How so? This is the Jabari thread not the Chet and Paolo thread. There was no consensus top 1 pick this year. Clearly less what ifs since they were taken sooner.
As soon as I see someone that can keep Jabari Smith from getting his shot off whenever he wants, that's when I'll worry about whether he can put the ball on the floor. I agree that it is maybe an issue down the line, but right now, he hasn't needed to put the ball on the floor because nobody in his entire career has disrupted or prevented him from shooting his jumper whenever he wants. We're knocking him for not developing skills that he hasn't needed to date. He doesn't have great handles because he hasn't needed great handles to kick everybody's ass he's faced to this point. It feels like knocking Shaq out of LSU for his bad 3pt%. If he continues to get off effortless jump shots that he hits at a high rate whenever he wants in the NBA, then I'm fine with him hitting jumpers all day long. Offensively, he's basically an old-school shooting guard, and lets you play a small-ball offense, without having to play small-ball defense. If he doesn't become a rim-rocking dunk machine/highlight reel I'm totally fine with that.
Look here at the two posessions starting at 2:20, the one at 5:40 and especially the one at 6:30. I am not saying his dribble is his strength - I am saying it is not as horrible as some people say it is. It is underused and he could use a little more quickness or twitch movements - but there definetly is something there, on which he can build something. I think right now it is more about using his quick feet better on offense than his handles.
My point is, is he a "robin" if he so limited offensively. Name the "robins" who have max deals that are comparative. Maybe that's where the Klay comparisons come in but that was a perfect storm of having very complementary pieces.
Except when he's in the paint or more generally in the 2pt range where he shot only 43%. Right now he's an elite shot maker at his spots that plays great defense.
How so? Paolo and Chet were consensus top 3/4 picks the entire season and beforehand. Terrible analogy.
I think if the #3 overall pick in the draft doesn't get a chance to shoot his shot in his spots, we probably need to take a look at what our coaches are doing.
He dribbled a total of 5 times in all of those possessions, how does that change anything? Nobody has said he can't dribble at all but none of those show that he has any counter moves. What do you think he can build on with 5 dribbles and none of them with a guy moving with him. Yes, it is still as horrible you are acting like I am saying he can't dribble once without it going off his feet.
Sigh… I was referring you saying Paolo and Chet had less what ifs than Jabari since they went higher. I don’t know if you know this, but where someone goes especially when you yourself said there wasn’t a consensus first out of the top 3 doesn’t necessarily mean they’re better or worst.
The competition dramatically jumps from playing in the SEC to the NBA. It's going to take time for him to expand his game, especially in the paint. I don't doubt he'll be a good catch and shoot 3 point shooter.
So now we need to cater the offense for shots that are not high percentage? So it's more important to cater shots to him instead of what shots are better for the team? And who said he will not get a chance to shoot his shots in his spots anyway?
Also does any of this matter? We had the third pick so we had to pick whoever’s left. Were the poopoo’ers hoping Stone traded up to first just to pick Paolo? SMH
And you decided to pick one of the worst busts in the 21st century to illustrate your point.... Right, and not all "what ifs" are equal. Creating for yourself and others is very important.
Yeah, it does matter because we still have to figure out how to build out the rest of the team. So we can't have frank discussions about the strength and weaknesses of our players? What does any of this matter why have a forum on the Houston Rockets since it comes down to does it matter.
Jabari Smith Jr with Walker Kessler on the court: 3P: 40.3% 2P: 39.2% eFG: 48.9% % rim: 51.3% Jabari Smith Jr without Walker Kessler on the court: 3P: 44.6% 2P: 50% eFG: 57.1% % rim: 81.8% Food for thought.
