vs. Bucks: 10 points (4-7 FG 2-3 FT) 6 rebounds in 16:55</p> vs. Mavs: 14 points (3-5 FG 8-10 FT) 10 rebounds 1 assist in 21:23</p> vs. Wizards: 6 points (3-7 FG) 2 rebounds 1 assist 1 block in 16:12</p> vs. Raptors: 14 points (4-5 FG 6-6 FT) 3 rebounds 2 assists 1 block in 20:38</p> Thats an average of 11 PPG (68.0 TS%) 5.3 RPG 1.0 APG 0.5 BPG in 18:47.</p> Per 40, that is: 23.4 PPG 11.3 RPG 2.1 APG 1.1 BPG</p> He has been nothing short of amazing for where he is drafted. Definitely is a steal. The thing about Gray, is that he isn't quite the same player he was at Pittsburgh. He was a fat, big center at Pitt. He's dropped his bodyfat, 11% I believe since leaving college, and is in shape, and clearly very strong.</p> You hear all these crappy comparisons for Gray. People are saying stuff like he's like Will Perdue, or instert random white guy...or someone who wants to go against the comparing a white guy to a white guy compares him to Brendan Haywood. None of these players look like Gray. Offensively, Aaron Gray, watching him go to work is a lot like watching Tim Duncan go to work. He has the midrange jumpshot (I think better than Duncan already even), and their back to the basket games are carbon copies. Gray limits the turnovers pretty well, and finds others for assists. Rebounding wise...a comparison is a bit hard to find. He is a little inconsistent there. He is strong and boxes out well....Eddy Curry is probably a good comparison for Gray in the rebounding department....think Gray has a better chance of improving his rebounding than Curry does, because he just seems to care more about developing an all around game. There is no comparison for Gray's defensive game really. He is strong and doesn't get backed down, making him a decent man defender. His help defense is absolute garbage though. He gets reach in fouls all the time, is slow on his rotation, it just hasn't been working too great for him so far. The good thing though, is that he is strong, and when he is fouling guys near the hoop, I have yet to see an and one that I can remember, so thats a small positive out of his poor help defense.</p> But Aaron Gray is definitely a steal...and definitely better than Noah imo. Bulls definitely have a legit post up option now.</p> </p> </p>
He isn't a lottery talent by any means, especially in the 2007 draft class, but he is one of the most NBA-ready rookies and will be a very solid rotational center. He was a great pick in the middle of the second round, no doubt.</p>
Typical BG7 thread. Not too surprised about this hype. Aaron Gray's okay, but not lottery-talent. Maybe mid-to-first-round talent.</p>
It'll take time, but eventually people will become wise to what Aaron Gray is doing. He's a 2nd round pick, but he was picked as that fat guy. He is in shape now. There will not be 14 other players from this draft that turn out better than Gray, thus making him a lottery talent.</p> At the 2007 Pepsi Summer League:</p> vs. Indiana: 8 points (2-2 FG 4-6 FT) 4 rebs 1 ast 2 blks in 21:00 min.</p> vs. Charlotte: 10 points (4-7 FG 2-2 FT) 10 rebs 1 ast 2 stl 1 blk in 27:01</p> vs. Miami: 15 points (5-10 FG 5-6 FT) 4 rebs 1 ast 1 stl 1 blk in 23:15</p> vs. Orlando: 13 points (2-10 FG 9-9 FT) 3 rebs 1 ast 1 stl 2 blk in 25:27</p> vs. New Jersey: 5 points (2-11 FG 1-2 FT) 6 rebs 2 ast 2 stl in 26:17</p> Thats an average of: 10.2 PPG (50.0 TS%) 5.4 RPG 1.2 APG 1.2 SPG 1.2 BPG in 24.6 MPG</p> Per 40: 16.6 PPG 8.8 RPG 2.0 APG 2.0 SPG 2.0 BPG</p> Not the best, but that was still fat Aaron Gray.</p> Then in the Rocky Mountain Revue:</p> vs. Philly: 8 pts (4-9 FG) 6 rebs 2 blks in 26:42</p> vs. Atlanta: 15 pts (5-5 FG 5-8 FT) 7 rebs 2 ast 1 stl 2 blk in 25:50</p> vs. Seattle: 6 pts (3-10 FG) 4 rebs in 24:46</p> vs. Utah: 23 pts (9-10 FG 5-9 FT) 9 rebs 1 ast 1 blk in 28:42</p> Thats an average of 13 PPG (62.7 TS%) 6.5 RPG 0.8 APG 1.3 BPG in 26.5 MPG</p> Per 40: 19.6 PPG 9.8 RPG 1.2 APG 2.0 BPG</p> He just keeps getting better and better. The guy already demands a double team. I think Skiles' reaction was good to Gray, before preseason was starting. He said:</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>''There are a lot of guys that have great size, but they can't do anything down there because either they have bad hands or something else going on,'' coach Scott Skiles said after Friday's morning practice session. ''He's got pretty good hands, and he's got a soft touch. He's an interesting guy that we just want to keep working with and see where it goes.''