Smith is a perimeter player. He can finish on the break really well...... but he is not someone that consistently handled contact well, he lacks the body control of someone like Ivey... Smith is going to be a really good player with his rare shooting ability, ability in transition and his ability to defend.... but he isn't someone that really loves contact. He is basically what Harrison Barnes would be if he played with a mean streak and had better athleticism.... an all star that sometimes carries you and sometimes looks like a role player.
Lebron dropped 16 in the 4th quarter of game 6 including the 3 with 20 seconds left to bring Miami within 2 before Ray Allen tied it up a few seconds later in game 7, he dropped 37 and 12 including a clutch jumper to put Miami up by 4 with 28 seconds left What was Lebron’s major playoff blunder aside from the 2011 Mavs series and maybe the 2010 series against Boston right before he left Cleveland? He passed up a few shots here and there, but he had at least 3 game winners early in his Cavs days in the playoffs off the top of my head and took over many games. His lack of aggressiveness was overhyped because “Kobe and MJ would never pass to a teammate for the win” while all the times he came through would get dismissed
You can scheme shooters out of elimination plays/games fairly easy. If your entire bag revolves around the game of your peripheral teammates should you be getting drafted in the top 3? Maybe. I think having multiple playmakers and #1 type guys on a team is the ultimate luxury. It separates contenders from pretenders and I'd rather have a guy who can do a variety of things at a high level not only for himself, but for his teammates and elevate the play of everyone around them. Having a defensive specialist 3&D guy is ok too - again depending on the vision.
he’s definitely not there’s a major difference between making a nice pass here and there and getting a couple of assists vs actually running an offense and being the primary playmaker
Hmmm. Paolo Banchero on a loaded Duke team leads all players with a usage rate of 27.7 next notable player would be Trevor Keels at 20.5. Not a lead dog huh? OK!
If Banchero is knockoff Melo, what are Holmgren and Smith's player comps? The most common comparison for Ivey I've heard is Morant.
Even when Jabari gets the ball, he isn't usually looking to attack or create. I still like Jabari, I just question if he is still top 3 pick. He definitely will need to significantly improve his handles in the NBA to get to his peak. A Ringer Podcast threw out a stat that he's last in 2pt % of top 5 prospects of the last ten years. He just doesn't score in the paint or do much scoring inside the 3 point line.
I haven’t really gotten into player comps for them all I know is that Chet can be an elite rim protector and mobile, skilled big that can shoot…I think he and Ivey have the most potential when it comes to ability to impact a game
I disagree with the bolded saying he has nowhere near that level of talent, I put it at 75 to 80 percent which is why I said 1.0, that's why I mentioned him, you can disagree but let's not act like it's crazy talk. He showed a lot of those abilities in this last game. I just told you what to google and it was more than Stephen A and Bayless they just made it a huge part of their schtick. Nobody is debating that lebron had monster games in some tight situations, I never bought into the those talking points but they were out there by more than those 2.
To be clear I am not saying that LeBron was or is a choker, however that was the perception. In game 6 of the Spurs series the Heat and Spurs were tied with like a minute left..... Lebron James would turn the ball over twice in 20 seconds and the Spurs were up 5 at that point with under 30 seconds left to go in the game........ with 5 seconds left in the game Bosh got a rebound and delivered it to Allen who sent the game to overtime. Had the Heat not comeback, LeBron James would have been crucified.......
And that was after he disappeared with Barrera checking him in the maverick series. I really don't understand why Reeko is questioning this, it was all over the place.
I think he is the third best player in this draft, but I think it is fair to question him. He is an all world 3 point shooter but he shoots a low percentage inside the arc. Some of that is that he takes a lot of really hard shots in the mid range. I don't think he is a franchise player, but I do think he can likely be a long time all star and is someone you plug in the line up, accept his limitations as a creator but rely on his defense, ability to stretch the floor and play with just about everyone.... and he can get out in transition. He is someone that has limits IMO.
Banchero has 75-80% of the talent as Bron, who is at worst the 2nd best player of all-time and guy who was the “King” and “Chosen One” in high school and actually lived up to it? Divide those percentages by 2. Sorry, but I think it’s crazy talk to have them in the same sentence, hell, even the same 50 page thesis paper. I don’t need to Google that, I know it was way overblown. U yourself even say u never bought into it, so how are u gonna use something u didn’t even buy into to make your point? SAS and Skip overplay things for TV, I’m surprised u actually brought them up.
Yeah... I think the narrative that LeBron James disappears in big games isn't fair, I think that is the case with James Harden and Chris Paul as well.... However, the narrative was out there at the time..... I remember watching the Spurs series after the back to back turnovers and thinking "Great, for the next 5-10 years I will get to read and hear **** about LeBron choking after he dragged his teams to the point of even being able to win."
I heard something interesting the other day. One of the coaches was talking about the best players in the NBA right now.... not the top 10 or even the top 5.... like the top 1-2 players.... and the ability to carry a team. It was so select that LeBron James was even dismissed as able to do it at this point, the same with James Harden and Steph Curry.... he mentioned two guys.... he said Giannis at his age and in his prime can do it sometimes in a playoff series.... but the guy he put first surprised me.... Kawhi Leonard was the guy he said did it better than anyone, and it is why he said he was really the best player in the world.... even with his injuries and age. Really was interesting to hear.
he would’ve been crucified because all superstars do, especially when they’re being compared to guys like MJ despite the 2 turnovers, he still had 16 in the 4th and hit the 3…if not for that, Ray Allen’s jumper wouldn’t have meant anything…then in game 7, 37 and 12 with a clutch jumper and clutch free throws That might’ve been the perception, but was it the reality? Aside from 2011 against Dallas, no. The same way the perception of Harden is that he is pure trash in the playoffs and has choked every single big game. Sure, he has choked in some games, but is that the reality?
So you don't want to google why I said what I said and act like I am talking Martian and then double down on Stephen A and SKIP when I told you they were not the only ones or even a minority. Do you even know what my point was? It was that narratives are not always to be believed, like people claiming that Banchero is a liability on defense or cannot shoot or that he is a comp for Melo. You got it now? I'm surprised you did not understand that. You act like Banchero has not been talked about a lot since HS, no he has not gotten as much hype as LeBron but he has been very hyped. Anyway I know how it is when you take a stance on a player, let's just agree to disagree.
I really respect @Nook and everything is brings with prospects but he can tell everyone better than anyone, these are just projections. Luka went third. MJ went third Giannis went 15. Jokic went 41. This is all projections and most everyone is going to be someone wrong somewhere. None of this matters until May when the pingpong balls hit.
