Narendra
Years ago

Is Luke Travers really NBA material?

Is luke travers really nba material? Or is it just more shallow hype at this point? Granted i haven't seen him play much but from what little footage i've seen of him , he looks really meh..there doesn't seem to any part of his game that jumps out and screams nba gig, he is a good player no doubt, but nba level good, i think not.

Topic #49479 | Report this topic


Anonymous  
Years ago

I don't see it but good luck to him

Reply #877515 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Nup

Reply #877517 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

A lot on here thought Giddey had no chance of getting drafted at the start of last season. I think Travers has a chance, but he has to have an outstanding season to get the scouts attention.

Reply #877521 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It's a bit too hard to tell at the moment. I think NBA talk at this point is really optimistic, but I think he definitely has the signs of a long pro career (at the very least at NBL level - maybe a Catalini or Pat Reidy level career?). Agreed, there really isn’t an attribute to his game that screams NBA-ready.

Mitch Creek at least had the physicality/athleticism to be a plus-defender. Guys like Giddey and Ingles have a playmaking ability and IQ (plus size, though lacking athleticism) to make a go of it.

Travers I would really like to see become more assertive. Granted, playing on a good Wildcats team with guys like Cotton, Mooney, et al, have allowed him to take a bit of a backseat, but he sometimes comes across as a bit too passive.

Reply #877522 | Report this post


RobT  
Years ago

One thing that could influence how he fairs is his situation at Perth. New HC Morrison will determine his mins.

If Morrison likes Traverse, he can use his vast and respected NBA reputation to advance Traverse's prospects and ultimately, is career.

Reply #877523 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It always helps to have connections, if Gleeson thinks he's good enough and gets in his corner, he’s a chance.
I’ve followed Tate closely in Sydney and at rockets, he’s had some great games, also a lot games in the mid twenty minuses, double off a lot team mates, Weaver was the asset there, imo I still believe that Creek offered more, same size, both streaky at the three but good enough, Creek is a far better defender, luck and who is in your corner helps a lot.

Reply #877535 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

That's right often it's connections that get fringe players into the NBA the thing with Creek though is there was still NBA interest in him at the time but SEM made him an offer he would've been silly to knock back.

Creek said in the year he spent in the US playing in the NBA and G-League financially he made about the same money he was getting paid by the 36ers, the SEM offer was for double that amount.

Reply #877536 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

For a wing

Size 8/10
Speed 5/10
Ball handling 6/10
Shooting 4/10
Iq 6/10
Rebounding 6/10
Passing 6/10
Athleticism 8/10
Desire/focus 5/10


I don't think he close to the nba just yet

Reply #877537 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Habitually has not been a hard worker. Hopefully it's starting to click now that he has an opportunity if he puts the work in.
It will help having a coach with legit nba experience that can point him in the right direction.

Reply #877539 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Giddy was clearly a NBA Prospect anyone who says this kid is NBA is being bias. He doesn't do anything special even at the NBL level he’s not someone who the other teams put on the scouting report. Solid role player and yes he’s young and can develop. When I see that development turn into legit NBA potential I’d be the first to eat these words but I don’t see NBA when watching him play.

Reply #877546 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I'd like to see a few more solid role players in the nba, delly certainly wasn’t a star but made a career for himself. A few more solid role players would be better than some off the junk they play now. I’d think lebron would like a few solid role players around him than what he’s got.

Reply #877547 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

LeBron's problem is they traded all their role players (or in Caruso’s case, let him walk), in order to get on Westbrook roller coaster. But Travers would probably do well with LBJ as he tends to make average players look good (and good players look average).

Reply #877550 | Report this post


proud  
Years ago

Second year Blanchfield generally sucks (regardless of team since Townsville) so Travers has a big chance there especially with the injury. The biggest unknown is just how Frazier will be played, will Cotton play more point this season and will Wagstaff be backing up the 4 in every situation or could Travers be given minutes there.

If there Are minutes to be had then the opportunity is there.

Did we think that Terrence Ferguson would be a starter on that OKC team after watching him play or not play for the 36ers? Ferguson had a beautiful shooting stoke and was athletic as hell but I certainly didn't see him as a trusty defender that he was relied on to be at OKC.

Plenty of other examples too like that dud from Illawarra two seasons back... he played some NBA but showed us far less than Travers has already

Reply #877563 | Report this post


Zodiac  
Years ago

Darington Hobson? Some imports come here especially in-season just to grab a contract to stay in shape ahead of a better opportunity opening up after the season. It was obvious Hobson was putting in the bare minimum effort.

A bit like Brandon Paul at the Sixers last season, put in more effort than Hobson but was really just trying to stay in shape and avoid injury ahead of his next gig. Ferguson himself was very underwhelming by rarely going to the hole (like Paul) but he had an NBA draft position to worry about.

Reply #877566 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Greg Hire thinks Travers is better than Giddey...

Reply #877568 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Don't hink Travers is anywhere near NBA quality, but it’s all you’ll hear from NBL commentary this coming season while they pump the league’s tyres up.

Reply #877577 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

Based on Travers' playoff series, he's a chance.

The question would be what specific area of his game will be highly sought after. He needs to make himself valuable by becoming elite at something. Consider the other Aussies in the NBA- Mills (Shooting, intangibles and morale, professionalism), Ingles (Shooting), Giddey (Playmaking and passing), Thybulle (Defense). What is Travers biggest selling point and what makes him stand out? I haven't seen enough to know.

