FNG wrote:Camden wrote:I think it's Cade Cunningham alone at the top by himself and then a gap before you get to the next tier that includes Jalen Suggs, Moses Moody, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes. I can't confidently say that those four will be franchise players, but I can perhaps see a route to All-Star recognition in their futures.
CC is terrific, but I still see the other two at the same level...Cunningham was way too careless with the ball in games I watched him this season. I still see him as a legitimate contender for the #1 pick, and he would look great next to Ant. I really like Moody too, but I don't see him in the top 3. I just can't warm up to Barnes. I get that he is a capable distributor and has an NBA body, but 27% on 3-pointers, 62% on free throws and only 4 rebounds per game despite being able to overpower college players just doesn't add up to a top 10 talent for me.
I still see Cunningham as the best pro prospect in the upcoming draft. However, I see Suggs as a close second and Mobley at #3 but not super close to Suggs.
Suggs has a college stat line that tends to translate into NBA success as a PG. First, he's a 50% FG shooter. Most of the elite NBA guards had FG percentages in the high 40s or around 50% and you won't find many athletic guards who shot 50% in college but ended up not being really good NBA players. All the more impressive that Suggs did that as a freshman. Second, he averaged 5.5 rebounds in 29 minutes per game. That's really elite for a PG and is a strong indicator of NBA success. Finally, he averaged 2 steals in his 29 minutes per game. That's another stat that tends to bode well for NBA success. The eye test confirms Suggs as an elite passer and excellent defender. He's athletic and, as we saw yesterday, he's a big shot maker.
I've watched quite a bit of Mobley this season. I like him, but he's really skinny and weak. He's a good ball-handler with a decent three-point shot, but he's nowhere near Anthony Davis in the skills department. That's not surprising since AD was a guard until a late growth spurt. Mobley looks and plays like a big man, which is what he's always been, but with more mobility than most. Keep in mind that his college stats were no better than Okongwu's. If I were Rosas and ended up with the first pick, I'd be strongly inclined to take Cunningham, but I'd at least give Suggs some thought. If picking second, I'd take Suggs in a heartbeat if Cunningham is off the board. At #3 I'd probably take Mobley, but I'd give some thought to Moody.
