With the Draft a week away, I'll bring out an idea for a post I did last year and had fun with, so I'll bring it out again. Who do some of these NBA Draft prospects compare to in the NBA?Acie Law: My Comparison - Sam Cassell - In my mind, Law is a lot like Cassell. As he showed at Texas A&M, Law is not afraid to take any big shots (as he routinely knocked them down), similar to Cassell. Also, neither guy really relies on their athleticism. Law is still fairly athletic, but he relies more on his smarts at the PG spot. Both guys are also deadly midrange shooters.
Spencer Hawes: My Comparison - Brad Miller - Hawes reminds me of Miller because neither guy is going to be good based on their physical skills or their strength, but they are really good finesse type players. Hawes can score on the post, but he won't overpower you down there. He's decently quick and has a great touch around the rim. But he reminds me a lot of Miller because he can take his jumpshot out to 15-18 feet and is still a very good passer. Maybe you can't run an offense through him but he's going to be a very good complimentary player.
Al Horford: My Comparison - Chris Webber - Horford reminds me of Webber because he doesn't really have one thing that he does great, but he does everything really well. He can score some on the block, he can hit the midrange jumper, he's a good rebounder, solid defender, and really good passer out of the post. He's just a really good all-around player ready to contribute right away.
Joakim Noah: My Comparison - Anderson Varajeo - I think Noah's offensive game is a little more advanced, but he reminds me a lot of Varajeo. Both are hustle players, solid defensively and good rebounders. Like Varajeo, Noah isn't going to be a really good offensive player, but he can be a very good role player, because he's unselfish offensively, good on the offensive glass, and solid defensively.
Brandan Wright: My Comparison - Amare Stoudemire - Wright reminds me of Stoudemire because both guys are just really explosive around the rim. More often than not, they'll get the ball inside and they're so athletic and quick that they can get to the rim to finish before the defender can stop them. Wright is also a very good rebounder and help defender. To be able to reach Amare's level, Wright will need to continue to develop a midrange type game, which he doesn't really have yet. But then, Amare didn't have that either when he first came into the NBA.
Greg Oden: My Comparison - Alonzo Mourning - Oden kind of reminds me of Mourning in his prime, only with a lot more potential. Oden is immediately going to be one of the best defensive centers in the game with his quickness and shot blocking ability. He also showed just a bit of that offensive potential in the championship against Florida. He should be very quick there, and now he's able to finish with either hand. Oden will be dominant sooner rather than later.Kevin Durant: My Comparison - Dirk Nowitzki - Nowitzki is the guy that most reminds of Durant, but the comparison has a lot of flaws. Like Dirk, Durant is great on the perimeter and excellent posting up. But the comparison breaks down because Durant is also very good at getting to the basket and finishing there, which Dirk is not as good at. Durant also has the tools to be a great defensive player with his quickness and wing span.
Mike Conley: My Comparison - Chris Paul - Conley isn't quite ready to make the splash that Paul did as a rookie, but I think he has a lot of the same tools. Neither guy has a great jumper, but more are extremely quick with the ball and adept at getting to the rim. Also, both guys are gifted passers with extraordinary vision. Furthermore, both guys have really quick hands defensively which allows to get a lot of steals.
Corey Brewer: My Comparison - Josh Howard - I think these guys are similar offensively, but Brewer is better defensively and has a higher ceiling as a defender than Howard. Brewer was the best perimeter defender in the nation last year and that should translate immediately in the NBA. Offensively, I think Brewer is like Howard because both guys have good (but not great jumpshots) but they can get to the rim and score in a lot of different ways. I think Brewer could eventually be a 15-20 PPG scorer while being a great defender.
Arron Afflalo: My Comparison - Raja Bell - As a UCLA guy, I have to take a look at Afflalo. I liken him to Bell because I think Afflalo will be a really good role player like Bell. The thing about Bell is that he can play defense well and hit jumpshots. That's about all he does and that's what Afflalo can do. I think Bell is a better outside shooter, but Afflalo is a little better off the dribble. In either case, I think Afflalo has a shot to eventually become a solid starter on a good team like Bell is.
Do you think these comparisons are good? Who would you compare these guys to?
39 comments:
Very interesting. I agree with most of them, but I think Kevin Durant is more like Kevin Garnett. Coincidence? I don't know. Nowitzki is a sniper from long distance, while KG dominates around the paint with a perimeter handgun if they don't want to cover him closely. Kevin Durant dwells on the outside more as compared to KG, but he leans a little bit more to being KG than Nowitzki as I doubt Durant matches Nowtizki's accuracy; as he will definitely learn to live with his inside game more in the NBA.
