What kind of player do you see Tyreke Evans as, 5+ years from now?

[Lockehead]

edit: Sorry folks, the title is a bit misleading. I meant to write "What do you think Tyreke can be in 5+ years"

I see a great scorer, who has a great passing ability. Simple as that.

I sort of compare Reke to Michael Jordan. One thing about Jordan was his mastery of the "Triple Threat" skill - that is, the ability to either , Pump fake, Shoot, or drive to the left/right. 3 abilities - pump fake, shoot, or drive. The fact that Tyreke is 6'6 220 and lean as hell, along with having great long arms and quick feet. makes me want to make that comparison to Jordan who was 6'6 and just about he same weight as well. Reke's driving ability is top 5 for sure. I'm not sure if i can think of any other player who has that driving ability that Reke has. Anyway, so he's 6'6 and has an extraordinary driving ability. I think of MJ's triple threat technique. As of now, everytime Reke gets the ball, he is given a whole bunch of space to shoot the open jumper, because the defender KNOWs that driving/slashing is his specialty. That makes me want him to develop his open jumpshot, because he gets it nearly every, single, time, he gets the ball. As of now, every player who defends Reke respects his driving ability, but NOBODY respects his jumpshot. So i hope for Reke to develop that jumpshot. Once he starts hitting those open jumpers on a consistent basis, defenders play him closer. THEN, he can utilize his "top 5 driving" ability and beat any defender that comes his way. That opens a whole bunch of options for himself and the team. He can even incorporate the pumpfake.

With that said, WHAT position do we want to see him developing as? A PG, where he has shown next to no instincts of having to play? Or an SG? Where he has pretty much unequaled ability at one of the qualifying skills of that position?

The last question, which position that Reke plays, would be more suited for a TEAM game?

end rant.

Oh yeah, what do YOU see Reke as being?

 

[jpsls]

I certainly don't see the Jordan comparison. He's nowhere near the athlete Jordan was and doesn't possess the athletic ability to rise up above defenders. I see him moreas a Brandon Roy if he develops a jumpshot.

 

[gunks]

20/6.5/5.

Better jumper, better team player, better defense, even nastier takes to the hoop. Not the superstar some of us wanted, but definitely multi-allstar caliber.

Only thing limiting his points will be the awesomeness of +5 years Cousins, but as the Kings will be contending, Reke'll be cool with being option 2.



End optimism.

 

[Lockehead]

I certainly don't see the Jordan comparison. He's nowhere near the athlete Jordan was and doesn't possess the athletic ability to rise up above defenders. I see him moreas a Brandon Roy if he develops a jumpshot.

You're right, He has nowhere near the vertical that Jordan has. But he certainly has a similar frame, if not better due to his long arms. They have similar height, and Tyreke pound for pound is very strong for his position. So i think he can somewhat be compared to Jordan, if only for their physical characteristics. Possibly position as well?

 

[Lockehead]

20/6.5/5.

Better jumper, better team player, better defense, even nastier takes to the hoop. Not the superstar some of us wanted, but definitely multi-allstar caliber.

Only thing limiting his points will be the awesomeness of +5 years Cousins, but as the Kings will be contending, Reke'll be cool with being option 2.



End optimism.

Cousins is a whole nother beast. If we can use him correctly...

 

[RookieOfTheDay]

He's so inconsistent that it's hard to say. I don't see much middle ground with him. He'll probably either be great or a big disappointment

 

[Rookie]

It's hard to say. I believe if he can developed his jumper and become a good shooter (don't have to be great) than it could open up door for him to be a superstar. At that point I don't care about pg/sg. The problem is I don't see it happening and end up being a borderline star. Meaning we're screwed if that happened and it doesn't matter what position he plays.

but dreaming:
5 years from now Cousins will be the best C in the league and the ball will go through him like Tim Duncan. Tyreke will developed his shot and offensively unstoppable (better than Tony Parker), with Jimmer/Thornton being deadly shooter and we add another strong defensive player with decent supporting bench. Beat up older Lebron/Wade/bosh and win the championship. woohoo who wanna celebrate with me.

