Portland's 1977 Championship team: Bill Walton - drafted by the Trail Blazers Maurice Lucas - drafted in ABA dispersion draft, after Lucas's 2nd season in the ABA. Lionel Hollins - drafted by the Trail Blazers Bob Gross - drafted by the Trail Blazers Dave Twardzik - drafted by the Trail Blazers Larry Steele - drafted by the Trail Blazers Herm Gilliam - traded to Trail Blazers Johnny Davis - drafted by Trail Blazers
Phooey. Time and roster spots are a resource. They should not be wasted on wishful thinking. An unreliable player is unreliable - the reasons they aren't reaching their perceived potential is irrelevant and patience has nothing to do with it.
Questions: 1. What kind of SF is Nas? Athletic, early indications of a 3 point shooter, will D up. Distributor, initiator? No. Advanced handles to get his own shot? No. Shooter at 3 levels? Floaters? Step backs? Back to the basket, post up? 2. If there’s not much in #1, then how good is his 3&D going to become? 3. Will he be a starter AND who is better than half of the other starting SFs in the NBA? Nas doesn’t have to be THE answer at SF. But he has to be part of it at a reasonable contract, and his rookie extension is soon. If a trade includes Nas to get THE answer (or a heckuva improvement at either forward spot) then that’s the cost.
Pardon me if I get up on a soapbox here. Player development isn't about "patience". It is about growth. It is about natural progress. As frustrated as I have been with Simons, who had no business entering the NBA when he did, I have to give him credit for his growth. He has learned how to harness his raw talent to be an effective player. That scenario has nothing to do with a Nas or Zach Collins (or Oden). They could never be dependable NBA players because their bodies can't stand up to the wear-and-tear. A team serious about winning has to invest their resources elsewhere.
Good thing there is enough in #1. He did show an early indication as a good 3 pt shooter. He will D up. Not great handles but can attack the basket. And what impressed me is that he showed the potential to hit the turnaround fade-away jumper with a defender all over him. His length and his vertical help with that.
What I like about Little was his ability to impact a game. A lot of the things he does don't show up in the box score. One example is his defending a 3-point shooter very well, then running to get the rebound near the hoop.
Little's height with length and athleticism help him cross the threshold of being a SF (6'4.5" no shoes, 6'6" with shoes) ... as he's not a SG. And not a PF And not a guy to hand the ball and say go get a bucket. With a shorter SG who isn't yet a decent defender ... that's where the pressure on getting bigger at SF comes in with a guy who does D up and is switchable and/or has a variety of skills and ways of helping the team. The injuries for Little are an issue. Dinged up. They're less of a concern in trade -- which helps maintain value. The minor, flukey injuries do impede improvement where the answer for me about whether he'll become a 'quality' starter hasn't yet been answered by his play. So I do get the side that says he hasn't proven it as well as liking the good things he's shown side in a smaller sample size. For me, it's about improvement at the forward spot without trading Dame, Simons (which would probably have to wait anyway) and ... that's about it. IMHO, this offseason and the next are about building this roster with quality, starting forwards.
He dropped 37 when given extensive action as a rookie. Most rookies never sniff such a thing. And if most rookies don't do that, what business do any of them have being in the draft? And at that point, what is the point of the draft if no one is worthy of being drafted? Get off the soapbox now.
Sometimes it takes patience to allow the growth. Nas has it all, and is developing in the right way. He could turn out to be a special player. Potentially a Kawhi Leonard type player. Worth the wait and investment.
It’s nice to think so, but I won’t hold my breath. Portland has a history of drafting borderline players in hopes that they’ll turn into stars, but they almost never do. I don’t see Little being an exception.
Really like the kid but if it meant getting a better player I would trade him What does little and #7 get you? how about Little and Hart? Or some other combo little and Bledsoe’s contract?
He has the skill, has has the physical attributes, he is so far lacking the biggest ability....availability. Every time he gets on a role and looks like.....a poor man's OG, he gets hurt or gets sick. If he could get a serious run and play 75+ games, I think he would blossom into something similar to what we are looking to trade for. Big 'If'.
I don't think he has demonstrated much in the ways of skills yet. What he has shown is energy and athleticism. Most NBA players have athleticism and a lot of young players have energy. The really hard trick is adding skills to that mix....just ask TRob or Tyrus Thomas. And that trick is even harder if the player keeps missing stretches of games because of various reasons and poor durability. It's really difficult to develop skills when you're always trying to work your way back to game shape