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Youth development tracking and discussion

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  • #1

    Youth development tracking and discussion

    Well in a quest for some positives it struck me that for all our complaining about the PT the kids are getting, we really don't have a lot of discussion of their actual games and how they are coming along.

    So what I'm thinking here is a JOB COMPLAINT FREE zone. You enter this thread knowing the hard facts there and accepting them. No one is madder than me about it.

    But the kids will get time here and there at least, and that time and effort is what I want to talk about.


    Also I want real critical discussion, so let's take off the gloves and not get worked up about negatives. On the flip side, I'd like this discussion to not be full of "Rush sucks" or "Josh is so overrated" talk.

    What I'd like to see is discussion of what guys are doing better, what they need to work on, and have all this stuff based on specific plays or moments from games.

    There's not much joy left to the season, but I think most of us agree that following the kids is one of those joys. So let's focus on that.


    The guys I have in mind would be Roy, Rush, Price, Josh, Tyler (when/if he returns)...and I think some DJones and Danny discussion fits a little too since they would appear to be part of the future too.


    Here's one - I think Rush has an issue with "comfort shots". He's got plenty of moves to get places, but he looks very unsure of how to finish a lot of these plays. He had a couple of short arm jumpers vs PHX that looked just like this.

    I'd like to see him get some really go-to moves. Does he have any now, situation where you see it coming? Maybe the 3 when he is catching it in rhythm, but off his dribble stuff?


    Roy - his passing game is really strong, I like his lobs over the top from the high post.

    His low post game needs some work. He's got moves but he tends to rush shots quite often. Not sure why, but I do think that's a youth thing.

    Tonight he had an almost great play where he was low posted and dumped it to a cutter (Price I think) who then kicked it to the opposite wing. Roy used that to come across the lane and repost with the ball coming right back to him. So far so good, really smart ball. But then he just went quickly up with a rushed flip for no good reason rather than setting himself into a true shot move.


    Price - I like his game, but I need to see his assist to FGA ratio come up.

    His strength seems to be two man game. One thing Roy and Josh do is come to him well for PnR work. Both get off the PnR pretty clean usually so there is real potential there.

    But at other times Price will just drive for his own mid-jumper. I hope this is more to do with JOB then AJ.


    Josh - well I like his above the rim game. TJ tossed one over the top with Josh trying to pull a high post backdoor cut, but PHX was all over it and really it was a bad TJ choice. However Josh's vert and lateral quickness got him to the ball and actually drew a foul. That's why I'm enamored with prospects that have vert and lateral, there are so many spontaneous plays that require those skills.

    He needs to always be the guy the guards look to for finishes on transitions because he does get out well and run.

    Right now his weakpoint is awareness, especially on defense. He let Nash just come right in because he was worried about the pass going to his man. Gotta protect the rim first, even if it means getting burned behind. That falls on the next rotation guy.

    On offense he has off and on moments. Pretty clearly to me he has a set number of things he's prepared to do, and if those aren't applicable then he kind of stiffens up. He needs to expand his comfort with more offensive situations.





    Naturally ALL the players will require PT to improve these things. Like I said, I'm not faulting any of them for having bad points. But that doesn't make those problems go away.

    Think of this thread as more like "what will the NEW coach think about these guys, and what will he have them work on".


    Oh, btw, I think Danny badly needs to focus on his defensive play. He's become a slightly below average on ball defender this year.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

    Cool thread.

    One thing I was thinking about tonight while watching the game was how I want Roy to work on becoming a power player when he gets the offensive reb or gets a nice dish within 3 feet of the basket. I want him to work on the 2 handed power dunk all summer. He has the tools to over power almost anyone in the league when close to the basket, but he seems to always try to finesse it in.

    Tonight I saw him get the O. Reb and instead of gripping the ball hard with 2 hands and going up strong to dunk it, he tried to do some one handed layup. He got fouled by a tiny guard and went to the line and made the FTs (he is a badass FT shooter) but it could've been an 'and 1' and really intimidated the other team.

