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I'm not even remotely concerned about his skillset, someone as athletic and good at moving off the ball will/should have a long career if the likes of Jodie Meeks can be somewhat successful.
His mental state but is more of a concern he seems like he has some sort of anxiety when he comes and it takes forever or garbage time for him not to be a tense ball of energy. Maybe it's just cause he's not use to his setting or maybe in general he might have anxiety issues (not saying he does) like a lot of people in life do. Something mentally is holding him back right now a guy with that stroke who get's that many open looks should not be bricking like he does.
I think there is someone on here who does/studied Psychology (I think it's Glenn) would be interested to hear his/her thoughts.
His mental state but is more of a concern he seems like he has some sort of anxiety when he comes and it takes forever or garbage time for him not to be a tense ball of energy. Maybe it's just cause he's not use to his setting or maybe in general he might have anxiety issues (not saying he does) like a lot of people in life do. Something mentally is holding him back right now a guy with that stroke who get's that many open looks should not be bricking like he does.
I think there is someone on here who does/studied Psychology (I think it's Glenn) would be interested to hear his/her thoughts.
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You have to hold open a door for guys with tools. At least a little ajar. Why did I make snap judgments on Jimmer and TRob? Because I saw them play at this level, and uh oh, they did not have the tools. Without the tools, the rest is just academic. High end becomes roleplayer.
But Ben has tools, it was why some people got so overhyped about him, and they are still mostly there. So you can't entirely close the book. But there is no excuse at all right now for optimism beyond those tools. He's been terrible, and he's looked like a true boy amongst men out there mentally. Been one of the worst major minute guys in the NBA, and basically hasn't done anything well. As soon as I saw that I started talking about trading him quickly before anybody else caught on. Too late now though. His value has tanked I am sure.
So now the game has changed to whether as we try to put a playoff contender on the floor next year we can afford to rely on him as the incoming starting SG. And the answer has been a very loud, very definitive "Niet!" thus far. IT's presence is a constant drag on his progress, but Ben can hardly complain. He's been given nearly infinite rope this season because our management hopped around like idiots on draft night and can't fathom how as a bunch of front office rookies and a failed GM/advisor they could get it wrong. He's STILL being given infinite rope of the call a press conference to assure all of us who aren't invested that "Ben is still a big part of our future" etc. etc. Which sounds like some sort of terrorist threat or something on most nights you watch him play. We just cleared out the entire roster position for one of the worst PER players in the entire NBA...and PER doesn't even account for defense. There is simply no excuse for continuing flatlining.
Stuck between IT and Gay he can't be great. There is no possibility he can blow up. But there is no excuse not to at least flash competence. Even if he doesn't it won't entirely slam the book on him. But it will certainly make his story a lot less interesting going forward. An established pro will have to be brought in to help us chase the playoffs, and Ben's presence on the bench, or not, isn't going to be the focus. If calling a spade a spade means admitting he's sucked, then yes, everybody should be there now. If calling a spade a spade means admitting there is NO chance of him coming around eventually...probably not quite there yet, but counting on anything at this point would be foolhardy. His 50 games of NBA action >>> his 35 games of college action as far as predictive value. He's got to prove it now while he has 25 closing games of clean opportunity just being handed him.
But Ben has tools, it was why some people got so overhyped about him, and they are still mostly there. So you can't entirely close the book. But there is no excuse at all right now for optimism beyond those tools. He's been terrible, and he's looked like a true boy amongst men out there mentally. Been one of the worst major minute guys in the NBA, and basically hasn't done anything well. As soon as I saw that I started talking about trading him quickly before anybody else caught on. Too late now though. His value has tanked I am sure.
