The Raptors and the 2014 Draft

[mcHAPPY]

I admit, I haven't seen a lot of Exum, but I always worry about an overseas guy who hasn't been playing the best competition. Yes he excelled at the hoops summit, but there is a huge mental difference between a showcase performance and a grind it out season. Can he reach his ceiling while grinding it out against the best? We'll have to wait and see.

Marcus Smart is an NBA PG. He's a natural play-maker with great size. He's James Harden but with Defence. In the modern NBA he'll be a star. I like that he went back for his sophomore year, he'll come in with an extra year of seeing different defences (a lot of them designed to stop him) and his court-vision will benefit from it.

You raise good points.

With the hype Exum is getting, I think he is real. JV was in the same boat with same concerns 3 years ago, same with Kanter. Schroeder is another example from last year. Although Darko can easily be thrown around this discussion with good reason too.

For Smart, I'm not sure Harden is a good example. Harden was a fantastic shooter and scorer. I'm also on the fence about his play making. But the thing with Smart is look at MCW. The pro game is different and I could see Smart excelling in it... although relative to MCW, MCW showed tremendous play making abilities at Syracuse.

[slaw]

What a game! Both these guys are A+ talent IMO. And dont forget about Randle. That guy's a beast.

Randle was great in the first game after a slow start. Parker looked a little nervy out there at times but he was terrific. Wiggins is now officially more than hype after doing that against Duke...

[mcHAPPY]

Randle was great in the first game after a slow start. Parker looked a little nervy out there at times but he was terrific. Wiggins is now officially more than hype after doing that against Duke...

Yes indeed.

It is early but a top 5 pick in this draft is going to yield an incredible talent:

Wiggins
Parker
Randle
Smart
Exum

... and who knows who steps it up as the year progresses.

[mcHAPPY]

Via HoopsHype.com:

Chris Herring: Most scouts will tell you that the best talent in this yr's draft would have gone in the middle/end of next yr's draft. Thats how good it is Twitter @HerringWSJ

[Axel]

You raise good points.

With the hype Exum is getting, I think he is real. JV was in the same boat with same concerns 3 years ago, same with Kanter. Schroeder is another example from last year. Although Darko can easily be thrown around this discussion with good reason too.

For Smart, I'm not sure Harden is a good example. Harden was a fantastic shooter and scorer. I'm also on the fence about his play making. But the thing with Smart is look at MCW. The pro game is different and I could see Smart excelling in it... although relative to MCW, MCW showed tremendous play making abilities at Syracuse.

Internationals are risky. JV seems like he has what it takes, but a lot of that is a great frame. Exum is 6'6, great, but he is so skinny at less than 190lbs. Can he handle being battled by guards all season long? Guys like Jerryd Bayless (6'3, 200lbs), Eric Bledsoe (6'1, 195lbs), Kyle Lowry (6'0 205) are going to bang and bump the guy all game long, and they aren't even elite guards. To be fair, I have similar concerns with your boy MCW, but it was less of a concern with him because he played at Syracuse against legit competition for a season. Until Exum faces the challenge, there is no way to predict how he will react.

For every International that makes it, there are lots who don't. Darko and Bargnani for example are players who were too skinny to hold their own physically and it mentally took them out of the game. Could that happen to Exum? I honestly don't know. He will eventually fill out his frame more, but will that happen after his mental game is shaken? Will gaining weight take away some of his explosiveness?

I think Smart and Harden have a lot of similarities. Both would be considered combo guards 10 years ago. They can handle and shoot but compared to a traditional combo guard (like former Rap Juan Dixon for example), they are really SG who are good enough play-makers to play PG rather than SG too short to play SG (which is what a lot of combo guards were). Smart is a good shooter. He makes some bad shot decisions (which is why is %s weren't fantastic last year) but so does a lot of young scoring PGs (does anyone else remember Russell Westbrook's first season?). That is why I love that he returned for another season. He will get better and, hopefully, smarter, which is why I like him as the better prospect.

Exum carries more risk and I'm not convinced his ceiling is really any higher than Smart's. Don't get me wrong, I'd draft either one without hesitation, but if we are picking and these two are the choices, I'd vote Smart (we still have a full season to judge so that might change by draft night).

[mcHAPPY]

Internationals are risky. JV seems like he has what it takes, but a lot of that is a great frame. Exum is 6'6, great, but he is so skinny at less than 190lbs. Can he handle being battled by guards all season long? Guys like Jerryd Bayless (6'3, 200lbs), Eric Bledsoe (6'1, 195lbs), Kyle Lowry (6'0 205) are going to bang and bump the guy all game long, and they aren't even elite guards. To be fair, I have similar concerns with your boy MCW, but it was less of a concern with him because he played at Syracuse against legit competition for a season. Until Exum faces the challenge, there is no way to predict how he will react.