    If he can add the power game it might put him in the elite level of centers.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

      I think Danny has been pretty good defensively since the injury. He looked terrible before that playing on one foot. Just a few nights ago he poked the ball away from Kobe at end of the first half. Irrelevant though because he stupidly grabbed him afterwords. But still he shows he has the skill to be an on ball defender, I think his size makes it easy to get caught on a screen though.

      I think Brandon is a good player its too bad that he is judged by how many points he gets, because thats not his game really. Maybe he won't be a starter, but he can be the defensive stopper on any team.
      Last edited by graphic-er; 03-07-2010, 12:44 AM.
      You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

        Price -

        Well, I know his game better than mosts, so I'll start with clearing a few things up.
        (this isn't JOB bashing, what I'm about to do. It's just the facts about Price)
        AJ Price is an "all around" type of point guard. Good to decent at everything.

        However, and this is a positive and a negative..he's a chameleon. He does, exactly what the coach tells him to do. When he gets freedom to do what he wants he makes very good decisions, but, when instructed..he does exactly what the coach wants. Which isn't necessarily bad, but it's hard to get a read on Price's game that way. But the point is, he's not going to be "one type of player" his game will change with the coach.

        Normal Price things: that little run he has a tendency to go on, whether he triggers it or goes on it by himself. He does look to score, but he makes good decisions on when to do that and when not to do that. The sagging back on defense, he has a tendency to not trust the bigger guys (old Uconn habbit) and obviously the pick and roll.

        So, all that said here's positives: He looks for Roy, I agree, he's best at a two man game, and excels with the pick and roll. I actually think that's part of the reason he's shooting more than normal, because when teams pick who they are going to guard in a pick and roll..they leave Price and double Hibbert, leaving Price kind of open. He also takes good shots. Sometimes he's aggressive and looking for his shot, but the shot he actually takes is a good one.

        Negatives: He loses his man defensively sometimes. Last night he played great defense, but he can get lost. I think that's "rookieness" seeing as he didn't do that in college.

        Shooting is inconsistent. Once again, I think that'll come in time.

        He seems to be "unsure" of the role he needs to take. He's naturally a "take controll" type of player. In fact, that was my favorite thing about his game. He could control a game better than any point I've seen in college. (Note, control is different than "taking over") Now, I think he feels he's the rookie, and that's his place. And I think that's right. But I think sometimes he looks unsure of himself. I think it's completely a "vets" thing, because he does not do that at all with the younger guys in. It's just a case of him being a rookie and knowing his place, but not knowing how to act in his place.

        Rush-
        I have to be honest, Rush has become my second favorite Pacer, and personally I don't find him the least bit frustrating.

        I think him, more than anyone, needs to be in a structured offense. And he is completely more of a "fill in" type of player, offensively. And defensively he's outstanding.

        I really really hope he doesn't get traded. He has all the talant in the world, he just needs to be in the right system with the right players around him. And I actually think the younger group, is a collection of players that are good for his game.

        Positives:
        Um, defense. Really, his defense on Bryant was outstanding. His defense the whole year has been outstanding.

        Shooting. He started off bad, but he's been shooting quite well lately. He has a really pretty shot.

        Passing and ballhandling..I mean really, the guy has all the skills needed to be a fanstastic player.

        Shot selection..omg. The one player on the team getting consistent minutes that doesn't take two or three god awful shots per game.

        negatives..I don't want him to be more aggressive, it's good to have a bit of yin with our yang..however, he can be laid back, and still impact the game offensively a little more.

        Hibbert..once again, a really likeable player. I really want Bill L. to coach this team next, because of what I think he can do for Hibbert, McBob, and Hans. Hibbert more than any of them, because I feel like He needs to be more aggressive at times. He very soft. His soft touch is nice at times, But sometimes I'd like him just to go in for a dunk..power it in.

        Positives: His hook shot is fantastic. really fantastic.
        Passing..he's a good passer out of the double team. Sometimes I think he passes out a little too much, but I like that he does it. That's rare for a big guy.