So now the game has changed to whether as we try to put a playoff contender on the floor next year we can afford to rely on him as the incoming starting SG. And the answer has been a very loud, very definitive "Niet!" thus far. IT's presence is a constant drag on his progress, but Ben can hardly complain. He's been given nearly infinite rope this season because our management hopped around like idiots on draft night and can't fathom how as a bunch of front office rookies and a failed GM/advisor they could get it wrong. He's STILL being given infinite rope of the call a press conference to assure all of us who aren't invested that "Ben is still a big part of our future" etc. etc. Which sounds like some sort of terrorist threat or something on most nights you watch him play. We just cleared out the entire roster position for one of the worst PER players in the entire NBA...and PER doesn't even account for defense. There is simply no excuse for continuing flatlining.
Stuck between IT and Gay he can't be great. There is no possibility he can blow up. But there is no excuse not to at least flash competence. Even if he doesn't it won't entirely slam the book on him. But it will certainly make his story a lot less interesting going forward. An established pro will have to be brought in to help us chase the playoffs, and Ben's presence on the bench, or not, isn't going to be the focus. If calling a spade a spade means admitting he's sucked, then yes, everybody should be there now. If calling a spade a spade means admitting there is NO chance of him coming around eventually...probably not quite there yet, but counting on anything at this point would be foolhardy. His 50 games of NBA action >>> his 35 games of college action as far as predictive value. He's got to prove it now while he has 25 closing games of clean opportunity just being handed him.
Well he's done neither of those things thus far, but that has to the hope. 
The whole "he's an athlete so he can defend" thing is odd though as it kind of flies directly in the face of most of the strong defenders around the league at that position. Guys like Thabo, or Tony Allen, or Danny Green, or Arron Afflalo etc. etc. aren't doing it because they are tremendous athletes. I think there might be some tendency to assume that because size/lack of athleticism can KEEP you form being a good defender, that excessive athleticism can therefore make you a good one, but that just has never been the case. Bruce Bowen wasn't a stud athlete. He was just tough as nails, studied offensive players, had great anticipation and smarts, and worked and bumped and banged every play.
The whole "he's an athlete so he can defend" thing is odd though as it kind of flies directly in the face of most of the strong defenders around the league at that position. Guys like Thabo, or Tony Allen, or Danny Green, or Arron Afflalo etc. etc. aren't doing it because they are tremendous athletes. I think there might be some tendency to assume that because size/lack of athleticism can KEEP you form being a good defender, that excessive athleticism can therefore make you a good one, but that just has never been the case. Bruce Bowen wasn't a stud athlete. He was just tough as nails, studied offensive players, had great anticipation and smarts, and worked and bumped and banged every play.
And it also doesn't account for effort either. No matter how bad he or the team is doing, he never puts his head down and always give 110% out there. At least he has that going for him. Once (and if) his threes begin to go down, and he is a solid defender, the extra enegry will likely be more appreciated.
Well he's done neither of those things thus far, but that has to the hope.
The whole "he's an athlete so he can defend" thing is odd though as it kind of flies directly in the face of most of the strong defenders around the league at that position. Guys like Thabo, or Tony Allen, or Danny Green, or Arron Afflalo etc. etc. aren't doing it because they are tremendous athletes. I think there might be some tendency to assume that because size/lack of athleticism can KEEP you form being a good defender, that excessive athleticism can therefore make you a good one, but that just has never been the case. Bruce Bowen wasn't a stud athlete. He was just tough as nails, studied offensive players, had great anticipation and smarts, and worked and bumped and banged every play.
The whole "he's an athlete so he can defend" thing is odd though as it kind of flies directly in the face of most of the strong defenders around the league at that position. Guys like Thabo, or Tony Allen, or Danny Green, or Arron Afflalo etc. etc. aren't doing it because they are tremendous athletes. I think there might be some tendency to assume that because size/lack of athleticism can KEEP you form being a good defender, that excessive athleticism can therefore make you a good one, but that just has never been the case. Bruce Bowen wasn't a stud athlete. He was just tough as nails, studied offensive players, had great anticipation and smarts, and worked and bumped and banged every play.
