What are you expectations? What do you think of him so far? I guess what I am seeing now is what I expected last year. I mean I can see the potential now . I think he has the potential to be solid. I will be keeping an eye on his growth. Rocket River
he's better than dan langhi. I've got hopes for him being a solid rotation player as long as DD doesn't endorse him.
I'm torn right now . His offensive iq is high I think he's athletic , he's big , he's got good form , he's likely a willing passer if not a good one . I think his ceiling will be determined by his defensive ability . I think he could conceivably bulk up and end up at the 4 and probably be ok defensively as a positional the defender . The higher ceiling is that he is quick enough to guard guys on the wing while using his size to his advantage . I think he's gonna have typical rookie development bumps and mistakes , but I think he can become a solid rotational player by the end of the year if he gains consistency with the shot . If his handle and decisiveness improves taking it to the rim he's a potential starter at the 3 . Then his defense will determine whether he can be above or below average . TLDR big things to look for , lateral defensive quickness . Improved handle and aggressiveness attacking the rim .
I'm thinking Chandler Parsons with more athleticism is his ceiling in my opinion with a stronger finish to the hoop than Chandler
I can see the potential but he needs to relax a bit. I think he might be a decent bench guy. Gotta wait another 40 games or so to see what we have.
The hate for Dekker last year was so ridiculous. It wasn't even the injury, the hate was present the moment he was drafted. I think his crime was being too similar to Chandler Parsons. He's a good jumpshot away from being an excellent role player for us. It's not like he can't shoot, he's just streaky. D'antoni's system is perfect for him because he can finish extremely well, especially in transition. The shots will be there for him, the floor will be open and he knows how to move without the ball. I think if you polled people honestly, they'd want to have a young Chandler Parsons back on this team. He hustled his rookie year and people loved him. Well guess what? Dekker hustles like that rookie Parsons all the time. And he was a far better defender and athlete than Parsons was in college.
The only similarity between Dekker and Parsons is the color of their skin. Completely different players. Preinjury Parsons >>>>> Dekker. Dekker is a goofball right now, too damn slow. Did you see his shaqtin moment last game? LOL. It's going to take a while to see how he pans out.
I like the kid's game; He's very athletic and can finish in traffic. Another difference between he and Parsons is, Parsons was drafted at the time we were trying to become relevant and was able to play through rookie woes and learn the nba game sooner
The big question on my mind is can he be one of the first true small 4s to break into a starting lineup? Right now he gets bullied by 4s and wings blow by him, which isn't surprising for a rookie. This offseason, he should continue to work on shooting and footwork on defense. Excited to see what he can become.
Maybe compare rookie Parsons to rookie Dekker. Aren't they the same age considering Dekker spent 3 years at Wisco and Parsons spent 4 at Florida? Rookie Parsons wasn't much other than a good defender. I already see much more offensive capability from a rookie Dekker and more versatility.
I am really hoping Dekker can be a serviceable backup PF that is a rotational player. Feel like he is too slow to be a 3. But as a quick PF that can handle the ball and attack the basket, I feel there is value there.
People who call rookies bust always amuse me at their short sightedness, especially when said rookie has been hurt. Rookies usually take 2-3 years to really get it, though some might start fast due to lack of scouting reports. The only rookie bust IMO has been #BeWell.
Fans can be very impatient. Capela was labeled a bust and now he's our starting center. Marcus Morris had a terrible rookie year and now he's a bonafide scorer and starting SF, though he'll never live down being picked over Kawhi. Hell, Jazz fans were irate over the Gordon Hayward pick and the GM pleaded to give him at least three years before judging. He was clearly an NBA player when picked and is now all-star caliber. Some people forget NBA players need time and experience to develop.