If somebody envisions him as a point guard at the next level I think they are likely to pull the trigger now and take him in the first round.
The NBA these days is pretty much a league for 6’8"+ guys with spring in their step and guard skills (and generally closed to anyone who doesn’t fit that mold). Podz doesn’t quite fit those shoes but I do think he’s gonna make one hell of a point man.
Podz’ greatest attributes may be his desire and work ethic. How else can you explain his transformation? Those characteristics may be under appreciated by some NBA teams, but not the smart ones.
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bettererer-
Podz as an NBA point guard is where we disagree. I see an NBA future for Podz but as a play-making and maybe high assist shooting guard, not true point. If you prefer ‘combo-guard’…well, maybe.
The USF game is Exhibit A as to why…he couldn’t drive and turn the corner on Roberts. NBA points ideally need to be able to break down their defender in 1on1 situations without the help of ball screens, etc. And at the other end of the court, I think Podz would struggle with the lateral quickness needed to defend the quicker PG’s.
Roberts isn’t an NBA guy, actual NBA point guards are going to be as quick or quicker than Roberts with generally more height. For an already experienced and physically fit athlete like Podz, it’s relatively difficult to move the needle on improved 1st step quickness.
Just my opinion…time will tell.
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Agree LetsGo.
All it takes is one or more NBA teams to recognize and value all the intangibles that Podz possesses. Nearly impossible to teach those traits or extract it from someone who doesn’t already possess them.
Difficult to measure the toughness, hustle and chip-on-the shoulder will to win. I think his rebounding is an indicator of some of that. There really is no reason a 6-5 guard with somewhat modest athleticism should lead the league in rebounding but he did just that.
John Hollinger of The Athletic mentions Podziemski at the bottom of his article today. Says lots of scouts were hoping to watch him in the Semifinals of the WCC tournament (sadly they are now left wishing we get an NIT invite). Besides the obvious elite shooting, Hollinger brings up Podziemski’s defensive rebounding rate and calls it “supernatural” for his size. Also gives praise to his crafty one handed passes. Says it is probably a stretch to call him a lottery pick, but not outside the realm of possibility since most lottery prospects this year have disappointed while Podziemski has been consistently good.
If you hit “continue without a free trial” after the popup you should be able to read the entire article. I don’t have a subscription and was able to read it.
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Barking Crow has us out.
Im sure they are not aware of the situation.
Where do you get your info???
There was no conspiracy. The refs called a loose game and yes there was a ton of physical play. USF used fouling as a strategy and it worked. Herb couldn’t adjust (honestly I don’t think he even has the capacity to change). End of story.
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I’m in total agreement with you on the refs and Herb… 
It’s not problematic for me. It’s just the game was called the way it was and Herb didn’t adjust. Simple as that.
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See how St. Mary’s and Gonzaga defend the 3 tonight in the final vs what SCU did in the semi. Primary reason for our USF loss.
Ranked 297 in 3pt D you’d think adjustments would be made. Not.
That and extremely poor shot clock management under 3:00 to play were part of the giveaway.
Pods pulls up with 13 to go in reg on a Justice screen and he doesn’t see Keshawn 10ft to his left alone at the 3 pt line - his groove.
I’m all about giving your best player the ball in that situation but he dribbled into a double and barely hit rim vs looking for who has the best shot.
Sad.
Hope an NIT invite puts this behind us…
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If it were a conspiracy, then you’re right you can’t adjust. But it wasn’t. You could see early on how the game was being called yet Sendek didn’t do anything different on D. SCU still played their non contact style man D that they have played all year.
The adjustment is simple; grab, push, hold, bump everywhere and crash every cut through the key… when the game besomes a street fight you have to be prepared to play accordingly. Herb was not.
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If you asked the 23 opponents we beat this season how they felt about the refs I bet almost all would say they got screwed.
Up 10 with 5 to go, up 8 with under 4 to go and you lose? that’s on you.
Make free throws, cut down on turnovers (6 by our point guard) better shot selection, hedge the high ball screen instead of switching and we win the game by 15+
With current Podz talk, ESPN probably preferred a SCU - Zags match up so talk of conspiracy is ludicrous.
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Couldn’t agree more jerry.
There’s little to nothing we did well that game (players and coaches)…that’s not on the refs.