Are we just gonna ignore the monster season... OJ Mayo is having?

Remember when Ben Gordon was putting up 20+ pts a game with 40%+ 3pt percentages?

Though right now Mayo is 1/5th the price.

 

Being a starter helps a TON.

 

OJ Mayo is not a PG or a center, we already have a shooting guard, who is second leading scorer in the league. So yes I am going to ignore the "monster" 12 games he's had. Next question...

 

Mayo came into the league with solid tools and an advanced skillset, but his best quality as a rookie was his unshakeable confidence. He had a killer's mindset.

Hollins never liked him and anyone close to the franchise could see it. He had a specific vision of success based on his 76-77 Blazers team he won the title with. They were centered around Walton and Lucas - two bigs - and him running point and some ppg from the SF spot. SG was the odd position out, and despite his personnel, he fit the team into this mold with Randolph/Gasol as the inside duo, Gay as the primary perimeter scorer, and Conley running the show.

In a nutshell, he didn't need much from Mayo, other than floor spacing. By benching him and giving him sporadic touches/minutes, Mayo, a rhythm player, lost his rhythm and his confidence.

Now that he has it, he's one of the more deadly scorers in the NBA. He's actually a solid playmaker (not quite as good as Harden), but Collison is pretty ball-dominant, which hurts his apg.

 

While his efficiency is surprising, OJ was always a very good scorer. He was highly touted in HS before coming to USC. Happy he's doing well.

 

no hate for oj mayo here. i wonder how good they'll be when dirk gets back...

 

It's almost as though his performance has been significantly enhanced.

 

Harden is number 2 in the NBA in scoring.. worth every penny

 

OJ is making 4 million this while Harden is making 5.5 million so OJ is making much less. OJ also has a player's option for next season. If OJ keeps this up, you know he is going to get near max money.

OJ is a bargain now but so is Harden. Harden is now the second leading scorer in the NBA and won't be in the top 25 NBA salaries when his max contract kicks in next year.

 

The fact that he is the primary offensive option on a good team tells me it's not just empty numbers. Nowtizki hasn't even played yet. They should make an excellent duo, but I wonder if they can defend effectively with Collison, Mayo and Nowitzki on the floor at the same time.

 

I don't see him coming back down to Earth. Obviously, he won't keep shooting 57% from downtown, but should keep scoring around 20ppg. And he's a career 39% 3pt shooter, which is fantastic. Remember that he averaged 18ppg in his first two years while making it look easy. Instead of being surprised that he's killing it now, we should be shocked at how badly derailed his career was his last two years in Memphis.

 

Yes but the difference is that Mayo is a role player while Harden is an all-star player.

 

^this, he went from being the future of the franchise one year and being the #1 option over Rudy to the sixth man and after thought in the seasons to follow. In my opinion he definitely has a similar season to Harden. He's just been forgotten for whatever reason since he was drafted. People forget coming out of the same draft as Rose people thought Mayo could be the best player in the draft.

 

When was the last time a player having a "Monster Season" get 13pts/1assists, 11/7, and 4/4 in 3 straight games? I don't think the Rockets are regretting the James Harden trade just yet.