G League Ignite

All right, everybody. Welcome to the 291st edition of the wholly backboard podcast. I am Dustin here in rip city and I got my man

say chillin live and direct from Beaverton, Oregon. We’re going to finally talk about the G league ignite players out of this three man weave of the players that are worthy of a first round pick.

Who, uh, who excited you the most?

Thankfully, it was the player that we are going to be talking about now. And, you know, there are a few collegiate players who still need to discuss, but this was a player whose name I continued to see and saw rising up draft boards and big board lists. And I was like, okay, I need to figure out who Dyson Daniels is.

Um, you know, he obviously didn’t play in college basketball and when you’re trying to follow the NBA and you’re trying to follow a college basketball, there’s just simply no time to turn on the TV and watch a G league ignite game like that. That just doesn’t happen. So shout out to everyone who does mid-season scouting on, you know, the overtime elite and the G league ignite and the international prospects.

But my poor brain can only handle at max, you know, two divisions of basketball. So, you know, the collegiate season up. With the Kansas Jayhawks winning the national championship over the North Carolina Tarheels and we’re winding down the NBA regular season, getting ready to go into the post season. So now it’s time for me, at least to kind of dive into some of these prospects and, uh, it, it was dice and Daniels and you’re referencing, uh, Michael Foster, Jr.

And Jayden Harvey, as well as Marjon Beau champ, um, along with dice Daniels. So they have four players. That are draft eligible that could hear their name called, uh, in June, uh, during the, the annual draft, but to get to dice and Daniel’s, uh, shooting guard, uh, stands at six, six. I couldn’t get a definitive listing on his wingspan.

I’m going to put it down as six 10. I heard it referenced anywhere. Multiple occasions, both in the game we watched and online. That is wingspans anywhere between six, nine and seven feet tall. Sounds like he’s still growing. Uh, the same goes for his weight. I’ve seen it listed anywhere between one 70 and 200 pounds.

So, uh, thankfully we do have the draft combine, which we will get accurate measurements. And I think that will really impact, uh, his stock as well because players, uh, on the wing with, with long wingspans tend to really have that added value. Uh, he’s 19 years old, uh, turned, uh, 19 just a few days ago on March 17th is from Bendigo Ben Bendigo Australia.

Uh, his father, Ricky played professionally in Australia and he is actually the first highly touted prospect. Outside of the U S school system to sign with the G league unite. Uh, currently he is number 12 on the Ringer’s big board, and we are going to be discussing the game that took place on January 7th against Mexico city.

Uh, and we will also just. Talk about his game in general. I’m sure you’ve took taken the time and watched a plenty of clips and scouting highlights, scouting reports and put together our comprehensive opinions on Dyson Daniels, but his ignite stats. Are as follows on the season, uh, 11.3 points, uh, 6.2 rebounds 4.4 assists.

He shot 44.9% from the field, uh, 25.5% from 3 73 0.7% from the Y. Uh, nearly two steals, a game, nearly a block per game did that all in over 31 minutes of action. It’s important to note when we discussed dice and Daniels, uh, in regards in comparison, excuse me to the collegiate prospects is. Dyson’s playing a full 48 minutes.

The G league is on the MBA, uh, rules and regulations list. So they’re playing 48 minutes. The three point line is the NBA three point line. So this isn’t a collegiate percentage. This is what he shot from NBA range. So I thought that was something that I had to kind of store in my brain while I was watching, uh, Th this footage like this is MBA court, MBA regulation, everything, um,

going against grown men.

This isn’t, this isn’t

some watch that game, uh, in the G league, you ignite. And they said now checking in poop, poo poo, Jetter. Okay. What this dudes older than I am poo Jetter is a Portland legend, played at the university of Portland from like, oh two to oh six. Um, I did just a quick tangent. I was like, I think he did get an NBA call up and sure enough, he did back in 20 10, 20 11 with the Sacramento Kings, but you know, poo Jetta has been, uh, he has a Hooper, like.

Talk about, you know, the basketball player versus Hooper debate, whatever you want to talk about, like genders, like a hoop, or like he he’s gonna play until his legs fall off. Like he, he just has basketball, uh, running through his, his DNA. So yeah, when you’re talking about playing against. Experienced grown players, the physicality like that that’s for

jobs and the NBA too, man.

Like the, the opposing team had a guy that played an NBA game that is a bigger accomplishment than, uh, playing against a college guy that had. Experienced that next level. Like that’s something that you have to always remember about these ignite players as they’re playing against adult men fighting and climbing for a chance to get a call up watching that, uh, the Mexico city team I’m like, damn, this reminds me of St.

Mary’s. They’re just old heads that just know how to win. Yeah,

it’s interesting because I, I’m not one to be the expert on whether the G league. Where it ranks in terms of maybe like the top European leagues, maybe where Luca dontcha came from, but there are some pros and cons to playing in the G league versus going to college.

Like you said, I think the pros are you’re playing against probably physically more similar players in that are, uh, at the next level at the league. You are playing at the, at the same length of the three point line, same time of game. Um, it it’s basically MBA light. Uh, the disadvantage, I think is if you were to play against a top collegiate team, like I think a player like Palo Bancaire or Jabari Smith is probably more talented and more similar to what you’re going to see on a talent level than these players.

And I don’t think you’d get a true road environment. Like, like let’s be real playing at the Mandalay bay. You or, you know, a Stockton, California, there’s going to be a handful of fans there and it’s not going to be like, you’re going, you know, on the road to Allen Fieldhouse or Cameron indoor stadium and playing in a hostile environment with, I think a lot more to prove, like, to be honest, I don’t really know what they’re playing for in the G league.

