#and people in the w are better shooters than in college and the defense here is better

[the-physicality]

"tomorrow we find out where paige is going" .... .tomorrow we find out which team has a 99% chance of drafting paige

[iimmcrtalis-archive]

Biography:

     He was born with a weight on his shoulders, his fathers expectations and the eyes of everyone around. He carried the weight for years and felt the lashes when he took a breath from it all. There was no freedom to be in his home.

    His father's words would cut deep, his touch hurt worse. Cracks of leather and crying were the soundtrack of his early years. But he was always the one to take the hits. Always the one to stop the hand from reaching his mother. Took it instead. Broken bones meant nothing in comparison to imagining a broken mother.

   His mother called him her little star. Her sky gem. And when his sister was born she became the moon. Little Ori. He'd die for that girl. Still would. Die, live, kill for her. Just to keep her going.

   It was peaceful for a little awhile. But when her eyes became like his, Golden & Green.  The rage burned towards his mother. But he was older now, fought more. He tolerated no bullying and worked as much as he could to earn money. Just to get his mother & sister away.

   And they did. Dead of night. They  packed up and left his father penniless and in the dust of Cairo. Of course, life wasn't easy. They didn't fit in exactly.  They moved more times than he could keep track of. Finally settling in a small town outside of San Diego. A nowhere town with a man that loved his mother. She was happy, so was Ori.  It was a weird little town, welcoming though.

  Its here where he met Revas, growing up sort of along side her. Going to temple together on Friday's. She & her grandmother tended to come over for holidays. Of course, time would send him on a different path away from her. He was good with his hands and liked making things. Went into smithing, making weapons for movies and the like. No College. No going too far. Always close by to watch over his sister.

Stats:

Name: Faron Nejem Nicknames: Star. Fletcher. Titles: n/a Age: 29 Birthday: April 21st Gender:  Male Sexuality: Pansexual & romantic Other:  Half-fae., unknown to him. Birthplace:  Cairo. Residence: California

Relatives:

   Lunora Whittaker – Mother [ Alive (verse dependent) ]

   Ori Whittaker – Sister [ Alive ] - 19

   Lenan Nejem – Father [ Unknown ] 

   Robert Whittaker – Step-father [ Alive ]

   Desmond Avani – Son [ Alive ] - 9

   Landra Avani – Ex-Wife [ Alive ]            - Matthias Avani - Landra’s Husand [ Alive ]

   Orion Nejem - Son [ alive ] - 4 (exists a bit later!)

Height: 6'4" Weight: 170lbs Character’s body build:  muscular, lean. Eye Color:  Left is golden brown, right is jade green. Hair Color: Dark brown/black. Type of hair:  thick & soft Hairstyle:  Shaved sides, top is long & usually pulled back into a braid. Complexion and skin tone: Freckled & light brown Scars: Multiple facial scars. Mannerisms:  Talks with his hands. Large smile, always showing his teeth. Usual Body Posture:  Loose, open. Relaxed almost always.

Tattoos:

Blackwork sleeves. Geometric styled

Hebrew for Justice on his left wrist. Arabic for Hope on the right.

Eye of Horus tattoo under his left eye.

Falcon tattooed on his back. Styled after old depictions of Horus.

Class/race: Archer. Half-fae. Abilities: 

    Sharpshooting

    Archery. 

    Minor magic.

VERSES:

Teen: Takes place between the age of 14 to 16. Standard highschool au. After he moved to the states.

Young & Dumb: 16 – 22. Sort of when everything started to kick off for him.

Future: 45+ He's a better father now. Still an asshole but ya know.

Inquisition Companion: Faron Lavellan. Grew up in the Lavellan clan. Doesn't particularly care for it. Joins up w/ the Inquisition (possibly) to be a companion or just another blacksmith. Former Craftsmaster can make ya a hella good armor piece boo.

DC: He ain't much of the hero type. More of the vigilante, antihero type. Sticks up for the weak as himself, not afraid to murder a motherfucker when he's running around with a hood up. Though he's still gonna tell you he's the better looking archer hero or whatever.

Fallout: Primarily between Fallout 3, NV & 4.       Standard: Desperate for caps. Fucked up on drugs. Turned to the Gunners. Made a good friend, and turned Merc. (plot twist he's a ghoul probably. Or a synth, who the fuck knows. )

Overwatch: How many snipers do you need? A bunch. Just a lot. A lot. Everyone's a fuckin sniper. I'm joking, but not really. Cybernetic eyes & legs make him a top shooter. Formerly from the Egyptian Armed Forces, he left and started doing his own work. Started trying to protect his people. Then just people. Not gonna lie, he probs looks up to Fareeha both literally and mentally. Not a defense type though, mind you. Dude's straight up DPS. Though all this can change bc im sort of comin up w/ it on the spot so finger gu ns

Mass Effect Trilogy: Human or Quarian. Who knows. Not a biotic. Definitely an engineer/infiltrator. He's a good shot as always.

Mass Effect: Andromeda: Human. Dad. Sharpshooter tech. He's really good with repairs, ships, and weapons. Like. Real good. He's also still a kind soul stuck on a shitty planet (Kadara) with Revas. Tends to butt heads with some people.

Elder Scrolls: While he's not religious like Revas, he'll still help her kill prey and eat. He considers himself her personal bodyguard, considering she's important to people. Not that she needs protection but, still.

Other's may come out eventually. Keep an eye out for specific posts per au.

[flauntpage]

Sixers Draft Prospects: Michael Porter Jr., Lonnie Walker, Grayson Allen

I know you’re dying for Bryan Colangelo news, or more Eagles vs. Donald Trump content, but let’s take a quick break to look at a few more Sixers draft prospects.

