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  • Jay Bilas on Booker, Towns and the draft

    By: LARRY VAUGHT

    As far as ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas is concerned, there’s no doubt about who is the top shooter in this year’s NBA draft.

    “I think Devin Booker (of Kentucky) and Frank Kaminsky (of Wisconsin), actually, are the two best shooters in the draft. I don’t think this is a draft, honestly, that is full of great shooters. There are several guys that are good shooters, but it’s not a long list of guys that I would say are knockdown great shooters,” said Bilas Monday during a NBA draft teleconference.

    “I have Booker as the top shooter in the draft, and Frank Kaminsky as the top‑shooting big guy.”

    Bilas will be on site in Brooklyn, N.Y., Thursday for ESPN’s coverage of the draft along with host Rece Davis, college basketball analyst Jay Williams and NBA analyst Jalen Rose.

    Bilas thinks Booker can be one of the top 10 picks in the draft.

    “I think he’s the best wing shooter in the draft. He’s not just a catch‑and‑shoot guy. He looked as if he was that in Kentucky because of the makeup of their team. But I think he can put the ball on the deck. I think he’s good in transition. He’s got good athleticism, and he’s big and strong, handles the ball well. He’s unselfish, willing to defend,” Bilas said.

    “I think he could be a better rebounder, but he plays on a team with a lot of size. It’s not like he had to stick his nose in there every play. I really like him. When I saw him play in the Bahamas in practice this last summer for eight days, I was very impressed with him in practice where he showed actually more game than he was able to show in some of the games.”

    Yet count Bilas as one who thinks Booker will be a top 10 pick.

    “I’m a believer. I think he will be gone after the top 10. I don’t see him lasting beyond the top 10, but you never know. Who knows what will happen, but I’m a believer,” Bilas said.

    He’s not the same about the No. 1 pick even though the consensus seems to be that Minnesota will use it on Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns over Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.

    “I tend to think No. 1, unless you’re like the Detroit Lions and you’ve got a whole bunch of wide receivers and the wide receiver is the best pick, why you don’t go with the best overall player,” Bilas said. “I’m actually kind of torn on the No. 1, sort of who the best player overall in this draft is.

    “I think Karl‑Anthony Towns is the most versatile player. He’s good at everything. There is nothing that we can tick off as far as attributes that he’s not good at. Nothing. Okafor has question marks on his defense, his ability to defend the pick‑and‑roll. He’s not a big‑time shot blocker, rim protector, but he’s not a zero in that regard.

    “But Okafor, I tend to lean toward Okafor because he’s a dominant low‑post scorer. Towns is not dominant in any one area. Maybe he’ll become that. But Okafor is the superior, low‑post scorer, and I lean toward that. I think he was hurt during the year and it affected him. But I would not argue with anyone, anyone that likes Towns better, not one person.

    “If it were my decision to make, I would have a really tough time with it. And I would probably defer to all of our people to say where we are on this because I’m kind of torn. I’m leaning one way, but I wouldn’t argue with anybody who has a differing view with me.”
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      Okafor barely over Towns. I'm glad to see a slightly contrary opinion.
    1. Hoss's Avatar
      Hoss -
      Quote Originally Posted by Darrell KSR View Post
      Okafor barely over Towns. I'm glad to see a slightly contrary opinion.
      That just the dukie in him talking.
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Duke homer!!
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