I think they’re just playing for personal pride. Like you go to college. Playing to try to get to the tournament, try to win games, uh, advanced as far as you can win these conference titles, et cetera, and et cetera, there’s so much more at stake. So I, I’m not going to say which which route players should choose.

I think there’s pros and cons on both, but it’s just, it’s good to keep in mind. Uh, The environment and the, the atmosphere that these prospects pro or excuse me, uh, G league or college are participating in. And so to kind of keep that in context,

I mean, those G leakers are pros. So like it’s a different league, but I mean, there’s, there’s definite talent on it.

And I don’t know if we’re talking Dyson Daniels. I think like his archetype would be like a two-way two-way guy that can do a little bit of everything. Is that kind of how you would a. Uh, archetype him is like a two way that can contribute in bits and pieces of every part of the game. Like I think defensively, he is a pretty high level defender.

Like I think that he’s very smart as a defender. He uses his length. He uses that, that wingspan in a positive, good light. I think the defense right now is where you say Dyson Daniel’s NBA player because of the defense, because of the IQ. I watched that Mexico’s a game and I thought there’s some really good rotations that he did off ball to get to like on the nail in help defense, just being a good defender.

On G league ignite makes you look like an all world defender. Cause there isn’t that much defense being played on that G league ignite team. So what, what did you think about his defense? Because I think that that is absolutely the number one thing that he’s. Providing,

I would say, you know, we’ve kind of done the deep dive, 15 to 20 prospects.

Now since January, probably aside from Chet homegrown, he’s the most unique prospect, but I’ve had the chance to really, uh, digest. He, to me is a two way Playmaker where he is going to make his. He’s going to earn his bread on the defensive end, right off the bat. Um, you, you look at the size. He has really good size to play the two or the three, whether he’s one 70 or 200, he could stand to bulk up, but he definitely needs to get

some strength issues for

sure.

Plus. The intelligence and positionality, like he knows how to get in a stance. I don’t think I’ve seen a player. Go from a straight up to get down in the stance and then move his feet laterally as, as, as good as dice and Daniels, this, this draft class, like the way he’s able just to move his hips. And he slides so gracefully with those guards that he’s defending and what I noticed right off the bat, and this is a really good way.

To not get called for files is key. Lets the offensive player actually initiate a little bit of the contact and he kind of absorbs it. He’s not very, he’s not rigid at all. He’s very fluid in everything he does on ball defensively. Like I think he has such a high. Ceiling, when it comes to, uh, playing on ball, like he does a really good job of getting his hands up when he’s on ball, he he’s locked in.

He makes a really good attempt. He’s fighting over screens. Uh, he just takes a pride in, on that end of, of the floor. So I think his two way potential is, is through the roof. Um, do you think he has

the speed to.

So that’s something I was going to bring up. Like I’ve seen some scouting reports that say he’s, you know, going to be able to guard one through three.

I don’t see that. Um, I think if he hits a ceiling, yes, right now, I think he’s guarding your twos and threes and fours on. Yeah, th some force, but I think that it’s choosing threes is where he’ll be able to, to really go in and lock in. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to stick with, uh, the, the John Mirant’s of the world, like

Fox or jaws, just going

past them.

They’re just going even the manual quickly. Like those type of just jitterbug extremely quick, fast Twitch athletes. I just don’t think he’s got that top end athleticism to be. The Uber all world defender, right? Like, uh, the bam out of bio type of the true holiday. Like, I don’t think he has that type of the pasty now he’s he’s elite, but I just don’t.

I think you have to, um, Kind of restrict your, your optimism when it comes to guarding those point guards. Like, I think he can hold his own, but he’s still going to probably pick up some files. He’s going to have to get a little bit more crafty, but I think he’s going to have, uh, an easier time with a bigger guard, maybe like a Josh Hart or Devin Booker, like somebody who’s not as fast Twitch, um, that type of guard wing players, where he’s going to be able, you’re gonna be able to put him on.

But the point guard that, that that’s going to be a little tough. Uh, one thing I love about him though, is he’s not afraid to challenge at the rim. And I noticed a few times he had, uh, just a couple of accredible blocks. Yeah, yeah. Again, to Mexico city one was called for a foul and it was just complete bullshit.

He got all ball and then watching clips of him like this, this wasn’t just a one off occurrence. He was able to meet. And hit the defender at the summit and just cleanly take that away. He shows a lot of chase down, uh, capabilities as well. So you’re really never safe in the open floor, uh, with him, him, uh, you know, tracking that ball.

So I really love that. And a defender, like if you’re not afraid to get, to get dunked on, I think that’s a fantastic trait to have because you can’t, you can’t make a poster, a rising block without getting posters. And once in a while,

What did you think about him offensively? Cause I have some, I have some takes, I think he is a bad dribbler.

I saw him get walled up. I saw him get hit. The ball took, I think he is a good Playmaker. I think dribbling is going to be a humongous factor for him. Cause I, I think that, I think that that dribbling is going to be a legitimate thing. And when you’re, when you’re playing on the edges, like I think Dyson Daniels w.

We’ll be, you gotta be able to shoot the ball. And I, I, I’m very, very, uh, skeptical, skeptical that he will be able to take and make threes. Cause there’s a, there’s a three point hesitancy. I really, really enjoy his playmaking. I think that I wouldn’t say that he is like an incredible Playmaker, but I think he is an average Playmaker.

And then when he gets. Into the paint. He’s good. But I mean, me saying somebody who’s an average Playmaker is pretty damn high praise because there’s a lot of bad

Playmakers. I mean, I guess I, I mean, I would even say, I think he’s a fantastic player. I mean, he just turned 19 years old, so we’re looking and he’s playing like not in the structured.

