2018 NBA Draft Night Thread - ESPN 7PM Thursday June 21
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mafra
Legend
We all like the way that kid [Tatum]'s looking up in Boston right now and I'm not putting that kind of pressure on this kid [Knox] to be him, but when you have that kind of skill set, that height at that athleticism, you can see him being a very productive player," Fizdale said of Knox, who was officially introduced at the Knicks' training facility with Robinson.
mafra
Legend
When Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk found out whom other teams were planning on drafting and that he'd be able to select Kevin Huerter with the 19th overall pick, there was no need to trade up to get the Maryland guard.
Schlenk told 95.7 The Game in San Francisco on Friday that he had a deal in place to acquire the No. 17 pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a draft pick, but he never had to make that deal because the media were projecting picks on Twitter.
Schlenk was talking about how leaks to the media make his job more difficult, but he said that a leaked report worked to his advantage during the draft.
"Last night, for instance, we had the 19th pick, and we're coming down and we're actually talking to Milwaukee on the 17th pick, talking about trading up to get a guy we like," Schlenk said. "There's were a couple of guys we felt really good about on the 19th pick, obviously Kevin [Huerter] was one of them, and it leaked who Milwaukee was going to take.
"So, all of a sudden, we were able to pull back out of that deal and keep the draft pick instead of packaging picks to move up because we knew that, two guys on the board we felt really good about and only one team in between us, so that was beneficial to us last night."
The Bucks took Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo with the 17th pick.
During Thursday's draft, various media reports, including ESPN, projected picks before they were officially announced.
Schlenk told 95.7 The Game in San Francisco on Friday that he had a deal in place to acquire the No. 17 pick from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for a draft pick, but he never had to make that deal because the media were projecting picks on Twitter.
Schlenk was talking about how leaks to the media make his job more difficult, but he said that a leaked report worked to his advantage during the draft.
"Last night, for instance, we had the 19th pick, and we're coming down and we're actually talking to Milwaukee on the 17th pick, talking about trading up to get a guy we like," Schlenk said. "There's were a couple of guys we felt really good about on the 19th pick, obviously Kevin [Huerter] was one of them, and it leaked who Milwaukee was going to take.
"So, all of a sudden, we were able to pull back out of that deal and keep the draft pick instead of packaging picks to move up because we knew that, two guys on the board we felt really good about and only one team in between us, so that was beneficial to us last night."
The Bucks took Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo with the 17th pick.
During Thursday's draft, various media reports, including ESPN, projected picks before they were officially announced.
Glad Hornacek is gone, he should have done what Fizdale is doing now, taking the bull by the horns working with his players getting them prepared for the coming season. I doubt you see Hornacek as a head coach in the league again, PJ is another guy we hope not to hear from again either.
mafra
Legend
New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis reached out to rookie Kevin Knox shortly after New York drafted him with the ninth overall pick on Thursday night. One of the topics covered during their conversation?
Getting booed by Knicks fans on draft night.
Knox, like Porzingis, heard some boos from Knicks fans who attended the draft at Barclays Center on Thursday. Porzingis also heard vociferous boos from New York fans when he was selected fourth overall in the 2015 draft.
"He asked me how the fans reacted and I told him I got the same amount of boos as you got," said Knox, who appeared to get a much tamer reaction from the crowd than Porzingis did two years ago. "....He just laughed and he said, 'It's all motivation and fuel to the fire.' He said, 'Just work. Sooner or later they'll be cheering for you.'"
The Knicks certainly hope that Knox, an 18-year-old forward from Kentucky, can earn the kind of support from Knicks fans that Porzingis, an All-Star, has enjoyed early in his career.
The club hosted Knox and second-round pick Mitchell Robinson during an introductory news conference on Friday.
Head coach David Fizdale said Knox will have an opportunity to earn a starting role at small forward in his first season.
"Yeah, I'm looking at our roster right now, absolutely. Who's our starting 3?" Fizdale said.
When reporters mentioned Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee -- two players who started at small forward for New York at times last season -- Fizdale noted their height.
"They're both 6-6, 6-5, and he's going to have to guard LeBron [James]. Those are the 3s in our league," Fizdale said. "I feel like there's an opportunity for him to have a chance to start."
