Gilbert Arenas Explains Why The NBA SUCKS At Scouting 

This is by far the most insightful and concise McCants has ever been. It was nice seeing him tell that story about helping Tyrese adjust to NBA defense

the issue is that scouts are looking for what someone cant do, not what they can do

And this is why Jerry West might be the greatest front office member of all time. His eye for talent is crazy.

that is why james jones fired the ENTIRE scout team when he took over the suns......they had wiffed so many lottery picks in a row.....

Damn this was scathingly accurate. Not one lie was said. Let's take take it a teensy step further; A lot of the people influencing the game and fans on social media don't watch/know the game either. Stats. Highlights.

Klutch called Gil and told him go after the scouts 🤣🤣🤣🤣

They right about the Miami Heat! The Heat will continue to make deep playoff runs because of scouting and actually watching players

This was a good episode. Player development coaches is one thing that is rarely talked about when it comes to professional sports

Gil “1-4 Flat” never disappoints 😂. He gone find away to mention 1-4 Flat 😂😂😂. He’s speaking truth!!

Gil speaking fax Shi I’m still bussin my ass tryna make it to the NBA🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 I keep my head down and grind I’m a senior in High school and on my way to college

This podcast has really taken it to another level. As a 40 year NBA head I definitely feel the topics. I click on every video now. I can only say that for like 3 other channels.

Another thing they do , is the easy cop out “oh that person got attitude problem” next thing you know dude is loved in locker room & can go crazy on the court

They don’t have enough good Ex-NBA players on NBA coaching staffs

It’s a problem in almost all pro sports, but especially the NBA where late developers are ignored because of all the early developers that get all the attention (cuz they can dunk in junior high). Even in the NHL, where race isn’t a huge factor, the early developers scare all the smaller skinny dudes away in PeeWee League. Research has shown that kids born early in the year (Jan-April) are more likely to make it to the pros.

This is like looking at DeAndre Jordan’s career .675 shooting percentage and saying he’s the greatest shooter in NBA history

Great points Gil mane🔥🔥🔥💪🏾All the points fellas💯💯

I think the problem is more so player development rather than scouting. We always see teams draft players and eventually trade them. And those players go on to do much better in a different uniform. The Lakers are prime example, look at all the guys they drafted last years with Kobe and post Kobe. It’s a long list; D lo, Randle, Zo, Ingram, Clarkson, and so many more. And most of those guys went on to do way better with a different team. It’s b/c the Lakers suck at developing their young players. They draft/scout well, but suck at developing. And this is a lot of teams problem

They are the best at talking in hindsight. The best! If Gil was a scout back when Jokic was declaring for the draft, bet you he wouldn’t even go see his showcase. He looks and and say oh 7’0 white guy, can’t jump and zero athleticism? Pass. That’s exactly what he would have done. He shitting on Edey, but Jokic was worst back then. He wasn’t Dirk back then.

Glad Gil finally addressing this. This is the new norm for basketball and I hate it. The casual fan would say stats and percentage and that ish don’t mean nothing. This is why it’s hard for REAL hoopers talk to someone who never played but bet parlays everyday thinking they know how players play. The game is about nuances, tendencies, footwork, speed, IQ. Things that can’t be measured. That’s why players like Luka and Jokic can dominate. They not the best shooters or fastest players but there IQ for the game makes it easy for them and there teammates. Learning how to get to your spot is crucial. Having counters are crucial… I just want the game get back to basketball and not all this nerd shit like EFG percentage and bull.

Main issue is these teams executives & bosses are hiring their family members & friends to these positions. It’s why analytics has taken over. Anyone can add & multiply & divide , everyone doesn’t know basketball.

I actually sat behind a NBA Scout taking notes at the OTE league, and he had the Thompson twins and Rob Dillingham circled for who he was checking out for the game.

I love this topic and show 💪🏽

This was a great conversation. Love the passion Gil and the crew gave to this subject.

Great conversation and great perspective from the panel #salute

Last scout or NBA coach i seen was in the movie Above The Rim 😂

The problem is one and done, a lot of people got on Charles for wanting players to stay in College or Overseas at least 2 years before coming to the NBA but Charles is right, these kids coming into the NBA today are not learning the fundamentals of basketball before coming to the league

This episode is both entertaining and enlightening. Good job guys 👍

👏🏾 man I had to pull over to make this comment Gilbert hit it DEAD ON. Man THANK YOU for some REAL TALK💪🏾

I heard a story that the cavs was saying Kryie Irving couldn't shoot before the draft, because it was on his scouting report while in college, but then he came into training before the draft and was like "we was wrong" after.

