nba scout chats with duffy. talks DD, napier, boat

[husky99]

http://blog.ctnews.com/uconnbasketball/2013/02/23/gameday-uconn-at-depaul/

 

[Huskies0514]

I see this as good news. It's insight from scouts like this that the UConn coach staff needs to explain to Shabazz. He really does need to stay for his senior year.

A great '14 March run and we will likely see Shabazz, Boat and Daniels jump for the draft

 

[Tenspro2002]

Kind of confirms our thoughts about the guards. They just don't have the size to be legitimate NBA prospects without otherworldly talent and athleticism, a la Kemba.

Neither of them could guard an NBA point guard, and Boat isn't a good enough distributor.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Hopefully now Duffy stops with the Bazz should go pro early articles

 

[Horatio]

This is an an absolute relief. Now we can watch the team develop and know that everyone's going to be back next season. Watching the DePaul game you can see the pieces starting to come together. Beautiful .

 

[DrewDog85]

I see this as good news. It's insight from scouts like this that the UConn coach staff needs to explain to Shabazz. He really does need to stay for his senior year.

A great '14 March run and we will likely see Shabazz, Boat and Daniels jump for the draft

Seeing as Shabazz will be a senior in 14 He would not have much of a decision, lol

 

[Vuce]

One scout's opinion doesnt mean much. But if the consensus is that Bazz is a "possible" second rounder then he should come back. No reason for him to leave in the hope of being drafted in the second round and then riding the bus in the D league. I know this is old fashioned but get your degree and then take your shot at the NBA

 

[champs99and04]

The question isn't where Napier would go if he came out this year, the question is whether he can improve his stock by returning. The latter will determine whether he goes pro or returns, IMO.

 

[PacificStorm]

Nothing wrong about going to Europe this summer or next summer. Either way, Bazz earns six figures over there. If he leaves this summer, he may get low six figures per year. If he leaves next summer, he could get high six figures. I'd prefer that he stays, though, to get a college degree and lead the Huskies to a late run in March Madness 2014. By then, the Huskies are a much better rebounding team.

 

[caw]

I honestly don't know how much more Napier can improve. He's darn good right now. He could lead this team deep in the postseason though. If UConn was eligible this year, I have no doubt he would show enough in March to be picked in the NBA draft. Without that exposure, it hurts his chances. I would say this is a sweet sixteen team this year, depending on matchups/seeding.

Next year could be very fun. Even if it's just Samuel replacing Evans and Brimah and Facey providing depth, this team is much more dangerous.

 

[UConn5]

I honestly don't know how much more Napier can improve. He's darn good right now. He could lead this team deep in the postseason though. If UConn was eligible this year, I have no doubt he would show enough in March to be picked in the NBA draft. Without that exposure, it hurts his chances. I would say this is a sweet sixteen team this year, depending on matchups/seeding.

Next year could be very fun. Even if it's just Samuel replacing Evans and Brimah and Facey providing depth, this team is much more dangerous.

Agree that I'm not sure how much Shabazz can improve...he's been great. I think he leaves because it is his best chance to get drafted...I hope it works out for him

 

[Horatio]

The one thing he could improve is his physique and physical strenghth. That might improve his game for the next season. Maybe if scouts see those changes it could improve his draft status.

 

[Gurleyman]

Only thing he can really improve is to be more of a pure point guard and maybe show he can have a role at the next level running an offense. Only problem is that Boat eeds to show the same thing, and it would be hard for both to do it at the same time "Here, you shoot it...no you, I insist...etc."

 

[ChrisSmith]

The question isn't where Napier would go if he came out this year, the question is whether he can improve his stock by returning. The latter will determine whether he goes pro or returns, IMO.

Exactly. And the scout didnt speak to that at all, so the people interpreting the scout's comments as suggesting Shabazz should come back are kidding themselves.

 

[DogMania]

The one thing he could improve is his physique and physical strenghth. That might improve his game for the next season. Maybe if scouts see those changes it could improve his draft status.

It's been a while since I've had a War & Peace post, but this is a topic that deserves a deep dive.