Like the game we watched, they said that Jason Hart, he’s going to start all of the draft eligible players. Like you’re basically playing a damn McDonald’s all American game at this point. Like there’s very little, uh, probably continuity and chemistry. They don’t play a ton of games. Uh, so. And he was acting like he plays with scoot Henderson.

Who’s going to be a top three pick next year. And he plays with Jayden Hardy who could go in the first round this year. He was still their primary ball handler. So for him at this level, again, playing against grown men at, he was doing all of this at 18 years, 18 years of age. Cause he just turned 19. I was really impressed with his playmaking.

I think what separates him because he plays at his own. And I, I think you have to, um, keep that in mind when you’re watching him, because he’s not slow. He’s just patient and I, there are shades of, of Kyle Anderson. There are shades of bland and Roy in terms of, this is how he’s going to play and you’re going to adjust if him and not the other way around, because I would say.

When I was watching, I remember vividly liking Kyle Anderson at UCLA. And I was like, oh, this guy’s so slow. How was he still getting to a spots? How is he still, you know, play-making for others and finishing around the rim. It’s just, he, he goes, he’s very deliberate. Um, and when I, when we do these future Fridays Sage, the first thing I put is like, is there a flash of brilliance?

And I saw one from, from Dyson Daniel’s aside from, or excuse me, it included this. He dribbled into the middle of the floor. Again, he’s going a little bit slow, but he playing deliberate and you just kind of stopped. And you just, as the step through lay up on one end and hearing holds the ball high and the defender just had no didn’t know what to do.

It’s almost like when you’re a batter in baseball. I know we do a lot of, uh, football analogies. We’re gonna do a baseball one here. Like you’re a batter and it’s, it’s like almost going from a 99 mile an hour. Fastball, you know, John Moran to now all of a sudden somebody’s throwing you some Jamie Moyer.

50 60 mile an hour, you know, change up breaking balls. Like he is such a change of pace. Like when I say he’s unique, he is incredibly unique. You don’t play against guys like this all the time. So it’s hard when you’re programmed. Be instantaneous reactions. And now you’ve got this guy coming out to kind of slow and deliberate and the methodical, like he knows what he wants to do.

That’s very tough to defend because there’s not a lot of those players out there. So we had that step through layup on one end and then he followed it on the other end with that incredible block at the top of the back board. So, or the box of the backroom. So, um, I thought that was incredible full for him.

Yeah, his dribbling is going to have to get tightened, but again, I’m not too concerned about that. That’s something he can work on. Again, we’re talking about, uh, 18 just turned 19 year old prospect. Um, I will say that I am more concerned about, uh, the Jumpshot at this stage. I do like the. Um, I think he’s got a pretty smooth release.

He does have a bit of a, of a windup near his abdomen before letting it fly. Uh, the release does need to become quicker, but again, we’re not looking at him shooting three feet in at the collegiate level. He’s taking MBA through. And he’s, like I said, he’s still relative. He’s a teenager. So I think once he gets more strength and he gets into a shooting coach, that’s going to tell them, this is how you’re going to want to get your body ready to shoot these catches shoots.

Like you’re going to want to generate some momentum. I think the added strength, because one thing I noticed he’s missing front room a lot. So that tells me it’s a, it’s a strength issue. Like he’s, he’s online a lot of the times, like I believe he can get there with the shot. I think it’s going to take a couple of years because you’re going to have to get that strength.

But we’ve even seen a player like Keon Johnson, who the shot was ugly with Los Angeles. It was ugly at Tennessee and he has shown marginal improvement in his short time period with the trailblazers. Like it can work. I don’t think we’re, uh, working with a player like a Rondae Hollis, Jefferson, or a Michael Kidd Gilchrist where it there’s very little chance of that ever becoming.

And a league average from, from three. So I think that is going to really determine the level of player that he can become. Like, can he get the jump shot? Some people can, some people can’t. Um, I tend to think with hard work, a good shooting coach and confidence from a coaching. The player can turn it around, like more times now.

I’ll bet on the player becoming a good shooter, as long as I don’t see anything too, uh, significantly off with the format and the form looks workable to me. So I think you just have to be patient with. But if, if a team who drafts them is willing to really put in the development hours with Dyson, we’re going to be looking maybe five years down the line and saying, why didn’t he go higher in this draft?

I think that, well, another thing that he’s really great at is. Uh, a G league team is stupid and closes out on him. He attacks that close out and he has a really good floater.

He’s his helmet and the pain. It, it

shows that he has a touch. There’s like some crafts and he shows some crafts finishes and he uses that floater.

So you know that there is something like some skill there with, with the touch. So maybe if he expands his game a lot, he can, uh, show some, some three-point flashes. But as of right now, It’s pretty awful.

You don’t want him shooting, right? He needs to go into, he needs to go into the lab and work on that both physically, mentally and, and get it, get it corrected.

I mean, if he had, I think even a decent jump shot right now, he’s probably top five, top seven. Easy. Where do you

have, like, I think that he’s a fifth starter on a, on a team. I, you don’t want him to be your main Playmaker. He’s going to be the guy that does the dirty work around the edges and plays good defense.

Uh, do you have an expanded role for him or is that kind of where it is?

I mean right now or where he can top out at

a, I’m just going to say most likely outcome.

Okay. Most likely outcome, a fourth for starter. Yeah. I mean, I think the defense alone is going to put him high up on that, that list. Uh, the play-making too.

I mean, just an outlet, because if you think about it, how valuable is Draymond green? He put him in that middle of the upper Alonzo. Yeah. You put them in the middle of the floor and he’s a decision maker. He’s not going to get scared. Like I said, I think the patients pays off in this instance because he doesn’t get sped up.

