Latest news with #scouting
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Birmingham appoint Jutkiewicz as attack scout
Former Birmingham City striker Lukas Jutkiewicz will help the Championship club recruit new attacking talent after being appointed as a lead positional 36-year-old retired at the end of last season after helping Blues storm to the League One title and seal an immediate return to the second tier following relegation in spent nine years with Blues, making 358 appearances and scoring 69 club say his new "hybrid" role will have "an emphasis on the use of analytical tools to help identify potential targets".Jutkiewicz will attend matches and use video analysis and data to "create holistic evaluations of potential player acquisitions".His remit will cover building shortlists of possible domestic and international transfer targets and ensure the club's profiling model "remains consistent". "Now that my playing career has come to a close, I'm excited to begin a new chapter," Jutkiewicz said., external"I look forward to applying the knowledge and experience I've gained over my 20-year playing career in a different capacity, and I will bring the same commitment and passion to this new role as I did on the pitch."Birmingham director of football Craig Gardner said part of the appeal of appointing Jutkiewicz was he "knows the DNA of the club" and is sure he "will form a key role in enhancing our attacking player acquisition".Gardner added: "It will be a great environment for Lukas to both add significant value based on his experiences and learn from an outstanding team."
New York Times
14 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
College hoops coaches' 2026 NBA Draft sleepers? Rivals weigh in on second-round prospects
Throughout the year, NBA scouts ask questions of the college coaches who face the prospects they're evaluating to get a handle on the upcoming draft class. You can get a good assessment of a player from his own coaches, but the most honest assessments come from those who face him. Over the last few weeks, I've done the same, calling multiple coaches from each conference to get their scouting reports on the top players in this draft class. I granted the coaches anonymity in exchange for their candor, took the best of what each coach had to say and combined the report into one voice. Advertisement Below are scouting reports on every second-round college prospect in Sam Vecenie's latest mock draft and the best of the rest. Players are listed in order of Vecenie's rankings and numbered by where they went off the board in the mock draft. I also asked every coach for any sleepers they like and included those players at the end. The coaches' assessments of projected first-round prospects can be found here. He's transitioning into being a true point guard. His passing really improved this past year. His shotmaking really did not. I think he's an elite-level finisher. He has a great touch, and obviously a lot of it is left-hand-dominant, but I believe in his finishing. His two-point scoring improved a lot as his career went on. Obviously he won't be able to get as deep as he was able to in college in the NBA because of the size, but he also can pass. I'm concerned about his overall shooting. I think he'll be an off-the-bench guy, and his ceiling, if his shooting can come around, could be better than that. He's not very big. He has to get stronger just to compete against the size that exists in that league. So he's going to have to guard points and he's gonna have to continue to develop his playmaking and his shooting has to improve. Not a great offensive player. Straight-line driver, athletic, tough. When he led them in shot attempts and scoring, they were worse off as a team. So I don't know what his upside is in the league. Maybe a Lu Dort-type guy. Somebody you can just have be on the other team's best player and try to shut them down. He's one of those guys that's a really impactful college player, does a lot of things that impact winning. And for him to make it I think you would have to be on a very specific roster because offensively in the NBA, he's not going to be able to do a lot of the things that he did in college because physically he was able to overwhelm you and he was an elite athlete, but in the NBA you're going to see that every single night. Advertisement He would have benefited from another year. But even if he had stayed another year, he was probably going to be the same guy. I don't know how much he's going to improve shooting the ball. So maybe it was the right move to capitalize on the season he had. Just don't think he's an NBA player. He's more of a G-League guy. His size and his motor are really good. He had two impressive dunks over top of guys in our game. He's a backup big. Can he develop into a guy that can play out of the short roll and make decisions, or is he just going to be a guy that rim runs and puts pressure on the rim? Can he be a professional and get better? What he is right now, is this his floor or is this his ceiling? He might be a Duke player that's undervalued. When's the last time you heard that, right? Can really shoot, can manage a game. Impressed me with his IQ, knowing which shots were good ones. He's a strong right-hand driver and we tried to push him to his left, but he is capable of going both directions. When he gets into the paint, he's a very capable passer as well. Likes to pull up in the midrange. Makes big shots. You can't go under screens with him at all. Active defender and someone that's capable of getting deflections. Good positional size. I think there's certainly an NBA role for him as a backup guard at a minimum. The shooting translates. He's competitive enough to be able to want to guard. Could he get into an Andrew Nembhard role and be a guy like that? I don't know. That's probably a little bit aggressive. As a bigger guard that can shoot, I think he's got that competitiveness and toughness about him that could allow him to exceed his draft rating. Super impressive on film and equally as impressive in person. How Wisconsin played, there were times where you could kind of take him out of the game, but when it wasn't structured and the game got kind of ratted up, he was best. He excels in transition and on broken plays, which could be a good thing for the NBA with the pace and the timing. Now, is he a good enough athlete for the NBA? We'll see. Advertisement Oh man, tough dude. Physical. You go out to warmups and you see him out there, he's just such a specimen. Looks like a Lu Dort. He's got that type of body. Can he have an impact, not to the same level, but can he be like a Dort? Somebody that's just really not going to