I don't think it is that sad. Frye was a big part of Cleveland's run in the playoffs last year. I agree Frye is more nimble than Meyers, but I think Meyers is more willing to bang down low than Frye. They are not exactly the same type of player, but I would be OK with that ceiling. What I really want, and I know it won't happen, is for us to pay about as much attention to him as we do Ed Davis. The dude is too much of a lightning rod. He is a role player and should get the same attention as the other role players. I could care less if he is a "lottery pick", we have about 9 lottery picks on the team. I think we would all be happier if he flew a little more under the radar.
Well he's being paid like an average role player now, so those expectations and that attention should drop.
I don't think you understand the use of the term unicorn in this context. A unicorn is a mythical creature, something that is rarely, if ever, seen. In that context, Allen Crabbe is the furthest thing in the NBA from a unicorn. As a 6'6" wing, he is the prototypical NBA 3 and D player. They are all the rage these days. It seems like every team (except BRK) has at least one, many teams have two, some teams even three. It seems the current recipe for success in today's NBA is a scoring PG paired with a 3 and D player at the SG and/or SF positions. In fact, that was exactly what we had with Wes and Nic the season before last. That doesn't mean Crabbe isn't good. It doesn't mean he's not valuable. It just means he's not rare. He's not a potential unicorn. How many teams have a guy 7'1" who is an elite level 3-point shooter that's big enough to effectively guard, and frustrate the shit out of, DaMarcus Cousins? Can you name one other player like that in the entire league? And by elite level 3-point shooter, I mean > .400 3FG%. Of course, the reason Meyers is referred to as a potential unicorn is he has other holes in his game, but it's the potential to be something unique that gets people talking about him. BNM
Define "protect the rim". There's a lot more to effective defense than blocking a lot of shots. In fact, some guys that block a lot of shots are actually really shitty defenders (JaVale McGee). This article is almost a year old, but I find this quote interesting: "Leonard averaged only 0.64 Blocks per 100 Chances, ranking him on the level of an athletic guard (John Wall and Eric Bledsoe averaged 0.65 Blocks per 100 Chances), but he posted an Opponent Inside Shot% of 43.5, the 8th-best mark among 76 qualified centers." So, he doesn't block many shots, but his size still bothers opponents in the paint. Meyers led the Big 10 in blocked shots his final year at Illinois. His rookie year with the Blazers, he tried to block everything (he had more BLKs as a rookie than in the next three seasons combined), but like the JaVale McGees of the world, that often left him totally out of position on defense. The coaching staff obviously worked on keeping him on his feet and holding his position, which has actually made him a better defender than he was as a rookie. In that game where Meyers frustrated Cousins, he didn't block a single shot, but he held Cousins to 4-21 from the field. Keep in mind Cousins came into that game looking like the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain. He had scored 48 and 56 on .644 FG% in his previous two games and then Meyers held him to 4-21, .190 FG%. I don't think anyone saw that coming, but at the end of the day, I'd much rather have that kind of interior defense than someone who blocks a lot of shots. BNM
I have much more faith in Leonard's low-post defense than I do his "protecting the rim". Trouble is, the former is much less useful in today's NBA. When there was Robinson, Olajuwon, Ewing and Shaq (not to mention Barkley and Malone) you really needed low post D. Now you need people like Joakim Noah, who would've been pretty useless against Shaq, but who defends everybody OTHER than the other team's center. That requires a lot more defensive IQ and fleetness-of-foot than just standing between the biggest guy on the floor and the hoop.
I'm talking moving his feet on defense, which has been mentioned by a significant number of posters here.
@riverman Meyers can run fast, but I also think he is slow in the side to side movement, which is intrical to being a good defender anywhere outside of 5 feet from the hoop and even then is needed at times underthe hoop. Meyers has a decent sprint for his size. Its his lateral movement that ive never been impressed with. But It doesnt matter. He will fix that this year and win MIP!
They were asked about Meyers because he's the biggest question mark on the team. He was a lottery pick. He's shown high level skills in some areas, and deficiencies in others. If he can put it all together, he'll be an impact player. Also, he's coming back from an injury, so that's always a question mark. He just signed a shiny new contract. It's boom or bust time. The media should be asking about the Curious Case of Meyers Leonard. I for one am very curious about how Meyers is going to perform this season.
Agreed. He would have drawn both Jordan and Bogut out of the paint making it easier for Dame and C.J. to drive and finish at the rim. With the way defenses were focused on shutting down Dame and C.J. and daring someone else to beat them, it would have been nice to have another shooter on the floor. BNM
can we swap Blaze for the Caveman and let him throw Robin Lopez around after games against the bulls?