Knicks president Steve Mills and Scott Perry both said that the club's player development program -- and Fizdale's coaching staff specifically -- gave them confidence that Knox and Robinson could succeed in New York.
Robinson, who was selected with the 36th pick in the second round, didn't play college basketball last season. The 7-1 center reportedly committed to Texas A&M and transferred to Western Kentucky but never attended the school. He instead spent the year training for the NBA.
Perry said he had observed Robinson's elite athleticism during his high school career. He added that the organization was comfortable with Robinson's decision to train for the NBA rather than attend college.
"The young man is dedicated to the game," Perry said. "We know he wants this; he knows the decision he made, a conscious decision he made, to go about that path [to the NBA]."
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...zingis-new-york-knicks-bond-being-booed-draft
Getting booed by Knicks fans on draft night.
Knox, like Porzingis, heard some boos from Knicks fans who attended the draft at Barclays Center on Thursday. Porzingis also heard vociferous boos from New York fans when he was selected fourth overall in the 2015 draft.
"He asked me how the fans reacted and I told him I got the same amount of boos as you got," said Knox, who appeared to get a much tamer reaction from the crowd than Porzingis did two years ago. "....He just laughed and he said, 'It's all motivation and fuel to the fire.' He said, 'Just work. Sooner or later they'll be cheering for you.'"
The Knicks certainly hope that Knox, an 18-year-old forward from Kentucky, can earn the kind of support from Knicks fans that Porzingis, an All-Star, has enjoyed early in his career.
The club hosted Knox and second-round pick Mitchell Robinson during an introductory news conference on Friday.
Head coach David Fizdale said Knox will have an opportunity to earn a starting role at small forward in his first season.
"Yeah, I'm looking at our roster right now, absolutely. Who's our starting 3?" Fizdale said.
When reporters mentioned Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee -- two players who started at small forward for New York at times last season -- Fizdale noted their height.
"They're both 6-6, 6-5, and he's going to have to guard LeBron [James]. Those are the 3s in our league," Fizdale said. "I feel like there's an opportunity for him to have a chance to start."
Knicks president Steve Mills and Scott Perry both said that the club's player development program -- and Fizdale's coaching staff specifically -- gave them confidence that Knox and Robinson could succeed in New York.
Robinson, who was selected with the 36th pick in the second round, didn't play college basketball last season. The 7-1 center reportedly committed to Texas A&M and transferred to Western Kentucky but never attended the school. He instead spent the year training for the NBA.
Perry said he had observed Robinson's elite athleticism during his high school career. He added that the organization was comfortable with Robinson's decision to train for the NBA rather than attend college.
"The young man is dedicated to the game," Perry said. "We know he wants this; he knows the decision he made, a conscious decision he made, to go about that path [to the NBA]."
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...zingis-new-york-knicks-bond-being-booed-draft
mafra
Legend
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson will need a major support structure around him as he begins his NBA career, and that career could begin in the NBA G League.
The book on the 7-foot-1 Robinson from multiple coaches and those close to him is that he is a talented and good kid with some major maturity issues. He hasn't played organized basketball since the McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand Classic Games in April 2017, and opted to train on his own this past season instead of enrolling at Western Kentucky, where NBA scouts could have evaluated him. The Knicks ended up taking a flyer on him at No. 36 in Thursday's NBA Draft.
"We know we have a situation that can help embrace him, find ways for him to grow off the court and on the court," Knicks President Steve Mills said Friday when Robinson and fellow rookie Kevin Knox were introduced. "We know we have a group of coaches and an environment that will help him grow."
Multiple people who know Robinson said he will need a support structure in New York to deal with the lifestyle, the media and the transition to the NBA.
"He needs to be away from his people so he can mature, he's a good kid," one Division 1 assistant coach familiar with Robinson told SNY.tv. "He's talented and raw. He has defensive instincts and his physical traits are impressive. He's 7-feet with a 7-4 wingspan. With a young organization, he's worth a roll at No. 36."
Mills and GM Scott Perry saw Robinson live in his high school all-star games, while head coach David Fizdale has not. But Fizdale compared him to Houston star Clint Capela. "He was as standout," Perry said. "[The] most athletic big in the class we felt." Still, everyone agrees Robinson will need to develop in summer league and training camp to even have a shot at making the opening-night roster.
