Watching the draft combine...top SGs according to Bilas...

[wildcatsboston1984]

Winslow may not have much experience playing SG, but let's not act like SG and SF are completely different positions.

And Winslow is absolutely a lottery pick. To say otherwise just advertises to the world you are clueless. DraftExpress has him as the #5 overall prospect.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

What does height without shoes matter? You play the game with shoes on.

Helps ID true height. Some guys try to "cheat" and put lifts in their shoes, lifts which no one in their right mind would try to play in.

 

[5iveStarRecruit]

> His volume of threes was low though, especially for a player who got as much playing time as Winslow.

> It's not just his lack of creativity off the bounce, it was also his inability to use his right hand well. Against NBA players, that predictability, along with his raw ball handling and bland skillset will hurt Winslow a lot.

Like I said, lack of a real go-to move. I won't be even slightly shocked if he sees d-league time.

He shot 41% on 2.8 3PA. Thats average volume, not something i'd say is " very low". Its very encouraging for a player like Winslow who came in with a rep of being a non-shooter.

- That i will not disagree with. His right hand needs work. I just don't see it as a killer flaw, with time and direct work towards it, it can be developed.

I wouldn't go that far. Only time i see him hitting the D-league is if he's coming off an injury or something similar. Offensive creativity can be learned, his athleticism & instincts can't. With the proven ability to spot-up and his IQ, he'll find a role on Offense during his early years.

He's one of the best top-5 players in this draft.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

It's fine if you think Winslow won't live up to top-five billing once he hits the league, no one really KNOWS if he will or not. But to say he's not even, at worst, a top-10 talent in this draft? That's just stupidity.

 

[5iveStarRecruit]

It's fine if you think Winslow won't live up to top-five billing once he hits the league, no one really KNOWS if he will or not. But to say he's not even, at worst, a top-10 talent in this draft? That's just stupidity.

If he played at UK, the whole board would be yelling " WINSLOW SHOULD BE THE #2 PICK!"

 

[Hoskins91]

10 pounds is quite a bit at the small forward. Also going to have to wonder how much more Winslow will gain. All that said, MKG has always been more athletic, and has always been a better defender than Winslow.
MKG had a go-to scoring ability out of college, Winslow doesn't. Winslow is decent at a lot of things, but not terrific at anything other than finishing in transition, which is just another thing MKG could do very, very well. As mentioned, Winslow went to the left, and used power in college. MKG is a much, much better slasher, could always go to the basket with both hands, and adjust his body to finish shots with finesse, as well as overpowering certain players.
Winslow will struggle in the NBA because of his lack of skill and go-to ability, as well as his lack of size. At least Booker is a consistent shooter, with better size, very good athleticism, and due to all of that, as well as his terrific shooting form, the ability to become an even better shooter.
I would definitely take Booker at the shooting guard position. Winslow being somewhat of a superior athlete isn't enough for me to pass up the upside and instant impact that Booker brings. Booker will likely bring in more impact as a SG than Winslow will bring in as a SF.

Id have to question your ability to evaluate anything if you saw MKG as a go to scorer. Offense was his biggest weakness.

Booker's only above average skill is his spot up shooting. If he's not hitting shots, which he didn't for most of the year, he didn't bring much to the table. Winslow at least rebounds and defends. Plus he's a much better athlete.

 

[WildMoon]

Winslow is a stud.

I guess the question is, would you call him a SG. That i'm not sure, but he has enough skill set to become a SG in NBA.

Love his skill set. He should go top 10 without a doubt.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

Id have to question your ability to evaluate anything if you saw MKG as a go to scorer. Offense was his biggest weakness.

Booker's only above average skill is his spot up shooting. If he's not hitting shots, which he didn't for most of the year, he didn't bring much to the table. Winslow at least rebounds and defends. Plus he's a much better athlete.

I approve of this statement haha

 

[Rhavicc]

Id have to question your ability to evaluate anything if you saw MKG as a go to scorer. Offense was his biggest weakness.

Booker's only above average skill is his spot up shooting. If he's not hitting shots, which he didn't for most of the year, he didn't bring much to the table. Winslow at least rebounds and defends. Plus he's a much better athlete.

Not go-to scorer, ass-hat. Leave it to a dookie to misconstrue an entire comment. I said Winslow does not have a go-to move.