be screened, fights over everything and is really good on that end. He's not great in pick-and-roll, but he's a good cutter, and he shot it at a really good clip. He's gonna really have to be a specialist type to have a role in the NBA. His athleticism is probably the thing that's gonna hurt him more than anything, and his age, but you can't tell me that he's not going to produce, even at the NBA level. Is he a starting center? Probably not. But is he a guy that can be in the second-unit rotation and wear people down with his size and his smarts and his ability? I think so. I don't think he's got a huge upside in the league. But I do think there is a place for veteran guys that can have an imprint on a franchise. He's going to be a G-League guy. He's a 6-2 small forward, and I just don't think that really translates in the NBA. The one thing that could be said about him is that he's a winner. He's been to two Final Fours, won a national championship, and so he impacts winning on both ends of the floor. I love Peavy. From a defensive standpoint, his versatility is real. He has a competitive spirit. He could impact the game just by being an elite defender. He was probably the best defender in our league on the perimeter. He could impact the games without scoring His offense really improved this year. He's really worked at it through all the stops (Texas Tech, then TCU, then Georgetown). He seems to have an understanding of who he is as a player, which allows him to play to his strengths really well. Shooting is still going to be a question. Decision making is always gonna be a question, but his size and tenacity on defense can impact the game. He's old, so his ceiling is a little bit limited, but physically he's so ready. He was so ball-dominant at VCU, and I think there's teams that probably look at that and will be very intrigued. You can tell he's a high-IQ player. He makes good decisions in the pick-and-roll, whether it's for himself or the proper reads first level, second level and beyond. He's the guy I hated to guard or play against because he knew the game and had those European tricks — the push-offs and a lot of different things that help you win games. I hated it, but I respect it. I just don't know if that s— helps in the NBA. The questions are: How does he play in a system where in the NBA his usage rate will be much lower? Then, how does he hold up defensively against quicker, more athletic guards? He is a good, not great 3-point shooter. He's an awesome college player because of the way (former VCU coach Ryan Odom) used him, but if you can crawl into him and be physical and do certain things to him that you can't really do in the A-10, I just don't know if he's an NBA player. He'll be a high-level guy in Europe. Advertisement His inconsistency on a night-to-night basis could hurt him. He doesn't handle the ball very well. But without question, NBA range, size, can make a pull-up in the lane. The way they were running off screens was very reminiscent of how UConn and Detroit used Rip Hamilton all those years. But Rip could really put the thing on the ground. That was the difference. Lanier's not a great ballhandler. He's a specialist. Somebody you have to identify and know where he is at all times. Defensively, I thought he made some strides this past year under (Tennessee coach Rick Barnes). But I think he'd be more of like a 3-and-D guy in the NBA, more of a role player. Not that you're gonna put the ball in his hands and ask him to make plays. But physically, definitely checks off some boxes. And then obviously has a unique ability to make shots at a really high clip. He's strong. Could be a rotation big. Probably could be a starter on some teams as he matures and gets better. I think he'll be a legit NBA player because of his size, his ability to score around the basket and his ability to defend at the rim. At Michigan, I didn't love some of the histrionics, but he could almost be like a goon in the NBA, the big man version of Jose Alvarado. He comes in and picks up 94 feet. Vlad Goldin is the big who comes in and beats the mess out of people, gets a couple fouls and a double technical, changes the mentality of the team and sets the temperature a little bit hotter. I always thought he was an NBA player, and I didn't realize until we played them that he was 6-7 and he's legit 6-7. That's a guy I can see in the NBA for a long time. I don't know how you can replace what he can do with it. He gets it off so quickly. Can't really play-make for anyone else but himself, but if you need a guy to go out there and just make shots, at one point he was shooting 50 something percent from 3 during the year. Now, he's a horrible defender. I get that. And so you're gonna have to protect him on the other end. He's got to learn how to defend by taking deep angles. His feet aren't great as a defender, but man, as a shooter, not a lot of guys that could do what he does and shooting at that high of a clip in this league and throughout his college career. There's got to be a place for that. Love him. I talked to a lot of scouts about him during the year, and I was surprised that people were not as high on him. He is big. He can handle the ball. You could say he's a jump shot away from being an impact NBA player, but I believe in his shooting. His body type's different. He can be an elite defender. Plays hard. He's tough. He can guard multiple positions. He's switchable. That is a guy that I would absolutely take and think that he will make it and has a high ceiling. Advertisement Super talented. Long and rangy. Can handle the ball, shoot the ball, pass the ball. But in my opinion, no toughness. His numbers are really good and he's able to do a whole bunch of stuff and he looks the part, but something's just kind of missing. I think part of his deficiency is he doesn't defend. He'll give you 17, but he'll give up the same, and when it's time to win the game he's just not going to do it. He doesn't shoot it well enough, doesn't handle and burst well enough for that level. Potentially he could be a Kyle Anderson-type guard, but is he worth building stuff around? He was the main guy at Nevada — him and Nick Davidson — and they were just OK and they were supposed to be really good. He's going to have to really find a way to impact the game with his length and athleticism in more ways on the defensive end and on the glass to make it. He has the stuff within him to be able to figure it out to be a backup point guard in the league. Always comes up with a big shot. Good defensively. We called him Chucky the Gambler. He was so disruptive on defense and active. Got steals. Played with such a high motor. He has a good feel for how