A history lesson, Kwame Brown

[thecampster]

6'11, 240lbs (290 when he left the league), can't miss potential. Freak athleticism. Taken #1 overall.

 

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/kwame-brown/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Brown

 

You don't draft "potential".

 2001 Draft - passed over for Kwame's potential

2 - Tyson Chandler 

3 - Pau Gasol (Hawks traded away for Shareef)

4 - Eddy Curry

5 - Jason Richardson
6 - Shane Battier

10 - Joe Johnson

13 - Richard Jefferson

19 - Zach Randolph

28 - Tony Parker

31 - Gilbert Arenas

38 - Mehmet Okur

What do all of these above have that Kwame didn't?  They averaged over 6.6 ppg (Kwame's career average).

 

Not mentioned, Troy Murphy, Bobby Simmons, Gerald Wallace, Jamaal Tinsley.

[bird_dirt]

2 minutes ago, thecampster said:

6'11, 240lbs (290 when he left the league), can't miss potential. Freak athleticism. Taken #1 overall.

 

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/kwame-brown/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Brown

 

You don't draft "potential".

 2001 Draft - passed over for Kwame's potential

2 - Tyson Chandler 

3 - Pau Gasol (Hawks traded away for Shareef)

4 - Eddy Curry

5 - Jason Richardson
6 - Shane Battier

10 - Joe Johnson

13 - Richard Jefferson

19 - Zach Randolph

28 - Tony Parker

31 - Gilbert Arenas

38 - Mehmet Okur

What do all of these above have that Kwame didn't?  They averaged over 6.6 ppg (Kwame's career average).

 

Not mentioned, Troy Murphy, Bobby Simmons, Gerald Wallace, Jamaal Tinsley.

Come on dawg. You have to pull up a draft from 23 years ago to prove a point? You don’t draft based on potential? What are we doing here?
As if there aren’t any drafts where someone was drafted first based on potential and it worked out ok.

From what I’ve seen, Sarr seems like the right guy. When 85% of mocks share the same opinion, I feel even better about that choice. 
The teams that get raked over a bad selection are the ones who thought they were being cute and took a player higher than what the consensus said and it failed. Teams don’t get half the grief if they pick the consensus to pick and someone ends up being better later. 

[JeffS17]

Normally I entertain these cherry picked arguments but this one is too egregious lol… there is a risk Sarr doesnt pan out but weighing out risk/reward of the each prospect is the front offices job.  This team needs top end talent, even if raw— not guys who at their best will be solid starters.  

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, thecampster said:

6'11, 240lbs (290 when he left the league), can't miss potential. Freak athleticism. Taken #1 overall.

 

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/kwame-brown/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Brown

 

You don't draft "potential".

 2001 Draft - passed over for Kwame's potential

2 - Tyson Chandler 

3 - Pau Gasol (Hawks traded away for Shareef)

4 - Eddy Curry

5 - Jason Richardson
6 - Shane Battier

10 - Joe Johnson

13 - Richard Jefferson

19 - Zach Randolph

28 - Tony Parker

31 - Gilbert Arenas

38 - Mehmet Okur

What do all of these above have that Kwame didn't?  They averaged over 6.6 ppg (Kwame's career average).

 

Not mentioned, Troy Murphy, Bobby Simmons, Gerald Wallace, Jamaal Tinsley.

You’re reaching again… remember you reach I Topić! 

[AtLaS]

LOL at this thread.  What about the KGs, the Dirks, the Giannis, Dwight, Anthony Davis, Embiid, Porzingis.  These high potential bigs just never work out.  

I could easily say Risacher = Marvin Williams, DeAndre Hunter, Jabari Parker, Culver, Reddish, Hezonja, Kidd-Gilchrist, Adam Morrison, Wiggins, and a million others.

 

Find a bust from 20+ years ago and that's the justification against Sarr? 

