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Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

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  • #46
    Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

    while that's true, that's also a massive gap by NBA standards.

    It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

    Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
    Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
    NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

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    • #47
      Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

      Originally posted by Kstat View Post
      while that's true, that's also a massive gap by NBA standards.
      it's a massive gap for the nba yes. but as collegians, the two are very similar and i'd even go so far as to say some teams might prefer a howard to hansbrough.

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      • #48
        Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

        Originally posted by croz24 View Post
        howard is easily the smarter player
        By what measure?

        , and the better defender
        In what way? I know he's not stronger or faster, and I don't recall him being any more of a leaper. He's not bigger. I doubt he's longer. So what is it?

        and passer.
        Well, that's not hard to imagine.

        In fact, I saw him make a nice pass in what little I was able to watch of today's game.

        But being a better passer than Tyler Hansbrough doesn't exactly make you an NBA prospect, to put it kindly.

        both hit their free throws and can hit outside jump shots. howard is craftier around the basket but again can struggle because of some physical limitations. give howard a couple of inches in height and tyler's athleticism and he too is a first round pick.
        In what way is he craftier?

        Give Tyler the athleticism of Blake Griffin and make him a couple of inches taller and he's a hall of famer. Both are fantasy.

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        • #49
          Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

          Originally posted by Hicks View Post
          By what measure?



          In what way? I know he's not stronger or faster, and I don't recall him being any more of a leaper. He's not bigger. I doubt he's longer. So what is it?



          Well, that's not hard to imagine.

          In fact, I saw him make a nice pass in what little I was able to watch of today's game.

          But being a better passer than Tyler Hansbrough doesn't exactly make you an NBA prospect, to put it kindly.



          In what way is he craftier?

          Give Tyler the athleticism of Blake Griffin and make him a couple of inches taller and he's a hall of famer. Both are fantasy.
          out of curiosity, how much butler basketball do you watch?

          i did not state howard is a better nba prospect. but by watching howard play the game of basketball, these questions would be answered. howard is smarter in that he plays the game very much like a dale davis or jeff foster in the sense that he's constantly moving, CONSTANTLY setting screens whether at the top of the key or even in following the guard's penetration to the basket, looking for the open teammates, and having a general understanding how an offense operates and where he needs to be to make the offense successful. when howard receives the ball in the post, he's an incredible facilitator and will quickly hit the open man with the pass, kick the ball back out and reposition himself in the post, or use a variety of up and under or shoulder turns to get a clean look. hansbrough has more tenacity in the post and will essentially lower his head and drive on anyone and everyone in his path and almost never looks to be a facilitator or even just pass out to get a better position in the post.

          howard as a defender has done more than hold his own against the likes of player 50lbs heavier and 4-6"s taller. he does this by always staying in front of his man and not leaving his feet (he is known to block a shot or two). howard's lateral quickness as a defender is rarely seen by power forwards of his nature. howard's defensive rotations are utterly brilliant. BUT there are some times when he sticks with the switch a little too long resulting in fouls and occasionally much bigger players can get the better of him. butler is without question one of the top defensive teams in the nation and the stats echo that statement. one of the primary reasons is matt howard.

          howard is craftier based on my statements above. his awareness on the court and anticipation are among the best in the game. howard is as good as if not better than dunleavy at taking charges and getting the opposition into foul trouble thanks to his cleverness and acting. hansbrough has strictly a bulldog mentality while howard mixes finesse with his tenacity. once again, howard's issues deal with his physical limitations and while a good rebounder, he's can get pushed around down low having to resort to the foster tap back.
          but i repeat, i never mention howard being an nba prospect. i am only comparing them as collegians.

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          • #50
            Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

            I have cringed at no less than 8 different posts in this thread. Comparing Howard to Foster is laughable. Comparing Howard to Hansbrough is even more laughable. If Howard did not play on Butler and just so happen to be in the right place at the right time today people would not even be discussing this. Absolutely ludicrous. I think Tom Pritchard is a better comparison to Matt Howard than either Foster or Hansbrough.

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            • #51
              Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

              agreed, but on the same token saying Foster has more offensive skill than Howard is equally laughable. The guy has a lot of skill, just not a lot of anything else.
              Last edited by Kstat; 03-18-2011, 03:00 AM.

              It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

              Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
              Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
              NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

              Comment


              • #52
                Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                Go to you tube and watch the pick Howard set to free up Hayward on the final shot in last years championship game. Soft players do not make that play.

                Howards rebounding numbers are mediocre in large part because he is a foul waiting to happen and spends big chunks of games on the bench. As smart and versatile a player as he is offensively Howard can be a real bonehead and very limited on the other end of the court.

                Howard does not have the length, athleticism or defensive skills to make an NBA roster.

                Because his athletic skills have betrayed him in recent years people forget the real reasons Foster got drafted in the first round. It wasn't the fact he was a good rebounder. It was because he was long, could run the floor better than almost any other big man in the draft, had good lift and the potential to be a decent post defender.

                DB

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                • #53
                  Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                  As weak as this draft will be, Howard might get drafted in the latter part of the 2nd round. It depends on who comes out with the lockout looming and how many Euro players apply for the draft this coming spring.