I also wonder how much background plays a part in it. Defense is the one thing that you can't learn by being a gym rat. You have to be exposed to organized, structured basketball for a lot of defense to really start sinking in. Some guys have an innate grasp of the concepts and other guys really have to work to get them. Ben appears to be the latter. It helps when you have a teacher to point out where you are being broken down and how to improve. Kansas may have been Ben's first exposure to that kind of training, but his real training is taking place under Malone right now, and it's not pretty.
Given his total ineffectiveness, is the fact he's trying hard and still can't do anything a positive? I guess I'll take hustle, even if its tied to incompetence, but it just eliminates one more easy avenue of improvement.
Fact is that I think Ben, like Jimmer, like TRob, is being given ridiculous leeway by fans still obsessed with his draft positon and college stats. He's been terrible, and hustle doesn't make up for terrible. give me 5 Bens and I go 0-82 in the NBA this season. And yet I can't quite shake the feeling that maybe there is a switch there somewhere. That it might be abrupt if it could ever get flipped. But there has been next to no evidence of that, so that's just as likely me committing the same folly. It just looks like it should work/go in, he moves well, the form looks...but again are these positive things? When you say ok, there is nothing to correct, great athlete, great attitude, perfect form, constant effort...but he still sucks. Well..where does that leave you? Might be better to say overweight, immature, needs to correct form, on and off motor. At least then you could say well if we just fixed this or that then he'd be good.
Fact is that I think Ben, like Jimmer, like TRob, is being given ridiculous leeway by fans still obsessed with his draft positon and college stats. He's been terrible, and hustle doesn't make up for terrible. give me 5 Bens and I go 0-82 in the NBA this season. And yet I can't quite shake the feeling that maybe there is a switch there somewhere. That it might be abrupt if it could ever get flipped. But there has been next to no evidence of that, so that's just as likely me committing the same folly. It just looks like it should work/go in, he moves well, the form looks...but again are these positive things? When you say ok, there is nothing to correct, great athlete, great attitude, perfect form, constant effort...but he still sucks. Well..where does that leave you? Might be better to say overweight, immature, needs to correct form, on and off motor. At least then you could say well if we just fixed this or that then he'd be good.
People always like to say that, but really we know before then, and high draft picks are costing you millions of dollars while you wait. Get a guy on IT's number, sure, why not, as long as you have a roster spot. But with a guy like Ben that's $3mil a year, which effectively could be the difference between being able to afford an Isaiah or not. He's got to show you something reasonably early to justify that level of expense. Certainly a guy who shoots 36% with no D makes $3mil a year into a flat bad contract. I don't think anyone rational is aksing him to flash star stuff at this stage. Just flash get it I can play at this level stuff.
I mean, he's going to get until the end of the year, beyond that - who knows.
After the debacle that has been this season, and the fact this year was never 'about the wins' ... I'm fairly certain this team is going to take next year a little bit more seriously.
The Kings will not go into next season with this crop of shooting guards (Ben and nobody, they already brought in Orlando Johnson...) Someone else will be here if Ben isn't cutting it. My money is on Thabo Sefolosha, but it's going to be someone who can play. It's going to be a real insurance policy, and if Ben finds himself on the bench again I don't know if he has the talent or confidence to get himself off of it.
I will say this, though. Ben is hard worker. Malone knows Ben is terrible right now, and the Kings new regime has a lot riding on him. They will do whatever it takes this offseason to work with him and make him better. So I'm optimistic of the future, but that has nothing to with how Ben has looked this season. I just think the reputation of our coaching staff and general manager is sort of on the line here. Not that they aren't allowed to make mistakes, but this is a guy they targeted right from the jump (or so they say) and consistently defend / praise. He's their guy. Well, lets see them fix him.
After the debacle that has been this season, and the fact this year was never 'about the wins' ... I'm fairly certain this team is going to take next year a little bit more seriously.
The Kings will not go into next season with this crop of shooting guards (Ben and nobody, they already brought in Orlando Johnson...) Someone else will be here if Ben isn't cutting it. My money is on Thabo Sefolosha, but it's going to be someone who can play. It's going to be a real insurance policy, and if Ben finds himself on the bench again I don't know if he has the talent or confidence to get himself off of it.