"I think a lot of that is going to be determined by how much Mitchell progresses over the summer through summer league and how he looks in training camp," Perry said. "Obviously, coach Fizdale will have the final say with that. If he's ready to play with the Knicks, he'll play with the knocks. If he needs more time, then the G League will be an option."
Robinson was a man of few words at his opening press conference, saying he chose to train this past year instead of enroll at Western Kentucky and play for coach Rick Stansbury.
"The decision was made because I felt I needed to focus on basketball for my career and to get where I want to be moving forward," Robinson said.
Asked what he's been doing to train the past year, he said: "I didn't really play any pickup games. I did a straight workout every day from 9-5 every day all day."
Perry stepped in to defend the young man as he awkwardly answered questions from the media.
"The young man is dedicated to the game, we know he wants this," Perry said. "It was a conscious decision he made to go about this path and I don't think he's the first guy to do that. He ended up here today and he's ready to get to work for us."
https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/knic...-major-support-may-head-to-g-league/282402668
The book on the 7-foot-1 Robinson from multiple coaches and those close to him is that he is a talented and good kid with some major maturity issues. He hasn't played organized basketball since the McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand Classic Games in April 2017, and opted to train on his own this past season instead of enrolling at Western Kentucky, where NBA scouts could have evaluated him. The Knicks ended up taking a flyer on him at No. 36 in Thursday's NBA Draft.
"We know we have a situation that can help embrace him, find ways for him to grow off the court and on the court," Knicks President Steve Mills said Friday when Robinson and fellow rookie Kevin Knox were introduced. "We know we have a group of coaches and an environment that will help him grow."
Multiple people who know Robinson said he will need a support structure in New York to deal with the lifestyle, the media and the transition to the NBA.
"He needs to be away from his people so he can mature, he's a good kid," one Division 1 assistant coach familiar with Robinson told SNY.tv. "He's talented and raw. He has defensive instincts and his physical traits are impressive. He's 7-feet with a 7-4 wingspan. With a young organization, he's worth a roll at No. 36."
Mills and GM Scott Perry saw Robinson live in his high school all-star games, while head coach David Fizdale has not. But Fizdale compared him to Houston star Clint Capela. "He was as standout," Perry said. "[The] most athletic big in the class we felt." Still, everyone agrees Robinson will need to develop in summer league and training camp to even have a shot at making the opening-night roster.
"I think a lot of that is going to be determined by how much Mitchell progresses over the summer through summer league and how he looks in training camp," Perry said. "Obviously, coach Fizdale will have the final say with that. If he's ready to play with the Knicks, he'll play with the knocks. If he needs more time, then the G League will be an option."
Robinson was a man of few words at his opening press conference, saying he chose to train this past year instead of enroll at Western Kentucky and play for coach Rick Stansbury.
"The decision was made because I felt I needed to focus on basketball for my career and to get where I want to be moving forward," Robinson said.
Asked what he's been doing to train the past year, he said: "I didn't really play any pickup games. I did a straight workout every day from 9-5 every day all day."
Perry stepped in to defend the young man as he awkwardly answered questions from the media.
"The young man is dedicated to the game, we know he wants this," Perry said. "It was a conscious decision he made to go about this path and I don't think he's the first guy to do that. He ended up here today and he's ready to get to work for us."
https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/knic...-major-support-may-head-to-g-league/282402668
The Knicks VP of development said the Knicks will have a world class development program, he can prove it with Robinson, this kid needs a ton of development. Not impressed with him at all after hearing a short interview with him after he was selected, he was asked what he thinks he needs to do at the next level and his answer was get stronger and improve his footwork, he hasn't played competitive ball in 17 months and he said he was working out 9-5 every day so why does he still need to get stronger and improve his footwork. Not hopeful about a guy that couldn't improve those 2 things in 17 months, Summer League is only a few weeks away, I wouldn't hold my breath that he can shake off the rust in a few weeks and prove anything in Vegas.
mafra
Legend
It?s all about coaching now.... Develop these kids... Knicks have to find somebody to take Lee and Thomas. It?s that simple.
This would be my 15 man roster. I?m hoping Kanter doesn?t pick up his option... but we know he will. Just played all these young kids and see what happens. Get a clear picture of who is worth keeping and worth the time investment to groom... hope we land in top 5 of lottery...