Go-to scorer - A player you will give the ball to and can create points in a number of ways
Go-to move - a certain skill that a player can rely on when in need of points

Tell me, dookie, what skill does Winslow have in a half-court offense that he can rely on to be an efficient piece to an offense? No team was ever going to run an offense through MKG, but he at least excels in slashing and scoring at the rim with both power, as well as finesse with either hand. Winslow can really go to one hand, and tries to use raw power to play over the top of a defender. Is he gonna out-athlete a bunch of NBA small forwards (which are often the most athletic players on the floor, and average a height of around 6'7-6'7.5 with shoes, and typically weigh about 10-15 pounds more than Winslow at that level)? Probably not. His size permits him to be a 2 guard (which is an average size of around 6'5.5 - 6'6 with shoes), but what's he gonna do there? He's a decent shooter from what he has shown, but it isn't much volume to base any real assessment on, he can really only dribble the ball well with one hand, and his dribbling in that hand is only decent at best.
And before you go back and say "Oh, well it's only about an inch and a half, and 15 pounds he's giving up" (By the way, MKG is probably close to 20 pounds heavier now), at that level, you need that inch and a half, maybe 2 inches, and those 15 pounds, especially when you bank your entire game on being physical.

 

[Rhavicc]

Winslow is a stud.

I guess the question is, would you call him a SG. That i'm not sure, but he has enough skill set to become a SG in NBA.

Love his skill set. He should go top 10 without a doubt.

He has the qualities that you want in a small forward, but his size is lacking for that position. His skillset is also very raw, but when/if it blossoms, it has what you ask for in a small forward. That said, the small forward and shooting guard duties are very different. Small forwards often have to play much more aggressive than backcourt players defensively, and have more rebounding fit into their games, but still have to have some backcourt tendencies.

If he played at UK, the whole board would be yelling " WINSLOW SHOULD BE THE #2 PICK!"

Hard to disagree, but this board isn't very reasonable most of the time either.

It's fine if you think Winslow won't live up to top-five billing once he hits the league, no one really KNOWS if he will or not. But to say he's not even, at worst, a top-10 talent in this draft? That's just stupidity.

Key words. I think I'd take Stanley Johnson over Justise Winslow though, and never look back. Much better physical tools, better free throw shooting, not a huge discrepancy in 3 point shooting. I figure he and Winslow will be similar in that category in the NBA next season, can match, maybe even exceed Winslow's athleticism, and there's none of this tweener crap to deal with. Stanley Johnson is a small forward, with small forward size, and he'll get strong enough to dominate some small forwards with that size. I also think his slashing ability is much more appealing than Winslow's is, he just needs to work a small bit on his 2 footers. He's a bit more susceptible to missing bunnies than Winslow, but that's a very simple fix.
Unfortunately, Winslow will get the final four nod over Johnson, but whoever gets Johnson will likely be very happy in a couple of years, if not immediately.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

I am. He's in the 15-20 range

That's insane. Winslow ended the season as their best player. Top 5 talent.

 

[mj2k10]

I don't get how anyone can criticize Winslow's ballhandling and offensive creativity in comparison to Booker. How many times did you see Winslow snag a rebound and just play one man transition offense, dribbling right through the D, directly to the rim? How many times did Booker do that?

Booker is the better shooter, and yes, he (possibly) has a very clear role in the pros. But to act like Winslow is somehow "limited" because he has a less clear role is flat wrong. Booker has 1 skill that stands out over Winslow, but Winslow has an edge over him in just about every other way.

I like Booker's potential, and can see him as a long-term pro, but that doesn't mean you have to ignore what Winslow brings to the table.

 

[loublue22]

I'm not sure I understand what issues James Young is facing. Young is a much better prospect. He's taller, better shooter, but he was really young on a really young team. So they stashed him in the D-League to develop.

James Young is terrible, he will never be anything in the League

 

[Hoskins91]

Not go-to scorer, ass-hat. Leave it to a dookie to misconstrue an entire comment. I said Winslow does not have a go-to move.

