The Colton Iverson thread

[gyso]

Prospect Profile - Colton Iverson:

http://www.nba.com/draft/2013/prospects/colton-iverson/

Colton IversonColorado St.:

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/colton-iverson

2013 NBA Draft Diary: Colton Iverson Pt. 1

http://www.hoopsworld.com/2013-nba-draft-diary-colton-iverson-pt-1

Colton Iverson Traded to Boston Celtics: Scouting Report and Analysis

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1682585-colton-iverson-picked-by-indiana-pacers-scouting-report-and-analysis

2013 Draft Profile - Colton Iverson

http://www.mynbadraft.com/NBA-Draft-Profiles-2013/Colton-Iverson

Boston Celtics Draft Colton Iverson & Sign Lamont Jones

http://www.celticsblog.com/2013/6/28/4473314/boston-celtics-draft-colton-iverson-sign-lamont-jones

gyso

[gyso]

Here's some more:

Iverson selected as 53rd overall in NBA draft

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20130627/SPORTS0202/306270044/-1/rss04

NBA Pre-Draft Tour: Colton Iverson Workout
The 7-footer brings it in the paint.

http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2013/06/nba-pre-draft-tour-colton-iverson-workout/

Yankton's Colton Iverson joins rebuilding Celtics

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20130628/SPORTS/306280027

gyso

[bobheckler]

gyso,

Thanks for posting all this.  I completely missed this whole thing.

For someone who only took 9 jumpshots his entire senior year, he's showing some very good shooting in the first video on the nbadraft.net link.  His release looks a tad slow, but he wasn't in a rush to shoot, I guess, but it was important that he hit them, and he did several in a row.  Decent release point too.  That might make up for the slow release.

As far as his lack of athleticism goes, neither is Pekovic athletic and I'd love to have him.  He's 263#, that's legit NBA center beef.  He's a banger, reputedly quite strong and uses all 263# to attack the defensive and offensive boards.

I absolutely love the analysis from the Slamonline page:

We caught up with Iverson in Las Vegas training with Impact Basketball. The strides that he made in his game were considerable, if not remarkable. For anyone who watched him in the Big Ten, you felt like you were watching a completely different player. He ran the floor, was in outstanding shape physically, and had a great feel for the game. One thing remained constant: His ability to straight lay guys out on screens.

“Not a whole lot of guards like receiving a screen from me, but whoever you are playing with loves when you set good screens to get them open,” Iverson laughed. “I’m going to take pride in setting screens like that at the next level.”

He added, “Your teammates are going to respect you a hell of a lot more when you set a good screen and chances are that the guy guarding you is going to help, so you get more often than not too.”

Colton’s size (measured 7-0, 263 pounds at the NBA Combine), athleticism and ability to set screens alone were enough to get him on a roster. Training with Joe Abunassar in Vegas added another dimension to his game: The ability to pick and pop.

Abunassar & Co. had the burly center put up well over 1,000 jumpers out of pick-and-pop scenario in our time at Impact. While no one is calling him the next Channing Frye, he certainly showed the potential of developing into a player who can keep the defense honest with his ability to shoot the ball. Once you factor in his willingness to accept a role, sets monster screens, and is a great finisher around the rim, you see why his stock has soared.

"His ability to straight lay out guys on screens".  I'm liking this kid already.

Interesting reads and videos, gyso, thanks again for pulling this together for us.


bob

[bobheckler]

Another Iverson video I found.

I like the way he attacks the rim on O-rebounds.  He seems to like to go baseline too.

Baby hook looks like it would work in the NBA.

Being 7'0", 263# covers a multitude of sins too. Have to remember he was doing this against Mountain West Conference level talent, but I understand he tore UNLV up in one game and that's something.






bob


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[Outside]

I'm assuming he'll be on the summer league team. Is there anything -- injury or otherwise -- that would prevent that?

[Sam]

It's hard to believe that a detailed scouting report could include only one sentence about defense. That's what I'll be interested in during the Summer League; although unfortunately, the Summer League is not something I associate with great defensive effort. Just having a big banger around would be refreshing. And I happen to believe that lack of solid screens was one of the three most prominent individual weaknesses on the team last season (the other two being defense in the paint and rebounding).

Sam

[worcester]

Jungle Jim Luscutoff the 3rd? Only 6 inches taller. Hmm. Might be the right guy to send a message on occasion just like Red used Jungle Jim Jr.

