December 17, 2016
Yep, the concept was shamelessly stolen from our football writer and I didn’t even ask him. Now that college football is in bowl season and winter is coming, college hoops will become a major part of Saturday afternoons and evenings across the country.
With the Sixers sitting pretty (for lottery purposes, anyway) tied for last in the NBA at 6-20, fans should probably keep at least a wandering eye on college basketball. Here are five players to watch this weekend that could be available when the Sixers pick. All are projected to be drafted in the lottery, so think either the Sixers' own first-rounder or the one the Lakers owe them.
I was (fairly) early on the Lonzo bandwagon. The moment I first caught him and his younger brothers push the ball up and down the floor like madmen at Chino Hills High School, I was absolutely hooked. Those guys now have a YouTube mixtape for every one of their high school games:
Got stuck on a high school game. Lonzo Ball (headed to UCLA next year) is officially my favorite basketball player. https://t.co/5nXH1NDKLE
— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) January 18, 2016
At the college level, Ball has been better than I could have imagined, leading a basketball resurgence in Westwood. UCLA has the third-best adjusted offense the Division 1 according to KenPom (behind Duke and Villanova), and they’re certainly the most fun to watch. The 11-0 Bruins are the best three-point shooting team in the country, in major part because Ball creates great looks for his teammates in the halfcourt and transition. His 8.6 assists per game ranks second nationally.
Ball’s jumper is hella funky (you see, that’s how the kids talk out in Cali), but he makes it at a 45-percent clip all the way out to halfcourt:
I love, love, love watching Ball play. As for how he adjusts to the pros, though? It’s tough, because he has thrived playing this super specific style of basketball.
Ball’s shot could be problematic against an upgrade in length and athleticism. He also rarely shoots inside the arc, preferring to set up his teammates. In the pros, defenses will try to make him a scorer. As for his defense, Ball grew up playing for teams that didn’t mind giving up easy baskets because they were going to outscore their opponent. You can’t have that mentality in the NBA.
There is a chance he could be an outstanding pro, but I have some hesitancy. That is at least partially the case because his worst game was against…
UCLA beat UK at Rupp Arena, but Fox, Monk and the rest of the Wildcats made Ball work hard for his 14 points and 7 assists to go with 6 turnovers:
Both of these guys are top ten picks at the moment according to Draft Express, and they each have an amazing skill on offense. In Fox’s case, it’s a speed burst that rates up there with former Kentucky star John Wall. With Monk, it’s an excellent looking jumper to go with crazy leaping ability.
They also have pretty pronounced weaknesses, too. These are two freshmen who I am curious to see make adjustments as the season moves along.
Anunoby has missed the past couple of games with a sprained ankle, but he’s someone that all Sixers fans should check out. He appears to be a perfect fit at the 3 next to Simmons and Embiid, a stalwart defender that can guard multiple positions who also has the potential make spot-up threes and attack closeouts. Anunoby did a great job against Jamal Murray in the NCAA Tournament last year.
Lakers pick, anyone? The sophomore wing’s offense needs to improve a good bit, but if it does…
Because it’s never a bad time to watch Markelle Fultz.
For the second straight season, we could see a top overall pick in the NBA Draft who didn’t guide his college team to the NCAA Tournament. At 4-5 overall, Washington currently looks absolutely nothing like a tourney team. It will be interesting to see if Fultz has to deal with all of the scrutiny that Ben Simmons faced last season (the takezzzzz) simply because he also chose to play with poor amateur teammates.
There’s really not much to dislike in his game. Fultz has been efficient while shouldering a major offensive load, played a responsible floor game, and is generating steals and blocks at solid rates. Here’s a cool video from Draft Express of his shot-making prowess of the dribble:
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
