Interesting article about a way to determine if a pick is a bust early in their first season (I.e., 10 games or so) Both Vonleh and Zach Collins mentioned. https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/11/15/16654232/how-to-identify-an-nba-draft-bust-markelle-fultz
I think it's way too early to call Zach Collins a bust but it's a worry that Stotts doesn't trust him at all. He's so far behind everyone else in pecking order and it's not like his competition is extremely strong. Vonleh I think it's fair to say has been underwhelming for a no. 9 overall pick. He still has some upside but he won't be much better than he is.
So the best of the worst on their list (Tyrus Thomas) had a 0.5 game score for his first 10 games. Jamal Crawford (8th pick in his draft) had a 0.6. Still a horrible score yet turned out to be nothing close to a bust imo. So, as with any stat, I am not sure this one can predict bust status on it's own.
To early on Zach and Vonleh I little disagree with him too. Vonleh might not score much is due to who he plays with but he does rebounds and pretty good on D. Not Collins he just behind a lot of players to get a enough minutes to even score him as bust or not.
2.8 game score. As an example, the best that year for a rookie was AI with 15.8 A notable name with a game score worse than Jermaine O'Neal in his first 10 games is Steve Nash with a 2.4. Ben Wallace was even worse with an 0.7 (but we know he was not a high pick and a late bloomer).
If Collins was better as our fucking 10th pick we traded up to get, he'd play in front of our 26th pick. Stop making excuses.
What about this stiff? He took over 19 shots/game in his 1st 10, shooting 34.5 FG%, and his team was 2-10. He had a negative +/- in every game except for one in which he was +2, and that game was a loss. What a total scrub. I think he should sign with the Blazers for vet. min. - we'd be doing him a favor. I don't know what his win shares are for those 10 games, but if it isn't horrible, then win shares must be simply bad.
I didn't cuss him out. I swore in my response. Right now we are average at best, and have a top 10 draft pick at a position of weekness for us. If he could play, he would.
RIGHT NOW, I don't think Collins is a bust. However, I don't agree with where he was drafted. Biggie and him should have been switched. I actually had Biggie going at the #17 pick, but I would have been comfortable picking him at #10, if nobody else better was there. Collins was NOT a #10 pick. A Freshman out of College? I don't think so. He's got excellent footwork though, so I'm not willing to call him a bust yet. Let's see where he's at in 2 years.
Swearing in your response and then taking him to task is just that. Cussing him out. Just because you didn't call him a name doesn't mean you didn't. You chastised him for an opinion and went overboard IMO.
This forum truly makes it harder and harder to be a Blazer fan. I love them and have been watching since I was a kid, but coming here and seeing grown men throw hissy fits over Stotts and a rookie not even 15 games in is pretty sad. For the most part, the Blazers under this regime have ALWAYS brought their young players along slowly. CJ, Crabbe, Pat, Meyers, and now Collins. We have some of the best player development people in the NBA with our franchise and if you guys would settle down and take a breath you'd realize that the Blazers often times work with their young guys in the background their first and second years to prepare them for their opportunities. Look at how CJ developed. He was hurt and played only 38 games his rookie year and by the end of his second year he had played behind NBA players, grew accustomed to the NBA life and exploded in the playoffs and broke out his 3rd year. Zach Collins is 19 years old. What were you doing at that age MM? The dude oozes potential and IMO will be a big part of the foundation of this franchise in 1-2 years. You guys need to grow the fuck up and stop throwing hissy fits after every game.
The only excuse anyone needs to make for Zach is 19 years old, only one year of college experience and never as a starter, and missed most of summer league due to injury. Anyone who expected Zach to get significant run this year was delusional. As for making some sort of prognostication based on his current "body of work", just revisit the CJ is a bust thread from a couple of years ago. Stotts is consistent about playing vets over rookies. Once Chief is back, I expect to see Biggie take a seat again too.
Like, one time at band camp, this girl always wore monoboob sports bras and everyone thought she was flat-chested then we went swimming and KAZONGAS so now I never judge busts prematurely which is the only thing I don't do prematurely.