to play. Doesn't force anything. Makes pull-up jumpers, 3s, good in transition. Every time we made a mini run, he was the one that would stem the tide because he would make a big play. He's undersized, and he'll need to be a guy who picks up 94 feet. He's going to figure out a way to make it. I'll never bet against that kid. Skilled, tough, nasty. He's one of those dudes that'll carve out a role. If he makes it to the NBA, it'll be because it's straight toughness and his relentlessness. It won't be because he's overly athletic. It won't be because he can shoot better than this person. It'll be just because he's just nasty and he'll get s— done. Tough one because he's a high-usage guard that won't be in that role anymore, and so how does he scale down and really impact the team? He does have good size as a lead guard/combo guard. A legit three-level scorer. Strong finisher at the rim. I just don't know if he has that NBA skill — any one particular — that's really going to allow him to hang. Could he be somebody's backup point guard? Maybe. He's not necessarily a driller that you're going to play off the ball. He's not going to be good enough to run second-unit offense through. He's not an outstanding defender. What is that guy gonna bring? A boom-or-bust type guy. Great rebounder and excellent defender. He improved as a shooter, but I don't know if I fully trust his shot yet. I do trust his motor, his competitive spirit, his energy. I think that'll translate really, really well. Probably wouldn't say I'd predict he was going to be Big East Player of the Year, but he has a toughness to him. He has all the tools to do everything that's needed at that level. It seems like he's a guy that really, really wants to score the ball and kind of bases how his game is going on that, and he'll probably be a role guy at that next level. How does that go? Who knows? I don't think there's many players in the league that can make other people around them better like he does. He's an incredible pick-and-roll player. He sees every pass. Guys don't even know they're open, and he throws to a spot where he gets them open. You play him as a passer, and he still gets every pass. In the last 10-15 years, I can't remember a point guard that enjoyed passing the ball the way that he does. People always say, well, he didn't score enough. I think he can score. I just think he has an incredible ability to see a pass ahead and takes great pleasure in making other people better. I don't think there are that many guys at the next level that can pick defenses apart the way that he can. Advertisement He's really, really small up close. Can he consistently keep defenses honest by just being able to make an adequate amount of 3s? He's streaky as a shooter, and I think that's gonna be something that he'll need to improve on if he wants to really stick. But he's as elite as they come from a passing standpoint. Can he be a guy like TJ McConnell? He's a pest on the ball. He can get steals. He just kind of knows how to play and has a knack for it. Love his physicality, love his motor, love his ability to pass the ball. Kentucky would use him in the middle of the floor and have him initiate different actions, and he was great at that. His decision making was questionable at times. Obviously one of the best rebounders in the country this past season. He doesn't shoot the ball, but physically he was one of the more imposing players in our league. He was one of those guys that I thought really stood out in the SEC, somebody that has really continued to improve and somebody that I think could have some success at the next level because he does a couple things at a really high level. Too small. Offensively, does a lot of good things, but I think he really took a step back from last season. He dropped 9 percent from 3 in a year and dropped 10 percent from 2. He doesn't have the point guard's mentality he's gonna need in the NBA. Not fast enough and doesn't have enough wiggle to be able to really get by you at that level. And he's not very good defensively. He was a great, great college player. I just don't think it translates to the next level because athletically, physically, he's just not really gonna be able to do much with his stature. He was very soft coming out of high school, but he had the talent to really shoot the ball, instincts were pretty decent. Just not tough, not gritty. And then I see him over the last couple years what he did at BYU and Kentucky. He's gotten better, but he's always had those dimensions as an NBA player. He's going to have to play more off the ball. And defensively, he was solid, not great. So I think he's the guy that could potentially develop in the G-League and find his way onto a roster. RJ Luis was an absolute load to deal with, and Zuby Ejiofor was good too, but I think Richmond was such a domino in them winning. He has real size as a point guard and great feel defensively. At times it looks like he's somewhat lost out there, but then he makes these plays that are incredible. Advertisement It's hard to play guys who can't shoot. That's going to be something that is going to get scrutinized to the highest level because it's so important up there. But playing against him, he feels like a guy that over time as you've coached and watched guys who have made it, you watch him and think, that guy makes it. If you were to look at his stats over his career, when he actually played versus when he didn't play and the impact it had on his team, even going back to Seton Hall, he impacts winning. It seemed like his decision making really improved this past year. He was just more sound, not as loose with the ball. His deal might be a guy that has to bounce around some, but wouldn't be shocked if he gets up there and finds a role somewhere. The numbers he put up this year were crazy. He showed that he can do more than just post up and shoot 3s. I think he's a high-floor guy, limited ceiling. Shotmaking was real. He does take some bad ones and struggles to create his own one against better athletes. Positionally, what will he be at that level? He seems to be OK with a lot of different roles, which I think would benefit him for the next step. On a winning team, I could see him making it, at least for a cup of coffee where he can make shots as a small-ball four. He's got to prove he can guard perimeter at that level. For a guy his size, he can really move his feet. He could switch and move in college. Another one I like and mentioned to NBA guys during the year and didn't quite understand why people didn't like him. So smooth. Gets to the rim. He can play in pick-and-roll. He rejected us a couple times and got to his pull-up and made it look