He plays at his own pace. So he’s going to be able to pick apart, uh, the defense. And like you said, he’s got a nice floater. Um, he’s he has good size. Like once he fills out, he’s going to be able to finish at, at the lane and you’re not going to be needing him to shoot a ton of threes if you’re using him as an outlet.

I mean, think of all the times we talked about teams are double and tripling game to stop. W where has that outlet been? I mean, it’s not in your kitchen. Your kitchen gets sped up too much. You know, you really need someone like a Draymond or a Ben Simmons that can, okay. I’m going to be that secondary. A handler I’ll make the decision.

I will distribute it to a shooter. Like I may not be the shooter now, but I can find someone who could, so I think whatever team gets. If you’re creative and utilizing him, you could unlock something that very few players have very few teams have a, I think you need

to have that dynamic Playmaker to break down the defense and then he’ll attack that broken defense.

He’s a Lincoln player, just like, you know, Lonzo ball and dream on. They’re not going to create that, that initial distraction for the defense, but they will surely attack it. So. If a coach could put them in that right role. I think Dyson Daniels is a quality

player. Okay. Um, one thing I noticed about Daniel’s was he averages over six rebounds per game.

And while I didn’t see the aggressiveness at all on the glass, in this game against Mexico city, there were clips that showed him attacking the glass. So, I mean, We’ve discussed this. I think ad nauseum, we love guards who could rebound the basketball, even better dice and Daniels has shown tremendous touch on outlet passes and he shows grab and go potential.

So he can get that ball and initiate the break himself. I think that adds another layer of desirability. If you’re a coach or a GM, because the more players you have that can create. It just makes it so much easier. You basically can skip a step in the process. You don’t have to say, okay, like imagine if Maurice Lucas, right.

He gets the ball, great outlet passes. But if he could have just also picked up that ball and initiated the offense, you’re, you’re taking a step away from where that ball needs to go. And now the defense has to pay additional attention. So the more things you can give a defense to process, I think that the more stress it puts on them and over the course of 48 hours, More breakdowns will occur because of that stress.

So, um, to be honest, I was really excited to watch him, like I was very skeptical of the G league and it was just nice. Like I said, like the collegiate basketball is over MBAs, winding down. You can kind of focus on, on this prospect and I didn’t expect, uh, an 18 year old playing in the G. To take so much pride in, in the defense.

Now I will say the off-ball defense, I think needs work. I’ve saw clips where he sticks with his man and picked off a few, uh, passes to the paint. Um, does play the passing lanes. Well, at times in this game, particularly. And again, it comes with a teenager playing basketball. They’re going to be inconsistencies.

Um, he can get flat-footed at times. Uh, he does ball watch and he does leave his man open at the arc, which you cannot do it at the MBA level, especially if you’re guarding a leek average shooter. Um, and I would say he. With other prospects. I think madarin is another one. He needs to improve his hand movement.

Um, he doesn’t really raise them off ball as much as I think he should. So, but again, we’re talking about a teenager off-ball defense I think is much more complicated and complex than playing on ball. Absolutely. There are a lot of schemes you have to watch, you know, are you switching? Are you staying with them?

Are you going over? Are you going under like, are you getting ran through multiple screens? Again, that will come with time. But given with how intelligent that he looked on film, I think he’s going to be able to pick it up, especially if he gets with the right team, you know, you get in the right vet that can show him the ropes.

Think of him like with PJ Tucker or dream on green, telling him what to do, and then just, just soaking it up like a sponge. Um, all of that knowledge, uh, I was really impressed with, with Dyson.

Yeah, I think he’s a very, a smart, good player. Do you have him in your lottery or would he be an outside the lottery

pick for him?

I would feel very comfortable taking him in the lottery really

like a

over

over God. Well, obviously tie Washington, but would you, what about Johnny Davis?

Again? It depends on what you’re looking for. I think he’s a similar. Tier maybe, maybe a smidge lower, but I, I could be, um, pursue persuade and to putting them in the same tier as a Johnny.

Like, I, I, again, I think if Portland right now is picking 12, if neurons doesn’t make the playoffs, if you get your big whatever big it is, uh, with your first pick and you’re looking for like maybe, and maybe Jaylen Duran’s off the board. I would rather have Dyson Daniels then Ben Ojai, bodgie.

I would rather have Ojai because of the shooting.

And I mean, I will, I’m

not a fan of a bodgie. I think, I think he’s going to be this year’s air, niece Smith, where I fell in love with Naismith and he just has been kind of a bust. I, he didn’t have an impact. Like they, they don’t,

I think. Biggest swing factor is the play-making. He doesn’t create for himself for others, and you need somebody to spoonfeed them shots, but at least he can hit shots.

So I believe in that. And I think that he’s a good defender. So, I mean, yeah, I would expect zero, uh, creation from OHI. Bashi

yeah, I would, I would take him over a bodgie. I would take him over Thai Washington.

Yeah, tie in this team is absolutely

a no no-go. I mean, even, just, even if we needed a point guard, I would take him over him.

I think he is going to be one of the best risers in this draft class. Like I think he’s going to go he’s projected. I think the ringer also has him going

he’s 13 on

13th on the ringer and tank athon has him going 12. So late lottery. I think when June rolls around, don’t be surprised if he goes in the top 10.

Damn he is

on my, uh, on my board. Yeah.

I really like Dyson Daniels as a prospect. I, I think he’s unique, uh,

ahead of Jeremy on your personal board. ’cause I’m looking at tank it’s on and take us on has some at 15

Jeremy. And that’s a really tough question. Um, in the ringer has, um, Jeremy so hand right now going ape.

