Estimated Release Date: 07/14/2014
HELP WANTED: If you have the ability to make and contribute fictional cyber faces to this class and future classes then please PM me or let me know in this thread!
If you like what you see so far, leave a comment and let me know! If you have any requests be sure to post them too and I'll give it major consideration. Happy modding everyone!
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**Attention** This thread, much like this Draft Class, is also a work in progress. I'll slowly start to update it with more pictures, and more detailed scouting reports on the players as I make progress. In the meantime, I'm simply going to type up quick run-downs of some "players to watch" from the 20 players shown below.
Hey there NLSC. After countless excuses made and procrastinating this is my first legitimate crack at a fictional draft class. It's still a major work in progress, but the 20 players presented below all have their ratings/tendencies sorted out as well as their CFs (except for Hector Rodriguez, whose CF I'm still fixing.) Speaking of the CFs, they all have customized headshapes in order to give them a sense of uniqueness. I've also tried to give 3d hairstyles to nearly all of the white players (trust me, there are more of them than what's shown here lol.) The face textures are recycled from other NBA players (along with their tattoos currently although I may or may not change this depending on laziness), however these textures are put onto completely new headshapes in order to make them distinguishable.
Making draft classes isn't particularly easy work, I can get about 15 CFs done on a Sunday with lots of free time, and about 6 done on a regular day with not so much free time, but usually I don't have free time at all. So I'd appreciate any help I can get with making this project a reality and continuing to make Classes after Year 1.
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YEAR 1:
Class Strength: Average (Subject to Change)
Deepest Position: Center (Subject to Change)
Most Likely #1: Justin Drake/Tamar Atkins
NCAA Tournament:(1) Kansas defeats (4) Ohio State 76-70
Draft Class Fact: 3 players from the recent Kansas Championship squad are projected to be first rounders in this draft. 4 total are in the Draft Pool.
Players of Interest:
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Fernando Pessoa (PG/SG?)
Brazil
19 yrs old
6'7"|216lbs
Backstory: Hailing from the same Palmeiras Professional team that Leandro Barbosa started his basketball career at, Fernando Pessoa can only be described with one word--dynamic. The 6'7" guard initially started his athletic career as a soccer player, attending some of the best academies in Brazil, but as he continued to sprout in height a family friend suggested he try out the game of basketball, and Pessoa never looked back.
Strengths: Pessoa was originally unheralded going into this year, but at 6'7", with electric speed and a 39 inch vertical, Pessoa is a behemoth of a point guard who caught many scouts attention, and uses his physical gifts to his advantage. He is a "jack of all trades" type of player, well rounded in many aspects of the game. He's a solid passer, and a decent rebounder at the point guard position. He's not an elite scorer, but the potential is there due to his athletic ability, and not many players in the draft can drive to the hoop as well as Pessoa can, using his length and explosiveness to glide past defenders. Pessoa also has the best post game of any PG in the draft and often uses his size in the post over other guards to score easily. But Pessoa's greatest strength is on the defensive end of the ball. He's an elite defender and can guard multiple positions, with his length being particularly bothersome for the majority of PGs he faces who will be smaller than him.
Weaknesses: Pessoa needs to get a better feel for the game and transition to the NBA style of basketball. He needs to improve his ability to score consistently as well. For a point guard, he has a mediocre handle, and while he is solid in many of the skills needed to be a point guard he's not anything particularly special, which has lead some scouts to believe that he'd be better served moving to the 2 spot.
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Kyle Dennis (SG)
Missouri
21 yrs old
6'3"|203 lbs
Backstory: Kyle Dennis wasn't highly recruited out of High School. He wasn't highly coveted for most of his 4-yr college career either. But he has grinded and grinded his way into NBA relevance. Dennis started off as the sixth man for his Mizzou squad 4 years ago, averaging 8ppg, and continued to work his way up, averaging 19, and 23 in his successive years. As a senior, Dennis led the nation in scoring this year averaging 26.4ppg on 45% shooting and 41% from 3. He also carried a mediocre Mizzou squad to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament before ultimately losing to a near unstoppable Kansas squad by a mere 2 points, a game in which Dennis posted a career high 44 points and successfully captured America, and the NBA's attention.