effortless. Good size for a guard. Can really defend. I did see a couple of times when physicality hurt him. But he was one of the best guards in the ACC. I would bet on him for the mix of toughness, athleticism, offensive skill that he is going to stick at least as a backup point guard. Unbelievable shooter. He's got a rifle. When he gets that thing going, it's automatic. Probably can't guard me or you, and I think he'll have trouble guarding in the NBA, but he can really shoot the ball. Kind of like a Duncan Robinson. Houston guard LJ Cryer Because he can flat out score and shoot. There's a niche for a guy like that to have a bench role and come in and make baskets. St. John's wing Aaron Scott Aaron Scott will surprise some people in workouts. Not to get drafted, but I could see him playing Summer League and getting an Exhibit 10 or a two-way and making it from there, because he's a better shooter than his percentage. Butler wing Jahmyl Telfort He didn't impact winning at the level you thought he was capable of. Who knows all the reasons, but his versatility and his size were always something hard to deal with. He really improved his shooting. Defensively, I do think there's some limitations. Advertisement Missouri guard Caleb Grill He might have a place in the league as a specialist. I know he's old, but man can he shoot that rock. And he's an asshole… in a good way. He came in and just lit our ass up. Some of the shots he was making, they were ridiculous shots. With his quick release and ability to sprint off screens and still get his feet set, he's got to have a role somewhere with that skill set. San Francisco guard Marcus Williams He's got NBA size at the position. He's really athletic. He's tough. He can defend. And he makes big, big shots. Like big shots. I don't know what happened with him at the end of the year, but I thought he would be a guy that would have a chance to play at that level because he's got the whole package. (Top illustration photos: Emilee Chinn, Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Flamengo chief who discovered David Luiz, Nemanja Matic and Ramires on their unique transfer strategy that secured Jorginho - as they target Chelsea star
Jose Boto's track record as a scout is up there with the very best, the long list of names he brought to Benfica in years gone by reading like a who's who of famous footballers, from Angel Di Maria to Ederson to Axel Witsel to Jan Oblak and so on. But our conversation in Philadelphia is centring on three players in particular because, now that Boto is the director of football for Brazilian side Flamengo, they are relevant to their next Club World Cup opponents Chelsea. They are David Luiz, Nemanja Matic and Ramires. Benfica signed them for close to £10million collectively on Boto's recommendation, and then sold all three to Chelsea for more than six times their original investment. That was how it used to go: spy a talent, sign him, mature him, sell him to the Premier League for a tidy profit. Trouble is, Chelsea are now among those giants going straight to the source, scouting for themselves in South America and beyond, in a bid to eradicate that expensive middle man. That is a killer for sides such as Benfica, where Boto was chief scout for 11 years. Stints as sporting director for Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and PAOK in Greece have now taken him to Flamengo, whose manager is Filipe Luis, the former Chelsea left back. While everyone else is searching for the next super-starlet, Flamengo are doing it differently. They are targeting experience and it was two weeks ago when Boto secured the signing of Jorginho after the 33-year-old midfielder exited Arsenal. 'One of the things we tried to do here was to bring 10 players with big experience in Europe who can pass to the young players the behaviour of European standards,' Boto tells Mail Sport. 'In terms of training, in taking care of themselves. In the beginning we brought in Danilo, he played for Manchester City, Juventus, Real Madrid. Jorginho was in that way of thinking – to bring in someone who has that European mentality. 'I was in Benfica for many years and the target there and also at Shakhtar was to find the next wonderkid. It was a strategy to bring young players who can compete in the leagues we were in, but also have the potential to become top and then sell these players to teams like Chelsea. 'We knew we could do that because the big clubs from the big leagues weren't going to Brazil, to Argentina, to Serbia, to Ukraine. It was a strategy from Portuguese clubs for 10, 12, 15 years. 'Now that is almost impossible because these big clubs go in search of these kids. Chelsea have picked some players from not evident markets. It is much more difficult now. 'One of the secrets in Benfica was the fact that the president understood you can make mistakes in scouting. He trusted us. He told us many times to bring in players if we think they have potential. If one of the six you bring in becomes Di Maria or David Luiz, it pays for everything.' Another experienced player who Flamengo have looked at signing this summer is Joao Felix from Chelsea. Boto knows the 25-year-old Portuguese, given he was a product of the Benfica academy, and he is now available after returning from his AC Milan loan. 'It was an idea we had and then the idea died very fast because it was not the goal of Joao to come to play in Brazil,' Boto explains. 'This is a fantastic player who I think needs a nice place to develop again his potential – because he has this potential. He needs to find now the right place to be happy again. The potential he has is much more than he has shown in these last years.' Boto was behind Shakhtar hiring Robert De Zerbi as their manager in 2021, before he went on to become the boss of Brighton. De Zerbi was under consideration by Chelsea when they ultimately landed on Enzo Maresca last summer. Boto is not so sure that their Premier League opponents will be 'scared' of them, but he does warn that Maresca's side would be making a big mistake if they go into this second group game expecting an easy outing in Philadelphia. 'I'm lucky to have a coach who is not so different than De Zerbi,' Boto adds on Luis. 'He doesn't have his experience, but he has many characteristics, not only in the way of playing but in the way he works. The two are workaholics. They want to know everything. 'Filipe has been a coach for one year. I can assure you that he will be one of the top coaches in the next three-to-five years, also the best from Brazil. I think Filipe will change the face of Brazilian coaching to European clubs. Really, he is different. I can assure a brilliant future from him.'
