SIAP Bol Bol vs. Marvin Bagley in recent EYBL Game
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
It was posted a couple of weeks ago, but I watched it again. Judging solely from this video, Bagley's the beast he was advertised to be, and Bol's a future pro as well, even if his ceiling isn't in the same stratosphere as bagley's.
Bagley looks fantastic and plays mean and tough with great aggressive moves. He seems much more polished in all parts of his game. He's just a player with an attitude and I loved seeing that in him. Bol is also pretty good but is more a work in progress but with a great deal of promise/potential. Bol seems a little lost on defense at times and has a look of not being sure just what to do on the court. That's something he could really benefit from working with Cal and Payne. Hope we get both really. Thanks for the link, OP, I hadn't seen it before.
Bol has had videos up for at least a couple of years. Really nice how he's come along.
I think it's a legitimate observation and question. Anytime a guy is that size, it's worth discussing whether he can move and play at a high level.
I also think we have to remember that these are 17 year olds built like giraffes and sometimes it isn't pretty. They have to grow into their bodies.
Besides, Manute played a long time in the NBA. If his kid is that good as the floor of what he might be, I think he'll do just fine.
Scouts are obviously impressed by his shooting stroke and insane size/length. Even if he just roams the paint, rebounds, and plays pick-and-pop on offense, he's a weapon.
Yeah, I'm still not sold on Bol as a top 5 player in the class, but I can also see why scouts are high on him.
He plays for a national level HS program (Santa Ana Mater Dei) and while he was clearly very good for them, he wasn't dominant. His meteoric rise is based on the 1st 2 EYBL sessions (the game against Bagley was in one of those), and while there's no question that the talent level in the EYBL is very strong, the games themselves are always going to be pretty loosely coached affairs, with a lot of sloppy, unfocused defense.
My question with Bol is what happens when he consistently runs into multiple 230-240 lbs plus guys who are only 3-5 inches shorter than him, not 6-8, and who are fully developed men with elite athletic ability. We know from genetics and build that Bol is never, ever going to be very thick, especially in the legs. You're right that, especially if the shooting continues to improve (and his FT% indicates that his touch is legit), Bol will always have the ability to be a weapon in certain ways, but will he be able to do anything besides take jump shots, and will he really be able to anchor a defense in the paint, as opposed to being a menacing help side defender, able to swoop in for blocks, but struggling to really stop anyone who challenges him (see Skal for a superb example of that)?
I don't know, and my preference runs towards more versatile, athletic big guys anyway.
He's a guy to keep an eye on over the summer, for sure. Lots of guys get hot for a Stage of the EYBL and then rise in the rankings but don't have the game to back it up.
At the same time, the summer is when we see guys like Sexton (or even Davis or countless others) come out of seemingly nowhere to explode as top 5-10 players.
I also wonder how the last name contributes, either positively or negatively. It's definitely helped him be on the map and get scouts watching, but are they more critical or is it giving him a boost that his game can't match?
Either way, he's going to be a good player at a high major level. What we're interested in is can he be a great player at an elite major level? History says guys that size aren't a force at places like UK, but instead carve out a niche role at smaller schools, but he's also unique in his skillset.
I think Cal definitely trends the way you (and I) do, and goes for a guy who's 6'10'' with freakish ability and movement than a behemoth that he hopes to hide the deficiencies of. But we've offered. And it's still fairly early in the process. So Cal must see something he likes.
Personally, I'm hoping for a Bagley (PF) and Naz Reid (C) front court in 2018. Not the size of the dog in the fight......
I always have reservations of son to a father...Manute Bol was good only for his height and occasional shot blocking abilities... thats it
Both look impressive. Bagley seems a lot more comfortable with his size. Bol just looks awkward. Of course, compared to his dad, he glides like a ballerina.
I realize Bol is ranked high and OMG 7 footer can shoot the 3!!!
I feel like he would come in and be totally lost without the natural strength/quickness to recover like Gabriel.
Also appears that he has a 7" vertical. Looks like he can barely dunk.
I feel like he would come in and be totally lost without the natural strength/quickness to recover like Gabriel.
Also appears that he has a 7" vertical. Looks like he can barely dunk.
Bol Bol isn't on the level of Bagley or Zion but no one is . He is a top 10 player for sure though.
Bagley looks like he could step on to a college court today and put up 20 on an elite team. Dude is just nasty. Every bit of 6'10 with a strong build which will only get bigger, very good athleticism and mobility to go with crazy skill and a tenacity that has superstar written all over it. Plenty of talented guys come and go like Wiggins or Harrison Barnes who are the next big thing who never have that ferocity on the court to take them to the Kobe levels in the NBA, but MB3 has it in spades. He's a killer, and I want him bad. That move at 1:30 where he dunks it on the 3rd attempt seals the deal for me, I want him more than anyone in high school and I don't think it's close.
Not to rain on this parade, because the kid is incredible, but there are very real dangers that Bagley never plays in college. I think it's worth monitoring DeAndre Ayton's issues this year, because Bagley will be facing a similar, if not more difficult, road.
On this one though, I hope we stay in it until the end. I want his committment, even if he never plays. He's worth that risk.
On this one though, I hope we stay in it until the end. I want his committment, even if he never plays. He's worth that risk.
Hopefully, Bol Bol improves a lot in the next year. At this stage, he looks like a two year college player, but you know that's not going to happen with his pedigree and size.
Worse dangers with Bagley than even Ayton, because Bagley is already 18. That means he meets the age requirement for the 2018 draft. If he can convince the NBA that he's actually graduating HS in June, he can enter the draft without ever playing a game in college.
And as the NBA showed with Thon Maker (another player with whom there were rumors of potential academic problems), they're not going to be a stickler for the details on that. They're mainly concerned with the age, not the academics, so if someone is willing to give Bagley a HS diploma (even if he wouldn't qualify by the NCAA's standards), it's highly unlikely that the NBA would fight against him being in the 2018 draft.
Plus, Bagley has already said he's not even sure he plans to go the college route. I imagine if there's going to be any headache, he just enters the draft and skips all the nonsense. He'd be the top pick in 18 even fresh out of high school.
Side note: imagine that draft at the top. Bagley, Porter, Ayton, Bamba, Robinson--if you need a 4/5, next year is the year to be bad.
Not knowing his personal info, I hope he goes somewhere for a year of college. If for nothing else, it would be a great experience and some great memories he would cherish forever before heading to the NBA and his "job".
I think nearly every kid can benefit from a year in college, just from a growing up and having fun perspective. But for basketball, some kids are better served in the NBA, and he's one of those rare few.
Latest posts
-
-
-
Our National Defensive Rankings Affected by Slow Offense??
- Latest: Grumpyolddawg
-
-