[gyso]

I keep reading that Colton Iverson is going to Europe next season and will not be available to play for the Celtics. I also read that his agent said that he would go to Europe if he didn't make the Celtics.

I wonder which statement is truthier?

gyso

[KennCelt]

Maybe Colton stays if the Celtics offer him a spot on the roster. Most people go to Europe to play because they don't make it into the NBA. American players don't dream of going to Europe to play ball. They dream of playing in the NBA.

[bobheckler]

Forsberg article, 7/3.  I don't know if this kid has the skills to stick in the NBA, he has the size, but I'm liking his 'tude.  We haven't seen much smashmouth basketball in Boston since Perk left.


http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/9446557/second-round-pick-colton-iverson-caught-boston-celtics-eye


Colton Iverson ready to bang heads
Danny Ainge, Celtics had eye on bruising second-round pick for quite some time
Updated: July 3, 2013, 12:40 AM ET
By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com


It says a little something about the type of player the Boston Celtics drafted when some of the first results of a YouTube search on Colton Iverson includes him breaking a rim and setting a bone-crunching screen.

The just-turned 24-year-old Iverson (Saturday was his birthday; and he celebrated with a Celtics-themed cake) is a 7-foot, 265-pound bruiser who comes with a reputation of reveling in the dirty work. He rebounds, he sets (hard) screens, he delivers hard fouls and he does it all with a relentless intensity.


Colton Iverson took a chance by transferring from Minnesota to Colorado State, but his hard work made the move pay off.
Ask those who have watched Iverson play and they'll tell you about his mean streak and toughness on the court. Looking at the South Dakota kid with a happy-to-be-here smile during Boston's rookie introductions on Monday, it seemed impossible that he could be a particularly beastly baller.

Then you watch him bury an unsuspecting UNLV guard with a spine-adjusting screen last season and you understand where the reputation comes from (as the description so perfectly describes the clip, "Boooooom!")

The Celtics sent cash considerations to the Indiana Pacers to buy the 53rd pick in last week's draft. Available that late in the yearly pick-a-palooza, Iverson faces an uphill battle to prove he belongs in the NBA, but the Boston brass likes him an awful lot.

"Colton is a player that we were excited by in the draft and had him ranked much higher than he ended up going," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. "We were really fortunate to acquire a second-round pick to get Colton.

"Colton is a kid that we've watched since his freshman year of college at the University of Minnesota. We loved his intensity from Day 1 and identified him as someone that we needed to keep a real close eye on."

Iverson spent two seasons with the Gophers but elected to sit out a year and transfer to Colorado State with the goal of increasing his on-court opportunities.

During his senior season with the Rams, Iverson averaged 14.2 points and 9.8 rebounds over 29.5 minutes per game. He shot 59.6 percent from the floor and was one of the nation's most efficient offensive players (according to Synergy Sports data, he averaged 1.043 points per play, ranking in the 90th percentile among all Division 1 players).

Don't be misguided. Iverson's offensive limitations are a big reason that he was available among the draft's final picks. But his advanced numbers suggest a player who thrives in the post (1.013 points per play, 89th percentile), making the most of opportunities created in the pick-and-roll.

Still, Iverson's space-eating ability and rebounding talents are what will determine if he can carve out a role at the NBA level.

"When he transferred to Colorado State, you could see how his work ethic and intensity continued, his confidence grew with opportunities," Ainge said. "[Iverson was] one of the leading rebounders in the country. You know, for a guy to rebound at the level that he rebounded, it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of effort. He's put a lot of work into his body and he's gotten much stronger. And [he] just has a great intensity about him."

Soon after the draft, reports indicated that Iverson might consider a season overseas. Iverson denied that any such plan is on his mind, noting at Monday's introduction that, "The Boston Celtics drafted me and I have every intention of playing with them next year."

That means he'll have to put his best foot forward when the Celtics trek to Orlando for summer league later this week. With the team potentially facing a logjam in the frontcourt, it might benefit both parties if Iverson spends a season overseas (he gets a healthy payday and an introduction to pro ball; the Celtics save a roster spot while planning for the future).

At age 24, however, Iverson has made it a goal to latch on with Boston and plans to show what he can bring in Orlando.

"I think my best basketball is playing five-on-five; so if I can get in, get rebounds, get stops, set screens, get in the pick-and-roll -- that's what a lot of the NBA is nowadays, pick-and-roll, and that's my strength," he said. "Just do the little things and show the team that I'm ready to play right away."