LT/Lee (1 or both).
Kanter
THjr
Noah
Mudiay
Knitiklina
Knox
Burke
Dotson
Williams
Hicks
Robinson
Trier
Baker
Kornet
After 82 games we?ll have an idea of what guys are worthy (Mudiay,Burke, Hicks, Robinson, Dotson and those types). We?ll see signs if Knits and Knox are on the right path... and we?ll see if Timmy should stay.
The kids will get valuable experience... then maybe Timmy plays well enough we trade him or find a taker on the the expiring Noah...
Then... KP returns, we get a top 5 lottery pick and sign a max free agent type (or 2 solid guys). This should make 2019/2020 season the bomb!
This would be my 15 man roster. I?m hoping Kanter doesn?t pick up his option... but we know he will. Just played all these young kids and see what happens. Get a clear picture of who is worth keeping and worth the time investment to groom... hope we land in top 5 of lottery...
LT/Lee (1 or both).
Kanter
THjr
Noah
Mudiay
Knitiklina
Knox
Burke
Dotson
Williams
Hicks
Robinson
Trier
Baker
Kornet
After 82 games we?ll have an idea of what guys are worthy (Mudiay,Burke, Hicks, Robinson, Dotson and those types). We?ll see signs if Knits and Knox are on the right path... and we?ll see if Timmy should stay.
The kids will get valuable experience... then maybe Timmy plays well enough we trade him or find a taker on the the expiring Noah...
Then... KP returns, we get a top 5 lottery pick and sign a max free agent type (or 2 solid guys). This should make 2019/2020 season the bomb!
I?ve been thinking about it and I actually now am hoping that Kanter opts in for this next season. It will keep our front office from doing anything stupid with our cap space that would affect the 2019 offseason and I?m fairly certain we could trade Kanter mid-season to a playoff team. Maybe get a 2nd round pick or something.
SSj4Wingzero
All Star
I like these picks. A lot of upside. Yeah I know some fans wanted Porter Jr. and Bridges but at the end of the day Knox is a good pick. Calipari usually prepares kids for the NBA very well and there's a lot to like about Knox's game. He has length so he can defend 2-4 and small 5's and he's adept both in a catch and shoot situation as well as shooting off the dribble
Obviously as with most one-and-dones he's a little raw but I think he's up for it. It says a lot that he's willing to go in for a 3-on-3 workout when a lot of guys don't even bother doing it since they think it'll hurt their draft stock.
I think Porter is a talented player but how many NBA greats have had back surgery in the past to come back and dominate the league? It's rare. Back injuries linger forever and there's a reason he slipped to 14th. For the most part, Calipari's players pan out. Hopefully Knox does too.
Obviously as with most one-and-dones he's a little raw but I think he's up for it. It says a lot that he's willing to go in for a 3-on-3 workout when a lot of guys don't even bother doing it since they think it'll hurt their draft stock.
I think Porter is a talented player but how many NBA greats have had back surgery in the past to come back and dominate the league? It's rare. Back injuries linger forever and there's a reason he slipped to 14th. For the most part, Calipari's players pan out. Hopefully Knox does too.
mafra
Legend
Without Kristaps Porzingis for possibly the entire season, the Knicks don't have many bonafide heavy-minutes players on the roster for next season.
Tim Hardaway Jr. will get a lot of minutes. Behind him, the playing time can change night-to-night for many of the players, which is saturated with young players like Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay and first-round pick Kevin Knox.
Head coach David Fizdale won't just anoint some of the players and hand them minutes. They have to earn them.
"I'm not handing out nothing. Everything will be earned," Fizdale said, via Ian Begley of ESPN. "Obviously we're going to have a super young team. I felt like why even disrupt the culture by handing something to a kid? Make them earn everything along the way is going to make them tougher. They'll become better teammates, they'll believe in what we're doing more, if they feel it's a fair shake."
Fizdale has spoken about changing the culture in New York and the desire to return the Knicks to their older values.
"I know my history -- that's the one thing I know," Fizdale told The Post's Marc Berman earlier in June. "I've watched all of their old teams. That's part of why I wanted to be here. I want to have an unselfish ballclub just like them."
Tim Hardaway Jr. will get a lot of minutes. Behind him, the playing time can change night-to-night for many of the players, which is saturated with young players like Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay and first-round pick Kevin Knox.
