Better NBA Career: JL or Austin Rivers

[hungry husky]

Who do you think will end up being a better pro and why?

 

[champs99and04]

Lamb, and I don't think it will be close. Think about it, Rivers has been the go-to-guy since he first started dribbling a basketball. He's been labeled a prodige, Kobe Bryant-type player with an array of offensive moves unseen from a perimeter player since World War II. The reality is that he's just not that good. He has a good first step, but there is little reason to think many of the best athletes in the world will struggle to stay in front of him. He's not explosive at the rim, he has "tunnel vission", he's not a great shooter, and he's shown no indication that he has the latteral quickness to become an above average defender at the NBA level. Again, here is a guy who has had the ball in his hands since he first stepped on a basketball court, and now he's being forced to co-exist with players that are better than he is. It's going to be an adjustment to say the least, considering he's never really learned how to play off the ball.

 

[UConnSwag11]

lamb without a doubt, did really well as a fresh and soph and was the best player for USA... also he is more skilled and his game is much better suited for the nba

 

[UConn990411]

I like both guys, but I'll go with Lamb - his game (at least offensively) is tailor-made for the NBA.

Rivers is a little bit of a tweener (think JJ Barea with more size), which makes him more likely to be a good bench player on a good team/very good player on a bad team. Lamb, I think, could end up being a starter on a good team if he ever decides to play defense.

 

[M_Funkhauser43!]

Austin Rivers is a ball hug.

 

[Kitaman]

On a UConn board you expect an unbiased answer?

 

[phillionaire]

On a UConn board you expect an unbiased answer?

everybody loves a good circlejerk!

 

[RayRay19]

I see rivers more as a d-wade type player. He isnt a PG or a SG but he can get to the rim at will. His defense obviously is no math compared to wade but i def see his playing ability to be alot like wade. Not that great of a shot but can get by and finish around anyone.

 

[ford82]

I don't think Rivers is like Wade at all. Rivers had trouble finishing at the rim in college, finishing in the NBA will obviously be harder. Wade is a world class athlete. Rivers has average athleticism for a college player. He can't finish around anyone. I didn't see that in his one year at Duke. I saw a high volume shooter, who had the mentality that he had a superior game, but was starting to realize he didn't have superior athleticism. He will be ok in the NBA if he learns how to pass to his teammates and make better decisions.

If you watch old clips of Wade in college it is ridiculous how much better an athlete he was than anyone else on the court.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I don't think Rivers is like Wade at all. Rivers had trouble finishing at the rim in college, finishing in the NBA will obviously be harder. Wade is a world class athlete. Rivers has average athleticism for a college player. He can't finish around anyone. I didn't see that in his one year at Duke. I saw a high volume shooter, who had the mentality that he had a superior game, but was starting to realize he didn't have superior athleticism. He will be ok in the NBA if he learns how to pass to his teammates and make better decisions.

If you watch old clips of Wade in college it is ridiculous how much better an athlete he was than anyone else on the court.

Agree, better comparison is maybe Jason Terry. I've got the same problem with Rivers that I had going into last year at Dook = he's sized for a PG but plays like a SG. You don't have to be a Rondo-esque passer to play PG in NBA so IF Rivers can learn and execute pick and rolls and curtail his volume shooter mentality he could be a good pro.

Final analysis is Lamb a surer bet, Rivers probably higher upside and hence will be taken earlier cuz his 'pedigree' does offset the flaws and inconsistencies in his game.

 

[aceboon]

I don't see how Rivers has a higher upside, Rivers has been pretty much the same player since his junior year of high school, Lamb just became a high level prospect 2 years ago and continues to show improvement each year(despite the fools on this board thinking he regressed from his freshman to soph year).

Agree, better comparison is maybe Jason Terry. I've got the same problem with Rivers that I had going into last year at Dook = he's sized for a PG but plays like a SG. You don't have to be a Rondo-esque passer to play PG in NBA so IF Rivers can learn and execute pick and rolls and curtail his volume shooter mentality he could be a good pro.

Final analysis is Lamb a surer bet, Rivers probably higher upside and hence will be taken earlier cuz his 'pedigree' does offset the flaws and inconsistencies in his game.

 

[SubbaBub]

Rivers is Marbury. Take it to the bank.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dogdeacon]

I don't see how Rivers has a higher upside, Rivers has been pretty much the same player since his junior year of high school, Lamb just became a high level prospect 2 years ago and continues to show improvement each year(despite the fools on this board thinking he regressed from his freshman to soph year).

I'll play, let's do comps of best case - worst case - expected for each:
Lamb
Best - Allan Houston
Worst - Mike Dunleavy
Expected - Jamal Crawford


Rivers
Best - Mo Cheeks
Worst - Rodney Stuckey
Expected - OJ Mayo
Knocks - PG or SG, Height, volume scorer had trouble finishing at rim in college, too cocky/selfish

I would take Lamb because I think I know what he should be (a shooting guard, good 2nd-3rd option on team), whereas with Rivers I wouldn't gamble on him becoming a PG and I think he's too small to be the scorer he thinks he can be as a NBA SG. However his Dad was a really good NBA PG and Austin is more athletically talented. If he can channel his skills into the PG position he should be a success.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/ratings.cgi

More extreme version of this is Drummond vs. Thomas Robinson. Especially right away Robinson can start and contribute in the NBA whereas Drummond is likely only defensively useful initially. So Robinson projected higher but Drummond has the potential to be a franchise player (offset by fear of never developing offensively with motivation Q's) whereas Robinson's high end and very probable is your 2nd or 3rd best guy.

 

[JaYnYcE]

On a UConn board you expect an unbiased answer?

LOL, seriously....

 

[Huskymaniac]

Who do you think will end up being a better pro and why?

Rivers because he has shown better judgment.

 

[aceboon]

Rivers because he has shown better judgment.

I am sure the Duke bigmen think otherwise

 

[HooperScooper]

Rivers because he has shown better judgment.

Are you being serious here? Did you watch Rivers play this year? He made awful decisions by being selfish and hucking up shots from everywhere. There were games he made his fair share and hit some big shots just because he put up so many. But on average he was a ball hog that shot his team out of more games than he won. Ask Duke fans what their biggest issue was last year and they will tell you that.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Rivers because he has shown better judgment.

Care to elaborate?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Lamb for one reason: he has a better body for the NBA. Other than that, who knows.

 

[TheChamps990411]

ill say lamb. he has a definite position in the nba as a sg and rivers seems like he`ll be a tweener. he doesnt have the size to play the 2 and is to selfish with the ball and not much of a passer to play the point. new orleans is looking to groom him as the future pg but i think his best case scenario will be a 6th man who comes off the bench and gives you points. he reminds me of a poor mans ben gordon where i see jeremy as a better version of kerry kittles and will likely have a similar career but score a little more because hes a much better shooter.