Warrior's To Do List

I never figured why Fizer flopped,but Diogu scored 22 per this year-about as much as Marvin Williams,Petro, and Martynas Andri-whatever COMBINED. Diogu is strong and quick,not Pietrus quick but for 245 quick. Granger happened to be N Mex's best player at every role, boards,passing,shotblocks,inside scoring,3's-so his "role" was pretty much to blend all positions. Magic,and Oscar Robertson had similar situations in college,and in their day some seemed to feel they didn't fit a role.
Sheldon Williams hasn't entered yet. Like Diogu he's physical,yet athletic and motivated. Diogu,with the ability to shoot at 3pt range,is a bit more versatile,but Sheldon has very high marks in all those areas where we have been critical of Foyle or Murphy. He will add to our rebounding,our D in the paint,and he has good hands and post moves.
With Martynas A seen as lottery based mainly on being tall and young enough to mold,why not S Ming Ming who is much taller? Bol demonstrated that a really tall guy can have an impact even with no agility and few skills. A stiff who is 7-0 doesn't make much difference but a guy 7-8 or 7-9 who has too much bulk to just push aside, can be a situation player with a set of skills that can be mostly learned in a summer. If the rim was only 7ft,like a doorframe-I'd have some great moves. To this guy,that's what a 10ft rim is like.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting REREM:</div><div class="quote_post">Stop me if you heard this before- Either Sean May or Sheldon Williams would eat up Taft like he was a just baked cookie.</div>


Mmmm, now I want a cookie.

Anyway, I'm not on the Taft bandwagon either, but then again, most people aren't. From what I've heard around the league, his draft stock is still high lottery, thus around where the Warriors are picking. I trust Mullin to make up his own mind, though, and not listen to what everyone else is saying.

I think there's little doubt Cal will exercise his option - on other teams he'd only get the veteran's minimum anyway. He's a quiet guy and doesn't complain openly about a lack of minutes.

I think White might be worth another shot at $2 million a year. He's good insurance and could be used as trade bait as he's not a total washout, although he's certainly no sure thing either.

I hope the Warriors find a way to trade or sign another big man if they don't find one through the draft, because we need serviceable another guy just in case anyone goes down to injury.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting REREM:</div><div class="quote_post">With Martynas A seen as lottery based mainly on being tall and young enough to mold,why not S Ming Ming who is much taller? Bol demonstrated that a really tall guy can have an impact even with no agility and few skills. A stiff who is 7-0 doesn't make much difference but a guy 7-8 or 7-9 who has too much bulk to just push aside, can be a situation player with a set of skills that can be mostly learned in a summer. If the rim was only 7ft,like a doorframe-I'd have some great moves. To this guy,that's what a 10ft rim is like.</div>

It's my guess that you haven't been able to see much of Martynas. I mean, barely anyone has because he's not playing much lately nor does he deserve too. But as far as taking any tall stiff, remember that not all 7'2" guys can catch, shoot, or move effectively. At that height, many players are awkward and slow.

So if it's not just his height and youth, what is it you must wonder? Well, in private workouts and tourament games where he's played minutes, he's shown good leaping ability and overall athleticism and has measured a good wingspan. He can shoot it too, though obviously he should and has been told to stay in the paint. Interest in him peaked due to outstanding play in some youth tournaments, just as how interest starts other young European stars, and similar to the high school all-star games in terms of measuring future star powre.

If he gains weight as he needs to, might it hinder him? I don't know. And as far as skills, he's kind of the opposite of someone you know pretty well, like some kind of anti-Diogu - you just watch him and shake your head when you look at his footwork and inside moves. It's way worse than watching Foyle inside, you wonder what's going through his head. (Man I've been picking on Foyle a lot lately).

