2015 NBA Draft: Maybe Phil Isn't Senial? Jackson Scores With Porzingis Selection

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If there's one thing I've learned from the all-powerful entity known as "Vegas," it's when the Public feels strongly about something, the best move is to bet the opposite. So when the predominantly New York crowd erupted with boos upon hearing the name Kristaps Porzingis Thursday night, I couldn't help but smile to myself. I think many ignorant Knicks fans will be in for a nice surprise. 

While I can certainly accept the consensus that Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are two of the top three players in this draft class, I actually disagree with many who have PG D'Angelo Russell in that trio. I actually believe Porzingis, the 7-foot-1 forward/center from Latvia, is the third-best player in the class. Before I get to what I have against Russell, let's talk about Porzingis' many strengths...

The first thing that jumps out at me about Porzingis' game tape is that he catches-and-shoots like a two-guard. We've seen foreign-born bigs shoot from the perimeter before -- Andrea Bargnani, Yi Jianlian, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and more of the like -- but I've never seen THIS before. This is a 7-foot-1 kid coming off screens and releasing his shot as quickly as some solid shooting guards who are already in the NBA. Porzingis is not solely a stand-still shooter; he has rather amazing shot versatility. Offensively, I honestly think he could contribute right away. The question is will Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher throw him immediately into the fire? I think they should. Only time will tell. 

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Porzingis also has EXCELLENT hands. Normally young, 7-plus guys need a ton of work on their catching and overall ball skills. They usually have the length and athleticism, but lack the necessary touch and smoothness to excel right out of the gate. That certainly isn't the case here. Porzingis moves very well without the ball and catches with ease when cutting. His long arms and sure hands make him difficult to contest when he catches off a curl and rolls to the rim to flush it down. I've been referring to him as a "giant guard" and for now, offensively, that's what he is at the NBA level. Of course he will have to bulk up over time in order to hold his own defensively against power 4s and 5s, but I think he can flip-flop between 3s and 4s for the time being. A good coaching staff would be able to find the right opportunities for him to play immediately out of the gate. Not sure if the Knicks have that kind of staff, but I hope they'll give him a chance to play alongside a group that will likely include Carmelo Anthony, Greg Monroe and David West. 

So what do I have against D'Angelo Russell? Well nothing personal, but, I think everything he does on the court is too slow to be elite at a world-class level. I mean, this is a kid who was selected No. 2 overall, he's supposed to be a franchise-type player, and I just don't see how he could be. He's not fast in terms of actual foot speed, and his moves are slow-ish and very deliberate. I don't see him breaking down tough, professional perimeter defense too easily. Guys like Pat Beverley, John Wall and Mike Conley will eat him alive. 

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Shooting wise, Russell shows some ability to play off the ball, but his release is low and unimpressive. He seems to be able to make shots, but I definitely wouldn't refer to him as a "shooter." What I see is a weak point guard class, and teams desperately searching for something in a pile of nothing. I CANNOT believe the Lakers passed on Okafor for Russell, especially considering the fact that Jordan Clarkson -- who is young, explosive and also a combo guard -- is already one of the cornerstones of their roster. They must really believe they have a good chance to move Clarkson and Julius Randle (and others) in a package for DeMarcus Cousins. Either that or they are confident they will land LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez, DeAndre Jordan, Kevin Love and/or the aforementioned Monroe. 

I also really like PG Jerian Grant from Notre Dame, whom Phil nabbed later in the first round. It was a strong showing for the Knicks, as well as my Nets who I didn't have a chance to get to. Maybe next time. 

NBA Top 200 List: Steph Curry With the Shot, Boy?

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I've been thinking about putting together this massive post since the outset of the NBA postseason, and I'm finally getting around to it now. I watch and talk about basketball so often that it's really a necessity. Of course when we undertake a task like this, we run into the following issues:

1. What are the rankings based upon? Just this season? The past handful of years? Entire careers?

2. What carries more weight, cold statistics or the eye test?

3. How do we compare guards to forwards, forwards to centers, etc?

Well, at the end of the day, these are the questions I'm asking myself when evaluating an NBA player:

• How unique is the player? Are there a bunch of guys just like him?

