I wasn’t even trying to take a side of the debate. Or trying to use the stat to point to a problem. Just found it funny/interesting that he has an assist percentage so low. Dude is there for one thing and one thing only lol.
You are exactly right. I think Ime loves Whitmore’s offense. He is just trying to get him to understand team defense.
Cam's not passing is not a problem AT THIS POINT. Teams aren't game planning to stop him. When he becomes one of our main scoring options playing starter minutes, his efficiency will drop and if he still doesn't pass, he won't have as many "good shots" as he has now. That said, like some people have pointed out, the thing that is holding him back now is his ability to play team defense. If he master that, he will be a major piece in the rotation going forward.
He averaged 3 assists per game in the Gleague and made some amazing passes, he can clearly pass when he needs to - this is a bunch of "Sound and Fury signifying nothing" DD
Jabari had a hard rookie season, but in hindsight it shouldn't be a surprise. He had just turned 19 years old when the Rockets drafted him, the age of a college freshman. He also had strength issues and not a great handle. You couple that with inadequate coaching and playing next to clueless teammates like Porter and Green, and he was set up to fail. Smith is the player that every GM would have taken at his spot. I am still not sure, he may well end up contribute more to winning than Banchero. Smith is making the proper decision on the court at a high rate, he can cover multiple spots defensively and is at least a well above average defender if not an actual stopper. Offensively he is very efficient and at 20 years old is a 38% three point shooter, that is likely to go up and his attempts as well. I had Holmgren as the best player in that draft, but there is still a lot of risk there. He is a walking injury risk at a very young age. I would still take him at #1 in that draft, but there is a real chance injuries hamper his career. Banchero is still a bit polarizing as a prospect to me. I knew he would be a good NBA player, but it remains to be seen how good. I agree that the upside is probably higher than Jabari. This is why luck, scouting and player development are so important........ still, a fair share of top 4 picks don't become all star level players.... The 2021 class was Mobley, Green, Cunningham, Barnes and Suggs. Over two years later, there isn't a real star in that group. They are good players, but not a star yet. I think Barnes and Cunningham have a chance to be stars.... but most likely only 1 of the top 5-6 picks in that draft will be a near franchise type guy....... The 2020 class was Edwards, Wiseman, Okoro, Ball and Williams....... Edwards is an all star and has a 50/50 chance of being a real franchise player. Ball is a really good player but has stagnated and isn't a franchise guy.... the rest of the class is terrible. The 2019 class was Zion, Morant, Barrett, Hunter and Garland....... Morant and Zion have looked like franchise players at different points, but now 4-5 years later, it looks like Zion will never be a franchise player and no one knows what Morant will be going forward. So drafting at the top of the lottery, especially outside of the #1 pick is dicey. The Rockets were lucky to get to keep the Green pick, it statistically should have gone to the Thunder. They decided to go for the homerun with Jalen Green, over more sure players like Mobley and Barnes. Right now that looks like a bad decision - but they made up for it by getting Sengun. Jabari Smith is on pace to be an all star and max player. Guys that are 6'11 and 20 years old that have a shooting line of 48/38/80 with 9 rebounds and a block a game tend to become very good players. He should be able to score 20+ points a game, while defending and rebounding at a high level - also his line will likely end up 50/40/90 - which is elite. The scoring volume and passing isn't there - but that type of efficiency and profile is extremely valuable.
Cam has somethings to work on. I don't agree that his assist percentage doesn't matter - it does matter, but it is more important that he makes quick decisions within the offense. Normally his shot selection would be a problem, but he is just an excellent shooter for 19 years old, so he is the very rare player where it doesn't matter. No one criticized Curry or Bird or Harden for their shot selection because they produced. Cam Whitmore is closer to 18 than 19 years old, missed an entire year in high school and was injured in college - and yet he is scoring and shooting at a very high rate against the best basketball players in the world. His shooting ability really cannot be played up enough, he is shooting well at every distance on the court. The lowest shooting spot on the court is 20 footers and he is hitting 40% of them. He clearly has good body control and may be the strongest guard in the league outside of James Harden. He absorbs contact so well - which means that he is going to go to the line at a high level. He instinctively drives to the lane, and has shown the ability to get around, through and over players and still score inside. He can always get his shot off. He is also a three-level scorer. Last, he has the mentality to score and has shown the willingness to play within the system and style the Rockets want under Udoka. I even saw his posting some guys up recently. He may run into issues if they double or triple him if he cannot pass better - but that is really the only thing keeping him from being at least a 25 point a game scorer in 30 minutes a game in a couple years. He really is an offensive Godzilla in the making. He has some issues - and that is why the Rockets are not just giving him control of the offense at this point. He needs to pass better at times, and he also doesn't always fit the pace of the team and sometimes his long shots end up in fast breaks the other way. Defensively he should be at least average with effort, but I actually think he can be a good defender with his nimble feet, strength and his attitude. There is some inconsistency there.
