We are highly underrating Donte Greene...
- Thread starter Merdiesel
- Start date
He does have great potential, and I think going through a season in the NBA and this upcomming summer league it seems he's learned some things (nutrition and gaining the right kind of weight I hope). I am not sure what the overall plan is for him, but it sounds like he's working out hard which is great. I just hope he develops a killer edge to him that makes him more competitive. It was great to see him cheerleading out there and I hope that wears off on the whole team and makes them come together even more, but I want this kid to have a fire inside him I don't think we saw last year...
The scouting report on Donte when he entered the draft was No defense, No left hand & Poor ball handling. So, when he was in the game the coach had him setting up outside the 3 pt line or playing PF. LeBron wouldn't have had a great rookie season, playing out of position, or put in a situation where he has to shoot from the 3 or try and drive all the way to the basket from there. When Martin catches the ball out beyond the 3 pt line he seldom drives all the way to the basket and he's a better ball handler than Donte.
Just like any other player, he needs to get them the ball where he feels comfortable and knows how to score. Donte has been working on his strength and ball handling, and if they run plays for him and give him the type of PT he needs then he'll excell. Last year, was the wrong time and the wrong place for him.
Just like any other player, he needs to get them the ball where he feels comfortable and knows how to score. Donte has been working on his strength and ball handling, and if they run plays for him and give him the type of PT he needs then he'll excell. Last year, was the wrong time and the wrong place for him.
lets face it.... we are completely overrating this guy. He is our longest and most athletic player so we are foaming at the mouth over his potential. The problem is he chooses not to use his length and or athleticism. Instead focusing on the threeball. Im rooting for him but if he reaches his potential it will probably be 3 years down the road...with another team. 
i'm glad everyone is so optimistic about donte...and i hate to be mr. negative...
but as an upstate new yorker and a big syracuse fan...i watched donte a lot in college...
he was a ball hog, took wild shots, and made the team worse. i was glad to see him declare for the draft and surprise surprise....the orangemen got a whole lot better this past year without him.
he's not the worst player in the world and he does have a lot of potential...but...i'm definitely no where near sold on him all of a sudden "getting it" and becoming a team player who is going to make the team as a whole better...
i did enjoy how much he stood up from the bench last year and cheered for the team....maybe there is hope...
noc on the other hand...who everyone seems to want to get rid of...is a great team player. he ripped the team last year because we weren't playing as a team. everyone wanted minutes and to score...it was awful...
but as an upstate new yorker and a big syracuse fan...i watched donte a lot in college...
he was a ball hog, took wild shots, and made the team worse. i was glad to see him declare for the draft and surprise surprise....the orangemen got a whole lot better this past year without him.
he's not the worst player in the world and he does have a lot of potential...but...i'm definitely no where near sold on him all of a sudden "getting it" and becoming a team player who is going to make the team as a whole better...
i did enjoy how much he stood up from the bench last year and cheered for the team....maybe there is hope...
noc on the other hand...who everyone seems to want to get rid of...is a great team player. he ripped the team last year because we weren't playing as a team. everyone wanted minutes and to score...it was awful...
People don't want to get rid of Noc... we want him to find the fountain of youth and turn 23 again but that aint happening. The biggest help he can give us right now is teaching Casspi and Brockman and everybody else how to play with heart and hustle, other than that he can't really help us when it counts. His contract doesn't help either. So right now the best option, imo, is to find a way to move him for something or someone who can help us in the bigger picture.
I don't agree.
I'm not at all convinced Donte Greene is ever going to amount to anything. Nocioni, on the other hand, plays hard, he's a good role player and not everyone can be starters. We didn't get to see that much of him last season, considering we didn't even have him until we moved Miller. Nocioni has the right attitude and he's got the heart and hustle. He's solid and dependable. He just might fit in quite nicely ... and he's not the type to complain if he's not getting all the minutes. AND for added bonus, he's tough.
I'm not at all convinced Donte Greene is ever going to amount to anything. Nocioni, on the other hand, plays hard, he's a good role player and not everyone can be starters. We didn't get to see that much of him last season, considering we didn't even have him until we moved Miller. Nocioni has the right attitude and he's got the heart and hustle. He's solid and dependable. He just might fit in quite nicely ... and he's not the type to complain if he's not getting all the minutes. AND for added bonus, he's tough.
