What if we drafted....Solomon Alabi? (Featuring TrueCubbie of Tomahawk Nation)
by Zorgon on May 8, 2010 10:13 PM CDT
in Draft Coverage
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| Season | Team | Min | Pts | Rebs | Ast | TO | Stl | Blk | PF | FG% | FT% | 3PT% |
| 2007-2008 | FSU | 10.3 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | .484 | .556 | .000 |
| 2008-2009 | FSU | 22.3 | 8.4 | 5.6 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 1.9 | .540 | .680 | .000 |
| 2009-2010 | FSU | 25.6 | 11.7 | 6.2 | 0/5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 | .534 | .794 | .000 |
Solomon is your typical athletically gifted, raw seven foot center. His defensive skills are far ahead of his offensive ability. Additionally, he needs to get stronger, which is no easy feat for a seven footer. Solomon only started playing organized basketball during his junior year of high school, which is when he first arrived in the United States. He also received a medical redshirt his freshman year. Adding all of that up results in a relatively 'inexperienced' player, which at times shows up in his play on the court. That said he is very aggressive on the defensive end of the court and was one of the best shot blockers in the country. His timing is outstanding and he really is a difference maker on defense. If you watch him play, you will see that he needs to have better footwork and confidence when he is getting established on the low post. Given his relatively short duration of a basketball career, it is not surprising that his offensive skills lag behind his defense. Though, he should signs of significant improvement this year and could turn into a complete player.
Alabi has the athletic ability and potential to develop into a difference maker in the NBA. However, the likes of Hasheem Thabeet and Roy Hibbert should be in one's mind when thinking about Solomon's NBA career. If he can develop the lower body strength, he'll get regular minutes. But, it is hard to see him trying to post up against a Shaq or Howard. He is an incredibly gifted free throw shooter and could be used in late game situations. There is certainly the possibility that he will develop into a NBA caliber player, but he is an investment for the future. Granted, as a Chicago Bulls fan, I never thought Noah would turn into the kind of player he was this year. So, hard to really predict, but his impact will not be immediate.
It's not like the Thunder need any more size, but having an athletic seven footer is always a nice addition to the team. He would certainly add depth at the position for you. Solomon runs the floor well and would fit in nicely with the Thunder. I don't know enough about the subtleties of the Thunder or specific needs to really comment further than that.
Before the start of the NCAA season, Solomon was predicted to be a lottery pick and some draft boards thought he might even turn into a top ten pick. The hope was that Solomon would turn into a consistent double-double kind of player. He finished the year averaging 11 points, 6 rebounds and two blocks per game in 25 minutes of play and shot 79% from the free throw line. He also averaged two turnovers per game. Everyone hoped that his offensive game was going to blossom this year, but it didn't evolve quite the way everyone hoped for. He could easily be available at 21.
That is the perfect system for Solomon. Solomon understands his role on the team and will buy into the system. It may in fact help him develop faster than what he did during college. Florida State's head coach Leonard Hamilton is known for developing players on the defensive end but is criticized for his consistently under performing offense. With a good system, good fundamental coaching on the offensive end, Solomon could do exceedingly well. He is not a wild or selfish player. In fact, it would have been nice to see some of that from Solomon this year.
I don't have a particular preference for which team he ends up with. I would like to see him join a team that has a coach who is particularly adept working with young centers.
Best case he gets drafted by a team that is not in immediate need of an impact player at the center position, he develops over a few years time and becomes a starter in the NBA and averages 10+ and 10+ a night. Worst case, he gets thrown into the game without time to develop or get stronger and becomes obsolete in a couple of years. He's not ready to be a marquee go to player yet.
Al Thornton finished with a great year after the trade to the Wizards. We are all anxiously awaiting the break out season for Toney Douglas, who is currently with the Knicks. Alabi could certainly be a Thornton type of player, getting regular minutes and making a regular positive contribution to his team.
10. Any other information you might want to include?
Solomon is a great guy and is very intelligent as well. He will be a nice addition to any team in the league and there should be no concerns about commitment, character or effort. He wants to get better. He just needs to be in the right system.
Many thanks to TrueCubbie for the in-depth analysis. So, what do you think? Is Solomon Alabi a good pick or a bad pick? Will he be worth the risk at #21, or even at #26? Let us know by dropping a comment!
See Also: Larry Sanders Profile.