I think Oden is more like Marcus Camby than Zo. Sizewise, Oden (6'11 1/2") is closer to Camby (6'11") than Zo (6'9 1/2"). And like Camby, Oden is long-limbed and very athletic for his size.Both rely more on athleticism than strength. And like Camby, Oden (so far) shows a rather stoic stance while playing (which is also similar to Tim Duncan). We all know how emotional and intense Zo is. Zo has also made a career by overpowering or bullying his defenders for a basket. Oden scores most of his points within 6- feet of the basket courtesy of short passes...similar to Camby. He has yet to learn to position hiimself on the post, and overpower or move around or jump over his defender to score. Surprisingly, Camby too has not developed that very same part of his game up to this day!! I sure hope the same thing does not happen to Oden.
I agree that Noah reminds many of Varejao. But, can we also say that Noah is "Rodman 2.0" ? I say this because like Rodman, Noah is an athletic and smart basketball player. Yes, Rodman was smart on-the-court. Remember how he astonished Phil Jax with the short period of time it took Rodman to learn the triangle?? Noah also hustles a lot and exerts a lot of energy going after missed shots and loose balls. Like "The Worm", Noah is a smart and pesky defender on the low post. Both are also utterly emotional and extremely intense on the court. Noah also appears to be a player who will become a very valuable commodity in the NBA for a very long time with his willingness and energy to rebound/defend/set picks/chase looseballs FIRST and look to score second. This is exactly how Rodman became a superstar in the NBA. If he is not yet doing it, I also think Noah is the type of person who will use "mind games" on defense to frustrate his opponent in addition to his aggresive, in-your-face defensive style. I would not be surprised if Noah will make a career in the NBA by consistently being among the top-3 rebounders in the league.
Based no how they have performed in the NBA throughout the years, I'd rather compare Horford (at this point in time) to JUWAN HOWARD than Chris Webber. Which isn't bad at all since Howard has turned out to be a very dependable and valuable player though never dominating or outstanding.
The more I see Conley play, the more he reminds me of the rookie Tony Parker. Lightning quick ball handler who fearlessly and relentlessly drives to the basket. Also like Parker, Conley will enter the NBA as a teenager. If Conley can maintain in the NBA the same aggressiveness he displayed in the NCAA, he could be the USA's answer to the MVP of the NBA Finals from France.Can you imagine how good Oden and Conley can be if they continue to play and develop on teh same team? That could be the next "Duncan-and-Parker" show!!
Although Josh Howard is a great player that Corey Brewer can look up to, I'd like to take it up a notch just because I am so impressed with Brewer. I'd go on a limb to say Brewer can be the "new Scottie Pippen". He has the length, athleticism, unselfishness, aggressiveness and defensive potential of Scottie Pippen. Like Pippen, Brewer also seems to be the type of "team player" who is willing to "let the game come to him" on offense rather than force his shots or impose his game offensively. I seem him flourishing in the NBA as a "wingman" to a top level point guard (like Deron Williams) or a scoring machine off-guard (like Kobe Bryant).I hope he looks up to Pippen as a basketball role-model and watches the games that Pippen played and learns from him. If he does, he's going to be the biggest steal in this draft.
The danger in Spencer Hawes playing like Brad Miller is that he may also end up having an NBA career like Wang Zhi Zhi.
For his own sake, I hope Durant does play in the NBA like Nowitzki or Garnett rather than be a "could-have-been-a-superstar-rather-than-an-underachiever" Corey Magette. Some players may be blessed physically and athletically and possess all the necessary skills but fail to develop the determination, mental toughness and work ethic to go up a level higher than most of the competition.
Kevin Durant has his own UNIQUE and is his own UNIQUE player. He has similair elements to his game as Dirk ot KG. But he is not as big as Dirk and is quicker, and he is not as intense as KG. KG has a killer instinct and YOU ALWYAS KNOW HE IS ON THE FLOOR!, Kevin can disappear from time to time and then expolde for big stretches (more akin to dirk). He is still a little too weak to be a "power" foward though and if he goes to seattle WILL BE JUST LIKE LEWIS (only he cant dribble quite that well yet)!!!! It will be interesting to see what he devlops into though. If your Portland draft Oden and be content to have the best/most versitle front line in the league in about 4 years (if you can keep them all together)
i have to disagree with you on two players oden is not like zo zo was a dominate offensive and defensive force oden is not and probablly will never be he's more like camby or mutombo where if you double off him or his point guard catchs somebody sleeping he'll give you some easy dunks but don't expect him to give you more than maybe 13 points a game , then al horford and webber not really feeling that one either while webber never really had the killer instinct when it mattered i can't say i've seen any other power forward pass like him that was from america (just in case someone wants to say divac) but i would say he's more like maybe al jefferson someone who's not really exciting but very solid
Like the Mourning - Oden comparison but I have trouble seeing the Dirk - Durant one. Obviously both Oden and Durant are going to be pretty big players in their own right so perhaps drawing comparisons is a little early when it comes to these two?
