Does Thabeet make sense now?

[kpm308]

I was very interested to see what Thabeet was going to do in the D-league. I don't put a ton of stock in what happens in the D-league, but if he were to have gone down there and still wasn't able to produce, then that would have been a giant red flag, and after his first game I was beginning to question the belief that he was going to be able to transition his game to a higher level.

Obviously one monster game at that level isn't enough to draw any definite conclusions, but if he can average a double-double down there with 3 blocks or so, I would consider it a huge step in his development and would feel confident giving up anything after the top 4 picks in this draft. With a couple more performances like the one he just had, I think I would take him over anyone but Wall or Turner. Maybe that is getting carried away, and I didn't see the game, but stats like that speak for themselves, that is what an anchor down low can do, and if he can transition that ability into the pro game, in conjunction with the team we have in place, you are possibly looking at an absolute defensive powerhouse.

I know its carries some risk, but I think adding the potential of a guy like that is too much for this team to pass up, especially given the alternatives in the draft.

 

[Kingster]

Read an article this morning saying that everyone on the Memphis staff wanted to draft Tyreke Evans. Which would have been a popular move considering he played for Memphis in college. The owner overruled them and wanted Thabeet. So against the advice of the their own scouting staff and the GM, they drafted Thabeet. Thank god for small favors. If not for their owners stupidity, we would have had no chance at Evans.

People cried a river when we got the #4 pick and said how unlucky we were. We weren't unlucky. We were jackpot lucky.

 

[Bricklayer]

Game #3:

18pts 13rebs 4blks


I'm still not sure why any of this should shock anybody given his size and what he did in college.

 

[ovrush]

Game #3:

18pts 13rebs 4blks


I'm still not sure why any of this should shock anybody given his size and what he did in college.

the question is does him performing well in the D league make him unattainable. Even sitting behind Gaol if the guy keeps putting up big numbers in teh d league his trade value might become too high.

 

[EatMoreChicken]

With these numbers, can't imagine Memphis accepting anything less than first round pick (non-top 4) and JT or Hawes.

 

[bajaden]

With these numbers, can't imagine Memphis accepting anything less than first round pick (non-top 4) and JT or Hawes.

Then we don't make the deal. He's not worth that. Were talking about the D league here. There are no big men in the league to even compete against him. Can we keep a sense of reality here. I just don't get why everyone always wants to overpay for a player.

Beings your so interested in giving up two potential starters, why stop there. Here's some other D league players you can trade the rest of the team, and all our future draft picks for.

Dwayne Jones: 6'11" C/PF, 17.4 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 1.9 BPG
Mike Harris: 6'6" SG, 26.3 PPG, 9.8 RPG, Shooting 54.8% from the field.
Alexander Johnson: (another 1st round pick) 21.5 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1.4 BPG
Reggie Williams: 26.4 PPG.

So lets keep some prespective here shall we. This is the D league!!!!! Are these guys stats any less creditable than Thabeets? How many 1st round picks would you give up for any of them? None, would be my guess. I'm not trying to in any way diminish what Thabeet is doing there. Just keep it in prespective...

 

[Bricklayer]

Had the one fresh off the bus game (18min 8pts 2reb 1blk) to start, then these 4 games after settling in:

2/28 19pts 16reb 6blk
3/02 18pts 13reb 4blk
3/03 8pts 10reb 3blk
3/05 16pts 18reb 3blk

Which again should come as no surprise to anybody with a brain -- he has dominated at every level below the NBA and is just not an NBDL player. The only question is if he is going to get minutes for his NBA team, or if he is going to be moved to somebody else who has them open.

As an aside, this most recent game was against a frontline of BJ Muellens, and DJ White, both fellow NBA players on assignment. White was shooting 60% from the field in the NBDL coming in. He finished 5-17. Muellens finished 5-15. I've got a 7'3" theory why.

 

[xrzn]

I can't believe Warriors didn't give up Ellis for Mayo and Thabeet, if that report was true.

I wonder if they would go for Beno for Thabeet; I'd do that in a heartbeat.

