Yeah, right now I would see Naz as our starting 4 with Cam at the 3, Luke at the 5, Jelek the point, and Kenny at the 2.
Nassir Little vs RJ Barrett today on ESPN2
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To echo some of the same sentiments ---
Everyone knows Nas's physical tools are elite. He has solid height (6'6" in shoes), great length (7'1" wingspan, 8'9" reach), a great build (215 right now, can easily carry 10-15 more pounds), and great explosiveness. He's not super quick or fluid, but he's not super stiff, either. His physical profile is similar to Kawhi's (minus a bit of height and length, plus a bit of bounce).
But beyond that, he's flashed basically every type of scoring skill. He can get to the rim, he can hit from 3, he can pull-up, and he can score in the post (including drop steps and turn-around jumpers).
Some guys with elite physical tools never develop those skills. Jaylen Brown, who has a lot of overlap with Nas, is a valuable player for the Celtics but has no ability to create offense - he plays defense, hits 3s, and cuts (again, that's a very valuable type of player; just not a star).
Nas already has the full offensive toolkit. It's just a matter of polishing those skills and integrating them into a cohesive offensive game.
Gotta say - I sure am happy Hamilton didn't jump on his UNC offer.
...only to a point, and it actually undervalues Naz.
As many of us who watched Jaylen down here in GA talked about at the time, he had enormous physical tools but he never was exceptional at anything in HS. He was a walking example of a kid everyone knew wanted to be OAD, and was, but based on potential alone. Fact is his actual performance in his one year at Cal was mediocre at best, and didn't do a helluva lot to make that team any better.
That's exactly what most of us figured would happen and precisely why I did NOT want him at UNC. He had the sort of physical tools that would have commanded PT but at what cost? Disruption of the chemistry that got us to the Natty game most likely. He's starting to blossom into a player now, but just as we figured, not until well into his pro career.
Naz has already taken the leap, and mark my words, after his Senior season and a summer in Chapel Hill he will be WAYYYY more ready to be a force in college than Jaylen was. Even if he does eventually decide to be OAD I expect a very productive and impactful Freshman season here for Mr. Little.
I'm not sure that offer was "committable" --- I've heard both ends of that --- but yes, happy indeed. He was never what I call a "UNC player"... more of a "NC State player", or as it turned out a "BC player". Good enough certainly for the ACC but not an impact guy in our system.
Pretty sure it was committable at one point. We don't really offer non-committable "offers" like you see in football. By the time we were really in it for Nas I'm pretty sure we wouldn't've taken him, though.
True enough, it's not as cut and dried as football. It's more fluid and handled more privately between the staff and the prospects, but the dynamics do differ with different recruits. I guess a better way to put it is that his commitment window wasn't open quite as wide, or for as long as some others...
This makes much more sense than sitting Cam on the bench. Thanks.
Well if guys like Huffman, Platek, and B Rob are on the UNC team than I see no reason why Hamilton couldn't as well.
If Cam leaves, I don't think it will be for fear of losing a starting position to a freshman. I don't see that happening.
How? Those three are borderline UNC players in the Williams era. Hamilton is actually a higher rated commit than all three I believe
Easy. Huff is a project neither needed nor expected to contribute immediately. BRob and Andrew are both 4 yr players who have and will contribute mightily here. Hamilton was being recruited at a position of immediate need (Hybrid) to likely start as a freshman. He is not of that ilk to do what we need of him. Had we taken him and not gotten Naz that would have been a major net loss. There is way more to our recruiting than rankings.
So Huffman and Platek would see minutes on a team with Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Kendall Marshall, Reggie Bullock, JMM, and PJ Hariston? All of which have had NBA careers at some point or another?
Let's be real, Roy took what he could get last class, with the exception of Jalek. Rankings aren't everything, but they are generally accurate. Roy says himself, talent usually wins. And if you don't get the best talent, it catches up to you.
Which is why I'm very thankful for Nas, Coby and Rechon coming in next year, as well as the 2019 class which looks promising thus far.
Let's be real, Roy took what he could get last class, with the exception of Jalek. Rankings aren't everything, but they are generally accurate. Roy says himself, talent usually wins. And if you don't get the best talent, it catches up to you.
Which is why I'm very thankful for Nas, Coby and Rechon coming in next year, as well as the 2019 class which looks promising thus far.
I'm comparing them to B Rob and Platek. Hamilton was never starting as a freshman lol he's not good enough to do so. My point is Hamilton definitely has a spot on UNC - contrary to what the poster said
How does he not have a spot on the roster if Platek is on the team, as well as barely top 200 recruit Huffman?
Lol there is no chance Platek or B Rob would see minutes on those teams.
On our most talented teams under Roy? Aka 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, and 2017? Platek and Huffman wouldn’t even be on the team because there would be no need for them. Currently, they are both liabilities in ACC play.
Really? I'm doing my very best to not laugh and take your post seriously but... really??
No. Read my post above Specific needs. Its not just about numbers
Well he certainly isn't a strength and there is no shot he would get in games except for blowouts on the Hansbrough era teams
What role did Lebo play?? Speaking of Lebo what's the word on his son who is a just a sophomore now???
Think they said Lebo was recruiting little but he told him he had no interest in going there. Then lebo asked him if he'd be open to unc and he said yes, so he called Roy.
From what I’ve seen, when he goes up against longer, more athletic people his size, he struggles. Therefore, his minutes need to be limited. And, as I’ve said a million times, this is what happens when your recruiting takes a hit.
For me it's not a question if he's a liability right now. He is what he is at this point, mostly invisible on the court, which is fine and expected.
My issue is I really can't believe we have a supposed basketball genius actually arguing assuredly that platek would get playing time of any significance on teams that had guys like pj Hairston and McDonald's all Americans as 9th and 10th men in the rotation. It's mind boggling. Platek wouldn't even be on those rosters.
Same stuff I read two years ago about two of our guys who are starting and excelling now. Not surprised.
And neither one of them would get very much playing time either on the teams we are discussing, so that does nothing to diminish the original point.
No he would not. Due to the fact he wouldn’t be needed. As of right now, we have 2 McDonalds All-Americans on our team. Platek provides some depth. Now let’s take a look at our 2012 team:
Harrison Barnes
Tyler Zeller
John Henson
Kendall Marshall
Reggie Bullock
PJ Hariston
James Michael McAdoo
Dexter Strickland
Leslie McDonald
We an NBA caliber frontcourt, and only injuries to Dex and McDonald slowed us down as far as depth in the backcourt. That team also had numerous three stars, and almost none of them saw the light of day other than Stilman White. It would be the same if Platek were on that roster.
You can’t use Luke and Kenny as comparable examples. Both were still in the top 100. As much as I love Luke, we’ve seen what happens this year if we have to rely on him and he doesn’t perform.
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