I know he's not rich compared to most NBA players, but he's still a millionaire in Houston. I would guess that his ceilings are pretty high.
"now, which one of these guys is Chuck Hayes, again?"---the non-Houston writers and broadcasters who get to vote for the 2010-2011 Defensive Player of The Year award :grin:
Why Oakley and not Mason? If you ask me Chuck's game more resembles Mason's than Oakley's. I don't see the Oakley comparison at all. If anything Brad Miller would be the player that I would compare to Oakley. Chuck and Mason to me is a great comparison.
I don't have time to read the whole thread, so this may have been said a million times already - but Anthony Mason had amazing ballhandling ability for a guy his size, that I do not see Chuck Hayes developing.
Not to hate on my boy kenChucky fried chicken, but I think he has pretty much reached his ceiling... or maybe just slight improvement in the things he does well now. He is an elite situational defender, with very quick hands and lateral movement, he is a great finisher around the hoop (when he is wide open and able to get a quick shot up... not very good when defended), and he is a great teammate .... however, he will never have handles, will never be a jump shooter, and will never be a shot blocker. Adelman's offense highlights his other ability, very smart player that sees schemes very well... making him a good passer. Unfortunately if Adelman leaves his passing will only decline. Keep up the good work Chuckster!!
For one, Mason had point guard handles in a tank's body. He was extremely comfortable bringing the ball up, setting up a halfcourt set, or juking his man off his yo-yo dribble. Mason also had a respectable, albeit ugly, 15 footer. Oak was a interior defensive monster and set bone crushing picks. That part is 100% Chuck Hayes. Oak was also a locker room leader for NY, responsible for maintaining those teams' intensity and focus, yet another Chuck Hayes quality. There is no shame in being Charles Oakley. Just ask Tyrone Hill about the wrath of the Oak. Charles walked up to him during pregame warms and punched him dead in the jaw over an unpaid bet. I wouldn't welch on Oak, and I wouldn't welch on the Chuckwagon.
Chuck is pretty much at the level I want him to be at. Developing a jumpshot would be a nice addition but I'd rather have him closer to the basket for RBs or screening/rolling than shooting from that distance.
i agree. only mentioned it b/c Mason was mentioned. His handles were amazing for a big. chuck isn't there. Just throwing out the only 2 areas of the game that Mase (in his prime) had on Chuck. But yeah, the 15 footer is much more impt than a slight improvement in handles
i'd go Oak/Mase mix. Because the passing aspect is pretty big for Chuck, esp. in this offense...and that's the Mase piece.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/oaklech01.html Oakley was a pretty good passing big himself.
Is there any way to improve one's vertical at the stage Chuck's career is in now? I love the guy, but if he had some more hops, he could dunk once in a while, and be better at blocking shots. He plays strictly below the rim. Seeing how he has improved his offense so much, I would not be shocked if he somehow managed to improve a little bit on that part of his game as well.
Chuck is a very good rebounder. I don't remember Mason being anything more than just very good. Granted, he did play a lot more than Hayes because he had better offensive skills.
Yeah, statistically, Mason wasn't an outstanding rebounder. He had a couple seasons in Charlotte where he played major minutes, and so he got double-digit boards. Chuck's rebound-rate is 16.4% for his career (just about where he's at this season); Mason's was 13.9% for his career with a career high of 16.0% in 96-97 (ignoring his rookie year where he played sparingly). Mason was a multi-talented offensive player who brought the ball up the floor and had true point-forward skills. Chuck isn't close to that.
Well his ceiling is about 6'6". Seriously Chuck has been a pleasant surprise this season with his huge and consistent improvement on the offensive end, but you can only get so much out of a 6'6" center. Now if Thabeet had Chuck's work ethics...
I have a feeling his huge calves and entire trunk are what make him what he is as a defender. I'm thinking he would have to lose some of that mass in order to increase his vertical. thoughts?
Cannot happen. Without the sturdy calves his enitre body would collapse under the weight of his genitals.