Notice anything he does well? This is not a scouting report, it's a weakness report. I could "scout" Ayton and list out his top 3 weaknesses. That wouldn't encompass who he is as a basketball player or his potential for being an NBA player.
I agree that he has to develop a master skill, preferably shooting. Nobody is giving Ryno a contract if he could not shoot. Shooting is very important nowadays. As mobile as he is, a 7'2 guy switching onto guards too often, that is not going to look good, I dun care who you are. 6'10 Capela is looking like a guard in comparison. Lelz.
No team in the NBA is afraid of Greg Monroe or Brooke Lopez getting post buckets. That's the least efficient way to score, and something the Rockets would encourage.
I'm not too concerned with his releases - his releasing point is high enough to afford a slower release than normal guards, plus he does have a decent pump and drive move to counter overly-aggressive defenders. on-ball defenses and rebounding though, remains the biggest questions mark imo, he needs to show continuous improvement on these in order to compete for meaningful rotational minutes in rox.
Good luck beating Zhou out of the rotation Marquese, with that attitude and all. I'm sure Mike D'Antoni will just LOVE that.
Did you not see the big ass IF in front of that statement or do you simply fail reading comprehension. IF ( Big ass IF Underlined and bolded so you cant miss it) IF He has the lateral quickness to stay in front of NBA players I'd play him as a 3/4 , otherwise I'd play him strictly as a stretch 4 or send him to RGV. He does not have ANY skills related to a Center. Either he's a 4 or he's a failed experiment.
1. It's not If, It's NEVER. CLEARLY he will never, ever have the lateral quickness to defend a forward at a high level, so let's drop that. 2. Skills related to a C? What in God's name are you talking about? How about this... Name me a few Center related skills that Zhou does NOT possess (that you yourself require of him) in order to be an effective backup C in the NBA. I guarantee you 100000000% that whatever you list will be far easier for Zhou to attain than F'ing LATERAL QUICKNESS. 3. Zhou is a 7-2 rim protector with a 7-8 wingspan. He can also seemingly shoot the three. Channing Frye is an effective backup C, what "Center related skills" does he have? How about Tim Thomas? Or Spencer Hawes? Or Frank Kaminski? Or Raef LaFrentz? Or Kelly Olynyk? Or Brad Miller? Or Brook Lopez? Or Boris Diaw? Are you telling me that Zhou can't get strong enough in the post to defend as well as Channing Frye, or rebound as well as Brook Lopez? Tell me, what is easier to gain, strength & skill or lateral quickness? The answer should be obvious. He is clearly a C in need of an NBA weight lifting regimen, the benefits of which he is already reaping, as is Clint Capela (WHO MANY ON HERE (Holic) said could never be an NBA Center)
I'm convinced he's a 5/4 in our system with the ability to switch on to perimeter players defensively....much better than Capela can.
Did you watch summer league this year? I’d say perimeter defense is Qi’s largest weakness next to strength. Qi is a significantly worse perimeter defender then Capela, the lateral quickness is just worlds apart.
Yeah. He's not a stay in front of the opponent type defender. He's a recover defender. And there's nothing wrong with that. It makes him look slower. He is slower. But his extreme length combined with his quick enough feet makes him a menace if guys like Curry take off and go inside. Because he can block their jumper/layup from behind without fouling. I'm fine with his switch iso defense. I believe he's severely underrated by guys like you.
Ok, he was drafted very low in the 2nd round. Obvious there were concerns with him developing into an NBA player. I think he has made big strides last year in the development league. The weakness some of you pointed out showed that he is not ready yet, which no one says he is - contributing significantly right now. However, lot of these things can be improved with more practices. Things you cant teach is height, wingspan and mobility, which he has. We have also seen him progressing. Good signs going forward. If he doesn't pan out, no big deal, but if he does, what a draft.
If you read it clearly, you'll see my post was an update to my original enthusiastic first impression based on highlights. I was in fact overly optimistic because of his length + shooting. I believe this is a unique combination that warrants re-evaluating his value. But after watching the whole game, I was less optimistic. Although he still has a lot of upside, I don't think he has star potential like I once did.
I see. Frankly, I never expect a 2nd round pick to be a star. That's particularly true for a Chinese player, because teams would gamble even more to have a Chinese star given the opportunities to grow your fan base and hence revenue. I do, however, expect Qi to become a rotation player in the NBA. Like Capela, as he gets elbowed and pushed and familiar, we will discover his personality is more aggressive than timid. Yao mentoring him will definitely help, he had to get over that particular hump of understanding you have to dominate your opponent despite your cultural background placing a huge emphasis on respect of people who have paid their dues. I think if it were 10 years ago, his chances of making it would be slim. The NBA is moving in his favor though, the 5 spot is getting physically weaker and unique physical characteristics are becoming more valuable in a game. Hard work is the most important factor. I know most want him to bulk up, but I just think he needs to slowly add lean strength to his frame. I think he will be a good 3pt shooter and defender after the All Star break. Getting a backup C out of a 2nd round pick is a big win imo.
man Zhou looks extra pale and feminine there... he needs to marry a sista so she can cook her fried chicken everyday
Lol. I Didnt know who you were talking about. PJ Tucker, right? He did ok. No complaints. Still I would love to see the ZQ get some time at the forward position too. For defensive purposes mainly, with the occasional 3.