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How rival college hoops coaches see the 2026 NBA Draft's first-round prospects
Throughout the year, NBA scouts ask questions of the college coaches who face the prospects they're evaluating to get a handle on the upcoming draft class. You can get a good assessment of a player from his own coaches, but the most honest assessments come from those who face him. Over the last few weeks, I've done the same, calling multiple coaches from each conference to get their scouting reports on the top players in this draft class. I granted the coaches anonymity in exchange for their candor, took the best of what each coach had to say and combined the report into one voice. Advertisement Below are scouting reports on every first-round college prospect in Sam Vecenie's latest mock draft. Players are listed in order of Vecenie's rankings and numbered by where they went off the board in the mock draft. Part two, on second-round prospects and sleepers, will publish Friday. What struck me was how much better offensively he was this year than his reputation. Everyone's going to talk about the motor. I thought he was more a hard-playing defensive guy, and what he's able to do as a playmaker, passer, and obviously the way he shot the ball was way better than anybody thought he was going to. His ability to fit in with anybody is gonna be his greatest asset. He's going to be a star because he's just elite in his role. His defensive tenacity and ability to cover ground on that end is something that separates him. He's got the star qualities about him, probably an all-NBA ceiling. Does he have competitive juices of a Jimmy Butler type of dude? Is that somebody that he could be comparable to down the line, in terms of impact in the game? He's going to have to tighten up his handle. He's going to have to become a much better catch-and-shoot guy to be the number one on an NBA team, but the ceiling is extremely high. He's got a great body, great body control, great finisher at the basket. Obviously has to work on his jump shot, but he can make it. Scores at all three levels. I don't know how well he'll do with the ball out of his hands. I can see him playing a role like a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander type. I know that's the MVP. I'm not saying he's going to be Shai, but I can see his ceiling being that, because he's really, really good with the ball in his hands, really good getting downhill. He can make plays for others, and he can make plays for himself. Good size for a point guard in the NBA. Advertisement Dylan is a worker, man. I felt like he kept getting better and better and evolved as a player, which speaks to why he's such a coveted pick. Those guys are picked apart, and on that team, he had to do so much and was the focus of our scouting report and probably everybody else's. Tip of the cap to him and the guys at Rutgers for getting him better. Got pedigree. Dad was in the NBA. Mom was the one who really worked him out a lot. He's going to have a head start ahead of every one because of his dad and his mom. Huge upside. Has the potential to be a 3-and-D guy at a high level. Big time athlete. Straight-line driver. Can make corner 3s. Love the joy that he plays with. His best basketball is in front of him, but I think he's talented and athletic enough he'll be able to find some spot minutes early. His comp is Victor Oladipo. Ceiling, if he figures it out, he's Dwyane Wade. My bet is he's a good pro that probably plays eight to 10 years. I don't think he is ever going to be a centerpiece like Wade. When he gets downhill, the length will bug him. We were s— defensively, and he didn't really hurt us. I don't know if he has enough offensive firepower to be a centerpiece. But he could have a good career where he's an Oladipo type, a good player for a couple years and then one of the better players on a team for a couple years. He wasn't as tall as they say he was. He has some special flashes and seems to enjoy playing. He had a great motor and a good spirit about him. He has the capability to play defense and probably didn't defend as well as he could at Rutgers. Some might wonder why they didn't win more with two lottery picks, but those guys were freshmen playing against older teams. When you invest a lot of money, like Rutgers did, in two guys, your supporting cast is not great. That's not their fault. The upside for Ace is his shooting. He's a big-time shotmaker. He makes NBA type shots. He makes tough shots. If he can find a niche and take care of his body, he should have a good career. Advertisement One of the most naturally gifted scorers as a freshman that we've seen in our time in the league. I don't know if he's big enough to be a wing, but I think he can be combo. He can come off a ball screen. He can get separation on his shot. His shotmaking ability and his bad shotmaking ability is elite. They kind of just gave him the ball and let him go, and you don't see many people in college, much less freshmen, being able to make those types of shots. His comp is probably Jamal Crawford. But how much better does he make his team? I do think winning has to come into play at some point. Not to say he's not a winner, but it wasn't enough to be able to take them over the hump. When Markelle Fultz went number one, Washington won nine games that year. Not sure why you would think that would be your franchise guy. And I know that (Rutgers') Dylan Harper is gonna go second. I understand it's not everything. His whole thing is going to be how is he going to continue to develop defensively and impact winning on that end of the floor. How much can he improve in being able to physically guard one through four, one through five in the NBA, that's going to be the biggest question mark. But he's a dynamic scorer and somebody who I think should have a really long career in the NBA. If nothing else, he's gonna be somebody who's gonna give you a great punch off the bench for a long time. He'll be able to play right away because of the shooting and IQ. He can post up a mismatch. We tried to play him off the line, because he is an elite shooter. Great release. Great footwork. If he drives left, he wants it to his pull-up. Drives right, he's more getting to the basket. I didn't have him as a natural passer, but he knows how to make the right play. We tried to stay attached to him. He was able to get in the paint and he's so fundamental playing off two feet. He bullied our wings a couple times at the basket. Very even-keeled personality. What everyone's gonna say is, what's he gonna do defensively in