The issue is everyone wants stars. Even soccer which has a different system with training academies has similar issues. If you look at 1990's Manchester United, nearly their whole first team came out of their training academy. Not happening any more because people wants super teams with only stars instead of players can play and succeed in a system

Beautiful show. Yall really broke down how scouting reports should work! thanks

This was good talk ngl. 👍 Love when they talk the game with some NBA player knowledge. Well done Gilbert

I was about to disagree with you Gil, but then I remembered Monte Ellis…I played high school against him. He was a serving round pick, but I absolutely knew he would be a main stay in the league. Dude was fkn amazing in high school. I’ve seen him score 80 and his career low in high school was sumn crazy like 23…HIS LOW WAS 23 ands he only played the first quarter! So to your point, you have to see these guys live to get a good assessment.

Talk to em Gil! 🗣️

Gil's mind underrated. I'd like to hear from the top down ALL the changes he'd make to the NBA. From drafting, teams, owners, coaches... Everything in this video 💯💯💯

I hope he speaks on how some of these players aren't bust, they just wasn't used right and it's the ppl that draft the player more so the players fault

People can say what they want about Gil but one thing is for sure, that brother had great work ethic

This is one of the Best conversations a real conversations about what it real about being a elite player and organization

This is one of my favorite/best moments in Gil's Arena🔥

You know its bad when Gil and Rashad agreeing

Gil’s Arena, easily the most intelligent sports show on tv along with JJ’s & RichJeff’s.

Wow!! This is what I always thought podcast should be like! Great insightful info with facts and actual experience with unhinged opinions.

This is the same with soccer in the UK, GMs and owners buy players and don't fit the head coach. Now though teams are trying to move to more of a set system and using data to get in players that fit the system, rather than having high profile players

If u think the nba is bad at scouting, i can only imagine how bad you think the nfl is. Look at all the teams that passed up on Brady, Lamar Jackson, A. Rodgers, Randy Moss. The list goes on and on.

I get what Gil is saying but Jokic is a bad example. When he got drafted, there were questions around when Jokic was going to leave Europe and be available for the team that drafted him.

This was one of the best basketball conversations in a while!

This is real talk great information

i've seen gil have terrible takes about players who are currently in the nba but you want me to believe he would know how to scout nba prospects?

Very true. Because Pistons should of drafted Melo. No idea why Darko was picked

Rashad with the PBR hat! These were good takes… very insightful segment.

I feel like the best and most talented athletes are everywhere but the pros. Never get a look or a second chance especially if they weren't McDonald's all American or some type of publicity tourney. This convo was interesting in explaining why.

miama has a great scout team

*Like I said on the live stream. Wht coaches here push black players 6'9 and above to play as a "big man" not allowing them to develop the skills of Luka, Jokic, Dirk, Detlef, Sabonis, etc*

How do you fix all of it then from high school to college to the nba draft rankings to mock draft?

Gil went CRAZY on this topic was REAALLY COOKING especially on the work ethic part where lazy players can end up in front offices or scouting from a blind eye😂That wu tang bar had me dying🤣

Gil should do a Mock Draft

I wish Gil worked for the Bulls

I remember Lehigh coming to Denton to play UNT and Donnie Nelson was sitting two rows over from me. McCollum got hurt right before the game and didn;t play. I was disappointed

“Couldnt hit his ass wit both hands” dawg Kenyon really one of my all time favorites😭

NBA players get so sensitive when non NBA players get jobs in the league, even as scouts.

2:35 Josiah lookin at GIL like WTH am I supposed to now without the laptop 😂

Gil has some valid points.a bunch of dudes who never played basketball making basketball decisions.Teams sign former lazy/trash players to the coaching / developmental staff is crazy hiring somebody who will just go along with what the agenda from the higher ups They don't want to hire independent thinkers who will strongly express on point opinions.

Real talk this is the best sports podcast this and cam and mase it is what it is I don’t even watch ESPN OR TNT OR None of them sport shows cause they don’t keep it a Buck or 100 percent for those that don’t know they speak the real and they played the game !! Gil is that guy frfr speak that ish

The NBA sends scouts to go talk to teams about players. Ofc they aren’t specifically going to the team the player is currently mutually benefiting from. They (should be) looking at the stats, team stats, point differential when on/off the floor. Then after they see something they like, they have someone in the area/state check the player out and see if it’s worth the scout actually going out to watch/analyze. The system works, some people just don’t people the system.

I worked in sports media and this is a real problem, too many nerds getting their say and even the lowest level (hs) ex-players get shut out at every level in favor of number crunchers and marketers so the problem compounds over time. It’s why the industry will collapse

Josiah's reaction after Gil gave back the laptop tho 😂

Gil is on point!!! The NBAdraft is outmoded and ineffectual. Those ten assistant coachesvare nkt helping players - a team is better off with one Udonis Haslem. Teams carrying 17 plahers should be scrimmaging under game conditions to get better.

