Whatever it is, I hope it is something that relieves some pressure off of Dame. He is now a career .407 FG in the Playoffs over a 6-years span. This is now not an aberration. He either needs a lot more help....or maybe, that is just who he is. 6 years is a pretty large sample size.
So were going ti take a step backwards towards a very possible 1st round exit and then hope for free agents? Yikes.
People said Oden was a generational talent whod be a top 10 player. You dint become a top 10 player now a days unless you have elite skills. Im not sure Zion will ever have elite skills.
Yeah, it's hard to imagine an 18 year old that totally dominated college ball his freshman year to become an elite player. By the way, Oden didn't become a generational talent because he wasn't skilled enough. It was serious injuries so unless Zion faces a similar path with injuries then your comparison is apple and oranges.
That Duke team didnt dominate like they should though with Zion and all those recruits... In the tourney they played close games before they lost. I think what really scares me about Zion is defensively, he’s a great team defender but who does he match up on? He couldnt stick with College guards, NBA guards will walk around him, He’s going to struggle to guard NBA centers too, so he’s probably a 3-4 tweener type, and thats ok, but hes going to be ran into a lot of screens until he’s matched on guards. Then offensively he’s got improvement to do there too. None of that means he can't adjust and get better in fact Im sure he will, but I think there are holes in his game the media just doesnt talk about.
So you don't think if Ne HJ, I just listed the first three things that came to my mind. Plus I had just finished slurping down a couple Smith & Wessons/. The Zion suggestion I pulled out of my rear, however, I bet their are a number of GM's willing to part with their All star or super star for a shot at Zion. Just his marketing equity alone would be crazy to pass up.
I think the same thing about Ayton. Markelle Fultz sucks. I don't think Ben Simmons or Karl Anthony Towns are top-10 players, still could be I guess. Wiggins isn't a good player but those "experts" loved him. Bargnani sucked. Bogut was solid but never considered one of the top players in the league. Kwame sucked. Brand was a good player, never a star though and Kenyon Martin had an okay career. So even if I give you LeBron, Ming, Howard, Rose, Wall, Irving, Davis, and Griffin plus say that 2 out of the 3 between Ayton, Towns, and Simmons will get on that list (more than generous I think) that means in the last 20 years (your variable) only half of the #1 picks ended up being close to top-10 to 15 players. Certainly you'd agree that 50% isn't exactly a guarantee.
Agree with that wholeheartedly but the only players that got anywhere near the type of following were Lebron, Davis and Griffin. Even those might not have been as well scouted and touted. My feeling is this guy has a better than 50% chance of being very very good.
Zion is mad skilled, now we get to see if that translates to the NBA speed and strength...it doesn't always work out. I'm happy for the Pelicans though..they really needed a break and I'm glad the Suns or Knicks didn't get rewarded for tanking for the kid.
The kid is only 18 years old. Tell me what 18 year old doesn't need to improve in order to play in the NBA. Kobe did, LeBron did, Garnett did and so on and so on but the kid is starting off with an incredible package. The only thing that will likely stop him is himself. If he has the desire and work ethic to be great, I think he will get there.
Almost all #1 picks start of with an incredible package thats why they’re number one picks. Still wouldnt trade Dame for him...
Just heard Cowherd predict that Pels trade Davis to NY for their 3 pick (Barrett) and other picks they have to team up with Zion and start a new culture.
I wouldn't either, but my responses were only in relation to his ability to play in the NBA. Every year there is a #1 pick, but not all show the same ability that Zion has. Size, bulk and explosiveness aren't things that can be taught and it's a nice package to start with.
1. No Complacency- this is when we build to sustain this success. Being satisfied with status quo because of fear of disruption to the chemistry is the wrong move. Teams around us will get better. Simply adding Nurk won't address some massive holes that have popped up. We will lose at least two of Hood/Kanter/Aminu/Curry. Gotta do some maneuvering to address their departures. 2. CJ has proven me right in wanting to keep him, but we still shouldn't be scared of dangling him in trades if it's for a bonafide star who would maximize Dame's window. 3. A new voice. Unless Terry does SOMETHING to change this series around, we really should explore going after guys with more playoff experience. We can't blind ourselves by this playoff success. Terry has glaring weaknesses and has been coach for 7 yrs now. His contract will expire after next season making him a lame duck coach. Now would be the good time for change. Even if it's for a retread coach who would make us worse in the immediate regular season, I want us to build up towards the playoffs and peak in May/June. 4. Athletes. Playoffs are a grind when your best player is a slight point guard. We need more size and athleticism around him to handle the rebounding/defense/hustle to allow his offensive talent to shine. I've been calling for this for years, but it hardly ever changes. Why does it always seem like we're tiny and have no big time dunkers/shot blockers/defenders out there? Rodney was a Godsend with his size. Finally we have a physical advantage at a position. Need more of these guys. 5. Collins needs to pop. He's our one young piece that can become more than a starter anytime soon. 6. Full recovery for Nurk.
Oh definitely athletically he's unique and even his BBIQ is good. I am a little scared his weight could create some problems for him, though I hope it doesn't. I don't think he'll be a Bennett type bust or even a bust at all, just not sure I think he's going to dominate the NBA the way some are saying he will either, kind of a balance in there...