Uh, so they have him a little bit higher. That’s difficult. I really love so Han. Um, I think he has more defensive potential versatility. Like I think he could really start to guard one through five. So. I think they’re close. Um, I think Dyson Daniels has the offensive. Upper hand, like he can actually create for himself and for others, he has a floater.

Um, I think the forms have better on the jump. Both jumpshots, uh, need improvement, but I think the forums better for Daniels. Um, I think it just depends. I think that’s going to come down to personal team preference. Do you need, do you need a player who’s gonna guard one through five or do you need just a strictly wing defender who complainant?

Um, I think there, there probably, you know, a and B on my boards, very, very close in, in tears.

Yeah, I’d go Jeremy. Um, Dyson Daniels is a good player, but there’s, there’s some factors, especially the shooting. And I think the, the, the dribbling part of play-making is, is pretty rough for them. But is that, is that all you have on your new boyfriend dies and

Daniels?

I just think he’s a good player. I mean, I, I really liked him as a prospect. What’s your, what’s your floor?

Rotation specialized wing, a guy that defends two positions and a play makes that a league hours level.

Do you not have a comps?

No, because I did all of my, uh, I did all of my watching last night, so it was hard to think of a comp, but I think Kyle Anderson is a good one.

I’ll go Evan Turner. Uh, I think Evan Turner can guard the two and the three guard, some slower ones. You don’t want him shooting open jump shots. He has a nice float game. Uh, played in the league for 10 plus years, made some money to make made a lot of money. So Evan Turner is my, my floor and my middle of the road.

Is Nicholas platoon looking at a player who can grab and go the defense of Nicholas platoon, the chase down blocks, uh, just the ability to, to defend multiple positions. Uh, I do believe in Dyson Daniels. I do think he’s going to get a league average jump shot with. I think batoon has, uh, batoon was a bit streaky.

So I think you’re maybe looking at maybe a little bit more consistent Nicholas platoon, a six, six version compared to a six, nine. Um, what do you, do you have any, uh, 19% I have a

Turner is my 75th and then

my 99 is, uh, I don’t think you want to hear it. So there’s so many factors for him. So. If he becomes just a marksman from three, I think you’re looking at like Mikael purchase, that type of defense.

I’m not mad at it. I just

don’t see the shooting.

Well, again, he’s teenager. So macabre just wasn’t shooting like this when he came out of the draft either. Um, I’m just saying

when you’re that bad as a shooter, I just don’t see a 20% flip in your percentage of.

But again, I think it’s a strength issue.

You’re going to go in the gym. You’re going to work out. Like I I’ve seen transformations, like will Barton coming into league was a god-awful shooter now he’s fantastic. Like it happens now. Some players, they never figured it out. Sebastian Telfair never figured it out, but I believe he’s too intelligent of a player.

Like if I just think he’s going to figure it out. Okay. Um, totally. If he is able. To really unlock the defensive. So let’s say the shooting kind of stays the same, but if he’s able to really unlock his defensive, uh, potential on an off ball, I think he could be a six, six version of Ben Simmons. So he’s not going to be a threat to shoot, but he’s going to defend one through three, maybe one through four and make at Simmons’s level, especially.

At the free throw line. I, I,

I think that Ben Simmons the far better Playmaker than

99 percentile, like these are pie in the sky right here. See, I’m not saying he’s that

I, I guess I’m stuck on the ground floor with Evan Turner, but I think he’s good. I just don’t think he’s. Pie in the sky, Ben Simmons.

Good. I liked the creativity and you actually took time to make comps. So I can’t really be hating when I didn’t participate. Can I,

and then this is like not nine. This is like a hundred percent like, so he completely, if he, if he like does the honest, right, you take your honest, like 15th overall and he becomes Yonis.

If he like, Max’s like, if you’re able to unlock like some two K bug where you can’t go, now you can hundred percent max everything out. I saw a lot of Brandon Roy, if he hits the that he does not have a pull up jump shot right now. I know that he does not have that, but just the, the methodical pace. I think the side.

If he is able to somehow become that, get, gets, get a drug, gets a dribble package. Yeah.

I, I’m not, I’m not as familiar on Brandon as you, but three is a better

dribble back he is. But Brandon was the player who wasn’t a point guard, but was a point guard grabbed a lot of rebounds, had a lot of assists, like filled up the stat sheet, like a lot of games that Dyson Daniels played.

Like he’s filling up the stat sheet across the. So I would say it’s, it’s unlikely, but, uh, Brandon Regan was a unique player and that’s where I keep coming back to dice. And Daniel’s, it’s like, I haven’t really seen another player come out of college that I thought could be a brand. And Roy PB, since like I thought Evan Turner in college had a chance, it didn’t work out for him.

But I mean, again, again, this isn’t, I’m not saying Dustin says Dyson Daniels was brand new Roy. If a hundred percent Dyson Daniels is unlocked. I see probably the most glimpses of be Roy in him that I have of really any prospect since Brandon was drafted, um, in, in oh six, like th neither of them is a crazy athlete, but they just have an intelligence.

They know how to play the game. Like, I didn’t think Brandon, where he was going to work at the NBA level, then you draft him. You’re like, oh yeah, this guy knows what he’s doing. The game comes natural to him. I mean, that’s why the wheels dubbed him the natural. I see some similarities there. If I were to guess on the 99th percentile, I think it’s probably closer to Mikelle bridges than any of those other three players, just because I think.