Determining if it's the right time for Bazz to enter the draft IMO is a tough one. As Hooper has pointed out before, he once heard an NBA guy say the more they see some of these college players, the less then tend to like them. This usually has to do with rising (soon-to-be) juniors and seniors that don't have obvious upside. Bazz seems to fit that description, though I think there are a few areas that he can improve in before he hangs 'em up in Storrs. They are as follows:

Consistency - Now I've made this point before with past UConn players that I thought had NBA talent but were struggling and/or inconsistent through the first half of their last season (Ben & Caron come to mind) though were a consistent jump shot away from being NBA draft ready. I put Bazz in this category to some degree. He doesn't have NBA athleticism, size and strength, but he has an NBA type game and BBIQ. He reminds me of a poor-man's Steve Nash. Not very big, nor athletic, but very high BBIQ and shot-making abilities. Now Bazz just put up 27 and 28 points in back-to-back games and has shown ridiculous range on his 3-Ball. His scoring though has been very inconsistent throughout the season. If he continues to put up points in the mid to high 20s for the next 4 games, he just might show enough consistency with his scoring to up his stock enough to get first round draft considerations, especially in light of how weak this 2013 NBA draft looks to be shaping up. But I think there are two areas that he can show improvement on if he returns, which brings me to my counter point that it might make sense that he returns for his senior season.

PG Skills - As noted above, although he has a high BBIQ, a quick trigger deep 3-ball, what I think will improve his NBA stock is if he shows improvement in his Floor-General skills. He's got some creative passing abilities, but he seems more comfortable scoring than he is with setting up his teammates. For a team to invest a first round pick on him, I think he needs to show that he can run the point more efficiently by improving those assist numbers. Now having players who can score really helps with that, but it's not like we don't have ones that can knock down shots. Not having bigs who can score easily in the post probably robs him about 2 to 4 assists a game, which is significant, but the fact is he doesn't have the size and athleticism (plays well below the rim) to play the 2 in the NBA, at least on a full time basis. He'd struggle defending bigger, stronger and more athletic NBA 2Gs. Even guarding the Ones in the League won't be easy for him. Marcus Williams is a prefect example who couldn't seem to find the floor due to an inability to guard NBA guards. Bazz is quicker then MW, but his lack of strength is going to be a problem, which brings me to point #3, which Horatio pointed out.

Strength - It doesn't take a genius to realize how weak Bazz and Boat are compared to many of the back-courts they face. Watching them live against teams like Pitt, UL and just about every back-court they've faced, these two guards are physically over-matched by college players, never mind NBA vets. That's not to say they haven't bested many of these backcourts throughout the season, but to do so against bigger and more athletic NBA guards night-in, night-out is another story. Another year in the weight room might not only help his NBA draft stock, but also improve his chances of sticking in the League once he gets there. What I'm not sure is how much bigger and stronger he can actually get. Some players simply don't have the body type to put on a lot of mass, and I think Bazz fits that category. Look at his legs and his lack of explosiveness. He's sneaky quick but not explosive and fast, like Boatright...though I'm not sure how much bigger RB can get. I think RB has a body type that could get thicker as he matures and gets older, but Bazz looks like a Steve Nash body type that can get stronger but not necessarily thicker. What makes Nash special in addition to some of the similar traits that Bazz has, is his ability to run a team and find open players on a consistent basis, something that Bazz has not yet shown.

IMO it comes down to this:

If Bazz and those advising him think that another year in college won't help him significantly improve his body and Floor General skills, entering what looks like a weak 2013 draft might be his best chance of getting drafted and making the most money. If he returns for his senior season and doesn't show much improvement in the areas noted above, the NBA decision makers are going to perceive that his upside is low. Add to that, the level of 2014 talent is supposed to be much better. Not only might he risk not getting drafted by waiting a year, even if he does get drafted in 2014 around the same spot he would this year, it could end up costing him a year's worth of NBA earnings that he might never make up.

On the other hand if he returns for another season and can show significant improvement as a Floor General (not just a scorer) and physically, he just might turn some heads that he could be a Steve Nash type player. Not saying he's going to be a Steve Nash MVP level talent, but could cast an impression of being a future NBA starting Lead Guard for years to come. If he could turn heads next season planting that type of thought, he could end up a top half first round pick, instead of a late first round or second round pick.

It's too bad he doesn't have the Big East and NCAA tournaments to make a stronger case for himself. Think about how much Kemba improved his draft stock with that 11 game postseason run. Granted this team doesn't have the horses for that type of run, but it is not crazy to think they could have had somewhere from 4 to 6 more games in them. Just going 1-1 in both tournaments gets Bazz 4 more games. That would have been 8 total games from this point on. The question is, can he turn enough heads over the next 4 games to improve his draft stock. IMO, the best he can do is put up monster scoring numbers like he has the past 2 games, but I think most NBA teams will be reluctant to use a first round pick on a sub-6 foot scorer who plays well below the rim, unless they're convinced he can play the point. Remember all the negative talk surrounding POY, Jimmer last year who was much bigger and stronger than Bazz and had a much bigger resume. As always, I welcome being proven wrong, in that if he does enter the 2013 draft, I hope he does get drafted somewhere in the first round.