I will say this, though. Ben is hard worker. Malone knows Ben is terrible right now, and the Kings new regime has a lot riding on him. They will do whatever it takes this offseason to work with him and make him better. So I'm optimistic of the future, but that has nothing to with how Ben has looked this season. I just think the reputation of our coaching staff and general manager is sort of on the line here. Not that they aren't allowed to make mistakes, but this is a guy they targeted right from the jump (or so they say) and consistently defend / praise. He's their guy. Well, lets see them fix him.
Agreed. When we drafted McLemore a lot of the draft experts were saying that he wasn't ready for the NBA yet mentally and he needs a good situation to help him focus. Uh oh. Instead of high level NBA stars putting in long hours of their own time perfecting every element of their game we have a bunch of knuckleheads joking around during pre-season when they should be working. It's kindof a chicken and egg thing. Serious players aren't going to be happy with a franchise that doesn't demonstrate some competence and ability to put together a winning team (see also: Kyrie Irving and Cleveland right now). But you need those players to lead your young talent and show them how to succeed in the NBA. There's only so much a coaching staff can do.
Fact is we have a rookie coaching staff, a rookie front office, and a lot of unproven talent. There's going to be some growing pains before we get to that point of being a respected franchise. Everyone is learning on the job right now. But we need the young talent, there's no way around that. And Coach Malone to a certain extent has to deal with whatever cards he's dealt. I do wish the front office had been a little more proactive about clearing out some of the bad-habit, just collecting a paycheck guys. They talked a lot about changing the culture and we sadly haven't seen a lot of progress in that area. I was very nervous at the start of this season because it seemed like we were going with a "lose more to win later" strategy and we've seen for years and years here that losing might get you talent, but it also gets you a roster full of bad habits and that's a lot harder to fix. The sooner we get on a winning track and start developing good habits, the better. I don't see an obvious path to get there from here. But hopefully it's just one of those things where everyone involved takes their knocks this season and gets better at their job. Slow progress is still progress. And thankfully, mistakes aren't fatal provided you learn from them.
Fact is we have a rookie coaching staff, a rookie front office, and a lot of unproven talent. There's going to be some growing pains before we get to that point of being a respected franchise. Everyone is learning on the job right now. But we need the young talent, there's no way around that. And Coach Malone to a certain extent has to deal with whatever cards he's dealt. I do wish the front office had been a little more proactive about clearing out some of the bad-habit, just collecting a paycheck guys. They talked a lot about changing the culture and we sadly haven't seen a lot of progress in that area. I was very nervous at the start of this season because it seemed like we were going with a "lose more to win later" strategy and we've seen for years and years here that losing might get you talent, but it also gets you a roster full of bad habits and that's a lot harder to fix. The sooner we get on a winning track and start developing good habits, the better. I don't see an obvious path to get there from here. But hopefully it's just one of those things where everyone involved takes their knocks this season and gets better at their job. Slow progress is still progress. And thankfully, mistakes aren't fatal provided you learn from them.
it's a big time risk they're taking. you've got a rookie owner, a rookie GM, and a rookie head coach all defending their draft selection of a rookie SG who can't shoot, can't dribble, can't defend, and can't really do much of anything other than move well without the ball and jump really, really high. as first-timers in their respective roles, this new regime's credibility is definitely at stake. at the trade deadline, we saw both PDA and malone crafting a hard line stance that ben mclemore's future remains in sacramento, and that their priority was in developing him. it's a dangerous position to take on behalf of a player who hasn't hardly shown a flash of competence, much less a flash of the potential that many saw in ben as a supremely athletic college player...