Either way, great post twins.
oh yeah and i disagree with you on the mike conley chris paul one too mike conley reminds me more of tj ford someone small who can't really shot but is really quick and can pass paul while not being a great shooter is way better than either one of them on their best day unless conley goes to a running team or gets his weight up he's gonna get abused on the other side of the court by bigger guards all night i would rather have acie law to tell the truth better shooter maybe not a pure point guard but he can play it and the dude who compared him to tony parker not feeling that one either tony parkers quick but i can't really call him a pure point dude can barely average 6 assist a game mind you he has duncan on his team so that tells you his reluctance to pass really it seems like he only passes if someone is wide open or he gets double teamed and conley actually passes the ball so no comparison to me
Durant reminds me of T-Mac more than anyone. Tall, long, rail-thin. Good handles, great at creating his own shot. All the tools to become a dominant defensive player but not quite the mindset for it. Needs to add muscle. This is too obvious.
The Amare/Wright comparsion is not working for me. Amare was a man-child coming into the league at about 245, B. Wright is 200 lbs. Amare has the ability to absorb tons of contact & finish with authority--he just does not go over guys, he goes thru them. B. Wright has a long way to prove he can do that in the NBA.
Also, think Brewer relates better to Tayshaun. Josh Howard was a significantly better rebounder than Brewer coming out of college, Brewer is going to have to prove he can average 7-8 rpg in the NBA to compare to J-How.
Thanks for all the comments guys...
Oden and Durant were the hardest to me. In my mind, more than anyone else those guys combined different elements to different players games... for instance, I think Durant has a lot of Dirk in him as far as his perimeter game, but he's got a lot of McGrady in him driving to the lane, and some KG in him... in that it was a challenge to compare him to one player. Same for Oden.
Also, lots of great comparisons here in the comments, with some I'd like to respond to:
Oden/Camby - Not a huge fan of that one. I can see where you're getting at, but a lot of Camby's offensive game is based on 15 foot jumpers, which is completely unlike Oden. I just Oden will be a lot more dominant inside than Camby.
Noah/Rodman - Again interesting, though I think Rodman might be a little more athletic than Noah, and a better rebounder. But I do agree both are intelligent players and both are very good role players.
Conley/Parker and Conley/Ford - Both of these are great as well... I gave some thought to the Conley/Ford, but I thought Conley just had the potential to be a lot better scorer and better defender. With Conley/Parker, that's also interesting... I think Conley is a better passer, but Parker is (and I think will be even at Conley's peak) better at finishing at the hoop. But both are very good comparisons for Conley.
Brewer/Pippen - This is very interesting thought as well... I love Pippen and I think he was one of the 25 best ever. I don't really have much other to say about it except very, very interesting.
I like a lot of the responses execpt comparing Rodman and Noah. Noah may have gotten a lot of rebounds in college but he was playing alongside two (sometimes three with that big guy off the bench) very good defensive rebounders in Horford and Brewer. He very often was covered by smaller players as the biggest guy always covered Horford, leaving Noah open to get more blocks, rebounds, and points than he should have gotten. The guy had about 6 good games throughout his whole career and a lot of them came in NCAA tournament so he really has been blown up. I do like his effort and heart though, but Varejao is the BEST he's going to be.
Horford... I was thinking somewhere along the lines of Elton Brand of Zach Randolph.
Oden is not getting the offensive credit he deserves. Did anyone see him take off from just inside the foul line in the national championship? Lots of potential there to go along with already solid defense.
And yes, Durant is a different type of player. I am not saying that it means he will be one of the best. But he certainly has qualities which teams have not seen before and will no doubt be a mismatch problem. Unfortunately, he will be getting smoked on defense from the inside and outside very often at first...
how about comparing Acie Law and Michael Redd?
I kind of think you went a little crazy with a couple of these, but overall, this was cool. I like the Cassell comparison to Law, although I think Cassell was much better off-the-ball than Law will ever be. The Zo comparison to Oden is spot on as well, although an even better one may be a very young Patrick Ewing.
The ones I don't quite get are Horford, Brewer, Wright, and Conley. Horford doesn't strike me as being anything like Webber. Webber was a sleek PF that was adept in the high post. Horford seems to be more of a back-to-the-basket guy, kind of like a young Vin Baker (the Milwaukee version) or Al Jefferson. Wright strikes me as more Chris Bosh than Amare, and even that's being very generous. I also think you (and everyone out there) overrate Brewer. He strikes me as more of a young Stacey Augmon than Josh Howard or even Tayshaun. Tayshaun was a better shooter, and Howard's a better scorer.
Conley is really tricky, and I think everyone's kind of off here. He struck me as more deceptively quick than speedy, so I don't like a T.J. Ford/Tony Parker comparison either. He's kind of like Deron Williams without a jumper, or Gary Payton without the defensive ability. He's a tough guy to project.
