Draft Countdown: Tyreke Evans

[RonaldArtest]

It's either this kid or DeRozan for us IMO. Both guys have high ceilings, and I absolutely love Tyreke's tight handle and slashing abilities. He gets to the basket with ease, and we could use a creator like him. Plus he can play the 2 or the 1. If DeRozan's gone, bring him here BC!

[Alfred]

DrMufasa, you think that Joey Graham contributes more than Thornton and Gay on a basketball court?

[Dr Positivity]

I think Gay and Thornton make their teams worse while Joey most of the time has no impact either way, so yes. There's no denying Gay/Thornton are way more talented and skilled but between the inefficient chucking, ball stopping, and no defense, I see them as negative impact players like Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, and Larry Hughes

[Test of Wills]

DrMufasa, you think that Joey Graham contributes more than Thornton and Gay on a basketball court?

That's exactly what he's saying.

[Raps in 4]

Evans is the best SG after Harden. We'd be extremely lucky if he's still around at 9.

[basketball royalty]

Originally Evans was number one on my SG wish list, even ahead of Harden. His rep for selfishness and being a ball stopper has changed that. I would still be very happy to grab him with our pick but I would not pass up Harden or DeRozen to get him. Skills wise I think he would be perfect for the team and better than either of those two but I am worried about him not being a team player. If we can hold on to Bosh and Marion and really want to improve, we would be better off with a guy who will do what it takes to be part of a team.

[Dennis P]

Admittedly I can't call it until the workouts come back but I'm not sold on DeRozen or Evans. Neither would start for us right away because of defense and offensively they are way too raw to make a difference. I would be surprised if we draft either of those two players at 9.

[Griff83]

Admittedly I can't call it until the workouts come back but I'm not sold on DeRozen or Evans. Neither would start for us right away because of defense and offensively they are way too raw to make a difference. I would be surprised if we draft either of those two players at 9.

So your not sold on Jennings, Evans or Derozan?

Who exactly ARE you sold on?

[Dennis P]

If he's fading now, imagine the Vince Carter effect on his jumper.

Honestly, I'm not overly impressed with what I've seen. He can slash, but his handling and finishing look mediocre. Sure he can dominate the level of ball he is playing now, but I don't think it would translate to the NBA well at all.

That's where I am I don't think his game is NBA ready no jumper and limited handles make it hard to get to the rim a the NBA level.

You clearly haven't watched him play, limited handles?

Correction. Limited NBA handles. He won't get away with any of carrying/crossovers in the NBA. He has a nice first step though.

Here's what Draft express had to say about him.

Tyreke Evans has the scoring tools to be productive, but needs to improve his perimeter arsenal to be efficient.

Evans was the top player on our list in possessions used per game as a finisher at 8.8, and his PPP of 1.14 lands him a bit above average. Unfortunately, his overall PPP was .88, which lands him slightly below average and exposes the biggest weakness in his offensive game: his jump shot. His PPP in open catch and shoot situations was a paltry .86. Couple that with only .69 PPP on jump shots off the dribble, and it becomes abundantly obvious that Evans is far from a complete package offensively. His PPP of .54 on isolations is a bit disconcerting as well, but it shows that he’s opportunistic enough to find his way to the rim in other situations, while also displaying his tendency to force the issue in one on one opportunities. Getting fouled at an average rate and not being too turnover prone, whichever team drafts Evans needs to take the time to develop his jumper to help the transition of his dribble-drive game to the NBA.

Just don't see the fit here.

[Dennis P]

Admittedly I can't call it until the workouts come back but I'm not sold on DeRozen or Evans. Neither would start for us right away because of defense and offensively they are way too raw to make a difference. I would be surprised if we draft either of those two players at 9.

So your not sold on Jennings, Evans or Derozan?

Who exactly ARE you sold on?

Right now... James Harden. If he isn't available which is more than likely, I say draft for defense it could have an immediate impact on our roster. the offensive talent in this draft is ugly. I saw a thread yesterday that said Terrence Williams is being brought in for a workout. Limited offensive game but strong potential as role player glue guy.

[JN]

I haven't watched him play until watching some youtube vids , and I was very impressed.

I don't know if this has been posted before, but if not, enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDAT8yMr2b4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-DYsPXURt0&feature=fvst (sick)

His style reminds me a lot of JR smith before he entered the league, I would be really glad to have him on the Raps if he's available at #9.

Positives:
•Classic 2-guard NO WAY
•NBA body, strong
•Huge 6-foot-11 wingspan
•Scorer's mentality
•Relentless driver
•Quick first step
•Decent midrange jumper
•Excellent ball handler
•Quick with the ball in his hands

Negatives:
•Can be selfish MAJOR NEGATIVE
•Over-dribbles
•Lacks consistent range on his jump shot
•Not a super explosive leaper
•Poor shot selection

Anybody who followed NCAA basketball this year knows this guy was completely unable to play off the ball early in the season as Memphis struggled. Calipari gave up on him as a 2, and just made him the point because he needs the ball in his sands to be successful. And he was very successful.

He screams potential black hole at the next level... he could potentially waste alot of the shot clock looking to create his own shot.. that's once he gets the ball.

