Fran Fraschilla talks Briscoe, Lee and Labissiere

ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla held a Wednesday teleconference to promote the network’s coverage of the NBA combine, lottery and draft, and to discuss the prospects chasing their dreams. Isaiah Briscoe and Marcus Lee were among the fringe players Fraschilla evaluated on the call, as well as the draft potential of Skal Labissiere.

We’ll begin with Briscoe, who Fraschilla believes should return to school. He said, “I personally think he’s not ready to play in the NBA, and he may be going through some of these individual team workouts. I think this is a good opportunity for him to get a taste of what it’s like.”

“He’s in a program that manufactures NBA players like they are in a bakery, you know, cookie cutter-style,” Fraschilla continued. “But I don’t think Isaiah in my opinion is ready for the NBA. He’s limited in terms of his ability to make outside shots and right now in a league that puts a premium on spacing the floor, unless you have an elite skill besides that, that would be my best advice to him.”

Kentucky’s one other prospect with a decision to make, Marcus Lee, was labeled a coin flip to make an NBA roster if he goes. Fraschilla said, “He’s a big man who runs the floor, plays with a good motor. He’s got a chance. He’s not skilled but he’s active and he’s got a good motor. He’s a 50/50 guy. It’s a 50/50 proposition that he’ll be on an NBA roster.”

Lastly, we have Skal Labissiere, a “projection pick,” according to Fraschilla:

As far as Skal, unfortunately Skal is the product of ridiculous expectations a year ago, because when you look at his body type, and I know Anthony Davis was the first pick in the draft. But Skal’s body type, along with his basketball experience, lent itself to this being a very trying first year for him.

What you like about Skal is his size and length and his ability to play away from the basket. Right now, he plays with no force around the rim. There’s no way he can guard an NBA 4-man for 5-man right now in the low post. And although he’s got a nice little touch around the basket, particularly with a jump-up over the left shoulder, his body type is such that he’s not getting into the low post anytime soon in the NBA game.

Someone is going to take him in the middle of the first round, and again, he’s what we call a projection pick. Where do you see him two, three, four years down the road, because that’s when he’s going to be able to make a mark on an NBA team, if then.

Fraschilla also said Labissiere is as “hit-and-miss” as the prospects in the 50 to 60 range.

Full transcript of Fraschilla’s comments here.