Leonard putting up some pretty good lines the last few games, I figured this would be a good place to argue about how much he sucks and stuff.
Leonard has always rebounded well, and the points he has been getting are on fast breaks and such....which is great. His defense is still so bad though, don't you think? I'd like to see him have a post game on both offense and defense
Love his offensive potential. To be our COTF, he needs to keep getting stronger and learn to play defense -- and focus on defense. It's important for a player like Leonard to make his main focus his defense, then his offensive contributions will just come naturally in the course of the game. Defense, boxing out, and rebounding, in that order, is what we need. I think he can do it, with the right focus. He has potential as a good screen setter too. And I like the way he fouls.
I think a good bit of him playing better is him finally getting a little use to the NBA game (like Claver), it's speed, and what he is supposed to do. He's still lost a lot and out of position, but not quite as much. Many of us said let's wait to judge Meyers until later in the year as he was/still is so raw. His D is still bad but at least he is improving and starting to figure things out. I am encouraged but also realize the has a long ways to go. I mean hell, Nolan Smith looks as bad today, after 3 years, as he did as a rookie. And getting more minutes does seem to help Meyers, where Nolan just seems to get worse, if that is possible.
I think the biggest key is his chemistry with Maynor/not having Nolan or Ronnie running the show on the second unit anymore. Having a playmaker who looks for him in his spots will bring his offense around much faster, which will in turn energize him to play better on the other side of the ball. Alot of young bigs mentally check out when they aren't getting looks on offense, so hopefully he starts stepping up now that he knows he's got a guy looking for him.
well, the last few games has me optimistic, and kinda excited granted, i try to find the positives in a situation, but im liking the production, and looking forward to his future
If Meyers is a 20/10 guy with bad defense, our job should then be to leverage our other 20/10 guy who's older and more expensive and turn him into a 10/10 guy with amazing defense (while obviously training Meyers to become a mediocre then eventually decent defender). This decision won't be made this summer (probably), but I think if you're thinking loooong term about your two rookies and the potential roles of each, you have to look at present assets, pay for your vision, and be ready for a little pin during the transition. Who are the greatest defensive PF/C's in the league right now? And how many of them are 25 or younger?
This is what I think as well. It's not surprising that maynor comes in and our bench is averaging more than 25 points per game.
I think Leonard has the physical tools to be a good defender. Now does he have the dedication to let the coaches help him get smarter and stronger over the summer. I hate to see him get too much bigger, but if his listed weight of 245 is accurate then 10 lbs of muscle would be great.
Yeak, I think 10-15 lbs over a 2-3 yr period as he matures would be fine - especially focusing on lower body strength
Meyers was a guard in high school, until having a massive growth spurt. I think he's never really been taught how to play the 5. The limited growth we've seen so far is promising, and I'm willing to give him a lot more time to develop.
Interesting I did not know that. I really think Leonard will end up being pretty good. Not an all-star, but a good starter. As long as he stays healthy, which seems unlikely when you look around the league. I like that he can jump well for a center, but at the same time I have flash backs to Oden finishing with demonstrative dunks. Every time he lands I hold my breath.
It's nice that he got a confidence boosting type of game against Minny, but it's really hard to say if it was real or not given the level of competition he was facing. As for what he'll be down the line, I sort of doubt he'll ever be a defensive presence inside, because a lot of that comes down to mindset and awareness. I know he's young and far from a finished product, but he's got miles to go before he's even an average defender.
He had a great game against Denver too. The confidence boosting started there and Denver is a good team. Remember him flexing?
He is still very raw, and likely a couple years away from starting to become dominant, but I have seen enough strides to believe that day will come. I fully believe in nards.
The posters that gave up on a 20 year old legit 7 footer with the athleticism and coordination that Leonard has are just naive about how long it takes for Centers to come into the league and thrive. I'm just confused about why someone would label the guy a bust after half a season as 20 year old unless they are just trolling