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Here's my take on Alabi
There are basically two types of 7 footers:
Shaq, Mutombo, Noah, Oden—Strong, athletic guys
Bol, Hibbert, Thabeet, Ming—Long, thin guys
I think Alabi falls into the latter catergory. That spindly-legged type who I’m always waiting for their leg to snap when they run down the court. It scares me to draft someone like that.
Basically, the same argument I’ll give that I gave against Thabeet last year: I don’t trust his durability.
Also, not much on the offensive end. And from the guys above who have seen him much more than I have, he’s a project that needs a few years to be a 10 and 10 guy.
I just think there are better options.
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by ElectricPencils on May 8, 2010 10:34 PM CDT reply actions
I would put Noah in the skinny group as well, but I doubt he will face a serious injury because of his size. Plus Oden isn’t very durable, but I agree with your point.
I’m curious, what options do you see?
Hope and pray that Monroe, Udoh, Orton, Whiteside, or Sanders will be available at 21? If we are able to trade up, I doubt the Thunder get into the lottery. So if we obtain the 16th or 17th pick we might be able to get Sanders (or Orton and Udoh if they slide), but that is not a given.
Sanders is projected to be drafted between the 18 – 24 range. So Sanders might be available, but I really believe his draft stock will rise at the Draft Combine. The other bigs are projected to go in the top 15, besides Alabi and Seraphin.
I don’t see a lot of options for bigs other than trade or scooping down into the 2nd round.
Your friendly neighborhood Loud City resident.
best option is to trade picks or draft a stash euro like kevin seraphin. realistically, none of these players available in the late first round will make immediate impact. by the time you pick in the 20’s it’s like throwing darts. you can get a carlos boozer or samuel dalembert but most likely you’re getting olimude oyedeji or mamadou n’diaye. these picks don’t have a lot of value and okc does not have lots of open roster spots.
i disagree about your strong / thin guy argument. hibbert has mass, yao has mass, noah was a twig when he was drafted he gained a lot of weight already.
if okc want center depth look to free agency or trade. i think this team has enough projects and young guys there’s no way you can develop them all successfully.
hibbert is not thin and neither is yao.
by Michael Gleich on May 9, 2010 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Compare Yao's build to Shaq's build
Looks thin to me.
And Noah’s build reminds me of Dirk’s build. His movements have a certain amount of grace that the “thin” players lack. They look awkward in their bodies. And he’s only put on like 8 pounds since he’s been in the league, if you compare the draft capsules to his listed weight now.
Also, I didn’t say the strong, athletic guys (Oden) were durable, per se, just noting the difference in physique.
The other options, as someone already mentioned, are free agency and trades.
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by ElectricPencils on May 9, 2010 1:26 PM CDT up reply actions
noah and dirk move well b/c they learned guard skills at a young age and practice that. noah comes from athletic family and was more than just basketball player. yao ming is the best athlete i ever seen 7’3" or bigger compare him to shawn bradley or gherge muresan or zydrunas illgauskas, he much more coordinated and ‘graceful’.
oden, shaq, mutombo all very long players, too. i dont understand what you’re saying here. most young big guys fill out.
Some players look more comfortable to me with their size
Whether it’s because they learned guard skills at a young age or were just born that way.
Go watch video of Shaq and then watch video of Hasheem Thabeet. I’m not talking about comparing their ability, just the way they look and carry themselves. If you’re telling me you can’t see a difference in body type and motion, then I’m not sure what else I can say to you.
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by ElectricPencils on May 9, 2010 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions
shaq an elite athlete at the position and singular example. shaq really the only player in nba history with elite offensive game with almost no shots attempted outside the paint. i think you getting mixed up athleticism and size and shaq is extreme outlier. thabeet not as athletic as shaq thats for sure, not sure how much that says about solomon alabi???
As I said...
I’m NOT talking about their ability. I’m talking about the way they carry themselves, which would be the athleticism FOR THEIR SIZE.
There are many seven footers who have played the game. Some look like an oak tree, (Shaq, Ewing, Mutombo) and some look like a a newborn deer on learning how to walk, (Bol, Thabeet, and yes, in my opinion, Yao.)
Granted, there are varying degrees in each group, but still pretty obvious (to me) the difference between Noah and Alabi when you look at them.
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by ElectricPencils on May 9, 2010 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions
of course better athlete you are relative to height the better you will be as a player especially as a center. i dont know how you put yao in that group though he the best athlete that size in the world, most players above 7’2" can barely walk right. yao run the fast break in houston in his first few years before the injuries.