I'm not saying he can't help us right now, I'm just saying he is almost 30 and won't be around when we make a run for anything and helping us right now doesn't really matter because we are a 17 win team... I think he is the toughest hardest working player on the Kings right now, but he doesn't really have much value overall. If we can keep him and still make the moves necessary to turn this team into a competitor, good. But if it takes moving him and his contract to do it, then so be it.
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At some point, you just have to let go of the 17-win team. THAT team isn't here any longer. They WERE a 17-win team last year and there were a lot of contributing factors. The current players - and we don't even know our final roster yet - deserve a chance, don't they?
And being almost 30 isn't the end of the world, even in the NBA.
And being almost 30 isn't the end of the world, even in the NBA.
I have to disagree with this as well. I'm ok with trading him, but I'm ok with keeping him as well. His contract is front loaded, so it's not like it's the end of the world, his salary is decreasing each year. And some people need to realize that a team with a bunch of youngsters isn't gonna get very far. You need veteran leadership on your team, and Nocioni could provide that
Well, Donte Greene really does not have a role in the team last season other than being a garbage time player. And as young as he is and as enthusiastic as he is playing, I don't blame him if he gets lost on both ends of the floor due to lack of meaningful playing time.
I hope this coming season the coaching staff gives Greene plenty of meaningful playing time. The 6' 10" Kid has a lot of potential and I hate it when his talents just go down the drain.
I hope this coming season the coaching staff gives Greene plenty of meaningful playing time. The 6' 10" Kid has a lot of potential and I hate it when his talents just go down the drain.
First of all I haven't forgotten a thing. I only said we are 17 win team because it wouldn't have made sense for me to claim anything else when there is absolutely no proof of that. Do I know our team is better now and is capable of winning 30+ games? Yes. Has it happened yet? No. I'm not saying trading Noc is some necessity, I'm just saying that if he becomes a hindrance then I don't see a problem with trading him. I don't understand how you can argue that. I know 30 isn't the end of the world, I never said he can't contribute... but I don't think we should pass on opportunities to fill the SF with a better player just because we like Nocioni's work ethic...
Gudmundur hit on the biggest problem with Donte Greene - he has no idea how to be a role player. Like most NBA players he was a star on the college and high school level. But his approach on those levels was to be the main guy, dominating the ball and taking most of the shots. He doesn't have that kind of talent on the NBA level to be "the man" on offense. And so he's lost on the court and often resorts to jacking up shots because he's never learned to play any other way.
He doesn't have that one transferrable skill: deadly long range shooting, rebounding, defense, athleticism to allow him to carve out a niche in the NBA so he's struggling to find out how he fits.
I hope in the next year or two he figures it out (and he seems to be putting in the work so I'm hopeful he will) but he's still got a ways to go, if he ever gets there.
He doesn't have that one transferrable skill: deadly long range shooting, rebounding, defense, athleticism to allow him to carve out a niche in the NBA so he's struggling to find out how he fits.
I hope in the next year or two he figures it out (and he seems to be putting in the work so I'm hopeful he will) but he's still got a ways to go, if he ever gets there.
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wow!
I thought about it a sec and decided that your usage of "CONVINCED" equals seeing a solid contributor on the NBA level, let alone a star...
first:
hes like what 20? and also consistent coaching/teaching could really make a huge difference
second:
Greene is a monster SF at 6'10/6'11 and has all the physical tools RIGHT NOW. including that quick first step that he actually used to burn a few defenders to the basket.... those tools alone make him an NBA player in my mind.
third:
He played alright defense with flashes of better defense to come... I can recall a few blocks and him using his size to bother shots. I think he like everyone else on this team got burned alot.
fourth:
Offense... He has more than flashed enough talent on this side to "CONVINCE" me, he could very well be a all-star if he can put it all together.
His shot just didn't fall last year. I really don't remember seeing him forcing that many "bad" shots as much as I remember being bummed about him missing open shot after shot... Remember that like R. Lewis at 6'10, Greene can take forced shots and still shot OVER people.