 

[Lockehead]

He's so inconsistent that it's hard to say. I don't see much middle ground with him. He'll probably either be great or a big disappointment

Let's hope Coach Smart will do something about it. WP allowed our players a great deal of freedom. Now that worked great for players like Cousins, and the other role players, and possibly Fredette. But i think it has done harm to Tyreke. Freedom gives the players to do whatever they want. From a coaching standpoint, you'd hope that they'd be able to learn from their mistakes. Cousins certaintly has IMO. Even Jimmer has in the short time he was with WP. Reke? The same old song IMO. I dont think WP did him a favor by giving the amount of freedom to him as he did. But that question is for Keith Smart to answer now. We'll see.

 

[OptimusRhyme]

i stopped reading when the OP said he compared Reke to Jordan.....

Reke will never be a starting PG on a winning club/Title Contender. You can all quote me on that.

I cant see him starting on a winning club because his IQ isnt there to be a winning PG.
I think if he ever succceeds it will be off the bench as a mismatch 1/2 guard you throw in there to confuse the opponent. for a winning club possibly averaging 12-14 ppg, 3apg, 4 rpg..

If he somehow magically changes his funky jumpshot to be effective, maybe hecan be a 2 guard for this team. But I even have my doubt about Reke succceeding as a 2 guard.
His offensive game is just too " Preplanned".. The opposition knows his game, Reke dosent have the versatility to change that fact either.

I thought He would be our saviour, but I'm also certain im wrong now. It hurts to say it.

 

[Lockehead]

It's hard to say. I believe if he can developed his jumper and become a good shooter (don't have to be great) than it could open up door for him to be a superstar. At that point I don't care about pg/sg. The problem is I don't see it happening and end up being a borderline star. Meaning we're screwed if that happened and it doesn't matter what position he plays.

but dreaming:
5 years from now Cousins will be the best C in the league and the ball will go through him like Tim Duncan. Tyreke will developed his shot and offensively unstoppable (better than Tony Parker), with Jimmer/Thornton being deadly shooter and we add another strong defensive player with decent supporting bench. Beat up older Lebron/Wade/bosh and win the championship. woohoo who wanna celebrate with me.

Not one, not two, not three...

 

[Lockehead]

i stopped reading when the OP said he compared Reke to Jordan.....

Reke will never be a starting PG on a winning club/Title Contender. You can all quote me on that.

I cant see him starting on a winning club because his IQ isnt there to be a winning PG.
I think if he ever succceeds it will be off the bench as a mismatch 1/2 guard you throw in there to confuse the opponent. for a winning club possibly averaging 12-14 ppg, 3apg, 4 rpg..

If he somehow magically changes his funky jumpshot to be effective, maybe hecan be a 2 guard for this team. But I even have my doubt about Reke succceeding as a 2 guard.
His offensive game is just too " Preplanned".. The opposition knows his game, Reke dosent have the versatility to change that fact either.

I thought He would be our saviour, but I'm also certain im wrong now. It hurts to say it.

If you continued after that sentence you'd find that i don't see him being a PG ..

 

[Mad D]

But he certainly has a similar frame, if not better due to his long arms. So i think he can somewhat be compared to Jordan, if only for their physical characteristics.

MJ has the same wingspan as Evans, but Jordan hands were so huge he could palm the ball like it was a softball.

The comparison stops there like it does with a lot of other players.

 

[Lockehead]

MJ has the same wingspan as Evans, but Jordan hands were so huge he could palm the ball like it was a softball.

The comparison stops there like it does with a lot of other players.

Haha, that's something that made me think of Jordan as well when I've been watching Reke. He certainly has the ability to palm the ball in midair. Not sure if he can like MJ did, but i've gotten the thought that Reke has huge hands as well. Why do you think he dunks the ball by palming the ball with one hand and finishing with two? A thought of mine was that: Kobe can't do that.