        Negatives: As I said, I think he's a little soft, and I think his conditioning and such needs to improve.

        McBob
        I have to say I think I was wrong about him. I thought he could be "barely" a role player. But I actually think he's capable of being a rotation player on a quality team. He's got the energy/athleticism down.

        Positives: ..energy and athleticism I think his offensive rebounding is better than people give him credit for. Shots go up so quickly it's hard to do it, but his hands get on quite a few.

        Passing. Once again, another very good passer for a big guy.

        negatives: shooting. He needs a jump shot, more offense really.
        I'm not sure his hands are that great either.
        Last edited by Sookie; 03-07-2010, 12:52 AM.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

          Thank you for this wonderful idea first of all. Illtry to make it short, I'm tired. But I've been thinking about this for a long time.

          Rush- Rush needs to, most importantly, learn how to fight screens and picks better, so that in the future Roy won't have to be depended on to stop penetration.

          Rush also needs to work on off-the-ball movement and backdoor cuts, along with better finishing at the rim. It's not a "confidence" thing, its more like a "When I get in the paint, I don't know what to do because I'm not familiar with getting in there and banging with the big guys, often causing missed close shots." The reason he misses so many layups is because he hasn't worked on it all that much.

          Roy- Roy needs to get better at "turning it on". He has shown flashes of being aggresive, and I wouldn't mind him being overly aggressive. I'd rather him be more like KG or Dwight than Timmy and Smits when it comes to gameplay. Roy needs to work on understanding that he is usually the second best player on the team, barring a Danny injury or Rush playing well.

          Roy also needs to polish his game, and something else. He needs to "open up" like Timmy (and now Howard ) does. His shot is so soft that he doesn't even need to hit backboard anyway. It would also be great if he could turn into a reliable pick n pop guy as well as (suprisingly) 80% FT shooter.

          As Roy gets more time to work on his game, I'm sure that post defense is at the top of his list. Of course none of our guys are defensive wizards, so Roy will occasionally have to go one-on-one with the likes of Dwight, Amare, and Bogut, and Bargnani. He needs to work on taking bumps, and just altering shots instead of attempting the monster block.

          AJ- AJ needs to become a better perimeter shooter. His shot is decent, but since it looks pretty, if he works on it, it only makes sense that it will get better.

          AJ needs to make better decisions in traffic as well as on the break. He also has some defensive potential, and I'd like to see him become a guy who picks off alot of passes and digs into big men in the post causing a strip on them.

          AJ also needs to get those assist numbers up, and become even better at the PnR situation. Understand who he's going with, and try to draw more fouls. The best thing for him is having a very high assist-to-turnover ratio if he wants to be the "high +/-" guy on the team like Ty Lawson or Kirk Hinrich in the playoffs.

          Josh- Needs to work on his perimeter game. He reminds me so much of an athletic version of Brad Miller it is not even funny. He makes very good passes, works his butt off, and is always looking for the big play. If he gets the perimeter game going, as well as a strong and quick first step, he could be huge for us. He also needs to become a better FT shooter.

          Josh also seems to suprisingly be the best guy for a fast break for us. Whether he's the one dribbling or filling the lanes, he never screws up. Thats what I love about him. He makes a huge percentage of his shots, and he will never overdo it, and he always looks very comfortable and poise on the court. He's afraid of nothing, and he's ready for whatever.

          He also makes alot of his shots.

          Tyler- On the other hand, Tyler can't get anything to go in besides a FT as opposed to Josh. Tyler is strong as Scott Steiner, and he is a very good post defender. He needs to soften his dang shot or just go bank all the time (Of course that would make him the laughing stock of the league). Tyler needs to work on rebounding and boxing out, as well as finishing when he does get an offensive board.

          Tyler can give people problems, but for god sakes don't put him against a small forward going small. He has very bad lateral quickness, and when an opposing team goes small, he's good for nothing. So in that case, Tyler needs to be a better rebounder and learn how to take smaller, weaker guys in the post to hurt the other team.