I wouldn't draft him but at #9, as a pure business choice, he'd be a tradeable asset that would be worth a shot. We could trade him to someone who liked him and who knows, he could develop well. He's not even close to Darko in terms of pure overall skills, and we know how Darko's doing. But since he'd likely stay in Europe, there's less of a problem, at least?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting REREM:</div><div class="quote_post">I never figured why Fizer flopped,but Diogu scored 22 per this year-about as much as Marvin Williams,Petro, and Martynas Andri-whatever COMBINED.</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> ----------------G FG% FT% 3P% BPG SPG RPG APG PPG
97-98 Iowa St. 36 .477 .613 .000 0.9 1.1 6.9 0.7 15.0
98-99 Iowa St. 29 .550 .736 .214 0.8 1.0 7.6 1.1 18.0
99-00 Iowa St. 33 .582 .732 .357 1.1 0.8 7.7 1.1 22.8
-----------------------------------------------------
---------Totals 96 .513 .702 .292 0.9 0.9 7.4 1.0 18.9</div> Yeah I know those looks like solid college stats from his Iowa St. days. He was a safe pick or actually more than a safe pick. The guy was strong and athletic. He was aggressive and had a good mental game. He could handle the ball, score in the post, or shoot from the outside. If he was 6'10 now... would that have made a difference?

He's a pretty good scorer now, but doesn't rebound much, doesn't block many shots. Still 58% in the paint in college. Dang.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting REREM:</div><div class="quote_post">Granger happened to be N Mex's best player at every role, boards,passing,shotblocks,inside scoring,3's-so his "role" was pretty much to blend all positions. Magic,and Oscar Robertson had similar situations in college,and in their day some seemed to feel they didn't fit a role.
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If Shelden Wililiams did enter I'd say he'd pick up the defensive presence like an Elton Brand, rebound like him either offensively or like Carlos Boozer on defensive boards. He probably has way less range than either of the two, but he sounds like a gem for what we need. Inside game, defensive presence, rebounding, and accurate kickouts out of the post.

You think Granger can average a triple double like Oscar Robinson or make an impact like Earvin at point guard? I dunno, I think it's like chasing the next Larry Bird. Too rare these days. Those were players of their time and there hasn't been another since. Besides, I thought Dunleavy was our blend into all positions guy.

 

Wasn't Taft a high lottery pick awhile ago? Damn. Has the tools to dominate, but doesn't use them. Sounds like Eddy Curry or Erick Dampier. There's no doubt he plays like a center, but has to play power forward because of his size. The Aleksandrov pick we're "mocked" to get on the draft forum here I have a problem with because he is more like a small forward with power forward size and doesn't have any center capabilities. A solid power forward needs to be a cross between the 3 and the 5 like Karl Malone was (rebounding, post game, shooting). If you look at Dirk Nowitzki, the player that started the whole Euro small forward craze, he rebounds like a center, shoots like a guard/wing, handles it like a guard, posts up like a center, blocks shots. He's like a hybrid of small forward and center. Can Taft do these things? I guess the prototypical power forward is the thing I look for in a draft.

Like Zhone talked about, Calbert Cheaney we probably are better off holding onto since we need a cheap third string for when Pietrus or Richardson need to rest some games. There probably won't be much in the draft for 2nd round except the underized two guard.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Zhone:</div><div class="quote_post">
I wouldn't draft him but at #9, as a pure business choice, he'd be a tradeable asset that would be worth a shot. We could trade him to someone who liked him and who knows, he could develop well. He's not even close to Darko in terms of pure overall skills, and we know how Darko's doing. But since he'd likely stay in Europe, there's less of a problem, at least?</div> Martynas Andri-(whatever) has just pure upside. I heard the guy sucks right now, but will get better and grow in leaps in bounds as he figures out his body and grows into it. You can't teach his quickness and that shot touch. And he seems to pass for his size, another valuable commodity for big men. I dunno how many 7'1"++ guys there are left in the next few years with some skill, but this Lithuanian kid seems to have a lot of them. That video that was posted made him look like Euro Shaq with Yao's passing skills, but he doesn't get large minutes. Maybe Charlotte would want to trade down for him or pick him right off the bat, but most likely Charlotte would go for a point guard or a scorer.

 

I don't claim Granger has legend talent like Oscar or Magic,my point is the versatility and full toolbox are very good assets,and yet itoften seems Granger and some other multiskill players get downgraded for not fitting a mold,and yet some who only have NBA body types,get ranked high.
Short clips do show hints at upside,but we could put togather a 2 min Adonal highlight reel and he'd look awesome. I saw a clip of Deng Gai on TV,he looked great,but I never saw a full game. Stats say he is a real good shotblock-rebound guy,scores some--but played at a small school,likely a low cost A Foyle type,though a F body. Even so,seeing a game or two is when you get to check out the downside,the limitations.

