We did these threads before (last year) and they were helpful.

Can somebody that knows more about Afflalo explain why he pulled out of the draft last year? What did he hear that made him go back? (weaknesses?)

With all of his accolades (All American, All PAC-10, etc) why are so many negative comments still being perpetuated?

Any info welcomed.

Maybe Denny can help us here since he's mentioned Afflalo a few times before.

NBA Comparison: Raja Bell

Strengths: Possesses an NBA ready body, blessed with excellent upper body strength … Moves extremely well without the ball in his hands, understanding how to free himself for shots … Works well running off screens where he is a capable shooter … Has three point range on his jumper … Good finisher in transition … Body strength enables him to convert difficult shots with ease as well as the ability to finish after contact … Plays the game with poise and maturity rarely found on the college level … Shows great patience, rarely does he play out of control or force the action … Simply allows the game to come to him … Leadership qualities and the mental toughness he brings each game sets the tone for his team … Unselfish player who possesses solid court vision … Does a great job of feeding the post … Excellent basketball IQ, makes great decisions during games … Uses the mid-range jumper with the best of them … Despite the coverage if you give him enough daylight his quick release allows for more than enough time to shoot … Underrated rebounder capable of making an impact on the glass … Defensively he does an admirable job of staying in front of his man … Shows good body control when he penetrates the lane … Quality free throw shooter … Extremely coachable player whose work ethic is among the best in the NCAA … Fundamentally he is as sound as them come … Despite his struggles in the Final Four last year, he has proven to be a very clutch player ...

Weaknesses: Afflalo is a decent athlete but not a great one capable of dominating defenders with his explosiveness … Lacks the first step to gain full separation from his defender … There are times where he becomes too perimeter oriented offensively … Would benefit more if he attacked the basket where he can put pressure on the defense … Ball handling is okay but could stand to be refined as he isn’t comfortable when pressure is applied … Some have questioned if Afflalo has the ability to create scoring opportunities for himself … Due to his athleticism, he is closer to reaching the ceiling … Can go through periods where his jumper is inconsistent … May struggle in an up-tempo offense where quickness is a bigger factor than a half court set … Doesn’t always look to dominate opponents, has a habit of being too passive although he is improved … Despite being a solid free throw shooter Afflalo’s style of play rarely allows for him too draw fouls, and get to the free throw line … lack of lift limits his ability to finish on the break and shoot over athletic defenders ...

Arron Afflalo reminds me a lot of former McNeese State star Joe Dumars. That's right, the guy who helped draft him. Afflalo loved having the ball late in close games, making big plays for the UCLA Bruins.

Great job on these threads, guys.

Should be a great reference tool.

In a tribute to Stacey Augmon, Afflalo will wear #8 for the Pistons.

Or maybe it's for Bison Dele, not sure.

In a tribute to Stacey Augmon, Afflalo will wear #8 for the Pistons.

Or maybe it's for Bison Dele, not sure.

Do you remember the shit fit Augmon threw when they wanted him to give up 2 to retire it for Daly, he was released before he had a chance to break in a new number.

Damn, I thought Augmon was #8, but you are right he was #2.

I know nothing of Afflalo. That worries me.

Strengths: Tries really hard

Weaknesses: Corey Brewer

hmm, 2007 Pac-10 player of the year.

Enough for me. We got him for his defense anyway, not his offense.

BTW, the best case comparison I have for him is Bruce Bowen. Both are very similar types of players.

Afflalo has a genuine love of playing defense.

Maybe he turns into something like Hunter was for us the last few years. Bring him in to play his ass off on D and make life hard on others. While he does that he can work on his offensive game. If he can even develop into a solid 8th-9th man, that's not too bad of a pull for a late first rounder. They're always question marks.

BTW, surfing the Buins boards, they all seem to think he's got Bruce Bowen potential as well.

http://mvn.com/ncaa-ucla/2007/06/27/the-eve-of-the-draft/



The eve of the draft

By Jeremy DeGracia | June 27th, 2007

E-mail | Print | Share

The NBA draft is tomorrow, so here are some thoughts on Arron Afflalo. Trying to predict draft picks, especially outside the top ten or so, is pretty much futile, but my guess is that if he ends up drafted in the first round, he’ll go to Utah, San Antonio, or Philadelphia. And yes, I’m still holding out hope that he goes in the first round.

I’ve seen some commentary that if Afflalo falls to the second round, then he made a mistake by coming out this year. I don’t agree. If you believe he made a mistake because he is missing out on another year of the college experience and would have had a legitimate chance to win a title, then maybe you have an argument. But if you think staying an extra season somehow would have guaranteed him to be drafted in the first round next year, I believe you’re dead wrong. The guy was a consensus All-American, Pac-10 Player of the Year, and UCLA’s top scorer for the past two seasons, both of which resulted in Final Fours. If NBA GMs don’t appreciate what he has to offer at this point, another year of college ball isn’t going to convince them.