Yes
and I don’t see Alabi falling to the “good” catergory. I see him as fragile.
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by ElectricPencils on May 9, 2010 6:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Alabi is an interesting prospect, but I’m souring on his potential. His size and blocking ability are a big plus, but there are too many questions that surround him. Mainly his health, but now I wonder how effective a rebounder he will be in the NBA.
We already have two 7 footers that can barely corral a ball. Having presence in the paint that can block would be enticing, but we already have Ibaka. Is shot blocking that big of a deal right now? If so, I’d go with Sanders (14.4 PpG, 9.1 Rbd, 2.6 Blk) or some second rounders like Jarvis Varnado (13.8 PpG, 10.3 Rbd, 4.7 Blk) and Jerome Jordan (15.4 PpG, 9.1 Rbd, 2.3 Blk). At least this group can rebound.
If you’re looking for size, Jerome Jordan was last measured at 7’0" and 251 lbs.
Udoh and Whiteside would be interesting prospects as well, but I doubt we can trade up far enough to draft them. We could face that problem with Sanders as well, that is why I’m looking at the second rounders.
With Seraphin moving up the mock drafts, perhaps the Thunder should pick him at 21 to keep in Europe, and then reach down with the 26th or 32nd pick to obtain Jordan or Varnado. I’m just grasping at straws here, I know. The possibility of not being able to trade up has me looking at all options.
Your friendly neighborhood Loud City resident.
On second thought...
I just looked up Seraphin’s numbers and he is a horrible rebounder as well. Per 15.3 minutes Seraphin averages 5.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks. So I wouldn’t select him 21st either.
It appears Seraphin’s draft stock is just rising because of his performance at the Nike Hoop Summit last year. He could develop into something special, but at the moment he is barely putting up good numbers in a French league that is being dominated by Sene.
Your friendly neighborhood Loud City resident.
Maybe I was being too harsh...
Adjusting Seraphin’s numbers per 36 minutes or 40 minutes looks a lot better.
36 minutes
13.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks
40 minutes
15.16 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks
I’m just not sure how his production will translate into the NBA.
Yes, I am bored.
Your friendly neighborhood Loud City resident.
I miss Sene.
I know the consensus is that he sucked, but I wish I got to see some extended time on the floor with him, other than a few seconds of garbage time.
Seraphin is a huge question mark. He’s the guy I most want to do a Q&A for, but it’s impossible to find someone who happens to cover French League basketball, much less his team, Cholet Basket. I fired off an email to a French speaking blog, but it’s a longshot at best.
With Alabi, you know you’re getting a project. Good athleticism, good shotblocking, questionable offense, subpar rebounding. With Seraphin, he’s also a project, but right now he’s buried on the bench of a French League team. Not Euroleague, French League. So it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll be good or not.
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I’ve always wondered about Sene myself. In France he averaged 12.7 pts, 11.6 boards, and 2.5 blocks in 31.5 minutes. A 7 footer with a 7’8.5" wingspan is always intriguing, I guess.
BTW… I’m really enjoying these "What if we drafted…" pieces.
I know Ibaka spent some time playing in France. I was going to try to compare his time in France with Seraphin’s, but I can’t find that data now. I’m not even sure it was the same league.
Your friendly neighborhood Loud City resident.
serge’s numbers overseas last year
16 min 7.1 pts 4.5 reb 1.0 blks
by Michael Gleich on May 9, 2010 10:27 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm always a Noles fan.
I wish Solomon the best, but I just don’t think he’ll ever develop an offensive game. I loved his block shots. I loved having a seven footer, and I for sure loved going to the big dance. Sadly, I don’t think he’ll ever be more than a Joel Anthony in the NBA. A guy who comes off the bench, has his role, you love him, but just won’t ever dominate the league.
El Venao!
7 Foot Project
Solomon Alabi is a fragile project on the offensive end. We already have a 7 foot jump shooting project in Byron who I feel has more upside and potential than Alabi. Have faith in Sam that he knows what he’s doing and be patient with Mullens
Q&A....
could you try to get one with someone for Whiteside.
I don’t think a trade up is out of the question and right now he’s being projected as a 12-14 range. Was watching some highlights of him and he actually seems to have a developing offensive game and he could probably contribute immediately on defense. Not starters minutes right away but bringing him along next season as they did with Serge this year would probably be very good for him.
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