          Tyler also needs to take it easy and get healthy, but I'm positive he's working on that. If Tyler can get healthy and smoothen his shot, he's got a bright future with us.

          Danny- Yes, Danny is a young guy for us too. Danny needs to learn that his teammates can take over games too, well one day they can. Danny needs to stay in games, and when the scoring load is off of him, he needs to become one of the best defenders in the league, which I'm sure he can do. When he plays very good defense, he is scary. He is good at picking off passes and shotblocking, and he needs to understand that contesting shots and boxing out is just as, if not more important than the highlight play. His man-to-man is very good when he wants it to be, but I'm sick of sad guys like Luol Deng and Grant Hill going off on him because he wants to play offense and get in a footrace with the likes of Derrick and Steve, which we cannot do.

          Danny also needs to improve his outside shot, just to make it more deadly, and probably leadership. He is the guy, like Reggie who comes to practice early and stays late. But I want him to be a motivational leader as well, just like Roy as this team grows. The team trusts in these guys and they get fired up when these guys are working there asses off. Thats when I love to watch the games.

          He also needs to become a more explosive scorer, scoring in bursts, unlike what he does now. If he can;

          1) Come down one possesion, and make a layup or mid-ranger
          2) Get a steal, and hit a three
          3) Get in the high or low post, and score in there

          Then you have to double him, giving Rush and Wall the opportunity to hit the perimeter shot or make a play. Unfortunately, he takes plays off, so no one has to worry about him going off on a defender, unless it is Sonny Weems or something.

          Danny should also work on his intangibles. He should work towards averaging 7 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1 block, and setting screens and picks. He also needs to get a post game going, so that he can deliver passes by the dozen and get his shot off against smaller and weaker defenders, like Carmello does on a daily basis to Dahntay Jones. Right now, it wouldn't matter if we put Danny of Dahntay, because Danny would try to pull up instead of posting him up or driving on Dahntay.

          I'll come up with more tomorrow, I'm brain dead.
          "I keep wondering the same thing. Last week they had the 4th worst record in the league, had an 11.9 percent chance of winning the lottery and were in line to land a franchise type player like Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins. This week? They have a 1.7 percent chance of winning the lottery, have the 8th worst record and are in line to draft Cole Aldrich or Greg Monroe. Way to go Jim O'Brien. Rest Danny Granger the rest of the season (if it isn't too late) and give Josh McRoberts lots of minutes. That ought to do it." - Chad Ford on winning meaningless games

          Way to go Jim, you may have just put our franchise back another 4+ years.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

            Oh yeah, Josh's defense isn't very good. It has all kinds of potential especially since he added those 25 lbs.

            He tries to pinch the PnR which leaves the big guy open while Josh tries to pick off the pass in the middle. I'm sure he got away with it in Duke and Carmel High, but it won't work with some of the best players in the world.

            He contests every shot, and he's not afraid to get dunked on. You have to love the fact that he will do whatever it takes to get a fast break going, or to disrupt a team's flow.

            Josh needs to work on his post defense as well. Since his is originally built kind of lanky compared to the stars in this league, he needs to add more bulk, and get a stronger center of gravity so that he can hold his own against low post monsters looking to gobble people like Josh up.
            "I keep wondering the same thing. Last week they had the 4th worst record in the league, had an 11.9 percent chance of winning the lottery and were in line to land a franchise type player like Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins. This week? They have a 1.7 percent chance of winning the lottery, have the 8th worst record and are in line to draft Cole Aldrich or Greg Monroe. Way to go Jim O'Brien. Rest Danny Granger the rest of the season (if it isn't too late) and give Josh McRoberts lots of minutes. That ought to do it." - Chad Ford on winning meaningless games

            Way to go Jim, you may have just put our franchise back another 4+ years.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

              Has anyone noticed that, since New Years, Rush is shooting .446 from three (don't think those numbers count tonight's game).