This is part three of a series that I’ll keep doing until I no longer feel like it. We’re going three players at a time, and started on Monday with Mikal Bridges, Miles Bridges, and Jevon Carter. Tuesday I touched on Wendell Carter Jr., Trae Young, and Collin Sexton.

Today we’re gonna take a look at Michael Porter Jr., Lonnie Walker, and Grayson Allen, and that’s the bottom line, because Stone Cold said so. 

Michael Porter, Jr. (Mizzou)

There’s always some guy who enters the draft with injury concerns, and this year it’s the 6’10”, 210 pound Missouri combo forward.

Porter played just 3 games during a freshman season that was almost entirely wiped out due to spinal surgery. In fancy medical terms, he needed a “microdiscectomy of the the L3-L4 spinal discs.” In layman’s terms, he was suffering from herniated discs in his back, went under the knife, and missed the majority of the year.

Drafting a guy with injury history might be a non-starter for Sixer fans who are weary from the Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons situations, but look at how those guys turned out after getting healthy. There’s an element of risk involved, certainly, but the upside is there, and Porter was seen as a potential lottery pick coming out of high school.

For starters, he’s just got a wonderful athletic profile, a tall and fluid player who strides in transition and just makes a lot of things look really smooth. We obviously didn’t get much film from his short stint at Mizzou, but he looked like a future pro at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 championship, where he played alongside Markelle Fultz, Mo Bamba, Jarrett Allen, and others:

That was two years ago.

And the competition wasn’t amazing, but you see some Kevin Durant in him, don’t you? He’s got smooth mechanics (maybe a bit slow and deliberate) and a high release that should let him shoot over pretty much anything at the next level. He glides around the court and I could easily see him getting a bunch of transition opportunities running the floor with Simmons and others.The first minute of that video is basically all transition offense before he starts knocking down three pointers.

Similar to Durant, one knock seems to be his overall strength. Defensively, I don’t know how he’d match up in the post against a bigger power forward with more meat on the bones. He’s got a monstrous wing span and sort of engulfs smaller players, but he doesn’t slide his feet at an elite level and sometimes is a bit slow to rotate or recognize what’s going on in that half of the court. That said, there’s plenty of room to grow, and he should be able to guard most NBA twos and threes relatively well.

Because of the injury, Porter lands all over the place on mock drafts. I’ve seen him listed as high as four or five in some mocks, while Adrian Wojnarowski thinks he’ll fall out of the top-10 entirely:

Woj said he doesn’t think Michael Porter Jr will be a top 10 Pick. You may roll your eyes but think about how well connected Woj is. He said he expected Fizdale to be a strong candidate for the Knicks the day after Hornacek was fired.

— Daniel (@DanielM2k2020) June 4, 2018

For what it’s worth, Porter told media at the combine that he felt like he was the best player in the draft. There’s no shortage of confidence there, and if he was fully healthy throughout the year you’d probably see him in the conversation at #2 along with Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley, assuming Deandre Ayton is a lock to go to the Suns with the first pick.

There obviously isn’t a lot of college game film to look at, but he came back towards the end of the year to play in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in the losses to FSU and Georgia, but you see the occasional flashes of brilliance:

If he falls to #10, it’s going to be hard to pass him up.

Lonnie Walker IV (Miami)

Lonnie hails from the ALMIGHTY Berks County and is a Reading High School product. Reading is a good school, but not as good as Boyertown, in my opinion.

The 6’4″ shooting guard will reportedly work out for the Sixers on Monday:

Former Miami guard Lonnie Walker (@lonniewalker_4) will participate in a group workout with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, June 11, league sources told The Athletic.

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 6, 2018

Scotto says Miles Bridges will also take part in that workout.

Walker is seen as a guy who likes to have the ball in his hands, an excellent spot-up shooter who can also explode to the basket and finish through contact. He’s got good body control, not dissimilar to the way that Alabama’s Collin Sexton attacks the rim. He’s also got a quick release, not at a Trae Young level, but he’ll get the ball up and out with relatively ease and smoothness.

In these clips, you’ll see him curl off screens, square up, and fire:

He’s a 2-guard but did play a bit of point at Miami, so you can put him in the pick and roll and work off of that. That’s not something the Sixers did a lot of with two non-shooting point guards last season, preferring to run JJ Redick in dribble hand-off and off-ball designs instead.

Defensively, Walker does have the tools to defend different positions, hitting the scale just below 200 pounds and featuring a 6’10” wingspan. In the video above, you see the segment where he sometimes would leave his feet early or lose that first step and not be super competitive trying to body an opponent on a drive.

One of the other negatives with Walker is his offensive consistency.

He’d score in the single digits for a pair of games, then fluctuate into double digits and sometimes crest 20 points, but there were definitely some poor shooting nights during his Miami season, a year in which the Hurricanes went 22-10 and 11-7 in a competitive ACC.

You see the ups and downs in this chunk of his game log I clipped, where the parameters from left to right are minutes played, field goals, three pointers, and finally his total points on the far right:

Definitely some hot and cold there – 5 points, 16, 19, 12, 25, 23, 16. He had some clunky shooting games and needed a ton of shots to get his points against the better ACC teams. Look at those losses against Clemson and Duke in there, where he shot 12-33 overall. He wasn’t a guy who was always able to impose his will on the game.

I’ve seen some mocks sending Walker to Charlotte at 11. Others have him in the bottom end of the lottery, maybe 13 to the Clippers. If the Sixers have one of Mikal or Miles Bridges available at 10, or Michael Porter somehow continues to fall, I don’t think Walker will be in the equation, but they could do worse than a guy who can score the basketball at a high level when he’s on his game.

Grayson Allen (Duke)

He was in Philadelphia for a workout Wednesday, according to Keith Pompey.

You probably know about the disciplinary issues he had, the accusations of tripping opponents and the petulance he showed on the bench. He was a controversial player and a classic villain, so teams are gonna have to dive into the interview and determine where his head’s at.

