I found an interesting article on Gaines vs. Wade when both were still in college. I know Tmac was the centerpiece of the trade but after seeing dwayne wade in the playoffs, I was estatic that we gained (no pun intended) reece, b/c he is not that far behind in talent. He's been compared to Jim Jackson by some scouts and is a great person overall. Van Gundy may push him to become a really great ball player. I placed only the first column of the article for obvious reasons.(There were 2 columns to this article describing gaines and the other wade). By Jay Bilas Special to ESPN.com This is the equivalent of choosing between a Ferrari or a Maserati, or between Cindy Crawford or Elle McPherson. You can't lose. Both Gaines and Wade are national player of the year candidates. Gaines is the more versatile of the two, but just barely, because he can play the point guard position. He can pass the ball, and is a very good penetrator that can use his body well. Last year, Gaines was the first Cardinal since Darrell Griffith to average over 20 points per game. This year, he is averaging over 18 points while running the team's offense. Gaines is has worked to become a good shooter, and while he may not be a good 3-point shooter, he is an excellent open-court player who can get to the basket off the dribble. Long and athletic, Gaines and is an outstanding defender. At 6-6 with long arms, he is tough to see over, and he can really move his feet. Gaines usually takes the opposition's best scorer, anticipates well, gets to loose balls, and gets steals and deflections. He has active hands and feet, and he is strong enough to bench over 300 pounds. It's not just the points, rebounds, assists and steals that make Gaines a great player, it is his will and his leadership. Gaines is a winner who is the main reason that Louisville is back into the national fold. He simply will not let the Cardinals lose. Louisville has had a nasty habit of falling behind in the first half of games, and Gaines has been the guy that has keyed almost every comeback. Against Saint Louis, Gaines had 28 points while his teammates were struggling, and almost pulled out the game single-handed. After the Cards' win over Tennessee, Vols coach Buzz Peterson spoke about how the Cardinals wore his team down, and how Tennessee was just too tired at the end of the game to make plays. Gaines played all 40 minutes of that game, and looked like the basketball equivalent of Ernie Banks, fresh enough to play two. Gaines should be more prominently mentioned for national player of the year honors, but with Wade in the league, he may not even carry home the Conference USA trophy as the top player. That's how far Conference USA has come. The best player in the league may wind up being the best player in the country
Great find! I've seen Gaines throughout his career and people need to realize that some players take a little longer to develop in the NBA then others. Gaines has talent, and he is more a natural 2-guard then point guard, and Louisville switched him to point because they didn't have one. The fact that he was able to learn a new position, blossom in that position and even get drafted because of it, speaks volumes of his talent.
His 6'6 Atheletic Quick an Agile. i mean his got all the Tools for JVG to mold him into a something like a pretty good defensive Point guard!. the tools are there, now it's just up to Coach Gundy to work with it!
He's got two more years here. Hopefully he can develop enough during that time he will be worth keeping.
I hope you guys are right, but he had a pretty sub-par year. The Wade vs. Gaines comparison seems like a long stretch at this point. Wade was a very strong ROY candidate (and should have won in my opinion) - Reece struggled. It's really sad we don't have any summer league games this year - he seems like he could use it a lot.
I forgot who's analysis I was watching, but they were saying how Gaines is exactly a JVG type player. Like the article says, Gaines is long and very athletic. And probably most important, Gaines LOVES to play defense.
Boki ... Gaines... hopfully they BOTH turn out doing well with JVG's systems since there hasn't been a real 1st round pick in two years, they are the best we have to root for
Regardless of which guard spot is a better fit, Gaines needs to develop a decent perimeter shot, or he will have no place on this team after his rookie contract runs out. Period. However, if he works hard and learns to shoot the three consistently, I'd love to see him take over for JJ when his contract ends in two years.
This is what I have been saying in other threads. He was crippled by the Magic coaching nightmare last year -- and his performance reflected it. Now he has an opportunity to learn from a strong coach -- one that can show him what is needed to excel as a point guard and as a player. We know what we are getting with McGrady, but Gaines may well turn out to be the sleeper in the trade.
Sounds like he's more of a 2 than a 1. I haven't seen him, but would I be correct in assuming that his handles aren't too great for a PG?
Just after 1 season? Come on. So you're ready to call the likes of Darko a bust already also? His stats are even worst: 26% FG and 58% FT.
Gaines could very well develope into a Doug Christie type player. Good on defense and can do a little bit of everything else. Of course everything depends on if him developing a better shot
