17th according to whom? The last update by Kevin O'Conner, for instance, has Valentine 6th on his big board.
If you think Valentine is the 17th best prospect, that's fine. But don't act like there is any consensus on value beyond the top two.
Printable View
I will list the caveats for our teams fit:
Dunn - How does he draw defenders on PNR if they always go under the screen. Will have to develop his J.
Brown- But how do we get him the space he needs? Ryno/Gordon will be gone.
Murray- While he & Hield provide us with the spacing we desire, we can get shooting for cheap. When selecting a shooter in the 1st rd, we need them to do multiple things. That and I worry that Hield may start playing like Tyreke (trying to do everything) like he did at OU.
Mock Draft Round Up
Valentine mocked as high as 8th. No lower than 16th.
Latest consensus, updated this morning.
http://www.nbadraft.net/nba_mock_drafts/consensus
Consensus is Valentine at 12.
And exactly zero games have taken place. So, we're letting mock drafts rate prospects for the Pelicans now. Hell, Dell Demps might as well just look at the mock drafts and take the highest rated prospect left. Don't even bother creating a big board for the team or anything. Foolproof strategy according to comment boards everywhere.
CBS Sports (5/26) - Valentine 8th
Basketball Insiders (5/25) - Valentine 12th, 12th, 12th, 18th
And again, mock drafts are not a ranking of prospects. They are not a big board. They are a mock draft taking into account team needs, reporting, rumors, etc.
But please, let's take the mock draft of your choosing as the definitive take on the ranking of a prospect. Remember Epke Udoh? Jan Vesely? Yi Jianlian? Thomas Robinson? Those teams didn't draft the best fit or checking a box. Highest upside! How'd that turn out?
Those were all boom or bust picks outside of Robinson. Don't act like people were touting them as can't miss guys. Some guts pan out and others don't. Teams rank prospects based on their ceiling to floor. Valentine has a very low floor and low ceiling. At his best he's considered nothing more the a role player starter.
consensus mock draft of 2012
http://www.nba.com/2012/news/feature...us-mock-draft/
similar like this year. there was clear top 1, now is clear top-2. apart from this everything might happen
mock is just mock
like someone take someone, whenever he is projected
How is this for consensus?
http://www.si.com/college-basketball...michigan-state
I would be pleased as punch to get Valentine, Hield, or Dunn. I think they all do things the Pelicans need.
It majority of the opinions of writers and scouts who spent thousands of hours watching him play. Some may have h higher than others but for the most part he's seen as a role player and starter at best. Also as for need this team needs defenders in the worst way. I'm tired of all the teams problems looking to be solved by more offense. It looks as though the defense will always get ignored.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pro-day...171704752.html
Pro-Day with prospects
with f.e. Demps in the stands...
If the org has the same mind frame as him we are doomed. He's acting as if the pels are Spurs or OKC with drafting. I also find it funny that this teams stay away from young rookies because they take time to develop. Instead the like Jrs and Seniors which is a joke because every single upperclassmen player the have drafted has been useless Russ, Darius, and Withey.
I mean. There's not a ton of a track record to examine. AD was a great and obvious pick. Rivers was the pick because of his upside and has been mentioned before if Drummond or Lillard had been there he would have taken one of them.
Maybe Miller, Russ, and Jackson were bad picks? I dunno. Miller hung around for a few years, Jackson was traded for the same value and Russ got us Qpon.... I don't think I'd say those were bad.
Out of all the things to hate on Dell about I don't think he's shown that he can't evaluate talent. Even his rumored love of Saric, the guy had a SOLID year in Europe and seems to be developing.
I guess my point is, I trust Dell and the Pels staff for selecting a player at 6 more than a sports writer who has little to no access to the players.
No. I'm taking the approach that teams shouldn't let media mock drafts order their boards.
I get it. Some mock drafts have Valentine ranked lowly. Therefore the Pelicans would be foolish to draft him. I'd rather make my own opinions on prospects rather than let others or "consensus" do the intellectual work for me.
I think Valentine is an underrated prospect because he is skilled and intelligent. New Orleans could desperately use a player who will do his job on defense (team defense, not individual one-on-one defense, is the problem), shoot to space the floor, and is a willing passer. Valentine is the only prospect who checks all those boxes. Since mock drafts rank him lowly the Pelicans could, hypothetically, trade back and gain much needed additional assets in the process. Of course, given this team's history that is almost completely out of the question.