Iverson appears to thrive against long odds. Many were leery of his decision to transfer from Minnesota to Colorado State.

"I wouldn't be [drafted] right now if I didn't make that decision to transfer," Iverson said. "I improved a lot in the season off, did everything I needed to work on in my game, and you could see my growth my senior year. It definitely paid off, I got drafted and I'm looking forward to a long NBA career."

Added Iverson: "I knew it was a risk -- high-risk, high-reward situation. Most people were definitely saying, 'You're crazy. What are you doing?' Now that I'm here, everyone's saying they didn't say it."

But Iverson has had supporters in Boston for some time, his agent, Adam Pensack, told The Coloradoan last week.

"During the season, maybe even before I even talked to Colton or his family, I spoke with the people in Boston, and they said they liked Colton back then," Pensack said. "[Celtics director of player personnel] Austin Ainge said all along that he really believes Colton is an NBA player. He has been probably Colton's No. 1 fan throughout the entire season and throughout the entire draft process."

Iverson knows the Celtics are in transition after dealing away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce -- a move that overshadowed his own draft night, as some Boston fans were unaware that the team had even bought Indiana's pick to nab him.

Iverson grew up a Garnett fan. Being from northeast South Dakota, he was a Minnesota Timberwolves fan and said his family sometimes made the five-hour trek to Minneapolis to catch games.

While learning under Garnett might have been an intriguing prospect, Iverson doesn't back down from the idea of going against him on the floor.

"Now that I'm here, I don't look up to anyone really," said Iverson, showing a bit of that confidence and toughness. "It's like, 'I'm going against you; let's go.' It would have been great to have him and learn from him, but moves happen."

One potential fallout from the trade: Iverson's preferred jersey number (45 -- get it, Colt 45?) might be earmarked for Gerald Wallace, who wore that number in Brooklyn. Iverson settled on No. 37; if he makes the Celtics' opening-day roster, he would be the first player in franchise history to wear that number.

"I guess if you can't get your number, you've got to go with something random," Iverson said. "There really is nothing left. Thirty-seven seemed like a pretty unique number. I kind of liked it."

Iverson seems pretty unique too. And the Celtics definitely like him.


Here's the video of Iverson laying out that UNLV guard.  Now THAT'S what I call setting a pick!!!!  The guard got up looking for a license plate number....






bob


.

[Outside]

He could be a Stiemsma-type guy. Give him a year to learn the NBA ropes, and he could give some valuable minutes as a bench 5.

[bobheckler]

He could be a Stiemsma-type guy. Give him a year to learn the NBA ropes, and he could give some valuable minutes as a bench 5.

outside,

Steamer was more of a finesse player. A superior shot blocker, but not a good rebounder for his size and not particularly physical. This kid appears to be the exact opposite. He likes laying the lumber to someone. He likes rebounding. Pounding people into paste puts a smile on his face. His offense is virtually all around the rim and is powered in by force, Steamer liked the mid-range jumper and had no back-to-the-basket game.

I agree with your final assessment, though. Anybody who is 7'0, 265# and prefers physical play will find a spot in the NBA. Look at Reggie Evans. Not 7', obviously, but he's a rebounding brute with almost no offense and has 11 years under his belt.

bob


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[Outside]

Bob,

I should have clarified. I didn't mean that his type of play would be like Stiemsma; what I meant is that he'd fill a role as a guy who can get center minutes off the bench. I realize that Iverson has a different type of game than Stiemsma. but Iverson could develop into a good enough player to regularly contribute 10-15 minutes off the bench.

[bobheckler]

I found this and thought it was hilarious.  It was written by Jay King, of MassLive and Celticstown.


Here’s a paraphrasing of how one summer league observer explained Iverson’s game to me: “Most people I knew grew up despising Bill Laimbeer. They watched the stunts he pulled and wanted him kicked out of the league, or maybe even put in jail. Iverson, though, I bet he watched Laimbeer and thought only two things: 1) Let me take mental notes on how to irritate everyone on the court. And 2) If I ever shared a court with Laimbeer, I would kick his behind.”


bob
I'd like to have an instigator.

.

[Sam]

BobH,

You know who Iverson reminds me of? Gene Conley, who played with the Celtics for four seasons in the 50s and early 60s. Geno averaged 15.7 MPG as Russell's backup center (they sometimes played together) and averaged 5.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG (in only 16 minutes). Geno was more rawboned than Iverson and extremely tough. He had elbows that were occasional game-changers.

