Deserves a thread because several mocks have him available mid to late 2nd round and at least one mock has Rox drafting him. He's a German 18 y/o 6'9" Point Forward who loves to attack from PNR and is really good defender because of his length. Reminds me of Trevor Ariza but with PNR handles and rim finishing.
It's way too limited an analysis to just say the kid has a great feel for the game... but he has a great feel for the game, lol The easiest way to describe feel for the game, to me, is to look at someone like Hasheem Thabeet. There was no way this guy was ever going to be a successful NBA player, regardless of what the metrics or college stats said. He didn't have an NBA speed feel for the game to be successful. Bonga looks raw, but the exact opposite in that it's a rawness that comes with lack of experience and almost too much athleticism. He needs to work on his outside shot A LOT... but apparently upped his FT% to 90% this year, which is a solid indicator. All that said, he's still very very young and will need time to season. But imo, it's time to season, not stash and never see.
Next J-Smoov I doubt someone like him falls into the second round, guys like these tend to skyrocket though draft boards once the college season ends.
I'm feeling ya I've been following him for months since he popped up on my radar ... and I've fallen in love Bonga is a prime candidate for one of Morey's non-G early 2nd Rd picks Could be a draft & stash too if offseason leaves no run for him to develop next yr Ariza is not a good comp IMO Bonga is most like Shaun Livingston among current NBA players Also similar to Kyle Anderson, who followed Boris Diaw All 3 are below-avg NBA athletes with exceptional point-forward skills whose best role IMO is running the second unit OFF Bonga is likewise not a premium athlete by NBA standards He is not another Greek Freak and IMO does not have the athletic upside to develop into a star down the road His vision & feel running the point are his greatest skills True floor general who sees everything from the top with his height Excellent distributor from P&R, but rarely attacks the hoop to finish, and never attempts to sag-n-pop Good enough handle to get by his man, but not really an isolation player at this point Shot is biggest worry for Bonga on OFF Similar to early Rubio/Rondo - always looks to pass bc he doesn't trust his shot yet, leading to forced turnovers Teams will sag off and dare him to shoot I also disagree about the finishing - He's not bouncy enough to finish over the rim (despite the size) His inconsistency is compounded by his over-willingness to pass off on the drive His only weapon to score off the dribble as of now is a nice floater, which he looks to as a last resort Good news is the shot is not a lost cause He's improved his FT shooting dramatically this year (85-90% most of season) While his gather on long shots is among the slowest I've ever seen, the release is actually pretty smooth He'll never be even avg shooting off the dribble, but could become a competent catch-and-shoot player off the ball in a few years DEF (as you mentioned) is where Bonga will probably make his mark in this league The length on the perimeter makes him a perfect wing defender Can guard 1-4 and switch easily In this way, he does remind me of Ariza The anticipation he shows as a playmaker could also make him disruptive by forcing steals off deflections Feet are not quick enough to make a living staying in front of lightning-quick guards off the dribble, but he can hold his own Nowhere near strong enough (yet) to bang inside with bigs This year he has definitely shown the hustle and intelligence to become a great, if not elite, NBA defender Would love to see him in the G-league next year developing his feel for the Rockets offensive system With an eye on his arrival to Houston sometime in 2020 as the young backup PG we need to develop for life after CP3
Agree on Bonga. Only way he falls roti the second is if he gets injured or shine age/character issue comes to light. Just too many ball skills, court vision, and athleticism to not go in the first. And he should really go in the top half of the lottery.
Smh another 6'9 pf, what with rockets and love for pf Is there no servicable C available in case Clint N'dumba Capela leave4
