I previously talked about guys who should have an impact anytime from now until next year. Now we'll go into a few players who are projects with high upsides.
Spencer Dinwiddie (Point Guard, Detroit Pistons)
I really like Spencer Dinwiddie but he's still got a way to go. His size is phenominal for a point guard at 6'6" 200lbs and should result in many mismatches. He was drafted this year in the second round (38th overall) out of Colorado. This position could have been much higher as his final season of college ball was cut short by an ACL injury halfway through the season. Detroit took a chance that could pay big dividends. The Celtics made similar moves when Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger were red flagged due to injury. The Pistons are hoping for the same outcome.
Dinwiddie was on track for a great season at Colorado before the injury and was able to put up 14.7pt 3.1rb 3.8ast and 1.5stl in 31.1 minutes a game. He was able to do this while shooting decent percentages, especially from the 3 point line (41.3% 3pt and 46.6% overall). His shooting should translate well especially in Detroit with their front line of Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond. His size should also present issues on defense for opposing point guards as he will be one of the biggest point guards in the league.
One of his main issues (other than the injury recovery) is his spot in the rotation. When drafted he was the last of four point guards on the roster that included Brandon Jennings, DJ Augustine, and Will Bynum. Bynum has since been traded to the Celtics making him the third string point guard, which still doesn't bode well for playing time this year. The Pistons will most likely send him to the D-League this season to see more floor time as he missed the entire second half of last season with injury. His only real shot at extended minutes in Detroit is if Augustine or Jennings are traded or hurt during the season. Keep him in mind for the future though. He should help score and facilitate with a healthy steal or two a game.
Lucas Nogueira (Center, Toronto Raptors)
Nogueira, nicknamed "Bebe," is the longest shot of the three I plan on talking about. He has plenty of height at 7' but his biggest knock coming into the league was his strength. Bebe has been criticized saying he needs to add weight and strength to what was his 210lbs frame which will help with his toughness and durability. He has worked to put on muscle and is now at 220lbs. At center, even in today's smaller game, he should need to put on probably another 10-15lbs minimal to deal with the rigors of interior play in the NBA. He is however a good athlete with a 28" vertical leap and 7'6" wingspan at his disposal.
His size as mentioned is one of his biggest strengths as it allows him to alter and block many shots. Bebe has shown a knack for getting to offensive rebounds and runs the floor very well for a big man. These allow him the opportunity for easy buckets which should also allows for a high shooting percentage.
I don't believe he will play much this year in the NBA but will see significant time in the D-League. However he is one injury away from a larger role with the team. It is easy to get excited about Bebe because of his size, and projected potential. He could become a double digit scorer with 6-8 rebounds and 1-2 blocks a game when all is said and done.
Bruno Cabolco (Small Forward, Toronto Raptors)
Bruno Cabolco is another highly touted young big man for Toronto who could be one of the center pieces of this team in a few years. Cabolco was Toronto's first round draft pick (20th overall) in the draft
this year. It made a lot of people scratch their heads and respond
"who?" After doing some research on him its easy to see what Masai
Ujiri saw in Cabolco.
He has great size and has been compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo as far as physical measurements go. The nineteen year old comes in at 6'9" 205lbs and a massive 7'7" wingspan. He differs from the Greek Freak in the fact that he is not as good at handling the ball and at this stage of his career he is more comparable to a stretch big man rather than a guard.
His stats are not glamorous and gaudy like you would expect from a first round pick, but there is an immense amount of potential that he could realistically reach. Last year with Pinheiros of the Brazilian league he registered 5.1pt 2.9rb and 0.7blk in a meager 13 minutes a game. They may not look at much but if extended to starter minutes the numbers would be of a solid starter or sixth man. Cabolco is very raw at this stage of his career but is also very young. Given a few years of experience I believe he could get in the range of 16pt 7rb 2ast 1stl 1blk a game. It's a gamble in that he could not pan out but then if his potential is met those numbers could all be low. He is definitely worth keeping an eye on as he is a potential starter and stud for Toronto.
No comments:
Post a Comment