Victor Oladipo Crush-a-lot

[KB]

Oladipo is going to be a dominant defender from day 1. So if you don't see that as an elite skill, then this is probably a waste of time.

As for Brewer's writeup, is Oladipo a bean pole? Or a streak shooter. Their only similarities are raw athleticism.

Oladipo weighs 30 LBS more than Brewer, at 3.5" inches shorter. He's an absolute rock with elite athleticism. His offensive game will need work but he'll be a dominant defender from game 1.

His defense will not be elite from day 1, his ceiling for D is elite I will say that but he will not be elite the first time he steps on the court

Oladipo is very much a streak shooter if you go look at his career, this year he started off very hot. This hot start was in large part due to the way teams were keying on Zeller.

Also lets graze over the part about the weak handles, the explosive first step and uncanny athlete parts of that write up which are in direct relation to what people have said/written about Dipio for the last month.

This is what most of the people obsessed/infatuated with Dipio fail to acknowledge and will come up with weak justifications to gloss over them. Does it mean Dipio is bad, no it doesn't?

The questions is do you think a player similar in style to Corey Brewer should be taken in the top 10 if the ceiling that player peaks at is where Corey Brewer is at now?

 

[I'mWithDan]

You act like his transition is going to be easy and nothing could be further from the truth. We heard the same arguments about Thomas Robinson last year.....

Thomas Robinson? I'm just going to save the typing.

Find me the last NBA SG prospect who had:

- a 6'9" wingspan
- a 42" vert
- high character
- elite competitiveness
- who was a dominant defender in college

and didn't translate said athleticism and defense at the next level.

 

[Soar]

Taking Oladipo would be similar to the Browns drafting Mingo. OLB wasn't the biggest need for the Browns but Mingo has the potential to make our front seven elite. SG isn't the biggest need on the Cavs, but Oladipo has the potential to make our guard rotation elite.

Another argument for Oladipo would be the injury concerns of Kyrie. Irving hasn't proven he can stay healthy. Waiters and Oladipo would be more than capable of holding down the fort while Irving recovers.

 

[I'mWithDan]

The questions is do you think a player similar in style to Corey Brewer should be taken in the top 10 if the ceiling that player peaks at is where Corey Brewer is at now?

I'm sorry but this is a bit absurd IMO.

So you're insinuating that VO's ceiling is a 9.5 PPG, 3.1 REB per game journeyman who shoots 41.6% from the field and 29.8% from 3?

If so, lets place a friendly wager.

 

[Nathan S]

Give Corey Brewer a solid 3 point stroke and 30 pounds of muscle and he's a damn effective player. And yes, I'll go out on a limb and say Oladipo will be a much better shooter than Brewer in the NBA.

 

[AustinCarr]

Dipo, IMO, would have been a decent option had we not taken Dion last year. There are other options of equal or greater potential at areas of greater need. All things being equal, you go with need. Unless the cavsfall pretty far in the lotto, Dipo just does not make sense.

 

[EdMonix11]

Thomas Robinson? I'm just going to save the typing.

Find me the last NBA SG prospect who had:

- a 6'9" wingspan
- a 42" vert
- high character
- elite competitiveness
- who was a dominant defender in college

and didn't translate said athleticism and defense at the next level.

When did I say his athleticism and defense wouldn't translate?

I said he's not an elite defender from day 1..... big fuckin difference. It's the NBA, not a bunch of slow 18 and 19 year olds in the Big 10. It's going to take 2-3 years at the very least, if ever. If Trey Burke, Khalif Wyatt and MCW can carve him up, I'd hate to see what some real NBAers with advanced ball skills will do to him. He's good but thinking he's Tony Allen from day 1 is a delusion.... He's an active defender, looks like he has a bad case of A.D.D., that's susceptible to over committing and guys with elite ball-handling can have their way with him at times.

He was a fourth offensive option on one of the top teams in college basketball. His offense won't translate to the NBA and you can get a comparable and bigger defender later in the 1st with Jamaal Franklin.

 

[Tornicade]

6'4 small forward or 6-10 Center?

Im not sure what 5 guys people are putting ahead of oladipo.

 

[KB]

I'm sorry but this is a bit absurd IMO.

So you're insinuating that VO's ceiling is a 9.5 PPG, 3.1 REB per game journeyman who shoots 41.6% from the field and 29.8% from 3?

If so, lets place a friendly wager.

It's a possiblity that Dipio turns out very similar to Brewer due to the way both players play the game

In the write it talks about how crisp and fluid Brewer's shooting mechanics are, which is also something that is pointed out about Dipio as well in his improvement from the year before in which Dipio's shot was flat at times because he would not set himself well enough.

You have to remember that just because it looks pretty doesn't mean its consistent (another thing in the write up you chose to ignore were the comments on shooting mechanics)

Taking a players career stat line and using it to talk about a player at their peak is almost an intenional attempt at misconstruing the discussion

Brewer's best all around line came this last season
12 pts
2.9 rbs
1.5 ast
1.4 stl
42.5 fg%
29.6 3pfg%

That should be right around where Dipio is as a 3rd year player

However

I wouldn't be surprised if Dipio's ast, fg% and 3pfg% are a tad higher because his basketball IQ is higher than Brewer's which leads to better shot selection and decision making.

I could see 44fg% 34% 3pfg and 2.5ast for Dipio at his peak but I don't think his other numbers will be to far off what Brewer did this last season

With that said, his shooting has a ton of potential as we saw in the Final Four this year, where he was named Most Outstanding Player for those who forgot. His shooting mechanics are clean and very fluid, with a crisp, quick release, good balance, and the ability to get his shot off almost whenever he wants thanks to his height and length.

