Keep my notes all right.

It’s part two of thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs across.

We’re going to go over some big names like Zack Edy, Cody Williams and others that we didn’t get to.

On part one coming up on locked on Nba Big Board.

What’s up?

My name is Richard Staman.

You probably know me better as Md draft on Twitter.

I am joined by James Barlo.

He is one of my favorite Twitter follows.

If you’re not following him already, you not doing draft Twitter right.

We’re going over some more of these thumbs up, thumbs down, thumbs across on some polarizing players.

We’re going to get into some big names.

But first, today’s episode is brought to you by Monopoly.

Go, game off.

We got to talk more about Monopoly.

Go.

This fast-paced game lets you team up with friends for tournaments to unlock awesome prizes like unique stickers for trading cool playing pieces and hilarious emojis for taunting your friends.

So download Monopoly.

Go now free on Google Play or the App Store.

Game on James.

Let’s get into this big picture.

Who do you think is going to be the star that a lot of people are seeing as Bust, or vice versa, the bus that a lot of people see his star upside?

So I mentioned him.

Oh, I don’t want to say bus, that’s kind of tough, but I mentioned him.

Uh, on the previous pod, I think, and it’s kind of hinting towards another podcast that we’re going to do.

But I think that Stefan castle, with a jump shot, has the has star power, surprising power.

Uh, and I guess on the uh opposite of that, how I feel, where I’m like I really don’t see.

It is a guy we have here on the list and that’s Kyle Filipowski.

Yeah, I’m very excited for the filipowski one.

I I think we might be seeing eye to eye a little foreshadowing there.

Yeah, with Castle, he’s somebody that I don’t think we’re in to get to yet.

But just a quick overview on him.

Like I, I see a ton of shades of Jared Culver which scares me.

I I don’t think it’s a one to one, but there are some shades of it and that really worries me.

I think he’s a better.

He’s probably equal.

Defensively, I think he’s more of a point guard than Culver was, which helps him.

Shot, though I mean the shot feels almost equal.

I know the percentages are a little bit more favorable and I think Culver was his sophomore freshman.

So like big difference there.

But that archetype, if it works like.

That’s a really valuable player that every title team needs.

If it doesn’t work, though, that’s, that’s a quick out of the league archetype.

I I 100% agree that Jared Cver, man, I’m have to dig into that one because that scares me and I got that one wrong too, and I don’t like to.

I everybody get stuff wrong, but like that would hurt.

See, with Culver I, I saw him a couple times in college.

I saw him when he came through Tcu, uh, in 2019, and I remember watching him in warm-ups

And I was like, okay, like, the shot looks good, and then in game, his shot was entirely different.

I really had never seen something like that, and I think that was something that also makes him different.

And he wasn’t very explosive and like, couldn’t Blow by many players.

Castle is not the most explosive, but he also isn’t like struggling to blow by guys.

So yeah, I feel like he’s craftier.

Yeah, um, I should have known, and it’s just a one game sample, but was it?

Deandre Hunter had, uh, Jer car in like prison and I was,

Oh yeah, and I know, you know Virginia plays.

Don’t like how Virginia plays, but they play a tough brand new defense, but that’s a a onetoone like Nba match up and he couldn’t get anything off.

So But I mean I, that’s the.

That’s the good and the bad of a one game sample, you know, like that was like Okay, I probably should have been the red flag that he couldn’t get his stuff off at that next level.

But it is what it is, man it happens.

Yeah, and I think I used to not value the mcaa tournament that much because I was like okay, game 38 of the regular season.

They’re not game planning as hard as they are for game two of the Ncaa tournament, or really even game one, I mean.

So for me, I think like I’ve, I’ve really started valuing that, especially if you’re trying to figure out who’s going to get into playoff minutes among Nba draft guys like.

That’s the way to do it, because that’s what it looks like.

That’s the closest you can get PR redraft.

But yeah, there’s.

There’s definitely, uh, some concerns with Castle, but you like him overall.

Yeah, I do like him, but let me let’s segue right into the first name that we have on the list.

All right.

So you value Nca T Ncaa tournament games.