NOW THIS IS HOW YOU FUCKIN POD!!!!!!!💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾GOOD STUFF FELLAS!!…hope some NBA people see this video

This is refreshing. I do tape review. He's right. Its all numbers now. That tells you half the story. Look at the best SDs operate. Miami, Boston, OKC, Orlando. All those teams find guys because they're at those games. My job is limited to what the tape shows me. You have to have a guy on the floor. Someone to confirm the tape and talk to him or people who know him. These guys are absolutely right. The NBA needs 1 or 2 former high level players on assignment for every team. They know things we dont.

Gil killed on this one. This was a great episode.

Dam where the full ep at? Which one is this

Give it Arenas you are right but what I hear today at AAU games the McDonald’s all American game the Jordan classic etc. etc. etc. they say they send a lot of NBA scouts to watch these games so let’s see how they evaluate these players in the future

These fellas spittin gem's 💎 thanks for 🔥 episode 🫡

Facts from the 90s still going

This motherfkers! This is pure gold! The best video produced by Gills Arena. BEST!!!

can gil take the pod on the road and watch the draft prospects and scout them himself? He’s a great basketball mind and I want him to show the NBA his eye

its not the scouting itself, but the valuation, development and utility of the players. there are quick, 3point shooting 7fters so the problem is not the where they came from. why do they want kenyon practicing for? that role is for his basketball mind--if he had the body he would still be in the league. development coach =/= practice player.

@2:50 report came out that Heat scouts were at Bronny games a few weeks back.

Gil Arenas alley-oops w/the Big 3? Potentially? A catalyst to financially help liberate within our communities. Great show. Shalam.

So this is Rashad on Pabst Blue Ribbon instead of that Henny? I likes this 😆

I just looked up shooting coach Chip Engelland and found out he is in Oklahoma. I don't know many of these coaches but It seems like wherever Chip goes, a lot of success goes with him. He helped Grant Hill and he was in San Antonio for a while.

Remember when Gil thought Emoni Bates was the steal of the draft, and would he be immediately productive? How did that scouting work out by him?

Honestly, if you want good scouting, you should be sending younger people or ppl with at least some understanding of bio mechanics. So often i see players and ppl hype upcoming players up despite them not knowing how to move their body, not being able to see that bro isnt worth the hassle despite him being 6'10 whatever blabla vert etc. I know scouting includes so many other things but just basic understanding of difficulty and adaptability of how ppl move, react, adjust etc will tell you alot of what you need to know about the potential and future of a player.

Kenyon talking about Jason Kidd 😅

Excellent take on organizations draft for the organization rather than the coach

This one toucher my soul. Poor evaluation is the biggest problem in hoops today. (Outside of prioritizing sales/hype over wins) We also reward all the wrong things...so kids are only gonna follow that behavior

I love Gilbert and this conversation I would hire Gilbert and Kenyon if I had a team

I agree but I'm a Lakers' fan so I like it the way it is lol we have a great scouting department. Let the other teams make mistakes while we win win win

One of their best episode

Best podcast episode yet😊

Imo the issue with how NBA teams scout is they don’t look at him in a 5v5 setting I never understood how you could bring them in and have him doing shit going against a trainer😂, if I was a organization I would have a scrimmage set up with the prospect running with my bench players against the starters

Best I’ve heard from McCants. Great insight on this show

I would hope no team uses mock drafts to make their decision on who to draft

I love his point. I just wish he, and many other high profile people in many other industries could tie it all together. When he gets into debates about eras or goats he relies on analytics. But here he’s pointing out how analytics don’t reLly determine shit. I always go off my eyes and I calls everything. Analytics is used for products- objects. Humans are not that- there’s so many X factors in humans- they’re not all made with the same design in the same factory with the same blueprint. Nerds who never played dictate the money flow. And Gil can see that- here…. But not how it’s made the game a hoop show- a circus- rather than the best basketball on the planet. Of course he misses that bus in other debates and leans in analytics- like nerds who never did. But he did, at a high level. That’s why it’s mind blowing to see his points being so inconsistent.

Damn this is the best assessment of today’s NBA I’ve ever heard like frfr

McCants has been on a roll this month. Idk what’s different, but keep it up! This was a good clip.

Well Said

damn, this was awesome

We need that Mitch Kupchak regarding the McCants UNC Connect bull-ish!

I think that’s why Miami does so well. They have old school Pat Riley at the helm and Spo came out of the film room so he knows what to look for as well. Oops just heard you guys say the same. Lol