I don't understand how someone can be so shitty in SL, and then light it up in the regular season. It makes no sense.
Once we get our baseball team, we will acquire his rights from the O's and he will be a two-sports superstar.
He was trying to run the team as the PG. Not his skill set. He is much better spotting up or cutting to the rim.
I tried, and mostly failed, to explain this previously. Pat is a system guy. He excels within a structured system where he knows his role, where he is supposed to be, when he is supposed to be there and what he is supposed to do. Within the structured system, he knows where and when he is likely to get his shots. He has the confidence to shoot those shots without hesitation. He also relies on others performing their roles within that system. Pretty much the exact opposite of the disorganized rat ball of summer league. In Vegas, he was playing a different role, in an unstructured environment with a bunch of strangers who didn't know "the system". I also have mentioned several times, going back to middle of last season, that I felt Pat's career arc could very well follow the same arc as Allen Crabbe's. Guys like Crabbe and Connaughton, both second round picks, don't get much PT as rookies. They see a little more PT their second year. Over half of that is garbage time, but they do see an occasional run with the rotation guys, usually as the result of an injury, suspension or foul trouble. That's where we get the first glimpses of how they may potentially perform within the system. Pat didn't get a lot of meaningful PT last season, but I commented several times that when he did play meaningful minutes he looked comfortable out there with the rotation guys. He played within the system and didn't try to do too much (or too little). Now that he's in his third season, he is comfortable and confident. His coaches and teammates have also seen what he can do in practice and in games, when given the chance, and also have confidence in him. In spite of his shooting woes, and my criticism of Jake Layman, Connaughton's progress gives me hope that Layman may also eventually develop into a valuable rotation player - another system guy. Everyone got overhyped on Layman after this first miracle eight minutes of garbage time against GSW, but other than that, he had a terrible rookie year. It's kind of funny now, but if you go back and compare Jake's and Pat's first year stats, they are amazingly similar, especially their shooting percentages. Throw out those first 8 minutes against GSW, and rookie Jake actually shot the ball worse than rookie Pat. Jake is seeing Pat have success and he's seen how it happened. It's the perfect blueprint for him to follow. Keep working hard, be a good teammate, listen to our coaches and learn the system and your role in it. The Spurs have always had an uncanny ability to mold marginally talented guys to fit their system. Those have often been veterans castoffs that disappointed elsewhere. They seem to get suddenly good when playing for the Spur and then drop off when traded elsewhere. In POR's case, they seem to be growing their own system guys through the use of second round picks. That's actually a great tool to have. Second round picks are always available for a song. So, if you identify a guy you think could work in your system, you go out and get him, for little, or nothing. Very low risk. Especially when selecting guys who played three or four years of college ball. You have a large enough sample size to know what you're getting. You know these guys won't be superstars (they wouldn't have stayed in college that long, or be available in the second round), but you also have seen how they have improved over a 3 - 4 year span and what they can and can't do well. Crabbe, Connaughton and Layman were all second rounders acquired via draft day trades. They also all played 3 - 4 years of college ball in solid programs. Neil and his staff have done a good job identifying those guys. I know I'm known as a Crabbe hater around here, but he was actually a great value for a second round pick (until he got overpaid). Many second rounders don't ever sniff an NBA roster. So, getting a player that becomes an average NBA 6th man, or even just a rotation player, is good value for any 2nd round pick. With Connaughton, it's looking like Neil (and his scouts) have hit on two and a row. Here's hoping Jake will make it three for three. BNM
I only remember one shitty game from him in SL, he looked like our best player in a couple other games and then got hurt as he was starting to play better.
It makes all the sense in the world. He was not playing PG in the game last night. He was in SL. He is an excellent catch and shoot guy next to 1 or 2 ball handlers (Dame, ET, Napier). He is not when he is the PG and the #1 option.
Don't forget our guy Will Barton. If this is more than just a flash in the pan for Patty, then that's 3 straight second rounders that Neil hit in consecutive drafts.
Actually, I did forget about The People's Champ, because he had his breakthrough season elsewhere. He was a guy who absolutely fought the system his first two years in the league. He was always trying to do way too much. It resulted in some spectacular plays, but also a hell of a lot of unforced turnovers. It wasn't until he settled down and started playing under control, that he became a valuable and consistent rotation player. That was the end of his third year after the trade to DEN, but he didn't really break out until his 4th season in DEN when he became their 6th man. He was also drafted younger than Crabbe, Connaughton and Layman. So, his career arc doesn't perfectly mirror the first two, but it's still very, very close. But, you are spot on, Neil nailed a second round pick three years in a row. So, I amend my comment about Layman to read: "Here's hoping Jake will make it four for four." BNM
Yeah, we didn't have a 2nd round pick this year. So, Biggie at 26 was our steal this year. Hopefully, Collins will be this year's version of Dame and C.J., a lottery pick that exceeds expectations and draft position. BNM
It feels good to be right about a player for once. Yay me. I still call him Jesse Pinkman in my head every time I see him. Since he wears #5 we could give him the Chris Paul/Paul George treatment and call him PC5. It makes him sound like a superstar. Or, we could use his last name, and number to come up with something ......... How about calling him DEFCON 5? It sounds cool, even though DEFCON 5 is the least severe warning under the system. In that way it kind of makes sense.
If we didn't give nicknames to every player it would be so much easier to come up with nicknames for players who deserve them.