So where were you before and after seeing Zack Edy in the tournament?

The exact same.

So I. I don’t think Ed is almost an exception to that rule, because nobody can stop him like.

He’s just such a unique player.

It more is the guys like I, I think every once in a while those red flag games like the Deandre Aiden won against Buffalo, like I way overlooked that I’m like.

Well, they just game plan against him, like, and I didn’t even hear myself say that.

But I’m like on the Nba, those scouting reports are intense, like like if you’ve ever seen one.

You know how intense those things are like.

I way overlooked that because at the time I never had seen one and I was like, oh, they’re just like not going that deep on him, Mh, that was a red flag.

Also like he just had no fight like.

That was the biggest part of it.

But with Edie, uh, not dodging that question, I think I had him in my late mid 20s, the entire time.

Nice that he wasn’t.

You know, I feel like his stock just didn’t change like nothing.

Nothing new came into the picture either way.

What about?

You see, I had him in the 40s, um, and I had mentioned on podcast with my brother: could he keep up not questioning his stamina, cuz he’s a in great shape.

But can you keep up with the speed of the game?

That to me that’s not necessarily A fatigue thing, it’s just.

Do you have the mobility?

Um, and he more than held his own.

So I had to re-evaluate him.

I have him as a late first round pick now, before I had him in the 40s.

Um, and you know I’m just I’m.

I’m interested to, uh, to hear your perspective.

Do you see, like Valen, Chunis, Zubot, where we can play you out 24 minutes a game?

But obviously, when it gets really really fast and you have to defend on the perimeter, we don’t really have a chance.

Yeah, I I’ve thought about that, the Zubach stuff.

This year in the playoffs, Zubach finally did not get played off right.

That made me very optimistic for something with with Edy.

But Zubach isn’t a bad regular season Defender too.

So I was like, didn’t he have really good at The Rim numbers this year he was like number one or number two.

I I saw, sounds right.

I know, last year he was up there too and the year before that as well.

So that that adds up.

Yeah, I, I think I still stand by Ed’s, a glorified bobon in the best ways, like Bon played almost 20 minutes a game and uh, I foret, I think it was 22 there, so their last time they played the Clippers, um, or maybe 21, I don’t remember which one, but um, they, I just I feel like that at that point- is, uh,

And yeah, definitely, 2021.

That to me is like okay.

Bobon had no Mobility, Ed’s, not that mobile, but there’s a big difference between not that mobile and no mobility, and I think that’s where he’s getting.

Like you can comfortably play him probably close to 20 minutes, I think, as long as he’s making that impact defensively.

My big thing personally is, I just think, for a Seven4 guy, he just didn’t block that many shots, and that’s weird to me.

Like he altered a good amount it, but like he camped in the pain, he still couldn’t get that many blocks.

That’s my red flag with him.

On defense, I % agree, because you don’t have to defend in space in college basketball and you’re almost always tasked to guard, especially in college basketball.

Another big who’s not really trying to stretch the floor and, like I said, my issue with him is what happens when.

I mean, obviously, like you know, pick and roll, basketball is what the Nba is today, but like that, screen is so much higher in the Nba than it is in college and you’re giving he’s going to have to play Drop coverage, obviously, but you’re giving like the best of the best.

Guys walk up three-point shots like that, beats you and in in an Nba game you know a six-point game and you have three mishaps on defense turns into an 18-point game and yes, you can eliminate the.

But the way that the game is played today, like we see a lot of these blowouts, not because guys aren’t trying, it’s just that the three wall is so swing

And it can swing a game in either favor and it’s like.

Will he be able to defend in space enough for you to?

I’ve seen him as high as like 14 and 15, but to me, like 14 and 15 means you’re going to play like 30 minutes a game

And I just don’t know if he not not to say he doesn’t have the stamina or he’s in shape, but can he defend for 30 minutes game?

I still have questions, but I mean you know you catch him.

He should be a loow in the paint regardless, just as far as like dumping him the ball.

Now.

I don’t foresee a team playing through him full time, obviously, but you know, in spurts or we need to take advantage of a mismatch.

