[NorrinRaddParticipant]

2021 Draft Prospects
Green vs. Suggs https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jalen-green-vs-jalen-suggs/
Kuminga vs. Barnes https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jonathan-kuminga-vs-scottie-barnes/
Bouknight vs. Moody https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/james-bouknight-vs-moses-moody/
Giddey vs. J. Johnson https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/josh-giddey-vs-jalen-johnson/
Sengun vs. Jones https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/alperen-sengun-vs-kai-jones/
K. Johnson vs. Mitchell https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/keon-johnson-vs-davion-mitchell/
Kispert vs. Thomas https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/corey-kispert-vs-cam-thomas/
Primo vs. Williams https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/josh-primo-vs-ziare-williams/
Wagner vs. Murphy https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/franz-wagner-vs-trey-murphy/
Hyland vs. Mann https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/nyshon-hyland-vs-tre-mann/
Springer vs. Dosunmu https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jaden-springer-vs-ayo-dosunmu/
—————————————————————————————————
2022 Draft Prospects
Ivey vs. Holmgren https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jaden-ivey-vs-chet-holmgren/
Smith vs. Banchero https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jabari-smith-vs-paulo-banchero/
Davis vs. Mathurin https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/johnny-davis-vs-ben-mathurin/
Sharpe vs. Griffin https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/shaedon-sharpe-vs-aj-griffin/
Dyson vs. Washington https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/daniel-dyson-vs-tyty-washington/
Duren vs. Williams https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jalen-duren-vs-mark-williams/
Beauchamp vs. Hardy https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/marjon-beauchamp-vs-jaden-hardy/
Brown vs. Sochan https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/with-the-5-pick-the-detroit-pistons-select/
Eason vs Murray https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/keegan-murray-vs-tari-eason/
_________________________________
2023 Draft Prospects
Jarace Walker VS Cam Whitmore https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jarace-walker-vs-cam-whitmore/
Scoot Henderson vs Brandon Miller https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/scoot-henderson-vs-brandon-miller/
Ausar Thompson vs Anthony Black https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/ausar-thompson-vs-anthony-black/
Jordan Hawkins vs Gradey Dick https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jordan-hawkins-vs-gradey-dick/
Noah Clowney vs Dereck Lively https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/dereck-lively-vs-noah-clowney/
Marcus Sasser vs Isaiah Wong https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/marcus-sasser-vs-isaiah-wong/
Jett Howard vs Brice Sensabaugh https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jett-howard-vs-brice-sensabaugh/
Leonard Miller vs GG Jackson https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/leonard-miller-vs-gg-jackson/
Jalen Hood-Schifino vs Kobe Bufkin https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jalen-hood-schifino-vs-kobe-bufkin/
Nick Smith vs Amari Bailey https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/nick-smith-vs-amari-bailey/
Olivier Maxence-Prosper vs Maxwell Lewis https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/oliver-maxence-prosper-vs-max-lewis/
Trey Alexander vs Terquavion Smith https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/trey-alexander-vs-terquavion-smith/
Rayan Rupert vs Bilal Coulibaly https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/rayan-rupert-vs-bilal-coulibaly/
Trayce Jackson-Davis vs Tristan Vukcevic https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/trayce-jackson-davis-vs-tristan-vukcevic/
Dariq Whitehead vs Sidy Cissoko https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/dariq-whitehead-vs-sidy-cissoko/
Julian Phillips vs Jordan Walsh https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/julian-phillips-vs-jordan-walsh/
Jaime Jaquez, Jr. vs Brandin Podziemski https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/jaime-jaquez-jr-vs-brandin-podziemski/
Cason Wallace vs Keyontae George https://www.nbadraft.net/forums/topic/cason-wallace-vs-keyontae-george/

Emoni Bates vs Julian Strawther

Who you got?

If we go by the consensus big board, logically it’s Julian Strawther. He will likely go first of the 2, as he’s been around the top 40 range all year long. Strawther has a decent floater and is a high IQ player who can shoot lights out from long range. He has a little dip in his form; however, the ball goes through the net at a high rate. He can get open pretty well and drains his shots once he gets to his spots. Julian Strawther is a specialty player in that sense. He won’t wow you with his athleticism, and he’s not a lockdown defender or anything. But he knows his role and plays it well. This is why Strawther is a good safe pick.

On the other hand if we take a deep dive into Emoni Bates, first we must ask the biggest question scouts and management ask about him… Is he coachable? Well… that’s yet to be proven. Does he have to be the man? If so, I can see that being a problem. If not, then he doesn’t have to be the second coming of KD which he clearly isn’t. But Emoni could have the upside of a Brandon Ingram type style player. That’s still darn good. He scored at a high rate for having scoring off of unassisted points. He will obviously get more opportunities with open looks playing along side better playmakers around him.

Anyways, lets say you? Who do you got out of these two prospect?

Me personally, you probably know I’d gamble on Bates. I bet he actually becomes a good player.

[BothTeamsPlayedHard-Participant]

Strawther is unconscionably underrated. He has prototypical wing size, can create, and shoot. I don’t know how someone could have watched the playoffs and not thought he looks more like the guys on the court than the overwhelming majority of the guys in the draft. In terms of size, style, and athleticism, he looks a lot like Caleb Martin (about an inch taller and close to an inch shorter in wingspan and a few inches in standing reach than Caleb). He looks like Dillon Brooks (about an inch taller and better wingspan) minus the super Canadian swag he put on display during his heel turn. I wouldn’t bet he develops quite as well as Khris Middleton, but a similar profile with Middleton being an inch taller and an inch in wingspan.