But no one ever really talks about his skill as a basketball player, so let’s reroute in that direction.

Allen was a four-year player at Duke, a 6’4″ shooting guard who put up these numbers:

He had his best year as a sophomore, scoring 21.6 points per game on the strength of 46.6% shooting and a 41.7% mark from three. Those numbers dipped significantly as a junior, but came back up slightly during his senior year. He finished with 14.1 PPG on 43% shooting after four years in Durham.

And that’s really the first takeaway here; you’re getting a guy with experience. 99% of the guys projected to go in the top-ten are one-and-done players with a ton of upside but also plenty of question marks due to their small overall body of work. Allen won a national title as a freshman and played alongside the likes of Jayson Tatum and Brandon Ingram and against guys like Dennis Smith Jr. and Justin Jackson and Donovan Mitchell. There really isn’t going to be much of a curve for him; what you see is what you’re going to get. The floor and ceiling are pretty much known quantities.

The question is whether that’s good enough. Allen is a nice shooter and is sneaky athletic, but not elite in that department. He doesn’t look like he has the first step to beat NBA defenders and I don’t see him finishing consistently at the rim at the next level. You’d probably need to spring him with screens and off-ball movement to find open looks for him, and the Sixers already have enough guys on this squad who can’t really create their own shot. Robert Covington, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jerryd Bayless, and Justin Anderson all had that covered last year.

One of the things he does really well is stay consistent with his mechanics. He gets his feet set, squares up, and shows good balance as a perimeter shooter, which you see a lot of here:

Beyond that, he was pretty aggressive driving in the half court and also transition and drew a good chunk of fouls in the process.

Defensively, he’s capable, but not going to light the world on fire. Experts seem to think he can make up for his lack of tools on this end with effort, and he can definitely be a high-energy pest on a second unit. Problem is, he seemed to turn off completely at times, especially when put in the pick and roll, which is NBA bread and butter.

Some people wonder if Allen has already plateaued because of the ceiling he hit as a junior, but he had a strong combine and tested very well. He worked out for the Jazz, who pick at #21 overall and could use a second unit scorer. And that’s probably going to be his NBA role, an energy guy off the bench who isn’t going to blow the doors off, but he’ll knock down some open shots and hustle and become one of those guys who you love if he’s on your team, but you hate if he’s on the other team. Most mocks have Allen going late in the first round or in the top half of the second round, so while I think it would be premature to use the 26th overall pick on him, the Sixers could take a chance with #38 or #39.

For what it’s worth, Duke Vitale says this:

I agree. 6th or 7th guy. Valuable rotation guy that can play multiple spots. Steve he has a keen passion & a chip on his shoulder to prove that the naysayers r wrong / someone taking him around 20 in the @NBADraft will be rewarded .

— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) June 5, 2018

And listen, I hated JJ Redick in college. Most people did. And yet here he is, more than a decade later, playing well for the Sixers as one of the more respected guys around the league. If Allen evolves his maturity issues into that cliche of “Philly tough” behavior, he could certainly become a T.J. McConnell-esque fan-favorite. Say the right things, dive into the stands for a loose ball, ya know, that kind of stuff. It doesn’t take much.

I posed the question to Twitter to gauge the temperature of the fan base:

As a huge Duke fan not sure how he fits in today's NBA. Although athletic can he guard guys who he needs to? Can he get his shot off?Luke Kennard had a combine just like him last year and he hasn't impressed me in the NBA.

— Jawn Connors (@Joe_Connors81) June 7, 2018

He can shoot which is needed to eventually replace jj (if jj resigns)… read reports saying he is better at defense… depending on when they draft him wouldn’t hate it. If BC stays though doubt they draft him. They use late picks at draft and stash. Kinda his MO

— rob manoff (@manoffrm) June 7, 2018

Love. Will be a Marcus Smart type player. Good Defense. Hit some shots.

— alex armstrong (@ArmstrongAlex) June 7, 2018

Ted Cruz lookin headass. Don’t want him.

— Nick Carraway (@_Silence_Dogood) June 7, 2018

And, of course:

he’s not an NBA player, the stuff he did at Duke won’t work against elite athletes

— Philip Keidel (@PhilKeidel) June 7, 2018

  The post Sixers Draft Prospects: Michael Porter Jr., Lonnie Walker, Grayson Allen appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Sixers Draft Prospects: Michael Porter Jr., Lonnie Walker, Grayson Allen published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[junker-town]

WNBA mock draft: A’ja Wilson will go No. 1. After that, anything can happen

A new crop of stars are about to enter the WNBA. We know who Las Vegas will pick first, but it’s up in the air after that.

The 2018 WNBA Draft will be held at the Nike Headquarters in New York City on Thursday, April 12. ESPN2 will begin coverage with the first round at 7 p.m. ET, while the second and third rounds will take place at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

This year’s draft comes after one of the most exciting Final Fours ever, which saw two of three games go to overtime and Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale hit game-winners in consecutive games to win the tournament. The women’s hoops momentum is reaching a peak.

This season’s draft is deep with potential All-Stars at every position. The No. 1 pick is a lock, but after that, this draft is wide open. No team is sitting nicer than the Chicago Sky, who hold the No. 3 and 4 pick.

Last year’s champion Minnesota Lynx do not have a first-round pick, but the runner-up Los Angeles Sparks do. They’re looking for a piece to help bring them back on top for the second time in three years, and other playoff teams are hoping to snag an undervalued star.

Below is SB Nation’s mock draft, which includes our own observations and analysis from WNBA coaches and analysts.

Mock Draft

1. Las Vegas Aces - A’ja Wilson, F/C, South Carolina

Wilson is a future All-Star whose 6’5 height and size will help make her one of the best bigs in the league in time. She can shoot in the mid-range, has tremendous post moves and protects the rim well. She’ll make the perfect co-star with Kelsey Plum, last season’s No. 1 pick, who left the NCAA as the all-time Division I women’s scoring leader.

