Illini in the Pros (Basketball)

#252      
Feel like Keatons had a few play ons that would be called in regular season. He reads the game so well….he will he will be just fine.
 
#253      
Love that as expected the shooting translated. But will need to growing on the defensive end. As well as keeping defenses honest to dissuade crowding him.

Still struggling to finish in the paint. Also expected at this point in his NBA arc.
I feel like he did pretty serviceable on DP, especially for how he was rated as a defender coming in.
 
#257      
Riley is playing great tonight. 4 3's and just got fouled on one and made the free throw.

Watchin Riley tonight I start to wonder what the best version of him he could turn into. To me it’s Klay Thompson. I think he has alot of how Klay plays in his game.
 
#263      
Keaton's gonna need 2 years to fill that body out. But I have a feeling by Year 4 Clippers fans will be VERY happy with their selection

His feel for the game will serve him well while he develops, and he's a VERY skilled shooter. The regular season of the NBA almost isn't recognizable compared to the playoffs we just saw, so he'll have time to adjust and get some weight on.

His progression is unreal. Can't think of another story like his. Will be interesting to see how far he goes.
 
#264      
Wagler in the NBA is a catch and shoot guy. With a little bit of high screen and roll.

These summer league games have been a lot of iso 1 on 1 that isn’t his game. He is struggling with the on ball pressure driving by his guy but looks fine when he has space to shoot. The stroke looks good. The defense good too. If the Clippers play to his strengths he should be good.
Yes, and there's nothing wrong with being that kind of player.

Catch and shoot savant, and more than capable as a secondary handler: that's starter-on-a-great-team level upside along with a very high floor.

You don't need to be a superstar just because you're the 5th pick. Those guys went in the top 4.

Acuff is the "how pass on him??" guy everyone keeps talking about. Perhaps he's the lone one with that kind of ceiling amongst guys who went 5 and up. But if you're gonna make that argument against wagler, you'd much rather with Brown Jr as well who went 6th.
 
#266      
It's a nice step forward, largely based on shots falling more as expected. Still will be a process to build his physicals tools to match his feel and skills.

Ball pressure still seemed to bother him, but a bit less. Still got blown by too easily off the bounce, but recovered with more aggression and fought in switches. It will take time, but the shooting helps paint a clearer picture of where he can get to.
 
#268      
Yes, and there's nothing wrong with being that kind of player.

Catch and shoot savant, and more than capable as a secondary handler: that's starter-on-a-great-team level upside along with a very high floor.

You don't need to be a superstar just because you're the 5th pick. Those guys went in the top 4.

Acuff is the "how pass on him??" guy everyone keeps talking about. Perhaps he's the lone one with that kind of ceiling amongst guys who went 5 and up. But if you're gonna make that argument against wagler, you'd much rather with Brown Jr as well who went 6th.
Catch and Shoot Specialist is far from a bad thing.

League leaders in Catch and Shoot threes per game:

1. Kon Knueppel
2. Nickeil Alexander Walker
3. Michael Porter Jr.
4. Moses Moody
5. Don't Divincenzo
6. Sam Merril
7. AJ Green
8. Brandon Miller
9. Devin Vessell
10. Duncan Robinson

Not all are the most flashy MVP candidates, but all of them have jobs and will last in the league for a long time.
 
#269      
Catch and Shoot Specialist is far from a bad thing.

League leaders in Catch and Shoot threes per game:

1. Kon Knueppel
2. Nickeil Alexander Walker
3. Michael Porter Jr.
4. Moses Moody
5. Don't Divincenzo
6. Sam Merril
7. AJ Green
8. Brandon Miller
9. Devin Vessell
10. Duncan Robinson

Not all are the most flashy MVP candidates, but all of them have jobs and will last in the league for a long time.
It's also notable how much roles determine the type of threes you make.

Luka Doncic led the league with 2.8 made threes off the bounce (by a lofty margin; James Harden at second was 2.2). But, he only had 1.0 off the catch.

Kon K. led the league with 2.6 made threes off the catch. But, he only had 0.8 off the bounce.

.....

If we think Keaton will have issues with the on-ball physicality in the NBA, he can easily embrace the off-ball role and split something like 2.0 off the catch / 0.5 off the bounce. That's 2.5 made threes per game, which itself will give you the path to easily average around 12-13 a night (or more).

Point is, when you can shoot it the way he can, paired with being 6"6 ... there's just too many "outs" to being successful.
 
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#270      
Watchin Riley tonight I start to wonder what the best version of him he could turn into. To me it’s Klay Thompson. I think he has alot of how Klay plays in his game.
6'9" Kyrie 😎
 
#271      
It's a nice step forward, largely based on shots falling more as expected. Still will be a process to build his physicals tools to match his feel and skills.

Ball pressure still seemed to bother him, but a bit less. Still got blown by too easily off the bounce, but recovered with more aggression and fought in switches. It will take time, but the shooting helps paint a clearer picture of where he can get to.
He is getting a lot of attention from defenses so far. When you are a top 5 pick, that's expected. When the season starts, he will find himself in space a lot more often.
The things he does best don't show up as well in this context. Summer league is more or less a really well organized pick-up game. These guys barely know each other, and concepts are very simple. It's a great showcase if you are a guy like Dybantsa or Wilson who have overwhelming physical attributes, and can just play fast. Not so much for a kid whose strengths are anticipation and spatial awareness.
His shooting will get him on the floor, but as he gains strength and chemistry with his teammates, I think the Clippers will be more and more pleased.
Glad to see he hit some shots last night. I'm sure some narratives were being formed after his first game. That 3rd quarter went a long way in shutting those down.
 
#272      
Watchin Riley tonight I start to wonder what the best version of him he could turn into. To me it’s Klay Thompson. I think he has alot of how Klay plays in his game.

Will is not the same shooter Klay was but he has a much better handle and that herky jerky style is all his own. More athletic Kyle Anderson maybe but really Will has such a unique play style its hard to compare him to anyone else. I think his ceiling could be an All-Star if he continues to develop his game.
 
#273      
Watchin Riley tonight I start to wonder what the best version of him he could turn into. To me it’s Klay Thompson. I think he has alot of how Klay plays in his game.
Man, I'm genuinely not sure I can think of a worse comp. He's no where close to the shooter Klay was/is.

Actually, he needed lots of fine-tuning with his shot after his one year here. Shot just 31%, but more importantly there were too many instances of his shot mechanics being wildly inconsistent. One attempt it will look one way, and the next would look completely different where basically his base/footwork would make the shot miss. (Did get better after he got to the league)

.....

My best try would be Brandon Ingram. 6"9 wing who can handle and score. But even with that, Will has a herky-jerkiness to his game that's pretty unique and hard to find a comp for.
 
#274      
Will is not the same shooter Klay was but he has a much better handle and that herky jerky style is all his own. More athletic Kyle Anderson maybe but really Will has such a unique play style its hard to compare him to anyone else. I think his ceiling could be an All-Star if he continues to develop his game.
Comps are difficult for him. He needs to add some weight, but he could be a Pascal Siakam or Franz Wagner type.
He's going to score a lot of points.
 
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