If you look at Pace over the past decade, it's gone up by 3 shots per game to 93.9 (or 3.3% increase). If you look at 3PA, it's gone up by 7 per game to 22.4 (a 43% increase). So pace has increased a little, three point shooting a lot. These two stats (plus my own eyeballs) seem to suggest that more teams are going small to shoot more perimeter shots, not necessarily to get faster. Coaches trade off some rebounding, interior defense and interior scoring so they can get in on that sweet, sweet threeball action (and defend it better on the other end). But what if your 7'1 center hits threes like a really good guard? I'm a big fan of lefties in any sport, because they have a weird unnatural advantage. They see right handers every night, so it's no big adjustment for them to go up against another right hander. But a right hander facing a southpaw is uncomfortable. How do you practice against it? You're used to going one way, and the lefty goes the opposite. You have to forget so much of what you know to deal with just this one guy. For all practical purposes, Meyers is a really extreme southpaw in the modern NBA. He's not a complete anomaly in NBA history, of course. There are a small handful of guys his size in NBA history with his range. But how many of those guys were going up against 6'7 power forwards like we're seeing more and more in the league? Leonard may not ever be the best player on our team. It's always going to be Lillard's team. Vonleh may have the most true superstar potential. But there are half dozen point guards in the league who have a similar game to Lillard. If Vonleh reaches his potential, he'll be in the mold of several power forwards. But Leonard is going to be that one guy every night the other team really has to think about. There's no real template for guarding him, no practice dummy who does quite what he does. You can't just "go small," because that's what we see every night, much like all the other right handers. Because we're big, yes, we'll give up more threes than a lot of teams. Seven footers aren't the best at runouts. But I have faith that over 82 games our defensive schemes will factor that in, exposing us less to that problem as experience develops. And the remaining problems will be mitigated by our sizable rebounding and interior defense and scoring advantages. Dirk Nowitzki is the guy I keep thinking of when I see Meyers out there hitting threes. Dirk was a much more natural scorer by his age, but Meyers has proven more able to parlay his size into defense and rebounding. It's a pretty unfair comparison in many ways--Leonard was buried behind Aldridge last year while Dirk expanded from 16ppg to 17ppg to 23ppg to 25ppg over four months that season. I don't think Leonard is necessarily destined to be as good as Dirk. Right now he's still not as refined as Dirk was pretty much entering the league. But Dirk, like Leonard, isn't just a fantastic asset to have on your team because of the talent--it's that his talent is so different from everybody else. Oh, and guess who was the offensive coach on the team where Dirk won his ring?
He has a trait that I haven't seen from a young guy in a while: he takes 0 bad shots. No wonder his FG% is off the charts.
Dirk is a pretty lofty comparison, considering he's one of the best in league history. So far, we really haven't seen much of a one on one game from Meyers, just the ability to hit spot up jumpers when he has a decent look. I see more of a better shooting (more athletic) Bill Laimbeer.
Yes, Laimbeer is who Leonard reminds me more of, but we don't really know what the finished Leonard will look like. Leonard has better handles that Laimbeer, so maybe he ends up between him and Dirk. It will be a fun season to see how he does end up. And I totally agree that he really messes up other teams defenses because of that. He will truly be a star when he can figure out how to kill them at the rim if they go small on him. Then he will be a game changer.
I've seen flashes of low post potential from Leonard so I know he's got it in him. Just a matter of time because you know he has the work ethic. I also want to say I love his rebounding.
Yeah I don't really see the Dirk comparisons outside of being a 7 footer that can shoot. Dirk was deadly with the dribble drive, and is quite a bit more mobile. He's also way better in the post. Only thing Meyers does better is rebound.
Pre arthritis sabonis if he adds a post game. Hes got the shooting and great court vision. The legend has just begun. This season will be legendary.
One thing I've noticed over the years is that posters tend to take "comparisons" too literally. I don't think Leonard is 'literally' like Dirk, in that other than being good shooters and being tall, their games aren't terribly similar. What I took away from Mook's comparison is that, much as Dirk was unique and a match-up nightmare, LaimBiebs may also become a unique (and tall) match-up nightmare. I've always believed in his physical gifts, it's just a matter of him figuring out how to use them. It appears Beibs is well on his way. I'm already anxious for next season to see LaimBiebs' newly developed low post game.
Re: the Laimbeer comparisons, also note that Leonard is at present basically the same age that Laimbeer was when he played his first NBA game. I think he's already as good as rookie Laimbeer was, and he's improving. I like the comparison, and I think it favors our future.
Yeah, I see more Sabonis than Okur. If Meyers reaches 50% of prime Sabonis level, that would be a huge win. I love passing big men, like Walton and Sabonis, and what they can mean for an offense. I think LaimBiebs has terrific potential as a high-post passer who can shoot, screen, and roll. I have some doubts Stotts will ever utilize that potential, unfortunately.
Yeah..I was thinking the same thing last night. Sabos had advanced his game more by this point, but the arc is similar as is the style of game. His passing is developing
How about "LaimBiebs"? He's probably too young to grasp just what it means to be compared to Laimbeer. Or Sabonis for that matter.
Can't compare him to either if you ask me. Limber was a banger who happened to step out and have a nice J. Sabonis had a sick post game and MAD court vision. Meyers reminds me more of a Dirk. He doesn't have that stepback J from the post, but he does have that soft Euro vibe going on.
