FYI, NO's pick was traded to Memphis as part of the Jonas Valanciunas trade so Williams was actually selected and will be developed by the Grizzlies.
Garuba has great skill to be a ELITE defensive player. He can cover 1-5, he is physical and we is very fast...he hustle. Coming off the bench, Tate, Nwaba and Garuba will be excellent.
This is a good observation and there are a couple of relevant points. First, it takes he awhile to really load up and jump vertically. Second he typically jumps off BOTH feet so that is an issue sometimes. He isn't TERRIBLE vertically when he loads up, but he isn't elite either and is less than people assume. Having said that, the basketball culture he is used to also does not emphasize vertical either. Also the lack of an explosive vertical helps him in some ways because it keeps him out of foul trouble and it also leads to him not falling for pump fakes, and with a 7'3" wingspan and a strong physical build, he is still able to alter shots and recover quickly on shots/pass offs. Honestly what makes him potentially special is how nimble he is laterally combined with a massive wingspan and strong physical build. That is a very unusual combo. He can guard the perimeter about as well as anyone in the NBA at his size.
Exactly. Teams get greedy though and all want to draft players that they perceive have higher offensive upside potential. These same teams end up later spending years trying to get elite defensive role players that can cover multiple spots on the floor. Another thing that isn't being discussed is that the league in the draft has started really undervaluing true bigs. Every team wants scoring guards and wings. Look at the draft this season, Mobley was viewed by scouts as the best or second best prospect and he slips to three. Then who is the next true big drafted? You have to go all the way down to #16 where the Rockets take the kid from Turkey. What has happened is guards/wings that are not as skilled or as talented are leap frogging bigs with more ability. Now it IS a league dominated by wings and guards but teams are over drafting them.
Probably because he's limited offensively? I'm not really sure either... I'd rather have a specialized talent than a jack of all trades, especially after the lottery. I am excited about Garuba and the fit and youth of our team at the moment. Btw, what's the significance of your queen's gambit accepted profile pic?
According to CF posters, Carroll Dawson at age 93 will be doing the work. Hakeem doesn't have the time anymore.
Thanks, your right about the Grizzlies. They too aspire to be a playoff team. I do think they've vastly undervalued Garuba. We'll see.
It's a strategic position that if you sit back and play things out, you'll likely lose in the endgame. You have to take chances and go for the win.
Is he really only 19 or is this one of those refugees moving to a country with no birth certificate deal? DD
With his lateral speed, wingspan and physique....... it doesn't matter that much if he is 19 or 21. He ALREADY can defend NBA players at a high level. His success will depend on whether he learns to shoot from the perimeter well and can get a couple easy buckets inside on a nightly basis.
Ugh. This came up with Dream, Deke, Yao, and other international players from outside Europe. You can do better.
I agree with you but it's funny how we kind of say that about so many rockets. Just add him to Kmj Nwaba Tate Seguin
I think his ceiling if he can't develop a offensive game is Wallace. If he can develop a decent 3 pt shot(low to mid 30s) and can learn to make passes to cutters, his ceiling is draymond He has quickness which can make him a competent slasher and cutter.
He plays beyond his years .. He is 19 but doesn’t play like a typical 19 year old coming into the league..
Oh, I thought you were one of the weirdos trying to claim he's older because he's foreign. Without realising that he's from a country that's not only one of the most developed countries in the world, but has been for centuries before America even existed. It's crazy how clueless people can be about foreign countries.