He shot around 70% from 16-17 feet out from what we charted, and about 60% from the NBA 3. Those are decent, but definitely improvable numbers, although it’s not hard to envision him becoming a very solid NBA shooter considering his mechanics and work ethic. His shot can flatten out at times in terms of the arc he gets on it, something that he’s already working on from what we were told. He put up a ton of jump-shots in the time we saw him, and was pretty streaky overall.

While his calling card as a prospect is his defense, it's the progression in his offensive game that has been the primary reason for his breakout season. After making only 18 of his 74 3-point attempts (24%) in his first two seasons at Indiana, he's connected on an excellent 19 of 37 so far this season (51%) from behind the arc, which ranks second among all top-100 prospects who attempt at least one 3-pointer per game.

His shooting numbers are likely a bit inflated at this stage with such a small sample size, but it's clear that he's put in the work to improve his jump shot. He looks more fluid and comfortable with his release than last year, and the ball seems to come off of his hands softer, with better rotation and arc on his shot.

He's also done a very good job knowing his limitations as a shooter, as 74% of his jumpers this season have come off the catch with his feet set, and the pull-up jumpers he has taken have been good, open looks for the most part.

NBA teams will likely want to see more evidence that his early season shooting is not a fluke, as well as see how he might adjust to the longer NBA 3-point, but his improvements are very encouraging and should suggest that the potential is there for him to become an adequate spot shooter in time, assuming he continues to put in the work.

 

[Tornicade]

When did I say his athleticism and defense wouldn't translate?

I said he's not an elite defender from day 1..... big fuckin difference. It's the NBA, not a bunch of slow 18 and 19 year olds in the Big 10. It's going to take 2-3 years at the very least, if ever. If Trey Burke, Khalif Wyatt and MCW can carve him up, I'd hate to see what some real NBAers with advanced ball skills will do to him. He's good but thinking he's Tony Allen from day 1 is a delusion.... He's an active defender, looks like he has a bad case of A.D.D., that's susceptible to over committing and guys with elite ball-handling can have their way with him at times.

He was a fourth offensive option on one of the top teams in college basketball. His offense won't translate to the NBA and you can get a comparable and bigger defender later in the 1st with Jamaal Franklin.

oh so we are drafting based on who will have the most succesful rookie season.

Victor has the Skills and dispoition to be a potential future all defensive guy. I am confident he will be a better defender than Tony allen was in his rookie season.

 

[Nathan S]

Oladipo fills a need. Unless you have a man crush on Livingston and/or Ellington, we need to bring in a third guard at some point. Is this as pressing a need as SF? No way. But Oladipo would be, in my opinion, the perfect third guard/wing stopper for us.

 

[I'mWithDan]

When did I say his athleticism and defense wouldn't translate?

I said he's not an elite defender from day 1..... big fuckin difference. It's the NBA, not a bunch of slow 18 and 19 year olds in the Big 10. It's going to take 2-3 years at the very least, if ever. If Trey Burke, Khalif Wyatt and MCW can carve him up, I'd hate to see what some real NBAers with advanced ball skills will do to him. He's good but thinking he's Tony Allen from day 1 is a delusion.... He's an active defender, looks like he has a bad case of A.D.D., that's susceptible to over committing and guys with elite ball-handling can have their way with him at times.

He was a fourth offensive option on one of the top teams in college basketball. His offense won't translate to the NBA and you can get a comparable and bigger defender later in the 1st with Jamaal Franklin.

The 3 players you mentioned shot a combined 37-87 (42.5%) against Indiana.

So you're cherry picking what you believe to be his worst games, against the best opponents and that still amounted to a below average offensive output?

His offense won't translate? It was predicated on finishing at the rim and hitting open jumpshots. So elite athleticism, with a knack for finishing in traffic and catching on the wing and shooting aren't translatable skills?

I am absolutely in the camp that his offense will be a work in progress but it won't nearly be the eyesore many are making it out to be.

 

[EdMonix11]

Oladipo fills a need. Unless you have a man crush on Livingston and/or Ellington, we need to bring in a third guard at some point. Is this as pressing a need as SF? No way. But Oladipo would be, in my opinion, the perfect third guard/wing stopper for us.

Yes he fills a need but so do countless guys that you can get at #19 like Jamaal Franklin......

 

[Nathan S]

Yes he fills a need but so do countless guys that you can get at #19 like Jamaal Franklin......

Ok, maybe I'm gonna be all picky-choosy and want to fill the hole with someone who isn't a massive offensive liability.

 

[MirORich]

For one, if you think Oladipo is going to be avg. 2.9 Rpg in his 3RD year, then you haven't paid much attention to his game, how he plays, and his stats.

Second, that line you just described is more likely to be Oladipo's rookie year, except more rebounds per game and closer to 44-46% FG%.

Additionally, that line of Brewer's is in his 6th year in the league.

It's a possiblity that Dipio turns out very similar to Brewer due to the way both players play the game

In the write it talks about how crisp and fluid Brewer's shooting mechanics are, which is also something that is pointed out about Dipio as well in his improvement from the year before in which Dipio's shot was flat at times because he would not set himself well enough.

You have to remember that just because it looks pretty doesn't mean its consistent (another thing in the write up you chose to ignore were the comments on shooting mechanics)

Taking a players career stat line and using it to talk about a player at their peak is almost an intenional attempt at misconstruing the discussion

Brewer's best all around line came this last season
12 pts
2.9 rbs
1.5 ast
1.4 stl
42.5 fg%
29.6 3pfg%

That should be right around where Dipio is as a 3rd year player

However

I wouldn't be surprised if Dipio's ast, fg% and 3pfg% are a tad higher because his basketball IQ is higher than Brewer's which leads to better shot selection and decision making.

I could see 44fg% 34% 3pfg and 2.5ast for Dipio at his peak but I don't think his other numbers will be to far off what Brewer did this last season