Las Vegas’ first professional basketball team has a ways to go, but will have two franchise pieces to build off of.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer’s scouting report:

You don’t get many players that can drive like she can. She can attack the basket with one dribble and cover a tremendous amount of ground. It says something when you have a player who’s relied on to take the ball out of bounds all the time. The trust factor is there to make the right pass. She’s also the player who comes back to get the ball and is the outlet pass to start a press-break because she’s going to make the right decisions. Those are the intangibles you look at for a player.

She shoots from an elevated position above her head so you don’t have to worry about shot-blocking. Overall, those are the intangibles that may set her apart from a lot of the other big players out there. I think in our league, she’s going to scare a lot of people guarding her because she’s able to take the ball to the basket off the drive.

2. Indiana Fever - Kelsey Mitchell, PG, Ohio State

The Fever have needs across the board. They’re in full rebuild mode, having traded their best player, Briann January one year after Tamika Catching’s retirement.

They can go one of two ways with this pick: Kelsey Mitchell, one of the most dynamic scoring guards in NCAA history, or Azura Stevens, UConn’s polished big.

With Mitchell’s incredible three-point range (she shoots 40 percent from the field on nine attempts per game), handles and court awareness, she seems too good to pass up here. The Fever can build around her and whoever they select at No. 8, a pick they received in the January trade.

How ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson sees Mitchell’s fit:

I kind of feel like Indiana will go with Mitchell [at No. 2]. Remember they don’t have Briann January anymore, and from what I understand Shenise Johnson won’t be ready to start this season. In my opinion, they need a player who can play that 1-2 combo. I think Pokey’s excited to see what Kelsey Mitchell can be as a passer. She took a lot of shots and scored a lot of baskets. That was her role and what she was expected to do. But they’ve seen some other dimensions of her game as she’s been asked to move into the 1-spot in some situations. But that’s just a guess of mine.

3. Chicago Sky - Azura Stevens, F, UConn

Stevens surprised many by entering the draft a year early, but she’s clearly ready to go pro. With her talents, Stevens is in consideration at No. 2, though it’s impossible to go wrong between her and Mitchell.

Stevens played a traditional big position for Connecticut because of the Huskies’ lack of size, but she showed in her first two seasons at Duke that can stretch out to the wing and play on the perimeter, too.

She’s versatile, a talented defender, and has a long frame you can’t find anywhere else in the draft. She’s a steal at No. 3.

How ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson sees Stevens’ fit:

Obviously the conversation around the first round of the draft has changed dramatically with Azura Stevens declaring for the WNBA. She’s a unique player and it starts with her physical dimensions more than anything. Her length... her skill not only around the basket, but she’s shown the potential to make plays with her face-up game.

4. Chicago Sky - Gabby Williams, G/F, UConn

The Sky get back-to-back lottery picks, and with needs everywhere and no rush to contend for a title right away, Gabby Williams makes a lot of sense. UConn’s star struggles to shoot the ball from range and is a bit undersized, but she was the best athlete in college hoops and is an all-around contributor. She was the heart and soul of the Huskies, and controls the tempo of every game she plays in.

Williams is an elite defender who can fill the stat sheet up with points, assists, or rebounds. With the right development, she can be a star.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer’s scouting report:

All you have to do is look at Alyssa Thomas from Connecticut and how she’s improved her game over the years. I think Gabby Williams fits that mold. She’ll teach herself some perimeter shooting. You watched her in the playoffs, she made some really big foul line jump shots. She’ll get better and better especially if they get a coach and an individual to work with her. I think she’ll be a solid player for a long time in the WNBA.

Indiana Fever head coach Pokey Chatman’s scouting report:

We’ve taken into account how important heart is on the court. Half the game is also played on the defensive end. Those are two valuable assets that she brings regardless of her ability to hit a three or nail a free-throw line jumper.

5. Seattle Storm - Jordin Canada, PG, UCLA

The Storm have to start thinking about Sue Bird’s inevitable replacement, and with talented point guards left on the board, this is probably the year to find one. The Storm could go with Duke’s Lexie Brown here, but Canada feels like the right choice.

Canada can run the floor, shoot from deep, and weave around anybody off the dribble. She won’t be a team’s primary scoring option, but she’ll get her buckets in the “W” while also creating attempts for Breanna Stewart, Jewell Lloyd and others. She’s an elite passer.

How ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson sees Canada’s fit:

Is there a player more fun to watch than Canada? She can lose a defend off the bounce no problem. She’s very crafty, can penetrate the defense and find the seams. She’s just got that next-level quickness. She’s not a pure shooter, meaning I don’t think she’s thinking about shooting the three every time she touches it, which makes her different from Lexie [Brown]. But you have to respect the fact that she’s worked on that three. She has an extremely high motor. The only question mark is her durability, because she’s kind of small and you can move her around the floor, but that’s fixable.

6. Dallas Wings - Diamond DeShields, G/F, Turkey

DeShields is undoubtedly a talented athlete who can play guard or forward with great 6’1 size and length. She isn’t a true three-point threat, but she’s phenomenal off the dribble, and at changing directions. She could be a star scorer.

What’s pushing her down in the draft is the uncertainty that surrounds her. She’s moved places three times, from North Carolina her freshman season to Tennessee. She then went pro overseas after skipping her senior season of college eligibility.

That’s something coaches and analysts agreed is a huge question mark.

Chicago Sky head coach Amber Stocks’ scouting report:

Skill is a broad term we often use to just identify talent on the court. But competitive character, managing through the mental and emotional burns of the season is a skill. Some players are able to do it at a different level. Looking at the intangibles is good not just when you’re looking at the 40 minutes of a game, but everything that goes into being a talented player and having a high character team... the locker room... the practices... the intangibles there are just as important.

How ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo sees DeShields’ stock:

Diamond is really interesting because she’s so talented, everyone knows the potential she brought at North Carolina and Tennessee. I think the positives are that she has a year of playing professionally under her belt. She’s playing in a good league, having the chance to play with good teammates against good competition can only help her.

I think a negative could just be the uncertainty with Diamond. I think because she started at one school, transferred to another and seemed like she was coming back... and then I think most people were surprised that she decided not to play... there’s an uncertainty about her. It’s not as easy to watch her play in person, although some coaches have gone overseas to do that in terms of their scouting, but I think there’s a bit of ‘What exactly are we getting with Diamond DeShields?’

7. Washington Mystics - Victoria Vivians, F, Mississippi State

Vivians is a versatile wing who makes perfect sense for Elena Delle Donne’s Mystics. A 6’1 wing, Vivians is a flamethrower from deep who can also defend multiple positions. She will fill a real role wherever she lands, but she’d be a hero in Washington, which has struggled to defend opposing backcourts.

How ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo sees Vivians’ fit:

A lot of people really like Victoria because of her size... Big guards are at a premium in the WNBA... and her ability to score. Not only did her efficiency increase this year, but the dramatic increase in her three-point shot, shooting from 20-something to the 40s. She’s shown that she’s a player who can continue to improve, and adjust her role even if that means fewer field goal attempts. I think people really liked her a year ago, and becoming more efficient has only helped her. She’s a very appealing big guard in this draft.

8. Indiana Fever - Monique Billings, F, UCLA

Billings definitely has some muscle to build as a post player, but she has a great sense of where to be to grab boards. She led the Pac-12 in rebounds this year, and also broke her own blocks record at UCLA. Billings can score in the interior, and may be the perfect match to run the break next to Kelsey Mitchell.

This is a huge draft for the Fever.

Indiana Fever head coach Pokey Chatman’s scouting report:

When you look at Mo, you can tell she’s trying to work on her range a bit. She’s trying to shoot it from about 10-14 feet. She’s always been high motor, runs the floor like a guard. She can defend multiple positions because she can move laterally. She’s great on the boards, but you can see she’s trying to get herself a little more solid and under control offensively.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer’s scouting report:

If she had 15 to 20 more pounds on her, she’d be a better player for our league.

9. Connecticut Sun - Kia Nurse, G, UConn

The Sun need help in the backcourt to match Jonquel Jones’ and Alyssa Thomas’ production on the inside, and Kia Nurse is the perfect piece. A knockdown shooter, Nurse can serve a vital role as a scorer, and can also defend quick guards.

Nurse may not be a star, but she’s a necessary glue piece who can help tie any team together.

10. New York Liberty - Lexie Brown, PG, Duke

With no striking need, the Liberty are likely to go with the best available player regardless of position. They’d be lucky to steal Brown at No. 10. Brown is one of the best defenders in the draft who averaged four steals per game this season, and also shoots better than 38 percent from range.

Brown is destined to be a starting point guard in time.

How ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson sees Brown’s fit:

The thing that sets Brown apart is her size. She’s got a couple inches on most of the point guards. Her three-point range is something intriguing to me because you stretch the line more in the WNBA than in college.. She’s a great leader, she was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Another part of her game that impressed me was her strength on the ball. She has a high basketball IQ, sees the floor well and comes from a basketball pedigree. I think what’s different about Lexie is that she can play the 1 and 2. She’s got enough size that she can move to the 2 and become a shooter as well.

11. Los Angeles Sparks - Maria Vadeeva, F/C, Russia

Vadeeva is one of the unknowns in the draft as a 19-year-old playing in Russia. She could have been a lottery pick had she played college basketball, but since she’s been difficult to scout and nobody knows for sure when (or if) she’d come to the U.S., it’s hard to take her with a top overall pick.

Since the Sparks have a championship-caliber team together, whoever they draft isn’t likely to see a whole ton of playing time. That means they can afford to wait for Vadeeva to move to America. The 6’3 low-post scorer who already plays with Nneka Ogwumike and Angel McCoughtry overseas should be worth the wait, if necessary.

How Las Vegas Aces head coach Bill Laimbeer sees Vadeeva’s stock:

I don’t think she’ll fall to 13, and I’m definitely not taking her at 1. So, it’s a crapshoot where’s she’s gonna go depending on needs and if someone makes a surprise pick. I think she’s going to be a first-round pick.

How Indiana Fever head coach Pokey Chatman sees Vadeeva’s stock:

She’s surrounded by talent abroad and is playing well. We always have to take in regard to a player with such a high pick because of the commitment, if they’ll pass from a national team commitment being a top player. It’s one of those things, there’s too many question marks there that we still have to work through.

How ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson sees Vadeeva’s fit:

I’ve seen very little of her, but from what I’ve seen, she’s 6’3... lefty... very physical... she can rebound outside of her area... nice passer... nice touch. Really, more than anything, going back to the physical aspects of her game, a lot of times when it comes to post players it takes them a while to develop that strength and physicality, so I think that’s an advantage for her.

And then the passing ability for a big as the game evolves, the ability for a post player to pass and find open teammates is a premium. She’s kind of one of the unknowns in this. Because we haven’t seen a ton of footage on her or seen her live, I’m interested to see. I’ve talked to some WNBA GMs and they feel that if she were a college player, she could be a lottery pick. That just speaks to the level of skill and versatility she has and will hopefully bring to the WNBA.

12. Phoenix Mercury - Marie Gulich, C, Oregon State

A 6’5 center who nearly doubled her points production in her senior season (from 10 to 17 per game), Gulich has been a high riser in draft projections. She’s an efficient scorer down low (66 percent), and on the defensive end, she swatted three shots per game this season. She’s a great late-first talent who could form an unstoppable frontcourt with Brittney Griner in time.

