jopatmc, that was a good read. of course, it helps because i agree with all of your points, but either way, good read.
It's hard to predict whether a player will develope the shot or not. Is Brewer or Carney or Gay going to sit in the gym all day shooting? I don't know. I do know that Redick can shoot the ball already. He knows how to get open and he can shoot from deep too. A lot of these guys that shoot the 3 in college can't go back a few feet and shoot the same percentage. We know Redick can and we know his release is quick.
Dadakota, Joaptmc, Rockety Dynasty, and the rest of the guys have convinced me. The Rockets were decent in all facets of the game except the most important one which is to put the ball through the net. When the ball doesn't go in the basket the Rockets no matter how well they play in other areas - which they did most of the time - looked like a bad team. The argument that Reddick couldn't guard the Ginobli's, Bryants, and the rest is silly to me for two reasons 1) is that the Rockets play team defense based on helping eachother out and JVG could easily slide Reddick over and have him guard the opposing teams point guard if he was getting murdered. 2) Those players get their points anyway, the best defense against superstar players like that is a good offense which Reddick will make them respect. Now it's time to edit my Rocket Mock draft cause it's Reddick all the way. Pro-Reddick posters, good job.
I disagree that shooting is the most important fundamental skill in basketball. I think athleticism is, at least in today's NBA. Obviously, athleticism with 0 basketball IQ is useless, but the league is changing.
Athleticism on defence is nice to have, but it isn't critical. IQ and intensity are just as important, and these are two qualities that Redick has in abundance. Do you remember what Nash did to Terry in the Suns/Mavs series, using pretty much the same advantages? He held Terry to 19 points or under in every game; there were certainly no 30-point Terry explosions, as we have seen against the Heat and earlier against the Spurs. Nash also outscored Terry in every game but one, and in that game the difference was only 2 points. If Nash can play decent defence, anybody can, provided the intensity and IQ are there. Redick has both.
I will forgive you because you're actually the real Tracy McGrady, but you're wrong in this situation. We've got athletes all over the NBA, but shooters free up everything else. You make a shot and you have time to get back on defense. You make a shot and people can't double. You make a shot and you can drive. You can be athletic, but if you don't have shooters on your team, no one gets to the rack. You have to stretch the defense for an athletic player to do what they do best and that's what shooters do, they stretch. The one good thing about a player that is athletic is one who gets to the rack and gets fouled a lot. Cheap points are better than threes. An athletic player that can dribble drive, get fouled sometimes and make free throws is very valuable. This works in the playoffs too. However, rookies don't get calls. The only rookie that gets a call is the rookie of the year (which will be the player we draft minus poor anti-rocket voters). Therefore, a shooter would be better to have. Plus, we've already got an athlete. We've got you.
to take it a step further.... Shooting might be the most important skill that a perimeter player has but isn't so important that it covers up other attributes that perimeter players must have. I would like to see Houston put 3 perimeter players on the court who are all comfortable handling the ball, breaking down the defense, shooting the outside shot and are above average playmakers.
To be clear Atleticism is not a fundamental skill. Shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, boxing out, screening, picking, rolling, moving without the ball.....those are fundamental skills. Carry on ! DD
We draft Reddick, I'm torching the Toyota Center and moving back to South Florida. I watch his game, no handles going left and needs 7,000 screens to get off that slow jumper. Players in Fonde Summer league would give Reddick fits. He's at best a 2nd round #8 off bench type dude.
So what if Korver is going to make $50M, what has this great shooter done to make the Sixers a good team. Has he been the difference maker in making the Sixers a great team, despite having a nucleus of Weber, AI 1 and 2 and Dalembert, NO. And post the names of the top 25 three point shooters that you mention and I bet most of them are more like Ray Allen, great athletes that could also shoot rather than like Redick an average athlete that can shoot. To me it still comes down to what Redick can do, if all he going to do for the Rox is camp out on the three point line and shoot threes than I don't want him. I am distrustful of 3 point shooters because they streaky, T-Mac is a perfect example but at least when his outside shot isn't falling, he can dribble penetrate and play defense. When Redick's outside shot isn't falling, he can hand out water bottles on the bench.
Who could we pick at #8 that might be able to outscore Wade? Anybody who could do that, by some combination of offence and defence, would already be annointed as the year's top prospect. Of course, you could be hoping to draft for another position, such as PF. But I doubt that Sheldon Williams would have nearly as much impact on our team as Redick would, because we already have somewhat serviceable 4s.
if they draft redick or even roy i think they're still going to trade/sign for a starting vet sg. it won't be the be all and end all...
It's absurd to think that Redick will only shoot threes and camp out by the 3pt line. He's the all-time leading scorer in the collegiate division that has a remarkable number of NBA allstars come from it. A lot of good players have come out of that school and that division. He scored more than all of them. He hit 413 3pters while he was in school. That is 1200 plus points. His record was over 2500 points. More than half of his points were scored inside the 3pt line. He is an all around player with the three being his best weapon. He isn't incapable of scoring other ways. Also, with a free throw percentage like his, technical foul shots don't have to go through our center any more. I think his records are under-valued.
Quotes like "he is an all around player" really makes me wonder if posters have even seen Redick play. The guy is a pure shooter and doesn't do much more than that. He isn't going to drive, he isn't going to dish, he isn't going to rebound the ball, etc...How can you be an all around player when you score 28ppg but only rebound 2 boards a game a turn it over just as many times as you throw assists? Redick is one of the better shooters to come out in years, he is the leading scorer in ACC history like you said. You say his records are under-valued and I would agree somewhat with that, so why isn't JJ being projected as a Top 10 pick, in a weak draft on top of that? The answer is that GMs aren't willing to spend such a high pick on a player who will only be a shooter. There are shooters that are available that aren't limited to just shooting.
I wouldn't be surprised if the Rockets drafted a PF. Les Alexander has expressed his dissatisfaction over the money being spent at the PF postion without the production to back it up. As he is now would Shelden Williams be as good or better than Cato? JHo and Swift aren't. The only other options are Tiago Splitter and Cedric Simmons. Quite possibly in seven days only just Simmons.
I'm not complaining that Redick only averaged 2rpg and 2apg, but I think it's plain wrong when people say he is an "all around player." I've watched a ton of Redick and the guy is no more than a shooter, which isn't a bad thing, but I would like to see some versatility w/ the #8 pick. Why don't their college stats show it? Here are some names for you: Keydren Clark, Taylor Coppernath, Ruben Douglas, Jason Conley. Recognize them? Those are the last 4 players that led the NCAA in scoring. IMO, there is college good and NBA good. Duke has notoriously been known as producing college good players, Langdon and Hurley are probably the best examples. I think one point that is overlooked is that players can improve their shooting treamendously, Shawn Marion is the perfect example.
Also pay attention to the names you mentioned as far as scoring champions. They did not go to elite or even very good colleges. Redick did his damage at a big time school where he played against big time competition. It is the equivalent of a running back leading the nation in yards. It isnt that big a deal if he plays for some rinky dink school versus if he did it playing for USC. As for the duke comment on being college good versus nba good. People always throw langdon and hurley out there. I am not saying hurley would have been great, but you cant count him cuz of the car accident ending his career. As for langdon, dahntay jones, william avery, chris carrawell, roshawn mcleod and possibly daniel ewing, they were not stars at duke. How come no one mentions grant hill, elton brand, corey mcgette, shane battier, carlos boozer, and luol deng. Those guys are very good nba players that im sure the rox would love to have. Even duhon, dunleavy and possibly jay williams if he hadnt been injured and even now post injury could help the rox. If your beef is that he is from duke, name me the superstars that memphis or arkansas has produced.