 

[Mad D]

Haha, that's something that made me think of Jordan as well when I've been watching Reke. He certainly has the ability to palm the ball in midair. Why do you think he dunks the ball by palming the ball with one hand and finishing with two? A thought of mine was that: Kobe can't do that.

Generally players get more extension going up one handed.

If this is considered palming the ball then the term is being used loosely.

 

[Lockehead]

He doesn't have the vertical to dunk consistently. But if i've been watching Reke closely enough, he's shown he has big hands. Enough to help his handles and ability to control the ball in midair.

edit:

 

[IfAt1st]

I don't see Tyreke anywhere near the OP.

I simply don't see this "Top 5" ability to drive.
I've watched him closely, and counted the times he penetrates past his man vs how many times he is denied, and it's a WAY lower % than KF's realize.

I think what confuses people with Tyreke is that when they think of him, they remember him driving past transitional defenses. If so, yeah, I'd agree he's very good at that.
The problem is - he's simply not elite when it comes to penetrating vs set defenses.

I don't think you can make an exceptional career out of feasting on transitional defenses, yet not being able to exploit a set defense with a weak outside shot and bad bball IQ. His stubborn lack of learning the pick-and-roll may well kill his chances at becoming an elite player.

Until I see more out of him, I don't see him as a center piece of any NBA offensive scheme, because he has not shown the ability to get better in the NBA - on the contrary, he's getting worse and less dominant every month he plays. Combined with his lack of bball IQ and mental weakness, as proven by his mom having to come to Sac to smack him out of his mental funk (it wasn't physical then), and in 5 years I see him as a roleplayer on a winning team (i.e. not the Kings) or a centerpiece of a losing team.

As far as defensively?
He's got skills, but they are eviscerated by his lack of focus & bouts of laziness on defense. He'll get his team some points on defensive steals, but he gives up more by gambling, letting his man by and poking it from behind, and simply losing his man to give up a bucket.

To be clear - that's not what I want to see, that's what I predict based on his play and demonstrated mindset so far in his career.
I sure hope he shows the world that he can get better and add new aspects to his game, but that hasn't happened yet so I'm not the kind of guy who expects spontaneous generation against all known data so far.

 

[steelevt]

really? comparable to jordan? i mean thats not like comparing darko to cwebb but i really dont think we can compare the two. many people get mad when you compare kobe or even lebron to jordan and they are both a lot better than evans right now and maybe even 5 years from now. i agree he is pretty much unstoppable at getting to the rim. but he just doesnt have the athleticism to finish the way jordan or even kobe or lebron does. thats why he just lays it up when he drives...which kills me because of how many of those layups just roll off the rim. one of my biggest wishes is that tyreke and cousins played more above the rim.

 

[Section 101]

Hurt with a bad ankle.

 

[Posta Boy X]

I've been very pissed off with Tyrekes game lately.. and I find him to be a very limited player at the moment....and I wouldn't mind trading him away for a legitimate star...BUT i have a feeling that once we trade him, he will blow up in our faces.

I guess what I mean is he's probably not being coached/trained properly. Under a real coach Reke will blossom

 

[bajaden]

I certainly don't see the Jordan comparison. He's nowhere near the athlete Jordan was and doesn't possess the athletic ability to rise up above defenders. I see him moreas a Brandon Roy if he develops a jumpshot.

Not to quibble, but Roy was a hell of an athlete as well. The dude had around a 38" vertical. Damm shame what happened to him.

 

[bajaden]

He's so inconsistent that it's hard to say. I don't see much middle ground with him. He'll probably either be great or a big disappointment

This is the irony of the situation. In Tyreke's first year, he was the picture of consistency. Now, since he's trying to modify his game to more fit team needs, and also advance his game, he's become very inconsistent. Not totally unexpected though. Sometimes in order to take one step forward, you first take a couple of steps backwards. Anyone thats played golf, and never had a lesson, knows that you reach a point where your stuck. You've peaked with your current abilities. But when you start taking lessons, your whole game seems to fall apart. Nothing seems to work, and in your mind, your game seems worse. As a result, there's a huge impulse to go back to what you know.