He’s got great touch.

I said before: Yeah, yeah, the touch is really nice

And I also think he’ll take some free throw line jumpers like that in college.

You have no reason not to.

But I, I just I feel like he’s got the touch.

74% free throw numbers, if I’m not mistaken, like that.

That is good shooting upside if you’re a seven-footer, if you’re seven4, it’s very good.

So I I buy that.

And, like you said that defending in space like the pick and roll is the league like if he has to go against a Damen Lillard High pick and roll like there’s nothing like that.

He is the highest pick and role in the Nba because of his range.

So how does how does he guard that when also he’s so easily shakable off of those hesitation moves, Shake him really hard like, and every ball handler in the Nba can do one of those.

So, like that’s where I’m at, it’s just how much can he actually do to not be a liability like his?

His window and margin for error is just so so small and you got to think if he’s on a team of guys who aren’t good Defenders like, look at what they did Rudy gobear when he had to to cover up for Engles, and and, and uh, Donovan Mitchell, like man that D had to make multiple efforts

And then you know, by the time it Swing, Swing, Swing, you’re gonna give up a dunk to a wing.

So, like it’s, it’s going to be tough, but it’ll be interesting to see.

Um, how it works out for him.

He’s, he’s made me, I wouldn’t say a Believer, but he’s, he has grown on me.

I guess there’s a spot for.

Yes, there there’s a spot for.

So thumbs up, thumbs down or thumb across.

I’m, I’m like I’m like a slight diagonal, like I’m, I’m right in between thumbs up and thumb across.

Because, like, he probably just tops out as a 20 minutes a game guy.

But if his 20 minutes are good and you can, like strategically just manipulate those minutes against small lineups in a positive way, not like small ball but just small, I think that could really work for him.

So yeah,

I’m excited to see what happens with him.

Um, let’s talk about Cody Williams and Kai Phil, Kyle Filipowski coming up.

But first let me tell you about Yahoo finance.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could see all of your investment and retirement accounts in one place?

With Yahoo finance, you can consolidate your views from multiple accounts into one Hub and access the expert analysis you need to tend to your entire portfolio with confidence.

For more than 25 years, Yahoo finance has been the brand behind every great investor, whether you’re a seasoned investor or looking to.

For that extra guidance, Yahoo finance gives you all the tools and data you need in one place.

They’re the number one Finance destination, producing a holistic look at the financial news cycle, including breaking news, original editorial perspectives, analyst ratings, independent research, customizable charts and so much more.

You can securely link your brokerage accounts for a unified view of your wealth, including 401k and other Investments.

A comprehensive perspective is what set sets apart Great investors, and it’s how Yahoo finance ensures you have the insight to look at your wealth in its entirety for comprehensive financial news and Analysis.

Visit the brand behind every great investor: Yahoofinancecom, the number one Financial destination, Yahoofinancecom, and that’s Yahoofinancecom.

Are you watching Fox News or, excuse me, Fox Sports or Espn on your TV all day and you have to turn down the volume with all that shouting.

Make the switch to lockon sports today, a free 247 sports streaming Channel programmed for your every day to bring you the biggest stories without all the screaming Oon sports today brings.

You can’t miss analysis, opinions and news, streaming 247 on Youtube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app, part of the locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.

So, back here with James Barlo, let’s talk about two different guys that I see.

I think these might be the two most polarizing players, like I.

I think maybe Salon, who we’ll get to in a bit, is bigger.

But let’s start with Cody Williams.

What?

What would make him a great outcome and what would make him a bad outcome in your eyes?

I think a great, great outcome for him would be if the jump shot translates.

The three-point shot translates, and it’s not.

He shot well on low volume and it was a, I guess, an adoration, because I know again, I I gotta start like clipping these tweets.

But somebody posted his like high school, his um Team Usa.

Uh, there was another segment of games and it was like.

He only shot well during like the stretch of games this season.

So it’s like the jury is still out on him as a three-point shooter

And I think he shot like 60s from the free throw line too.

So it’s like even without.

Even with that said, even if he turn into a League average free throw shooter.