on draft day, myself and others claimed that mclemore would never exceed a role as a third option, an off-the-ball spot shooter type. at the time, i hoped he would prove me wrong. these days, i'm mostly just hoping that mclemore can find his shot so he can come off the bench in limited minutes and hit the occasional three-pointer. i've spent some time preaching patience on behalf of mclemore, and articulating that he's unlikely to find sustainable success in a starting unit with three ball dominant talents in cousins/gay/thomas, but i wasn't a fan of the pick to begin with, and i'm not terribly interested in defending him further if he can't show something in these final 25 games...
if mclemore is meant to be a part of this team's future, i need to see some evidence. and this is where the inexperience of the new regime is a bit worrisome. they've all been around the game, but they are all rookie's in their current capacities. just as mclemore needs to put on his big boy pants and contribute, the new regime also needs to put on their big boy pants and figure this thing out...
on draft day, myself and others claimed that mclemore would never exceed a role as a third option, an off-the-ball spot shooter type. at the time, i hoped he would prove me wrong. these days, i'm mostly just hoping that mclemore can find his shot so he can come off the bench in limited minutes and hit the occasional three-pointer. i've spent some time preaching patience on behalf of mclemore, and articulating that he's unlikely to find sustainable success in a starting unit with three ball dominant talents in cousins/gay/thomas, but i wasn't a fan of the pick to begin with, and i'm not terribly interested in defending him further if he can't show something in these final 25 games...
if mclemore is meant to be a part of this team's future, i need to see some evidence. and this is where the inexperience of the new regime is a bit worrisome. they've all been around the game, but they are all rookie's in their current capacities. just as mclemore needs to put on his big boy pants and contribute, the new regime also needs to put on their big boy pants and figure this thing out...
I was pretty high on Ben this season, I'll admit. I'll also admit that was so so wrong. Still have hope going forward with this season being one to forget, maybe the only positive being he's got one year NBA experience. Yikes.
He needs a few games where he gets hot just to carry him over to the offseason, and forget the rest.
He needs a few games where he gets hot just to carry him over to the offseason, and forget the rest.
Before I say anything, I'll make a comment about professional ethics in the area of mental health. It is not ethical for a professional, which I am, to comment on someone they have not met face to face especially if the claim is that I know something no one else knows. I'm stuck with the rest of you. I don't know Ben and neither does anyone else on this forum. In fact, I'll bet he's more of an enigma than most. That is quite unlike Boogie where everybody claims to know him and what to do about him.
All I know about Ben is what everybody else knows and that is that he is young and very athletic. I don't know why he was red shirted in college as that is very unusual. Yes, he was at Kansas but if he was amazingly good, he wouldn't have been red shirted. I had a similar thought about TRob who came from Kansas. My thought was that if he was so damn good, why didn't he start until the Morris twins left?
What I am getting at is that maybe he isn't that good.
But let's continue with the game that I know something about Ben. I compare him to Jimmer which assumes the unassumable and that is that I know what Jimmers' problems were and I know what Ben's problems are. The thing is that there are similarities in what we see. Jimmer was a great shooter coming out of college. He didn't shoot well until his third year in the NBA. Third year meaning 4 years of college and three in the NBA. Ben played one year in college so is 5 years behind Jimmer. Was my math correct? I am close enough as my point is made.
His shots look like they should fall, don't they? Also I notice the ball bouncing off his hands periodically. I asked a question once about his hand size and was assured his hands were bigger than average for a guy his height. I doubt that but if it's true there is some reason he can't hold on to the ball. I remember back to the beginning of the year when he missed dunks. It was as if he knew he could dunk but mysteriously he missed probably surprising him more than the rest of us. Why is that? I wish I knew.
Now to take a right turn in this exercise. I am concerned about the judgment of the FO and the coach. If I had absolute faith in Malone I would relax. I question throwing Ben onto the court as a starter right off the bat. What if Ben gets discouraged by never ending failure which has been his experience? If he gets discouraged, Malone made a mistake. Maybe Ben is one of the remarkable athletes who can tolerate failure after failure, missed dunk after missed dunk, missed lay up after missed lay up. Anyone want to make a bet on that? As a generality, I can't help but think he is very discouraged and I lay that at the feet of Malone. No basketball player misses the shots he misses unless they are rattled.
