How many times have we had this same line of discussion. Obviously we disagree on how often he's flashed superstar potential and we will regurgitate the same talking points.
I don't know man, I just said Jabari doesn't look like a superstar at any point in the future - addressed to no one in particular - and then you started talking about Jalen Green...again. So, as many times as you keep doing that is the answer?
The thing is as @Mathloom pointed out, defense is usually where rookies struggle. Jabari has already been a decent defender, most rookies are not even that. I think he'll get there if he gets stronger, won't be moved as much, more of an interior presence, but this is where he has flashed a lot. There was also the Miami game where he was on Butler for most of the night and forced him to have a pretty bad game.
I'm just wondering what he's done lol. Saying you can't support him is a pretty strong statement to make. Like chirping at Sengun has Jabari being compared to criminals now, this is out there for me, and people dont realize he's not picking on Sengun he chirps at all the players... Sengun should have an issue with the coach more than Jabari. Also, Tate does too. Green does too. KPJ does too. This is what a team is SUPPOSED to do. When someone messes up they are supposed to say hey, you made a mistake there, and the coach is supposed to help them all through it.
Herb Jones was known for his defense last year, he made the all rookie 2nd team because of it. Evan Mobley, obviously is a good defender, he will get all defense votes. Scottie Barnes was cited as a 2 way player/defensive standout and won ROY. Let's not pretend Jabari Smith has shown their level yet. He hasn't.
Rookies who suck should be seen and not heard. The proximate cause of that defensive breakdown was Jabari letting his man go right by him with no resistance. Furthermore, reading the multiple comments on that particular breakdown, there is a question as to who should have slid over to cover - Tate or Alpi. But chirping at Alpi when the main problem was Jabari reeks of the dirty looks Harden used to give his teammates for not covering his turnstile defense on the perimeter. Except of course Harden was a generational superstar and Jabari is the worst player in the team to get major minutes. Let’s not forget Jabari yelling at Silas to “get (Alpi’s) ass off the court” - again after a play that was hardly the fault of Alpi alone. That’s not being a good teammate - that’s pointing fingers and displaying contempt. Anyone who has worked in a team environment (sports or otherwise) recognizes that it’s toxic and does far more harm than good (especially when the coach/leader reinforces such contempt). You call him a team first player when he’s shown absolutely no sign of having such a mentality and in fact he’s showing every sign of being an incompetent cancerous diva and a total bust. His flashes of competence have been no more impressive than those of Carlos Rogers (remember him?) and that guy was an end of the bench journeyman for his 8 years in the league.
Sure he has. You're just going by reputation and all of these players are exceptions also Scottie Barnes isn't that amazing defensively. He won ROY because he was also offensively good for a rookie.
No need to overanalyze, that is in the heat of those months but I do think I won't feel anything for him eventually and just give him props if he ride tails to a potential championship. If he's stuck on some bench, no harm done.
It has gone back and forth between the two of them all season. Jabari's offense is absolutely pathetic and Jalen's defense is absolutely pathetic. The one constant is that it's been the two of them in a class of their own as by far the worst on the team. I've always had a problem with garbage tier players trash talking and blaming their shortcomings on others even when I played. Those are the worst kinds of players IMO. If you suck, keep your mouth shut. Right now, no one on the roster sucks more than Jabari.
Don't think that's a rule that goes on, especially not for a 3rd overall pick. Also, Jabari has no idea of everything going on around him, thats the reason help defense exists. You get beat on defense sometimes, Pippen did, Kawhi does, that's why help defense exists. All Jabari knew was that someone should have covered him. Period. It seems we agree there. Now thats where they sort it out as teammates. It's not that big of a deal. Yall STILL going on about something that happened months ago, something no one on the team seems to even care about because I 100% guarantee you trash talk is worse in practices. Yall remember the stories of Harden and Tate clashing? Do yall also think Harden hates Tate or has animosity towards him? Yall take these things far too seriously. Yes, team first, he's had nothing run for him the entire season. Not a single damn peep about it. Not from his dad. Not from anyone. No whispers about how he thinks he should get more shots. Nothing. We're calling him a Diva (that's what we're calling him now...a diva???) as if he's demanding anything from the team and all he's demanded was that the team play better defensively. The horror.
I was hoping to see Jabari have a post all star break run like Green did last season. The worst part about this season is it feels like none of our young. Prospects have really improved or taken leap as the season progressed. It’s the ultimate failure of the season. I don’t care about our record.