Um, I just see him as like a connector guy

And I don’t know if he has like allar upside.

And I think-

And I think we mentioned this the other day, but I think he might be riding his brother’s wave a little bit man, and that’s kind of.

It’s not fair to him and it’s just not fair in general.

Like somebody will say, well, he’s further along than his brother, uh, at the same age, but that’s not what, that’s not how development works.

So it’s like he might be riding his brother’s way.

I think he’s good.

I don’t know if he is in all star or a starter in a sense, because he’s a ball mover to me and just lacks like assertiveness

And I he can handle.

But it’s just kind of like straight line.

Straight line, there’s no counter moves.

So like, I don’t know if he’s gonna ever be a pick and role player, if that makes sense.

Yeah, I, I agree with every single thing.

Um, the like you said, with the straight line driving he, one of the things I noticed it was against.

I think Usc was the game where he is.

It’s the end of the half.

They’re trying to force him left

And he sees it, but he keeps like doing this half Spin and does nothing, he eventually scores on the play.

But like that to me is, the concern is, does he actually give take what’s given to him?

And that’s what.

That’s my big concern with him.

And also just reading the stats, like, yeah, he shoots 41% from three on 1.7 attempts per game.

That’s not even one.

Make a game, 71% up from the line and only three attempts.

Also, he’s so big.

He should have got to the line more, yes.

And then lastly, like the assist to turnover ratio is a negative two, 1.6 assists, two turn turnovers didn’t get a seal or block a game.

Granted, I mean 28 minutes.

He should have probably had that he’s far away.

So the upside is, hey, that shot translates.

But between the low free throw percentage and, like you said, all the historical Trends, I also just don’t like how his guide hand falls.

That is like such a red flag to me is when I see just one hand up and the guide hand immediately just falling down like it’s about to like slice down, something

I I absolutely big pet peeve.

So for me I I’ve got concerns.

Ultimately, would you give him thumbs up, thumbs down or thumb across?

He’s a thumb across guy from me I’m going, Oh, wrong way, but I’m going thumbs down really, I, I. the other thing for me is, if you look at guys with his Advanced stat profile like it is just not a good group, It’sin hit hit me to that.

Yeah, I, I should have had this one pulled up before I started talking about it, just kind of crossed through my mind.

But pretty much if you filter negative assist to turnover ratio

And then I I’m not a huge fan of this Sta, but I think it has some Merit.

But Box Plus, minus, lower than five.

That combination has a freshman over like around his size, let’s just say over 66.

It’s a lot of guys that were like him, where it’s all tools and no, no, like that real impact right away.

Any names you remember.

So it’s Kevin Knox

I want to say.

I want to say James Young was on there.

It was, it was a group where I was like.

Okay, none of these guys like I, maybe one or two hit.

I got to pull the search up.

I’ll post it in the comments.

Okay, but it it was just not pretty.

So ultimately I’m thumbs down on him.

I’m going to let you take, though I’m going to transition into one.

We kicked it off with that.

We previewed pretty hard talk, phy, and I think you’re gonna talk for both of us, because I I think we see the exact same on him.

Okay, So like not even looking at notes, what does he do?

Well, that you’re gonna sit here and say: that’s it, that’s what he’s going to do at the next level.

So, like posting up, he can overpower the, the six, eight guys, but we’re not going to feed you the ball on the post.

That’s for, that’s for the elite of the elite, and that’s not even a knock on him.

That’s just where we are in 2024.

Our paint touches come from our wings and our guards and the very, very, very special handful of really good back to the basket.

Guys.

He’s not that, uh, three-point shooting right.

So again you look at him.

I know he came in.

He’s five star recruit

And you say he’s supposed to be a really good three-point shooter.

But it’s been a roller coaster throughout his career at Duke.

As to what kind of shooter he is so real quick.

In December he shot 32% from three.

He had a scorching hot January where he shot 45% from three.

Then in February Dro back down to 27% and then the Mars, he shot well at 37% from three, but he ended up shooting 63% from the free throw line in conference play.

So it’s like he’s supposed to be a shooter, but it’s not what you would want it to be.

