I'd be curious to see some defensive stats for Jabari with Kessler on/off the floor. Gotta imagine it's quite a boost to have a 7'1" guy who blocks nearly 5 shots per game as a backstop. You can be a lot more aggressive on the perimeter and worry less about getting beaten, as long as you can funnel your man after the fact.
I highly disagree. I think thats just another false narrative. He was the man at Duke because they needed him to be. Coach K knows what he's doing. The guard play was sketchy when it came to creating. The Duke team as a whole was somewhat flawed in that they had score first mindsets. If they would have had another guy that saw the court in the same manner as Banchero they would have been much better IMO. On the topic - this is Jalen Greens team. I think everybody knows that. Banchero doesnt play selfish basketball. He will continue to do what Coach K taught and thats play winning basketball just like most Duke guys do in the NBA. Make smart plays and integrate yourself. "He needs the ball in his hands to be his best" is another fairy tale. Banchero would know immediately that he is coming here to be Robin at best not as some savior that needs to dominate the ball to give the team a chance to win. Edit: it has me thinking what do the prospects offer if their strength is taken away? If Jabaris shot isnt falling how is he impacting the game? If Chet is getting manhandled on defense how is he impacting the game? If Paolos shot isnt falling or he's just off rhythm what does he do to stay on the court?
Banchero with Mark Williams and Chet with Timme as well? Jabari played vs something like 27 Power Conference teams vs Chet 7. Some skewed numbers there as well.
Banchero's best attribute is his playmaking. He cannot playmake without the ball .... As for fit with Green , Green's a play finisher, he'll thrive with someone who can set him up with easy shots ..... they fit together no natter who you want to label Batman or Robin.
Woods absence showed us that both Green and KPJ thrive with the ball in their hands. Sengun is another facilitator. This draft should be about getting someone that can improve our defense and hit 3’s at a decent clip. From all accounts those are the two weakest aspects of Banchero’s game. Banchero may well be the best available and thrive in the right situation, I don’t think Houston is the right fit. The tank is off in my opinion, so if the Rockets get a defensive forward out of this draft I see a 12-20 game improvement and a shot at the playoffs, ala hawks or Memphis
You can make plays simply by setting a good screen - rolling or popping. Paolos IQ shines on the court if you hone in. You can see it when you watch him move without the ball. He knows which spots to hit, when to call for the ball and when to drift into the corners. He's leading even without the ball. Great communicator. Chet and Jabari are playing roles. Jalen Green is more than a play finisher to me. He's a play initiator and should touch the ball every time down court and find his looks. He should be the volume shot taker on this team. A guy like Banchero makes everyones job easier with his court vision and its not solely with the ball in his hand. It could be a different version of Lob City out there especially if we run out KMJ at the 3. edit: Sengun would feast too. His ability to pin his man and use his size and leverage to get next to the basket would be unlocked with spoon fed buckets from Banchero. Yeah I know - the defense would suck - allegedly, but Im not sold that it would be as bad as some would posit.
For a team that was as bad as Houston I'd argue that if we got the #1 pick we should select the best player available and not the best fit. Fortunately for us Chet is probably both. Now if we end up in the 2-5 range and Chet is gone at #1, I'd take Paolo ahead of Jabari because--and I'm probably overgeneralizing it here--a 3 point shooter is easier to acquire than a swiss army knife like what Paolo appears to bring to the table.
I agree that Jalen should touch the ball down the court every time. Unfortunately, our dunce of a head coach think he should only take 18 shots a game. Defense, defense, defense. We already have the makings for a great offense.
Tantalizing. Banchero (followed by Ivey and Sharpe) would be the best to conserve KPJ and Green. He can initiate the offense and play the point forward role. We had the same questions about Green and he developed into much more of a playmaker than I thought he would. Give me a Top 3 pick plz. I will gladly debate Chet vs Jabari vs Paolo so long as I know we're getting one of them.
It was a learning season. With the touch needy vets on the team going to get theirs come hell or high water it was a tough environment for any rookie to come in and assert themselves. Next year should be different. I hope. Green showed great improvements on defense as the season wore on. Sengun is not a void like you have been led to believe. Any of the prospects in discussion would be decent defenders in a team environment - some like Chet forecast to be game changing, but it still remains to be seen against NBA bodies. What Jabari and Paolo do would appear to translate easier to the NBA. Once Chet can show the world that he isnt going to be punked by NBA bigs the whole landscape changes. He needs to get out here and start showing it vs just holding onto his draft stock. Everyone else is already putting in work getting ready for the combine. Eventually we will get a better coach when its time to compete for rings. Im hoping for Spoelstra.
Tantalizing is great word. I think you could apply that word to each of the prospects in their own niche and skill strengths. I could probably carve out a path with each of them that results in parades if each were to hit their ceiling. Personally I just think Paolo expedites the process.
this is again looking at one side of the ball. By all accounts, Jabari is not just a 3 pt shooter, but also a plus defender. What is it that the Rockets really need? On offense they need someone that can consistently knock down threes to free up the paint for Jalen or KPJ and a plus defender. Chet and Jabari meet that criteria, Paulo does not. We won’t be able to tank next year now that Jalen has adjusted. None of these players are demonstrably BPA so take the right fit.
The more I think about putting the ball into Paolo's hands the more I like him being the pick if Chet is gone. Paolo and Sengun handling the ball more should mean Porter ends up handling the ball less which should put Porter in better positioning to do what he does best and that's scoring. Spot up 3s would be there for him. Attack lanes without having to over dribble would be there for him. It would be a variation of having Vlade Divac (Sengun) and Chris Webber (Banchero) up front with Doug Christie (Kevin Porter) and Jalen Green in the backcourt
That's all true. I used to think that Jabari's defense is miles ahead of Paolo but I no longer think there's a chasm between the two that makes Paolo's other skills irrelevant. Just my opinion.
Addition by subtraction. You organically put Scooter at the 3 on offense a good portion of possessions (like alot of people have wanted). I like his size matched up on defense vs other PGs though. Scoot just has a tendency to be flashy with his passes and tries a little too hard at times and you see the turnovers balloon. It would be a good thing to reel that in a little. Simply reducing the turnovers would lead to more competitive games. I still think Scoot can be a good PG, but giving him free reign because there isnt anyone else to take the load off can be detrimental.
What if I told you that apart from drating - Jabari and Paolo share some of the same defensive metrics and are almost identical physically other than Paolo being about 20lbs heavier? Jabari has a little more spring when I watch him. A little more instinctual on defense maybe, but the impact isnt far and away bigger than Banchero IMO. Its just more projecting and giving Jabari the benefit of the doubt that he could be above average and somehow thinking Paolo would never improve. Jabari is very active with his hands and limbs on defense I'll give him that. He "looks" like hes playing great defense.