The funny thing is Jabari was right on that play. Someone should have been able to help him. Going on about how he got beat, man everyone gets beat in the NBA. That's why help defense exists. Alpi is the best player on the team but some of yall are getting into this mode where we are also excusing his mistakes and attacking other players to make him seem like he has no glaring issues with his game. For example. If Alpi was on the perimeter guarding as much as Jabari is he'd get beat, a lot, constantly. That is a reality of his game. Now I don't agree with Silas taking him out, he needs to develop his game too, just like every other prospect he has. But it's a reality that Alpi struggles defending in space just like it's a reality that Jabari struggles hitting 3 pointers.
Really? "Sure he has"? OK, let's check back in awards season and see. And yes, of course I'm going off reputation. And the reputation of all of them was as high level defenders last year. People wrote articles about the defensive impact of every single one citing all of the usual stats and blah blah blah. . In fact, Mobley and Jones were the highest vote-getters among forwards to not make the All defensive team. Barnes got votes too. These reputations exceed anything Jabari Smith Jr. has been doing. What are you going off of - your internal gradation of every single defensive play of Scottie Barnes, Herb Jones and Evan Mobley as rookies - or reputation? I mean, there's honestly no other way to do it even for the professional takesters.
No big should have to defend in a drop coverage of a setting, especially with a team this young. That's exactly the 'gamble on D' BS Silas implemented. Gobert the DPOY had trouble with the drop coverage. Bigs get torched by Lillard, move on.
Well the coaching dictates the success and development of the players and team, so with that said if he continues getting benched by the coach then can we truly say he’s takened a leap?
You're also pretending like every one of those guys wasn't drafted onto veteran teams. You keep ignoring all this context like it doesn't matter at all. If you put Jabari on those teams he'd play A LOT better. If you put Mobley on this team his defense would look less too, he'd be surrounded by guys that can't stay in front of their man and a team that constantly doesn't know where they are supposed to be and play with no discipline and are not connected. I mean your argument right now is that some people wrote articles about their play. No one writing articles about the Rockets, no one watching the Rockets outside of Rocket fans and opposing teams fans that know they got an easy W for the night. You're even getting away from the point, that it's hard for rookies to have an impact on defense. That Jabari can play stellar defense against f'n Giannis at 19 and Jimmy Butler should be praised. Full stop. No "But what about Mobley! What about..." you have grass is greener on the mind all the time.
Well why does Sengun get "The coach is bad" excuses but Jabari doesn't? I've been consistent. I'm no SOF, JOF, whatever OF. Like Tinman I'm a 07er ROF, I hope they all become all-stars and support them ALL when they wear this jersey unless they are a legit criminal and horrible person. I think the coach is not helping their development AT ALL and the situation is bad for ALL of them. Difference is I know its a valid excuse for all of our young players, all of them.
I really appreciate this point. Soooooo much context is lost on this site because the desire to feel "smart" by calling young players a bust first is ruining everything. If we put 19 year old Klay, 20 year old Jokic, 21 year old Beal, etc on this team all together and made them play in this system, these people would all call them busts and wish we could cut them. The lack of development is simultaneously complained about and then somehow it's not a valid reason for why these kids are struggling? I can't make sense of it.
If you put Jabari on those teams he wouldn't be playing at all because he's simply not good enough. And let's get real it's not like Mobley, Jones Barnes are just Matt Maloney's being pulled along by future HOFers who are defensive mirage otherwise. At least, doesn't seem likely at this stage. Seems a lot more likely that they'll end up as good defenders - as most indicators seem to indicate, right now today, not some mythical projection into the future. Jabari meanwhile, if drafted where he looks like he should have been drafted based on his play (mid first round, and that's being generous,) would probably spend most of the year in the Gleague. That's my opinion. He's been terrible. Only 19, yes, I know, but terrible. Regarding the few anectdotes, like the Rockets' one of a few (only?) good wins of the season vs. Milwaukee, sure, nice that he had a good game, but that's quite a bit to hang your hat on to say this guy is a future all-defense caliber guy because of it. I mean, I'm old enough to remember when Rodrick Rhodes strip-steal-dunked all over Michael Jordans ass in an NBC game and that wasn't a sign of things to come. Rodrick Rhodes wasn't a #3 pick so he didn't have the same leeway though. I'm sure it is hard for rookies to play defense, it's hard for everybody to play defense. That's why most people don't become elite defenders. And finally, the grass really is greener, that's what happens when you have the worst grass in the nba for three years straight.
