What is the damn fascination with this guy? I don't remember anyone this juiced over Eric Riley or Richard Petrushka or any of the other crap second round picks the Rockets have taken in the last 15 years. Baxter actually has league experience and has proven he can make an NBA roster. Badianne has not. The dude just isn't that good.
Because both Lonnie Baxter <b>and</b> Malick Badiane were on the Rockets' summer league team, and Baxter's play was vastly superior to Badiane's. Furthermore, Baxter is a big part of why the Rockets' summer league team was the only one to win all five matchups. NBA Draft -dot- net's articles on the Minnesota summer league: <a href="http://nbadraft.net/redetzke001.asp" target="_blank">Preview</a> <a href="http://nbadraft.net/redetzke002.asp" target="_blank">Day 1</a> <a href="http://nbadraft.net/redetzke003.asp" target="_blank">Day 2</a> <a href="http://nbadraft.net/redetzke004.asp" target="_blank">Day 3</a> <a href="http://nbadraft.net/redetzke005.asp" target="_blank">Day 4</a> <a href="http://nbadraft.net/redetzke006.asp" target="_blank">Day 5</a>
I Like baxter because he can score around the basket. Thats not so much a given nowadays with face to the rim fours.
watch the final four from a few years ago, thts why now you show me badaine doing something like that at any level let alone the highest college level.
I guess the badman will be sent to the NBDL this season. It could be his last chance to make the team after this season. The Rockets already signed a Swift for the next 5 years and Howard's contract will not end for a while.
I didnt see any summer league games but I did see german championship I think badiane would be a decent backup center other than his lack of strength I saw no reasons why he couldnt play in the nba
I think everyone looks at Badiane and thinks with his long arms and the way he is built that he will be this jumping jack rebounder and shot blocker. But the reality is that the NBA game is just too fast for him. And yeah, the chances of him making our roster are slim. The people that salivate over Badiane need to turn away and look more at what we have in Stromile Swift, because everything we want out of Badiane is what we might be getting with Swift right now. Baxter is a solid option as a 3rd PF. He is taking Spoon's role on the team. In spot minutes I am sure he will do just fine for us and comes at a very cheap price.
I think if Badiane plays makes this team and plays in this league, it will be as a primary backup to Yao after Deke retires. Our version of Chris Andersen.
Badiane is 21, has phenominal body dimensions, a great motor, and fierce determination. He is from Senegal, Africa where he played soccer most of his childhood and has only been playing basketball several years. He is not from Philly, where he grew up with a baskball in his hand and has been playing since he could walk. That is the 'damn' fascination with this guy. A few people on this board enjoy keeping up with him, and rooting for him to become the player we hope he can be. He clearly is not ready yet, but we and apparently the Rocket management expect him to breakout someday. A few people on this board are absolutely convinced he will never amount to anything and they may be right.
Stop thinking only with height. Brand is 6.8 B.Wallace is 6.8 Rodman was 6.8 There are lots of others exemples Energy, intensity and toughness are more important than only the size. I don't care Baxter is 6.8. The most important is what he can bring to the Rockets: more than Baker, Weatherspoon or Padgett. He's perfect behind Swift and Howard.
And I'm older than that, with an average body, a low intensity motor, and lackadaisical commitment. The similarity is that neither of us will ever do much of any significance for the Rockets or anybody else in the Association on the court it looks like. The future of the Rockets at the PF slot is now Stromile Swift, who is what, 3 years older - and has actually done a few things in the NBA aside from be a bench anchor on a summer league team.
First of all, Sam he isn't playing PF anymore. He is playing center here, and in the summer league, and in Germany and will still be playing center wherever he plays this coming year. I suspect if he makes to the Rox at all it will be as the backup to Yao replacing Deke in a couple of years. I can see no conflict between SS and Badiane now or in the future. It is hard to make a sweeping generality out of an incorrect premise. Secondly, I don't care whether you like or not. That was the point of the post. Some people do and some people don't. Wasting your time telling me you don't like him is just that, a waste of time. When the Rox management cuts him loose and gives up on him then I will cease to care. Since your post was mocking and sarcastic I feel justified in being sarcastic back.
A soccer playing African who just recently started playing basketball. Now I get it! It's the second coming!!
Does anyone else love the facination this board has with "Bad Man?" I, for one, laugh my *ss off every time I come into the GARM and see yet another post about this marginally good second round pick. He'll never be as good as Stromile is NOW, let alone what Stro could eventually be. I'm waiting for this rabid frenzy to shift to the "Vas Man" or whatever we're going to call this point guard that can't get a starting spot on his Euro team.
Malick is still developing. He has the tangibles but not enough intangibles. The ones pinning hope of him making the NBA on his tangibles at least have some solid ground. The question now is if time and efforts can be exchanged for the intangibles(better offense, better understanding of the game...). Honestly, I can't tell if anyone is capable of answering that question except Malick himself, and a few fellows who are around him long enough to tell.
You must have very little *ss left by now! 'Course I don't know how much you started with. Again for those of you not listening. SS is a power forward, plays the 4 but can play the 5 if necessary. Malick is now playing the 5 spot only, as far as I can tell, and would back up Yao if he ever plays. SS and the Bad Man are not competing for the same job so we could use both of them.