space? Duke kind of masked and hid that a little bit. He had Khaman Maluach behind him, and they were switching a lot. I don't think we quite got to see that. It wouldn't surprise me if that's the fourth-best player on a championship team. He's an upside guy. He's dynamic off of a ball screen. He's got great speed, really good change of direction. He's got good moxie. He is the size of a modern NBA point guard. I think that's pretty evident just in terms of what he was able to do against SEC defenses this year. Reminds me of Jordan Clarkson. What would help him is if he went to an established franchise where he can kind of blend in versus going to a losing team. I don't know if he's gonna turn your franchise around. He's gonna need a lot of other pieces to go along with him. He's a talented kid, but is he a consistent winner in the NBA? I don't know that answer. He only shot 28 percent from 3. With how much he turned the ball over and some of his on-the-court antics, I'd have some hesitancy taking him as a first-rounder. Think he'll be in the G-League a lot next year. Advertisement I love his size. He's the opposite of Ace Bailey. He was bigger in person than I thought he was on tape and played bigger. I love his length. I love his pace. I'd seen him play as a younger kid in some of the other events, and I loved how he adjusted to the college game and speed. He was really good early on, especially shooting the ball, and tapered off some as the season went along. It'll be interesting to see how the speed of the game at the NBA level affects him from the point guard position. That's a tough position to play in the NBA. There's not many foreign point guards in the NBA. But he has a big-time skill set. The thing that stood out when he played us, they were kicking our ass — up 20 — the defensive possession at the end of the game where the game is basically done, he was just communicating at one of the highest levels that I've seen and that's impressive for a freshman. Empowering some of the guys who weren't playing as much to get over screens because he was there to help. His mouth was continuously moving. I think that type of maturity is going to really help him early in his NBA career. He wasn't able to show he could shoot at Duke, but that's something he's done well in workouts. He's got the size and is a great lob threat and shot blocker. He's probably not switchable at that level. And so now in drop coverage, is he able to protect the rim and impact the game defensively at a high enough level to stay on the court? I don't think he's as good as Dereck Lively was coming out. Dereck moved so well laterally and could really change ends quickly. I don't get that same feel from Maluach. But I was high on him after seeing him play against us, just because of the intangibles. Physically, one of the more impressive players that we've had in our league. Able to get to his spots. Exceptional low-post scorer. Finishes at a pretty good clip around the rim. I don't think he took a step back last year, but his team did take a step back, which I think hurt him a little bit as far as just his productivity and his numbers. But he was still pretty efficient on the offensive end. He made nine 3s this past season, so has shown the ability to shoot it. Obviously needs to improve on that consistency to have a chance to play some four in the NBA because he's too small to play the five. Turns the ball over a little too much. That'd be the one other area that he really needs to improve, but as far as going and getting rebounds, even though he's 6-8, he's got really long arms and you would think that you'd have a rebound and he would just go and get it. If we were talking about drafting somebody in the late 80s to 90s, I would think he looks like a top-10 guy. I don't know how well his game is going to translate in today's NBA. Obviously he's going to get drafted and he's a talent. But what's his position going to be? Who is he going to defend and can he defend on the perimeter consistently enough to justify keeping him out there? It would have to be the right team. If he's able to handle the ball better and knock down open shots, he's got the other pieces to make it work. Advertisement Love him. I think he plays as long as he wants if his 3 ball goes in consistently, which I think it will. And then defensively he can guard perimeter-oriented guys, which is his next step. Feels like there's a ton of guys like him at 6-8 to 6-9 that can make 3s and just be out there, you know? I don't think he's a franchise guy, but I think he plays for a while. He fits a prototype. Size, length, shooting. And he's a good athlete. Each team in the NBA has a guy like him. I was a big fan of his. Love the skill. Big. A mismatch nightmare. Could do a lot on the basketball floor. He's a Nikola Jokić type with his skill set and the way he uses his body. Great hands, great feet and a better defender than he was given credit for. I don't worry about the speed of the game with him anymore. They had a really good team, but he was the anchor of that thing. So I think he'll be just fine. His skill set is phenomenal and his IQ is better than what a lot of people give him credit for. He's working on his body. If he can figure out how to get his body in elite shape and play every single night, I think he's an All-Star. The path he took to get here is pretty remarkable — starting at a Division III school and basically being an unknown player. I think he's a mid-first-round pick and probably still inching his way up. Instantly gonna fit the 3-and-D prototype that the NBA values so much. I don't think he's close to being where he can get to either, which is kind of what they're looking for too. As he develops, he'll have a chance to be a pretty good scorer, but he has immediate stock in terms of his ability to make shots and defend with his positional size. He's a winning player. In addition to his shooting, he can post, gets to the basket and plays through contact. His character is probably the greatest thing he's got. Just a great guy. I think he is going to be somebody in the NBA that really brings a lot of value to the locker room. He's obviously got a high level of skill. Plays with a really great motor for a young guy, great length, great hands. The worst-case scenario for him would be Thomas Bryant. Best is way, way, better than that. He just plays the game the right way. Has the physical tools, skill with the ball in his hands. He'll be better with better shooting around him because he has the ability to post but also has the ability to catch lobs. Could be used as a hub in some ways in the