For myself personally, I'd call it more of a "hope" than an "expectation".So now we're tempering expectations for our second round pick from "Draymond Green" to a better version of Jae Crowder. I love the post draft honeymoon phase.
For myself personally, I'd call it more of a "hope" than an "expectation".So now we're tempering expectations for our second round pick from "Draymond Green" to a better version of Jae Crowder. I love the post draft honeymoon phase.
yes, but what is his "floor"?Next Draymond Green is kind of a ridiculously high expectation to put on anyone. I'd settle happily for "next Jae Crowder".
For myself personally, I'd call it more of a "hope" than an "expectation".
Well, you at least understand where I'm coming from. Seriously though, there's a very small chance Semi approaches Crowder's value. Barring a trade, he'll be at least 23 before he sees meaningful minutes on an NBA court. But he's a strong, athletic, switchable defender with a nice jumper and supposedly good work ethic, so he's just the type of guy to take a flyer on late in the draft.Next Draymond Green is kind of a ridiculously high expectation to put on anyone. I'd settle happily for "next Jae Crowder".
Swing forward for the Plateau Peaks of the Nigerian Premier League?yes, but what is his "floor"?
Lol well saidSo now we're tempering expectations for our second round pick from "Draymond Green" to a better version of Jae Crowder. I love the post draft honeymoon phase.
What about his time in the 3-cone drill?What an athlete. According to this: https://hardwoodhoudini.com/2017/06/25/semi-ojeleye-steal-celtics/ "Ojeleye also conveyed his capability of staying with perimeter scorers by notching the third-best mark in the lane agility test (10.58 seconds) while professing his shocking speed with a 3.16-second three-quarter court sprint, the eighth-best number at the combine."
Core special teameryes, but what is his "floor"?
Kedrick was one lazy kid. Dude turned into Shawn Kemp in Cleveland. If Semi is committed, I think he has the chops to stick for a few years.I am warming to this pick. He is looks super explosive, his jumper is clean enough, and he says the right things (3&D). It would be huge if he evolved to have a career like Jae. Perhaps tenacity and grit rub off from daily practices with the smart/crowder/bradley types. The trickier bit is the "Basketball IQ" - can he develop enough to know "where to be" and "how to anticipate appropriately" on defense. Having a couple of elite skills really makes him intriguing.
Is he Kedrick Brown or Bill Walker? Would either of them turned out better under Brad Stevens in today's NBA?
The Draymond comps may have been a *tad* premature. Guys like him make it into the league because they play defense. Ojeleye does not currently play defense. 0 steals in three summer league games, where play is really sloppy.Anyone else seeing some major red flags with Ojeleye? For a guy with a rep of being an explosive athlete (40" vertical), his lateral movement is awful. With all the summer league and small sample size caveats, I haven't seen a single NBA skill out of him. I didn't expect him to beat out Yabusele or Theis for rotation minutes, but at this stage, I don't even see a G-League career for the guy. He just looks really stiff out there, and I don't know that he has the skill level to compensate for his weaknesses. It's just a 2nd round pick and all so no harm/no foul, but he looks completely overmatched out there.
I'm surprised by this post. The Cs have been running their switch on the perimeter defense which means that Ojeleye gets matched up on guards a few times, and he seems to have credible feet staying in front of Murray and Exum. He also seems to have a decent shot with some range. Frankly in today's NBA, if he at his size can credibly defend guards and hit three-pointers with consistency, that should keep in the league for a while.Anyone else seeing some major red flags with Ojeleye? For a guy with a rep of being an explosive athlete (40" vertical), his lateral movement is awful. With all the summer league and small sample size caveats, I haven't seen a single NBA skill out of him. I didn't expect him to beat out Yabusele or Theis for rotation minutes, but at this stage, I don't even see a G-League career for the guy. He just looks really stiff out there, and I don't know that he has the skill level to compensate for his weaknesses. It's just a 2nd round pick and all so no harm/no foul, but he looks completely overmatched out there.
And quite impressive against Giannis last night:Welcome to the bigs, kid...
@ESPNForsberg Rookie chores: According to Synergy data about half of Semi Ojeleye’s defended possessions have come against LeBron, Giannis, or Porzingis.
He was doing a couple of things that were really impressive. He was able to body up Giannis, yet when he made the moves, Semi somehow wasn't so close to him that he could employ his 10 foot first step to get past him. Moving back *and* laterally with quickness is hard. And he also never left his feet. Incredibly fundamentally sound one-on-one defense. This might be too simplistic, but it seemed like the Bucks were making plays with their arms, the C's by moving their feet.The shift to block the baseline was probably the most excited I've ever been over such a relatively mundane play.