</p> ''It's going to be hard for him to get minutes initially, probably, just because he's young and he's learning,'' Skiles said.</p> ''I'm actually anxious to see him play in some exhibition games to see what he can do against some real NBA players.''</div></p> What i take away from those Skiles quotes is, that he is seeing Aaron Gray play well in practice, and he is thinking is this for real....damn, I need to see this guy get going in NBA preseason...if he keeps it up, there will be no denying him.</p> </p>
Awesome thread, Sloth!</p> If you keep comparing him to Tim Duncan, maybe people will wake up and notice that he is actually a decent prospect.</p> People got on Chicago for not taking Spencer Hawes because they needed a low post scorer in the worst way.</p> That's why Gray was a savvy pick. He might not have the career Hawes ends up having, but I wouldn't be shocked if he was comparable.</p> At the very least, he'll start quicker, and the Bulls are trying to win it all this year.</p>
Wow! Skiles made Aaron Gray the starting center, and moved Wallace to Powerforward.</p> OUCH! to Tyrus Thomas. He had his shot at starting at powerforward, and lost it to something thats big, white, and takes up space! Damn...Tyrus has been disappointing. Doubt anyone saw Gray as the rookie who would be starting come opening night, but he deserves it I guess.</p>
Gray will be starting opening night? You sure it's not just a preseason try-out and/or a "get your act together" message to Ty?</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Gray will be starting opening night? You sure it's not just a preseason try-out and/or a "get your act together" message to Ty?</p> </div></p> I'd assume that its Gray's starting spot now, and his to lose. I think Tyrus lost it.</p> I don't think it should come as much of a surprise, just going by the stats Aaron Gray: 11 pts 5.3 rebs, Tyrus Thomas 9 pts 5.3 rebs.</p> Gray has statistically scored more, and rebounded equally to Tyrus in less minutes. Obviously Tyrus did something to piss Skiles off, since Noah is getting major burn off the bench over Tyrus, and Noah has been really terrible.</p> It shouldn't come as a real shock though that Skiles is starting Gray. Gray is a very good post up player, and gives the Bulls the option to post up to start the game. Skiles did it with Curry in 04-05. He tried to do it in 05-06 with Sweetney, but Sweetney was just too terrible that SKiles stopped that experiment. It makes perfect sense that Gray would start in Skiles system. </p> </p> </p>
Again, pre-season. This isn't even nearly close to the same type of competitive atmosphere as a regular season game against the big boys. All the best to Gray though, I'd like to have a big man who is actually valuable to the team's forward success.</p>
Nice job by Aaron Gray tonight. 10 pts (5-7 FG 0-2 FT) 8 rebs in 15 minutes.</p> That puts him at 10.8 PPG (67.1 TS%) 5.8 RPG per 17.8 minutes.</p> Per 40, thats: 24.3 PPG 13.0 RPG</p> Very impressive. I really like the fact that he's shooting 67.1 TS%. Thats just a GREAT figure. Thats higher than the league leader in TS% last year. Major props to Gray so far.</p>
I'm not sure that comparing his rebounding to Eddy Curry or calling him better than Joakim Noah is exactly a compliment. I agree he was a steal, but there's no reason to cream your pants over his preseason play. Calling him a lottery talent is beyond ridiculous, especially after seeing him play in college the past couple years. He's going to have to show me production in games that actually matter.</p>
Aaron Gray sighting last game! Garbage time, picking up 3 fouls in 12 minutes. Holy crap this guy's good.</p>
