I don't really follow post-game interviews from opponents, but I feel if the best thing opponents are saying about you is that you're "veteran-like," then their opinion of you isn't really particularly high.
Jabari struggles to effectively attack a closeout after three seasons which isn't encouraging. His efficiency dipped despite a reduced role on offense and he had more turnovers than assists, which is a disappointing reversal from the prior year. He's a capable switch defender which is nice for a big, but is neither a true lockdown option on wing nor a great rim protector. That sounds like a lot of criticism, but I think he's a good role player and well deserving of his spot in the rotation. Being a 6'11" big who can stretch the floor, rebound, and switch on the perimeter are valuable skills. He'd fit in on any team. Plus he's still young at 22 years old, so there's plenty of time for him to refine his game and add strength. I just think his odds of becoming an all-star level player are zero. I'd love for him to be an elite 3 & D role player like Anunoby, but I'm not that optimistic there either.
That wasn’t a direct quote, I was just paraphrasing. And I said “veteran like” because they said he played like a veteran (despite his very young age) cool calm and collected, knocked down big shots, never lost his cool or focus. These are not lowly compliments. Quite the opposite. They didn’t comment on Jalen Green. Of FVV. Of Brooks. Might have said something about Sengun. their praise shouldn’t be dismissed just because they didn’t say “he’s an insanely talented player, possibly the next curry or Jordan.”
Jabari lost his starter spot...I think most people such as yourself are overvaluing Jabari over Jalen. I'm not the biggest fan of Jalen Green, but getting KD would benefit Jalen more than Jabari...teams don't game plan to shut down/contain Jabari - heck his shots/looks comes from the playmaking of Jalen Green because defenses were keyed in on blitzing/trapping him. When teams played Jalen one-on-one he was attacking the basket at will (his mid-range and stepback is inconsistent). You cant trade both for KD, but I would give up Jabari before Jalen.
I like Jabari, I was initially disappointed when I came to the conclusion he will never be a star but I've come to accept him as an elite role player which I think he can be, especially with his work ethic. He strikes me as someone who's always trying to improve and is very humble. He also didn't pout or whine when he was relegated to the bench. I think he deserves to start on this team and if a KD trade goes through, we need to keep Jabari and make sure the pieces going to the Suns will allow Jabari to start.
Sengun KD Dillon the Villian Jalen Green Amen Essentially, we upgraded our veteran playmaker from FVV to KD...this lineup would dominate the Warriors if run it back next year in the playoffs Our key reserves/bench: Adams Tari Jesean Tate Cam Reed
He played very well in the playoffs, that will only improve over years. I put more emphasis on postseason performance for value, add in his youth and likely a quality contract and extension, you keep that. 6'11 guys with his tools, defense, switch ability, shooting who step up under pressure can literally win future playoff series for you.
Every time the Rockets got down it was Jabari’s shooting that got us back in the game. That’s why Draymond said he was more concerned about Jabari when he got into the game. The problem was Ime didn’t play him enough. I know he was turning the ball over a lot which was frustrating, but Ime should have told him only dribble shot moves and spot ups instead of dribbling into crowds. But I did like his fierceness and attitude during the playoffs.
I don't know how anybody out there can not see the value in Jabari. Who cares if he's a superstar? He's progressing nicely and he's able to play the small forward spot in big lineups, the center spot in small lineups. And he'll play excellent defense game in and game out. And his shot percentages keep going up. Trading a player of his size that is that versatile is just nuts to me. His versatility makes him much more valuable to me than say, Jalen Green, who can only log minutes at one position.
And play small forward in big lineups, power forward in standard lineups and center in small ball lineups. That's crazy valuable.
I liked what I saw as well, agreed. Fans didn't want to hear it, but the Rockets needed to get playoff experience this young. Jabari is working heavily on his handle and shot creation from reports. So reducing his turnovers in critical postseason possessions would ideally be greatly reduced. Really if he becomes solid or good at those he'll be an amazing value and start fulfilling his potential. He stepped up under pressure which shows mental strength for the future.
Alpi Jabari Brooks Amen FVV https://www.nba.com/stats/players/traditional?CF=MIN*GE*15&TeamID=1610612745&dir=A&sort=FG_PCT https://www.nba.com/stats/players/advanced?CF=MIN*GE*15&TeamID=1610612745&dir=A&sort=TS_PCT
Ultimately you need to build out a full roster to win a title - they can't ALL be all star/HOF players - you can't afford that anyway. Agree with the posters that say he's a nice 3 and d player - I would keep him around on a reasonable deal if possible but at this point he is just being judged by his actual performance - not by his draft spot. I want to reiterate for the slow posters - drafting order means nothing about how good a player is. It's just the order you can choose. The expectations of player being amazing just because of where you drafted them is NOT how it actually works. Teams understand this is like picking a house from just the look of it from outside and hoping what is inside isn't a total disaster....fans like the OP on the other hand tend to forget this.
