Pons named SEC defensive player of the year!

#26
#26
TMvol10 said:
Conrgrats, Yves. Is this AP or coaches? Would have liked to see JB on the all defense team.
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While he’s a great defender I don’t think he had stats to support it. Steals and blocks are about it. Do they metric shooting percentage on the primary defender?
 
#27
#27
ColinS said:
Which brings you back to the age old question. Would an extra year in college be better preparation for the NBA than playing at the highest levels of pro ball overseas?
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I think if you're talking FR/SO that there is little doubt that if you're working off pro-potential that going pro early and working your way in is the way to go. If you're talking JR then it's tricky. You're not going to get more exposure (which is needed after age 20-21) for the draft that you'd get in college. You may actually improve more going overseas for a year but you'd probably be in a mid-tier league at best and with little to no exposure. I say once you're in your JR year, unless you've got an 'in' with a good league that gets regular NBA scout traffic, there's no reason to leave a year early.

Also supposing you're not in need of immediate $. Which you hear horror stories of players going overseas for the immediate paycheck and getting cut/not paid all the time. Happens more to American's than overseas players is my understanding but still. You also have to take into account Rick Barnes' and his staffs ability to develop players. I'd say it's better than most college programs and therefore perhaps on par with or better than some low-mid tier pro overseas programs. Facilities I guarantee you are better.
 
#28
#28
ColinS said:
Which brings you back to the age old question. Would an extra year in college be better preparation for the NBA than playing at the highest levels of pro ball overseas?
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An extra year under CRB has proven results - who knows what type of development he would get overseas? Better, same, worse - no way to know.
 
#29
#29
Roustabout said:
While he’s a great defender I don’t think he had stats to support it. Steals and blocks are about it. Do they metric shooting percentage on the primary defender?
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No I don’t think they use any stat like that. For someone like Bowden to get that award you’d actually have to watch the games, and specifically him, to see how he can shut guys down. He makes a huge impact on D just doesn’t show up in the blocked shots/steals column.
 
#30
#30
walkenvol said:
An extra year under CRB has proven results - who knows what type of development he would get overseas? Better, same, worse - no way to know.
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Don't disagree but a European kid is a lot more likely to take that path.
 
#32
#32
If there was a most improved player award he would've won it. I was hoping he would've done this a year earlier (we would've been in the final four). But better late than never.
 
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#35
#35
walkenvol said:
Two things Pons can improve to increase his draft status; 1) develop some handles 2) continue to improve his 3 point shot.

He’s not an NBA undersized post, he’ll have to be an NBA 3. You have to be able to dribble drive and shoot 3’a
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To be honest they all need to work on ball handling.
 
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#40
#40
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#42
#42
cncchris33 said:
What he says about Pons is spot on, but I think Pons needs to show that on the floor again to be drafted, especially that high in the draft. He is going to be a 3-and-D guy as a pro, but he still has holes and could continue to refine his shot and his release.
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I don’t think his shot is his biggest short coming, instead it’s his inability to dribble drive the ball. An explosive athlete needs to be capable of making plays with the ball in their hands. He made great strides this season and he’s a know dedicated worker. No reason to think he can’t improve his handles this off season. With EJA on board he should be able to get some minutes on the perimeter next year
 
#43
#43
If he’s projected by people that matter to go in the low 30s he needs to go. He’s not getting any younger
 
#44
#44
walkenvol said:
I don’t think his shot is his biggest short coming, instead it’s his inability to dribble drive the ball. An explosive athlete needs to be capable of making plays with the ball in their hands. He made great strides this season and he’s a know dedicated worker. No reason to think he can’t improve his handles this off season. With EJA on board he should be able to get some minutes on the perimeter next year
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His shot is definitely not his biggest shortcoming. I didn’t mean for it to come across as if that was what I was suggesting. As a 3-and-D guy, though, his ball-handling won’t be all that important. Think of the role Jalen Johnson played this year for us. He hardly ever took more than a cursory dribble to work the ball around the perimeter. He was in there to hit open shots and play defense. That is the kind of role I think Pons will have at the NBA level. At this point, his ball-handling just isn’t likely to develop to NBA caliber over one summer.
 
#45
#45
BruinVol said:
If he’s projected by people that matter to go in the low 30s he needs to go. He’s not getting any younger
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The NBA doesn't seem as interested with developing players as much as it does about discovering them. If Pons goes to the G-League, he will have to have immediate success to ever sniff the court in the NBA. He has some really good strengths, but who's to say he won't improve as much as he did last season if he stays in college. Barnes will get the most out of him and is concerned with his future.

Pons could really be a plug and pay NBA player if he improves his dribbling and continues building on the improved shooting he had this past season. I would advise him to stay and aim for being a top 15 pick.
 
#46
#46
Pons is one of the guys who this pandemic is really gonna effect...there isn’t going to be much of a draft process as far as workouts go. If you are a fringe guy you’ve gotta fryer what people are saying based on tape and no workouts, tricky spot for those fringe guys like Pons.
 
#47
#47
bleedingTNorange said:
Pons is one of the guys who this pandemic is really gonna effect...there isn’t going to be much of a draft process as far as workouts go. If you are a fringe guy you’ve gotta fryer what people are saying based on tape and no workouts, tricky spot for those fringe guys like Pons.
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The tape is impressive and outside of leaping test that might actually help him. And i would bet he can do vertical test that would satisfy most scouts where he is
 
#48
#48
BruinVol said:
The tape is impressive and outside of leaping test that might actually help him. And i would bet he can do vertical test that would satisfy most scouts where he is
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I get that, but getting in front of all the teams would give a much better picture of what he’s looking at to be drafted. As it stands now he’s probably going to heard everything from late first to undrafted.
 
#49
#49
bleedingTNorange said:
I get that, but getting in front of all the teams would give a much better picture of what he’s looking at to be drafted. As it stands now he’s probably going to heard everything from late first to undrafted.
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I would think the non college players are the most hurt by this. They won’t have been seen nearly as much and without the face to face workouts that will hurt them.
 
#50
#50
BruinVol said:
I would think the non college players are the most hurt by this. They won’t have been seen nearly as much and without the face to face workouts that will hurt them.
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Definitely probably true for them too. There are already way less early departure announcements to the draft, next years class is gonna be really strong, which could help yo with Johnson/Springer/James
 
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