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                Rush is a pretty good defender when he's trying. At one point tonight he routed Amar'e into Murph in transition and blocked his shot from behind,leading Denari to incorrectly say that Murphy blocked his shot. It was a "wow" moment imo. He definitely has the smarts and physical ability to be a great stopper.

                The most startling improvement in Danny's game this season IMO is Danny's passing. He's pretty capable when he tries. His assist numbers are low and that's for 3 simple reasons: 1) he makes "hockey assist" plays more than actual assist situations. 2) when he does make a pass that could be an assist, the other player doesn't always convert. This isn't the most talented team,as we all know... 3) He doesn't pass enough. He's made some good plays with his passing on this road trip (tonight setting up Hibbert with a nice bounce pass).
                Pacers,baby!

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                  This is an exceptionally difficult thread to post in because we have not seen most of the young guys in a traditional basketball game with good fundamental play in a system that maximizes the strengths that are available on our roster at the NBA level. Just an observation, not an attempt at a bash.

                  That said, Josh struggles with when to stick to his own part of the "perimeter" defensively vs. when to actually play defense on the ball to protect the rim because of a combination of a lack of experience and a fear that making mistakes will send him to the bench. Again, just an observation. Also, he needs to work on his free throws and conditioning, but again, true conditioning to play at the NBA level comes in games.

                  Josh is, however a strong finisher, truly passes and has vision for the flow of the game offensively, and is our best player for finishing fast breaks besides Granger.

                  AJ hasn't played enough to get confidence with his shooting, which needs improvement. He also dribble penetrates a little too much, but is doing what he is told to do as all of our point guards do.

                  AJ makes good decisions for the most part once he drives. He also is a good passer overall who would do better in a different style of offense that is more structured and geared toward forcing defenses to react to movement.

                  Tyler. Unfortunately, we have probably never seen a truly healthy Tyler since he has been here. He is a good agressive player who frustrates opponents and knows how to get to the line. Otherwise he is VERY raw and makes many mistakes on both ends of the floor during his short time here. Nothing but experience and time under a better system with a better teaching coach (sorry about the minor bash here but it is a factor for Tyler especially).

                  Hibbert is improving. He still is in need of a big man coach who can teach him to take up more space in the lane and the footwork required for being more powerful around the rim on both ends of the court. He does shoot the hook well despite not being very square when he does so, and shoots FT's well despite having limited opportunities to do so, once again due to the system.

                  Rush is maturing. He makes better overall decisions than most on the team on both ends of the floor. He still doesn't have the confidence to go outside of the offense to take higher quality shots than he is presented with in this system for fear of getting reprimanded. Thankfully for him he really has little competition for minutes at his spot on the defensive end of the court that even our system reveals that he plays well. He is also shooting very well from the arc at this point overall which obviously has helped him keeping his minutes for some time now. He needs to play in a system that opens up driving lanes as a result of ball and player movement rather than just "stretching the floor" before any judgement can be passed on his ability to finish at the rim or his timid play on offense that is more likely recognition of the poor quality of opportunities for driving that present themselves to him during the normal course of games.

                  Danny really is a young player at star level. He has been forced by injury to play differently than he ever has this season, and hopefully the summer will allow him to heal more completely, and whatever his personal issues are will resolve themselves and allow him to come back stronger physically and mentally next year. He can still end up being a beast, he just isn't at this point in time for reasons out of his control from health and personal to, once again, the system that encourages him to lead the league in attempts from the arc.

                  I know, I didn't really make it through any part of this post without referring to our coaching or system in some fashion, but the young guys are probably the players most severely impacted by what has gone on here this season, and what we see from them has been highly impacted by our coach and his system. For me, they are nearly inextricably intertwined.

                  Sorry about the fail.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                    About Rush, there is a switch that goes off in his head that makes him play better February through April. I think that has a lot to do with college. At least that is when I noticed Brandon picking it up for Kansas while he was there.

