NBA draft: royce moving up
- Thread starter imnclone
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I would love to see Royce end up on the Suns, but unfortunately with the 13th pick I don't see that happening. Maybe they can swing a draft day trade.
Pretty good analysis. Not to say that RW never threw the ball away, or got it stolen, but I will say that his turnover ratio was also affected by his teammates not anticipating a pass from him. If they would've been more aware, some of those TOs would've been assists. Things got better later in the season.
I heard that instead of working really hard on improving his game since he declared he's just been lounging around getting fat...
That was pretty good. I noticed a lot of videos from the Michigan game though and by the end of the season Royce was night and day better than he was at that time. Not to mention his teammates actually knew how to play with him whereas they did not when we played at Michigan early on.
Ditto on the defensive and FT% improvement.
Also, he turned it over too much, as noted, but I do wonder what % of his turnovers were from charges. Quite a few early in the season but he really got better at avoiding those calls as the year went on.
Also, he turned it over too much, as noted, but I do wonder what % of his turnovers were from charges. Quite a few early in the season but he really got better at avoiding those calls as the year went on.
Some friends and I saw D Wade play in the NCAA Regional and we were quick to declare that he didn't have the skills to play guard in the NBA. After that I decided I really don't have an eye for NBA talent. That being said, I hope Royce lands in a system that will use his unique passing and ball handling skills. I feel that the higher he goes in the draft, the more they will be willing to design things specifically for him.
His FTs were coming around. Last three games (Texas, UConn, UK) he was 11 out of 16 from FT line (69 %).
The difference is it's a much bigger deal in the NBA if there's a guy you can double team off of. Teams intentionally fouling him is less of an issue than teams being able to double team off him if he doesn't have even a 10 footer. When teams back off him, and he drives to the hoop he'll have legit big men waiting for him now and won't always be able to take them like he did in the Big 12. Jeff Withey is the weakest he's going to face now, not one of the best.
In transition he'll be a load on day one though whether he's starting or finishing things.
I think he'll grab rebounds and loose balls at a very high level immediately too. The passing and ball handling are nice, but teams will like that he has natural rebounding ability and the tools to beat other players to the ball and secure loose balls with his strength. Miami lost their game last night because they had nobody who could grab a rebound once LeBron fouled out. Marquis Daniels killed them on the boards of all people.
For some reason the first thing that popped into my head was Coolio's "Winner" song off the Space Jam soundtrack.
"You're a winner, gotta keep pushin', movin' on up, everybody we movin' on up..."
Not much to this, but RW worked out for the Pacers today along with several other players. I don't know if he'll fall to them at #26, but I'd be thrilled if he did.
Indiana Pacers: Predraft workouts begin at Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
Indiana Pacers: Predraft workouts begin at Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
I think he would fit really well with the Pacers, also I agree with the other thread that was posted that the Spurs would be a good fit, I would really like him to go to a team that has good three point shooters and or a fast paced team, Clippers might not be bad.. selfishly would like him in Chicago...
Wow. Can't hit a 10 footer? I am not sure you watched him play this year. He will be just fine shooting the ball from 10-15 ft. And I think his free throws will be fine in a league where most guys suck at them. And jeff whithey is not even close to the best player he faced this year. Thomas Robinson, Anthony Davis, Drummond? He made them all look stupid at times. I will just be interested to See if he can keep his motor going 100% for an entire game. I think his biggest problem was coasting at times because he was so much better than everybody else in the gym.
I think some of the perceived "coasting" was due to him being scared of being too aggressive on defense. He was so prone to picking up bad charging calls, which I don't think will be as much of a problem in the NBA, and we were so dependent on having him on the floor that I think he felt like he had to play it safe on defense. I wouldn't be surprised if he became a more aggressive rebounder and defender in the NBA. His niche will be grabbing rebounds and using his quickness and passing to initiate fast breaks.
I love Royce, but no, he does not consistently hit a 10-15 footer at an NBA level and Hoiberg would agree (NBA scouting reports disagree with you). I was talking about centers who are clogging the lane if he drives when his man double teams off of him. The guys you mentioned are comparable to guys who will be doubling off of Royce if/when they don't think he can hit an open shot. The guys clogging the lane will much more physical than Jeff Withey, Jeff Withey is an example of one of the least physical centers he will face. You don't even have to get up to the All Star or starter level. Omer Asik as a backup center is several times the defensive presence the best Big 12 center was.
Royce needs to be able to hit that shot if it's wide open and he's double teamed off of. I think he can, but he'll have to improve and HE knows it from listening to his interviews. That's his biggest challenge on offense. I'm not worried about him getting up to at least the high 60%s or even 70% in fts because you saw that improving as the year went on.
You clearly don't watch NBA ball if you think free throw shooting is WORSE in the pros. Guys who shoot 18% better than Royce have been intentionally fouled in the 3rd quarter just in the past few days. The shooting from the floor, 3 point line and at the foul line is on a completely different level.
This part is soooooo ready for the league on day one. In some ways the NBA game is more spread out than college, even though the wing spans are longer I think he will find the ball just as often or more with his hands, strength and quickness.
Obviously it isn't a perfect comparison, but Blake Griffin can't hit the broadside of a barn and he is doing just fine in the NBA. Royce will be fine as well.
The Pacers seem to love him:
White an Eye-Opening Prospect | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
White an Eye-Opening Prospect | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