We talk about the Pelicans needing defense and focus almost solely on individual defense. Physical tools like length and athleticism. Alonzo Gee, Dante Cunningham, and others on the roster have those skill sets. The Pelicans are still a terrible defensive team because they fail to communicate and do their job. This team sorely lacks players who are intelligent.
USA Today
Hoops HabitQuote:
While Valentine was steadily improving his draft stock in East Lansing, there was another boisterous force at play plying his trade in the Bay Area. Draymond Green, a four-year Spartan who’s morphed into the Golden State Warriors’ non-traditional power forward, kept altering the perception of what an NBA player should be. Still in the thick of the playoffs, Green seems equally comfortable challenging more athletic players at the rim as he is at piloting fastbreaks. One Western Conference general manager scoffed at a comparison between the two players, but the high IQ coupled with their unique build, not to mention their Spartan background, makes it a natural debate.
In fact, Green himself said he sees the comparisons.
“He’s the guard version of me,” Green said. “Is he a 1 or a 2? He’s a basketball player. Put him at the 1, 2, or 3, he’s going to get it done. He’s going to make plays. He’s going to score the basketball. He can defend. He works his ****** off.”
Quote:
Like many Michigan State players, Valentine has developed in a good defender with great fundamentals and understanding of team defense. On the ball, Valentine positions himself well between his man and the basket, and shows average lateral movement over short distances. He reacts well to his man’s movements, but will tend to play on his heels if guarding a quicker player, leaving him vulnerable to quick changes in direction. Though his lateral movement could show some improvement, he can be very active and has the ability to pressure the ball, when needed. Valentine won’t make any chances on the ball, choosing to contain rather than try and force mistakes. Valentine seems to know his limitations against quicker players and does a great job looking to force them into help situations. If he does get beat on a quick first step, he doesn’t give up on plays, and his ability to use angles to cut off players has improved substantially. Valentine needs to work on getting over screens, and Michigan State will often rely on switches instead of forcing players to get through screens.
Off the ball, Valentine positions himself well and shows better movement, including showing the ability to deny passing lanes effectively. He is very active off the ball, bouncing effortlessly between help positions and still being able to get out on his man if he gets the pass. Valentine has great awareness, and he often sets the tone for the Spartans’ defense, barking out orders and having his teammates adjust, as needed. As on the offensive end, he sees the floor very well, and while he may not have great quickness, he has a knack for reading passes and being able to jump passing lanes. Valentine is a good help defender, whether it’s trapping on the sideline or double-teaming the post, and his constant activity allows him to cover a lot of ground. He does a great job shadowing his man off the ball, and he navigates through off-ball screens efficiently, leaving his opponent little space to get a shot after the catch. Valentine does a good job closing on shooters on the perimeter, though he can sometimes be slow to get out to them, but he always makes a strong effort.
Today's Fastbreak
Quote:
Valentine’s 6’6″ frame, 6’10” wingspan and focused energy make for a quality collegiate defender. For the most part, he does a great job hounding his man on and off the ball.
His head is constantly on a swivel, keeping tabs on his man and the action on the other side of the court. Valentine fights over screens, moves his feet well and isn’t afraid to be physical.
However, his size won’t stand out at the next level, and his effort won’t always be enough to thwart the NBA’s electrifying athletes. There will be times when he’s overmatched from a physical standpoint by wings who are agiler.
Fortunately, those aforementioned attributes like hustle and alertness will make him respectable at worst. He’ll pick up schemes, be in the right place on the floor and work hard.
Valentine will also pull his weight in the rebounding department. He attacks the glass pretty well for his position in college, and he’ll do the same in the NBA whether he’s at the 1, 2 or 3 spot. Again, it’s an area where timing and footwork have allowed him to flourish and produce more; he’s averaging 9.8 boards per 40 minutes so far in 2015-16.
David Fisher, if we took Valentine do u like him more as a SG or SF? I'm guessng SG?
So You say there is a hope on freshman??
@thebirdwrites @BourbonStShots Murray w/ Gentry and Demps at Peche tonight. pic.twitter.com/Ox32UmNv5f
— MDM (@MDM515) 1 czerwca 2016