                    I don't have any other idea why he is so poor during the first half of the season, but the mentality needs to be that he plays this way all season. I would place a small bit of blame on the woes early on this season on his poor shooting.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                      Brad - I agree that Josh definitely gets stuck trying to make choices on defense and can be lured into the wrong place. Also he's got room to develop his post defense.

                      I think time can fix some of his defensive issues though. I think I'd rather see him work on a couple of offensive plays so he can threaten teams enough to force them to account for him on that end. He's kinda working the jumper and he's hit the 3 enough to show the range is there.

                      Right now the only move for sure I've seen is the highpost backdoor that the team runs in general. He looks for screens and picks well, so I can see him finding a go-to play out of that.



                      Rush - I don't think he was PLAYING bad early on. He was only shooting below par. I didn't see anything else wrong with his game. And I do think one impact on his shooting is the system and the types of shots he's expected to take and make.

                      I don't think he struggles through screens or anything like that. To me if you watch Ford or Watson, or even Danny, you see guys far more willing to go under screens or let their man have space.

                      Rush is an incredible shot blocker for an SG, and does a lot of it in traffic which makes it more impressive.


                      By the way, over the last week or so I've mulled over the Rush for Henderson thing, and while I really like Henderson's potential I'm not certain that I am willing to part with Rush after all.

                      My favorite Pacers right now are:
                      Roy
                      Rush
                      Price
                      Josh
                      Danny

                      Danny is down there because of his shooting and lax play on both ends. For example, he's been remarkably sloppy with the basketball, much like Dunleavy.

                      I do think Danny looks more focused overall lately. Not sure if any of that is related to his family issues, or in spite of them. I realize health is probably a factor, but his mental game looks improved too.
                      Last edited by Naptown_Seth; 03-08-2010, 12:27 AM.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                        PHILLY GAME - again, not the place to complain about playing time or JOB

                        Price - DNP

                        McRoberts - minimal PT, not really a chance to note anything one way or the other

                        DJones - I've noticed that he seems to be working up his shot fake and step in jumper. Plus as was noted in the telecast he put in a ton of extra 3Pt shooting practice and it appeared to pay off when he nailed one.

                        I don't think he's really kept up the defensive intensity like I'd hoped, but he does seem to finely be tweeking his offensive game. He's aggressive, so this is a good thing.

                        Roy - he continues to kinda rush plays at the rim. He makes lots of good moves but then hurts himself when he rushes the finish or 2nd shot. I do notice that he runs the court and follows up plays pretty well for his size/speed, the missed shot, he runs in and rebounds for the putback type of play.

                        He did add in a very rare shot fake where he was able to step in closer for a nice make (and foul IIRC). TV guys noted it too. I like seeing Roy add in some of those post tricks.


                        His passing game is really nice in the sense that he's got good vision and is aggressive. The problem is he forces some and doesn't always choose the best delivery method. Last night QB noted once where he should have bounced one instead of throwing it directly there, which got it tipped. Still the more he tries the better I think he'll get at this.

                        I do like his over-the-top passes into the lane from the high post or farther out. He's got pretty good touch for it and his size allows him to pull the pass off quite a bit.

                        I stand by the impression that Roy's best skill is his passing instinct.



                        And then there was Rush, who had one of his best off-the-dribble games yet. His drive to the lane from the high wing, going to the FT line and then down the lane, is really getting dialed in. Last night he made this move from either side with pretty good confidence. This was a move he used at Kansas too.

                        He puts a hesitation in there as well which draws guys in and allows him to blow by. Typically he draws double teams at the FT line which is where he leaps and two hand pass kicks out, a move some think is "passive" but I like. He's creating defensive motion and holes to attack when he does this.

                        But I also noticed him moving with the ball confidently in other ways, such as a spin away when a guy tried to close out on him as he caught the pass. It was a quick move, and then I noticed him use it again later.

                        Plus he had those 2 incredible moves right to the rim where he missed what would have been brilliant layups. Yes he must finish those, but the key at this point is that he was able to make the moves to get there off the dribble.

