Out of everyone on your favorite team, what guy has impressed/surpised you the most? For me, it's definitely Rajon Rondo. Before draft time, I thought he was going to be a project. Boy, was I wrong, this kid is a player. He is a harrasser on defense, he has huge/quick hands, he's incredibly fast, he's VERY heady, he carries himself like a 3 year veteran, he's a mind-boggling rebounder for a 6'1'' guard, he doesn't make a whole lot of mistakes, he works hard, he's vocal, he's a born leader. He's going to be a good player in this league. I did not expect him to produce this much this soon.People say Bassy made Delonte switch back to SG, they are wrong. Rondo did. If Rondo didn't come off so strong this early, Delonte would still be a PG on this roster. But with the quick emergence of Rondo (I'm not talking training camp, I'm talking summer league), Delonte is now more of a combo guard.
Well, you can say Warrick, but I think alotve fans knew he was going to do very well with Gasol out. So my biggest suprise from Memphis is the play of Stromile. Hes making better decisions, shooting better from field(actually shooting), blocking some shots and has just become a better overall player.
I'd say Mickael Pietrus. He's done a helluva job guarding bigger players, he's playing great D, he's growing his offensive game, but understands his limitations.
Andrew Bynum, the guys is becoming a monster on the boards and is having some nice statlines so far this season and really contributing as a starter.
I gotta go with Jason Maxiel. This guy is the epitome of what the Pistons are. He is a hard working, relentless, tough player - exactly what Piston basketball is all about when Ben Wallace was here. Durin the pre-season at least he was our top scorer - and he has come of the bench a couple of times to give us a good spark.
Definetly Barbosa. He has improved so much over the off season. He is one of our highest scorers on the team and helps us out a lot.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ReppinTheD @ Nov 19 2006, 10:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I gotta go with Jason Maxiel. This guy is the epitome of what the Pistons are. He is a hard working, relentless, tough player - exactly what Piston basketball is all about when Ben Wallace was here. Durin the pre-season at least he was our top scorer - and he has come of the bench a couple of times to give us a good spark.</div>Yeah, that guy os pure monster and muscle. Reminds me of Darryle Dawkins dunking. I wouldnt mind having him at all.
The biggets surprise on the Magic thus far, is the surprising play of Trevor Ariza off the bench. I already knew he would be good on defense, and very athletic. I wasn't expecting him to display a pretty nice offensive game. His shot is decent, and he is good at taking the ball to the rim. He has also surprised me with the way he can sneak in unnoticed and grab 2 or 3 offensive rebounds a game it seems like. I'm not real sure why Larry Brown didn't like him in New York, he does everything the way it should be done, with hustle and grit.
It is to early to say so far this season for the Cavaliers. The new players we have aren't doing anything yet and the old players are doing what they had been doing last year or a little better, so I can't pick a player yet for them.But Friday when I was watching the Timberwovles play the Cavs, Craig Smith, wow. For being picked where he was and being an undersized 4 man, wow. He is putting up around 9 points and 5 rebounds a game in 17 MPG as a rookie. He was a great pick. He was hustling big time during the game against the Cavs and he didn't seem like a rookie out there. He handled Z nicely a few times and Z is 7'3". He has really suprised me.
Erick Dampier... he's really stepped up his game. It'll be interesting to see if he can keep it up, but so far he's really been an offensive threat down low, which we've really needed with JHo out for a little while. I hope he keeps his energy up, because well, that is one position we haven't been particularly strong at for a long time, obviously.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (drake24 @ Nov 19 2006, 11:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>It is to early to say so far this season for the Cavaliers. The new players we have aren't doing anything yet and the old players are doing what they had been doing last year or a little better, so I can't pick a player yet for them.But Friday when I was watching the Timberwovles play the Cavs, Craig Smith, wow. For being picked where he was and being an undersized 4 man, wow. He is putting up around 9 points and 5 rebounds a game in 17 MPG as a rookie. He was a great pick. He was hustling big time during the game against the Cavs and he didn't seem like a rookie out there. He handled Z nicely a few times and Z is 7'3". He has really suprised me.</div>I agree with Craigh Smith, I only got to see him twice, but both times I was impressed. I was mad with that idiot coach when the Magic played the Wolves, because he kept sitting Smith on the bench and putting Blount in. Might not be very tall, but Smith was the only one with enough bulk down low, to bang with Howard. Unfortunately that coach is about stupid and kept taking him out, and Howard finished with 21 rebounds.
Chuck Hayes for the Rockets. He is a fantastic rebounder, hustler, and helps get garbage and 2nd chance points.For the Nets, no one has really surprised me much. I'd say Marcus Williams is surprising at how good of a playmaker he is.
there have been plenty of surprises on the Cs this year. I'll stray from the obvious choice in rondo and go to telfair. He is really alot better of a scorer and shooter than I had heard. He's shooting 45% from 3 this year. He's also very good in pick-and-roll situations, and that's a treat in boston, since it hasn't happened in a long while.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (STAT @ Nov 19 2006, 09:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Definetly Barbosa. He has improved so much over the off season. He is one of our highest scorers on the team and helps us out a lot.</div>LB has improved a lot over the summer but I am going to vote for Amare.14/7 61% shooting overall20/10 65% shooting as a starter and he still isn't 100% yet :worthy:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ReppinTheD @ Nov 19 2006, 11:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I gotta go with Jason Maxiel. This guy is the epitome of what the Pistons are. He is a hard working, relentless, tough player - exactly what Piston basketball is all about when Ben Wallace was here. Durin the pre-season at least he was our top scorer - and he has come of the bench a couple of times to give us a good spark.</div>He is looking like a young Ben Wallace. He is a scrappy player, does all the dirty work, and has a chip on his shoulder. He wants to be a winner. He dropped 20 pounds in the offseason, and is conditioned very well. He has a solid future in Detroit.
Kings - Kevin Martin easily. Putting up allstar numbers scoring wise.Pistons - The 5-5 record, didn't expect that at all.
Whats the biggest suprise on the Milwaukee Bucks? Probably Andrew Bogut's pansyass play. He spent all summer talking about how this season was going to be big and he would come back a completely different player. So far his defense has been on and off and he's easily intimidated. It's frustraiting as a fan to watch.
I'll stray away from the Bassy and Rondo choices for the Celtics and say Leon Powe. The guy has been a beast on the boards and proved he is NBA ready. He wasn't even expected to get playing time at all, let alone work his way into the rotation and get pretty decent minutes. He is averaging 15 minutes in the four games he played, getting 6 points and 5 boards while playing pretty steady defense. I'd say that is a GREAT contribution from him, especially considering that 1) he was a second round pick, and 2) he wasn't expected to get much PT at all, let alone any.
Q-Rich he has been playing so good this season leading us in scroing makeking good desicions down the stretch and has been ver consistent. I think he is playing so well is because he had a little chip on his shoulder last because everybody had good expectations for him and he couldn't succeed at his role last year
I think it's a ovious choice for the heat, It has to be Dorrell Wright, I mean nobody really thought he would play and he has been playing and he has been playing very good and energizing a old heat team.