• Can he create his own shot?

• Does he have the killer instinct? Yes, no or maybe?

• Is his game defined? Relative to that, does he play consistently?

• Does the consistency of his game contribute directly to his team’s success?

• Is he a two-way player?

• Have they been able to stay healthy? 

• Are they consistently aggressive or do they play passively at times?

• Do they WANT it?

• Are they a boom-or-bust player? Too much of a wild card?

Without further ado, in the words of the diabolical and twister Joker, "Here...we...go."

200. Meyers Leonard

What I like: Leonard is a big, strong kid who hustles and has made a concerted effort to improve his offensive game. He added a perfectly adequate three-point shot to his repertoire this season, to go along with his activity on the offensive glass and reasonable ability to finish around the rim. He's also active and physical defensively, if not entirely skilled.

What I don't like: Low ceiling. He deserved more playing time from head coach Terry Stotts this season, but even at 22-30 minutes per night his ceiling would be around 12-13 points and 7-8 rebounds per game.

199. Brandan Wright

What I like: Wright was one of the most consistent and useful back-up centers in the NBA when he played behind Tyson Chandler (and last season, Samuel Dalembert) in Dallas. He is a limited off-the-ball offensive player a la DeAndre Jordan, Mason Plumlee or more of the like, but he finishes the plays he's paid to finish. He's a coordinated pick-and-roll lob player with good springs and long arms. Defensively he's a good shot blocker with limited bulk to guard post-ups. 

What I don't like: Jeff Hornacek didn't seem to find him very useful in Phoenix. Devin Harris was Wright's pick-and-roll lob partner in Dallas, but no one was really looking for him that way in Phoenix. It just goes to show you, if a guy doesn't have one-on-one offensive game, he can be a forgotten man on teams without skillful and/or willing passers.

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198. Otto Porter

What I like: Here's a guy who looked absolutely lost for most of his first year and a half as a pro, then all of a sudden he seemed to figure things out. Some credit goes to the savvy tutelage of the great Paul Pierce. The rest gets attributed to Porter's length, athleticism, energy, willingness to attack/cut/move without the ball and the pure basketball ability that earned him a high lottery selection.

What I don't like: Otto needs to work on his triples if he wants to be an all-around offensive threat at the wing position. His ballhandling is suspect as well. 

197. Alex Len

What I like: Raw size and surprising ability. Len is not a clumsy Hasheem Thabeet type, despite his legitimate height and potentially-gawky length. He can catch and finish in deep, and his touch is better than I expected it to be. Defensively he's a shot blocker who needs to work on his lateral movement and team rotations. Len ran into a lot of the same problems as Brandan Wright at #199 -- the Suns' rotating guards throughout the season (Dragic, Bledsoe, Thomas and Knight) aren't generally looking to spoon feed their bigs. I suppose that's kind of the nature of the league in general, now. 

What I don't like: Lack of defensive quickness and no jump shooting game at this point. We'll see if he works on that.

196. Kosta Koufos

What I like: The guy's a pro. He's not particularly spectacular in any way, but he plays hard, gets in solid position on both ends of the floor and finishes nicely at close range. He was a totally serviceable starting center during his days as a Denver Nugget. Nowadays, he's exactly the kind of player you want as your back-up big. 

What I don't like: His once quick feet aren't as quick as they used to be. Showing some decline with age, but is still a useful giant.

195. Beno Udrih

What I like: "Beno Draino" knows his game. Protect the ball, come off high screens and knock down mid-range lefty jumpers. He's reliable, experienced and isn't going to kill you when your ace point guard is off the floor. I always find value in consistency and a player with a defined game, even if he's a pure role player.

What I don't like: Opposing point guards salivate when they see Beno in front of them. He isn't big, strong or particularly fleet of foot at this stage in his solid NBA career.

