He’s got the motor and all the intangibles, and synergy numbers show he’s far more skilled than your typical off ball slasher who plays D.

1.33 ppp on iso’s is very good. He drives well, and is physical, thus draws contact

That’s what the experts asked about Curry when he was in the draft…

His comment was only on the kid’s motor and drive. This has been a re-occuring comment among coaches and scouts, so I believe it. At same time, you could see this being a potential negative if he struggles, mental issues etc. Unlikely though.

Besides, if Calipari’s kids ‘bust’ heavily, it’ll hurt his rep more. He doesn’t talk up kids who don’t have the talent.

As for Calipari, well he did say DeMarcus was a huge talent, but would take a coach who really connects with him.

His comments on cousins-

“People are making a big-time mistake on this kid,” Calipari told FanHouse by phone leading up to the draft. “I’ve never coached a player who has come as far as fast as he did. … Maturity-wise, basketball-wise, he has got to grow there, but he has come a long way.”

“In my opinion, he should be a top three pick,” said Calipari, who coached Evans at Memphis and was consulted by the Kings regarding his former players both then and now. “He’s not even close to how good he can be.”

Calipari acknowledges the challenges that come with Cousins, like the time he sat down on the side of the court during a mandated conditioning test early in his freshman year.

“I told him, ‘You can sit and watch, but do you understand that if you can’t make it through conditioning then you can’t be a starter?’” Calipari said. “Then all of a sudden, he started breaking barriers.”

“I coached him like he was my son, and he needs that,” he said. “In fact, he and my (13-year-old) son (Brad) would play video games and I’d say (to Cousins), ‘You guys are the same age.’ He’s one of those kids that needs to be hugged, loved. Don’t act like he’s a grown man. He’s a growing man.”

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/06/24/passing-on-demarcus-cousins-a-king-sized-mistake-says-calipari/

Don’t think anything is offbase there. Cousins is a huge talent. He’s yet to become close to as good as he can be, or in general an effective bball player. None of that’s surprising, though since Smart took over, he has played better.

Wall, is an obvious talent. His production in college spoke for itself, better than Rose. I still think he’s insanely talented, but in an awful situation. I tend to agree with David Thorpe’s POV, aside from a few young guys like Lebron, Durant etc. almost all young players need to be in right situation to really reach their potential. Siting Westbrook if he went to another team could be a big bust. A decent example of this is Anthony Randolph/Brandan Wright. Players who come to NBA at 18-19-20 are so imcomplete, you need the right situation, staff, organization to develop them.

That’s why Riley’s attitude on ‘college seasoned players’ is so frustrating…