One on One: December Week 1 Questions

Brandon Garland and James McNeill go one-on-one answering this week’s questions.

1) Apart from the “Big Three” (Randle, Parker, & Wiggins), which other freshmen have impressed you so far in the early NCAA season? 

Brandon: NBA GMs and scouts are salivating over this year’s draft class (rightfully so), and many of the most impressive players have been freshmen.  Joel Embiid has been my favorite to watch, as the earliest reports were that he was “raw”.  Well, if what we’ve seen from Embiid so far is unrefined, then this man will be a monster a bit later in his career.  Many, however, are down on his much-hyped teammate (no, not Andrew Wiggins) Wayne Selden.  I see much potential, and I loved what I saw vs. Duke.  In all honesty, I haven’t seen passing from a big like I did from Carolina frosh Kennedy Meeks in a long time.  He could make some draft noise later on if he gets minutes on a currently up-and-down UNC team.

James: A few other freshmen have really stuck out to me, some who have received national attention and some others who are flying under the radar.  From that first group, I’ve been most impressed with being Noah Vonleh.  The long, athletic Indiana forward has averaged an impressive 13.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.1 BPG while shooting 51.6% from the field.  The lanky freshman has been eating up boards while also doing an efficient job on the offensive end, an unexpected surprise for a guy whose offensive game is most often described as “raw”.  Vonleh actually has a better perimeter game than your average 6’10’’ player, and he could really add another element to an already intriguing skill set if he continues to develop his ball handling and shooting.

From the group of under-the-radar players, I’ve been most intrigued by Anthony “Cat” Barber.  For those who don’t know, “Cat” is an agile, blazing-fast scoring guard that’s averaging 12.1 PPG, 3.9 APG and shooting 53.4% from the field.  He began the season behind former McDonald’s All-American Tyler Lewis on NC State’s depth chart but has since passed him in both minutes and on the depth chart.  He has earned his playing time by carving up defenses for hard fought points to help offset the scoring load being taken on by leading scorer TJ Warren.  “Cat” will benefit from developing his outside shot and decision-making, but it appears he’s learning, as his assist to turnover ratio has jumped from 1.13 in 6 games off the bench to 2.5 in his two games as a starter.  Even as a raw college freshman, scouts and fans alike love his size at the point (6’2’’ with a 6’4’’ wingspan), his nearly unguardable handles, and his HONEST nature.

2) Are the Chicago Bulls a lottery team without D-Rose?

Brandon: Last year’s Bulls proved that this year’s Bulls are still a playoff team in the top-heavy East.  Yes, Nate Robinson is gone, but expect Luol Deng, a hopefully healthy Jimmy Butler, and the strong post duo of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer to pick up some of the slack that losing one of the best PGs in the game creates.  Unfortunately, the best overall outcome for Chicago is to pick up a lottery player to bolster their team, especially with Luol Deng likely leaving in the offseason.  Perhaps they’ll luck out and get Charlotte’s pick.

James: No, I don’t believe they are, but that doesn’t mean I think they are good without him.  I just believe that the Bulls are at least good enough to be (potentially at worst) a 7 or 8 seed in a terrible Eastern Conference.  They still have multiple quality players in Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng, as well as solid bench contributors.  They certainly are at least better than struggling teams in the East such as Brooklyn, NY, and Cleveland – all of which are currently behind them in the standings and out of the playoffs for now.

3) Will Detroit find their way after the early season struggles, and is the Smith-Drummond-Monroe frontcourt combination fixable?

Brandon: I said before the season that Josh Smith was a dreadful SF, and I stick to it.  The Pistons made a huge mistake in signing him in a move I feel was simply to acquire a big name.  The Monroe-Drummond combo of last year was fantastic, and the damaging presence of Smith has diminished their luster.  It’s a shame that the development of these promising young bigs is being altered.  With Josh Smith on the Detroit Pistons, we won’t see the same shine from Monroe and Drummond as we did in 2012-2013.

James: I think that Detroit will find their way as the season goes on, but that doesn’t mean that they will be an elite team.  They have won 5 of their last 8 games, and of their 10 losses this season, all ten have come against teams that made the playoffs last year.  These points, though consolatory, do point to improvement in the future.  As to the front court, I have no concerns for Monroe or Drummond but instead how Josh Smith fits as a three.  Looking at their wins and losses, this team has gone as Smith has.  It seems as if time and meshing as a team are the kinds of things that can fix this frontcourt.

4) How does Derrick Williams fit in Sacramento?

Brandon: Derrick Williams doesn’t seem to be a huge fit anywhere thus far in his career.  While he has great athleticism, his overall game isn’t quite there.  He can, and should, start over aging, lackluster incumbent John Salmons, simply due to the fact that potential does exist.  But should this team wind up in contention for either Wiggins or Parker, and they will, they won’t think twice about benching Williams.  Permanently.

James: Derrick Williams fits much better in Sacramento than he did in Minnesota, if only because the frontcourt in the Cali capital is less crowded.  In his 3 games in Sacramento so far, he has averaged more than 10 more minutes per game, as well as contributing 5 more PPG, and 2 more RPG.  This being said, Williams is STILL a tweener, STILL not a great perimeter player, and STILL not an efficient scorer.  This was a way for Sacramento to add talent that may still develop without having to give up much for it.

By Brandon Garland and James McNeill

Follow @RealBG
Follow @2NamezJames