I would suggest the title: 'Shaq: the Jaylen Brown of the 2000's'Any chance the discussion of unstoppable guys gets a new thread?
I didn't see this with all the Alex English shade, but Tracy McGrady, Anfernee Hardaway and Grant Hill were the injuries that saddened me the most in my teens and tweens.It's a shame we didn't even really see what should have been McGrady's prime as he was a shell of his former self by age 26-27..
Mine was Bill Walton. Scored 44 (21-22FG!!) in the NCAA final when I was about 12. 4 injury-marred but ultimately successful seasons in Portland, then several years of inactivity or obscurity, then his dead-cat bounce with the Celtics before another injury.I didn't see this with all the Alex English shade, but Tracy McGrady, Anfernee Hardaway and Grant Hill were the injuries that saddened me the most in my teens and tweens.
Aside from a ref with a basic knowledge of the offensive foul rule.Yes. this for sure. Shaq was a force of nature on the block that nothing this side of Mark Eaton could have slowed down.
People didnt exactly think Tatum was a chump - the consensus was that he was between the 2nd and 5th best player in the draft.Has the collective "intelligence" of NBA pundits ever gotten two consecutive picks as wrong as JB and JT?
It's not that Tatum was underrated; it's that everything people thought would be an issue wasn't.People didnt exactly think Tatum was a chump - the consensus was that he was between the 2nd and 5th best player in the draft.
Has to be same slot because the Celtics drafted Yabu and Zizic in the 1st round last year.Or were we talking the same slot in the draft?
I didn't mean underrated; I meant wrongly evaluated. Plus hyperbole but the point stands (at least insofar as message boarding goes).People didnt exactly think Tatum was a chump - the consensus was that he was between the 2nd and 5th best player in the draft.
As far as all time consecutive picks that were underrated, how about the Kings selecting Hassan Whiteside in 2010 at 33rd overall and then going and taking IT as the 60th pick in 2011?
Edit: Or Golden State taking Steph Curry in 2010 followed by Jeremy Lin? I guess Lin was undrafted. The judges would also accept Klay Thompson at 11 in 2011 followed by Draymond at 35.
Or Joe Dumars at 18 in 1986 followed by Dennis Rodman in the 3rd round in 1987?
How about Stockton at 15 in 84 followed by Malone at 13 in 85?
Lots of options.
Right, these were the things he kept getting dinged for, although people should have noted the midseason improvement last year in three point shooting. The ball stopper thing was always more of a "the best scorer on an a college team" thing than a real worry (in high school he had a pretty good feel for passing).It's not that Tatum was underrated; it's that everything people thought would be an issue wasn't.
- not great athleticism
- poor defense
- too much midrange
- hard time extending to 3
- ball stopper
Yeah, there's a very real tendency for NBA "numbers-guys" to signal how savvy they are by dinging guys who have elite mid-range games, without thinking about how those guys can evolve in the right system, and how the base skillset can translate. We get it, you're cool enough to think that Rudy Gay and Melo were overrated, cool story bro.Right, these were the things he kept getting dinged for, although people should have noted the midseason improvement last year in three point shooting. The ball stopper thing was always more of a "the best scorer on an a college team" thing than a real worry (in high school he had a pretty good feel for passing).
2nd best scorer. Kennard had him beat in every offensive category.Right, these were the things he kept getting dinged for, although people should have noted the midseason improvement last year in three point shooting. The ball stopper thing was always more of a "the best scorer on an a college team" thing than a real worry (in high school he had a pretty good feel for passing).
All of this is right, and I'll add that anyone who's watched these Celtics teams the past few years knows how important that part of the game can be when you desperately need a bucket. Do you want mid-range jump shots to be an essential part if your offense? No. But having guys who can make those shots efficiently when you need them is damn helpful.Yeah, there's a very real tendency for NBA "numbers-guys" to signal how savvy they are by dinging guys who have elite mid-range games, without thinking about how those guys can evolve in the right system, and how the base skillset can translate. We get it, you're cool enough to think that Rudy Gay and Melo were overrated, cool story bro.
Would be especially hilarious on a graph — a giant middle finger.
There's a lot of another former Pacer in his offensive game. He's Danny Granger, cubically transformed.Tatum has that Old Man game in his repertoire: up fakes down low wrap around passes, euro step to the basket, lean in layups with the opposite hand, mid-range body upped fadeaways, two hand dunks instead of one-handed tomahawk slams and I love it. Incredibly controlled and mature game for his age, very unique.
Looking forward to seeing a Jaylen Brown type training program this offseason and the added strength, a future Paul George w/a better 3pt stroke.
I was thinking this same thing last night. How rare is it to find a 19-year-old with a game that mature? He has a really good sense of when to shoot, when to pass, when to exploit a hole and drive, where to be on defense. Contrast where he is vs. Jaylen through his first 24 games. Night and day....mature game for his age...
