How many NBA players do we have on this team?

[dalwood13]

Wilbekin is a guy scouts have in interest in. I'm not saying he will be a 1st round pick, but with his athleticism, size, defensive ability, basketball IQ and developing scoring ability, I could easily see him on an NBA roster.

[GatorsGators]

Originally Posted by dalwood13

Wilbekin is a guy scouts have in interest in. I'm not saying he will be a 1st round pick, but with his athleticism, size, defensive ability, basketball IQ and developing scoring ability, I could easily see him on an NBA roster.

Agreed. His defensive ability alone will get him some looks. He has solid size and athleticism for a PG (not great from an NBA standpoint, but good enough). I think he's a guy who might sneak on an NBA roster as a backup PG.

[themistocles]

Interesting discussion.

I really like the fact that the number of NBA prospects ranges from 1 to 5 or 6.

Now, that is what I call consensus.

[609gjk]

Don't count Will out. He does all the things pro coaches love. He doesn't need the ball to be a great player. He rebounds, steals ball, guards 3 positions, etc.

[GatorPlanet]

I can't see Boynton being drafted, but he will be given a shot at the NBA summer games. I think his quickness and defense and open-court speed will land him a 1-year deal somewhere, and we'll see how it goes.

Regardless, there's a lot of basketball money in his future.

[UFreak]

I just have a hard time figuring out where Young will play in the NBA. He has not shown that he can consistently knock down a jumper from 10 feet away. He isn't going to back people down in the NBA and score like he can when motivated in college. He doesn't have great low-post moves. I think if he wanted to, he could dedicate himself to being a rebounding machine at the next level. Just make that his niche. Don't get me wrong, I love Young, I just don't see where he fits in exactly. I hope I am totally wrong.

Murphy on the other hand I think can have a nice 7-10 year career. I think he has a chance to be a Bonner type player. Anytime you can shoot the three like he can at that size, you can find a place. And he flat out plays hard. He actually has, I think, a better low post game than Young does.

I see where people are coming from with the Will love. I think he has a real shot. He has made a leap from last year to this year with his offense. If he can take a similar leap in his senior season, he could get a legit look because he is such an effort guy and can defend.

I think Boynton will have a cup of coffee. I love him, but I don't know that he will last longer than a year or two in the league. I hope I am wrong. The guy can defend, that will certainly help him. Of all the people I doubt the most in having a chance at the next level, he is the one I would be least surprised if he ended up sticking.

Wilbekin, we shall see. We have to remember he is still very young. He can defend, he has better than average shooting ability (under rated in that department), but isn't really capable of getting off his own shot off the dribble (or at least hasn't shown it as much. I know he is starting to. He's young.). Obviously, he needs to do that to prosper at the next level.

Beyond that, no one.

[Ahab]

Young can fill a Kenneth Faried type role. Be a sick athlete who defends and crashes the boards. Those are valuable assets in the NBA.

[REM08]

I don't see Young turning into a rebounder in the NBA. There are always exceptions, but most dominant NBA rebounders were dominant college rebounders. This even, usually, is the case with guards like Rondo and Beal. I agree with the above poster that sees more of a career and a better fit with Murphy than Young.

Kenneth Faried is the all-time career rebounding leader, isn't he? Either way, Young grabbed boards at roughly the same pace that your undersized small forward did last year. It really would have to mean a new mindset for him to morph into Dennis Rodman all of the sudden once in the NBA and its not like he's just one year out of HS. Before the next draft, we'll have seen what kind of player Young has been after 3 years of good coaching playing in college.

I'm also not sure about Kenny in the NBA. He's a great college defender, but can you picture that staying that way in the NBA? At his size, he won't be locking down NBA 2 guards. I hope I'm wrong, but sometimes guys are built to be effective in college, but once they land in the NBA, they're all of the sudden not the same kind of athlete that they looked like they were against college players. I'm not bashing him at all. I honestly wish UK had more of these types sometimes.

[SM1010]

David Lee is a far better rebounder in the NBA than he was at FL. He went from a decent/good rebounder in college to an elite rebounder in the NBA.