Go-to scorer - A player you will give the ball to and can create points in a number of ways
Go-to move - a certain skill that a player can rely on when in need of points

Tell me, dookie, what skill does Winslow have in a half-court offense that he can rely on to be an efficient piece to an offense? No team was ever going to run an offense through MKG, but he at least excels in slashing and scoring at the rim with both power, as well as finesse with either hand. Winslow can really go to one hand, and tries to use raw power to play over the top of a defender. Is he gonna out-athlete a bunch of NBA small forwards (which are often the most athletic players on the floor, and average a height of around 6'7-6'7.5 with shoes, and typically weigh about 10-15 pounds more than Winslow at that level)? Probably not. His size permits him to be a 2 guard (which is an average size of around 6'5.5 - 6'6 with shoes), but what's he gonna do there? He's a decent shooter from what he has shown, but it isn't much volume to base any real assessment on, he can really only dribble the ball well with one hand, and his dribbling in that hand is only decent at best.
And before you go back and say "Oh, well it's only about an inch and a half, and 15 pounds he's giving up" (By the way, MKG is probably close to 20 pounds heavier now), at that level, you need that inch and a half, maybe 2 inches, and those 15 pounds, especially when you bank your entire game on being physical.

You said "go to scorer ability" when talking about MKG. You're either new here or you don't pay attention. I am most certainly not a Duke fan. I've been here since the BCG days. I just have a desire to be fair regardless of who I am referring to. I think Winslow will be a good pro and I think he will be a better pro than Booker. He is a great athlete who plays hard and has a desire to get better. He compares favorably to MKG who you seem to like a lot. I think he will be a good pro because he brings a lot to the table already and has a lot of room to improve. I am clearly not the only person who thinks this, and you backtracking doesn't really change my mind on the matter.

 

[K_TIME]

James Young is terrible, he will never be anything in the League

I tend to agree...as expected he was a terrible NBA player in year 1. Shot under 40%, will never be likely to be an assist man or a defensive specialist. He is only a hopeful scorer and at times get some boards...but in NBA is he ever going to do that?

 

[dgtatu01]

OP, you can't come in here and say something ridiculous and then get mad at everyone for calling you out. Only the most ardent blue tinted glasses wearing folks would think that Booker is a better prospect than Winslow. Winslow has some dribble game, he can shoot adequately, he can rebound very well, he can defend, and he is a much more physical player than Booker. I actually think Booker made a good decision going pro because I think more college playing would have exposed more and more of his weaknesses. Defenses had basically figured out all you had to do was face guard him, because he cannot create his own shot, and he was not much of a threat to go around anyone with lateral quickness. He also wasn't much of a defender. Whoever said we should have had him on the floor at the end of the Wisconsin game is nuts, as the Twins basically produced every single big basket we had in that game. Booker is imo an excellent spot up shooter, but he is the weakest 2 guard we have sent to the NBA since Cal has been here. I would put him behind Bledsoe, Knight, Lamb, Goodwin, and Aaron Harrison. I would put Winslow behind Knight and Bledsoe.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Booker is going to make UK fans insane at the next level. Why oh why was he not on the floor the last 4 minutes against Wisconsin?

Because he was being abused on defense. Was obvious Wisconsin planned to attack him, and it paid off everytime.

 

[Mojocat]

Winslow is a great talent, a better college player, and would be a better college player than Booker as long as they'd stayed in school. But Booker does one thing better than Winslow does anything.

However you want to define talent, I'm willing to concede Winslow has more of it than Booker. But I think Booker could be a better pro. I think he'll have a very long and pretty productive NBA career. Winslow is more hit or miss. Might be a star. Might be something a lot less. I don't like tthe combination of height and skill. IOW, at 6'6, his game pretty much demands he be able to thrive as a perimeter player. I'm not convinced he will.

And honestly, I never thought James Young would be much of a pro......

 

[Mojocat]

Booker is imo an excellent spot up shooter, but he is the weakest 2 guard we have sent to the NBA since Cal has been here. I would put him behind Bledsoe, Knight, Lamb, Goodwin, and Aaron Harrison. I would put Winslow behind Knight and Bledsoe.

Wow, can't agree with that. I think he's easily - easily - the best shooter Cal has had. No way I put him behind any of Goodwin, Lamb or Aaron. Knight and Bledsoe are so different from Booker it's hard to make that comparison. I'm not saying he's a sure thing, but I think there's a pretty good chance he'll be a pretty good pro.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

Wow, can't agree with that. I think he's easily - easily - the best shooter Cal has had. No way I put him behind any of Goodwin, Lamb or Aaron. Knight and Bledsoe are so different from Booker it's hard to make that comparison. I'm not saying he's a sure thing, but I think there's a pretty good chance he'll be a pretty good pro.

