Have I ever said he did not fit perfectly? Fit has nothing to do with the conversation. Nobody has said Smith can't dribble a single dribble you are doing the exact thing you are complaining about. Do you frustrate yourself?
He had a lot of the same skills when drafted he did not dramatically improve those after drafted. Nobody is saying he can't improve but let's not act like it's a simple thing to do.
Weird how defensive some people here get, creating strawmen that doubters are saying Jabari can't dribble at all or that we all think he should be as complete as prime Harden. It just comes down to some of us noticing how Jabari seems very one-dimensional and raw for a top3 pick, seeing how talked up he is by many. No one is saying he'll be a bust or that you can't be a great player if that jumpshooting continues, just that his ceiling atm seems reasonably lower than guys like Chet or Banchero who have shown much more repertoire in the NCAA.
I don't think Jabari's problems is his dribbling. He can dribble the ball just fine. He's just not very good at beating the defense in a straight line, nor is he that great at finishing when he does get to the rim. I have a feeling that's more to do with slight subpar athleticism and length. I feel like he feels more comfortable dribbling into a jump shot, or into a post up position rather than past the defender/challenging them at the rim.
This is all a lot of hang-wringing over nothing. The Rockets are going to be a run and gun transition team. Jabari is going to get a bunch of straight line dunks and stop and pop threes on the break. The only caveat is that if our defense is still a sieve and we are pulling the ball out of the basket all the time. Unless, Silas is a total idiot, that will not be the case.
i'm sorry but banchero's ceiling as an nba player is much lower than jabari and chet - all due to the fact that he is such a poor defender and lacks the defensive awareness and instincts to even become an average nba defender. he's going to get hunted on switches over and over (just like those unc games), especially in the playoffs, and that's going to limit his effectiveness as a player who can contribute to winning. if anybody is one-dimensional, it's banchero. with jabari you're getting elite jumpshooting at 6'10", and he has developed and will continue to develop a strong mid-post game with a turnaround jumper, one-two dribble pull-up, rip through moves, attacking from the triple threat. he only needs 2 dribbles max to really get to his spots and most of his work to get his defender off balance when he has the ball in his hands will likely be before he even dribbles the ball. jabari is not a one-dimensional offensive player. people have been on your ass and jiggylie's ass because you guys keep pegging him as such. players with his shooting skillset don't need to dribble much to be elite offensive players that other teams have to spend days gameplanning for.
Here’s Dirk’s first 20 pt game his rookie year. there’s “some” dribbling”… but not a lot. The dribbling that is there is by no means advanced.
Jabari is Dirk 2.0. quite a ceiling this kid has. tried to tell you lol. also notice Kessler was not on the court here so this coincides with the stat which shows Jabari is more than competent in the paint when Kessler isn't there
What is this supposed to show? Nobody is saying he can't get 20 points as a rookie or that he cannot do all of these things.
I've been calling the Dirk comp on here since April. that is his ceiling. Dirk 2.0 = Dirk with defense. the kid is going to surprise fans like you. he just needs to put in the work which he definitely will
Jabari got a throwback 80s-90s power forward build stiff and mechanical like Derrick Mckey, Charles Smith,ect.etc. Not built for attacking the rim.
To reach his ceiling he is going to have to develop a lot more post moves and finish better in the lane, how many players actually reach their ceilings? I am not putting a ceiling on anybody but I am also not acting like it's as easy as just putting in the work. Anyway, I am done because I am happy with Smith I just have questions on what he can become.
Oh, its just a visual view of what Dirk was at the start of his career. [though again, Jabari will be 1 year younger than Dirk his rookie year]. He's the best offensive comp imo for Jabari. I agree with you 100% that it in no way means Jabari = Dirk, or modern Dirk, or Dirk with defense. Just that IF he reaches his ceiling, imo, offensively he is most likely going to look a lot like Dirk. The LMA comparison offensively I think is similarly solid, just with a LOT more 3 point shooting. All 3 guys have a similar look and feel to their offensive games.
For some reason to me.. the way he looks doesn't match how he actually is on the court. He has on-court intensity like KG, both the stifling defense and the trash-talking. Not going to say he looks soft, just that he looks he would be more of the chill, reserved type.