Ultimately, I think he’s not strong enough to guard Fs.

We saw, uh, what’s my man name?

Dj Burns.

Yes, had his way right, and I don’t think he’s mobile enough to guard Force.

So it’s like what does he do?

Well, what is going to translate?

Now?

This is not complete, you know.

Slander to filipowski.

I think he’s a good passer, but it’s going to be.

It’s gonna have to come from like short rolls, um, dribble handoffs, it’s just.

It’s not going to look like what it looked like at Duke.

But I just I have concerns about his shooting ability and what does he do great at the next level like, what’s going to translate?

Also, since we talked about this yesterday, what does he do when his, when he’s not scoring, because I I get it like, I’ve seen people label him as dribble pass shoot.

I think he’s some of all of that.

But like what do you think like, just off the top of your head, I, if you don’t know the stats, like what do you think his his threep point percentage was this year.

It was, I think it was like 33, yeah, 34.8.

So like that was his best year.

His free throw percentage last year was 76 and a half.

That was good, but it dropped to 67 this year.

It looks really good.

But we’ve seen Pen Mmore had some of the prettiest jump shots.

That’s go to right there, like he had the greatest form ever.

If I play 2K right now I’m Gna pick the Ben mmore shot

And it’s going to look great.

Yep, and it just didn’t go in.

And you know what I want to say.

He ended up being like a 35% three-point shooter, like he was League average, but like that was almost like a failure, because you thought he was gonna be 38, 39.

Dude, he’s somebody that, like you, know those guys when you’re walking in the gym and you’re like, okay,

I’m just G. like you’re walking in, guys are shooting their warm-ups and you see, Ben Mamore, Kyle filipowski shoot, you’re like dang.

You cannot let them shoot, but in reality they don’t make that much, and it’s really such a weird thing.

That’s my concern too.

And then lastly, like you said, like how are you impacting the game when you’re not scoring though the Vermont game in the Ncaa tournament, one of the weirdest games I’ve ever seen from him.

He took one shot.

He, let’s, let’s pull up the whole stat line, because I I forgot he was even playing.

He took one shot.

He had three points, 12 rebounds, most of them uncontested- four assists, two steals,

Three blocks-

It sounds a lot better on paper than it really was.

And the first half he didn’t really touch the ball.

The first, like eight minutes from there on out, he pretty much walked around like barely ran in the half court if he knew he wasn’t getting the ball.

It wasn’t an effort to be a diversion.

And, and I get it, it’s Vermont.

They had that game in the back.

But like you’re going to do that against Vermont, what’s what’s stopping you from doing that against, like Detroit next year, if you’re playing against them and you’re on a good team, and here’s the thing that’s you, that’s Jaylen Duren, like I know he’s not a great defender, but you know he can get a double double in a quarter

And he’s gonna make you work.

And guess what Kate is gonna make you work when you have to defend him and you’re gonna have to keep Duran off the glass.

I just you know, I I see, and he’s not a great athlete either.

On top of that, and I think he is athletic.

Um, I’ve kind of made the comparison.

I I would like to know your opinion.

So, like, uh, and everybody got this wrong, obviously, but like Nas Reed, coming out of Lsu, didn’t shoot the ball well, uh, and he was an undersized five.

But I don’t

I maybe it wasn’t on camera

And I don’t want to sit here and say I was always right.

But like I was telling my brother, I was like.

I really like his game like he has.

He has guard game, as you can.

Obvious we all can see now as a four or five.

But I don’t see that kind of guard game from Filipowski.

Now he’ll show flashes of it, but will he be able to hang his hat on that?

That’s like my Saving Grace for him.

If he, because there there are times where he’ll do some stuff and you like, okay, that’s nice.

But is he gonna be able to like, take that up to the next level along with his shooting?

Yeah, I

So I’m not trying to like Loki Victory lap I had As Reed first round.

Great I, I loved his game, I thought, I thought the jump shot the off the dribble stuff was really fantastic.

I thought his defense was going to be pretty rough.

Hasn’t been that rough?

Um so like.

But I think I I don’t hate that comp.