Now golf and basketball are two entirely different sports. But there is some truth to the analogy. And I think thats where Tyreke is right now. It doesn't help to be on a team thats totally dysfunctional at times. 5 years from now, I suspect that Tyreke will be a 20 plus points, 6 plus assists, and 5 plus rebound guy. And he'll able to get his points from a variety of ways. Personally I wish Tyreke would give up the 3 pt shot and concentrate on his mid-range game. Thats really all he needs to be a more rounded offensive player.

 

[Gary]

I see him as a mid level player on a different team. Not salary wise mid level but a mid level player. Probably 15-18ppg and 5 or so boards and 4 assists. I believe that his rookie year here in Sac was somewhat of a fluke because they wanted him to have the ball, and he didn't even begin to scratch the surface of the "team" concept. And believe me. I am a good judge of talent.. yahhhhhh.

 

[rainmaker]

I don't see Tyreke anywhere near the OP.

I simply don't see this "Top 5" ability to drive.
I've watched him closely, and counted the times he penetrates past his man vs how many times he is denied, and it's a WAY lower % than KF's realize.

I think what confuses people with Tyreke is that when they think of him, they remember him driving past transitional defenses. If so, yeah, I'd agree he's very good at that.
The problem is - he's simply not elite when it comes to penetrating vs set defenses.

I don't think you can make an exceptional career out of feasting on transitional defenses, yet not being able to exploit a set defense with a weak outside shot and bad bball IQ. His stubborn lack of learning the pick-and-roll may well kill his chances at becoming an elite player.

I'd argue he does have elite penetrating skills, and can almost get into the paint at will. what is not elite, is what he does once he has penetrated.

No floater, no runner, to teardrop, no left, no use of the glass. Now, he's gotten much better at finding teammates, yet they mostly either miss the open jumper, or fumble the pass out of bounds. And with all that being said, if you look at his finishing % in the paint, it isn't poor at all, at around 60% inside.

So while he's not an elite finisher inside, I want to ask what stats you're looking at which suggest KF's think he's much better inside than he really is.

 

[rainmaker]

This is the irony of the situation. In Tyreke's first year, he was the picture of consistency. Now, since he's trying to modify his game to more fit team needs, and also advance his game, he's become very inconsistent. Not totally unexpected though. Sometimes in order to take one step forward, you first take a couple of steps backwards. Anyone thats played golf, and never had a lesson, knows that you reach a point where your stuck. You've peaked with your current abilities. But when you start taking lessons, your whole game seems to fall apart. Nothing seems to work, and in your mind, your game seems worse. As a result, there's a huge impulse to go back to what you know.

Now golf and basketball are two entirely different sports. But there is some truth to the analogy. And I think thats where Tyreke is right now. It doesn't help to be on a team thats totally dysfunctional at times. 5 years from now, I suspect that Tyreke will be a 20 plus points, 6 plus assists, and 5 plus rebound guy. And he'll able to get his points from a variety of ways. Personally I wish Tyreke would give up the 3 pt shot and concentrate on his mid-range game. Thats really all he needs to be a more rounded offensive player.

Baja, I think you forget most on here have never made a mistake, or struggled at anything in their lives. They were finished products in life by 19, which is partly why they won't buy what you're selling, and have zero tolerance for a 22 yr old would-be college senior struggling to correct some of his fault in the league.

 

[cuad]

I should have stopped reading here:

who has a great passing ability

, but I stopped here

I sort of compare Reke to Michael Jordan

 

[jpsls]

Baja, I think you forget most on here have never made a mistake, or struggled at anything in their lives. They were finished products in life by 19, which is partly why they won't buy what you're selling, and have zero tolerance for a 22 yr old would-be college senior struggling to correct some of his fault in the league.