I think the shooting is going to be the easiest for him on the catch and shoot level. I think really having a, uh, if you’re talking, be Roy, the dribble package and the pull-up jumper, that takes a lot of, a lot of that’s a lot, not a lot of players have that in their bag or ever get that. Uh, and then I don’t know if he’s ever going to have the defensive positional versatility that, that of Ben Simmons does.

I mean, Ben Simmons can really guard one through five, so. It’s hard to say someone’s a six, six Ben Simmons, because six nine is what makes Ben Simmons. So, so lethal for, so I would say floor, he looking into Evan Turner. Middle of the road, most likely outcome Nicholas platoon. And then I think 99, my most likely 99th scenario is Mikhail breaches.

So I think you would be, I think teams right now. I mean, you’re looking at potential defensive player of the year in Miquel bridges, a huge linchpin to the Phoenix suns success as they go for their first ever NBA championship.

I don’t believe that it’s true, but I like it.

So do you want to talk Hardy next or do you want to talk marsh and

Bo champ? I mean, to be honest, I didn’t really like any of the other players are really, even the three

point, like we saw the hottest Hardy has ever been.

Yeah. But then he also bricked a lot of open three. He gets the tunnel vision and I, for a point.

I don’t think he’s a one first. That’s the thing. If you’re not a one and you’re that small and you, you’re not a knocked, like you just said, we have a heart hottest he’s ever been. That means he’s not a consistent jump shooter. Yeah. And he was about like a

35 percenter. But the thing that captivated me was this footwork as a shooter like that, like, everything looks so good until the shit he shoots it.

Like it makes you think like, why is it. Why is he missing? Why is he missing so bad? The, the, the prior on him was he is a sharp shooter and really nothing else. And then Hart, the coach Hart showed that he can, I think he’s a pretty damn good penetrator and he has a bag that gets him to the basket. Him actually completing the shot is difficult as hell, but at least he gets there.

We haven’t seen Anthony Simons get to the paint as easy as. Uh, Jayden has. So I there’s things that you can work on with Hardy as a, as a off-ball score as a guy that can penetrate, he, he does the read and react type of thing as a, as a penetrator like, if the help comes from the corner, he’ll pass it to the corner.

Ball placements terrible, but he’ll get it to the person. So there’s things that you can work on and the foot work and the everything about what he’s doing before he actually shoots the ball. And I feel like his release in shot spine is just missing a lot. I dunno, like. If we had the 25th pick, I would absolutely think about Hardy as a, uh, for a late first like there’s

tools.

Yeah. And I just, when you’re a six, four guard and you’re not, not really a point guard, what has kept CJ McCollum in the league? His elite offensive abilities and a marksman from downtown can create his own shot heat that, that keeps him in the game makes up for his defensive tendencies or deep laps on the defensive end, the floor.

I see a lot of Eric Bledsoe in him and Eric Bledsoe was basically unplayable for the bucks a few years ago when they were making their, their runs. Like he might be a decent pick late in the first round, but I don’t think the blazers need another six 30 guard that, yeah. Eric Bledsoe type of player, like I’m willing to take a chance on Jayden Ivy, cause he’s a six, four guard, but that’s because he’s in the.

And I don’t know. I don’t think hard is six, four to

be completely reactive. No, I do not. I saw, I was like, I, I just looked up. I was like, there’s no way that dude, that’s some generous. Yeah, that’s a

generous hype, but I think that there’s tools like the fact that he can shoot and can get to the basket.

There there’s something to work with. If you’re a coach, that’s creative enough to, uh, utilize them. And I think Beau champ. He has a good pull-up. He has a good sentence, a dribble pull up for two, and then I really don’t think a shit

who’s their big, I think Michael Foster is, I don’t want to be an asshole, but I think he’s one of the worst players I’ve ever watched.

I don’t think

he’s an NBA prospect. No, I think he’s overseas or maybe G league, uh, forever. Like I looked up and I was like, okay, he’s a, four-star coming out of high school. Um, I like, I was like, maybe it’s just some five-star player that just was like over, over prepped or over over-hyped overrated. No, he’s just a four-star player, top 50 caliber, like, but he has a Slingshot for.

Uh,

it’s kind of like the tribute Shea, like behind

the headshot. Yeah. I was like, is bill Cartwright out here? You know, busting out threes, uh, just zero touch around the basket. Uh, really looking to get his own shot. Like I, I don’t

know. And she’s the best player on a team with scoot Henderson?

Yeah, I just, I didn’t.

What about, what did you think about.

It’s really tough when you’re watching it. Now, this kid’s 17 years old,

17 years old. How many times they say that it’s

really hard because you’re, it’s also hard because everyone is, is hyping this player up. So you’re like, you’re really wanting to see some stuff and I need to see more, like obviously you see the physical tools and these incredibly quick and he’s built, but I’ve also seen prospects who were just good because they were so much physical.

Uh, stronger than, than their competition, even at a G league level. Like I, I think what I would like to see him, uh, this, this next season, just shoot. Can I, can I see a shoot a little bit more? What, what it, can you become a knockdown shooter? I mean, I think that’s, you know, what really S obviously the, the, the knee injuries derailed, Derek rose.

Um, but that was going to be the question for D rose. Yeah. You want an MVP, but are you able to, um, excuse the call, are you able to advance your game as you grow old? Like that? I think that could really make him the generational prospect that I think some are talking about. Like once you hit, like watching Russell Westbrook right now kind of deteriorate before our eyes.

Yes. He is a 75 best players of all time. But if the game is not aging gracefully for him. So it is, he is scoot, going to be able to, to just get a jump shot. Like, I just want to see that from him. Like, that’s great. You can run by and dunk on players. Like, yes. Fantastic. But I’m looking past

and I was really impressed with his defensive, how he defends and how he was just like manipulating his body to get the right positioning, uh, defensively.