Head coach David Fizdale won't just anoint some of the players and hand them minutes. They have to earn them.
"I'm not handing out nothing. Everything will be earned," Fizdale said, via Ian Begley of ESPN. "Obviously we're going to have a super young team. I felt like why even disrupt the culture by handing something to a kid? Make them earn everything along the way is going to make them tougher. They'll become better teammates, they'll believe in what we're doing more, if they feel it's a fair shake."
Fizdale has spoken about changing the culture in New York and the desire to return the Knicks to their older values.
"I know my history -- that's the one thing I know," Fizdale told The Post's Marc Berman earlier in June. "I've watched all of their old teams. That's part of why I wanted to be here. I want to have an unselfish ballclub just like them."
mafra
Legend
https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost...ds-light-on-enigma-of-knicks-second-pick/amp/
Good read of who Mitchell Robinson is...
Good read of who Mitchell Robinson is...
In my mind, Mitchell Robinson has the chance to be the story of the Vegas Summer League. If he comes out and dominates like he used to do in high school, other teams are going to wonder why they let him fall to us. Can?t believe Summer League is only 2 weeks away.
When was the last time you ever heard a HS coach dissing his former player? Robinson is going to have to prove it on the floor for me. Fiz has these guys working on their games already, so Robinson has a couple of weeks to work out the rust and get in game shape for Summer League. Not expecting much out of him, the level of competition is way higher than anything he ever faced in HS and the guy hasnt played in 17 months.
mafra
Legend
https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/knic...freak-zion-williamson-in-2019-draft/282620616
Knicks projected to get Duke-bound athletic freak Zion Williamson in 2019 Draft
By Adam Zagoria | Jun 23 | 8:18PM
The 2018 NBA Draft has just ended, so it's never too early to look ahead to 2019.
With a return date for Kristaps Porzingis still a major question mark given his ACL injury, the Knicks figure to be in the lottery again in 2019.
Given the loaded top of that draft, thats a good thing.
The latest 2019 mock draft from ESPN.com has the Knicks getting 6-foot-6 Duke freshman Zion Williamson, an athletic freak who has 1.5 million Instagram followers and 132,000 Twitter followers due mainly to his dunking prowess.
Williamson told me recently that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski compared him to LeBron James in terms of how he would use him at Duke.
"[Coach K] told me he'll use me as an all-around player, like how he used LeBron with Team USA," Williamson said. "If he needs me to bring it up the court sometimes I will. If he needs me to post up a smaller player, I will. If I need to come off a screen and shoot a couple jumpers, I will, It's just whatever he needs me to do, I'll be able to do it."
Kryzewski was able to persuade Williamson to choose Duke over Kentucky, Kansas and in-state schools Clemson and South Carolina.
"He and his family are first class," Coach said when Williamson signed in April. "We're not only bringing Zion in, but his entire family. Zion is a unique player and certainly one of the most gifted athletes that has come into the ACC. He's heck of a basketball player and a young man, and an outstanding leader."
Krzyzewski's experience winning five NCAA titles and three Olympic gold medals helped persuade Williamson to join a blockbuster recruiting class that also includes projected No. 1 pick R.J. Barrett of Canada and No. 4 Cam Reddish.
"I just trust in Coach K. He's done this before with the USA team with a lot of talent," Williamson said. "And just playing with Cam and R.J. would make us better basketball players."
Williamson believes that the four freshmen -- including point guard Tre Jones -- should be able to coexist because they are multi-positional players.
"I think that's what makes us unique," he said. "We're all very unique players and we're all very unselfish and we all want to win so we feel with those combinations we can go far."
ESPN recruiting analyst Paul Biancardi has studied Williamson extensively.
"He's a fantastic basketball player away from the highlights and the dunks," he told Greensboro.com. "I don't think people realize how good a basketball player he is. I knew after his sophomore year that he was more than a dunking machine and more than a highlight. ... I saw it in different competitions. I saw him read the game. I saw his skill level for a guy his size, with the frame, the power, the strength make guard-type plays. And I saw him just punish people in the paint. He's one of the few guys I've ever seen who can throw an alley-oop perfectly to a teammate and at the same time finish an alley-oop as well as anyone I've ever seen."