                        To me this looked like one of those light bulb games all young players go through where they do something and it works well and they notice it. They have that "wait a second, I'm on to something here, they can't stop me when I do that" moment.

                        My theory for some time has been that all players need to have those moments. Now the games right after that don't instantly get better because they might force that move or still be figuring out exactly how and when to use it, but the main thing is that sense of belonging and control of the situation. That's how you stop being a rookie or prospect and start being an NBA regular.

                        I think Roy is getting that too, like his Howard game, but he's not as far along as Rush IMO. He's going to have a game where he slows down his 2nd or 3rd move into a nice, smooth shot and he's going to know "they can't stop me when I do this". After that I think he becomes that 18 ppg center we think he might.



                        When I see Rush and Roy on nights like this it does frustrate me that Price and Josh aren't getting the same chances to find their games, their moves. Oh well, on hold for now.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                          Bonus post - Jrue Holiday was always going to be a project this year. I loved him as a prospect but I thought he and Teague 100% should have stayed for another year of college.

                          But boy, Jrue is already having those moments. He was the main alternate choice at the Pacers draft slot and it comes as no surprise to anyone that it ticks me off that they passed. He's raw now, but already he's finding his game on both ends (he's a sharp defensive prospect).



                          OTOH Speights was a guy a lot of us thought was a better choice than Roy and he's really starting to fade. This seems to happen to lots of guys, they splash early on then fall back into the player they'll really be. Just look at Charlie V vs Granger for example.

                          Maybe Speights isn't going to be the guy we thought, which would make Bird's draft look even more impressive 2 years ago.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                            interesting tidbit about Price
                            http://www.nba.com/2010/news/feature...beaubois.mavs/

                            "The wide-eyed, baby-faced Beaubois continues to work hard in practice, and has begun to make his mark in a crowded and deep rookie class. He is one of five first-year pros, according to Elias, to score at least 18 points in a quarter this season, joining Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, A.J. Price and Marcus Thornton."

                            pretty good company.

                            And Brandon Rush..I really hope we don't get stupid and trade him. Get him in a structured system, with a leader pushing him to play better (something I think Price and Hibbert would do in a few years) and he'll be a fantastic player for us.
                            Last edited by Sookie; 03-10-2010, 01:29 PM.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Youth development tracking and discussion

                              When I watch the game I pay the most attention to Roy, Brandon, and Josh. Roy and Brandon because I'm just about in love with their game and Josh because of his above the rim ability.

                              Roy:

                              I believe that offensively he needs to become more aware of his surroundings. When you get an offensive rebound there are really three things you can do with it. 1) Pass Out 2) Go up hard 3) Fake or a delay. He uses number 3 more than either of the other two. He needs to go up with the object of breaking the rim. You get in the habit of that and fakes become more effective at proper times. Passing out, honestly, shouldn't be done often but if he is not in a comfortable position, he should do that instantly.

                              Defensively Roy needs to be careful to not let any post get too "in". When someone drop steps he fouls trying to go for the block that is often out of reach. Also, I think he has to be less concerned about people trying to go through him than around him. Wider, lower base stance.

                              Rush:

                              I think when Rush is an active part of the offense early in the possession it leads to more success. When the clock is winding down and he hasn't touched the ball he tends to stop moving. I would like the team to utilize some screens for him to see what he could do with that. Also, he needs to finish more consistently.

                              Defensively he is a great man on defender. He is a solid off the ball defender but he can lose his man a little more often than you want to see.

                              McRoberts:

                              This is less of an offense/defense analyses but is what I see McRoberts. I think he is the "stretch-stopper". His game is taylor-made to control players like Troy Murphy who would prefer to get into a jump shot contest with you. He has very solid perimeter defense. Offensively he has solid handles and of course is an explosive athlete. It would be nice if he showed a more consistent jumper as the type of player I feel he should be matched up against will probably sag against him.
                              "man, PG has been really good."

                              Comment

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