I, um, I would like to see more of it. These fucking good.

Yeah. And I think Beau champ just need, he needs to not go to the league. I think he needs more time. He’s going to, he’s going to enter the drayage bro.

Marginal Beau champ. He’s OGI age, bro.

Are you sure? No, he’s only 21

is an OTI only 21.

No.

Marsha

and has an older . Okay. I thought about you was 22, my bad.

So, I mean like when you’re comparing both shampoo to a 19 year old, it’s like you expect more from the 22 or 22 year old man instead of the 18 year old dice and Daniels or a Hardy it’s.

I didn’t, I was under the impression he was 19 years old.

Yeah, I would, I, he would be completely off my draft board at, at 21 years of age. Yeah. I mean, that was like, he’s, he’s got good Beale got good build for a wing, but

there was nothing lashes of brilliance, but I think the best thing that I can talk about is that he’s in the right place at the right time.

He moves well with all the ball. His handle sucks. His handle sucks for being from Seattle dude. When you think of a Seattle basketball player, you know, that

handles fucking great Brandon Roy, Jamal Crawford, as they had Thomas bag on

bag on back. So it’s weird to, you know, the cops on him was, he was just this unbelievable score, but, um, I just don’t see it.

Like he killed it in Juco. He needs to beat that guy off the dribble for a layup.

Yeah. He might be as a second round pick, but I wouldn’t take him in the first not knowing. I thought he was 19. I was like, okay. Yeah. There’s there’s still some like you’re 21 and you’re show.

So you have anything else you want to say about this G league ignite? We’ll probably have to watch more of it. A better read on dice and Daniels, but do you have anything else you want to say about this team or I think the spacing

sucked. Yeah. It’s it’s, it’s really hard because like I said, the spacing sucks that if you go to college, you’re running the same two or three sets trying to dump it down low to drew Timmy or Oscar Sheba and saying, get out of the way and Armando bay bake-off or whoever the big is.

You’re just dumping it in there and running your offense through that rather than running NBA set. So it’s hard to see what a player looks truly looks like at an NBA. Um, the system, I know the G league plays at the same three point line, you know, the same shot clock, same length of game, but that it’s still not the spacing.

It’s, it’s still not quite there. So it’s really hard to make that direct apples to apples comparison. Um, I’m just really interested to see where a lot of these players start measuring out. Um, at the combine, you know, you look at a player like Daniels, who is six, six, and has he gotten stronger? What is that wingspan?

Really look like, you know, there’s certain prospects that were six, four, and now they’re six, six. Like I think that makes a lot of difference in, in the world. Like, especially, um, at the next level where you’re going up against the best of the best. There are those quickest, the most strongest, you know, everything they are elite, uh, probably the 400 best basketball players in the world play at this level.

So even the, the. Even an inch or two is a major, uh, advantage. Um, but I really do think that that Daniels, it was the best strapped eligible prospect by far, uh, on this, this roster. And I, I think he is going to be, I don’t think he’s the most like fit, fit, dominant player. Like he needs to go to the right system to be, to untap.

It has potential, but I do think that that is going to be an issue for him. Like you mentioned, if he plays with a player like, like Damian Lillard who can drop. I do, because you, you mentioned that if you have a player, who’s going to break down the defense. He’s exactly what Portland’s been neat. Like if you had him corn, Portland was making those, those runs against the pelicans or warriors or whatnot, you had him as an outlet.

It gives you some size on the wing. Um, I don’t know if he works with Damian alerts timeline, but I think the player Damian Lillard, if Dame’s going to say, I want to be in Portland, regardless of what you do. I think both players would, would reciprocate really well off of one another. Just like you said, I don’t think he’s a primary ball handler.

He can bring the ball up the court, but I just imagine. Dame or Anthony drawing so much gravity or so many bodies to them dumping it off for him to be that, that decision maker, like he makes a lot of good passes. Like he, he makes a lot of good hockey assists and you know, just him, you know, peppering the ball around the floor and whether it’s lobbing it up to NERC for dunk or kicking it out to, you know, Josh Hart for three, uh, whatever you want to do, like, I think he would.

Give the offense, a lot of options. And then you’re also able to play a weaker defender, like Lillard, like assignments and not worry about because he can go and he’s going to guard his man. Then you’ve got, you know, better defenders around them. Like, I, I just think Portland getting size and defense is going to be key for them because that’s been their, their, their bugaboos.

Since Wesley Matthews towards Akilis, uh, in 2015. So I do like the fit in Portland. I think it’s going to come down to where Portland lands in the lottery. Are they able to keep, are they able to keep the new Orleans pick as, as well? Um, like, like what do you bear? There are prospects that I would pick ahead of him.

If we only could take one shooting guard. If you have two picks and you’re able to get, like, let’s say you take Jayden IB, or you take Benedick Mavyret or whatever. I think the differences in Daniel’s game allows you to take another guard if you want to, just because of what he brings to the table. I think he can compliment a lot of players.

And I think that’s something that, that GM’s are gonna notice, like you, he makes others around better, and there are players that, like, he’s a great linking player as, as you have said. And that’s, I think a compliment rather than, uh, a detriment to that, that player. I mean, especially if you’re able to move up in that lottery and take one of those three bigs, I think he’s a player that could be around at 12.

If you’re able to keep that new Orleans pick and you’re coming home with a really solid draft, he

convinced me, I’m just worried about issue.

I think it’s a, it’s a very fair point. Um, I would say like, we love Jaden, Ivy, Jaden, Ivy needs to work on a shooting as well. Like I don’t, you’ve

seen the, you’ve seen him pull up from NBA range and hit it.

