NBA Mock Draft Pick #17 -- Giannis Adetokunbo, Forward, Greece
SB Nation's Hawks blog Peachtree Hoops explains the pick:
Giannis represents a high upside draft and follow for the Hawks, who can immediately state to the NBA that he will not play in the league this season and bank the approximately 1.6M off the cap for that draft slot. This is why the Hawks used their higher pick of the two in the first round to make this selection.
This allows the Hawks to speculate on a unique talent while maintaining cap flexibility in order to chase max-level free agents this offseason.
Adetokunbo, only 18 years old, is playing in a lower league in Greece but has the potential to have as high as a ceiling as a Toni Kukoc/Scottie Pippen type point forward or, at a lower projection, a Boris Diaw type multiple position player.
He plays above the rim, moves fast with the ball, passes well, and has improved his outside shot while growing over three inches over the last year to his current 6'9 frame.
Comments
Well...
he has huge hands and it seems clear from the available videos that he dominated his high-school gym class. Why not?
By VoxMediaUser292518 on 06.20.13 12:06pm
He may end up not being much but I'd take 100x out of 100 over Saric
which is probably why Saric is out of the draft.
By DCrez on 06.20.13 12:17pm
Saric is a better basketball player.
By Cousin_Drew on 06.20.13 2:59pm
Smh.....
Danny Ferry Please draft two legit Seven Footers. We haven’t had one in over a decade.
Well…This Guy already looks better than Otto Porter/Saric so he’s got that going for him.
By TruthClarity on 06.20.13 12:19pm
Does it matter if they can play?
Or should they just measure out to seven foot?
By Kris Willis on 06.20.13 12:23pm
May want to bring this guy into camp:
(Yes… that little pocket-sized man next to him is Nikola Pekovic)
By VoxMediaUser292518 on 06.20.13 12:27pm
OMAGAH Is that real???
O_O
By TruthClarity on 06.20.13 12:30pm
It is.
By Dan Antonio on 06.20.13 12:44pm
LOL! That's one big fella
I just looked up the article on him. Cool.
By TruthClarity on 06.20.13 12:46pm
He's not the guy you want to see coming down the airplane aisle
to sit in the middle seat next to you.
By Dan Antonio on 06.20.13 12:50pm
So True!
By TruthClarity on 06.20.13 12:57pm
Read about him last October
Cool story. http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/timberwolves-fan-tallest-man-u-gets-life-changing-183511259—nba.html
Sadly the big guy had to give up basketball because of lack of shoes (which also resulted in 16 foot surgeries).
By Evil Dallas on 06.22.13 4:28pm
Lol, yeah skilled most definetlely
That’s why I like The older bigs in the draft. I’ve seen their body of work against top-level college competition & also their growth over the years. Withey, Plumlee, Dieng, Adams in that order for me.
By TruthClarity on 06.20.13 12:29pm
To be completely honest I would be intrigued if we picked up Giannis
I think he will turn out to be a solid player from what I’ve seen (not quite Nicholas Batum but somewhat similar) BUT I think acquiring pieces to move AL to the PF spot will help us out a little more now and potentially in the future.
By TruthClarity on 06.20.13 12:35pm
Ummm....after seeing Vava's footage
I’d like to retract my previous opinions on Plumlee….lol
By TruthClarity on 06.20.13 1:12pm
yes because everything vava has shown and told us we need to listen to
By J. Lane on 06.20.13 1:33pm
Valid Point
but that video tho….lol
By TruthClarity on 06.21.13 3:55am
Yeah but to me judging someone off of one video?
By J. Lane on 06.21.13 7:45am
Very True
I actually like his game from all of the the other videos (and Duke Games) I have seen of him. The proof is definitely in his body of work…..but that was a pretty sub-par workout from Mason. Maybe that was at the end when the Media is available to watch (take video) & he was gassed or something.
By TruthClarity on 06.21.13 10:42am
true
like someone said in another thread, we can only see so much where as the coaches and scouts see everything
By J. Lane on 06.21.13 10:57am
This isn't a bad pick, but I'd rather go simpler for this particular draft.
Adetokunbo (is it that or is it something like Antenokounpo? I’ve seen both) presents something of a risk and is even more of an unknown quantity than most of the guys in the draft. Out of the guys available in this mock, I’d go with Steven Adams and Jamaal Franklin.
By ghostmomwithavengeance. on 06.20.13 12:45pm
The correct spelling of the name is Antetokounmpo.
By Ming on 06.21.13 6:40am
Got it, thanks!
By ghostmomwithavengeance. on 06.21.13 6:38pm
All part of Danny Ferry's CP3/DH12 Masterplan!!!
By Bryant Singleton on 06.20.13 12:52pm
Mwuahahahaha!!!
By Bryant Singleton on 06.20.13 12:53pm