Good point about Dream, DD. Of course, he never touched a b-ball til he was what, 16? His learning curve was phenomenal. How long's Malick been playing? It's hard to put Malick and Dream in the same paragraph... but I know what you're saying.
Bout the same, but it was during Hakeem's Sophomore summer that he started playing against Moses at Fonde, that is where he started to really excel. Malick needs to get over here and be challenged like that. DD
I would definitely take Chad Ford's comments then with a serious grain of salt. He actually took 2 months off to sculp the Hall of Fame busts of Milicic and Tskitishvili ... he's kind of got a bad rep in NBA circles as overrating European players. The problem with Badiane is I don't think he can play really. He has a terrific motor, but he's not a good basketball player. Hopefully his energizer style will make him an effective player in the NBA, and hopefully also he's improving ... but I would hate for people to read that article and be deceived. If he was as good as they're saying there, he would be in the league already. I do hope he can become a good player for us though, and as DaDakota reiterated, he is very young.
Seriously people, you really expect this foreign rookie who doesn't even start in a second tier Euro league to come in and save the day. I mean potentials are nice and all but you need a lot more than that to play in the NBA. Before This kid proves anything in Europe, I'm against bringing him over. This Rockets team would destroy his career.
Hehe... here's a lab experiment comparison for you. I don't know how much Badiane has improved, but after watching him play a few games a couple of years ago, if you could cross : Ryan Bowen's hustle with Eddie Griffin's defensive hops on blocking shots with a 25-30% improvement over Dikembe Mutombo's offense, with a 25-30% improvement over Dikembe Mutombo's lateral movement, you would have what Badiane was 2 years ago. His greatest asset, without a doubt, at the time was his hustle... he was non-stop. But to put it in perspective, Chris Bosh destroyed him in the summer leagues when they were pitted one on one in the paint. And I'm not talking about just beating him... I'm talking about Hakeem Olajuwon's dismantling of David Robinson destruction. With all that being said, if Ryan Bowen and Mark Madsen can make it in this league, so can Badiane eventually. If he ever develops some refined offensive moves, he hops several rungs up the NBA ladder. Lord knows I'm pulling for the guy. I loved watching him play out there and the heart and hustle he put into every play.
I agree. Its too early to think he will come in here next year and get good mins. He is still the BACKUP PF on his team in Germany. It might take him another year or two before he can do anything for us. I am still hoping that Spanoulis (the PG we drafted last year in the second round) can come in and be our backup next year. He seems much more ready to come in here and contribute.
I sort of get the feeling that we're looking at a Chris Andersen-type... We could do a lot worse with a late 2nd round pick.
i know you were not being serious but still i want to anwser. Serge does not play basketbal anymore. he quit 2 years ago. I do not know i badiane is any good, it is not like he is dominating in Germany. Wich i think you have to do in order to be good in the nba. But maybe he works so hard he can get some minutes on our PF position, we do need a strong athletic type, so why not give him a try. But i have little faith
i think Dirk was alot younger then badiane is, and i believe Dirk was one of the stars of one of the better german teams, And IIRC Badiane didn't start all his games, and he played in the second league last year.(or am i mistaken?). but i'm not sure about this all. i would love to be wrong, because i would love for Badiane to be a legit role player for us
My point is that Badiane can still get a LOT better. Dirk was 19 when he was drafted, one year younger than Badiane is now. DD
Dont Euro teams play folks based more on seniority than on skills? I recall hearing that a while back... Dont know how true it is.... anyone have reputable knowledge? and if what DoD says and what everyone admits about him is true...then I say he cant be worse than our current PFs...true? helll..most of you dont want our 4s to take shots...you just want them to rebound, block shots and defend...so whats the big deal about bringing him over for some time with real NBA training?
This is the crux of the problem. I think once you get to the NBA there is very little real training. It is mostly about the guys that can play now, and not about training the guys for the future. Most of the improvement in players comes over the summer etc. This is why the NBA needs a minor league desperatly so you can send down your project players and let them get better by PLAYING the game. DD
A clip from the Chronicle By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Impressed with Badiane Magic center Mario Kasun thinks a possible future Rockets player has a bright NBA future. Kasun played last season in Germany with the Rockets' 2003 second-round pick, Malick Badiane of Senegal. "He's a good player," Kasun said, "a really good athlete, definitely a guy that can get a lot of rebounds ... If he keeps working hard, he can make it here, no doubt."
I agree - people criticize JVG for only wanting experienced player and not developing talent - but very few NBA coaches are known for "developing" talent, they are known for getting the most out of talent developing talent needs to occur in minor leagues or summer programs, etc. ... then the haters can find better reasons to criticize JVG
well....I would agree that during the season there is very little training....but there is always the summer and camp. they have tons of time, and tons of places to work on their games. (Fondre, Lucas, etc)...and it aint helping his game much to be stuck over in what is in effect a NCAA-level league. He needs to be working with some real NBA big men to learn the tricks of the trade...lord knows the Rockets need him to do that.... Unless something else comes up soon...he is our best shot at getting a young, athletic PF without having to trade or buy one anytime soon. the biggest thing that concerns me is if my understanding of the way they decide starters is incorrect.....if it isnt based on seniority, then he isnt close enough in real NBA skills to help us much since he isnt even a starter over there...and this whole argument is a waste of time. I hope he is stuck on the bench(when not injured) because of his age and not his skills( or lack thereof).
The orginal article exaggerates Badiane's skills a bit much or even his strength. Watching him practice when we drafted him showed that he was very very raw. If you think Akeem was raw when he first showed up at UH, Badiane was twice as raw. I have not seen him play recently but if he can't even start for a 2nd tier Euro league and only has minimal stats, he is not gonna tear it up in the NBA.