And he has like a, a confidence to him where I don’t think Dyson Daniels has that confidence to

his game yet. I would a hundred percent agree with that, but, but I would say that. Even if Daniel’s had shown some of those shots that the Ivy had done, he would be four or five spots on everybody’s draft board.

So like, I, I think when you’re picking and I think this is what happens when you go back and you look at like, why did clay Thompson last until 10 or 11? Why did Booker lasts until like 14? Like Kauai? What, why was he 15? Like it’s because they, they, they got better. Like you have to, when you look at a player, you have to.

Really see, okay. There’s what you can do. And I believe that you’re going to get better here, here, and here. Like there there’s very few prospects. They’re just like, yep. You’re signed, sealed and delivered Tim Duncan. Let’s zero in this draft. Yeah. There’s zero. I’m very, very rarely. Does it happen in any draft?

Like I think Anthony Edwards is a really good point or good, uh, player, uh, point to. Where he had a lot of holes in his game, but he got better. Like he developed like a motherfucker and he just dropped a crew high 49 points against the San Antonio spurs last night. He’s doing things that I didn’t think he was going to be able to do, but Minnesota believe that he would.

So a lot of it comes down to the player, um, the tangibles, the work ethic, uh, the system. So there there’s just so many factors. So I think if he goes to the right system, Uh, he gets a coach that doesn’t kind of pigeonholed him into a role.

If he goes to understand exactly what Chauncey Billups is going to do,

you hope not, but you, you just really never know.

I mean, I, you did see, you know, players like, like Anthony and. Get get an uptake in their games. Now, could that be due to coaching or could it just be to natural progression? Because it is year three for Nasir and he was finally healthy until he wasn’t healthy again. And then Anthony was kind of forced into a larger role.

And I mean, like

the fact that we had so many injuries and yada, yada, yada, they got stick

those shots, but usage was there. Like somebody had to do it. So. Um, you don’t really know what the cause of the, the uptick in production is, but if you, if you believe, like, if you just say, like, I think there’s a difference when I look at a shot, like Hollis, Jefferson, and, uh, key on Johnson or a Dyson Daniels, it’s like, okay, the form is like, I can’t break you out of that form.

Like you’ve been shooting that jump shot since you were eight years. Like that that’s something that just probably can never be fixed because you have 20, 15 to 20 years of muscle memory ingrained in you. Like, this is how you shoot the ball, but if your form looks good and you know, maybe it’s just like, okay, here’s how you need to position your body.

Here’s where you need to catch the ball. I think you can work on a quicker release now, do I think you can. Can you teach a release like Steph Curry or clay Thompson? No, that’s, that’s, that’s natural like that, that comes to them. Like they work on it, but that’s natural, but you can work on the mechanics.

Um, you can get them to speed it up a bit. You can say, okay, we’re going to catch the wall here rather than here. And you can go in the weight room. I mean, I mean

the ball placement of those guards bad.

So you play with the NBA level point guard. They’re going to put it, they’re going to put the biscuit right in the basket.

Yeah.

Um, I mean, I, I think the biggest swing factor is the shot and I’m not trying to, I I’ve made it a rule of mine. I’m not trying to project bad shooters into league average

ones. It’s hard. Like you just,

I mean, it’s, it’s such a it with where we are as a team shooting is the most important.

Well, I think in the NBA, the shooting, I mean, you have to be able to shoot to play the

only way you can’t be a good, a non shooter is if you have Katie Kyrie, Irving and Joe Harris,

or your Steph Curry’s on your team, or you’re, you know, seven plus feet tall.

And you’re an incredible defender like that. That’s where you hang your hat on. So you can get, get away with that. But you only have one non shooter max on the floor use

is going to be that every second he is on that.

So, yeah, but I, I really, um, enjoy Daniels more than more than I thought I would. I mean, there’s a lot of preconceived biases I had about the, about the G league.

And so it was good to kind of get those out of the way and watch it with a clean slate. One thing I did is I didn’t read any scouting reports. I didn’t look at any, um, Comparisons. I’ve watched him just like completely fresh eyes and what I liked, I liked doing that because then I like to take my notes and I go read the scouting reports that other people put out and see like, okay, here’s where I, we have similarities.

Oh, I’m higher here on lower here. Um, oh, my comps are kind of close, like, so it’s interesting to see like where my evaluation of a place. Is in comparison to other people like nobody, a perfect at this, we all it’s like an opinion. Everyone’s got one. Um, so it, it was really fun to look at Dyson Daniels. I think the next player Sage, we need to look at as someone who has declared for the draft and he kind of like did the meteoric rise, uh, from beginning of the season to where he is now.

It’s um, Malakai, Brandon, I’ve been trying to

get you to go.

From Ohio, swine, fuck. First of all, fuck Ohio state. So that’s that, but, um, it’s time like, yeah.

And, uh, Ladelle

ease and the Dell. Yeah, I’ll probably, like I said, it’s hard for me to do two in one, so I might a little bit in Ladell, but I’m really gonna focus on Brandon.

I think he could be there. Uh, if Portland has two picks, um, he’s projected right now, top 20, but he, like I said, nobody thought he was going to be a one and done. When can you just recruit to Ohio state? So he will be our next, uh, future Friday. We’ll be back on Sunday with the season finale episode of holy back board.

We will know where the blazer stand going into the draft lottery to a point. Well, we won’t know whether new Orleans has made the play in, uh, the playoffs from the plan. Until the following week, but we will have a good idea where Portland will be positioned into the lottery. And then we will, uh, take it from there with continuous draft coverage, leading up to the draft lottery in may and the draft, uh, in June. .