How ESPN analyst Rebeccca Lobo sees Gulich’s stock:

Just talking to coaches it seems like she’s the prospect whose stock rose more than anyone throughout the latter part of the NCAA Tournament. Coaches were aware of her, but she played so well in the tournament especially in the later matchups and in the Tennessee pulling up against Mercedes Russell.

I think before the NCAA Tournament run, the conversation was that she was mid-to-late second-round, but her play may have moved her up to late first-round or early second-round. People are really interested in how hard she works, great size, her ability to face the basket, her fadeaway on her shot and her ability to score on like-sized players.

[junker-town]

We’ve never seen anyone like Zion Williamson ... but will his game work in the NBA?

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The comfortable quietness at the Olympic Training Center was first broken by a loud smack against the backboard. A collective gasp came next, followed by a few unrestrained howls seconds later. If only for a moment, USA Basketball junior minicamp was frozen in disbelief, with the entire gym gazing at each other to confirm what it just saw.

This was the sound of Zion Williamson and the awe that he inspires.

Jyare Davis, a 15-year-old from Delaware, saw nothing but a clear lane and an open basket as he turned the corner. What he didn’t see was the 6’6, 272-pound teenage wrecking ball behind him. As Davis went up for a layup, Williamson slammed the ball against the glass, sprinted the length of the floor, and got the ball back in time for a powerful two-handed dunk.

You could find the entire sequence on social media minutes later. This is Zion Williamson after all, a young phenom ostensibly from Spartanburg, S.C. who might as well live in the smart phones of basketball fans across the world.

Williamson has the body of an NFL defensive lineman and the explosiveness of a young Dominique Wilkins. His incredible highlights have earned him more than 1 million Instagram followers, a budding friendship with Drake, and hysterical crowds at every game he plays. He came to Colorado Springs in part to escape that.

There is no hype here, only hoops. The minicamp brings 54 of the top high school players in the country together under one roof. Williamson is one of 18 seniors looking for a spot on the Hoop Summit roster, while the rest of the camp is made up of sophomores and juniors trying out for USA Basketball’s U17 World Cup team.

The relative seclusion of this event makes it a fascinating setting for Williamson. The frenzy he typically causes has no place here. Instead, there’s a renewed focus on Williamson as a basketball player ... as opposed to Williamson as an internet sensation. The coaches and recruiting analysts in attendance aren’t looking for dunks; they’re looking for skill development.

Can Williamson make a jump shot? How’s his off-hand? Does he make his teammates better? And most importantly: Does the modern NBA have room for a player with the height of a shooting guard, the heft of a center, and a jump shot that remains a question mark?

“People keep asking who he’s like,” said Rivals’ Eric Bossi, who has covered recruiting for 14 years. “Well, no one really. He’s the first Zion. He’s such a unique player that we still really don’t know how some of these things we’ve seen will translate. We’ve not really seen someone like him before.”

USA Basketball

Williamson was talking on Facetime with a friend as he walked around Las Vegas this summer. When he hung up, he noticed a man behind him. He had been following Williamson for nearly 10 minutes.

“I’m like sir, you didn’t have to follow me for two blocks just to get a picture,” Williamson said. “He like ‘no no, it’s fine. I didn’t want you to give up your phone call.’”

This is the life of Zion Williamson and the mania he causes. There was no better example of it than the chaotic scene in the gym when he squared off against LaMelo Ball during that same weekend in Sin City.

What happens when he plays with those guys for entire weekends, game after game, and it’s not just the Zion show?

By all accounts, this was a spectacle unlike any ever seen at the AAU level. Police officers had to barricade the doors and push back against a standing-room-only crowd that was reportedly filing in seven rows deep. NBA stars like Damian Lillard, Andrew Wiggins, and LaMelo’s older brother Lonzo Ball were all in attendance. LeBron James tried to get in but thought better of it when he saw the circus that had transpired.

Williamson called it “the craziest game I’ve ever played in.”

“But if I’m being realistic, that wasn’t a normal basketball game,” he said. “It was up and down up and down, just trying to outscore each other.”

This is why Williamson needed to be isolated in an environment like USA Basketball minicamp to truly be evaluated. At the high school and grassroots level, Williamson is by far the most talented player on his team. Everything is built around his unique skills. It won’t be that way for long. Bossi wrote that Williamson had more to prove than anyone at the onset of the camp.

“We’ve never really seen him play with other great players in a structured environment,” said Bossi. “What happens when he plays with those guys for entire weekends, game after game, and it’s not just the Zion show?”

USA Basketball

For four practices spread across two days, Williamson played with more passion and aggression than anyone at the camp. He doesn’t coast on his body and his athleticism, he uses it as a weapon. He is a marvel in the open court, where he looks like a runaway train with that combination of size and speed. It’s the one part of his game that will translate at any level.

Williamson plays with a fury that has rare precedent in this sport. To see him crush a block or obliterate a dunk is to see Bo Jackson run over Brian Bosworth or Jadeveon Clowney knock the helmet off a poor Michigan running back. Basketball players are supposed to be lean and lanky ... not a mile wide, as strong as a bull, and capable of whipping that massive frame through the air for 360 windmill slams.

“I don’t know if that’s something you can learn,” Williamson said with a smile when asked to explain his athleticism. “I thank God that I can move the way I do at this size.”

Williamson knows his strengths as a player. When he gets the ball, he’s driving left and going to the hoop. Matched up against some of the best players in the country, Williamson was still able to get to his spots whenever he wanted. He has great touch around the rim and is able to contort his body to finish from a variety of angles.

It’s freakish. He’s unsettling.

He’s also a willing and skilled passer. Williamson described himself as a “point forward” and noted his ball-handling ability as his most underrated attribute. It showed throughout the camp. He can push the ball off a rebound and doesn’t hesitate to swing the ball on the perimeter. He also made some crafty high-low passes when playing with a more traditional big man from the top of the key.