Geno was also a fine defender, not giving an inch to guys like George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Petit, Clyde Lovellette and Ed MacAuley. It will be interesting to see if Iverson can play similarly good defense against today's bigs.

It'll also be interesting to see whether Iverson also pitches a World Series win.

Sam

[bobheckler]

BobH,

You know who Iverson reminds me of?  Gene Conley, who played with the Celtics for four seasons in the 50s and early 60s.  Geno averaged 15.7 MPG as Russell's backup center (they sometimes played together) and averaged 5.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG (in only 16 minutes).  Geno was more rawboned than Iverson and extremely tough.  He had elbows that were occasional game-changers.

Geno was also a fine defender, not giving an inch to guys like George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Petit, Clyde Lovellette and Ed MacAuley.  It will be interesting to see if Iverson can play similarly good defense against today's bigs.

It'll also be interesting to see whether Iverson also pitches a World Series win.

Sam

sam,

I am bearing no illusions as to Colton Iverson.  At his age (24) he probably doesn't have a lot more upside to him and his game wasn't enough to be a 1st round pick despite being 7'.

Vitor Faverani, based upon every video I've been able to find on him, doesn't have an offense outside of 2'.  He's a Brazilian, and Latino players tend to be very tough hombres, but he has been playing in Europe which dilutes my hopes that he might be a physical center rather than a finesse one.  I have not seen one scouting report that extols his defense.

Our other Brazilian center, Fabricio Paulinho de Melo, sucks.  Flat out sucks.  After a year in Maine playing 26mpg he still can't wrap his mind around defending a pick-and-roll.  His offense is the same as Faverani's.  He is a finesse player and, what's infinitely worse, he's a finesse player with the temperment of a golden retriever.

Colton Iverson's offense is no better than Faverani's.  They both dunk a lot and make most of their offense off of pick-and-rolls.  Iverson's offense will probably never be more than that.  Then again, neither was Perk's.  He has slow feet but, when planted, don't move.  Unlike Melo and probably Faverani, Colton Iverson will not get pushed under the basket by Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum and the other big, muscle centers in the league.  And boy, will he ever deliver some message fouls.

The reality is that Iverson may never be more than a Jason Collins, a 3rd string center who gets floor time only in situational minutes.  However, unless Danny pulls off a coup and snags a legit, beefy center, Colton Iverson is the only non-pushover we have at that position.  

Let's also remember that, back in Russ's day, even the backups were pretty freaking good since, with only 8 teams in the league, the competition to make a team was far more brutally Darwinist than it is in today's 30 team league.


bob
P.S.  As far as him winning a World Series game, there's the allegory of a 5'11", 175# pot-smoking toothpick who has won two Cy Young Awards, 3x NL strike out champion and just pitched a 148 pitch no-hitter last night in a ballpark that had never seen one before.  He is also 2-0 in World Series games.  Strange things do happen.  Admittedly, it'd really, really freaking strange if Iverson won one given he's a basketball player, but he could pleasantly shock us on the hardwood.

.

[international]

Bob,there is a big difference between Vitor Faverani and Fab Melo.While Melo started to play basketball at age 16,Faverani was playing in Spain as an import at 16.Melo have been playing in USA against boys in high school and ncaa while Faverani have been playing against veteran and polished player since he was 16.Right the two best teams in the Spanish league Real Madrid and Barcelona who are rivals like the Yankees and the Red Sox are trying to sign him.He can score with either hand and is strong as a bull,I compare him withThiago Splitter who started playing in Spain at 16 years old too.

[bobheckler]

Bob,there is a big difference between Vitor Faverani and Fab Melo.While Melo started to play basketball at age 16,Faverani was playing in Spain as an import at 16.Melo have been playing in USA against boys in high school and ncaa while Faverani have been playing against veteran and polished player since he was 16.Right the two best teams in the Spanish league Real Madrid and Barcelona who are rivals like the Yankees and the Red Sox are trying to sign him.He can score with either hand and is strong as a bull,I compare him withThiago Splitter who started playing in Spain at 16 years old too.

international,

I don't doubt for a second there's a big difference between Fave and Melo. I haven't heard any good words about his defense, though, and I haven't seen any highlights that aren't from 2' and in.

I hope I'm very pleasantly surprised.


bob


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