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194. CJ McCollum

What I like: Here's a guy who very quickly redefined his offensive game. Throughout his rookie season and about half of his sophomore campaign, it seemed like McCollum was trying to be a pure shooting guard because that's what the organization told him they needed. What's the problem with that? He's not a pure three-point shooter and he's not really a comfortable catch-and-shoot player. McCollum really came into his own when he began utilizing his off-the-bounce quickness and driving relentlessly -- both right and left -- to the rim. An argument could be made that he was the Blazers' best player in their unsuccessful postseason series against the Grizzlies. 

What I don't like: I don't know if C.J.'s short-term success was a fluke. It's too small of a sample size to really make a determination. I'll have to see more consistency over time to move him up.

193. Austin Rivers

What I like: Like Otto Porter and C.J. McCollum, Rivers decided to suddenly play his best basketball in the playoffs. That definitely isn't a bad thing. When Rivers realized he could use his size and quickness to attack the paint while more established players like Blake Griffin, JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford drew the majority of the defensive attention, he became an extremely valuable reserve for his father's team. We'll see if he can carry that new found confidence over to next season. 

What I don't like: Rivers has actually been a negative contributor for most of his short NBA career. He has spent a lot of time hurting his teams with indecisiveness and wildly inconsistent perimeter shooting. We'll see which Rivers shows up in 2015-16.

192. Chris Andersen

What I like: He may look like an unreliable loose cannon, but on the court, that couldn't be further from the truth. In a way, "Birdman's" look is a calculated bit of misdirection. When given the playing time, knowledgeable NBA enthusiasts have always considered him one of the premier shotblockers in the game; however, he can also be useful on the other end of the court with his lob-catching ability, offensive rebounding and "50/50 plays," as Coach Spo would say. He's a true team guy. 

What I don't like: Another "limited" or "low ceiling" player, as I have dubbed others. Creates little to no offense on his own and makes little impact on the game when his hustle level is below 100%.

191. JJ Hickson

What I like: When healthy and surrounded by the right cast of characters, Hickson can be a productive and sometimes-explosive flex big. He finishes hard -- often with two hands -- at the cup, makes athletic plays and dominates the glass at times. The key to that sentence, of course, is "at times."

What I don't like: Seems to get injured often and also appears to wear out his welcome with his coaches and/or teammates. He gets major run for stretches, but eventually becomes more of a 7th or 8th man for his team(s). Would only be a starter on three or four teams, at most.

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190. Jason Terry

What I like: "Jet" is a winner...always has been. I thought he was finished when he was on my Nets last season, but then he bounced back as a solid contributor for a very formidable Rockets team this year. At this stage in his superb NBA career (now third all time in three-pointers made), Terry's offensive game is pretty simple: Shoot threes when open and use the pump fake and threat of the three as a gateway to the paint and his patented pull-up jumper.

What I don't like: He was never an elite defender, and now with diminished foot speed he's certainly below average. That's surely an issue when he has to guard guys like Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Mike Conley and Tony Parker out west.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I just realized there's no way I'll ever finish this thing, with descriptions. Here's the rest in list form, 1 to 189:

