Hollins, Adelman, and McHale ALL benched Thabeet. The proof is right there. He sucks guys, get over it. -As for Donatas.... if you guys think that he's going to be given the starting job right off the bat next year then you might be surprised. Given the way they have made every rookie fight for PT in the rotation in past, I have little hope that he's going to be the go-to-guy right off the bat. HOWEVER, good news is that he isnt going to be coming in as a true blue rookie. His experience this year is going to be key to success in the NBA. I expect him to come in knowing how to play in this league very quickly. Also a full summer league and training camp will do wonders for his game to translate. I do not expect Scola to be part of this team next season, and expect him to get moved this March or summer. So much like the SF position this year, the PF spot could be up for grabs.
Andrea is skinnier, quicker, and has more hops. Donatas is stronger but he doesnt seem to have a lot of hops, which is okay for a center if his skills and positioning are top notch.
I don't think there's any question he's a 4 in the NBA. He isn't strong enough to play center. Again, he's in the physical mold of Gasol/Nowitzki.
This. I've never understood the concept of giving guys minutes and hoping they'll respond. If they can't respond during practice or during garbage time, they deserve to be on the bench, no matter how tall they are or how high they were drafted.
Yes. "Developing" a player isn't throwing them out there and watch him sink or swim (in Thabeet's case, mostly sink). You teach the guy what it takes to succeed (technique, team tactics, etc.), give him some opportunities to show what he learned in practice and, at first, in limited situations. If he shows that he's learning, then try him in a bigger role. Even in a strange season, there are opportunities for guys to show what they got-- how else did Chandler Parsons earn the coaches' trust? It's the same way with Adelman and the young guys under him-- Landry did not play at all to start the season, improved his conditioning and showed his skills in practice, then impressed n a blow-out game before becoming a regular rotation guy. Coach's are not stupid, they are always searching for guys who can help the team win. Sometimes, you may have talent but there's just someone better in front of you, but if you are getting DNP-CD from 3 different coaches and getting beaten out on the depth chart by Jeff Adrien, it's kind of a sign.
I am with you here. Developing players is about both giving the player an opportunity to leverage their skill(s) to the team benefit as well as the player demonstrating an earnest attempt to demonstrate the coach's teaching. When a guy cannot get on court, even during a blowout, then something is amiss with the player -- dude lacks the skill/ability, the coach ability, or both. I remember the struggles the Lakers had trying to incorporate/tame Kobe Bryant. Del Harris even publicly vowed to teach Kobe the team game. The coach was caught in a contradiction in which Kobe was awarded time to "sink or swim" using his skill set/playing style, but at the same time, Harris used playing time to cajole Bryant into team play. It wasn't an easy job, but Bryant's work ethic and skills motivated the Lakers to give him regular playing time, even when he wasn't fully following coach's orders. At any rate, it sucks to see once promising prospects not put together enough to earn the time.
From the VERY beginning, when Thabeet was drafted, scouts have said that "If you pick him, you need to play him..." It turns out, that Thabeet is just too ****ty to even force feed minutes...
I don't think his skill is bad, its just that he's too lazy/isn't interested in Bball enough to advance further. Mchale was able to mold Hill into a somewhat decent big man, if he can't even do anything for Thabeet that means Thabeet isn't doing his homework. He's had all of last year and the lockout to work on his body so he wouldn't get pushed around. The season begins and he still looks like a walking pogo stick
This. I don't know if D-Mo will ever be a franchise player like Yao was, but he has that quickness/fluidity in his body that Yao had before he got injured. The Bosh comparisons seems way too legit to be ignored.