Heres the key to it all! His shot will fall! and when he becomes a real threat from the 3pt line... his ability to either pump fake the shot then drive, or just first step by the defender to the basket will become deadly.
the most impressed I was about Greene's game last year was the times he actually took the ball to the hoop and it seemed effortless!
If he learned to post up just a little bit. He could be as if not better than R. Lewis...
However Greene needs to put it together, and he needs the "KILLER INSTINCT"
Hes so young, Like K-mart and those before him he was terrible his first year. but on physical tools and flashes of skill, I think he'll mature and become great...
If you have a team that isn't going to be good for two years, then having someone age 30 on your roster is a stop-gap. Noc will be on the downhill slide just when the core has barely begun to be in their prime. I'd rather trade him now when his value is high, rather than wait two years when his value is lower.
Thank you.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion although I admit to getting lost about half way through it. I said I'm not convinced Donte Greene is ever going to amount to anything because, despite all the stuff you posted, you avoided the only real fact: THUS FAR he hasn't shown much except an ability to chuck up bricks from midcourt way too often and fight back against a veteran for popcorn in his car.
Apparently that's enough for you to believe in him 100%...which is fine. No problem. If you don't mind, though, I'd rather wait and actually see SOMETHING/ANYTHING on the court that proves he's worth thinking about as part of the future of the Kings.
I didn't say I was convinced he was a scrub. I'm willing to give him another chance to prove he's worth keeping around. BUT I'm not ready to anoint him an all-star or even a starter just quite yet, thanks.
You're certainly entitled to your opinion although I admit to getting lost about half way through it. I said I'm not convinced Donte Greene is ever going to amount to anything because, despite all the stuff you posted, you avoided the only real fact: THUS FAR he hasn't shown much except an ability to chuck up bricks from midcourt way too often and fight back against a veteran for popcorn in his car.
Apparently that's enough for you to believe in him 100%...which is fine. No problem. If you don't mind, though, I'd rather wait and actually see SOMETHING/ANYTHING on the court that proves he's worth thinking about as part of the future of the Kings.
I didn't say I was convinced he was a scrub. I'm willing to give him another chance to prove he's worth keeping around. BUT I'm not ready to anoint him an all-star or even a starter just quite yet, thanks.
i am lost about why/how people are so amped about donte. again, i don't hate him by any means, and think he has all sorts of potential...but he definitely hasn't shown us anything yet...
there is a reason he's only got garbage minutes...
there is a reason syracuse got A LOT better when he went pro...
there is a reason he got traded 3 times (i think) before actually playing a game.
winning teams in the NBA are built on solid, TEAM players. not one dimensional offensive POTENTIAL.
he can/will get better...and i look forward to it. but without players like noc, it won't happen. young, offensive minded teams in the NBA don't do anything...
i'm not opposed to keeping or trading either donte of noc....but i think noc is under rated and donte is over rated...and i think if we trade either...it should be a value...i feel like a lot of people just want to dump noc because of his contract...and get almost nothing in return...
lastly, not only do i think that noc is important for the development of all of our young players....he is especially important for the development of casspi...players of a foreign feather flock together.
with two european players and a lot of young talent i think the kings are in a good position to be a big surprise this season...a team on the rise...who will attract free agents in 2010 (free agents don't only look at money...no one wants to go to a BAD team...but a team on the rise looks appealing)
european players are team oriented, and can get this team playing TOGETHER for the first time in a long time. we've had talent...but everyone is playing for themselves...for minutes...
i know i already said lastly....but....for real this time...lastly, i'm pumped for this season.
there is a reason he's only got garbage minutes...
there is a reason syracuse got A LOT better when he went pro...
there is a reason he got traded 3 times (i think) before actually playing a game.
winning teams in the NBA are built on solid, TEAM players. not one dimensional offensive POTENTIAL.
he can/will get better...and i look forward to it. but without players like noc, it won't happen. young, offensive minded teams in the NBA don't do anything...
i'm not opposed to keeping or trading either donte of noc....but i think noc is under rated and donte is over rated...and i think if we trade either...it should be a value...i feel like a lot of people just want to dump noc because of his contract...and get almost nothing in return...
lastly, not only do i think that noc is important for the development of all of our young players....he is especially important for the development of casspi...players of a foreign feather flock together.
with two european players and a lot of young talent i think the kings are in a good position to be a big surprise this season...a team on the rise...who will attract free agents in 2010 (free agents don't only look at money...no one wants to go to a BAD team...but a team on the rise looks appealing)
european players are team oriented, and can get this team playing TOGETHER for the first time in a long time. we've had talent...but everyone is playing for themselves...for minutes...
i know i already said lastly....but....for real this time...lastly, i'm pumped for this season.