"It's his ability to finish a break - anything in transition, anything in space. You have a decision to make: Do you want to step in and get run over or are you going to let him finish? He's a powerful finisher who takes contact with him to the rim. ... He does an awesome job - he's one of the best I've ever seen - of elevating through contact. He can have bodies all around him and just elevate in tight spaces and finish. ... He has great IQ to see the game. I love his ability to handle the basketball, not as a point guard but as an attacking player from the wing or the top of the key or the baseline. From his penetration he can make a pass. He's not just a bull trying to get to the rim. He'll beat the first line of defense and if he sees somebody open he has the precision and the accuracy to make the pass and the willingness to do it. He can take it off the glass defensively, push it and be the guy facilitating or finish."
Knicks projected to get Duke-bound athletic freak Zion Williamson in 2019 Draft
By Adam Zagoria | Jun 23 | 8:18PM
The 2018 NBA Draft has just ended, so it's never too early to look ahead to 2019.
With a return date for Kristaps Porzingis still a major question mark given his ACL injury, the Knicks figure to be in the lottery again in 2019.
Given the loaded top of that draft, thats a good thing.
The latest 2019 mock draft from ESPN.com has the Knicks getting 6-foot-6 Duke freshman Zion Williamson, an athletic freak who has 1.5 million Instagram followers and 132,000 Twitter followers due mainly to his dunking prowess.
Williamson told me recently that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski compared him to LeBron James in terms of how he would use him at Duke.
"[Coach K] told me he'll use me as an all-around player, like how he used LeBron with Team USA," Williamson said. "If he needs me to bring it up the court sometimes I will. If he needs me to post up a smaller player, I will. If I need to come off a screen and shoot a couple jumpers, I will, It's just whatever he needs me to do, I'll be able to do it."
Kryzewski was able to persuade Williamson to choose Duke over Kentucky, Kansas and in-state schools Clemson and South Carolina.
"He and his family are first class," Coach said when Williamson signed in April. "We're not only bringing Zion in, but his entire family. Zion is a unique player and certainly one of the most gifted athletes that has come into the ACC. He's heck of a basketball player and a young man, and an outstanding leader."
Krzyzewski's experience winning five NCAA titles and three Olympic gold medals helped persuade Williamson to join a blockbuster recruiting class that also includes projected No. 1 pick R.J. Barrett of Canada and No. 4 Cam Reddish.
"I just trust in Coach K. He's done this before with the USA team with a lot of talent," Williamson said. "And just playing with Cam and R.J. would make us better basketball players."
Williamson believes that the four freshmen -- including point guard Tre Jones -- should be able to coexist because they are multi-positional players.
"I think that's what makes us unique," he said. "We're all very unique players and we're all very unselfish and we all want to win so we feel with those combinations we can go far."
ESPN recruiting analyst Paul Biancardi has studied Williamson extensively.
"He's a fantastic basketball player away from the highlights and the dunks," he told Greensboro.com. "I don't think people realize how good a basketball player he is. I knew after his sophomore year that he was more than a dunking machine and more than a highlight. ... I saw it in different competitions. I saw him read the game. I saw his skill level for a guy his size, with the frame, the power, the strength make guard-type plays. And I saw him just punish people in the paint. He's one of the few guys I've ever seen who can throw an alley-oop perfectly to a teammate and at the same time finish an alley-oop as well as anyone I've ever seen."
"It's his ability to finish a break - anything in transition, anything in space. You have a decision to make: Do you want to step in and get run over or are you going to let him finish? He's a powerful finisher who takes contact with him to the rim. ... He does an awesome job - he's one of the best I've ever seen - of elevating through contact. He can have bodies all around him and just elevate in tight spaces and finish. ... He has great IQ to see the game. I love his ability to handle the basketball, not as a point guard but as an attacking player from the wing or the top of the key or the baseline. From his penetration he can make a pass. He's not just a bull trying to get to the rim. He'll beat the first line of defense and if he sees somebody open he has the precision and the accuracy to make the pass and the willingness to do it. He can take it off the glass defensively, push it and be the guy facilitating or finish."
I joked a while back about tanking in 2019 for Zion Williamson. Maybe that is going to be the reality for us. If he plays at Duke like he did in High School and we end up with a high lottery pick, I am definitely going to be in the camp of hyping him.