What mystifies me is that we are painting him into a corner where he has to play. MT and Jimmer are gone. Ben has to play. Put yourself in his shoes. He has yet to be a success yet he has to play big minutes. I don't trust Malone's judgment and I really am scratching my head as to PDA's actions especially as to how they effect Ben. If the pressure to be a success is getting to Ben, Malone and PDA have made it worse.
I don't understand Ben and that's the bottom line. With Jimmer I think we all could see his anxiety. I don't "see" anxiety in Ben but that doesn't mean he isn't anxious. All I see is a socially uncomfortable and maybe not the brightest guy in the world with huge potential. Ultimately the issue is "what now?" My "what now" is play him a few more years. Don't give up.
This isn't the answer you wanted but I cannot give the answer you wanted as some one will say "hey, I know a psychiatrist who says this and that about Ben." I won't do it and I hope I have said little more than an astute student of athletes might say.
All I know about Ben is what everybody else knows and that is that he is young and very athletic. I don't know why he was red shirted in college as that is very unusual. Yes, he was at Kansas but if he was amazingly good, he wouldn't have been red shirted. I had a similar thought about TRob who came from Kansas. My thought was that if he was so damn good, why didn't he start until the Morris twins left?
What I am getting at is that maybe he isn't that good.
But let's continue with the game that I know something about Ben.
I compare him to Jimmer which assumes the unassumable and that is that I know what Jimmers' problems were and I know what Ben's problems are. The thing is that there are similarities in what we see. Jimmer was a great shooter coming out of college. He didn't shoot well until his third year in the NBA. Third year meaning 4 years of college and three in the NBA. Ben played one year in college so is 5 years behind Jimmer. Was my math correct? I am close enough as my point is made.His shots look like they should fall, don't they? Also I notice the ball bouncing off his hands periodically. I asked a question once about his hand size and was assured his hands were bigger than average for a guy his height. I doubt that but if it's true there is some reason he can't hold on to the ball. I remember back to the beginning of the year when he missed dunks. It was as if he knew he could dunk but mysteriously he missed probably surprising him more than the rest of us. Why is that? I wish I knew.
Now to take a right turn in this exercise. I am concerned about the judgment of the FO and the coach. If I had absolute faith in Malone I would relax. I question throwing Ben onto the court as a starter right off the bat. What if Ben gets discouraged by never ending failure which has been his experience? If he gets discouraged, Malone made a mistake. Maybe Ben is one of the remarkable athletes who can tolerate failure after failure, missed dunk after missed dunk, missed lay up after missed lay up. Anyone want to make a bet on that? As a generality, I can't help but think he is very discouraged and I lay that at the feet of Malone. No basketball player misses the shots he misses unless they are rattled.
What mystifies me is that we are painting him into a corner where he has to play. MT and Jimmer are gone. Ben has to play. Put yourself in his shoes. He has yet to be a success yet he has to play big minutes. I don't trust Malone's judgment and I really am scratching my head as to PDA's actions especially as to how they effect Ben. If the pressure to be a success is getting to Ben, Malone and PDA have made it worse.
I don't understand Ben and that's the bottom line. With Jimmer I think we all could see his anxiety. I don't "see" anxiety in Ben but that doesn't mean he isn't anxious. All I see is a socially uncomfortable and maybe not the brightest guy in the world with huge potential. Ultimately the issue is "what now?" My "what now" is play him a few more years. Don't give up.
This isn't the answer you wanted but I cannot give the answer you wanted as some one will say "hey, I know a psychiatrist who says this and that about Ben." I won't do it and I hope I have said little more than an astute student of athletes might say.
Refresh my memory. Didn't Ben start the year on the bench with the idea that he would be brought along slowly? I'm not sure anyone anticipated the suckitude that Thornton put on display. Things have not gone as scripted but let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater (not that you yourself are advocating that). He was a project and still is.