Not sure what the goal of this post. is

[Spud2nique]

5 minutes ago, AtLaS said:

LOL at this thread.  What about the KGs, the Dirks, the Giannis, Dwight, Anthony Davis, Embiid, Porzingis.  These high potential bigs just never work out.  

I could easily say Risacher = Marvin Williams, DeAndre Hunter, Jabari Parker, Culver, Reddish, Hezonja, Kidd-Gilchrist, Adam Morrison, Wiggins, and a million others.

 

Find a bust from 20+ years ago and that's the justification against Sarr? 

Not sure what the goal of this post. is

He just went for a quick swipe and a steal. 

[KB21]

5 minutes ago, AtLaS said:

LOL at this thread.  What about the KGs, the Dirks, the Giannis, Dwight, Anthony Davis, Embiid, Porzingis.  These high potential bigs just never work out.  

I could easily say Risacher = Marvin Williams, DeAndre Hunter, Jabari Parker, Culver, Reddish, Hezonja, Kidd-Gilchrist, Adam Morrison, Wiggins, and a million others.

 

Find a bust from 20+ years ago and that's the justification against Sarr? 

Not sure what the goal of this post. is

Yeah.  This is a flimsy argument against taking Sarr.  Imagine passing on Dwight Howard just because Keane Brown didn’t pan out.  
 

Also, imagine passing on JJJ, Chet, and Evan Mobley to take Hasheem Thabeet or Roy Hibbert.  

[Spud2nique]

7 minutes ago, AtLaS said:

Risacher

This guy has weird vibes coming from him, I can’t put my finger on it but I feel like he’s gonna bust really hard for a top 3 pick. Gut feeling. Tskitishvili of the draft to me.

This will be a Euro that doesn’t pan out watch.

[Spud2nique]

1 minute ago, KB21 said:

Keane Brown

Evil brother of Kwame, kid didn’t even make the JV team! 

[KB21]

3 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

Evil brother of Kwame, kid didn’t even make the JV team! 

I have an eye appointment next week.  Probably need a stronger bifocal.  

[AtLaS]

13 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

This guy has weird vibes coming from him, I can’t put my finger on it but I feel like he’s gonna bust really hard for a top 3 pick. Gut feeling. Tskitishvili of the draft to me.

This will be a Euro that doesn’t pan out watch.

Something about being such a mediocre (almost bad) FT shooter makes me really question him.  He has 3 years of bad FT shooting.  How many great 3pt shooters in the NBA are sub 70%FT shooters?

We already know he doesn't get assists, not a great rebounder, not a lot of steals/blocks.  It's like his value is of a 3/D guy, which is questionable to me given how lackluster he is at the FT line.  I don't want that with #1. 

Edited June 2 by AtLaS

[Spud2nique]

7 minutes ago, AtLaS said:

How many great 3pt shooters in the NBA are sub 70%FT shooters?

Ya I hate this. I expect it from bigs a bit but this guy is supposed to be a wing type, very low ft % is a bad sign.

 

8 minutes ago, AtLaS said:

We already know he doesn't get assists, not a great rebounder, not a lot of steals/blocks

I think when folks said this draft is weak they were watching a lot of Risacher highlights. 
 

[kg01]

58 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

This guy has weird vibes coming from him, I can’t put my finger on it but I feel like he’s gonna bust really hard for a top 3 pick. Gut feeling. Tskitishvili of the draft to me.

This will be a Euro that doesn’t pan out watch.

I have reservations about a guy with trex arms that's supposed to be a wing defender.  Not sure why folks are overlooking that bit. 

[JayBirdHawk]

I don't get this comparison - 20+ years later.

Kwame had other things than just his athleticism and potential that caused him to not make it. He lacked emotional maturity to handle the pressure of the NBA as a high schooler. What little confidence he had was further derailed trying to play with an aging MJ than constantly berated him. Didn't help that he had a rumored alcohol problem as well.

By all accounts, Sarr is a well adjusted travelled young man with the support of a family that's been involved in basketball to help him navigate his way.

