Franz #9 on Kevin O'Connor's 2021 Big Board
Link to the big board. "Shades of Lamar Odom, Danilo Gallinari, Xavier Tillman (!)"
My favorite part of the Franz breakdown: "Has a computer brain on defense. Reads plays instantly and disrupts actions by beating opponents to their spots. He will make a significant impact as an off-ball defender throughout his career." KOC's clearly been doing his homework; he sees what we've known all season. Franz is gonna have a long career.
Also from our quadrant, FSU's Scottie Barnes comes in at 11, and UConn's James Bouknight at 13.
March 18th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
The comparisons he has for most of these guys are absurd. Like early years of NBAdraft.net absurd.
Kevin O’Connor is very good at self-promotion. At least a couple of the people at Celticsblog, where he got his start, think he mostly makes crap up.
Looks like a combination of Spud Webb & Bill Walton to me.
Yeah, his analog for Cade Cunningham is "shorter Ben Simmons with a jumper", which equates to "not Ben Simmons". I mean, there has to be an NBA player who is shorter than Ben Simmons and a better shooter out there - you'd think someone who writes about the NBA would know at least one of them.
I think the comp is more apt than you're giving it credit for -- how many defensively elite jumbo lead guards are there? It really is just Simmons, with SGA being the next closest thing. And those are the two comps! Unless you want to reach back to a young Penny Hardaway, I think these player references are as close as you're going to get.
Kobe Bryant, Lebron James. Or how about someone more likely: Evan turner.
Kobe wasn't a lead guard, Bron is Bron, and Evan Turner is a terrible comp. Honestly, Ben Simmons with range and Mecha-SGA are way better comps than any of those guys.
March 18th, 2021 at 12:58 PM ^
I've always thought, because I'm old, Derrick McKey and Detlef Schrempf were good comparisons for Franz.
a Detlef Schrempf mention...... whoah.....
fortunately for him there are no Dallas Comegys comparisons
I think if he continues to develop Jimmy Butler isn't a bad comp.
Tayshaun Prince a good comp?
honestly came here to make a detlef schrempf joke. Theres just something very similar about them to me, couldnt tell you what
I kinda get the Gallinari comp, but Xavier Tillman??? They're not remotely similar players. Tillman was an undersized big who thrived as a roll man and being able to switch onto guards, while Franz is an oversized wing who can be a secondary ball handler, shoot, and use his length on and off ball on defense
Yeah. Tillman was a roll and donut man while Franz clearly prefers streusels und spritzküchen.
I think it makes a lot more sense given the "shades of" framing that KOC uses -- he's not saying that Franz is some kind of Tillman clone, but that they have key features in common. And in this case, I think their size, defensive IQs, and ability to guard multiple positions really are pretty similar.
Seems a bit high, although a great tourney run could be icing on the cake.
Chad Ford had him at number 7.
Franz having a great tourney would likely cement him in the lottery pick. It would be great to see him be more aggressive at getting to the bucket like he did in the game against Indiana.
Show that aggressiveness and continue to play the same level of defense and he'll be a lottery pick.
Franz is still somewhat high-variance. It will be very interesting to watch him develop over the next few years, as he still has (IMO) lots of upside.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hr4z5c5eLH4
Thought this breakdown of prospects in our region was interesting. They like Franz especially on the defensive side.
Best Franz Wagner comparison IMO is AK47.
Or The Matrix. Neither of those guys had much of a jumper though.
Yeah, Kirilenko wasn't quite the shooter as Franz projects to fro outside but otherwise its a strong analog.
I like this comparison, though I don't think Wagner projects to be quite as freaky as Kirilenko on defense -- during the first half of his career, AK47 hovered around 3 blocks a game and made 3 all-defense teams, off the strength of a 7'4" wingspan. I think Franz is going to be a very good NBA defender, but he doesn't project to that level of disruptiveness.
He's got to go into the draft. Enjoy his play for the next 3 to 6 games. GEH' BLAU!
9 feels high for what’s considered a deeper draft than the past couple years. Franz feels like a jack of all trades, master of none-type in the NBA
Master of defense at least
fuq. . .
he'd be making a hell of a mistake leaving now.
I don't think he has the mental toughness yet.
Did you forget the /s??
Unfortunately no,
Unless he shows me something in the tournament. He has the skills, but not the fortitude
where are the big ten 1st team defensive players projected to go?
Europe.....