Fran Fraschilla, another ESPN draft expert, agreed when asked to choose between Valanciunas and Kanter, but he’s not particularly high on either at the moment because both are relatively unproven 19-year-olds.
“Throw darts against the board,” Fraschilla said. “None of us know how this is going to turn out (a few years from now). I would say take Kanter because of his size.”
The Cavs might be leaning that way. They’ve already had the Turkey native – Kanter was ruled ineligible by the NCAA last year prior to his freshman season at Kentucky – in for one workout and are scheduled to meet with him again Monday, with owner Dan Gilbert expected to sit in on that session.
I’m not going to pretend to know what nba scouts are looking for, but I think I speak for all of us “common fans” when I say that Kanter passes the eye test. He’s big, he’s a bully, and he already speaks English :)
…but with that being said, I think all of us cavs fans would learn to love Big “V” if that is how the fates (and chris grant) decide things
Is Jonas a 4 or 4/5? If the Cavs can somehow scam, er, acquire another lotto pick… would they take Big V if already snagged Irving & Kanter? If the 2012 draft is rich in wings & weak in posts… why not plan ahead?
And if the season is likely to be abbreviated at best, why not take guys who can develop in Europe (and/or have big buyouts… like Jonas V)? Then bring them over when the Cavs are ready to make a run?
e.g., Late first round – SF N, Markotic? and/or SF B Bogdanovic (both have tough buyouts)
2nd round – ??? (does anybody have thoughts here??)
Jonas is best off at the 5. However, I think he is athletic enough to play the four on defense. If you’re looking for an NBA comparison, Joakim Noah is a good one. Personally, I doubt the Cavs would get another pick to take Valanciunas unless he fell to the mid 1st round (which is unlikely).
I think Adam Hanga (6’7″ SG) is a possible International prospect we could take with the 54th pick.
Thanks, Alex! Hanga is indeed intriguing & could develop into a useful piece at a spot we need one (or two or… LOL) Chad Ford has Hanga rated pretty low [but improving]; he also has Spaniard prospect Xavi Rabaseda
If the Cavs get a pick, I realize it all depends on who is willing to trade/sell. This might be the year where a team might want out of the lottery, maybe even out of the 1st round.
Ford on Hanga:
Hanga was one of the players I thought really helped himself at Eurocamp. He didn’t get off to a hot start on Saturday, but by Sunday he had found his rhythm and showed off some really nice NBA athleticism. In Sunday’s All-Star game he led his team with 16 points in just 18 minutes. He’s 6-6, has a 35-inch vertical and can get to the basket. He’s a potential second-round pick.
Ford on Rabaseda:
Positives
Good shooter
Smooth athlete
Solid shot creator off the dribble
Good size for his position
Solid athlete
Sees the floor well
Negatives
Lacks great lateral quickness
Not a great defender
My main concern with Valanciunas is his size. I read an interview where he said he was 6’9” without shoes. (Now, presumably he’s not accustomed to “feet-inch” measurements, or maybe the measurement was translated for him, idk.) That would be pretty undersized for a guy with the skills and style of a pure center. And he’s young, but you can’t count on him growing. I hope the Cavs staff personally got his measurements and takes them into consideration.
I see Kanter (6’9.75″ without shoes, so 6’11″ in standard NBA-speak) as a combo 4/5, and probably better as a “big 4″ a la Pau Gasol. And even he is about an inch bigger than Valanciunas based on that interview. Jonas’ “pure center” potential is a large part of his appeal for me, but being undersized would completely undermine that. If his size does check out, then sign me up. People may call him “raw” or “risky”, but he’s more proven than Kanter as far as I’m concerned (not that I dislike Kanter as a prospect). Kanter hasn’t played high-level competition in years, while Jonas has produced well in European pro ball.
Most draft sites have him listed at 6’11″ and a few have him at 6’10″ so my guess is he is close to Kanter’s size.
I read a couple interesting articles that gave side-by-side comparisons of prospects along a broad range of statistics. One focuses on guards and another on the forwards (I think there will be another on centers soon). They are great articles and I suggest reading them to get an additional perspective on these top players.
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Forward-Crop-3752/
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Just-By-the-Numbers-the-2011-Guard-Crop-3749/
Some things I noticed:
Irving and Williams were WAY ahead of any other player at their respective positions. The more I read on Brandon Knight, the less spectacular he seemed. There wasn’t one meaningful statistic in which he was near the top of the leaderboard. On the other hand, Jimmy Butler was impressive. He’s more of a perimeter oriented forward (so don’t expect many blocks or rebounds), but had efficient shooting numbers, a great assist-turnover ratio, and often found his way to the FT line. He looks like a great potential role player and could start for the Cavs from day 1.
May concerns may not be warranted. Chad Ford says he’s 7 feet: http://twitter.com/#!/chadfordinsider/status/80221535092211712
Hey guys, Spurs fan here. I was wondering would you guys consider Tony Parker for J.J. Hickson and pick #4? I mean if this would happen the cavs would have to take Derrick Williams at #1.
@Sam doubt it. The one thing we are certain of is thy we are dedicated to a rebuilding process. We won’t be looking for veterans, especially not giving away a high pick.
On the other argument for Kanter/Valanciunas. I actually like Jonas. He is a pure center who has a track record and definitely a higher upside. Kanter seems to be too much of a risk. I hope the cavs seriously consider JV.
My real hope is that they find a way to get the 2nd pick. And then we still suck next year and go fishin for Harrison Barnes.
88% Foul shooting from a center. With that kind of touch, the sky is the limit if he can develop some footwork. And he’s still growing.