He is the best shooter? Better than Lamb or Miller?
I have to ask you this, are Lamb and Miller still in the league? And why not?

 

[Neue Regel]

Never looked at him as a shooting guard at the next level but at any rate, Winslow is a bad ass athlete with a lot of skill. He was terrific in March and the leading rebounder in all but one tournament game.

 

[K_TIME]

OP, as the Twins basically produced every single big basket we had in that game. Booker is imo an excellent spot up shooter, but he is the weakest 2 guard we have sent to the NBA since Cal has been here. I would put him behind Bledsoe, Knight, Lamb, Goodwin, and Aaron Harrison. I would put Winslow behind Knight and Bledsoe.

Wow...Goodwin and Aaron Harrison shot a whopping 26% and 31% from 3pt land respectively. Archie threw in a 101 TOs to top off a completely underwhelming year that he looked back upon and thought "I'm ready for the league".

Shooting the ball is a huge skill and need in NBA especially of role players. Booker may be one of the top 5 shooters ever at UK and his skill alone to spot up and make shots will be make him a commodity of need in NBA...chuckers like Goodwin/Harrison will never be mainstays until their shots go down at better percentages.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

I just looked it up for this past season.

Ulis shot 43%
Booker shot 41%
Andrew at 38%
Willis at 33%
Aaron at 31%

How can someone claim that Booker is going down as a great shooter when he wasn't even the best on this last years team?
Lamb was around a 50% shooter from downtown and the last time I checked Lamb is better than Booker and his 41%.

I think you will have to do more than knock down some shots in the league because their are tons of guys who can do that. You have to have the intangeables as well to have stayin power. Booker is just projected to do well enough to be drafted too 20, it has nothing to do what he has accomplished.

 

[ZaytovenCat]

10 pounds is quite a bit at the small forward. Also going to have to wonder how much more Winslow will gain. All that said, MKG has always been more athletic, and has always been a better defender than Winslow.
MKG had a go-to scoring ability out of college, Winslow doesn't. Winslow is decent at a lot of things, but not terrific at anything other than finishing in transition, which is just another thing MKG could do very, very well. As mentioned, Winslow went to the left, and used power in college. MKG is a much, much better slasher, could always go to the basket with both hands, and adjust his body to finish shots with finesse, as well as overpowering certain players.
Winslow will struggle in the NBA because of his lack of skill and go-to ability, as well as his lack of size. At least Booker is a consistent shooter, with better size, very good athleticism, and due to all of that, as well as his terrific shooting form, the ability to become an even better shooter.
I would definitely take Booker at the shooting guard position. Winslow being somewhat of a superior athlete isn't enough for me to pass up the upside and instant impact that Booker brings. Booker will likely bring in more impact as a SG than Winslow will bring in as a SF.

"Atleast Booker is a consistent shooter."???? You can't be serious. He was about as unreliable as you could get. He could shoot with anybody as long as he was on, but he was off more of the time.

There's no way in hell is take Booker ahead of Winslow. Winslow is an elite athlete that plays both ends of the floor and does it well. Booker is an average athlete whose only standout ability is spot up shooting and that's only when he's in a groove. I wouldn't take Devin inside the top 20-25. That's just too high for a spot up shooter/back up role player.

Player comparisons:
Justice Winslow = James Harden
Devin Booker = Danny Green

 

[UK_fan_41102]

http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2015/05/prospect-profile-winslow.html

http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2015/05/prospect-profile-booker.html

Interesting prospect profiles for Winslow and Booker.

 

[BlueRunner11]

I hate Duke with every fiber of my being but there is no denying the player Winslow is. And when it mattered...he balled out and Devin didn't. Its that simple. And as much as I love DB, if he doesn't find that midseason shot again...he becomes a very mediocre player at best.

 

[foreverandaday]

It amazes me that fans of Kentucky, who should be "knowledgeable" basketball fans, actually think Winslow isn't a good enough shooter to be a 2 in the NBA and is not a top 7 talent in the draft. JW is a special talent in this years draft, regardless if it's up or down. It fdoesn't take anything away from Booker, or Kentucky players in the draft, which are also very good prospects.