That’s his absolute best case scenario and that’s why, like that’s, that’s why people like him.

I just think it’s so theoretical that I just I can’t get there I get.

Where do you have on your big board, Philip palski?

Yeah, I have him.

That’s a good question I’ve.

It really depends on the day.

I’ve got him 25.

Right now I have him 27.

Hey, real quick, uh, before we have to take a break.

Uh, are you familiar with Hansen?

Yay, yeah,

Yeah, I haven’t seen much of him, but he’s, he’s fasc right.

So, like we did a early, early pod right, and I was like dude, he’s better than Kyle Filipowski.

They like, lit me up in the comments and I’m like all right.

You guys are gonna see if he ever gets a chance to come over here like that dude is.

He is what people think Filipowski is on the Block.

And like, they lit me up and they said I had a foreign agenda and the Cba is terrible and I’m like all right.

And then you know, of course, like the guys with the money behind him go over there and they check him out and now you know I look like.

But hey, hey, that’s impressive, that’s impressive.

But we’ll talk about a couple more, including Isaiah Kier and uh dig Salon.

See if I can get the pronunciation right the second time.

But first let me tell you about monopo.

Go, all right, game off.

We got to pause here to talk about Monopoly go.

I know you’re saying flag on the play.

You already talked about that at the beginning, but there’s just so much good stuff in this game.

And Monopoly go.

You can team up with friends for time tournaments where you work together to build up each other’s boards.

The more you win together, the more awesome prizes you unlock.

And there’s so much to get unique stickers that you can trade with friends to complete albums for big prizes, cool new playing pieces to travel the boards with players, emojis for taunting your friends when you smash the buildings or Heist their vaults.

Plus, Monopoly go feels new and exciting every day, with constantly changing tournaments and challenges.

A ton include their own mini games like digging for Treasure or robot Pachinko machine, and there’s always new timed events that help you win big, like massive multipliers for everything you win on rent frenzies.

There’s always something fun to discover in Monopoly.

Go so get off the bench and go download it now for free on the Google Play or App Store game.

On all right.

Last segment, I’m here with James Barlo.

We’re talking about some polarizing players.

Isaiah Collier- he was the number one recruit in high school- has not been the number one player in college.

I think he’s just really fallen off as a below the rim, not that great shooting point guard that played with two other guards that needed a lot of attention too at Usc.

What do you think of Kier?

No, you know what you go first.

You started on him.

Let’s, let’s hear it.

I I’m actually not that big on him.

I think he’s here’s how I see it like in an average draft, a great backup actually ends up being returning top 15 value.

It’s the very end of the top 15, but he ends up being a top 15 player.

Like like Tyus Jones, he is a top 10 to 12 player from his class.

If I Coler turns into Tus Jones, you’re fine.

The problem is if you’re the San Antonio Spurs trying to build around Victor wanyama

And you’re trying to give him the point guard of the future, wouldn’t you want something more than just a backup like I. just I don’t see how he scores.

I don’t buy the jump shot, he doesn’t dunk.

I, he’s crafty, I get it.

He’s tough, he’s strong, he can get to the basket.

I just I just have a hard time seeing him translate for a guy who tops out at the lot as a backup.

I’m just not willing to spend a lottery pick on him.

Interesting, interesting, you know.

Uh, when he first got going, I was like: nah, this dude is not it.

He was a turnover machine and he was just playing too fast.

Um, I understand what you’re saying, because ultimately he’s a low volume three-point shooter.

Uh, that doesn’t have great halfcourt vision.

In a sense, where he he gets his assists, he makes his plays getting downhill.

But that is very difficult in the Nba when you can’t shoot in a sense.

Um, but I will say this, it maybe it’s fake, but he was 37% on catch and shoot.

According to Synergy, he shot 39% unguarded and he shot 34% off the dribble.

And now, if we take that in comparison, I think, uh, topage was like 29% on catch and shoot.

Um, yeah, that sounds like all those other guys are even lower than him, but at the same time he’s taking one, two, threes a game.

So it’s like the jury is is very much still out.

I know.

Pre-injury he was almost at four turnovers a game.