Risky pick, could be a very ineffective offensive player despite scoring 15-17 a game because of his selfishness / black hole / restricting ball mvoement. At the same time, he is young, and can certainly learn some basketball IQ and team play. And he has never had to be humbled either, he has always been "the Man"... this is where the assessment of a kid's personality will come in... will he accept a role at the NBA level, rather then just having to have the ball at all times? Is he really that selfish or is it his responsibility on teams that led to such attitude? Important questions for a GM to consider because last year he was unable to perform in a complementary (less active with the ball) role in college, but shined in a starring role.

I wouldn't be against taking the risk because he can create shots effectively in mass within three years in the league. The selfishness issues and needing the ball to score bother me, but I would probably be happy enough with him at the nine.


I

[JN]

Since he doesn't have a reliable outside shot, Evans logically shouldn't be a chucker like Crawford, who always looks to shoot first..... I'm not too worried about him not being a team player.. At Memphis he knew he would have to carry the team, so he rarely looked for teammates to create offense.... The only red flags to me are:

Outside shot
Speed/Quickness - does Evans have enough to break down defenses in the NBA???
Strength

You don't have to be a chucker to not be a team player on offence. If a player always needs the ball in his hands, or tends to overdribble, restricts ball movement on the offebce. or gives up the ball to teammates in poor scoring situations late in the shot clock because he held on too long... that player is a black hole. This is a concern for Evans especially since he can't shoot and NBA players don't ahve to guard as tightly.

[Undefeated]

Right now... James Harden. If he isn't available which is more than likely, I say draft for defense it could have an immediate impact on our roster. the offensive talent in this draft is ugly. I saw a thread yesterday that said Terrence Williams is being brought in for a workout. Limited offensive game but strong potential as role player glue guy.

Another player that could be a solid role player glue guy is Jrue Holiday. If you look at Holiday's percentages, he's by far a much better shooter than T-Will in addition to for the people who want upside, here’s another guy with upside. Holiday is still very young and he's putting up close numbers as a Freshman compare to a Senior with four years of experience who had plenty of time to improve his offensive game.

For a Freshman, his all around defense and Basketball IQ is very good add that with a much more better offensive game than T-Will. Not saying that this guy deserves to be picked at 9th, but I would trade down and nab this kid. Complete package folks…

[Dennis P]

Right now... James Harden. If he isn't available which is more than likely, I say draft for defense it could have an immediate impact on our roster. the offensive talent in this draft is ugly. I saw a thread yesterday that said Terrence Williams is being brought in for a workout. Limited offensive game but strong potential as role player glue guy.

Another player that could be a solid role player glue guy is Jrue Holiday. If you look at Holiday's percentages, he's by far a much better shooter than T-Will in addition to for the people who want upside, here’s another guy with upside. Holiday is still very young and he's putting up close numbers as Freshman compare to a Senior with four years of experience who had plenty of time to improve his offensive game. For a Freshman, his all around defense and Basketball IQ is very good add that with a much more better offensive game than T-Will. Not saying that this guy deserves to be picked at 9th, but I would trade down and nab this kid. Complete package folks…

I absolutely love guys that have a defensive mindset in college. Holiday I haven't seen or heard much about as a defender but seems like he is a step behind Tyreke with in athletics. Maybe as an early second pick but not lottery worthy IMO

[Undefeated]

I absolutely love guys that have a defensive mindset in college. Holiday I haven't seen or heard much about as a defender but seems like he is a step behind Tyreke with in athletics. Maybe as an early second pick but not lottery worthy IMO

Yeah, his athleticism isn't that great compare to Tyreke, but kid has the Basketball IQ which is very important seeing as Evans doesn't have that great of a IQ. You see, Graham is athletic as hell, yet he's dumb as rock. True, he probably won't be a lotto pick, but like I mentioned, I would trade down and nab this kid or somehow buy another DP...

Some of his defensive strengths:

All-around defense
Defensive awareness
Defensive fundamentals
Off-ball defense
Versatility to defend multiple positions
Excellent rebounder for position
Ability to fight through screens

And here's what DX had to say...

The best part of Holiday’s game, by far, is clearly his defense, where he already looks like one of the top guards in the country. Holiday has phenomenal lateral quickness, being extremely physical and intense getting right up in his matchup and giving him absolutely no space to operate on the perimeter. He gets in the passing lanes at a terrific rate, showing incredible hands and timing picking his opponent’s pocket, but does not gamble like most young players do. His length and strength come in very handy here, but it’s really his smarts and fundamentals that really stand out the most. There is very little doubt that Holiday will be able to guard both guard positions in the NBA, which makes him extremely versatile when you consider that he will likely be able to play both positions on the offensive end as well.

[Cassius]

Joe Johnson had a pretty weak jumper when he got drafted.

[Blasphemy]

BUST WRITTEN ALL OVER!

[Dennis P]

Joe Johnson had a pretty weak jumper when he got drafted.

I don't see how that is valuable info..

[JYD]

I think his talent is obvious, but there is a big questionmark about how he works out in the NBA. A lot will depend on the PG skills he shows in workouts, because he is best with the ball in his hands, and I think if he's successful at any position it will be PG. As a SG he is a bit of a black hole with scoring ability but no real size advantage defensively. If he can play PG at the NBA level, he provides a lot of backcourt flexibility and his size is a big advantage on both ends of the court.

[sh00n]

Joe Johnson had a pretty weak jumper when he got drafted.

I don't see how that is valuable info..

Is a 3-Time All-Star and 20, 4 and 4 averages over the last 4 seasons valuable enough info? Not to mention JJ has turned into one of the most dominant perimeter players in the league today?