Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is joined by Jeff Goodman from Field of 68 to look at some of the top prospects in college basketball – including how the BYU forward and Brockton, Massachusetts native can do it all on the court. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
View more
Advertisement
Video Transcript
Aj Deani, 6’9, 7’1 wingspan.
He’s a very talented offensive creator.
With AJ, what do you like about his game and what are some of the things that you need to see him get better at to become the number one guy come next June?
I mean, his, his length, his athleticism, his tenacity, uh, his ability to again be that, that guy who can do everything, right?
Like he can score in every way possible.
He can be a menace defensively because of his length, because of his athleticism.
You know, a Paul George type player.
But I think mentally tougher than Paul George ever was.
And I mean, maybe that, that’s not saying you’re tough.
Advertisement
Well, that was the funny thing about what Kevin Young said to, uh, your writer at the field of 68, Sam Lance.
He said, you know, Paul George comes to mind as like a guy with a two-way ability that he’s asking AJ to be.
This year, but I, I agree.
Like the mindset is just opposite ends of the spectrum.
No, no disrespect to Paul George.
No disrespect, but AJ Dianza, he’s from Brockton.
I’m from Brockton.
I, I know, I know the type.
I mean, he’s an MFer is what AJ can be on the court.
Yeah, and, and, you know, his, his, his dad, um, is from Brockton and, and pushes him, pushes him hard.
Uh, but AJ is also, uh, super smart.
Advertisement
Uh, all three of them are, really.
All three of them, you know, I’ve gotten a chance to know all three of them.
Boozer, like I said, doesn’t say a whole lot.
Um, but again, they’re, they’re, they’re different personalities, but I, I think they’re all high character guys.
Um, you know, to me, I think the biggest thing for AJ is just the consistency in his, in his 3-point shot.
That’s the biggest thing that I worry about.
But again, with a lot of those guys, I mean, if you had ever told me that Jaylen Brown would be a, I know he didn’t shoot great last year from 3, but would be what he’s been.
In the NBA in terms of, uh, an above-average 30, what, 37% three-point shooter, I, I would have said no way back at, at Cal or in high school when I saw him on the AU circuit.
Um, so I, I, I think Dibanza works.