The ownership (i.e. PDA) as stated they know not everything will work. They got that right. They started with a mess and still have a mess but a more talented mess. Baby steps.
The ownership (i.e. PDA) as stated they know not everything will work. They got that right. They started with a mess and still have a mess but a more talented mess. Baby steps.
From Wikipedia:
So, the redshirt was instituted by the NCAA, not by Kansas.
Here's another one that doesn't need to be a mystery. I went through the measurements history at DraftExpress and tabulated all players who had their hand length/hand width measured (only at the NBA Draft Combine, for consistency) who were within 0.5" of Ben's without-shoes height (6'3.5"). That's 26 players with measurements. The average player had length/width of 8.625"/9.35", and Ben's hands are 8.75"/9.5". So his hands are very slightly larger than average for a basketball player his size.
If you asked me, I would say that the majority of Ben's dunking problems, especially in the early season, were a result of him taking off too early. I don't know if he was too excited, or if he was intimidated by the defense and so took smaller strides than he was accustomed to, or if he had tired legs...he wasn't getting all the way to the rim on his dunk attempts. I never had the impression those misses had anything to do with his hands, it looked like a head/leg communication problem.
So, the redshirt was instituted by the NCAA, not by Kansas.
Here's another one that doesn't need to be a mystery. I went through the measurements history at DraftExpress and tabulated all players who had their hand length/hand width measured (only at the NBA Draft Combine, for consistency) who were within 0.5" of Ben's without-shoes height (6'3.5"). That's 26 players with measurements. The average player had length/width of 8.625"/9.35", and Ben's hands are 8.75"/9.5". So his hands are very slightly larger than average for a basketball player his size.
If you asked me, I would say that the majority of Ben's dunking problems, especially in the early season, were a result of him taking off too early. I don't know if he was too excited, or if he was intimidated by the defense and so took smaller strides than he was accustomed to, or if he had tired legs...he wasn't getting all the way to the rim on his dunk attempts. I never had the impression those misses had anything to do with his hands, it looked like a head/leg communication problem.
Thanks about the red shirting info. It seemed odd.
As to the dunks that he missed early in the year, I thought he was over excited and under calmer circumstances would have made them and brought down the house. His hand size didn't cross my mind as to the dunks. I HAVE seen him lose control of a passed ball, last night the most recent, and I sure wish he had larger hands as it could change his handle immensely - natch.
His hands are average as I presume any difference is statistically insignificant.
As to the dunks that he missed early in the year, I thought he was over excited and under calmer circumstances would have made them and brought down the house.
His hand size didn't cross my mind as to the dunks. I HAVE seen him lose control of a passed ball, last night the most recent, and I sure wish he had larger hands as it could change his handle immensely - natch. His hands are average as I presume any difference is statistically insignificant.
He has the tools to make a career out of it but the question is will he?!
His form looks great but the shot doesn't go in! I think that he is playing too fast and releasing his shot without settling first. He has more time than he often thinks.
I do have hope that those shots will eventually start falling when he slows down a tad. I am hopeful that it comes with experience. He is a great athlete but I was concerned as soonas I saw his struggles in the summer league.
I doubt he ever amounts to the lofy expectations placed upon him. I don't think he will ever be an all-star but he could becomes a good shooter out there. I am not sure about being a 3 and D guy. To be a great defensive player you need great IQ, quick hands and feet and great anticipation. I would absolutely love to see us sign Sefolosha. Not only because he would be a great fit for the team but because he would be a vet that Ben could learn a lot of. The art of defence and the amount of opponent studying these guys do. Thabo can start and Ben can back him up after working his backside off in the off-season to improve.
Its often said that its not about working harder but working smarter. I don't have any doubt about McLemore's work ethic but I am not so sure whether he is working smarter.
His form looks great but the shot doesn't go in! I think that he is playing too fast and releasing his shot without settling first. He has more time than he often thinks.
