Bro, you literally were bragging about Jalen Williams being like 7th on the rookie ladder not too long ago, now it's a bad thing that Jabari is on it...
I think all the Jabari truthers arent considering draft slot. For the 3rd pick, a guy who SHOULD be an all-star level and franchise cornerstone level guy...hes awful. If he was the 17th pick, id have no complaints and be slightly optimistic he can be JUST a 3&D guy. But you dont draft a 3nD guy at 3rd, you want a guy competing to be your best player.
Most rookies are bad. But you really were bragging about Williams being on the rookie ladder and now the rookie ladder doesn't matter at all? Kinda like how you said "Someone somewhere should be praising his defense" and then I showed you someone somewhere was and then it instantly didn't matter? Can you see how I feel you aren't being very objective about this??
Yeah actually i should have clarified, i meant a national writer or commentator recognizing him backed with some stats or something - the way rhey were doing for Herb Jones last year I did not mean Rockets beat writers like Feigen, Iko, or a throwaway line from an early December listicle. If I'm not mistaken, didn't you, a few months ago try to argue how Jaken was *still* regarded as the best player in his draft class ... by shoving a "GM survey" in front of me from... Sept 2021 prior to him ever having played a game? That and your hunt for faint praise of Smith is not flattering for them. More importantly - Are you honestly arguing that Jabari Smith is having a better year than Jalen Williams? I can tell you he's objectively not. You're just flat wrong.
and we arent talking about Role Player Ariza, but Rockets-signing-him-to-be-the-MAN Ariza. First run with the team Ariza.
They are the worst performing players on the team. Part of that is that they were allowed to stay in the game and continue stinking up the place where other players would have had consequences for being terrible. If Garuba played 30 minutes a nigh, I'm not sure he'd be as awful as Smith....maybe, but I think that's unlikely. You seem to fail to realize just how terrible Smith is at basketball right now.
Hilarious how nobody can defend Jabari’s actual performance so it’s just a default “most rookies are bad”
You would feel lucky if it turns out Trevor Ariza... If Jabari keeps playing this, he won't stay in the league long time.
For someone who has been 'coasting thru the season' as you put it in the other thread you take suspicious amount of energy to defend a guy who has shown little on Offense. I forgot you took offense with 'grass is greener elsewhere' sentiment too. This fight against the windmills continues.....you sure you are objective, seems you have the vigilante mindset to defend the poor but what do I know
Jabari has exceeded expectations on all facets of the game bar his shooting which is going to click very soon. Can't wait for Giannis with a jumpshot mk2.
