Ah yes, Terrell Brandon's on Alberta. Nice little place, although I think they cut like 99.9% black guys hair, and probably wouldn't know how to do mine well. Reggie's on MLK is supposed to be good though.
the biggest difference b/t jl3 and aaron brooks is lucas didnt have a reliable jump shot or 3 point range. aaron brooks defintely has 3 point range and can make it consistently. hes also much better at penetrating, finishing, and passing.
Novak and JL3 were killer in the summer league last year. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, that performance didn't translate in the regular season against regular NBA players. I am a Brooks skeptic. I am hoping I am so wrong I will be forced to take guff all season long. However, the season has to unfold before that transpires. At this juncture, I would rather have had Nick Fazekas or Josh McRoberts or even Glen Davis.
Well I think what separates Aaron Brooks from Novak and JL3 is that Brooks has athleticism and speed that is considered exceptional in the NBA. Novak has skill, but his athleticism as we all know is way below average. JL3 is not as fast as Brooks nor can he jump as high (see the Brooks alley-oop or Brooks block). I don't really like comparison of Brooks to JL3. If you watch them closely JL3 does not have the capability of completely breaking down his man by using his handles. Brooks has better moves, better game, better shot, and better athleticism.
JL3 played summer league in 2005. His 2nd go round last year, all he did was hog the ball and give himself every opportunity to score. He picked up some assists but he barely tried to direct the team and set up other players. He got assists because everything went through him. He was a typical selfish summer league player who was trying to prove himself to NBA teams. Comparing Brooks to Novak doesn't make any sense. They are completely different players. Skepticism on Brooks is warranted. We'll see if he's just a 4A player or a major leaguer.
I was just alluding to the fact that he said Novak was a killer in the summer league too. I wasn't comparing Novak to Brooks specifically, I was comparing them as Summer League standouts. There are always players that dominate the summer league like Novak who have an NBA caliber shot but do not have NBA caliber physical attributes (athleticism, strength, speed, jumping ability). These guys rarely do anything in the league. (example: Langhi) Brooks rocked the summer league by having both. He showed us his skills (good shot, handle, passing) and his NBA physical attributes (superior speed, jumping ability, athleticism).
JLIII isn't a finished product. His last season is disappointing, but it was under just one type of system. If JLIII lands on a team like the Suns, who knows? Experience wise, he's just a rookie.
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I was agreeing with your reply 100% and my response was directed at thumbs, who is the one who brought Novak into the discussion.
i don't like the idea that because brooks did well in the summer league we have to compare him to jl3 and novak. they're all different players. in the case of lucas, brooks is basically superior in every single aspect. all i know is it's better for him to do well in the summer then not, and he's on the right path. it's entirely plausible his game is loads more translatable to nba success then these other two.
I have to disagree with my friend, thumbs, and chime in on Brooks. Good description of the difference between Brooks and Lucas/Novak. I really think we stole Brooks in the draft. Of course, I'm nearly always optimistic at this time of year.
I am a pessimist by nature but I like this pick. Speed in this league kills. Speed with skills, hes ready to go. With Francis back, Alston needs to be traded or Brooks will not even see the court this season.
Adelman has already said Brooks will get playing time because of his speed and skills. If he's up to the task of being an impact rookie, it's Rafer who will sit (if he's still on the team). Stop worrying about Brooks being stuck on the bench and not being given a chance. Rafer has no future here under the new regime.
I watched all but one of the Rockets' summer league games as well as several other games. Brooks had as much, or more, composure as any player on any team, including the veterans. He is definitely an NBA-caliber PG despite some questions about his size and passing skills. His shooting range is outstanding as is his ball-handling and court vision. He has excellent shooting form and touch as well as phenomenal speed which allows him to get to the hole. He also can hit mid-range jumpers which is something we were really missing the last few seasons. We were fortunate to draft this guy even if our greatest need was a big man. Other teams will regret passing up on him once he proves himself over the next few seasons. Mike Conley Jr. was taken 4th overall and it looks like Brooks is better than him. Only Rodney Stuckey seemed to be on par with Brooks. I am looking forward to watching him play against other proven PGs like Chris Paul and Tony Parker. He is ready to have an impact now but with Alston, James and Francis on the roster, he may get lost in the shuffle his rookie year. Adelman was impressed with Brooks though so he should get his opportunities. Brooks may already be our best PG and is certainly our PG of the future with Alston, James and Francis all 30+ years in age. Whether it is this season or the next, Houston fans are in for a show.