I do have hope that those shots will eventually start falling when he slows down a tad. I am hopeful that it comes with experience. He is a great athlete but I was concerned as soonas I saw his struggles in the summer league.
I doubt he ever amounts to the lofy expectations placed upon him. I don't think he will ever be an all-star but he could becomes a good shooter out there. I am not sure about being a 3 and D guy. To be a great defensive player you need great IQ, quick hands and feet and great anticipation. I would absolutely love to see us sign Sefolosha. Not only because he would be a great fit for the team but because he would be a vet that Ben could learn a lot of. The art of defence and the amount of opponent studying these guys do. Thabo can start and Ben can back him up after working his backside off in the off-season to improve.
Its often said that its not about working harder but working smarter. I don't have any doubt about McLemore's work ethic but I am not so sure whether he is working smarter.
I think that in time he will make a high percentage of his good shots. He is excellent at moving off the ball and a superb athlete. If I were him I wouldn't worry about the shooting. The shots will start to fall. I'd be more concerned with ball handling. His shooting mechanics are great. This year EVERYTHING has looked rushed. Once he settles down he's going to be nasty.
I'm curious. I'm not a ballplayer. Hasn't a lot of players had that point when things just click and slow down for them? With so many of you saying that things look rushed, perhaps with his coming to the game late and his lack of experience that point of things slowing down for him just hasn't been reached yet. I'm still hopeful and don't see any reason to rush judgement on him.
I tend to agree that it just hasn't "clicked" yet for McLemore. In time, the game will slow down for him, he'll relax more, and his shots will fall more often. I also think that his ballhandling improvement is key. It gives a player a lot more confidence in everything if he has the ballhandling to drive to the hoop. He can then relax a little more, knowing that if the outside shot isn't falling, he has more weapons in the arsenal at his disposal.
I hope to god you aren't talking about TRob. Guy played himself straight to the end of the Portland bench. Injuries opened up time and he had ONE (1) big game, and everybody talks like now he's ok. No, he's still costing them nearly a million per point he averages.
Thing with Ben is, and I've mentioned this before:
1) he has virtually no chance to be a star. Once you saw his handle, hands, feel for the game..no. And so once that is evident, then you are looking for fit.
2) even if he comes on to say, be as good as Nick Young, if Rudy and IT are the 1 & 3 he may a) never reach that level; and b) never be needed/appropriate for the spot. Not much different than TRob next to Cousins -- terrible pick because he did not fit, even if he had worked out. For Ben its the IT/Gay combo. If those guys are both back, then Ben is a bad choice to stick between them. And I should mention, his ballhandling issues are a significant contributing factor in IT's hyper-ball dominance. Last year we got more assists out of our backcourt because Reke was back there to share the duties. Make it Ben, with a me oriented PG, and assists will always be scarce. Ben needs to be next to a purer PG, or IT needs to be next to somebody that can take the ball and let him embrace his inner SG sometimes. They both need to be next to a better defender. They bring out the worst in each other.
Thing with Ben is, and I've mentioned this before:
1) he has virtually no chance to be a star. Once you saw his handle, hands, feel for the game..no. And so once that is evident, then you are looking for fit.
2) even if he comes on to say, be as good as Nick Young, if Rudy and IT are the 1 & 3 he may a) never reach that level; and b) never be needed/appropriate for the spot. Not much different than TRob next to Cousins -- terrible pick because he did not fit, even if he had worked out. For Ben its the IT/Gay combo. If those guys are both back, then Ben is a bad choice to stick between them. And I should mention, his ballhandling issues are a significant contributing factor in IT's hyper-ball dominance. Last year we got more assists out of our backcourt because Reke was back there to share the duties. Make it Ben, with a me oriented PG, and assists will always be scarce. Ben needs to be next to a purer PG, or IT needs to be next to somebody that can take the ball and let him embrace his inner SG sometimes. They both need to be next to a better defender. They bring out the worst in each other.