There is always risk in drafting teenagers, but teams have to trust their own due diligence.

[Spud2nique]

8 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

He lacked emotional maturity to handle the pressure of the NBA

This.

 

8 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

By all accounts, Sarr is a well adjusted travelled young man with the support of a family that's been involved in basketball to help him navigate his way.

This.

[Spud2nique]

9 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I don't get this comparison - 20+ years later.

Kwame had other things than just his athleticism and potential that caused him to not make it. He lacked emotional maturity to handle the pressure of the NBA as a high schooler. What little confidence he had was further derailed trying to play with an aging MJ than constantly berated him. Didn't help that he had a rumored alcohol problem as well.

By all accounts, Sarr is a well adjusted travelled young man with the support of a family that's been involved in basketball to help him navigate his way.

There is always risk in drafting teenagers, but teams have to trust their own due diligence.

Kwame wasn’t ready, even if he’d gone to college it may have helped but to me he didn’t have the constant drive, that IT factor. Derrick Favors turned out to be what Kwame should have been, a rugged PF bruiser for 10-15 years. To Kwame’s credit he played better as a Laker and with other squads later but dude was not ready, and the Jordan thing, had that propelled Kwame, they would have used it as the fuel ️ that got Kwame going.

Different people have different personalities and Kwame wasn’t ready for his airness’s insults to motivate him. 
 

Kwame didn’t have great roots as far as growing as well, that was just his life circumstances which stinks. 
 

Sarr though, he seems to be coming from some seriously strong roots as far as character and work discipline goes to me.

 

Sometimes when you hear a player break down his own videos you get a HUGE sense of their BBIQ and Sarr is waaaayyyyy ahead of your average 19 year old prospect. 
 

Strong roots+work ethic+god given body=
 

SHOULD… again should some positive signs for this kid moving forward.

 

Hawks always zig when the NBA zags, they f with us it seems .. so don’t buy all the hype and pick the best prospect with the highest upside, the Hawks as a franchise need to bank on some upside for sure because we aren’t you favorite free agent destination around the league.

 

We grow our own.

[Hawkish]

3 hours ago, thecampster said:

6'11, 240lbs (290 when he left the league), can't miss potential. Freak athleticism. Taken #1 overall.

 

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/kwame-brown/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Brown

 

You don't draft "potential".

 2001 Draft - passed over for Kwame's potential

2 - Tyson Chandler 

3 - Pau Gasol (Hawks traded away for Shareef)

4 - Eddy Curry

5 - Jason Richardson
6 - Shane Battier

10 - Joe Johnson

13 - Richard Jefferson

19 - Zach Randolph

28 - Tony Parker

31 - Gilbert Arenas

38 - Mehmet Okur

What do all of these above have that Kwame didn't?  They averaged over 6.6 ppg (Kwame's career average).

 

Not mentioned, Troy Murphy, Bobby Simmons, Gerald Wallace, Jamaal Tinsley.

This comparison is easily discounted due to the personality, maturity, and coaching of the player.  Kwame came into a bad situation with impossible expectations and did not seem to have the drive/focus to reach his potential.  Sarr seems different in that regard which is significant.

[gurpilo]

Is strange that Sarr is compared to Kwame Brown as I think he is more like Gasol, 3rd pick on that draft.

[NBASupes]

Sarr might have a higher chance at being a bust for the Hawks than Kwame for Washington 

[theheroatl]

10 hours ago, JeffS17 said:

Normally I entertain these cherry picked arguments but this one is too egregious lol… there is a risk Sarr doesnt pan out but weighing out risk/reward of the each prospect is the front offices job.  This team needs top end talent, even if raw— not guys who at their best will be solid starters.  

Definitely cherry picked.. everyone so afraid of Anthony Bennett and Kwame Brown but you have to still take the best #1 anyway. Just because something doesn’t hit 100% as a sure thing nba star doesn’t mean you don’t follow the same formula.