i'm not saying Gai is a keeper or any import is not. I have no basis upon which I can evaluate the evaluaters who write up Martynas,Petro,Vasquez,etc. The stats,at best,don't even hint at much star quality,and IF we got to see a Euroleague game,then the trick is how much credit to give the level of competition.
Even the top level Euro pro league is 95% guys who would have jumped at an NBA opportunity at the start of the season-but nobody wanted them enough. The others are mainly young prospects,pretty raw it seems.
The official scouts,GM's etc will obtain game videos,go abroad and check these guys. Even so,Shika was a high lottery guy,so was Darko. U Haslem cost Miami almost nothing-yet is a player.
That proves that a few guys paid to pick future stars,miss badly. An out of context rumor based on what the guy who liked Darko a lot thinks may be as useful as the opinion of some guy at the corner bar.

A guy I'd like to see is Andre Blatche,6-11 or maybe 7-0,HS guy who had appeared committed to going pro for awhile. He had a solid showing in an All Star game I missed,and good stats for the season. Blatche was getting mocked as a round 2 - treated as not ready to jump to the pros-then some good numbers in a showcase game,and he's zoomed up a dozen slots or better. I expect he will get considered by those teams shopping in the big and raw department...and he may not be as raw as some.

 

I watch a ton of games, usually recorded ones though. I just leave them on when I'm studying or eating. I don't get to watch whole seasons, but I watch games here and there when I get the chance to borrow them from friends and such. But even Andriuskevicius I've never really gotten to see. Since the Warriors have so few options in which to upgrade (trade or draft) I'm wary of drafting such a huge project like him in the first round. I change my tune a lot with 2nd rounders, especially since they don't get guaranteed contracts.

I mostly trust the Warrior's Euro scout, Chris McNealy. The Warriors right now have one of the most active scouting troupe in Europe, unlike many other teams. Because he's so familiar with the games over there, I know that he has a good basis for his opinions. It worries me though that a lot of these guys don't know what they're doing and base it so much on the hype.

 

I'm not sold on Martynas either, but I do know that I'm sold on players that can do a lot of things that other players can't do or just players in general that have a good chance of being unstoppable. Like guys like Dirk Nowitzki, you can't stop him when he's on because he's too quick for most 7 footers, and he's too good of a shot to put somebody smaller on him. Then there's Pau Gasol or Rasheed Wallace who have almost unblockable shots, move quickly and pack well rounded games. Guys like Steve Nash or Jason Kidd who have the instincts and vision to run a team and keep track of moving targets as they handle the ball. Then obviously there's the other walking mismatches that can move faster, overpower, or outshoot other normal nba players with the potential to make everyone else better. I think that's why if you're a lotto team you want to roll the dice, because if you don't, you'll just have a bunch of mediocrity or players that can get taken out of the game way too easily and don't make their teammates better as a result. I mean if Dunleavy was a speed demon, I'm sure he'd be averaging a triple double.

 

If the difference between huge and short is just an inch-mabe so. Taft failed to dominate games. May had games so hot you hardly noticed the 3 other round 1 guys on their team. All through the ACC and NCAA tourneys May was getting 10-20 boards,scoring big,playing tough D. Marvin W-said to be top 3,even #1 guy,by some,was only a minor factor in that post season/tournament run. When you watch May carefully,what you see is a guy with a lot of in-the -paint technique,quick hands,the ability to improvise well in a split second,the ability to play with rare intensity over time. All those qualities are not visible in Taft's game. I W I S H Taft,not May played like Moses Malone,I'd gladly say,get him. To me being tall with some muscles and some success a few years ago,in high school is vastly overrated. I am not high on Marvin Williams either,for similar reasons. If I was choosing sides for one big game tommorrow,I'd take Ryan Gomes over Marvin,no question. If I'm betting on who CAN get real good someday,Marvin,or Taft would rank fairly well-BUT- can don't equal will. There is a mental aspect some of these NBA Body guys have yet to show. Can you say Olowokandi? Chris Washburn? Kwame Brown? DeSagana Diop? The mind must make the decisions,and fast,so the body can do good stuff. The mind must push a guy to not cruise in games,to really work hard in training. Some guys never develop those "intangibles". Some try and never quite put it togather. Some say the right things but really don't put out the effort. Dwayne Jones of St Joe's entered. Compare stats between him and Taft. Jones averaged 11+ boards. You gotta be tough and gung-ho to get 10+ rebounds and that Gung-Ho often means a guy who does what it takes to improve. I like overachievers.