But for a 19 year old (just turned 20), looking at his playoff series, the potential is absolutely there to become an all-around elite NBL player within the next 1-2 years, and if you're elite NBL by 21-22, then NBA scouts will be looking hard at you given how the NBL is now firmly on the international radar in a way it wasn't quite 10 years or even 5 years ago.

Reply #877582 | Report this post


ME (he/kangaroo)  
Years ago

He's not a bad little NBL role player but I am not seeing what makes him an NBA player. Mojave King is probably closer to the mark and I don't even think he makes the NBA. This is all just the NBL hype machine. I like a bit of hype here and there but none of them look like NBA prospects to me.

Reply #877614 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

The hype is based on

- 6 foot 8 wing, NBA size and length
- Can handle the ball and pass
- Decent game nous
- Appears to have maturity and calm
- Impact in NBL at age 19 in the playoffs

Those things bode really well.

But, you need to make somebody notice you. Which part of his game can he really develop to the point where somebody says "He could play a role for our team".

Of course it may just be his all-around game. Not everybody has one specific selling point.

Landale for example, is an elite 3 point shooter for a big guy, but that's not even a core element of being a big man even today. Landale got picked up just because of his solid all-around game. Travers could be likewise, but obviously lots of development still to come before getting ahead of ourselves.

Reply #877617 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

[that's not even a core element of being a big man even today]

What I mean is, it's expected that bigs can shoot from outside, but it's not core in the same sense as rim protection, interior D, rebounding. All things Landale is OK at, but not elite things that got him picked up. Not in the same way that Thybulle is an elite perimeter defender say

Reply #877618 | Report this post


ME (he/kangaroo)  
Years ago

I just am not sure what he has that a whole lot of other kids don't. I will be happy to be proven wrong and if he has a standout season (which Perth may actually need him to do to be successful) then I could change this opinion, but as of right now.. I think the hype is overblown.

Reply #877626 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

I can't remember many 19 year olds having that much influence in the NBL playoffs.

Reply #877635 | Report this post


LV  
Years ago

In other words it's mostly his age that spells potential.


Reply #877636 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Kai Sotto has a way higher chance the get drafted to the NBA than Travers lol

Reply #877641 | Report this post


4 real  
Years ago

I think the issue probably is we do have a baseline for NBL to NBA transition. Giddey and LaMelo Ball were starters, putting up decent numbers, albeit on ordinary teams. Jae'sean Tate was in the MVP conversation.

Terrence Ferguson struggled for consistency, but keep in mind he had the length and athleticism that projected him as a 3-and-D player, had looked promising in the high school All-Star exhibitions, and heavily recruited by some pretty big NCAA programs. Potential May have gotten Ferguson a gig, but it appears it hasn’t worked out for him (for OKC he could work in that Sefalosha/Roberson role, but a better shooter, though it was a lot of "stand in the corner" which never developed his, granted limited, offensive game).

Personally, and glad for the kid to prove me wrong, he hasn’t exhibited what the likes of Giddey and Ball have, and although probably comparable to what Ferguson produced here, lacks the athleticism that NBA scouts highly value.

But who knows, Mitch Creek projected similar early on (though he did tick the athleticism box somewhat), and he got a call-up, so it could potentially happen. Travers, given his age, probably is as good a bet as any homegrown Australian to make it though.

Reply #877655 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Travers has moved into the ESPN Top 100 prospects. From unranked to #89.
Scouts are obviously watching the kid.

Reply #877814 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Holmgren number 1, no way....

Reply #877815 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

It's media hype and his agent at the moment that is getting him noticed. Scouts wouldn’t move after a pre season half baked tournament. This week will be the test

Reply #877823 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

He'll probably need some Boomers campaigns on his pathway. LT has been a world class junior and showed in last years playoffs he is tracking pretty well.

Reply #878402 | Report this post


Mystro  
Years ago

Hoops Hype have Dyson Daniels @ 12, Ousmane Dieng @ 14, Hugo Besson @ 45, Hukporti @ 74, Makur Maker @ 99, Mojave King @ 100.

ESPN have Dieng @ 12, Dyson Daniels @ 22, Hugo Besson @ 36, Hukporti @ 55, Travers @ 89, Mojave King @ 90, Nikita Mikhailovskii @ 91, Makur Makur @ 93.



Reply #878404 | Report this post


D2.0  
Years ago

I knew very little about Giddey, before he started with the 6ers last season.
Clearly for a kid, barely turned 18, he was an exceptional prospect. Rightly deserving of a Next Stars spot, and well we all saw how well he played.

Base on my limited knowledge of what the NBA looks for, I think that a 203cm PG, with his potential, was always going to be a hot prospect.

I love Travers, and am so massively pumped to have him at the WILDCATS (especially as a local boy.) Considering he was still a DP last season, he was a massive boost for us, and his performance (as a 19 yr old DP) was exceptional (by NBL standards.)

The physical comparisons to Giddey are obvious, and there is some "similarity" in the way they play. But that's about as far as it goes.

Like many who become good NBL players, Travers could progress beyond to the point where he becomes exceptional at this level, and earns himself a "look" at the NBA.
But for now, I just hope he has a great NBL career ahead of him.

Reply #878529 | Report this post




You need to be a registered user to post from this location. Register here.



Close ads
Little Streaks - The fun and interactive good-habits app designed especially for kids.
Serio: Tourism photography and videography

Advertise on Hoops to a very focused, local and sports-keen audience. Email for rates and options.

Recent Posts



.


An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 9:36 pm, Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754