This year's draft class is as weird as last year's
Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:08 pm
Nathan Sliver here with sevenfortyseven.com. Blazers GM and sevenfortyseven fanboy, Kevin U. Coach VII recently made a comment that all sim league records may be completely out the window because the new draft classes are full of players with combinations of skill and athleticism we've never seen before. His comment was somewhat dismissed by a fellow GM but I think ku had a point so I'm going to write an entire article about how weird next year's draft class is.
Vernon Desantis
There is a lot to like about Vern. At first he looks like a normal good big man. Good inside, good rebounding, good blocking, strong. . . but then you realize he has B’s in passing and handling. How rare is that? There as only been one player 6’9” or taller to ever have an A in inside and B’s in handling and passing, Larry Bird in 1990. But in reality, Desantis is nothing like Bird. He has no jump shot, is much slower, and much stronger. At least neither could jump.
Kenneth Henderson
Kenny is yet another inside scoring extraordinaire. This guy is different because he can jump and he’s SUPER strong. In fact when I looked up how many 6’8”-7’0” guys had an A inside, a B or higher jump shot, jump of at least 80 and and strength greater than 95, no one came up. However, there is one player with those same credentials but strength over 90, prime Chris Bosh. Henderson can’t defend like Bosh down low but he is a better perimeter defender. In short, Kenneth is a SF Chris Bosh. Yikes.
Matt Peck
Yet another freakish inside scorer… But Peck can shoot from the outside too… And dribble… How many guys taller than 6’4” can claim that combination of skills? One – Penny Hardaway. Peck has some nice all around athleticism but not Penny level. He compares best to Hawks era Penny but without the passing, stealing or post defense. Either way, unique inside outside scoring combined with height and handles puts him in a party of two with one of the two best sim league players ever.
Damien Jeske
Another year another heretofore unheard of group of inside scorers. When I saw Jeske I knew exactly who he looked like, last years draft class. Sure enough, his combination of inside scoring ability and lack of athleticism is only matched by two rookies, Gerard Carlsen and Jay Adkins. He is pretty much Jay Adkins but with stealing ability instead of blocking.
P.s. Norman Sullivan from this year’s class is this year’s Gerard Carlsen (super unathletic guy with A inside scoring)
James Pearsall
James is a rare breed that used to be super common, a guy with good potential rebounding and defending. What makes Pearsall is intriguing is that he is quickish. Only two guys have had the triple B plus a B in inside scoring and were this strong, Vin Baker and rookie Aubrey Broomfield. James sets himself apart however because he has decent hops, a rating over 10 points higher than those guys. At the same time, while the stamina is quick Broomfield bad, it will probably never be Baker good.
Hernando Medina
You look at a guy like Hernando and you think, we’ve definitely seen guys like this before. Good inside scoring, good handles, elite passing, has the makings of a great point guard. What makes Medina unique? The usual suspect with these new draft classes, he can’t jump. We have never seen a guard with this skill set with a jump rating under 60. His closest comparable is a young Jason Kidd but without the steals, offensive rebounding, and jump shot.
Ty Davis
Ty Davis just simply does not make any sense whatsoever. Why would a 6’3” guy with 74 quickness and a jump shot be able to defend the post but not the perimeter? Only one guy shorter than 6’6” has ever had a C in post defense and a D in perimeter defense, Kelenna Azubuike and he was 6’5”, weighed 42 pounds more than Davis and had 60 quickness. Offensively, with his height and athleticism, he looks vaguely like a Andre Miller that can’t dribble, which also doesn’t make a lick of sense.
James Heise
This guy is as run-of-the-mill as it gets right? A 3-and-no-D guy. But, as usual, his jump attribute doesn’t fit. It’s pretty odd to have a shooter be able to jump so well and not be skilled down low as well. How odd? Only one guy has ever had this combo of shooting, jumping and mediocre strength, Johnny Newman, who was a pretty good player for those of us old-timers that still remember him… except Heise doesn’t play defense so Jimmy probably isn’t the next Johnny.
Melvin McCall
The weird thing about Mel? He can’t hit free throws. How many players have had at least A inside scoring, B perimeter shooting and below a B free throw shooting? None. I guess it’s a mental thing.