And while Afflalo probably lacks the upside possessed by a lot of other shooting guard prospects, I believe he will be a productive NBA player. In a few years, I can see him making a good team great, especially if he can be the third or fourth scoring option on the floor. Some have likened him to Bruce Bowen and Raja Bell; I believe these are accurate comparisons, but I’ll throw another one out there: the Laker version of Rick Fox. Granted, Afflalo is smaller than Fox, and AA has a LONG way to go to get to that point, but he is a hard-nosed defender, mentally tough, knows his role, and (hopefully) will knock down the open shot with regularity.

Perhaps most importantly, here is yet another example of why I’ll be rooting for Arron tomorrow night and beyond. From a post by Brian Dohn on his blog answering a reader’s question of which UCLA athlete has impressed him the most:

The most impressive athlete, to me, isn’t even close. It’s Arron Afflalo. Great kid, great attitude and he understood the media’s job. He always showed up for interviews, never made excuses and took the blame for things even when it wasn’t his fault. He is quality and class, through and through, and probably the nicest player I’ve covered in 16 years in this business.

BTW, the best case comparison I have for him is Bruce Bowen. Both are very similar types of players.

Afflalo has a genuine love of playing defense.
He's nowhere near as physical from the couple games I saw. I wouldnt even say he's close to bowen. Probably closer to eddie jones or james posey.

BTW, surfing the Buins boards, they all seem to think he's got Bruce Bowen potential as well.
well I guessed he showed it in the other games. Can't say I trust bruin homers. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until he sees the court.

I saw a couple Bruins games this year and he looked good. NBA ready, no. Get him some coaching though, and he will be a productive player in the years to come. Not a bad pick IMO even though he wasnt my first pick at that point in the draft.

Do you remember the shit fit Augmon threw when they wanted him to give up 2 to retire it for Daly, he was released before he had a chance to break in a new number.

Traded, actually. For Aaron McKie, Randolph Childress, and Reggie Jordan.

5AMQaBaLslY

hopefully, the talent he plays against in the nba is closer to weber state than it is to corey brewer.

Diddy, didn't you know that all NBA teams are more or less equal to Weber State in terms of talent. I mean, seriously, how many guys like Corey Brewer are there in the league? 2, maybe 3? Afflalo should dominate night in and night out......








I don't expect much from the kid, but how much can you really expect from a #27 pick?

:langlois:


Highly Recommended

by Keith Langlois

LAS VEGAS – Arron Afflalo was on the radar screen of NBA scouts by the time he arrived at UCLA as one of Ben Howland’s first plum recruits to the place John Wooden transformed into college basketball’s historic elite. So as Pistons scouting director, George David was well aware of him even before he averaged 11 points a game and shot nearly 40 percent from behind the 3-point arc as a Bruins freshman.

But he went on high alert sometime that summer when he took a phone call from Chauncey Billups, himself not far removed from a second straight trip to the NBA Finals with one Finals MVP trophy already on his mantle.

“Chauncey Billups has been telling me for two years how big-time a competitor this kid is,” David said after the Pistons made Afflalo the 27th pick in the draft. “One of the things Chauncey said when he would call in the summer is that this kid doesn’t back down.”

In those pickup games in the men’s gym on UCLA’s campus, which for years have drawn top-drawer NBA and college talent, Billups and teammate Tayshaun Prince – like Afflalo, Prince grew up in nearby Compton – kept noticing that Afflalo was the only collegian who kept taking it to players like Baron Davis and Billups.

“They said he was tough,” David said, “and when you get that kind of feedback from a guy like Chauncey, that helps you make a decision.”

There were many talented players still on the board in a deep draft when the Pistons plucked Afflalo for their backcourt, where they think he’ll form a productive and enduring tandem with top pick Rodney Stuckey, his roommate here in Las Vegas for the NBA’s Summer League. They could have gone for Brazilian 7-footer Tiago Splitter, LSU’s Glen “Big Baby” Davis or USC combo guard Gabe Pruitt, who played on Afflalo’s high school team before transferring to play with another Piston, Amir Johnson.

But something kept pulling them back to Afflalo, who seemed to fit the things the Pistons believed in most.

“I think it’s a perfect fit,” Afflalo’s agent, Sam Goldfeder, said of his coming to the Pistons. “Everything that Detroit has stood for in the past and will continue to stand for in the future, Arron is emblematic of all those things. He’s a great kid, he’s tough as nails, he’s a winner, he’s a team player, he’s a guy who’s never going to be complacent.

“Arron’s a special person. There are two things about him that’s different – his mental toughness and his pride. If one day, God willing, he would be a maxed-out player, he would be in the gym, in the dark, in the summer, by himself, working out because he always will get better. He has a love for the game.”

Afflalo’s jump shot has betrayed him in Las Vegas, going 9 for 26 through his first two games. But the Pistons think there’s nothing in his form to indicate he won’t become a very proficient perimeter shooter. And in at least one respect – his knack for moving without the ball and using screens – he’s the perfect backup to Rip Hamilton.

