I would just like to say that regardless if we tender the kid a contract or not we need to be patient with this guy. He is just 20 and I have a hard time seeing him getting much playing time this year or even next. I just want the kid to develope and maybe turn into a legit NBA big man some day.
Thanks for the article PCMILLS.... I've never seen that before and really haven't heard much about him other than he is a raw, athletic PF. I always thought he was a guy who would never make it to the NBA level. But, after reading that, I am psyched! He sounds great and would love for him to be on the team, get some good minutes and be groomed to be one of the best PF's in the game. That is one thing I wish we had the last few years was just a gifted athlete that could come off the bench and provide energy and attitude, and he sounds like he could be it! Refresh my memory again. Why did he fall to the 2nd round?
I remember a poster here raved about him. Then he went on suggesting to trade Yao for two 1st round picks and draft Badiane with one of them. Ironically, we got him with the 46 pick.
I really can't say why he went in the 2nd round. I would guess that because of the influx of euro talent and early entry candidates from college, coaches and GM's passed up on Malick because of his inexperience (had only been playing for 5 years) and size, and maybe because of the buyout on his contract (though I don't know how hefty that is). I don't care though if he was selected in the 4th round though, as long as he can help defensively, get rebounds and such, I think his energy and enthusiasm will do wonders for this team. For now, I'd bet he could at least be as good as Bo Outlaw, and that's not a bad guy to have on the bench as a backup forward/center.
You see, when you start expecting the next Otis Thorpe, then you're being overly optimistic. But I can see this guy being our backup 4/5 guy. That would be a solid investment. I hope he comes to training camp, I hope he gets a deal (no matter how low), and I hope he adds some strength. That's the most important thing right now - for him to get to around 245-250 lbs. ANY amount of offense more than Cato is a bonus. He's very athletic, I'm sure he can get lots of putbacks and stuff. 7 footers with athleticism, huge hands and a huge wingspan are RARELY RARELY useless, if ever.
This is my feeling also. He could be a real asset off the bench, raw or not. I wonder how many teams have inquired about his availablity in trade his offseason? With the Rockets pursuing deals all over the league, I would have to think his name has come up more than a few times.
To be quite honest with you, with the kind of numbers out there for C's, I wouldn't mind at all letting MoT and Badiane taking care of backup C minutes. Yao's going to play around 34-35 minutes, which leaves 14 minutes. Can Badiane play 10 minutes? Can we give the other 4 minutes at C to Mo? Yao(34)/Badiane(10)/MoT(4) Howard(30)/MoT(18)/Spoon(0) That PF/C rotation would be nice. We need some shotblocking anyway, and Badiane would be EXTRA cheap. Let him use those 10 measly minutes to develop. the most important thing? Practicing with NBA players, lifting weights with NBA trainers, playing against NBA backups for 10 minutes, and learning from NBA coaches. After one season of that, hopefully he'll be able to take on a slightly bigger role backing up PF and C for us. That's it. We don't want a star, we just want him to deevlop into a solid player, molded the way we want, and helping our team win.
I can. Malick slipped due to some sketchy international politics with his German club. Malick was under contract with a Lithuanian club and on-loan to the Skyliners. Therefore, the buyout was due to the Lithuanian team and not the German team. However, on draft day, the Skylines claimed they had a contract with Malick as well, and teams became weary at what it might take to get Malick to the states. Before this incident happened, there were three teams seriously considering taking Malick in the first round between picks 24-29. One had promised him if he was on the board, they would take him. Unfortunately, after the incident on draft day, all three teams lost interest, leaving Malick available in the 2nd round.
Thanks for the info o3gs. I have another question for you if you know. If he had been drafted in the 1st round, would he have played in the NBA? What I mean is, with the guaranteed contract that comes with a 1st round pick, would he have leaped over or stayed anyway? And were those teams interested him in the first round expecting him to come and play right away or play over-seas for a season or two? Hope I wasn't too confusing. I just am curious if he was already kind of NBA ready when drafted but if his foriegn affairs kept him from making the jump.
o3gs, you seem to be very knowledgable with regards to Malick. Have you seen him play, and if so, who does he most remind you of with regards to: 1. his style of play 2. his size 3. his potential If anyone else can answer these, please chime in.
I remember someone said Badman remineded him of Hakeem. It was the same guy who wanted to trade Yao for picks to get Badman.
Wow, I am amazed that people have gone so far as to compare him to Amare Stoudomire!! I just want Badiere to be a Carl Herrera type player. A guy who is a big plus for the team. Not a star here in the NBA, just a guy who help your team win and provides a steady presence behind Yao.
I say we should have him on the team just to have him go against garnet and duncan even if they eat his lunch and he gets fouled out. At least it could throw them off their game by not knowing if malick isnt going to accidently hurt one of them.
I'll say this much, he can get up and down the court as fast or even faster than the fastest big man in the league. Think Tayshaun Prince when he made that block on Reggie. And in the games that I saw he did a couple of moves that reminded me of Hakeem. Of course, nowhere near as smooth, but if someone taught him and got that rawness out of him, I'd say there's alot of potential there. I don't know, maybe he just happened to play his best those couple of games I saw him play, because I never did understand why he wasn't here last year.