Takeways
These new players are not like past players. They are like half a past player. Training camp doesn’t fix athleticism so get ready to spend on player training if you want a complete player from this bunch.
Vernon Desantis
There is a lot to like about Vern. At first he looks like a normal good big man. Good inside, good rebounding, good blocking, strong. . . but then you realize he has B’s in passing and handling. How rare is that? There as only been one player 6’9” or taller to ever have an A in inside and B’s in handling and passing, Larry Bird in 1990. But in reality, Desantis is nothing like Bird. He has no jump shot, is much slower, and much stronger. At least neither could jump.
Kenneth Henderson
Kenny is yet another inside scoring extraordinaire. This guy is different because he can jump and he’s SUPER strong. In fact when I looked up how many 6’8”-7’0” guys had an A inside, a B or higher jump shot, jump of at least 80 and and strength greater than 95, no one came up. However, there is one player with those same credentials but strength over 90, prime Chris Bosh. Henderson can’t defend like Bosh down low but he is a better perimeter defender. In short, Kenneth is a SF Chris Bosh. Yikes.
Matt Peck
Yet another freakish inside scorer… But Peck can shoot from the outside too… And dribble… How many guys taller than 6’4” can claim that combination of skills? One – Penny Hardaway. Peck has some nice all around athleticism but not Penny level. He compares best to Hawks era Penny but without the passing, stealing or post defense. Either way, unique inside outside scoring combined with height and handles puts him in a party of two with one of the two best sim league players ever.
Damien Jeske
Another year another heretofore unheard of group of inside scorers. When I saw Jeske I knew exactly who he looked like, last years draft class. Sure enough, his combination of inside scoring ability and lack of athleticism is only matched by two rookies, Gerard Carlsen and Jay Adkins. He is pretty much Jay Adkins but with stealing ability instead of blocking.
P.s. Norman Sullivan from this year’s class is this year’s Gerard Carlsen (super unathletic guy with A inside scoring)
James Pearsall
James is a rare breed that used to be super common, a guy with good potential rebounding and defending. What makes Pearsall is intriguing is that he is quickish. Only two guys have had the triple B plus a B in inside scoring and were this strong, Vin Baker and rookie Aubrey Broomfield. James sets himself apart however because he has decent hops, a rating over 10 points higher than those guys. At the same time, while the stamina is quick Broomfield bad, it will probably never be Baker good.
Hernando Medina
You look at a guy like Hernando and you think, we’ve definitely seen guys like this before. Good inside scoring, good handles, elite passing, has the makings of a great point guard. What makes Medina unique? The usual suspect with these new draft classes, he can’t jump. We have never seen a guard with this skill set with a jump rating under 60. His closest comparable is a young Jason Kidd but without the steals, offensive rebounding, and jump shot.
Ty Davis
Ty Davis just simply does not make any sense whatsoever. Why would a 6’3” guy with 74 quickness and a jump shot be able to defend the post but not the perimeter? Only one guy shorter than 6’6” has ever had a C in post defense and a D in perimeter defense, Kelenna Azubuike and he was 6’5”, weighed 42 pounds more than Davis and had 60 quickness. Offensively, with his height and athleticism, he looks vaguely like a Andre Miller that can’t dribble, which also doesn’t make a lick of sense.
James Heise
This guy is as run-of-the-mill as it gets right? A 3-and-no-D guy. But, as usual, his jump attribute doesn’t fit. It’s pretty odd to have a shooter be able to jump so well and not be skilled down low as well. How odd? Only one guy has ever had this combo of shooting, jumping and mediocre strength, Johnny Newman, who was a pretty good player for those of us old-timers that still remember him… except Heise doesn’t play defense so Jimmy probably isn’t the next Johnny.
Melvin McCall
The weird thing about Mel? He can’t hit free throws. How many players have had at least A inside scoring, B perimeter shooting and below a B free throw shooting? None. I guess it’s a mental thing.
Takeways
These new players are not like past players. They are like half a past player. Training camp doesn’t fix athleticism so get ready to spend on player training if you want a complete player from this bunch.
I love the randomness of these randomly generated players, too