Williamson’s other major strengths come as a rebounder and shot blocker. He crashes the glass with reckless abandon on both ends and shows off both a phenomenal sense of timing and a nose for the ball. There was no one at the camp who was able to match up with him physically.

“To have such an explosive burst carrying with that type of dense weight is a scary thing,” said Jerry Meyer, Director of Basketball Scouting for 247Sports. “It’s freakish. He’s unsettling.”

Of course, Williamson won’t be playing against teens forever. That’s why everyone agrees the biggest area for improvement in his game is his jump shot.

Williamson might not have taken a jump shot during scrimmages the entire weekend. Everything was to the hole. The question is if Williamson is reluctant to shoot because he can’t do it, or because he doesn’t need to. His powerful drives to the rim work against high schoolers, but what about when he’s going up against Kawhi Leonard two years from now?

“The development of his outside shot is going to be the No. 1 key in determining what his value is going to be at the highest level,” said Meyer. “If you can’t shoot, it’s tough.

“But I think Zion is going to be able to shoot,” Meyer continued. “It’s not a broken shot. He just doesn’t have to shoot much. He gets to where he wants to get, which is to the rim. He finishes with touch. Looks good at the free throw line. I expect him to improve as a shooter. But obviously we don’t know to what extent.”

USA Basketball

Williamson plays so aggressively that there are times when it’s easy to worry about the safety of the other campers, especially the young sophomores and juniors. For his part, Williamson doesn’t seem concerned.

“My mentality is killers kill,” Williamson said. “Yeah these kids are younger, but in two years hopefully I can be playing in the NBA. LeBron’s not gonna say, ‘oh you’re a rookie so I’m gonna take it easy.’ You always have to play hard.”

Playing hard is not an issue for Williamson — who is considering Kentucky, Duke, Clemson and South Carolina for his college decision. The jump shot is, and his place in the league might be, too. Williamson measured with only a 6’10 wingspan and an 8’7 standing reach. Those are the measurements of an NBA wing. Yet, his absurd 272-pound frame and limited perimeter shooting ability is more fitting of a power forward or even a center.

Is there really a place in the league for a 6’6 big man who lacks elite length if his jumper doesn’t improve? Jonathan Givony of ESPN (formerly DraftExpress) thinks so. He recently projected Williamson as the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. To find a spot for Williamson in the league, Givony said teams will simply have to be creative.

“Draymond Green is a guy that comes up,” Givony said. “He’s a similar height. Draymond is a lot longer than Zion, which helps a lot. But you wonder if he can play that kind of role.

“Draymond at that age was really overweight. He was not shooting jumpers at all. He really wasn’t shooting jumpers until his senior year of college. But if you surround him with the right guys and put him in the right system, he does so many other things. He’s not exactly a Draymond, but he can be that kind of guy where he plays a unique role in the NBA as a four or five.”

Penny Hardaway, who was an assistant coach at the camp, came up with another comparison.

“He has a lot of Charles Barkely in him,” Hardaway said. “He has a lot more athleticism on the court than Charles did, but his mannerisms on the court are similar.”

It all comes together to make Williamson one of the most compelling NBA prospects to come through the American pipeline, well, ever. The holes in his game are real, at least at age 17. He also offers an intoxicating package of size and athleticism that’s impossible to ignore.

Zion WIlliamson is not easy to categorize. It's unclear what position he will play in the NBA — there's not a lot of precedent for a guy like him. But what is without doubt is that hush over the gym, the eerie quiet, when he shows what Zion, and only Zion, can do.

[junker-town]

You thought these NBA prospects would be busts. They turned into stars

Boy were you wrong. (Hint: We were, too.)

On Thursday, we asked Twitter a question. Following a prompt from Celtics Blog, we wanted to know who your biggest busts were: players you thought for sure were headed for stardom but fell way below your expectations.

Here were your answers.

Today, though, we asked the reverse. Who were the players you felt were busts that turned in pretty successful NBA careers?

Now, we're doing the reverse! Who did you think would be a bust that turned out to be a solid player, or even a star?

— SB Nation NBA (@SBNationNBA) August 4, 2017

It’s simple: There’s a lull in the NBA. Free agency is all but over, and aside from pending Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony trades, we have a good idea of what the 30 league rosters will look like next season.

So what better way to kill time than to reminisce about past judgment calls we made that were just flat-out wrong. Here were some of the names you threw around:

Kawhi Leonard

I thought Kawhi Leonard's ceiling was @Bowen12

— Gervin (@GervinTwittiot) August 4, 2017

A zillion percent Kawhi Leonard and I’m owning that one. https://t.co/S6U2HdCqHd

— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) August 4, 2017

When the Spurs sent George Hill to the Pacers for the 15th pick in 2011, most people were confused. Hill was a solid combo guard who gave Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili relief at either back court spot. Why move him for an unproven rookie who, at the time, wasn’t perceived as much more than a perimeter defender?

Today, Kawhi Leonard has an NBA championship and Finals MVP under his belt and has become arguably one of the five best players in the league. He can legitimately defend four of five traditional basketball positions and has developed into an all-world scorer.

Stephen Curry

Steph Curry. Didn't see the passing, defense, or frame to handle the NBA. Easily the most wrong I've ever been. https://t.co/9kYZw39ST0

— Bryant West (@BSWest5) August 4, 2017

Steph Curry

— 6'11 (@Sethdiddy) August 4, 2017

Curry was rated a 69 in NBA 2K9. He could shoot the lights out when he got hot, but that was about it. Then the injuries came, and he looked nothing like a top-7 pick.

But then Monta Ellis got traded and the Warriors drafted some talent to put alongside their super shooter. Today, Curry is a two-time MVP, a two-time champ and arguably the greatest shooter to ever touch a basketball.