offense because he is a pretty good passer. Their team was significantly different without him. Against us, he was more of a post player. I thought if he were to come back another year, he would be an absolute load to deal with once he added strength, added everything. He was one of those guys that — this is kind of a tell of a good player — you feel like you do a good job against him, but then you pick up the stat sheet and there's still a lot of production. He still has to work on decision making, but he's just so young for his class that I would bet on him. He could be an All-Star. Man, that one's hard. He's a guy that's really intriguing just because of his positional size and being able to play the point and play in pick-and-roll. The spacing in the NBA may be better suited to his game. But I don't trust his jumper. I know he's worked at it. Does that develop? And how's he gonna score 2s? So if you can't score 2s, then you don't put two on the ball, and if you don't put two on the ball, you can't pass. That's my question. I don't know how he's going to do that. I don't think he can create his own. But damn, he can really, really pass. Like, elite, elite. Both hands, both corners. Love Wolf. He was better than I thought he would be. He played at his pace and never got sped up. I think he needs to work on his shooting to be a floor spacer. But he's tremendously skilled. He could have a tough time guarding, but he's probably the most ready to find a way into a role on an NBA team among Big Ten prospects just because of his age. I'm not sure what exactly that looks like. It's probably depending on the franchise. Advertisement Versatile. Tough. He was a lot bigger in person than I realized. His rebounding seemed like he had a level of confidence as a freshman that was impressive. Obviously got hurt during the year, but he's a guy that impacted them a ton because of his ability to get to the foul line. Will that translate as well or will he be just more of a guy that's making catch-and-shoot corner 3s? Because at UConn he was a decision maker, and I don't know if that's going to translate as well as it did in college. I wouldn't call him an elite shooter, but a very good shooter. Defensively, he's not better. Better than I thought he'd be. I think he has a high ceiling. Physically has to get stronger, but I think with his feel, his knack for getting fouled and his competency defensively, he's an NBA starter at some point. It's a bit funky with him because he's 6 feet and he's not a point guard. His measurements were not great. Small. He would have to be a Lou Williams type guy. I think he'll struggle a little because he is not a very speedy guy. He's not tricky with the ball. Obviously had a great freshman year. But he would be one that I would worry about because of his size. Very, very, very talented. I love his size, his pace. Shotmaker. Scoring mentality. Before our game against Illinois, he was getting in a full sweat workout in warmups, like pro style. That was his routine. I was super impressed. The physicality of the NBA game is what I worry about with him, but he wasn't rattled by the moment. In the guts of the game, he was really, really good. He's so young. If he gets in the right situation where he gets a vet to take him under his wing, he's a phenomenal talent, he has a chance to be really good. Great skill set. Makes big plays, passes well, rebounds, tips, deflects, gets to the ball. And those are huge transferable skills at the next level. You look at the score and you're like, he got the quietest 20-and-8 ever. He's not a high-volume guy. Super efficient. Just knew his game, played to his game, really rebounded from the guard spot, which I think is so valuable. And the thing to me that translates the most is work ethic. He has really, really transformed his body. We've seen the fruits of his labor at a period where he's not exhausted by the process of it. Will he be a superstar? I don't know. But he's a guy that just ends up sticking in the league because of all the things that it seems like he's about in terms of his work ethic and his competitiveness and just the willingness and impact on winning. Their other guys were good, but he made those guys way better than what they were, in my opinion. I think that's what makes him special. Advertisement Grateful he's gone. He's for sure a long-term NBA guy, especially with the NBA game trending back to bigger guys. You watch the playoffs, and these teams are playing 11 to 13 guys. They're just mixing combination lineups. I just don't see how he can't be in those games. He has an incredible feel and IQ for the game. His size is real. His ability to execute the drop coverage that a lot of NBA teams utilize with their big is elite. He's got a great feel for it. He has a motor. Sometimes you hear motor and it's guys who are just fast running around. But that dude does not get tired. He came out like four minutes a game maybe? And he's sprinting up and down the floor. And then offensively, man, I think he's just gotten better and better. He finishes well with both hands around the paint. He's about as consistent as they can be. He actually can shoot and he improved and showed his 3-point shooting a bit where you had to guard him. He's got to speed up the mechanics some, but his ability to protect the rim and then his IQ at being able to play pick-and-roll defense and catch lobs, he'll be a guy that will be on a roster for a really long time and could anchor a second team as a five man with the upside to be a starter down the line. Elite shotmaker. His ability to go from playing off the ball to being their point guard and showing the ability to not only take over games offensively shooting it but also facilitating it while cutting down on his turnovers speaks to his ability to find a place to play at the next level offensively. Defensively, he's got a lot of work to do. He gets lost out there on the floor. He's a bit of a liability, but there's not many people that I've ever seen play that can immediately make up for their defensive mistakes by knocking down three straight 3s in a row. He's so elite offensively that you're almost willing to put up with his inability to defend because he's that good on that end of the floor. But for him to be able to play consistent minutes, he's got to get better defensively. Obviously has the size and the frame. Was a very efficient player, really didn't take bad shots, which I think is a positive. He works his tail off. And quite honestly, even playing in the SEC, he was a lot tougher than I thought he was going to be when he first got into the