Bates has the problem of never having learned to play within a team structure, and is not in a position where anybody is going to build around him. He is not a good athlete. At the Combine, his three-quarter court sprint time and lane agility was worse than Zach Edey! Is he that slow, or not trying? Honestly, I am not sure what is worse. Add to that, he needs to gain 10-20 lbs. Even as a shooter, he was streaky. This isn’t uncommon for young players, but is worth noting. In 12 of his 30 games, he shot 33% or worse from the floor. In half his games, he was 30% or worse from three. For a guy who had 10 shot attempts per assist and an assist-to-turnover nearly 1:2, his one plus skill was not so good as to brush aside his flaws. I do not doubt Bates will get drafted, but it is long past time to put away the comparisons to Durant or Ingram. I feel about Bates the way I do Bryce McGowens. He has the talent to believe he could be a scorer in the league, but doesn’t do enough of things necessary of back half of the roster guys to get a chance to develop into one. Maybe getting away from his dad will help, and maybe getting humbled by this process will help. I have to assume at some point his agent has been asked whether Bates will take a 2-way should they take him in the 2nd round. For a guy who made the cover of SI at 15, it is quite the come down. I’m not saying he can’t work, but it is hard to find a recent example of a guy with his style of play working out as a 2nd round pick. Is there a more recent expample of a 2nd rounder who profiled as a volume scorer who panned out than Monta Ellis and Lou Williams?

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

interesting takes. Imo Emoni’s biggest weakness is he needs to read defenses to learn how to pass. That can be groomed into his game though imo. That does take playing more organized basketball though. If you watched Eastern Michigan this year, defense against Eastern Michigan was to stop Emoni. Kind of like a big heard of players following Emoni wherever he went. Shots he was taking were very tough shots. Imo that’s why his percentages aren’t there. I wouldn’t totally rely on raw percentages. Otherwise, Keyontae George is a second-round pick by that standard. Of course, Keyontae George is a first. The level of difficulty of the shots he took were difficult too considering. His long-range percentages aren’t that great. By percentage he’s as good as Leonard Miller at outside shooting. But we know better than that. He can shoot lights out if given open opportunities instead of forced. Emoni on the defensive end is a work in progress, however, there seems to be progress since the season has ended. I’m eager to see if Emoni pans out. Strawther’s a surefire role sniper on a team. I think that’s about it. But hey it’s safe. Sheesh I didn’t think there were wrong answers to these vs battles. But Emoni has food thrown on him here. Hehehehe. Maybe he deserves it – we’ll see.

[ZouldiersParticipant]

Strawther by a mile.

[BothTeamsPlayedHard-Participant]

Strawther has prototypical wing size, which is a big plus. He is not a standout athlete, but a perfectly capable one. He can create, and actually did quite well in that capacity having taken on the lead as the Gonzaga perimeter play was down from previous years. He is not all that different of a prospect as Gradey Dick. Ok, Gradey is younger. A year-and-a-half is not 10-20 spots worth of difference, or in the eyes of some mock drafts 30-40 spots. Strawther is safe to the extent that he checks the boxes for guys who make in the league at the moment, but don’t dismiss the potential. Being good and showing year-over-year growth is a good thing, because in the draft has to keep getting better.

Also, I am laying out a question about Bates. What is his path to making it as a 2nd round pick? We don’t seem that far apart on his profile. He can shoot, but being a poor decision maker and having poor shot selection connects to it. There are a lot of guys who have the ability to be 40% from the arc who never do because they think they should have the free rein of Steph Curry. His body obviously needs work. I don’t think that is debatable. His mind for operating in a team structure needs work. You seem to concede as much. His athleticism isn’t great. It is not a style of player who has had much success as a 2nd rounder. Can he be a 2nd rounder in Washington, and come February get 30 minutes a night when the team shuts down Corey Kispert for possibly making a shot? I guess. Will he take bad shots and shoot 30-some percent in doing so? Quite possibly. Maybe he has enough games where he gets hot to win them over. That seems like a thin path. On most teams, he is in the G-League. In some situations, they work to teach their guys there how they want them to play. In others, much less so.

[HitsterParticipant]

I’d have Strawther ahead of Bates as Strawther I think will fit into a team role much better. Bates’s lack of athleticism was very worrying to read about, he is slower than Zach Edey who outweighs him by well over 100lbs an would have a much bigger turning circle due to his huge size.

Bates has always been “the man” on his teams and to go to being the end of the bench/ team gopher could be a shock to his system but if he got onto the right team with the right coaching he could be a success. But how much does he want it and will teams want to invest in him.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Strawther and it isn’t close.

Strawther is gonna surprise some people. He could be a high level starter, like Tobias Harris. I feel like Gonzaga held him back a bit and what he did in the WCC he could do in any conference and that will include the NBA to an extent.

Emoni Bates just hasn’t figured it out. Its a shame too. Dude needs to sharpen up his entangibles. He has so much natural talent but he needs to hit the gym, work on his fundimentals, and shot selection. He probably goes undrafted because his agent won’t let anyone pick him. I’m a huge believer in his talent but its hard to do anything in the league at 6’9 180.

[Author]

Posts