Definitely a raw talent but intriguing nonetheless. I like the article stating that he already knows not to jump unless he has too. That's one of the things Deke did so well for us even at an old age. Also, his average athleticism means he doesn't have to rely on it to defend. That's good for a long career in the NBA as a center. I'm not saying we should draft him but I like what I see so far from a 3-4 year project player.
Every year, there is some hyped up raw 7 ft raw project drafted in the lottery that's going to dominate the league in 5 years. Even if there is a 20+pt forward or guard on the board, the 7 ft raw center gets drafted. Usually, they end up looking stupid for letting the highly talented forward or guard get away.
Let's all hope this is the case and Whiteside gets drafted by the Hornets so Donatas falls to us :grin:
x-post from the GARM thread Why can't this guy play power forward? He's obviously too weak now to play center, but we already have a center so why waste his talent on the bench as a backup? Is it just me or does his skillset sound like a PERFECT fit alongside Yao? A quick, long, aggressive player who is a great weakside shot blocker, great rebounder capable of getting balls out of his area, and stretch the floor on offense with an outside shot. Put him next to Yao and it's game over for the opposition. Twin Towers II. Offense Yao- go-to-guy in the post Whiteside- 18 footers, offensive rebounding and alley oops, basically Kelvin Cato on offense with a jumper Ariza- athletic spot up shooter/slasher Martin- efficient off the ball scorer/spot up shooter Brooks- ball handler/spot up shooter Notice how well they fit together. We have 4 guys who can stretch the floor around Yao and enough athleticism to get to the hoop and make unathletic defenders pay. As an aggregate, they have scary amounts of size, athleticism, AND shooting ability. Defense Yao- defends opponent's best big in the post, shotblocker when not guarding a perimeter-oriented center like Okur Whiteside- eliminates problem of Yao being taken out of the paint and not being able to protect the basket when matched up with perimeter-oriented centers like Okur; with Whiteside on the court, the rim is still protected and Yao can stay closer to the Okurs of the world and not give them wide-open looks Ariza- takes the opponent's better offensive wing player Martin- takes the worse offensive wing player Brooks- bless his heart Frontcourt defense is solid, backcourt D is weak 2nd Unit Offense: Whiteside- same role with 2nd Unit as 1st unit, except Scola is now the go-to-scorer in the post Scola- give him the ball and let him go to work in the post, hustle, offensive rebounder Battier- spot up shooter Budinger- same role as Kevin Martin basically, but more dunks Lowry- ball handler/floor general 2nd Unit Defense: Whiteside-backup centers usually aren't as good at scoring in the post, so Whiteside can get away with his terrible one on one defense more; still provides shotblocking for the backups Scola-bless his heart Battier- takes the opponent's better offensive wing player Budinger- Kevin Martin's role on defense Lowry- stud If Whiteside's personality isn't as bad as some of you make it out to be, he could be an IMPACT PLAYER as soon as next year and make us a WCF contender just by himself! I can hear you doubters already: "But he's too raw, there's no way he can make an impact so soon! Well, the things I forecast him adding to this team are not complex skills. It won't take him many hours in the gym to be able to rebound, be a shotblocker (which he already is good at), and get a jump shot which he seems to already be focusing on. He just needs to be able to jump and move. He doesn't need polished post moves or Chuck Hayes-like understanding of the offense and passing ability to contribute to this team. Look at guys like Bynum: he is limited in the things he does, but what he does do fits so well with the rest of his team that he's a positive contributor on HIS team. With his wingspan, Whiteside can make up for his lack of experience in things like pick-and-roll defense and be adequate just by being big and quick. I wouldn't be surprised if Morey has been tracking guys like Whiteside for years now and building his team around a guy that can fill those needs for our team and targeting those players in this draft. If Morey thinks this guy has his head on right, then Whiteside might be a perfect fit for this team. Or he might be a headcase; in which case I don't want him on this team. On the other hand however, if he wants to be great, with the tools that he has, Whiteside gives this team exactly what it needs for both a starting lineup and 2nd unit that are good on both O and D. And then we can still use all the assets we still have to upgrade at SF or PG...
Exactly. I read in a few places that he had a very hard time qualifying to get a NCAA scholarship. He may have all the athleticism and size people crave, but I seriously doubt he will develop the basketball IQ and mindset needed to be consistent contributor in the NBA. I still say Solomon Alabi is the safer bet, but not at #14. You only take him if you trade down.
The only guy I can remember of was Andrew Bynum. Same build when he enterted the league, and I remember 3 years ago when he finally put on some weight he was looking badass.
He has a KG type game and if he can build lean/strong muscle like KG the sky is the limit. His defense is his strong suit but he's not a slouch offensively.
I am not the biggest fan, but I think many of these "potential" guys would really do well in Houston as opposed to other places. Stromile and Eddie did not have the kind of staff and veteran leaders that the Rockets do now. I think we have the perfect system to groom a "project"..... Groom Whiteside and Hill for the future I say...
We aren't drafting a big this year; I bet Morey is going to draft us another SF or PG. Morey never draft based on need anyways
If we don't trade up into the top 3 (which is unlikely), I think we should trade down. Washington has the 30th & 35th pick. Perhaps they'd be willing to part with them in exchange for 14. This draft is deep. The difference in talent between 14 & 30 isn't great. We could have extra bodies to groom or use as trades. I particularly like the big guy from Radford (Artisom P). He's a banger with a jump shot. I also like M.Torrance, PG from Alabama - size/upside. Regardless, there is considerable talent to be found in the 2nd round this year. I don't think that superstar talent is available at 14, so why not grab a couple of role-players or projects which can also be used as bargaining chips?
Why even trade 14? Just purchase a couple of 2nd rounders. The value runs deep in this draft. IMO, that 14th pick is still very valuable. Think about it, 14th out of a deep 30.