Finally, I personally think Hawes and Noah's comparisons are too easy. Hawes and Miller are white centers, but that's where the similarity ends. Miller is a high-post perimeter-oriented big, while Hawes is a back-to-the-basket guy. I'm thinking Chris Mihm with him.
And as far as Noah goes, I'm tired of the Varejao comparison (and this isn't just you). Just because they have floppy hair and are emotional on the court doesn't make them similar. In fact, I think Noah and a young Chris Webber share lots of similar characteristics. Both have great court sense for a big man, and both are quick for their size. I'm not sure Noah is as explosive as Webber, but otherwise, I think he compares well.
What do you think about Jeff Green?
Great stuff Prada and you make lots of good points.
The reason I compared Horford to Webber was being I think both guys are just really skilled with the ball. Both are good midrange shooters, very adept at handling the ball, and great passers for their size. They will probably be used differently, but I think a lot of their skills are similar.
I've heard a lot of the Wright/Bosh comparison but I'm not a huge fan of it. In my mind a lot of Bosh's game is centered around the fact that he's very solid in the midrange, but Wright doesn't have much of a game beyond 5 feet. The reason I thought Wright and Amare were similar was just that both guys are so quick around the rim.
Good points about Conley being like Williams without a jumper... I also see him as more of deceptively quick then pure speed.
You must like Noah a bit more than I do... I think he's going to be a great role player, but I think he just doesn't have the offensive skills to be a much better contributor than Varajeo.
And I love Jeff Green, I just had some trouble finding a good comparison. But I love his game and think he's going to be a fine pro... absolutely nothing would make me happier than him falling to Philly at 12 (though I don't think he'll fall that far).
I hope Noah doesn't turn into a flopper like Varejao.
I think we all hope for that! :)
Jeff Green is going to be like Nocioni with a little more athleticism. I personally think Hortford will be most like Shareef Abdur-Rahim but only more physical. I think Noah will be like Kirilenko from this year only with more rebounding and a worse jumper. I think Conley compares well to Devin Harris, of course no one knows how good Harris is really going to be, so that comparision really doesn't help much
As far as I know, the Acie Law, Spencer Hawes, and Arron Afflalo comparisons are right on. For Kevin Durant, how about Larry Bird without the passing ability? Both guys are tall small forwards at about 6-10, good rebounders, and scorers with a pure jumpshot from anywhere on the floor. Also, Durant's measurements from the pre-draft camp indicate that like Bird, he's not exceptionally athletic.
I expect Oden to have a much better offensive game than people give him credit for, even as a rookie. He's unselfish, but he's huge and has a knack for scoring inside. He may not be the ultimate post scorer like Duncan or Shaq, but I think he will be the best to come out of this draft (as good as Horford is). David Robinson is probably a better comparison for him.
Horford seems to have a little more power and less finesse in comparison to Webber, not that he doesn't have both. Maybe a young Derrick Coleman. Noah I think will be the most unique player in this draft. He's not inept offensively, but will probably be more of a hustle scorer like Shawn Marion. He can handle the ball, pass, play both big positions, rebound, defend, and block shots. Camby plus Diaw seems like an appropriate description.
Brandan Wright just doesn't have the power of Amare's game. Chris Bosh seems like a better comparison, as far as his potential. Physically, he looks like Kevin Garnett, so that may be the game he most emulates. I would never expect him to match KG's intensity or skill level, though.
To me, the best Josh Howard comparison in this draft is Al Thornton. They are both tall and strong for the 3, with long arms and versatile scoring ability.
I think Mike Conley Jr. is probably the closest thing we've had to Tony Parker, and he seems like he'll be a better pure point guard. Also, Al Horford may compare well to a taller Elton Brand.
I think Kevin Durant has the ability to be Andrei Kirilenko with an offensive arsenal. He has that same body type. Extremely long, and quick for his size, he can be a great weak side shot blocker. He did have more blocks than Oden did in college. I don't think he will be a lock down defender, but he will be a plus to a team in distrupting shots.
As far as comparing Noah to Rodman, as one person did, the only problem I have with that is that Rodman was an undersized PF that could guard the 2-4 and sometimes PG and C, depending on the matchup. That's the one thing that makes Rodman so unique.
How about some others...
Crittenton- bigger Stevie Franchise
Julian Wright-
Josh McRoberts- Kukoc (-passing)
Glen Davis-Rodney Rogers
Julian Wright-Tim Thomas w/better handle
It is ture that Brandan Wright just doesn't have the power of Amare's game.
They can't be compared to anyone ..all great players with different personality
Like to watch NBA games. The introduction and comments are great.
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weel you certainly gave these guys a high bar with some of your comparisons, Mourning, Howard, Stoudemire. I guess time will tell how they stack up.
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