Bazz has become one of my favorite all time Huskies and I hope he finds a job playing for one of the NBA teams. I think he's one of the best scoring guards in the nation and should be getting a whole lot more recognition. Like many I'm shocked that he is not on some of those lists as a candidate for the best college guard in the nation, especially that sub-6 foot one. I can't imagine there being many better sub-6 foot guards out there.

 

[Huskies4ever]

http://blog.ctnews.com/uconnbasketball/2013/02/23/gameday-uconn-at-depaul/

It sounds as though that scout is not impressed by our guys.

 

[CL82]

I see this as good news. It's insight from scouts like this that the UConn coach staff needs to explain to Shabazz.

I have no doubt that they will. I also think that Bazz will talk to JC, with whom he has a close relationship. If Bazz stays, it will based upon his conversation with Calhoun.

 

[benjordan]

Even though this will ultimately come down to a business decision Bazz and his family need to make, I think we're glossing over the allure of coming back and competing for another title, not to mention getting a degree.

 

[upstater]

Even though this will ultimately come down to a business decision Bazz and his family need to make, I think we're glossing over the allure of coming back and competing for another title, not to mention getting a degree.

You have guys like Freeman and Ricky Moore as coaches, players like Dyson just coming back to get their degree. Don't underestimate the power of the degree in such a case.

 

[NEforceUConn]

......He's darn good right now. He could lead this team deep in the postseason though. If UConn was eligible this year, I have no doubt he would show enough in March to be picked in the NBA draft. Without that exposure, it hurts his chances. I would say this is a sweet sixteen team this year, depending on matchups/seeding......

Please I am so sick of people thinking that March means so much for a major college bb player to showcase their skills. Do you really think the pro teams sleep all year and just wait till conferenc tourneys and NCAA to judge talent? Maybe if SN played for Eastern Michigan the scouts would want to see him play in March against bonafide competition, but we are talking about the BE, the best bb conference in America. Everyone has seen SN against Mich State, UL, SU, Pitt, etc. They know his positives and negatives.

The point that someone made, that I believe, is what can SN do to improve his stock by staying one more year? Not much i think so unfortunately I believe he goes Pro and if he doesn't make it he earns dough in Europe. God bless him he's a Great Husky and although I hope he comes back next year I wish him the best no matter what he decides.

 

[Horatio]

Yep Dogmania , good post. Bazz came to us with a very high BBIQ and it helped us win a championship. As Uconn fans We've been down this road before with good players leaving (ray , rip, BG, oak, etc.) With those guys it was an absolute lock that it was time to go. Bazz's situation is new territory because most don't feel he's ready and his staying is tied directly into the recovery of the program as a national program. He stays and it puts us immediately right back in the mix and it helps KO . He leaves and we take a step back in that recovery.

 

[ChrisSmith]

Even though this will ultimately come down to a business decision Bazz and his family need to make, I think we're glossing over the allure of coming back and competing for another title, not to mention getting a degree.

If he really wanted a title, wouldn't he have transferred this past year to a post season eligible team? And why can't he finish up his degree 10 or 15 years down the road?

If it was me, I would treat this purely as a financial decision.

 

[tcf15]

If he really wanted a title, wouldn't he have transferred this past year to a post season eligible team? And why can't he finish up his degree 10 or 15 years down the road?

If it was me, I would treat this purely as a financial decision.

Like Roscoe Smith, he would have had to sit out this year if he transferred.

 

[caw]

If he really wanted a title, wouldn't he have transferred this past year to a post season eligible team? And why can't he finish up his degree 10 or 15 years down the road?

If it was me, I would treat this purely as a financial decision.

He wouldn't have been eligible this year if he transferred, see Smith, Roscoe.

 

[mauconnfan]

If he really wanted a title, wouldn't he have transferred this past year to a post season eligible team? And why can't he finish up his degree 10 or 15 years down the road?

If it was me, I would treat this purely as a financial decision.

Obviously based on the post about Aquille Carr you aren't anyone to listen to in this type of decision making!!