It’s in all the other things – defense, rebounding, court sense – where the Pistons see Afflalo as an ideal fit. In fact, they think he can guard all three perimeter positions. One day Pistons vice president John Hammond was talking to Afflalo and newly hired assistant coach Michael Curry, who made an unlikely career out of his ability, at 6-foot-5, to lock up the league’s premier small forwards.

“I told Arron that Michael guarded every three in the league and said if he could do it at that size, then Arron could, too,” Hammond said. “I told him, ‘We know you can guard twos and we know you can guard threes.’ And Arron said, ‘Hey, John, I can guard ones, too.’ ”

He showed that – along with the mentality that sold the front office on him – in the Summer League opener when he asked coach Terry Porter to let him guard Louis Williams, a two-year veteran, after Williams exploded for 10 quick points to open the fourth quarter. On the last possession of regulation, with Philadelphia in position to win, Afflalo forced the jet-quick Williams into a desperation heave that missed everything.

“I always said when I played that whatever position you can defend, you can play,” Curry said. “His skill level is good enough to play the one, two or three and he definitely can defend those three positions. He’s going to be a tremendous asset. Most of it is mentality and he has that. He comes out of a great program where he was the rock of that team.

“I’ve always thought last year, when he was thinking of coming out, that offensively he could get better but defensively I thought he was NBA ready. I feel the same way now. He’s gotten better offensively. Because of the way he works, he’ll get to where he needs to be. But defensively, he’s NBA ready right now.”

Chauncey Billups could have told the Pistons the same thing two years ago. In fact, he did.

Good read, thanks Glenn. I sure hope they are right about him guarding SF's. I also hope I don't see Curry teaching him wild hand movements either. I'd be happy if Afflalo turns into a Bowen type of player and just a defensive stopper off the bench that can hit an open shot.

thanks Glenn. good stories about Afflalo impressing Chauncey.

i like the defense presence he brings. add to that his outside jumper and i think he could find a niche in the league real easily.

with Stuckey looking to improve and the Afflalo pick, the '07 Pistons draft might turn out to be ok after all. of course, it's all dependent on their impact to the team and if they can contribute towards winning a title. it's Finals or bust here in Detroit, right?

That is a good read.

I was thinking if we start the season with the same starters, it sure would be nice to have some new blood in the rotation. I don't know enough to say who might make the rotation but RStuck, Afflalo, Max and Nazr would be an interesting bunch off the bench.

It probably doesn't need to be said, but always remember when reading anything by Langlois... who signs his paycheck?

He does some good work, but I always read it with a critical eye.

its one thing to shut down Louis Williams at a summerleague game, lets see how he'll defend vs Wade, Bron and Arenas

It probably doesn't need to be said, but always remember when reading anything by Langlois... who signs his paycheck?

He does some good work, but I always read it with a critical eye.

pretty much anything that comes from him or McCosky.

i mean, how many times has Chauncey talked to Joe D/John Hammond about some young prospect. i'm betting a bunch of guys. since we drafted Afflalo, it makes a good story to make it sound like Chauncey spotted him out above all others.

regardless, it's a good read, as long as you don't buy into the pistons propaganda too much, like you said Glenn.

its one thing to shut down Louis Williams at a summerleague game, lets see how he'll defend vs Wade, Bron and Arenas

Defending those guys are for the big boys. As long as he can defend Wade and Brons subs when they're on the bench is the main thing.

I agree. He needs to defend the Daniel Gibson's of the world, not the Brons. When RIP and Tay get old or move on, then he has to defend the stars.

well, there will be stretches where Afflalo will be looked upon to defend starting SG/SF's.

remember when Delfino had to guard Lebron and Paul Pierce? our bench players won't play the exact minutes that the opposing bench players will, so there will be some overlap.
bottomline, a guy like Afflalo won't have to shut down Wade or Lebron, just play decent enough defense to not allow them to heat up and go off for 3-4 straight buckets. the fact that Afflalo could turn out to be an above average defender makes it all the better.

well, there will be stretches where Afflalo will be looked upon to defend starting SG/SF's.

remember when Delfino had to guard Lebron and Paul Pierce? our bench players won't play the exact minutes that the opposing bench players will, so there will be some overlap.
bottomline, a guy like Afflalo won't have to shut down Wade or Lebron, just play decent enough defense to not allow them to heat up and go off for 3-4 straight buckets. the fact that Afflalo could turn out to be an above average defender makes it all the better.

Not to mention covering for injuries and foul trouble.

Not to worry though, with Mike Curry on staff, AA will be flailing his arms wildly like an octopus in no time.

http://www2.jsonline.com/sports/buck/image/1999/dell214.jpg

don't hate.

9SXN_j3Hhyk

That was a pretty nice block actually.

I was hoping you had a video of him waving his hands wildly only to get blown by.