One way to contextualize this is to look at historical TS%. Tatum's is the best ever for a 19 year old. For a player under 20, he is second only to Bynum. Among the top 20 seasons ever for players 20 and under, he is the only 19 year old other than Bynum or Biedrins to rank in the top 20. (700 minutes minimum, selected to keep Tatum on the list but filter out guys who played less.) Thad Young and Kyrie are the first other 19 year olds who weren't centers. They shot .570 and .566, respectively as rookies. Tatum is at .636. The best true wing of a similar age is Kobe, who ranks 51st at .548. After that is Devin Booker at .535.I was thinking this same thing last night. How rare is it to find a 19-year-old with a game that mature? He has a really good sense of when to shoot, when to pass, when to exploit a hole and drive, where to be on defense. Contrast where he is vs. Jaylen through his first 24 games. Night and day.
Well realistically it was either Duke or Kentucky as the only other official visit he made was to his hometown St Louis Billikens coming off a 12-21 season with a new coach and his deliberate style. Presuming he choose Duke or Kentucky, Tatum wasn't going to go wrong......although he may have left some money on the table by selecting DukeThe Duke decision becomes even smarter when you take into account that he had gotten some feedback that he needed to extend his range and work on his shot and so he chose Duke partially to be able to have the opportunity to take advantage of their offensive style which would give him 3point looks in ways he wouldn't get at some other schools.
Which is where his dad played college ball. He apparently said after picking Duke that the Billikens were a close second, which would be another testament to his maturity, being able to say that with a straight face.the only other official visit he made was to his hometown St Louis Billikens coming off a 12-21 season
Larry Hughes would like to have a word with you...Which is where his dad played college ball. He apparently said after picking Duke that the Billikens were a close second, which would be another testament to his maturity, being able to say that with a straight face.
Larry Hughes is his Godfather right?Larry Hughes would like to have a word with you...
It's always safe to let Larry Hughes take a shot at you.Larry Hughes would like to have a word with you...
Based on that content, it may not be safe if your construction site is located in Philly or LA.I work on a construction site, no such thing as nsfw.
Ben Simmons is so ridiculously good that even Lonzo has no chance of unseating him.It's just too bad he has no shot at ROY because of another guy from last year's draft. He's the new Magic Johnson.
lol. Outstanding! The NSFW spoiler is an inspired touch.
Unfortunately, I don't get to watch all the games (but I do watch all the game highlights on YouTube). But it seems like every single time I check the box score, Tatum has between 15-19 points. He's incredibly consistent, and he doesn't shoot a ton.Anyone else miss the fact that JT is leading the entire fricking NBA in 3P%? With tonight's game, he's at 51.3%.
(Old friend KO is at .475.)
Guess the pre-draft questions about his shooting range can be pit to rest now, right.
And as for one of the other big questions- the long twos have been few and far between. Even when he gets into an iso, he's taking it to the rim and using his length to finish or kicking out if the drive isn't there. It just seems like he's a sponge in terms of learning and incorporating his coaching. Plus, his footwork's as good as advertised, his functional length and defensive instincts are much better than I expected and he has flashed enough with his handle to make me think it will become a real asset soon. If he's as coachable as he seems, and his shooting is anywhere close to what he has shown so far, he's going to be a foundational player in short order.Anyone else miss the fact that JT is leading the entire fricking NBA in 3P%? With tonight's game, he's at 51.3%.
(Old friend KO is at .475.)
Guess the pre-draft questions about his shooting range can be pit to rest now, right.
With respect to the long twos, it seems like the only time he's taking them is when he's attacking close-outs. In addition, according to BRef, after going 1-8 in October on shots greater than 16 feet but inside the 3P line, he's been 10-18 on those shots in November and December.And as for one of the other big questions- the long twos have been few and far between. Even when he gets into an iso, he's taking it to the rim and using his length to finish or kicking out if the drive isn't there. It just seems like he's a sponge in terms of learning and incorporating his coaching. Plus, his footwork's as good as advertised, his functional length and defensive instincts are much better than I expected and he has flashed enough with his handle to make me think it will become a real asset soon. If he's as coachable as he seems, and his shooting is anywhere close to what he has shown so far, he's going to be a foundational player in short order.
Unfortunately, I don't get to watch all the games (but I do watch all the game highlights on YouTube). But it seems like every single time I check the box score, Tatum has between 15-19 points. He's incredibly consistent, and he doesn't shoot a ton.
I think I'm more excited about him than any other aspect of the team, and there's a lot to be excited about at the moment.
10+ points in 13 straight games and 17 of 18, with the only exception being the Lakers game that he left with ankle soreness after 5 points in 9 minutes. The kid is legit.The consistency has been amazing. Consider that a guy like Brown seems to yo-yo from game to game. Tatum is often in a sweet spot of 15 to 20 points. He had been starting games slow and finishing strong, but last night he had 14 at the end of the first quarter, and looked to be on his way to 30+, then was content to pass the ball away as the defense started picking him up more intensely.