league. He's just a good-natured, soft-spoken, nice person. Better skill level than what you think. Still not consistent enough as a shooter, but when it comes to upside, athleticism, being able to slide his feet, guard multiple positions, make a standstill 3, I like his upside. He should be in the lottery consideration. You can plug and play him and put him in a rotation as your second-unit guy and keep developing him with other really good players around him. Big and can really shoot. Really good rebounder. His shooting numbers were excellent. He took some really bad off the dribble 3s. If you take his off-the-dribble 3 out of his overall percentage, then the numbers just skyrocket. (Raynaud was 2 of 18 on off-the-dribble 3s and 65 of 110 on catch-and-shoot 3s.) He would take a lot of tough shots at the college level. But as a secondary guy and a big that can shoot, I think there's a lot of offensive value. Good athlete, but not like elite. The physicality of the NBA game, curious to see how he makes that transition. He averaged over three offensive rebounds a game, so there isn't a motor issue. Defensively, can he drop or can he switch? Is he good at either of those? Not a great rim protector. His defense will determine his upside, but at a minimum, he's pretty skilled, a good passer and can really shoot. He averaged 20 and almost 12 and made some big, big shots in big moments. That's pretty darn good. He'll find a way to make it. Advertisement I think he's going to be a better NBA player than he was a college player. His game just translates better to the NBA as a 3-and-D guy. I've had 20-plus people in the NBA reach out. He's got all the tangibles. He's 6-9 with a 7-foot plus wingspan. St. Joe's could have utilized him a little bit more, but it's just hard to do that when you've got arguably the best point guard and the best shooting guard in our league with Xzayvier Brown and Erik Reynolds. They didn't run a fancy system. They just kind of just balled out. He probably didn't rebound it as well as you would think given his size and athleticism inside of the A-10, but he's one of those guys that fits in with the modern day NBA. He's not great putting the ball down. But as a 3-and-D, versatile swing, he can guard up or down with his size and lateral quickness and ability to make spot 3s. He's got to improve his ability to shoot off movement, but he can make catch-and-shoot kickout 3s as a really good complementary piece. I don't love him. I think people get to the point where they kind of throw out that 3-and-D label pretty loosely just because he's got the size and athleticism that that prototype has. But I think he's got a ways to go to kind of realize that. I didn't see the super high-level defense. He shot a good percentage from 3 (37.9 percent), but he was the guy for UNC who you helped off. We were daring him to shoot and he made some shots. But nothing really stood out about his offensive game. I didn't see a legit handle, and I didn't see a guy that was overly aggressive either. He would have been better served coming back playing a bigger role offensively to show that he can do a little bit more. Is he worth a shot because he has the attributes they're looking for? Yes. He'll probably carve out a role in the NBA. I just don't know if he's an impactful player. (Top illustration photos: Joe Buglewicz, Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Brotherly arguments at the heart of Boston recruitment
Brotherly arguments have famously split up bands and created rival sporting brands, and how Boston United lands new recruits is no Sam and Shaun Graham are joint chief scouts at the National League club and freely admit to "falling out" with one another while at they will differ from rock stars Noel and Liam Gallagher, whose fraternal feud tore Oasis apart in 2009, or Adi and Rudi Dassler, whose quarrel led them to founding rival companies Adidas and Puma, is that they welcome the disagreements."Generally we will have a little bit of an argument," Sam told BBC Radio Lincolnshire."As you can imagine, we are brothers, and we do fall out. But I usually win."With a scoff, Shaun follows up with: "No, I don't think that's true." Tales of footballing brothers sticking together are nothing and Phil Neville featured for Manchester United and England; the Ivory Coast's Yaya and Kolo Toure had three years together at Manchester City; and then there were Ronald and Frank De Boer, who teamed up at Ajax, Barcelona, Rangers and the Netherlands during their illustrious Bellingham bros, Jude and Jobe, are among the highest-profile siblings in the game at the moment, starring for Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, after both emerged at Birmingham it differs for the Graham brothers is that they are lifelong Boston fans who are living out their dreams with the club off the the scouting department of the fifth-tier club is something they have done together for the past two returned to the Pilgrims together, having previously started out with them as volunteer regional scouts before going on to develop their careers away from Jakemans Community who still recalls the first time he watched Boston United with his father and brother when aged five, says the job he shares with Shaun remains a "passion" above all else."I grew up a little addicted to football from a young age, especially non-league football," he said."And we have been lucky to have this amazing opportunity to now be involved and use that passion to try and drive the football club forward."Football and being on the lookout for talent is an all-consuming pursuit for the 38-year-old they are not working side by side, they laugh that they are probably on the phone to one another."We are quite lucky that we have different skill sets," Sam said. "I will do a lot of the admin stuff, a lot of the communication and speaking to the manager and a lot of the players. "And Shaun does a lot of the reporting and getting out and watching players, so that dynamic gives us two really good skill sets and allows us to do the job."As much as they play to one another's strengths as a scouting team, how the twin brothers view a player is not always even then, they have worked out ways of settling an argument in a way that Boston United benefits."It can be difficult at times, and there are disagreements now and again," said Shaun, who is the older brother by 48 minutes."But we tend to come to the same outcome because we have the same outlook on the game, and our opinions are very similar on players."Sometimes not agreeing is quite healthy. It keeps the relationship between us strong, I'd say."
