day 120 update.
1. John Havlicek - LR #1
Hondo is legitimately good. Slightly above average efficiency, solid volume (taking into account Adam Morrison syndrome), does enough d/r wise and doesn't turn it over too much. He should be in the league for a decade, if he gets fleshed out in TC/SC/RC he'll be a star.
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2. Cornell Green - LR #2
If it were only rating this year I'd have the software darling a lot lower, but I really like his ceiling going forward. Sublime handles and jump shot at 6'4" is a great way to start life as a PG, and he's got an immediate path to increasing his shaky efficiency and volume with some Three Point camps. If he's left to his own devices he'll probably never be good, he needs some love from his GM, and he'll probably always be a big minus on the boards. Still, to me he's the only guy besides Havlicek with real star potential.
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3. Connie Hawkins - LR #6
Another guy with shaky efficiency, and his path forward is a lot murkier due to a middling jump shot and poor handling. His volume is a lot easier to have faith in given his surrounding cast, and his d/r is a lot more solid than Havlicek's. His biggest issue really is not being SG eligible, and there's nothing at all can be done about that.
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4. Terry Dischenger - LR #7
The Dish Rag finished strong, almost at league average efficiency. I am so happy to be done with this garbage class. No wonder the 50s had such lousy basketball.
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5. Wayne Hightower - LR #4
He's a d/r big.
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6. Russell Panariello - LR #3
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7. Cris Schayes - LR #5
They didn't get any more PT so I docked them a couple spots. They're both efficient scorers and are very different otherwise: Rusty looks like Mystic Stone as a wing, Crissch looks more like a Broderick Langhi type.
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8. Jerry Lucas- LR unranked
J-Lu is a slightly above average scoring big man who's blocking more than 1.5 per 36. That's all it takes to ladder in this garbage class. No wonder he made the HoF IRL if these were his contemporaries. He is a legitimately good rebounder though.
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9. Donnie Butcher - LR unranked
Bringing back the Butcher, who hauled his 3P% all the way up to 25% by season's end. A poor man's Cornell in a lot of ways, but brings grown man rebounding to the table.
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10. Chico Vaughn - LR unranked
He's a top five shot blocker in the class, and he's a point guard. That's worth a shoutout. His scoring is dreadful and his jumper is broken, so he'll probably never be a plus starter, but it would be interesting to see him on an inside focused team even as he is now.
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rest of lottery
Walt Bellamy - i was being too generous with the Tristan Thompson comp
Willis Reed - as bad offensively as Bells, even worse at d/r
Zelmo Beatty - is a decent scorer but makes Willis Reed's defense look like Patrick Ewing's
Andy Phillip - horrific FG% earmarks him for great Slam Dunk results down the line
Biff Bridges - gave it a few too many bifters, is a minus on both sides of the ball
Kevin Loughery - he's decent at everything but scoring, where he makes me Lough
Chet Walker - good rebounder, terrible at everything else
Tom Meschery - was pretty good before the season, didn't get minutes. could be a mensch, could just be a mesch
Dave DeBusschere - got 0 minutes after summer league, where he blocked 1 shot in 290 minutes
can't wait for the LeLadder to wash the stink of this away