I think Jo is a better rebounder in the NBA too. He was never a "dominant" rebounder in college. Maybe because he had to share with Horford, but still.

Anyway I think Young will be a better rebounder in the NBA as well. Mainly because he'll be more of a role player. He'll never be a great scorer so teams will ask him to focus mainly on defense and rebounding.

EDIT: Lee, Horford, and Noah have all consistently top 10 rebounders in the NBA over the past few years. IMO none of them showed that type of production potential at FL. They were all "good" rebounders, but not elite.

[REM08]

Originally Posted by SM1010

David Lee is a far better rebounder in the NBA than he was at FL. He went from a decent/good rebounder in college to an elite rebounder in the NBA.

I think Jo is a better rebounder in the NBA too. He was never a "dominant" rebounder in college. Maybe because he had to share with Horford, but still.

Anyway I think Young will be a better rebounder in the NBA as well. Mainly because he'll be more of a role player. He'll never be a great scorer so teams will ask him to focus mainly on defense and rebounding.

EDIT: Lee, Horford, and Noah have all consistently top 10 rebounders in the NBA over the past few years. IMO none of them showed that type of production potential at FL. They were all "good" rebounders, but not elite.

I'm with you, but and don't disagree Young could make a jump. I just see it as being a bigger jump than Lee Horford or Noah had to make. Just wouldn't put him in their category as a college rebounder. This is from his draft express profile:

Finally, it's worth noting that while Young is hardly the type of rebounder one would expect given his size, strength, and athletic advantages at this level. Just as he did during his freshman season, he averaged just 5.7 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted as a sophomore, which ranks amongst the worst for center prospects in our top-100. His small hands are certainly a factor and, therefore, he really must work on his fundamentals and maintaining his focus to compensate.

While Young is likely to be drafted in the first round based on his physical attributes alone, there are quite a few questions that remain about what kind of player he can be at this level, let alone in the NBA. As he looks towards his junior year, Young must focus on refining his post game and improving his fundamentals and awareness across the board. Players with his tools are extremely rare, and it is really up to him to determine just how good he can be. Florida will look very different next season and Young should have more opportunities to assert himself as a viable offensive option. If he does, and Florida continues its winning ways, then expect him to shoot up draft boards come June.

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz2Ey9s9XtV
http://www.draftexpress.com

He's averaging 7.9 this year, so maybe he ends the year much closer to your trio than I've been inclined to think.

[Ahab]

Lee was a pretty good rebounder his senior year and I thought Horford was a dominant rebounder but his stats got watered down playing w/ other great players.

I've always been a bit amazed that Patric isn't a better rebounder w/ his physical ability. Billy has said his conditioning needed to improve so that may play into it. You see his potential in flashes but Patric is going to have to go 110% in the NBA if he wants to get minutes.

[SM1010]

You just never know with college players. Michael Beasley was an extremely dominant rebounder in college. His career average in the NBA is under 6 boards a game...

Comparing college careers who would have though David Lee would be just as good of a rebounder as Blake Griffin (In the NBA)?

Young is getting there. Lee only averaged 7 boards a game his junior year. Plus like I said once he gets to the NBA his role is going to be very rebound oriented.

[keefer]

If PY DIDN'T look so physically strong I don't think he would get near the attention. Now I know that sounds crazy, but I actually think people get hung up on his physique. He doesn't use it to dominate physically to the tune of a bunch of double doubles and he doesn't have any type of an offensive game to make you think he will provide much of a threat to the players he will be paired against in the NBA.

There is a niche in the league for a guy like Murph however. Boynton is not nearly good enough to match up with 2's at the next level and Rosario is just a shooter that doesn't have the ability to do anything other than that and frankly doesn't do that very well.

[InstiGATOR1]

Originally Posted by UFreak

Beyond that, no one.

My view is you missed one highly probable and one possible NBA player.

Rosario is a guard who can get his own shot. That is an NBA level skill. I can see him tearing it up in Portsmouth and workouts and sneaking into the second round. Three years playing at UF has made him more team oriented, more selective in when he shoots, more defensive minded and somewhat more careful with the ball. Combine this with his ability to get his own shot and you have a guy who could be an NBA player.

