budinger will most certainly not be a star. his ceiling is probably kyle korver. if he could be a good rebounder then he'll be a special player, but i dont think he likes going for loose balls.
He has been impressive in the short term against Summer League competition. If he shows out in training camp like he did in the SL then he could become a steal. He can shoot for sure, passes well, tall, elevates well, but that is a long way from being the next Larry Byrd. I like what I see so far. There is "something" about him, though. Really appears to be confident and I like the way he "flows" with the game. Appears to be a smart, athletic, and skilled player. Everyone that has seen him in college seems to rave about him. The Rockets draft history is so dismal, it would be great to find a diamond in the rough after a pile of coal.
If he makes the team he'll get a chance to play, we'll have to see how well he does with the opportunity. I'm not too bothered by his lack of defense, he's not going to be starting and will be in there with either Battier or Ariza if he does play, he's not going to be guarding the top scorer. If he can make good contributions on the offensive end he'll play.
Budinger was considered a lottery pick if he declared after his freshman year and possibly his sophomore. There was too much coaching change going around at Arizona.. I think Budinger played for 3 different coaches his 3 years there. It was a tough situation for him because he though he was gonna play under hall of fame Coach Lute Olsen.....but Lute stepped down because of health and family issues.. His game is like a young Brent Barry.. and yes his game is nothing like Redick's or Novak's.. cause those guys can get barely off the ground... they don't have the athleticism to play a significant role in the NBA
wow you are reaching here. Richard Jefferson? i don't think Budinger will have multiple all-star appearances or play a pivotal role in helping a team to the finals. Jefferson is very strong and can penetrate to the hoop with contact which i don't see Budinger doing. you guys are wayy overhyping budinger. he's a role player. i actually think the Boki Nachbar comparison is fair, except Boki was a decent finisher around the basket.
Morey's draft record has been anything but, especially considering where he has been drafting from. This is the primary reason why Budinger and Taylor intrigue me, more so than any 2nd rounder should. Morey obviously evaluates on a different plane compared to the average GM. This is what gives me hope that he can, and has, found diamonds in the rough.
This is the problem. You can be a good shooter and you can be quick in the summer league, but now how about while being defended by defenders that are far better than you'll see in summer leagues? How about after you've chased some of the best athletes on the court (at the SF position) for an entire game? How about after fighting through picks set by 240+ lbs. guys all game? Or maybe when they play against a team defense that has been together for more than a couple of weeks? After doing all this, will it be determined the guy is too much of a liability defensively to display his offense (hello Mr. Novak)? I don't know how people can make a judgment about a player after summer league games. You can say "he does this great" or "that great", but finish it with "in the summer leagues". To put this in perspective : how many NBDL players are breaking out in the NBA? James White was tearing it up in the NBDL. Check out Will Conroy's game numbers in the NBDL : http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/gamelogs.jsp?player=will_conroy Does this mean those 2 guys are bad players? Not necessarily, but something is telling me they're not anywhere as good as their numbers dictated or the summer leagues aren't a good indicator of the type of players they are. Adam Morrison is a 20+ ppg guy in the summer leagues - he's been a horrible FG shooter in the NBA against real d. I'm eager to see Budinger play during the season, though. Maybe he'll be as good as some people make him out to be.
This is why I mentioned his height, quick release and elevation. Those are all things that may help his shot translate smoother to the NBA. Also he has displayed enough playmaking to set himself apart from the likes of Novak. With that said, you are absolutely right. Which is why this is a thread that is simply hopeful, yet utter speculation. As already stated.
Who is he going to guard? He may be able to contribute on this team tho. Theyre going to struggle to break 75 every night.
i never expected a thing from brooks or landry...and they turned out to be...well u know the story...so who knows?
Excellent post. I'm very confused on his "great athleticism" that some seem to think he has. Yes he is athletic for a summer league player but his athleticism seems avg to me compared to the NBA. And his defense is horrible. Richard Jefferson??? Not even close. He does have an excellent shot with a nice high release point but unless he improves on his defense he won't make it in the NBA.
Like I said before, he can jump high but he isn't necessarily athletic. He isn't playing volleyball. His defense was soooo horrible, Arizona had to come up with all kinds of tactics to keep Budinger from crippling them. In a way he did.
Draft Express says Best case: Martell Webster Worst case: Morris Almond http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Chase-Budinger-502/ I haven't seen much of Almond or Webster play.