People are just tired of attempts to compare Tyreke to the likes of Jordan and Wade. Tyreke is giing to be a very nice player probably an all-star, but people too quickly attatch the term "great" to Tyreke's potential.

 

[IfAt1st]

I'd argue he does have elite penetrating skills, and can almost get into the paint at will. what is not elite, is what he does once he has penetrated.

No floater, no runner, to teardrop, no left, no use of the glass. Now, he's gotten much better at finding teammates, yet they mostly either miss the open jumper, or fumble the pass out of bounds. And with all that being said, if you look at his finishing % in the paint, it isn't poor at all, at around 60% inside.

So while he's not an elite finisher inside, I want to ask what stats you're looking at which suggest KF's think he's much better inside than he really is.

Well, as you know there are no stats for KF's postings. LOL

But as my memory, and your post proves, KF's believes that Tyreke can break down the defense and penetrate virtually at-will.

I don't agree.

This year, he's had multiple solid defenders on him in the set defense, and he can't get around them. IIRC, even Beno stopped his penetration this year.
And whenever there's solid team defense, he may get a step on his defender, only to dribble head-down into multiple other defenders and he invariably does not make the play (usually resulting in a TO, or large wastes of precious shot clock time).

I reject the prevailing opinion about Tyreke, that he can get into the paint at will.
I have no stats to back up my belief that the prevailing KF's opinion about Tyreke is that he can penetrate at will, but I'm sure I could dredge up hundreds of posts to support it if I cared to (including your perfect example).

 

[Bricklayer]

Well, as you know there are no stats for KF's postings. LOL

But as my memory, and your post proves, KF's believes that Tyreke can break down the defense and penetrate virtually at-will.

I don't agree.

This year, he's had multiple solid defenders on him in the set defense, and he can't get around them. IIRC, even Beno stopped his penetration this year.
And whenever there's solid team defense, he may get a step on his defender, only to dribble head-down into multiple other defenders and he invariably does not make the play (usually resulting in a TO, or large wastes of precious shot clock time).

I reject the prevailing opinion about Tyreke, that he can get into the paint at will.
I have no stats to back up my belief that the prevailing KF's opinion about Tyreke is that he can penetrate at will, but I'm sure I could dredge up hundreds of posts to support it if I cared to (including your perfect example).

Anybody who DOESN'T think that Tyreke is just an elite penetrating guard just doesn't know basketball. I mean, that's kind of the beginning and end of it. You can sit around and be tolerant of nonsense until the point where the nonsense begins to win out and pretty soon everybody is spouting the same nonsense. And that is what that is: nonsense. Tyreke led the entire league in shots at the rim his rookie season. The whole league. He got to the rack more than DWade. More than Dwight Howard. More than LeBron. Last year playing hurt he was still in the Top 20. This year, trying to play a new role, with teammates who can't shoot a lick and teams sagging off him with soft doubles and rotating big men to back up the iniital defender, and he's STILL in the top 20. There's a reason for that. He's really really good at it, and it scares the bejusus out of every team he plays. To claim he's not is nonsensical. If he wasn't an absolutely elite penetrating guard why exactly would teams have their best defenders on him and be sagging off and doubling him all the time? Because of his wicked jumper?

Its a silly position to take. A blind positon. It needs to be identified as such. The sky is not orange or purple or polka dotted.

 

[IfAt1st]

Again, I'll challenge you to add up the amount of times Tyreke has the ball against a set defense, not in transition, and dare you to conclude he's an elite penetrating guard that leads to scores for his team.

PS - Top 20? Is that considered "elite" now?
And he gets the best defenders, because all the other team has to do is stop Tyreke's penetration and they win the possession most times, due to his inability to figure out how else to hurt them. That can't be all on coaching.

 

[Lockehead]

Sorry folks, the title is a bit misleading. I meant to write "What do you think Tyreke can be in 5+ years"