Prather has good NBA 2 guard size and athleticism. He can play defense. He can shoot a little. He is getting more comfortable with the ball.

[ReggieNelson]

lol at some of these comments. some of you guys are unbelievable with your orange and blue talent glasses. rosario, prather and wilbekin will not even get a look in the nba. end of story.

[rserina]

Young has really improved on the boards so far this year. He already has three double digit board games (compared with six last season) and the only bad game for him was Middle Tennessee State, which was just a difficult game to play all around. He started out pretty strong last year, though, and faded, which is at least partially attributable to the injury.

As far as his pro prospects, the NBA is trending away from traditional fives and wants guys who can move their feet well enough to defend the pick and roll and to guard jump shooting bigs out at 20+ feet. That seems to be the niche Young will have to find. He won't ever be a scoring big like Lee or a dominant defender like Noah, but he can be a good combo post if he brings the energy like he did in shorter stints as a freshman. Defend, rebound, set good screens, get up and down the floor in transition, sort of a post version of Brewer.

[madgator]

Originally Posted by rserina

Young has really improved on the boards so far this year. He already has three double digit board games (compared with six last season) and the only bad game for him was Middle Tennessee State, which was just a difficult game to play all around. He started out pretty strong last year, though, and faded, which is at least partially attributable to the injury.

As far as his pro prospects, the NBA is trending away from traditional fives and wants guys who can move their feet well enough to defend the pick and roll and to guard jump shooting bigs out at 20+ feet. That seems to be the niche Young will have to find. He won't ever be a scoring big like Lee or a dominant defender like Noah, but he can be a good combo post if he brings the energy like he did in shorter stints as a freshman. Defend, rebound, set good screens, get up and down the floor in transition, sort of a post version of Brewer.

Carl Landry type

when it comes to a player, you can always build skills. You cannot build freakish athleticism that Young has.

that's why I'm not entirely sure whether Murphy is an NBA player. I thinking that he can be a 2nd round draft pick, but still not sure he will make a team. I know someone is going to throw Matt Bonner at me, but Bonner was a lot physically stronger than Murphy at the same age.

At the end of the day, Murphy is still slow of foot. Short on strength and will be abused defensively in the NBA.

He is a really nice college player but I don't see an NBA player.

[rserina]

I think Murph can make it. One thing you can't teach most bigs is to hit a 25-foot jumper and Murphy can do that. In the same way the NBA is trending toward non-traditional centers, it also desperately wants stretch fours who can create space for you around the basket. I agree that Murphy's real test will be defensively, but offensively guys like Ryan Anderson and Steve Novak have established themselves with their ability to stretch the floor. While he isn't as good a shooter as Novak or as strong as Anderson, he is competitive, crafty, and versatile offensively. Could be a good second unit player on the right team.

[InstiGATOR1]

Originally Posted by ReggieNelson

lol at some of these comments. some of you guys are unbelievable with your orange and blue talent glasses. rosario, prather and wilbekin will not even get a look in the nba. end of story.

I think perhaps you think people are saying everyone mentioned will make the NBA. I don't think anyone is saying UF has 7 or 8 guys who will make it.

I think what people are doing is underlining the attributes, ie Prather's NBA level athleticism, that give them a shot.

[rserina]

Originally Posted by InstiGATOR1

I think perhaps you think people are saying everyone mentioned will make the NBA. I don't think anyone is saying UF has 7 or 8 guys who will make it.

I think what people are doing is underlining the attributes, ie Prather's NBA level athleticism, that give them a shot.

That dude doesn't know a basketball from a hole in the wall. You really have to be an eight-year old to whip out the "orange and blue glasses" epithet.

If he doesn't think Wilbekin has potential as a bench defender in the NBA given his size, athleticism, and defensive instincts, he is crazy (or, again, eight years old). That's not to say Wilbekin will get there because he has to prove he can do something besides defend at that level, but the potential is definitely there.