Wasn't surprised to see this bumped. Literally thought "why did we pay this guy?". He may be worth double what he got, but not to a team that he never plays on. Really not sure about this one...
He'll be a decent or good player, but who'll ever know? We supposedly had title aspirations before the season started. Then everyone shows up after a summer of not touching a basketball. Now we're still in a "win-now" (actually, "win at all") mode. But Brewer, JBB's boy, is getting the minutes. Only a trade of some kind (to ease the logjam of 2's and 3's or KJMcD to another team) will ever reveal what the guy can or cannot do. As far as "playing lazy when he got minutes", yeah, not great, but our team has a way of killing enthusiasm in its own players and fanbase. Morey talked up KJ McDaniels before the season, but he's clearly just another asset, OR waiting for one of our wing players ahead of him to be traded.
Seriously. I love the fire that Montrezl plays with. He's backing up his talk about playing the right way and focusing on defense. His energy should be contagious, but KJ didn't seem hungry at all. Playing lazy is already bad enough when an MVP-level player like Harden does it, let alone a young player that hasn't proven anything.
KJ's potential is real. He seems to not know how to play in a team system, his similarities to Terrence Williams is striking. He doesn't seem to realize that his bread and butter is defense, defense, defense.... Then rebounding.... Then offense, his offense should only consist of catch and shoot corner 3's, back cuts, fast break 3's and pass and drive layups. He tries to do some much on offense and its so dumb, taking fadeaways, contested drives, handling the ball and taking off dribble jumpers instead of stopping, passing the ball and running a play. If he would be passive on offense, and focus on defense and rebounding he would be getting 20 minutes a night and gluing Brewers butt to the bench. But I don't think he gets it, all the athleticism in the world, all the defensive potential and tools, good handles, good rebounder, good (and flashy) finisher. Yet he doesn't know how to play in a offensesive system and has a case of thinking he's Harden on offense when he's almost always the 5th offensive option on the floor. Very Twill-like Hopefully he gets if together.
I remember reading something pretty similar to that about Gerald Green when he was here. KJ reminds me so much of him. Look what happened when he found the right system. Its just we don't have a system. Very hard to develop young players when you dont have a system in place that teaches them what will work for them and what doesnt, and where they fit the best.
Could his shot selection and lack of playing within an "offensive system" be due to the fact of only getting sporadic garbage time minutes? If I were in his position, I would be trying anything to earn more minutes even if it is not a personal strength. Bottom line, it is hard to make any judgement on a player who has yet to play consistent minutes.
Gerald Green flamed out with four different teams, including Dallas right after us, before taking a three year hiatus from the NBA and finally carving a role for himself. He's also a completely different player from KJ in terms of strengths and weaknesses. But yeah, let's go ahead and blame ourselves. Unleash the Kraken and blame Adelman!
Another example he should learn from is Danny Green. Complete system player. Non-star in college--I would know, I used to eat all the time at the pizza place near UNC and he would occasionally show up, get in behind the counter with the family who ran the place and act like he worked there. But he ended up being drafted late second round, got in with a good system, was developed for at least a year while benchwarming and working on the most important asset that will earn you money in the NBA: shooting. Now he is a 6'6 3-and-D specialist. KJ has all the ingredients to be that kind of guy too. Athletic enough to bring the D when he wants, now he has to learn the 3. Actually he has to keep learning defense as well. This stuff isn't easy. The NBA is cruel and will chew you up and spit you out unless you have that one great role to fill. BC he sure as hell ain't sticking for his court vision, ballhandling, or rebounding. Learn to shoot youngblood!
KJ out their taking shots because he never gets to play. He's never been on the court with Harden and Howard.