He came back, he got that number, he got the number down to three turnovers again.

I don’t know if he is a, he’s gonna have to get downhill.

And I get Eric Bledo vibes from bigger, obviously taller, but like when Eric Bledo he capped out that Bucks team because he could not shoot.

And if Isaiah Kyer is just like an average shooter because he doesn’t have like great Pace or anything like that in the half court, so it’s like it’s almost like he has to be that bowling ball now again that the foul rate he had was great and while he isn’t a dunker, he shoots like 60% at The Rim.

I just um, I don’t know.

Man, the numbers might lie about him.

Man, if I, if you didn’t know the numbers and you watch the film, you’d be like, ah, he can’t shoot.

He’s not really a great finisher, but somehow like the numbers, like catch up.

So I get why people are higher.

Uh, on him, I think he’s kind of like settled.

I want to say the consistency hasn’t allowed, like 13 to 16, and I get it for this draft.

Yeah, and my big thing is like he shoots like a big man.

That’s where I’m out on the jump shot.

For me, it’s just like: Yeah, it’s just super stiff.

Like he’s got like a little set shot.

I just if he was like eight inches taller, yeah, like I’d be, I’d be way more about it, but it’s just yeah, it’s a weird, it’s a weird blend.

I’m personally pretty out on him also.

We never did thumbs.

We we got back toback thumbs down.

We got to do, because I forgot to.

Oh, I got one for Philipi.

Yeah,

Yeah, I I’m like like the Gladiator last night.

What about here, though, where you want him?

I think I’m gonna.

I think I’m gonna do it.

This is my first.

Then my second thumbs down.

I gave one on Cody.

Last one.

Okay, let’s do God.

Every time I get his name wrong-

But you know what, though?

Every time I watch this film on Synergy, they say his name a different way.

Okay, good, I can’t.

I can’t say like how the French dude say, because I’m not French dude, I, I spoke.

I was great at Spanish all throughout High School.

I still can never get like the fluidity down, so no matter how right or wrong I am.

It’s just not going to sound right, but I’m gonna just say it.

I think it’s Ti, Jane Salon.

I’m just gonna say it as American as possible, as wrong the Texan accent in it.

I’m gonna say T, Jane salon.

Let’s go with that, although I think it might be ton, but let’s go with ton.

I have it as ton, Salon, Tj.

Okay, Tjn.

That’s why I heard him say it.

That’s what I’m gonna go with.

I needed the correction.

I trust you and Rafael, because y’all know those Euro guys so much better than I do in every way.

So I’m trusting you.

So leave the way with tjn.

So I get tjn.

I get the the.

The film at times looks really really good.

He’s like 610, he can shoot.

Hey man, this is funny.

Dude.

We just talked about Ben Mclamore and I had in my notes.

He’s got some.

Ben Mamore like.

The jump shot looks great, but it’s really really inconsistent.

So like he shot, uh, 29% from three and under 18s for France, right, and then at one point during the season, um, he was at like 22% from three, but he’s, he’s brought it back up to like he’s, I want to say he’s like 35, 36.

I think that’s what leav said.

Um, he can shoot, and I mentioned it with Leaf.

He is like good and bad raw.

Like good that he’s raw because he doesn’t know what he’s doing

And he’s not gonna pass up an open shot.

Right

And you want that.

And like the mechanics look get, look good.

But like he’s like bad raw where he just has awkward movements and, like you can tell, he’s still learning how to play basketball.

But at the same time, at 18, 19, like how are you still moving like a 12 year old who’s learning how to play basketball, and I mean that in the kind defense too.

Right, that’s where you see it the most.

Yeah, But even then, so like if you chase him off the line and you can’t see my feet, obviously, but I’m gonna rip through and I’m gonna take a big step with my right foot and dribble with my right hand, he does this thing.

Where he goes right and dribbles with his left hand, I’m like how are you doing that in playing professional basketball?

Hurts to think about.

Yeah, and it’s.

And I at first I was like no,

Okay, he just maybe he just had a brain fart, but I’ve seen him do it several times and as good as the percentages are, I think he just has erratic touch.