I have my reservations about Whitmore, but I will admit that conceptually — emphasizing in concept —a three player core of Sengun, Smith, and Whitmore is quite compelling. Their skillsets are complementary and easy to build around.
I will absolutely bet against Jabari Smith being an all star player - this isn't 1998, you can't make the all star game by being a role player. People underappreciate how hard it is now. Sengun probably isn't going to make it this year, at best he's 50/50, and Jabari Smith will never put up a season like Sengun is having. Doesn't mean I hate Jabari Smith Junior or think he's bad, but the pecking order to get into the all star game above him is a very long line. Wemby and Chet alone this year probably took up 10-20 collective all star appearances between them.
I think the only situation Jabari gets even All Star mentions is if he is on a really dominant championship team as the key 3rd option shooting lights out and playing DPOY level defense. Wins does sway your all star chances
For one, we need to stop referring to Bari as a “role player.” I don’t think he’s a “role player” at the moment, and that speaks nothing to his potential. He has the potential to be a two-way monster. I swear, the word “role player” has lost all meaning. Second, I’ll bet you $50 to the tip jar that Sengun makes it this season.
Great comments. His one on one defense is already pretty good. He gets lost a lot, but none of his defensive problems are lack of effort. 19 year olds struggle with team defense in the NBA. That is one thing that stands out with Amen. He is already an above average defender both one on one and team defense. We are in a great position with Amen, Cam, Jabari, Tari, and Sengun. There is no team with that level of talent all under 22.
Or, you know, he develops into a 22+/10 defensive monster, which absolutely can happen. I swear, I think people forget that Bari is 20.
Jabari is averaging nearly 14/9 with a near .6 TS%, plays awesome defense, is hitting 3s at 39%, and won’t be able to drink for a few months. Not to mention his frame can add a ton of muscle. But sure, his ceiling is a 3rd option role player. This board baffles me at times, I swear.
Do you know how hard it is to get to 22 PPG on a good team. Sengun is not even there this season and he is at a different level offensively vs what Jabari ever could be.
Sorry, but the “or could ever be” portion of this post invalidates all of it. Bari has all the tools to be potentially dominate offensively. He may never develop into a dominate offensive player, but to say he has no chance is simply foolish.
It’s an opinion, anyone deserves to have their own, no one needs to “stop”. You can’t just look at numbers, you have to look at how he’s getting them. Jabari gets his shots almost entirely playing off of others, taking wide open shots created for him by others. 1. His efficiency needs to be put with that context 2. That type of game is of a role player’s and is not scalable to 22 or 25ppg or whatever. But again, that’s just our opinion from observing him play. Just like it was our opinion that Sengun could be a star when some on this board didn’t even know who he was yet. Or that Jalen wouldn’t be a star when some on this board was calling him the next Kobe or an untouchable core piece. Some of our opinions turn out ok, maybe I’m wrong about Jabari but I doubt it. If you think he’s some star in the making then go ahead, you don’t have to stop, I’ll root for it too but if someone asks I’m not going to lie. edit: that he is currently a role player is NOT an opinion, it is an absolute fact. That he can only be a role player in the future I guess is up to debate, I think he can be an ELITE role player, but not someone you build your team around as the first or second option.
Saying a guy like Jabari can’t become an All Star isn’t an “opinion.” It’s a declaration of fact, and only arrogant posters like you can’t seem to understand the difference.
It is harder to make the all star now than in the past, but it isn't impossible. A lot of it comes down to how well the Rockets are playing in a few years. Just last year guys like Siakam, DeRozan, Markkanen and Julius Randall made the all star team.... in 2022 guys like Garland, LaVine, Middleton and FVF made the team. Scoring is up around the league, it is very possible that Jabari Smith is scoring in the low 20's in his prime with strong rebounds and defense. Couple that with the Rockets winning a lot, and someone like Smith certainly can make a few all star teams. As for Sengun, he will have a hard time making it this season - there are a lot of good interior players in the West, but if he plays well for a few more seasons and he will likely have made an all star game or two.
Cam will be the number 1 option in conjunction with Sengun, that is inevitable - just a matter of time. DD
