Weekly Insight with Grant Hill - 1st Edition - Why MSN-BC is Wrong

Weekly Insight with Grant Hill - 1st Edition - Why MSN-BC is Wrong



Hey all – this is Grant Hill here to bring you unbiased and objective looks at each of the top prospects.  Look.  I get it.  We’re in the early stages of reviewing this upcoming draft class and there is a lot of hype around the “top prospects” at this point.  That being said, I think it’s important that we break down Chad Ford’s recent “Top 15 Prospects” article so that everyone can think objectively about where they send their scouts and why.

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Joel Embiid - C – Kansas
Chad Ford - #2
Insight - #8
Difference -6

Okay – here is the first large discrepancy.  Insight had Ebiid as #8 on their Bid Board and I had a chance to catch up with Sun Scorched to figure out why.

Sun Scorched wrote:“The first thing to point out is that we’re a little early in the collegiate season to being arguing semantics, but I get that Stephan A. Smith simply loves to argue.  The second is that I really do like Embiid as on offensive prospect, or rather and offensive project.  Embiid will be very raw offensively when he enters the league.  Very raw.  Also, I do love Embiid’s instincts around the rim defensively, but I’m not seeing the rebounding or defensive stud that Ford is talking about.  Embiid is the (potential) offensive “yin” to Adams’ (potential) defensive “yang”.

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Noah Vonleh - PF - Indiana
Chad Ford - #4
Insight - #12
Difference -8

Again, it seems we have another case of a potentially over-rated big man.  Our boys at Insight had Vonleh at #12.  Let’s get their thoughts.

Sun Scorched wrote:“You know, this may be more personal preference than anything.  I just don’t like big men who lack instinctive ability for defensive boards and I think Vonleh will get punished down low by more determined bigs with better footwork.  Vonleh will definitely not ‘contend for the #1 overall pick’, as my friend Chad Ford seems to believe.  He will score efficiently, but never looks to score, and I question his ability to stay on the floor given his apparent lack of court intelligence.”

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Dominic Artis - PG - Oregon
Chad Ford - #7
Insight - #11
Difference -4

We have another candidate for “overranked” according to Insight’s Big Board.  This one, Scorched seems to be a bit more passionate about.

Sun Scorched wrote:“No way in hell is Artis ‘neck and neck’ with Dallo.  Artis may end up slightly more efficient and he may look for his shot more, but if you want a floor general, it’s Dallo, hands down.  He sees the floor better and can complete passes Artis could only dream of.  Oh, and Dallo has the potential to lock down opposing one and two-guards.  How often do you see that?  Exactly.  Tell me I’m wrong Stephan A. Smith.”

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Zach LaVine - SG – UCLA
Chad Ford - #8
Insight - #16
Difference -8

Well folks, Insight just isn’t feeling this one either.  Buyer beware.

Sun Scorched wrote:“Jimmer Fredette 2.0”

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Aaron Gordon - PF - Arizona
Chad Ford - #10
Insight - #6
Difference +4

Sun Scorched wrote:“I don’t know what Ford is seeing here.  I show that Gordon has some of the best scoring instincts of, not only this draft class, but classes over the last decade.  Not only that, but he’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever met and he solid defensively.  I think Gordon should be in the mix for Top 5, personally.”

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Montrezl Harrell - PF - Louisville
Chad Ford - #12
Insight - #4
Difference +8

Sun Scorched wrote:“I hope Harrell takes this as a slap in the face.  I get that he’s undersized for the power forward position, but so is Kenneth Faried and that did stop him from getting a max contract this past summer.  Harrell will be efficient offensively, but his calling card will be his defensive capabilities.  We’re talking prime-Garnett level defense, folks.”

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Olivier Hanlan - PG - Boston College
Chad Ford - #13
Insight - #27
Difference -14

Sun Scorched wrote:“Wow.  ‘Best scorer from inside the arc’?  Come on Chad.  Hezonja, Stauskas, Southerland and Harrison can all make that claim and all of them are equally, if not more, capable of creating their shots.  Hanlan is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body.  Think Ben Gordon, but without the playmaking.  I know, right?”

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Luka Mitrovic - PF - Serbia
Chad Ford - #14
Insight - #26
Difference -12

Sun Scorched wrote:“Mitrovic may be ‘plug and play’ on Eastern European squads, but he’ll be ‘warm the bench’ here in the states.  This guy thinks he’s Dirk Nowiztki, which makes life tough for him because he can’t shoot.”

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I'm loving that draft debate, specially because I don't have any picks haha

I guess we'll just wait and see how their seasons turn out. By the way, you might want to check your math on the last two prospects there

Myles (SAS) wrote:I guess we'll just wait and see how their seasons turn out. By the way, you might want to check your math on the last two prospects there

You're right, the discrepancies are much worse than I thought....

Personally I'm going with Chad's hype here, as I really love Embiid as a prospect. I think he and Exum can be compared to Bynum and Wade, if only someone get lucky enough to land them both, I think with time they'll both be great. Agree with Hill and SS on Gordon too, I like him a lot, though he's undersized.

Until I see sole results from scouting, I should withhold judgement on these players. Great to see two differing opinions and I'm sure these players are somewhere between the two rankings. It's up to the GMs to determine where they belong.