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umm alright... Greene didn't take that many bad shots... he just missed... his shot was just off... honestly im not just blindly amped on Greene... Hes the product of... he was known as being a good 3pt shooter that just forced up too many bad shots in college because like alot of college teams they teach the star players to SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT and the teams live and die by their best player scoring...
Greene this year was a product of...
Not playing AT ALL for over half the year
during which time he should have been in the D league staying in game shape
hes also the product of stupid and crapy coaches.
Greene did flash ability to drive at will to the basket so much so it was painful to watch him jack up miss after miss... but again they werent bad shots...
Look its not like he cost us any meaningful games... let alone cost us anything by missing those shots... i actually respect that he had the confidence to just keep shooting after all those misses...
dude maybe Greene was the practice 3pt champion! or like you mentioned to me a little back about how Ike is the kings all-start practice mvp maybe Greene was the co-mvp!
Look all im saying is Garcia and Martin were painful to watch during their first year as well... remember Greene is younger than both those guys
Greene this year was a product of...
Not playing AT ALL for over half the year
during which time he should have been in the D league staying in game shape
hes also the product of stupid and crapy coaches.
Greene did flash ability to drive at will to the basket so much so it was painful to watch him jack up miss after miss... but again they werent bad shots...
Look its not like he cost us any meaningful games... let alone cost us anything by missing those shots... i actually respect that he had the confidence to just keep shooting after all those misses...
dude maybe Greene was the practice 3pt champion! or like you mentioned to me a little back about how Ike is the kings all-start practice mvp maybe Greene was the co-mvp!
Look all im saying is Garcia and Martin were painful to watch during their first year as well... remember Greene is younger than both those guys
the kid played in 55 games, averaged 13 minutes/game, shot 33% from the field, and 26% from 3, while contributing literally NOTHING else of value, statistically. that amounts to a lot more than his shot simply being "off." does that mean the kings should give up on him after one season? no way. but i wouldn't get my hopes up. kevin martin may have had a terrible rookie season, too, but he still showed flashes of both shooting ability AND slashing ability. if donte greene is strictly a shooter, he's gonna have to learn to take better shots, and then he's gonna have to learn how to hit those shots in the nba. that translates to a LONG road ahead for a player of his meager talents and relatively low basketball IQ...
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well if you actually watched the games... you'd know that Greene did nothing more than ride the bench for over half the year... everyone here on this board including myself was screaming for greene to at least be in the D-league where he could get mins/stay in game shape/and practice in game like atmosphere.
Again Greene is younger than Martin was rookie yr and to be honest if Greene is going to be a better player than Martin it will take longer for Greene to realize all of his potential...
LETS GET IT STRAIGHT... i never said hes is a lock at being an All-star... I said i personally think he could be...
Greene would have been a top 3-5 pick in this years draft! he was originally projected as a high lotto pick in his draft... clearly he should have stayed another year in college... but he didn't...
His rookie year was completely screwed by terrible coaching and not playing enough to be comfortable.
He absolutely smashed people in the D-league and showed he can hit shots if hes not all wide eyed...
Again Greene is younger than Martin was rookie yr and to be honest if Greene is going to be a better player than Martin it will take longer for Greene to realize all of his potential...
LETS GET IT STRAIGHT... i never said hes is a lock at being an All-star... I said i personally think he could be...
Greene would have been a top 3-5 pick in this years draft! he was originally projected as a high lotto pick in his draft... clearly he should have stayed another year in college... but he didn't...
His rookie year was completely screwed by terrible coaching and not playing enough to be comfortable.
He absolutely smashed people in the D-league and showed he can hit shots if hes not all wide eyed...