And I I want to ask you a question: did you see the one Dro pullup he had, I want to say, two weeks ago, where he hit the top of the backboard like Westbrook style, you know?

Yes, I saw that on Twitter, I think, because I haven’t seen a full game in a minute.

But that g that popped up a few weeks after I posted, posted some of his isolation defense, which, if you can find that search Salon Mav draft, you’ll find the video.

I I saw that and that was extremely alarming.

Yeah, and how does that happen?

And he- and look, I watched it several times- he didn’t do this wiping the sweat like he, just he shot it and hit the top of, and it wasn’t like the angle.

Okay, sometimes, you know, guys get tricky in the corner right

And you may hit it, like Paul George did, in the bubble, like this was like at the, the, the 90 degree angle, and it looked like that Westbrook brick that he’s been shooting the past three, four years.

I’m like dude.

How do you, how can you not feel your fingertips?

And it’s just like: is that play I have in my notes?

He just has erratic touch, yep, and he’s just so raw

And it’s just kind of hard to like.

Some days I’m like man, I might take him 13, just cuz, like he’s 161 and he can shoot

And he’s athletic.

And then some days I’m like Yo, he’s.

So he’s like two years away from like knowing how to play basketball.

And then you got to you know, is he there’s going to be a international barrier?

You got to come over here, some new culture, like, is he G to be able to adapt to that?

And like learn, like, how to play basketball.

And you gotta think:

Okay, me and my brother have this saying: can he hoop and can he play basketball?

So if he goes to a bad team, can he hoop?

Basically like, hey, man, you got to go, be selfish and try to score, because your second contract depends on it.

Or is he going to get the development out?

It’s just so many questions with him.

Yeah, I, I completely agree.

And the one thing that really scares me about his shot is it it’s improved a ton since last year.

Like his shot was really bad.

Last year I had him as a non shooter, just like a watch list guy, and now he, he actually can kind of shoot and it’s still very far away.

So I, my whole thing is I just Wor.

He’s very theoretical, but also in a bad draft class four years ago, I remember the seven-footer from Greece who threw behind the back passes and like he had all these tools but he also had no idea how to play basketball.

And now he’s struggling on the Charlotte Hornets and Alexe Poachy.

So, and that looks like, if you, if it doesn’t work here, you got to get that passport back out, buddy.

Yeah,

Yeah, I just feel like for every one, Giannis, that we’re trying to get.

There’s about 10 poke Tris, you know, or nine poke chis, and I feel like for every one, Kawai, we get.

There are a bunch of guys who it just.

Every dude with big hands and long arms is not gonna end looking like 38- year old Michael Jordan eventually.

He just, it just doesn’t work that way.

Yep, have a podcast one day of how many like.

How many next Dirks that didn’t work?

How many next kaai, that didn’t work?

How many next Yannis, that don’t?

That didn’t work, because there’s.

I like this.

It’s it’s tough.

That’s the hard thing about evaluating.

So yeah, well, overall, thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs across, I I’m leaning Thumb, Thumbs across is like the safest answer yes to my head and I had to do thumbs up, thumbs down.

I, I think I’m ultimately going thumbs down.

Ultimately, ultimately, that’s that’s probably my answer.

Just look, if he goes to like depte, it’s gonna be thumbs down right, yeah.

But if he goes to like, oh, San Antonio, I wouldn’t hate it.

That’s true.

They get two picks and it’s not even, that’s not even a knock on Like-

I don’t want to disrespect Anybody’s- like coaching staff or development staff, Cu, like you know you you can put in all the work in the world and if a guy just doesn’t have it like he may not have it.

But like Charlotte is just.

They’re a very, very young team and it’s just not a good spot, for they need, they need, they need, like older guys, older drafted guys, and it may not be a good spot for an 18y old to try to figure out how to play basketball.

Yeah, I agree.

Well, this has been.

This has been a fantastic Deep dive into several players: the Boomer bus.

We talked about Stefon Castle, Zack, Edy Cody Williams, Kyle Filipowski, Isaia Coler and then tjn salon, and we also learned how to say Tjn Salon today.

So thank you so much for.