Carroll Dawson's 03/18 Update on Thabeets personal coaching sessions

I am really proud of Thabeet. He is still working hard, unlike previous young players that Dawson tried to coach(Dorsey). He has already gone through 6 workouts with CD.

CD seems to indicate that coach Calhoun never taught Thabeet defense, but asked him to only stay in the lane.

http://www.foxsportshouston.com/03/...nding_rockets.html?blockID=443847&feedID=3714

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Rockets hope to transform Thabeet
By David Dalati

The lineage of Rockets big men is impressive: Moses Malone, Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming. That's a pair of Hall of Famers and two players that put up very solid numbers before injuries wrecked their careers. Longtime Rockets assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson tutored all of them at some point.

"We've been very blessed as far as the big people that have come through here over the years," Dawson said. Although Dawson is technically retired, his latest project is Hasheem Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 center whom the Rockets acquired from the Grizzlies in the Shane Battier trade. Since becoming a Rocket, Thabeet has undergone six one-on-one sessions with Dawson on how to be an effective big man in the NBA. And Thabeet can use the extra work.

After being drafted second overall out of UConn by the Grizzlies in 2009, Thabeet has been a virtual non-factor as an NBA player. In fact, the Grizzlies sent Thabeet to the league's developmental league for a stint in an effort to improve his game. Nearly two full seasons into his NBA career, Thabeet has averaged just 2.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. With the Rockets, Thabeet gets a new start with a team which considers him a project. Dawson's charge is to transform Thabeet into a productive NBA player.

"(Dawson) told me a lot of fundamental things," Thabeet said of his tutorials with Dawson. "The way to shoot the jump hook and a lot of those type things."

"He has a pretty good touch," said Dawson. "There are a few tests that I've run the big men through that can tell what kind of touch they have and his is not bad, especially for 7-foot-3. His movement is good, his footwork is awful. He's got a lot to learn."

But Dawson's biggest current point of emphasis is the defensive end of the court.

Thabeet said he was certainly aware of the differences between college and the NBA, but he continues to adjust.

"In college, in the zone they let you just sit in there and block shots," Thabeet said. "Here you gotta go in and out every three seconds."

Dawson is helping Thabeet learn to play NBA defense.

"At UConn Coach Calhoun just put him in front of the bucket and told him to block everything that came in and he did," said Dawson. "He got drafted on that. That's what got him into the league and that's what we're trying to strengthen and enhance. What you do is try to enhance what he's doing and this summer we may change some things or add. Post moves is one of the things he needs. He doesn't have that at all."

While he is currently far from the comparison at this point, Thabeet has an upside that may one day be comparable to Dikembe Mutombo's body of work. While Mutumbo was limited as an offensive player, he became a force in the NBA as a shot blocker and rebounder.

Thabeet said Dawson has preached patience.

"He told me just because you start working with something today you're not going to get it the next day or three days later," Thabeet said. "It's going to take time and a lot of work. So I have to just work."

Thabeet has displayed a willingness to do the non-glamorous grind required.

"I don't think he's ever been shown this much attention," Dawson said. "He loves it. We get there early. We always work out before practice, and he has to get there early. He comes with a smile on his face and goes to work."

Thabeet may not go down among the best Rockets big men, but he's getting the advantage of tutoring from the guy that's worked with almost all of them.

 

Definitely lazy. While Dorsey was with the Vipers, he would get wasted in Mexico, and come the next day to practice half-***ed.

It was really bad. The Rockets and Dorsey agreed that the front office would hold his passport, because he couldn't control himself.