This is what I'm saying, he DID improve a lot. 2 years ago he had no NBA skills. Today he might be an excellent shooter which totally transforms who he is as a player. Even last year's Putney was hitting 40% but taking very few attempts. Now he's hitting 40% of 7 3's a game with a picture perfect stroke. Not everyone can bring that to the big leagues (see Troy Daniels) but at his height, shooting form and lift it's almost certain he can get that shot off in the NBA. The main question is, can he ever be a passable defender and rebounder? He doesn't look good on defensive rotations right now.
Can't be bothered to put clips together, but you can scrub through their last game and have a look: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jIhOmRcOs8g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I don't know why they listed him at 255 lbs here. Anyway, congrats. He sure seems to be trying hard to showcase his rebounding and shotblocking. There must be a team somewhere willing to sign him but concerned about his ability to play the 4 spot.
Raphiael wins Player of the Week, followed by woof an 0-6 3ptr game. 4-15 overall. But he had 6 blocks. http://stats.nbadleague.com/game/#!/2021500471/
Putney would get eaten alive on the block. Dude better start hanging out with Joshua "3sandwiches" Smith more often. Has a nice shot though Curryesque. That Jaron Johnson seems like a hungry dude. Open tryout guy to the big show? Disney movie right there.
I think the reason putney is so skinny is because he HAS been hanging out with 3sammiches. Poor kid looks the wrong way at lunch and boom, his meal has been inhaled.
Would be a shame to see another 'Whiteside' situation where he Is stolen from under our noses and becomes an impact player. The 'weight' issues may be warranted, but if he can shoot like that consistently, who gives? I know a guy in the league named Steph who's so scrawny he can dodge rain. But I don't hear much critique about his physique because he can shoot the lights out. Give him a chance to rain down some 3's in the NBA and if he can light it up the criticism will stop. It's worth a try since our shooting has been so bad at times
Whiteside wasn't "stolen from under our noses" and took plenty of time to become an impact player. Same goes for Livingston and Carroll. A more proper comparison would be James Johnson who was dominating the D League when we needed a SF. Memphis took a flyer on him and he made a fantastic impact. Meanwhile Morey was stuck trying to make ends meet with Jordan freaking Hamilton. Even then, I doubt Putney would make an immediate impact on this team.
He needs to prove himself somewhere other than the Dleague. Those games are shootarounds, they don't resemble NBA games at all. Robert Covington is a proven shooter that tore up the Dleague, but couldn't even contribute in the summer league or preseason against scrubs. James White averaged 26ppg there and he was not a shot creator or shooter. No point in giving him a 10 day contract. He won't get time and there aren't any practices for him to show his ability. Give him a summer league invite or sign him as a training camp body. I don't see teams like the Spurs signing nobodies in the middle of the season.
Small forward on this level. Think of him as something akin to Robert Horry. He was a center at Alabama, and played SF until he went to the Lakers and bulked up to play PF.