LeBron James 1

Russell Westbrook 2

Stephen Curry 3

James Harden 4

Anthony Davis 5

Chris Paul 6

Kevin Durant 7

Blake Griffin 8 

Kyrie Irving 9 

DeMarcus Cousins 10 

John Wall 11

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Jimmy Butler 12

LaMarcus Aldridge 13

Dwight Howard 14

Brook Lopez 15

Marc Gasol 16

Carmelo Anthony 17

Tim Duncan 18

Mike Conley 19

Monta Ellis 20

Chris Bosh 21

Pau Gasol 22

Kevin Love 23

Gordon Hayward 24

Damian Lillard 25

Jeff Teague 26

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Klay Thompson 27

Kawhi Leonard 28

Rudy Gay 29

Al Horford 30

Zach Randolph 31

Dwyane Wade 32

Nikola Vucevic 33

Derrick Rose 34

Joe Johnson 35

Dirk Nowitzki 36

Tony Parker 37

Paul Millsap 38

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DeMar DeRozan 39

Bradley Beal 40

Wesley Matthews 41

Tyreke Evans 42

Al Jefferson 43

Ty Lawson 44

Goran Dragic 45

Brandon Jennings 46

Greg Monroe 47

Khris Middleton 48

Eric Bledsoe 49

Isaiah Thomas 50

Draymond Green 51

Kyle Korver 52

Kemba Walker 53

DeAndre Jordan 54

Reggie Jackson 55

Brandon Knight 56

Paul George 57

Jamal Crawford 58

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Kobe Bryant 59

DeMarre Carroll 60

Deron Williams 61

Andre Drummond 62

Hassan Whiteside 63

Kevin Martin 64

Enes Kanter 65

Andrew Wiggins 66

Kyle Lowry 67

Derrick Favors 68

Darren Collison 69

Serge Ibaka 70

Victor Oladipo 71

Michael Carter-Williams 72

Eric Gordon 73

Markieff Morris 74

Ricky Rubio 75

Kenneth Faried 76

Chandler Parsons 77

Rudy Gobert 78

Paul Pierce 79

George Hill 80

Tobias Harris 81

Danny Green 82

C.J. Miles 83

Jordan Clarkson 84

Tristan Thompson 85

Timofey Mozgov 86

Harrison Barnes 87

Joakim Noah 88

J.J. Redick 89

Boris Diaw 90

Lou Williams 91

Marcin Gortat 92

Josh Smith 93

Nicolas Batum 94

Arron Afflalo 95

Mo Williams 96

Luol Deng 97

Nene Hilario 98

Ryan Anderson 99

Mike Dunleavy 100

Jarrett Jack 101

Tony Allen 102

Nerlens Noel 103

Taj Gibson 104

Terrence Jones 105

Andrea Bargnani 106

Thaddeus Young 107

Courtney Lee 108

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Dennis Schroder 109

Jeff Green 110

David West 111

Tyson Chandler 112

Andre Iguodala 113

J.R. Smith 114

Jordan Hill 115

Andrew Bogut 116

Jared Sullinger 117

Jrue Holiday 118

Evan Turner 119

Amir Johnson 120

Patty Mills 121

Carlos Boozer 122

Jodie Meeks 123

Wilson Chandler 124

Jusuf Nurkic 125

Trevor Ariza 126

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Giannis Antetekounmpo 127

Jonas Valanciunas 128

O.J. Mayo 129

Rodney Stuckey 130

Brandon Bass 131

Robin Lopez 132

Corey Brewer 133

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 134

D.J. Augustin 135

Gary Neal 136

P.J. Tucker 137

Avery Bradley 138

Elfrid Payton 139

Robert Covington 140

Matt Barnes 141

Ersan Ilyasova 142

Patrick Beverley 143

Manu Ginobili 144

Marcus Morris 145

Gerald Henderson 146

Greivis Vasquez 147

Gorgui Dieng 148

Danilo Gallinari 149

Dion Waiters 150

Gerald Green 151

Kelly Olynyk 152

Luis Scola 153

Bojan Bogdanovic 154

Aaron Brooks 155

Alan Anderson 156

Mike Scott 157

Nikola Mirotic 158

 Omer Asik 159

Marco Belinelli 160

Jae Crowder 161

Zaza Pachulia 162

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Zach LaVine 163

Marresse Speights 164

Donatas Motiejunas 165

Leandro Barbosa 166

Anthony Morrow 167

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 168

C.J. Watson 169

Wayne Ellington 170

Amare Stoudemire 171

Lance Stephenson 172

Iman Shumpert 173

Tyler Zeller 174

Pero Antic 175

Marcus Smart 176

John Henson 177

Quincy Pondexter 178

Shaun Livingston 179

Jeremy Lin 180

J.J. Barea 181

Rajon Rondo 182

Jerryd Bayless 183

Tony Wroten 184

Trey Burke 185

Nick Young 186

Kent Bazemore 187

Randy Foye 188

Will Barton 189