Jon Diebler

Jon Diebler - 51st pick, 2011
One of the world’s best shooters whose highly one dimensional game would nevertheless work on an NBA bench.

Picks 51 and 52: The best shooter in the draft finally goes at #51, as Portland draft Jon Diebler. Diebler is thoroughly one dimensional - his attempts to play defense are rather futile, and there's no off the dribble game. But he's so good at this one skill which you can never be too good at that he gets drafted anyway, and will be given the opportunity to turn out a damn fine Eric Piatkowski impression. It's just a shame it's on a team with no roster space for him.

Jon Diebler - Diebler is the best shooter in this draft, at any position. He will spot up, catch, and hit, anything, from pretty much anywhere. This might be enough to get him drafted. It's going to have to be, because Diebler sports little else. The effort is good, but the off-the-dribble game is sparse, the athleticism and/or strength lacking, the handle absent, the defense rather unimpactful. You can never have too many shooters, though, particularly in this strangely weak period for the shooting guard position. So Threebler has a chance.

Ohio State lost their best player to the NBA, and came back better than ever. Their freshman crop of Jared Sullinger, Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas has been perhaps the best freshman crop in the nation, and the returning David Lighty, William Buford, Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale have all improved. The Buckeyes only go 7 deep, save for the occasional guest jumpshooter spot by fellow freshman Jordan Siebert, but they only need to go 7 deep. They could probably do it with only 5. They could probably even do it with only 4.

Diebler is probably the best shooter in the nation, hitting 102 threes on 204 attempts for an exactly 50% average, tied for 4th in the nation in percentage and 6th in makes. It is largely because of him that Ohio State ranks 3rd in the nation in three point percentage; Lighty, Buford and Craft chip in, but Diebler has more than 40% of the team's makes on his own. At 6'6, Diebler can always get the jumpshot off and has 30 feet of range - using this one trick, he scored the most points in the history of Ohio high school basketball, even more than LeBron James. Diebler does little inside the paint, only dribbles if it involves turning a three into a long two, and has little defensive impact due to his lack of physical tools other than a decent effort level. To somewhat harshly simplify it, he only really brings one tool to the party. But what a tool it is. I have the Diebler Fever.