 

Everyone likes overachievers. Can you say Brian Cardinal?

Quick thinking is also one of the reasons that make a great player. You want to watch how the player responds to certain defenses or offenses before looking at just their skills or their physical matchup. Their decision making, reaction time, basketball IQ (understanding of the game), and floor vision are way overlooked qualities when considering if the next big talent prospect is going to be good. But often not, most teams will gamble that the player can learn over time and "get it". Take for instance Jrich: Looked like a guy who would just dribble himself into trouble, now he understands the game and has improved.

I know some of these players may look lost now or appear to have trouble understanding the game, but it's probably due to lack of experience or their past coaching rather than anything to do with how mentally quick they are. If you want to know mentally quick, I think it's got to be Allen Iverson. He just reacts so quickly and beats defenders easily. That type of wiring is as rare as the guys who do "Who's line is it anyway?". Those guys are split second thinkers, but they've also been doing their comedy acts for a while to think of something funny in a short amount of time.

Anyway I think some of these raw, low bball IQ guys can suprise in future years. I mean I think Chris Kaman, Samuel Dalembert and Stromile Swift will be good to very good players once they understand the game. You can't teach size, speed, but you also can't guarantee they'll understand the game if they don't have the work ethic or desire. So desire is important too and sometimes it can happen based on some critical moment in their life or some inspiration to work on their game. Veteran presence is a good motivator as well as good coaching. That's why I hope we keep Montgomery and maintain some solid veterans who can practically relate to almost anyone.

 

It probably means most scouts don't believe May will be a successful college-to-pro guy based on his physical tools. He'll be a sound player, but nothing teams will be counting on to pull a franchise out from under.

 

I think Sean May is a late first round. The fact he was an important player in the NCAA championship will get him bumped up higher.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting custodianrules2:</div><div class="quote_post">Everyone likes overachievers. Can you say Brian Cardinal?

Quick thinking is also one of the reasons that make a great player. You want to watch how the player responds to certain defenses or offenses before looking at just their skills or their physical matchup. Their decision making, reaction time, basketball IQ (understanding of the game), and floor vision are way overlooked qualities when considering if the next big talent prospect is going to be good. But often not, most teams will gamble that the player can learn over time and "get it". Take for instance Jrich: Looked like a guy who would just dribble himself into trouble, now he understands the game and has improved.

I know some of these players may look lost now or appear to have trouble understanding the game, but it's probably due to lack of experience or their past coaching rather than anything to do with how mentally quick they are. If you want to know mentally quick, I think it's got to be Allen Iverson. He just reacts so quickly and beats defenders easily. That type of wiring is as rare as the guys who do "Who's line is it anyway?". Those guys are split second thinkers, but they've also been doing their comedy acts for a while to think of something funny in a short amount of time.

Anyway I think some of these raw, low bball IQ guys can suprise in future years. I mean I think Chris Kaman, Samuel Dalembert and Stromile Swift will be good to very good players once they understand the game. You can't teach size, speed, but you also can't guarantee they'll understand the game if they don't have the work ethic or desire. So desire is important too and sometimes it can happen based on some critical moment in their life or some inspiration to work on their game. Veteran presence is a good motivator as well as good coaching. That's why I hope we keep Montgomery and maintain some solid veterans who can practically relate to almost anyone.</div>


Want to point out that a big part of Chris Kaman's issues with looking lost on the court at times is that he does have a hard core case of diagnosed, treated by Ritalin in the past ADD. There was an article regarding this when he was in his first camp with the Clippers and the strategies they had to utilize in both practice and during games because of it. He will just lose focus and need to be brought back. As a coaching staff they were talking about what they had to do differently with him to address the ADD.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting anotherview:</div><div class="quote_post">Want to point out that a big part of Chris Kaman's issues with looking lost on the court at times is that he does have a hard core case of diagnosed, treated by Ritalin in the past ADD. There was an article regarding this when he was in his first camp with the Clippers and the strategies they had to utilize in both practice and during games because of it. He will just lose focus and need to be brought back. As a coaching staff they were talking about what they had to do differently with him to address the ADD.</div>
I see, I didn't know about that. He looks promising even though he can stand to improve in a lot of areas, especially his haircut.