Eubanks should be the backup of the backup, and Nurkic shouldn't be the starting Center of a team that wants to compete. It's that easy
Part of me wants to wait until we see how Nurk plays Jokic in the 1/8 matchup. Another part of me doesn’t think we will get the 8th seed if Nurk plays many more games like last night down the stretch.
I feel like people forget Kobe’s first season or the rookie seasons of many, many Superstars who had world class talent but had to put it all together. I don’t know exact numbers (paging Wizenheimer), but I would bet that about 1/3 - 1/2 of all Superstars had rather rough rookie outings but showed super strong flashes, just like Sharpe. Again, for a Superstar like Embiid I trade Sharpe if the seal hinges on his inclusion, but I’d also do my damndest NOT to trade him in said trade for a Superstar, because if he puts it together you now have three superstars and a legit shot at a title.
I think, if you're talking superstars, they show their stuff as rookies. Obvious talent is obvious I think there are probably quite a few all-star level players that struggled to some degree as rookies. Siakam averaged 4 points as a rookie and 7 in his 2nd season; and he was a 22 year old rookie who played 2 seasons in the NCAA
Sure but we are talking about a purely speculative notion wherein Sharpe has Superstar potential (He definitely does IMO). Then the refinement was Superstars who performed at an average or below average level as rookies (he’s also younger than many and with zero NCAA polish). I think you can’t on the one hand dismiss Superstar potential based on rookie output and on the other dismiss a few extremely notable counter examples when this is a high octane speculation on precisely that sort of player (subpar rookies who became superstars).
Re: Plumlee - I love his passing, but by strange coincidence the Hornets have suddenly become defensively elite since they traded him and played their rookie center instead. Re: Nurk
