<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Point guard CJ Watson got a thumbs up from his new coach and teammates after his first practice. "He passed the test," Nelson said. "He looks like a really nice young player. Made a lot of really good basketball plays. Very solid. Doesn't try anything fancy." Watson officially signed his 10-day contract Tuesday and now gets at least five games to prove he can provide some relief for Davis at the point. "They just want me to come in and play my game, be aggressive and not be passive," said Watson, who was averaging 26.4 points, 5.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds per game in the NBA Development League. Watson will wear No. 4.</div> Source: SF Gate
I'm interested to see how he has developed. I never would have pegged him as someone that would fit as a Nellie PG as he isn't a natural PG. He really wasn't able to race around the court and facilitate for others as a PG.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Jan 9 2008, 02:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I'm interested to see how he has developed. I never would have pegged him as someone that would fit as a Nellie PG as he isn't a natural PG. He really wasn't able to race around the court and facilitate for others as a PG.</div> So far he doesn't seem like a facilitator or a natural PG but he does a good job of making the right decisions. Hes just a very solid player from what I've seen. Offensively, hes got a very nice jumpshot especially with his feet set from 3. Doesn't get in the paint a whole lot but does a good job of drawing contact even though hes not getting many calls go his way right now. I love the way he moves the ball because he always makes the right pass. He usually gets it at the 3 point line, draws a defender then kicks it to whoever is open usually for a pretty good shot but hes also not afraid to take shots when he sees the opportunity. Nellie usually plays zone when he's in on defense so I don't know how his man defense is. In the zone he gets a lot of deflections though which is nice and makes nice crisp rotations. His athleticism is average on the NBA level, hes not great in any aspect athletically but adequate in all areas. I haven't been able to see him push the ball on the break yet but scouting reports say he does it well. All in all I'm very happy with him. The one thing with the bench unit that infuriates me is their poor decision making. This is why guys like Watson and Azu are so refreshing. We just need our bench guys to play smart and not fugg it up, this is a nearly impossible task for Pietrus, Barnes, Hudson, even Croshere at times. Watson and Azu play within their limits and maximize their efficiency. I would, however, like to see both of them be more aggressive. CJ is still new and doesn't want to step on anyone's toes so it's understandable but Azu really should assert himself more at times. I really like them both. Now that we have a solid backup PG I'd move Pietrus for anyone that will give us better bench production. I'd also love to sign Ruben Patterson.
Run BJM has a good idea, get Reuben Patterson if we want defense and offensive rebounding! If we're looking for another strong defender besides Stephen Jackson, get Patterson before somebody else does! He's also a pretty good inside scorer and decent passer to boot. If we're the type to worry about this guy getting into trouble then let's not get the former jail blazer and stick with Barnes/Pietrus. I know it's only a few games, but CJ Watson seems like the best available backup guard we could get that is a young player and is taller than 6'0. He seemed to shoot off the dribble decently and seems to be a high awareness/high basketball IQ player, so no worries about this guy being a Derek Fisher type shooting guard with the ball in hand. I like his shot form/release and how he can create off the dribble. It seems like he's most comfortable in a catch and shoot role, but he can also attack the basket. Now if Belinelli was hitting from the field, I'm sure we'd see more of Watson at point guard, but it looks like Don Nelson will use him at shooting guard while Baron plays point. Oh yeah, CJ doesn't seem like that great of a defender or very quick (or strong), but he's at least cerebral and makes the right move whether involved in the play or away from the play. Therefore to us, it doesn't seem like he's lost or confused on where to be on help D or running offense. He plays under control which is what we expect a lot of our bench to do, but they often don't because of the speed of the NBA.