IT4

Isaiah Thomas: even without handcheck rules and with a softer league, I thought his being a zero on defense would keep him off the court.

— Will Dickeson (@WillDickeson) August 4, 2017

Sure, Isaiah Thomas went dead-last in the 2011 NBA Draft, but given his stature, the odds were already stacked against him. A few years later, the 5’9” guard became one of the best success stories in the NBA, crashing into giant defenders in the paint or making defenses pay from downtown. And he’s the star of a Boston team that had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season.

Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward

— Don (@chewie93) August 4, 2017

Gordon Hayward. https://t.co/kmTnAEP4iG

— Thomas Duffy (@TJDhoops) August 4, 2017

i said gordon hayward should stay at butler lol https://t.co/gcV0V20U4V

— Whitney Medworth (@its_whitney) August 4, 2017

Hayward was coming off of an exceptional season at Butler, falling just short of winning it all in the National Championship Game. But in a 2010 NBA Draft thought to be loaded with names like John Wall, Evan Turner, DeMarcus Cousins, Wesley Johnson and Derrick Favors — remember, these guys were STUDS in college — Hayward’s name didn’t stand out from the pack.

Today, Hayward is a max player on the Celtics after making the All-Star team with the Jazz last season. He could be the piece that pushes Boston over the hump.

J.J. Redick

I was only a kid at the time so it was mostly just Dukie hatred, but: J.J. Redick.

— Peter Nygaard (@RetepAdam) August 4, 2017

Definitely JJ Redick...he's turned out to be more than a shooter https://t.co/tky8n47Yur

— Bodega J. (@Gym_Jaaames) August 4, 2017

JJ Redick. Thought his nonsense wouldn't work in the NBA but he worked and made himself a player. Jimmer, tho...... https://t.co/NjpeppUXAF

— grundlefly (@jerry_eldred) August 4, 2017

The career J.J. Redick has carved out for himself continues to shock me. https://t.co/8z6S1tj4hY

— Eric McKay (@EricMcKay_NCN) August 4, 2017

At a time where the three-point shot wasn’t nearly as valued as it is now, J.J. Redick was a specialist. He still is, but his savvy approach to the game has endeared him across the league as one the best veterans to have on a roster: case-in-point — the Sixers gave him $23 million next season to hit threes and mentor their young guys.

DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan!

— Adam Voge (@adamvoge) August 4, 2017

I am still slightly confused by the ascension of Demar Derozan to NBA superstar. https://t.co/DMguq5LKqB

— David Ray Allen (@davidrallenjr) August 4, 2017

DeRozan was somewhat of a raw talent when he entered the NBA in 2009. He was a freak athlete who used that athleticism to his advantage on both ends of the floor. Now, the Raptors’ guard is the best mid-range shooter in the NBA, one of the league’s best finishers and an All-Star starter.

Kevin Love

Kevin Love, a lot.

— Steve McPherson (@steventurous) August 4, 2017

Kevin Love Loved him in college, thought there was no way his skillset would translate https://t.co/m4kAfH7J3O

— Peter Adultman (@Pete_Volk) August 4, 2017

Kevin Love spent one season at UCLA as a dominant rebounder, outlet passer and post-scorer with decent range. At the NBA level, he’s been a carbon copy.

Anthony Davis

I....I didn't think Anthony Davis was gonna be able to score consistently in the league. An all-time bad take https://t.co/mygTiTXcG6

— Mikey Hlebasko (@MichaelHlebasko) August 4, 2017

I thought Anthony Davis was going to be a bust. Man, I was wrong!!!! https://t.co/6kM7IC7AIq

— Kaleel Weatherly (@KaleelWeatherl1) August 4, 2017

I’m leaving these guys out to dry here, because I’ve got no idea how they thought Anthony Davis wasn’t going to be great. Shoutout to The Brow.

Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker because I'm a dumbass

— Ravis (@SRavi81) August 4, 2017

Kemba Walker

— Oleh Kosel (@Redhopeful) August 4, 2017

Kemba Walker is listed at 6’1”. At that height in a league that grows every year, it’s easy to count him out. But Cardiac Kemba’s been everything Charlotte imagined and more. Now, they need to get him some help so they can take the next step.

This guy needs a healing

Worst scout ever-I thought Tim Duncan looked soft and too slow in college

— Walter Spath (@wfspath) August 4, 2017

Just gonna leave this Tim Duncan tweet right there.

Kristaps Porzinigs

Kristaps because I always count on the Knicks to make bad choices.

— Chandler Robertson (@C_WRobertson) August 4, 2017

all Knicks fans w porzing

— Brian O'Leary (@Brian_OLeary1) August 4, 2017

KP

— myles wᎥsh (@myleswish) August 4, 2017

Kristaps Porzingis

— Levy Aninditio ▲ (@Aninditio) August 4, 2017

When the Knicks selected Kristaps Porzingis fourth overall in 2015, Madison Square Garden booed him. But KP turned those boos into cheers by placing second in Rookie of the Year voting then endearing himself as the basketball unicorn ready to take the league by storm.

Hey, even Phil Jackson can get one right... right?

Devin Booker

Devin Booker

— shark week disliker (@CowlonFullerton) August 4, 2017

Devin Booker

— BostonSports (@NE_sports_only) August 4, 2017

Any pause you may have had regarding Devin Booker kindly exited stage left when he hung 70 points on Boston last season.

Klay Thompson

I completely missed the mark on Klay Thompson. Not even gonna lie. He shut me up so fast. https://t.co/GySO63Ikz4

— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) August 4, 2017

Klay Thompson

— Eddie Scissors (@Eddie_Scissors) August 4, 2017

I thought Klay Thompson could shoot it. I had absolutely no idea he could play defense at the level he does now. Mama, there goes that man.