OT: Prediction Oriakhi/ NBA?

[GemParty]

It's his final year, with a change of scenery. Will he be drafted? Lottery> First Round> Round 2> or should he invest in Rosetta Stone?

 

[Palatine]

Cup of coffee.

 

[specialisthusky]

This is a tough question. During his recruitment and first two years I always pegged him as a late first rounder. If he has another year like last, he will not be drafted. IMO AO and Pressey will have some solid chemistry and Missouri will do well this year. I think that factors in to him being a late first to early second round pick. Can't see him being a lottery pick at all...can see him playing his way to Europe if his attitude goes sour.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I think he's a second rounder.

 

[Kitaman]

NBA???? You talking about 'that' kid who is on another team and has yet to play a minute for them? Mizz may just get what we got last year from him.

GP its too early to ask.

 

[Danzz]

It's his final year, with a change of scenery. Will he be drafted? Lottery> First Round> Round 2> or should he invest in Rosetta Stone?

Second rounder but he will struggle to stay in the league. 1-2 years in the NBA warming the bench then off to Europe for Alex.

 

[aceboon]

Looks to be a very weak draft this year but I'll go with 2nd round, don't see him sticking around too long. Not a good finisher around the rim, terrible at defending the pick and roll which won't get you far as a big in the NBA and he's not very instinctive either.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I don't mean to spit on the grave (so to speak) of Alex Oriakhi, but this tidbit from his overseas trip with his new team is just too good:

"Alex Oriakhi struggled early, much of it because he wasn't used to getting the ball on the block, but Haith said he started to get used to it and finished the trip strong..."

I mean, you have got to be kidding me.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...8/trippin-missouris-haith-shocked-by-newcomer

 

[caw]

I don't mean to spit on the grave (so to speak) of Alex Oriakhi, but this tidbit from his overseas trip with his new team is just too good:

"Alex Oriakhi struggled early, much of it because he wasn't used to getting the ball on the block, but Haith said he started to get used to it and finished the trip strong..."

I mean, you have got to be kidding me.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...8/trippin-missouris-haith-shocked-by-newcomer

One good game in four sounds about right for Alex, unfortunately.

Before last year started, I thought he would be a late first rounder after his junior year. Now, who knows. He really needs to get his head out of his ass and focus on what he is (can be) good at: rebounding and blocking shots. If he does that, he could be drafted.

 

[Ricky1Moore]

Alex is an NBA player in his head, and in his father's head... But nowhere else.

He can't make a layup !

 

[Donyell]

Sure he was a key player in our most recent championship but something always seemed to missing with him. Last year forget it and after last year I'm glad to see him go. Was at least seeming to be bringing the team down with him and man all those gestures and animations.

 

[Husk-E]

He might be able to sneak into the late second round, but even if he does, he will never play an NBA minute in his life.

 

[dapriest]

Alex is one of those guys who could have been a very dominant college player whose strengths did not translate well to the NBA. Having an off year last year and an unknown this year may just result in him being an off and on dominant college player.

He's often said to have an "NBA ready" body. Translate that as "big and burly enough" to fight in the trenches in the NBA. No doubt about that.

But he doesn't have an NBA ready skill set or, I believe, NBA ready athleticism.

His skill set and athleticism work well at the college level because most of the guys he is playing against can't out muscle him and can't significantly out jump him, notwithstanding that he is not a big leaper.

In the NBA, that changes, and while he will be able to bang with anybody, his half hook, falling through the lane patented shot is going to get blasted out of the air.

Given that he did not add substantially to his offensive arsenal or otherwise improve his low block moves and back to the basket game in the 3 years we had him, I conclude that his development is, for the most part, maxed out or not ramping up quickly.

Conclusion - may get drafted based on size and strength alone, will be unlikely to see more than scrub minutes, likely not in the NBA in 5 years.

But I wish him luck, I like him, I think he got a bad deal last year, I think JC mishandled it, and if he ends up in the NBA, I count that in the Huskies in the NBA list.

 

[UConn76]

Just don't think he has the offensive game to stay in the NBA. I don't think he gets drafted.

 

[zls44]

Jeff Adrien struggled to get a consistent place despite playing well in the summer league and (I believe) the D League. Alex probably has a similar path.

Could he? Of course. He just needs to toughen up around the rim.

Not like we've ever had that discussion on here.

 

[GemParty]

Might be Similar to the career paths of Sean May or Lonny Baxter? At one point I thought he might be on a Tristan Thompson path who the Cavs took very early on the Draft.

 

[willie99]

I don't think Alex will have a lot of "fun" playing in the NBA. He won't like that

 

[uconnfan68]

I think he got a bad deal last year, I think JC mishandled it,

JC saw the difference between AO and AD everyday. AD's potential was through the roof. AO peaked the year before.

 

[babysheep]

He played slightly-above-average season and woke up for half of that at the right time during the tournament, on a team where he never had to compete for PT. That all changed last year when AD came in, and we know how he handled that. Competition is only going to get tougher at the next level. This upcoming year will determine how high he gets drafted; unless he explodes and has a huge year, he won't go in the first 2/3 of the first round. If he gets drafted in that back 1/3 of the first round at all, it will be because he's got a big body and the team is willing to take a risk.


You just cannot be as inconsistent as he has been if you want to play in the NBA. You cannot struggle with competition like he has if you want to play in the NBA.

 

[ThatUconnFan]

I'd be shocked if he got drafted in the first round. 45-60 highest. But won't make the roster. To me he isn't anywhere near NBA talent level.

 

[aceboon]

Might be Similar to the career paths of Sean May or Lonny Baxter? At one point I thought he might be on a Tristan Thompson path who the Cavs took very early on the Draft.

May and Baxter were light years beyond AO as players, he'll never have that kind offensive skill. May would've stuck in the NBA if his knees didn't break down on him, he had several microfracture surgeries on his knees and didn't have cartilidge left in either knee after that. Baxter was on the verge of playing in the NBA after playing overseas but his gun cases ended that for him.

 

[hungry husky]

There are guys that have more skill and a better attitude or European players with greater potential. He's a late second rounder at best but I suspect he's bound for Europe (ala Curtis Kelly).

 

[superjohn]

I put his chances at playing in the NBA at roughly 0%, I suppose he could get drafted but not a chance he makes a team. He has no go to move and no touch around the basket. In the NBA you always have to bring it, I don't see how Alex's plan of bringing it for 2 games per season would work in the NBA.

 

[CL82]

He'll play in Europe for a while. I don't think he'll be drafted either. I'm not sure what position people envision him playing in the NBA.

I wish him well, sort of.

 

[joober jones]

I think he'll wind up like Stanley Robinson and Ater Majok - late 2nd round pick who gets cut.