• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

2020 NBA Draft

Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Deni Avdija led Tel Aviv in minutes played today, picking up 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Casspi didn't play, giving Avdija all the small forward minutes he can handle. Nice that something of consequence happened today!

It would be interesting to compare the 2. Casspi is a fringe NBA guy, so we would like Deni to be better. That's encouraging if the 19 year old is outplaying a vet who played in the NBA
 
It would be interesting to compare the 2. Casspi is a fringe NBA guy, so we would like Deni to be better. That's encouraging if the 19 year old is outplaying a vet who played in the NBA
I don't believe he was saying that Avdija is outplaying Casspi, simply that he received extra minutes today due to his absence. Casspi was borderline dominant in his first 6 games.
 
Last edited:
It would be interesting to compare the 2. Casspi is a fringe NBA guy, so we would like Deni to be better. That's encouraging if the 19 year old is outplaying a vet who played in the NBA

What I found encouraging is that a teenager jumped into a lineup that features Quincy Acy and Amar'e Stoudemire and played a solid role within the offense to get a win. Much love for Collin Sexton, but almost every Cavaliers rookie in the past decade didn't know how to blend into a team game with vets for their entire rookie season.
 
How does Deni project defensively?
 
Hate to nit-pick, but Deni has so many games like this where he goes 3/7 from deep...but 2/6 from the line. That brings his 3-point percentage up to 35% on the season, and his free throw percentage down to 55%.

I don't quite know what to think about it, but if that 3-point shot is a mirage then he doesn't have a lot going for him as a scorer. His first step is nothing special, and it's not like we're actually going to post him up against NBA PFs. I hope we can get him in for a workout to see if he can actually hit NBA 3's consistently.
 
Hate to nit-pick, but Deni has so many games like this where he goes 3/7 from deep...but 2/6 from the line. That brings his 3-point percentage up to 35% on the season, and his free throw percentage down to 55%.

I don't quite know what to think about it, but if that 3-point shot is a mirage then he doesn't have a lot going for him as a scorer. His first step is nothing special, and it's not like we're actually going to post him up against NBA PFs. I hope we can get him in for a workout to see if he can actually hit NBA 3's consistently.

At no point was I advocating, but we all know the Cavaliers like him as a prospect.
 
At no point was I advocating, but we all know the Cavaliers like him as a prospect.

Didn't mean to insinuate that you were...clearly the Cavs like him, I just hope they take the time to do their homework on him instead of doing the thing where they fall in love with a guy months before the draft and then put the blinders on. I don't have a strong opinion on Deni either way at the moment.
 

On a personal level, I found the 2020 draft’s Ballification phenomenon somewhat jarring. For what it’s worth, I believe I’m one of the few people in American basketball media to have watched most of the LaMelo Ball NBL games as they were happening. I don’t believe that gives me any grand insight, just a different perspective and timeline than some. Watching Ball play live, in an endearingly plodding league, I never saw this coming. I didn’t even grade him out as a top-five pick in a spotty draft.

He boasts A+ passing vision and an A-level handle. Like almost anyone who watches Ball, I found his game to be quite entertaining, if not a bit maddening.

...but it didn’t seem like Ball was playing to win. I’m not sure how else to describe one-footed floater 3-point attempts from a guy shooting 25 percent from deep and repeatedly putting hands on knees in the middle of defensive possessions.

I also see the emergent consensus as coming from a different place than I do, philosophically. I’m more of a believer in trusting what a player tangibly does than projecting what he might do, based on an assessment of tools. If you’re shooting with miserable efficiency against guys who could never come close to making the NBA, I’m not betting that this markedly improves at the highest level there is.

On the one hand, I believe that a top draft pick should have at least one elite skill to build off. LaMelo certainly has that going for him. On the other hand, I also believe in respecting the statistical record or at least looking to it for red flags.

As for Ball’s oft-referenced supreme height, I also wonder this is the sort of “tools” assessment I’m wary of. The size helps Ball as a defensive rebounder, clearly, and probably a bit as a passer. But if he’s been terrible at finishing and seems ill-equipped to guard wings, then how important is it? Typically, we respect height in basketball because it helps you to finish and get your shot off. But if you miss your open layups and inaccurately shoot from your chest?

I maintain, and it’s now a lonely position, that the No. 1 pick shouldn’t be a guy who claimed a 47.9 true shooting percentage in Australia, small sample size and age curve be damned.

Tried to provide some excerpts without giving way the whole article.
 
Casspi has been injured for half a year if i'm not mistaken.

Correct, Casspi had the ass surgically removed from his fingers. I'm just specifying why he is getting huge minutes.

I believe the Euroleague still carry a mandatory percentage of their roster who are nationals, so Casspi and Avdija being Israelis who can actually play gives them more value for Maccabi. I feel like the Cavs franchise have avoided drafting wings for the past two decades because they are usually projects at age 19 or 20, but the team needs to figure out how to get a few on the roster.
 
Correct, Casspi had the ass surgically removed from his fingers. I'm just specifying why he is getting huge minutes.

I believe the Euroleague still carry a mandatory percentage of their roster who are nationals, so Casspi and Avdija being Israelis who can actually play gives them more value for Maccabi. I feel like the Cavs franchise have avoided drafting wings for the past two decades because they are usually projects at age 19 or 20, but the team needs to figure out how to get a few on the roster.

They got someone named Sandy Cohen that got a citizenship so they are doing OKAY.
 















Tried to provide some excerpts without giving way the whole article.


It's really concerning. I would rather not be in the position to take him quite honestly.
 
It's really concerning. I would rather not be in the position to take him quite honestly.
doubt he is that high on the Cavs bb.I also doubt they are looking for one way players either but the lack of a table setter of that level bbiq ever being available at that size is rare so if they are looking at them could persuade the choice esp if a couple better options imo like Halliburton or Hayes are gone or if they are not high on Halliburtons lack of ability to attack the paint or Hayes not being an elite athlete.
I think despite the obvious immaturity issues and lack of caring about playing defense "ever" is a major knock on his draft stock , but the fact that he has the size to be a 2 way player if they beleive he will ever care about it could be all it takes to overlook it.
 

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-13: "Backup Bash Brothers"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:11: "Clipping Bucks."
Top