Yeah, plus he was 41.5% from three and 78.5% from the line in his college career. Are there really people saying he needs a jumper? I thought that was his one clear strength. Other, than his actual, grown-ass man, strength.I wrote this in the game thread but Semi's feet are like Smart's hands - world class. And as for people who think he needs to develop a jumper - well, his stroke is smooth and pretty
How'd that work out for you? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)Ojeleye is a high energy scorer with good range but defense is going to be a problem in the NBA. Not quick enough to stay with 3s and not big enough to stop 4s from pushing him around and/or shooting over the top of him. Not sure he has a place in today's NBA.
I think Mooch might have spelled 'Nader' wrong in that post.How'd that work out for you? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
In the pace & space era it's defensive quickness that matters and he has it in spades. I doubt he'll ever be anything more than a 3 & D guy (his handle makes Rookie Avery Bradley look like Marques Haynes in comparison), but he's going to give that in spades.
The rightful heir to James Posey.How'd that work out for you? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
In the pace & space era it's defensive quickness that matters and he has it in spades. I doubt he'll ever be anything more than a 3 & D guy (his handle makes Rookie Avery Bradley look like Marques Haynes in comparison), but he's going to give that in spades.
Rodney Rogers?Posey's a decent comp. Semi seems to have shorter arms though.
If they were counting on him being a starter I might be worried, but he's plenty long enough for a second unit F. He's longer than Jae Crowder, for one, and a lot of people were looking forward to Crowder being the starting 4.I think it's still fair to worry about his length when it comes to guarding taller guys but quickness never should have been a concern. Even when he struggled in the summer league, it was because of awareness. Semi was 3rd and 8th in this year's draft class in lane agility and the 3/4 court sprint. He's a freak, really.
Milwaukee may be the longest team in the league so last night was very encouraging. I'm not a huge Crowder guy but I liked him a lot more when he was playing 20 minutes instead of 30. Semi has some physical advantages over Crowder too so it bodes well. He's also signed at a very cheap rate for 4 years and already looks like a role player.If they were counting on him being a starter I might be worried, but he's plenty long enough for a second unit F. He's longer than Jae Crowder, for one, and a lot of people were looking forward to Crowder being the starting 4.
I was curious, so I looked it up. Holy shit these two dudes measured nearly identical to one another at the combine.If they were counting on him being a starter I might be worried, but he's plenty long enough for a second unit F. He's longer than Jae Crowder, for one, and a lot of people were looking forward to Crowder being the starting 4.
Crowder's wingspan was a function of being so wide from shoulder to shoulder. His standing reach was 8'3". Ojeleye's is 8'6". So Ojeleye is indeed the longer player. As you looked it up you were aware of the difference and decided to leave it out. But I have all this useless trivia salted away inside of my brain.I was curious, so I looked it up. Holy shit these two dudes measured nearly identical to one another at the combine.
Jae 6' 6 1/2" with a 6' 9 1/4" wingspan, 241 pounds
Semi 6' 6 3/4" with a 6' 9 3/4" wingspan, 241 pounds
It may not even be "work" that he needs on his jumper only time and reps for the game to slow down for him. He shot 4.7 three's per game last year connecting on 42.4% and shot his FT's at 78.5%. When you are asked to expend your energy on the defensive end against LeBron and Greek there is reasonable cause to not yet be draining jumpers. This kid looks like he's going to be a long time player in this league from the early returns.That defense is as good as it gets. You literally can’t do any better on a guy like the Freak. Plenty of time to work on a passable jumper.
I think it was all about fit. We already had the market cornered second unit bigs with Baynes, Theiss, Yabusele, and Nader but were lacking at wing matchups especially knowing Crowder would soon be moved.Yeah, I was shocked when they picked him ahead of Jordan Bell. Mainly because many people were very high on Bell, Bell was available and I had never heard of Semi. I sure do love the pick now. As has been mentioned, good defense starts with moving your feet. Add quickness, an NBA ready body and long arms to the package and I agree, he'll be in the NBA for a long while. His shot looks good to me, they'll start falling. He's going to hit 3-4 meaningful threes in a game in the near future and everybody will be trying to figure out where he fits in to the RoY conversation.
I was wondering exactly this thanks, but I'm on the short list of wingspan watchers.Crowder's wingspan was a function of being so wide from shoulder to shoulder. His standing reach was 8'3". Ojeleye's is 8'6". So Ojeleye is indeed the longer player. As you looked it up you were aware of the difference and decided to leave it out. But I have all this useless trivia salted away inside of my brain.
Hello. Big wingspan guy here. I've even got a full size Fathead of Wade Baldwin stretching from my living room to the bathroom down the hall.I was wondering exactly this thanks, but I'm on the short list of wingspan watchers.