Strengths: Kyle Dennis is absolutely electric, and quite possibly the most versatile scorer in the draft. At 6'3", he's an undersized 2, but makes up for it with excellent bounce that allows him to play above the rim. Dennis is an elite shooter--an absolute marksman from midrange and 3 even while shooting them at a high volume, and an excellent FT shooter, as well as a excellent slasher, using creative moves along with supreme leaping ability to get to the cup. Elite at creating his own shot, and has the uncanny ability to heat up in a hurry. Never let Kyle Dennis hit consecutive shots.
Weaknesses: At 6'3", Kyle Dennis is an extremely undersized NBA 2. Many teams will consider drafting him with the intention of moving him to the 1, however Dennis lacks the natural PG abilities (passing, BBall IQ, elite handle, etc) to ever be a successful NBA point guard, so teams will have to gamble with playing him at his natural SG spot. Dennis is also an abysmal on-ball defender, which many of his apologists claim was due to the fact that he was too busy carrying the scoring load for his Mizzou squad. However, things will only get harder for Dennis on the defensive side of the ball going against NBA level talent, especially if he has to guard 2s who're bigger than him. Dennis, due to his high usage rate at Mizzou, also appeared to be a turnover machine. Although in a system where he isn't expected to carry as much responsibility maybe this will change. He is also a particularly streaky scorer, but can get hot in a hurry.
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Justin Drake (SG/SF)
Baylor
19 yrs old
6'8"|206lbs
Backstory: The lanky, gazelle-like phenom has been on every scout's radar since his Freshman yr of High School. And finally, he is ready for the big leagues. Drake hails from Houston Texas, where he grew up idolizing Hakeem Olajuwon, Tracy McGrady, and Yao Ming, and became a fan of Kevin Durant and began to try modeling his game after him, during Durant's 1 yr stint at the University of Texas. Was also a Rivals Top 250 Wide Receiver back when he was younger and 6'5", but ultimately chose to focus on Basketball during his Senior Year of HS. Despite being hounded by multiple schools and even being offered by Texas, Drake ultimately chose Baylor as he felt it was the best situation for him and Baylor had a strong squad going into that year. During his 1 year stint, Drake posted averages of 18.7ppg/6.8rpg/2.3apg/1bpg, on 48% shooting and 36% from 3. His 2 seeded Baylor squad was knocked out surprisingly in the Sweet 16 by a patchwork Missouri team led by dominant scorer Kyle Dennis, who dropped 34 points to Drake's 27.
Strengths: Andrew Wiggins 2.0? You bet. Justin Drake is a freaky athlete that could've just as easily made an elite NFL receiver as he will an elite NBA player. Drake was tied for 1st with Garrett Houston of Kansas, for the highest vertical at the Draft Combine, posting a whopping 44 inches. He also clocked the 2nd fastest sprint time at the draft, behind only the lightning quick Damir Tran of Miami and can reportedly run a 4.41 second 40-yard dash. Drake is lanky, and uses his explosiveness to finish at the rim powerfully, easily being one of the Draft's best dunkers and slashers as well if not the best. Perhaps even more impressive is Drake's underrated ability to rebound the ball from the 2 position, skying for 7rpg during his 1 year stint at Baylor. Flat out, Justin Drake's potential is limitless, and despite how raw he is he posted 40 points twice during his college regular season, and 30+ points 3 times. A 1A/1B for No. 1 Overall with Ohio State's Tamar Atkins.
Weaknesses: Drake is extremely raw offensively. He is an unpolished scorer and his jumpshot is very average. He's also a mediocre FT shooter and needs to fix his mechanics. Drake has a mediocre handle and average ball security and needs to learn to make smarter decisions, as he has tunnel vision when it comes to distributing the ball and isn't a very good passer. He is a decent defender but can be much better given his physical tools. Despite all this, Drake shows flashes of absolute brilliance and with the right grooming can be an NBA superstar.
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TO BE CONTINUED...
Still got a lot to write but need to go to bed. And once again, if you like what you see so far, leave a comment and let me know! If you have any requests be sure to post them too and I'll give it major consideration. Happy modding everyone!
