robertgoulet
IL Board Resident Crooner
- Austin, TX
I agree, but the question wasn't about playing style, it was about athleticism.
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Malcolm Hill Draft Stock
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I agree, but the question wasn't about playing style, it was about athleticism.
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Nick was infinitely more athletic IMHO
Deng is 6'8" and Hill is 6'6". Luol also has about 20 pounds on Hill. Deng is a slashing 3 and still has a better shot than Malcolm. Lock down defender as well. Sometimes it isn't all about athleticism.
Deng isn't a HOF'er but he's in the "Hall of Very Good". If Malcolm ends up being half the player Deng has been in his NBA career then I'd take that in a heartbeat.
I think Lu is a little more athletic height notwithstanding. But it is interesting that like Malcolm, Lu wasn't great at anything and good a quite a few things. Yet he was a lottery pick.
Still struggling to think of someone. Lu is a good start though.
I'd say Kyle singler, matthew delavadova, Luke Babbitt aren't far off. Denzel Valentine perhaps. Also, I found it interesting Kyle Wiltjer made the Rockets roster. He's not a wing but is an abysmal athlete who went undrafted at 23. If Malcolm keeps his 3pt% over 40 he's got a shot.
Illiniwek06
- N of I-80
Deng was also the #2 recruit in the country coming out of HS. Behind some dude named Lebron. I don't see Hill as anywhere close to Deng.
Yes, I do not buy the comparison either. Deng was a very highly regarded player at the time of the draft. Not only was he one of the top recruits coming out of HS, but he had a fantastic freshman campaign at Duke, 15.1 pts and 6.9 rebounds, won the ACC, Duke got a #1 seed, went to the Final Four, lost in the FF to eventual champion UConn by 1 point (in a game where Deng led Duke with 16pts, and 12 rbs) and became a lottery pick.
Dellavedova is a totally different player than Malcolm. He is a not a SF, but more of a PG/SG true combo who can handle PG duties (currently starting for the Bucks at PG). He is averaging 5.6 assists and can run an NBA team. He is not athletic but Hill does not have his skillset.
Hill's problem is not really lack of athleticism IMO, but lack of quickness and projected ability to take players 1-on-1 and play defense at SG/SF at the NBA level. A very good college player, who has developed a step back move to circumvent his deficiencies, but that may not be enough in the NBA.
There are a lot of NBA players who may not be stars or even as quick and athletic as others, but find spots as role players rather than their overall ability at their position. But they have something that differentiates them, e.g., Dellavedova can run the team at PG or play along as a PG/SG combo. For others it may be defense, rebounding, or something else. The question is, what is that differentiating skill for Hill as a role player in the NBA?
I consider athleticism as a combination of speed, quickness and jumping ability. Malcolm obviously improved his leap. In the 3/4 court sprint at the combine, I'd honestly expect all aforementioned players to be faster than Malcolm, with the possible exception of valentine. It's clear that Delle is the quickest of those mentioned, but as you said he's not a true wing and has a defining skill. The others mentioned I would say are equally as quick as hill, but their defining characteristic is their height, again save for valentine.
I guess what I'm thinking, is when you have a solid all around skill set like Malcolm, your defining factor has to be height or athleticism. Unfortunately he is below average for his position on both. There will be a 6'9 guy found who can do everything Malcolm does, or they will find another 6'6-6'7 guy who does what Malcolm does but is more athletic.
I really hope Malcolm proves my fears wrong. We need more Illini in the NBA and he'd be a great feather in Groce's recruiting hat.
homesickalien
- Springfield
People are making good points, but yeah Hill is going to make his money in Europe. Not quick enough and not one distinguishing skill. Nothing to be ashamed of as not many get to do that.
robertgoulet
IL Board Resident Crooner
- Austin, TX
I wasn't comparing their playing styles or talent levels. The question was specifically about NBA wings with little athleticism.
robertgoulet
IL Board Resident Crooner
- Austin, TX
He's about 2-3 inches too short to make it in the league with the skill-set/athleticism combo he's working with. Luck of the draw!
He will have a heck of a career overseas though, provided that's what he wants to do.
TownieMatt
CU Expat
- Chicago
I'm sorry, but Luol Deng is (or maybe was) a lot more athletic than Hill.
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Foggy Notion
- San Francisco
Luol Deng was a much better athlete than Malcolm when he came into the league. Not an elite athlete, but above average by NBA standards. Now, in his early 30s, he's still a notch above Malcolm. Delladova is significantly quicker than Malcolm. Denzel Valentine is probably a hair quicker and has a big advantage over Malcolm with his ball handling and playmaking.
Malcolm is a joy to watch and a great Illini, but there's a reason it's so hard to think of a good NBA comparison for him. He projects as a below-average athlete, defender, and ball handler for an NBA 2/3. He'd be an average shooter and above average rebounder, but that's about it. His best trait is that he has a nose for the basket - he's a natural scorer.
If Brandon Paul can't make a regular season roster and Rayvonte Rice doesn't even get a sniff, I just don't see it for Malcolm. Remember, guys like Dee Brown, Kenny Battle, Marcus Liberty, Deon Thomas, James Augustine, and Frank Williams were borderline NBA players (regardless of whether you think Deon or Frank could have done this or that, ultimately they didn't). We've had six "good" NBA guys over the past 40 years: Derek Harper, Eddie Johnson, Ken Norman, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, and Deron Williams. All of those guys could destroy college opponents at will.
Malcolm is a joy to watch and a great Illini, but there's a reason it's so hard to think of a good NBA comparison for him. He projects as a below-average athlete, defender, and ball handler for an NBA 2/3. He'd be an average shooter and above average rebounder, but that's about it. His best trait is that he has a nose for the basket - he's a natural scorer.
If Brandon Paul can't make a regular season roster and Rayvonte Rice doesn't even get a sniff, I just don't see it for Malcolm. Remember, guys like Dee Brown, Kenny Battle, Marcus Liberty, Deon Thomas, James Augustine, and Frank Williams were borderline NBA players (regardless of whether you think Deon or Frank could have done this or that, ultimately they didn't). We've had six "good" NBA guys over the past 40 years: Derek Harper, Eddie Johnson, Ken Norman, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, and Deron Williams. All of those guys could destroy college opponents at will.
And Deng's arms seem about a half a foot longer than Malcolm's.
This is the first intelligent basketball related information I have ever heard from Gottleib. He makes a lot of good points surprisingly.
A lot of them don't apply to Hill, but the old man body definitely does.
Fair assessment for sure. I wasn't comparing dellys style of play, just athleticism. Anyway, I think Malcolm could be actually be productive at the next level in a faster NBA system, ironically enough. I picture a faster play style with more spacing where all attention isn't on Hill and him finding his spots on the floor.
George Hill
TownieMatt
CU Expat
- Chicago
Bunker?
Benny
I'll end the speculation on comps: He's a poor man's Nic Batum. 6'6" or 6'7" with a long, thin build. Can't do any one thing incredibly well but their best quality is their shooting. Both can playmake a little as well as fly around and provide a lot of intangibles that you look for in a rangey-3. The separation that makes Batum an above-average starter in the NBA and Malcolm a solid Euro player for a long time is (again) Batum's NBA athleticism and his ability to take his long arms and range and then convert those attributes into defensive proficiency.
EfremWinters84
- S. Carolina
Other than perhaps omitting M. Leonard as a "very good" NBA player, you've nailed it! It's just amazing how the games of certain college superstars don't translate to the NBA. The "athleticism" gene is absolutely a prerequisite.
Nicely captured!!
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