For every International that makes it, there are lots who don't. Darko and Bargnani for example are players who were too skinny to hold their own physically and it mentally took them out of the game. Could that happen to Exum? I honestly don't know. He will eventually fill out his frame more, but will that happen after his mental game is shaken? Will gaining weight take away some of his explosiveness?

I think Smart and Harden have a lot of similarities. Both would be considered combo guards 10 years ago. They can handle and shoot but compared to a traditional combo guard (like former Rap Juan Dixon for example), they are really SG who are good enough play-makers to play PG rather than SG too short to play SG (which is what a lot of combo guards were). Smart is a good shooter. He makes some bad shot decisions (which is why is %s weren't fantastic last year) but so does a lot of young scoring PGs (does anyone else remember Russell Westbrook's first season?). That is why I love that he returned for another season. He will get better and, hopefully, smarter, which is why I like him as the better prospect.

Exum carries more risk and I'm not convinced his ceiling is really any higher than Smart's. Don't get me wrong, I'd draft either one without hesitation, but if we are picking and these two are the choices, I'd vote Smart (we still have a full season to judge so that might change by draft night).

And it likely will change multiple times.... with more than just Smart and Exum too.

God love the internet!

[Axel]

And it likely will change multiple times.... with more than just Smart and Exum too.

God love the internet!

Yup, although I doubt the group at the top changes, just the order. Wiggins, Randle, Smart, Exum, Parker are all likely top 5 picks, but none will slip far. Gordon could slip in there too, but really, I doubt there will be much change as to who, it will largely depend on who has the pick. When there are so many "sure-thing" prospects, you can draft a bit more for need since they are all great choices as BPA (Best Player Available) too. If Philly has the 3rd pick, they aren't going to draft a PG likely, and would skip Exum and Smart for a Parker or Gordon.

[Nilanka]

Remember that early last season, Drummond and Davis were basically interchangeable as the consensus top pick.

[Axel]

Can't go wrong in the top 3.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...dle/?eref=sihp

[mcHAPPY]

Can't go wrong in the top 3.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...dle/?eref=sihp

This is the comparison I've been thinking!

Michigan State assistant Dwayne Stephens said Randle reminds him of a more athletic Zach Randolph.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...#ixzz2kXH2uehl

I was thinking a more skilled, less athletic Blake Griffin or a more athletic ZBo.

[Axel]

Another prospect that hasn't been discussed much but perhaps should be, especially after last night, is Gary Harris of Michigan State. Last year he was hurt and limited to being a spot-up shooter, but this year, Mr. Indiana Basketball (as HS senior) is going to demonstrate his real game.

Currently projected at 13 on DraftExpress' Mock, he could climb into the top 10 with a strong season easily. Another good target for the Raps (a shooting guard who can shoot, what a novelty!)

[Axel]

One guy I'm watching (and rooting for) this year is Adreian Payne at Michigan State. Draft Express has him going 26th. Watching the dude the last couple of years, you can see his growth as a player. His game reminds me of Keon Clark (hopefully without the booze). 6'9" with a 7'0 wingspan.

This was point of thread. I had not done much reading on him before but Axel peaked my curiosity.

Great shooting percentages across the board!

His weaknesses nails it:

Payne had 15 points last night against Kentucky on 50% FG% and 4-5 FT. Even hit a trey (1-1). Good start against a very good team.

[mcHAPPY]

A piece on Parker from last year when still in high school. Good read. He is a devote Mormon by the way - interesting read on that, too.

Jake Flannigan filmed every in-state basketball game played by Chicago's Simeon Career Academy during the 2011-12 season. He saw Simeon's star forward, Jabari Parker, score 40 points one day and block 12 shots another. But his lasting impression of Jabari was formed when the camera was off. After a home game in which Jabari barely missed a triple double, Flannigan, a producer at Comcast SportsNet Chicago, waited outside the locker room for an interview. Jabari never appeared. He had used another exit to return to the court for the jayvee game and was behind the bench passing out water.

"The other varsity players were out in the hallway, talking to girls by the snack stand," says Flannigan. "The best player in the city was being the water boy for the jayvee. It's hard to root against a kid like that. He's on top of the world, but he's incredibly humble."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...#ixzz2kXIRpLEY

[Nilanka]

Can't go wrong in the top 3.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/col...dle/?eref=sihp

Great read!

[Nilanka]

A piece on Parker from last year when still in high school. Good read. He is a devote Mormon by the way - interesting read on that, too.

A mormon?!?! You just ruined him for me

Utah has found their dream cornerstone.