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                  • #54
                    Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                    Originally posted by cdash View Post
                    I have cringed at no less than 8 different posts in this thread. Comparing Howard to Foster is laughable. Comparing Howard to Hansbrough is even more laughable. If Howard did not play on Butler and just so happen to be in the right place at the right time today people would not even be discussing this. Absolutely ludicrous. I think Tom Pritchard is a better comparison to Matt Howard than either Foster or Hansbrough.
                    A four-year, undersized power forward, with below average athleticism.

                    Was extremely productive in one of the NCAA's best programs.

                    Had a lot of success in the NCAA tournament, when the stakes were the highest and the competition the toughest.

                    Throws up a lot of unorthodox, ugly shots that inexplicably seem to find a way to go in.

                    Works extremely hard, and plays with energy that isn't matched by many.

                    Is somewhat of an instigator, and frequently gets in opponents' heads.

                    To me, that sounds an awful lot like Tyler Hansbrough's scouting report before his draft class. Some of those concerns were somewhat alleviated during the scouting combine, but they were there before. I don't know why you think it's so laughable. Hansbrough is probably a bit taller, and a better athlete. There is no question that he is the better player, that's why Hansbrough turned into a lottery pick and Howard will be either a late 2nd pick or undrafted. No one is arguing otherwise, but they have a lot more in common than you are willing to admit.

                    I have a younger sister who is a cheerleader at Butler, and I frequently get down there for games. I've seen this kid play a lot over the last few years. He has improved so much since he got there. He's added range to his jump shot, and he's turned into a very solid post defender.

                    Like croz said, he's a very smart player on the basketball court. He knows he's limited from a pure size and athleticism standpoint, but he also knows how to make up for that.

                    He made one play that was the epitome of his game yesterday, and it wasn't the one that most people are probably thinking of. In the second half, a shot goes up from the outside, and Howard is down low fighting for position to get the rebound. He isn't able to get inside position, but the ball comes off high and he was able to get underneath the guy boxing him out, and slide him forward (it is probably a foul, but rarely gets called if done right) and get his hand on the ball. Two other ODU defenders react to the ball and go after it, leaving Andrew Smith uncontested on the opposite block. Howard made a brilliant play and simply tip-passed to him for the easy lay up.

                    I'm not saying the kid is going to make it in the NBA. I think he is just too physically limited unfortunately. But he has the kind of awareness and savvy necessary to make up for some of those limitations, and I'd like to see someone give him a chance.

                    If not, he will be more than ok as well. He's a smart player on the court, but he's also a very smart kid off the court. His Butler finance degree will see him very successful no matter which path he takes. Even if you aren't a fan of his game, (which I'm not, because I think it's ugly as hell) if you watch Butler a lot, it's hard not to be a fan of him as a person.
                    Last edited by Mackey_Rose; 03-18-2011, 01:34 PM.

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                    • #55
                      Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                      I'm still waiting for the post that is going to compare Howard to Larry, come on people..............
                      @WhatTheFFacts: Studies show that sarcasm enhances the ability of the human mind to solve complex problems!

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                      • #56
                        Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                        I certainly wouldn't compare Matt Howard to Jeff Foster, there's no way he's a first round pick, but as to whether or not he can make it in the association... Brian Cardinal averaged 14 and 6 his senior year at Purdue and he's been in the NBA for 10 years. Stranger things have happened.

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                        • #57
                          Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                          Foster started out as a PG. Matt Howard is not Foster 2.0. He is Matt Howard one of the most crafty low posts scorers in college basketball. If Jared Sullinger is #3 overall on mock drafts no reason Howard is not worthy of second round flyer. A team should give him a shot, Brad Miller was never drafted.

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                          • #58
                            Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                            Originally posted by bphil View Post
                            I certainly wouldn't compare Matt Howard to Jeff Foster, there's no way he's a first round pick, but as to whether or not he can make it in the association... Brian Cardinal averaged 14 and 6 his senior year at Purdue and he's been in the NBA for 10 years. Stranger things have happened.
                            Cardinal is a great comparison. Howard is very similar to the player he was at Purdue. Cardinal kept working and forged a solid NBA career. I can see Howard doing the same thing.

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                            • #59
                              Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                              Originally posted by vnzla81 View Post
                              I'm still waiting for the post that is going to compare Howard to Larry, come on people..............
                              no it is only Dunleavy who plays like Bird *caugh* *nuffsaid* ...........

                              Comment


                              • #60
                                Re: Pro Potential of Matt Howard: Is he Foster 2.0?

                                Originally posted by Mackey_Rose View Post
                                A four-year, undersized power forward, with below average athleticism.

                                Works extremely hard, and plays with energy that isn't matched by many.

                                Is somewhat of an instigator, and frequently gets in opponents' heads.
                                I think this pretty much sums it up for me. If Howard is drafted at all, he will probably be among the bottom 10 players of the second round. If he is not drafted, he will receive invitations to play for summer league teams and in training camps.

                                Because of his physical play and energy, he is a player that would be great to have around in a summer league and maybe even a training camp. He is the type of player that compels others around him to play at a higher level. Unfortunately, he does not have the athleticism and overall talents to play SF and does not have the size (and probably the athleticism as well) to play PF.

                                He has been a great contibutor for Butler and is one of the reasons that caused many of us to become fans of Butler basketball. I wish him the best, but his future is not in the NBA.

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