 

[johnnyrockets]

Winslow got to the rim better than anyone else in college bball last year. He was the best in transition, too. How does being really athletic and being a finisher at the rim not translate to the NBA? Booker might be an elite shooter but he isn't super athletic and he was (at times) a defensive liability. Winslow, while not lights out from 3, is at least an adequate shooter and is better in most other facets and DB. And I love DB.

The degree of homerism on this board is tough to take at times.

 

[RipThru]

Everybody's talking about Winslow offensively; who is he gonna guard in the NBA?

 

[foreverandaday]

Everybody's talking about Winslow offensively; who is he gonna guard in the NBA?

The same players every other 2/3 is in this draft?

 

[RipThru]

Ok. we shall see how well he fares against NBA 3's like LeBron, KD, Carmelo, or Kawhi Leonard when he's 6'4. . Or the likes of James Harden,Jimmy Butler, or Klay Thompson.

 

[johnnyrockets]

Everybody's talking about Winslow offensively; who is he gonna guard in the NBA?

Fair question but can't the same be asked of Booker? I would submit that most college players don't come into the NBA ready to play elite level defense.

 

[RipThru]

I would argue at 6'6 that Booker is more equipped to guard the 2's, and the same could be said of Winslow, but I can't imagine him guarding an NBA 3.

 

[3rex]

Booker is going to make UK fans insane at the next level. Why oh why was he not on the floor the last 4 minutes against Wisconsin?

Because we weren't planning on shooting, unless we got the ball to Townes. Aside from that, we were apparently content to dribble out the shot clock each time down the floor & hope we could hold a 4 pt lead for 5 minutes without scoring ourselves.

Seriously, Ulis & Booker should've been on the floor, but that might've sealed Andrews drop in draft status. Cal couldn't allow that.

 

[johnnyrockets]

I would argue at 6'6 that Booker is more equipped to guard the 2's, and the same could be said of Winslow, but I can't imagine him guarding an NBA 3.

We'll agree to disagree I guess. Tony Allen is 6'4 and seems to do OK guarding NBA two guards. Booker may have a couple inches on Winslow (that's what she said) but not sure he'd be more effective staying in front. I do agree with you that Winslow isn't guarding many, if any, NBA 3s. Which is why, as is pointed out by the OP, he's projected as a 2 in the NBA.

 

[Hoskins91]

Ok. we shall see how well he fares against NBA 3's like LeBron, KD, Carmelo, or Kawhi Leonard when he's 6'4. . Or the likes of James Harden,Jimmy Butler, or Klay Thompson.

Windlow is 6'6 in shoes. Booker isn't actually 6'6 barefoot. Plus Winslow is actually physically ready to contribute on that end. As opposed to Booker who's gonna get pushed around.

 

[Hoskins91]

Ok. we shall see how well he fares against NBA 3's like LeBron, KD, Carmelo, or Kawhi Leonard when he's 6'4. . Or the likes of James Harden,Jimmy Butler, or Klay Thompson.

You think Booker has a prayer to guard any of those guys?

 

[BlueBlood66]

Ok. we shall see how well he fares against NBA 3's like LeBron, KD, Carmelo, or Kawhi Leonard when he's 6'4. . Or the likes of James Harden,Jimmy Butler, or Klay Thompson.

He's 6'6", everyone's listed height in the NBA is 1-2 inches taller than their height without shoes. Also there aren't many players in the entire NBA who have much success guarding the players you listed. I'm not sure what kind of standard you are holding him to.

 

[Hoskins91]

Except

Because we weren't planning on shooting, unless we got the ball to Townes. Aside from that, we were apparently content to dribble out the shot clock each time down the floor & hope we could hold a 4 pt lead for 5 minutes without scoring ourselves.

Seriously, Ulis & Booker should've been on the floor, but that might've sealed Andrews drop in draft status. Cal couldn't allow that.

Booker was getting abused defensively. That's why he wasn't in. The group that was in the game late was the one that got us the lead in the first place. Stall ball was the issue, not who was on the floor.

 

[M4K3 it 8]

I am. He's in the 15-20 range

Dude, he's going top 7 no doubt