team. He has a chance to be special with his height, defense and shooting ability.

    - Super Mario in the 7-8 range. I like his swagger and all the analysts are in love with the guy. Watching his highlights, it's easy to fall in love - but he played only 15 MPG. Havent seen enough on this guy to really give a solid opinion. Either way, no way I'm taking a chance of him over the 2 wingers Stan and Justice

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  3. Guys I dont like and want the C's to avoid
    Cam'ron Pain: Such a small dude. Him playing in the NBA is going to be a block party, population: Him.

    Trey Lyles: does he even know who he is? Played out of position all last season. I dont like his face and he has no swagger.

    Frank the Tank: Please, no more unathletic white guys for the C's

    Bobby Portis: Looks like TJ Sapienza and that's all I can think about when I look at him.

    Hmmmmm
    Myles Turner: Where is the passion, bro? You are supposed to be this great player but sat the bench for an average Texas team, that scares me. a lot of analysts are saying he may have lingering injury concerns Buuuut Turner is athletic and can protect the rim. He could be worth the risk at 16 and wouldnt be mad at him falling to the C's


    If the C's stay at 16...
    My dream would be for Trilly Cauley-Stein to drop. I know him offense sucks but I love him on defense. Also, staying at Kentucky for 3 years shows that he wants to learn and get better - which he did each season. If he drops to 16, lock it up.

    Rondae Hollis-Jefferson: Love this guys passion. Another Homer pick because I watched so much of him out in AZ - but you always know he's on the floor. I give him an A+ for effort - he has only 1 gear and that's GO. He would be good for the C's as he is a great defender and can fill up that open wing position.

    Devin Booker: They need some outside shooting and unless JYoung develops enough over the Summer, I like this guy. Silky Smoove from 3 and at 6'6 has good size for a SG.

    Montrez Harrell
    I like his energy and effort, plus he always seems to be pissed off. I dont think he'll ever be a star but would be a solid player at 16.

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  4. First off I love that Josh Golden is back after his 15 year hiatus from claiming the 2000 NBA draft class would go down as the best of all time. Next before you move forward sometimes you’ve got to take a look back.

    Last year I boldly laughed at Lorenzo having Embiid go number 1. I said I would draft Wiggy #1 and Embiid wouldn't be healthy enough to warrant that spot. Fast forward Embiid didn't play a game next season and looks like he might even be out all of next season as well. I also said Wiggy would be top 12 guy in the league in 4 years – he’s on pace for that after being named ROY last year. You know what, I’m actually going down the list of all ten guys and thus far my predictions are all 10/10. Can’t say I’m surprised since I was the guy who boldly told Josh Golden the 2000 draft will be shitty and the most talented player will probably be a 2nd round pick out of Ohio State – And I wasn’t talkin about Scoonie Penn (shout out to my big brotha Mike Redd).

    Now I do love Lorenzosspecialblog.blogspot but the ceiling floor rating system… let’s be real I haven’t seen a worse rating system than seeing Josh rating females after he got back from Israel. You can’t rate a guy and say his floor is a bench filler and his ceiling is a potential All Star.

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  5. Anyways-real talk I haven’t put much scouting into this years draft since the Celts are drafting 16. I do want them to move up, but I don’t think Danny is going to be able to find a dance partner. Here are my draft thoughts in no particular order. – BTW Lorenzo every scout and GM in the country has been waiting for this post…

    • Karl Anthony Towns - Safe pick for number 1. I will be very curious to see what KG says about this guy throughout his rookie year. Let’s hope he listens and puts in the time and gets on KGs good side. If he earns KGs respect give him 2-3 years of developing and will be an All Star caliber player. I don’t think he will have a strong rookie year even despite getting a lot of PT in Minnesota.

    • Okafor - If he goes to LA at number 2 I think this guy is going to have a very good career. LA has a history of developing great big men. I know there are a lot of questions about this guys motor and basketball desire, but I do this his talent is worthy of a top 4 selection.

    • 76ers - Whoever they draft I hope is going to suck. This franchise should be eliminated. Seattle should have a team back. What they have done the last 3 years is just terrible for the game. I could go on for a while on this but I will strongly be rooting against whoever falls here. Also for the record I also think Noel is overrated and even Lorenzo who couldn’t score 10 points in a layup line could probably average 5ppg in philly.

    • Justice Winslow - I want the celts to get this guy somehow. I think he is going to be a very good player in this league for a long time.

    • Emmanuel Mudiay – I know Lorenzo loves to say he’s gay for Mudiay, but I’m pretty sure he could say the same statement and just replace Mudiay’s name with about 65 % of the male population. I do think Mudiay will be another very good player (pending he doesn't go to a shit franchise like Philly or Sac Town). There are a lot of good PGs in todays NBA and I expect him to be in the top 10 of them within 3 years.

    • Willie Cauley-Stein – If you are drafting out of the top 11 and get him it is worth the risk to get what every scout in the world is saying a Tyson Chandler clone but better. But I wouldn’t drafter him (unless he fell outside Lotto). This is strictly based on him changing his name to Trill. What an absolute ass-clown. I also don’t think he likes basketball that much. I can’t see him EVER making an all star team. Best case scenario he makes a couple of 2nd team all defense. Personally I think he will be a backup shot blocking center. I think Tyson Chandler has a better career than this guy- Bobby Trill Thompson told you first.

    • Stanley Johnson – I actually liked this kid when he was a Soph in HS but not anymore. Kids not going to be able to score with that low shot release – Trust me I know from experience dude….

    • Frank the Tank Kamisky- Everyone is claiming he is going to be a bust and will prob go in the teens. I actually think he is going to be a good player and I’d love the celts to draft him at 16 if he was available. Guy is a winner and people are just hating on him bc he’s a senior and white. He will finish top 5 in ROY voting.

    • Myles Turner – Another guy that everyone is down on. This guy is only 19 years old and can shoot the basketball and block shots. If he stays healthy I think he will be solid pick outside of top 10. He is going to take a few years to develop and probably won’t do shit his rookie year but if he gets drafted to a good franchise I could really see him being a good starting center in the league in 3 years.

    • RJ Hunter – Sucks. Will be just another guy. A Courtney Lee type career – if he’s lucky. A big factor is Lorenzo loving him, but I also watched a minute of his highlight tape and hated it.

    • Cameron Payne – Really doesn’t get my dick hard if you know what I mean. He’s a backup PG you heard it here first.

    • Trey Lyles - sucks

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