It is remarkable that Brooks managed to be named top rookie in a summer league that included Durant and initially Oden. the quality of competition in the summer league lucas excelled in pales in comparison to this summer league which showcased a lot of talented rookies. It is a lot more difficult to penetrate in college because of the sagging and the non-existence of the defensive three second violation, and yet brooks managed to be an effective penetrator in college. This shows the versatility and symmetry. He is versatile because he is skilled in changing directions which makes it difficult for those planted in the lane to take a charge. Also , he is strong on both sides of the court, going left and right, which makes his game more difficult to stop. Still it all boils down to how he will handle the pressure in the NBA. No one can really tell. Generally, you can get uncontested lay-ups in the NBA if you have quickness and skill. It is remarkable how Steve Nash gets those seemingly uncontested lay-ups against taller defenders.
Anyone who would take Brooks over Mike Conley, even after summer league, is missing the boat. 30/30 NBA GMs would take Conley, who is further from being a finished product but his upside blows Brooks away. Not even close. That said, anything can happen and I'll be watching both of them a lot because Conley is one of my son's favorite players. I'm a Rockets homer and want Brooks to take the league by storm, but let's be reasonable. Then again, it's been an exciting summer and sometimes it's hard to contain the enthusiam.
What makes you think Conley has way more upside than Brooks? He is 1 inch taller than Brooks so that can't be a factor. They are both extremely quick players with Brooks getting the slight edge. They both have great ball-handling skills. Conley may be the slightly better defender of the two. Reports were that Conley is the better play-maker but I am not so sure that is the case. Brooks is a far better overall shooter than Conley. Overall, it is close in a skill-by-skill comparison. I won't use Brooks' thoroughly dominant summer league play to argue that he is better than Conley since summer league was only a few games and there are so many variables that can affect a player's performance. However, I have read some NBA experts who say both Brooks and Stuckey will be better than Conley. My own eyes tell me the same thing. http://www.nba.com/summerleague2007/players/summerleague_recap_071607.html http://thestartingfive.wordpress.co...cer-than-mike-conley-jeff-green-is-nba-ready/ So, once again, what makes you think Conley has WAY more upside? I would just like to hear your reasoning and/or evidence supporting your claim. I personally think it is the other way around with Brooks not only having more upside but also being the more NBA-ready player. Conley should see more playing time next season only because he plays for the Grizzlies.
I think Brooks being named best rookie in the summer league more than validates your claim so far. That accomplishment is no small feat considering the other rookies playing in that league. One thing's for sure, I wouldn't bet against brooks if he and conley were running in a hundred meter dash at a track and field event.
come on now im the biggest brooks fan there is but to say he has more upside than Conley is ridiculous. conley has the potential to be a GREAT playmaker like chris paul and he can shoot well.
I'll make this short: Brooks is 5'10 (we all know he isn't 6 foot), 160 lbs. Conley is 6'1, 180 lbs. Brooks is 22 years old (23 in January). Conley is 19 (20 in October). Conley is 3 years younger and has much more growth ahead of him than Brooks. Just the way he progressed his freshman year at OSU was something else. Conley is more athletic, bigger/sturdier and more fit for heavy minutes of physical NBA play. Conley is mature far beyond his years. The only thing slowing him is his jumper. But the guy is so good at getting to the rim already that he will be effective anyway. Because he played 4 years of college ball vs 1 for Conley, Brooks should obviously be more NBA ready. We will see if that is true. But taking a look at what they are now vs. likely growth from this point, it's Conley in a blowout. Brooks is a faster player but I don't think he's any better at getting to the rim. With 3 inches in height, great hops and 20 extra lbs, no doubt Conley will be able to finish better. I like Brooks' fearlessness when he attacks, but I sure hope he doesn't get hurt. On defense, Conley already has the big edge because of his size. Plus he has quick hands and very long, harassing arms. He's the kind of player other PGs will dread facing. Brooks will always have major problems on defense. For him to be successful, his offense must be good enough to overcome his liability on defense. I don't mean to knock your "Brooks colored glasses", but while Conley is just a young kid, he is a specimen that could be great if he works hard. If Brooks' jumpshot translates to real NBA games, he will have a place in the NBA for a long time as a strong rotation player, perhaps as a 6th man. Let's discuss this again next March.
Well said, and I agree.. I was from UO, and I really like Brooks. But saying Brooks is better than Conley is way off. No doubt, Brooks is a steal for us, but that's only because we got him at pick #26. If we could have a pick that's early enough to pick Conley, I believe the management would pick Conley over Brooks any day of the week.. BTW, Brooks' strength is his speed and scoring, his decision making and distributing of the ball is just average. And due to his lack of height, he will always be a defense liability. Whether his offense efficiency could outweight his defense liability, that's something remain to be seen..