 

[Bricklayer]

My lord. I am watching Dakota's game this afternoon (Thabeet has 13 and 6 and 1 at half before injuring two of his fingers), but while I mostly decided to watch it for Thabeet, they just had Chris Wallace (Memphis GM) on for an interview at half (he was up there watching the game). And I just had to say: what a complete and utter tool. Had never heard him interviewed before. Now that I have, never wish to hear him interviewed again. What a tool.

 

[ParniValjak]

My lord. I am watching Dakota's game this afternoon (Thabeet has 13 and 6 and 1 at half before injuring two of his fingers), but while I mostly decided to watch it for Thabeet, they just had Chris Wallace (Memphis GM) on for an interview at half (he was up there watching the game). And I just had to say: what a complete and utter tool. Had never heard him interviewed before. Now that I have, never wish to hear him interviewed again. What a tool.

Does that mean we can do Nocioni for Thabeet deal in summer?!

 

[G_M]

I still do not understand why Memphis did this. They aren't going to make the playoffs. Is Thabeet so inept that he can't play 10 minutes a game with the big boys? He can't steal minutes from Hamed Haddadi??

What good does it do to get a false sense of ability by beating up on D-leaguers?

 

[bajaden]

I still do not understand why Memphis did this. They aren't going to make the playoffs. Is Thabeet so inept that he can't play 10 minutes a game with the big boys? He can't steal minutes from Hamed Haddadi??

What good does it do to get a false sense of ability by beating up on D-leaguers?

Thabeet never saw a basketball untill six years ago. He still doesn't know how to play the game good enough to stay on the floor at the NBA level. Its not his fault. Its just the way it is. He needs to play more than a couple of minutes here and a couple of minutes there. Thus the D league where he can get major minutes. I think its the right thing to do. He gets to play and all the pressure is removed. He can just concentrate on getting better. Then he'll have the whole offseason to work on his game.

 

[G_M]

Thabeet never saw a basketball untill six years ago. He still doesn't know how to play the game good enough to stay on the floor at the NBA level. Its not his fault. Its just the way it is. He needs to play more than a couple of minutes here and a couple of minutes there. Thus the D league where he can get major minutes. I think its the right thing to do. He gets to play and all the pressure is removed. He can just concentrate on getting better. Then he'll have the whole offseason to work on his game.

I get your point. I just question whether Thabeet's skill level or confidence will improve much living in Bismark ND and playing 16 games. I guess I was thinking about how it might impact his ego as a #2 pick. But, maybe he understands more than I give him credit for..

 

[bajaden]

I get your point. I just question whether Thabeet's skill level or confidence will improve much living in Bismark ND and playing 16 games. I guess I was thinking about how it might impact his ego as a #2 pick. But, maybe he understands more than I give him credit for..

All I can go on is what I read in the local papers there. Its reported that he's a pretty humble guy and has a good attitude. He's appears to be coachable and wants to get better. I think being sucessful in the D league will do more for his ego as well as his game than sitting on the bench in Memphis will.

I know I tend to come off as being down on Thabeet. But I'm just trying to be realistic. In the NBA he's playing against players that were born with a basketball in their hands. He started playing just 6 years ago. That puts him at a huge disavantage in experience. Everyone's learning curve is different, and the curve for big men is even steeper. Its hard to hide on a basketball court, but the two places its almost impossible to hide are at the point guard and the center position. Thabeet has all the physcial tools to become a very good player. Maybe a great player. But right now he's behind the curve and its going to take time to catch up. Its unrealistic to expect him to be what a second round pick is expected to be. But its also unrealistic to call him a bust at this point.

I still have high hopes for him, and, I wish we could aquire him for a realistic price, and not the price of what the second pick in the draft would normally be worth. Memphis made a mistake picking him that high if they wanted immediate contribution. That was their mistake, not ours, and if we want to aquire him, and they want to trade him, then we shouldn't have to pay for their mistake. I wish him all the best. He seems like a nice young man.

 

[Kingster]

All I can go on is what I read in the local papers there. Its reported that he's a pretty humble guy and has a good attitude. He's appears to be coachable and wants to get better. I think being sucessful in the D league will do more for his ego as well as his game than sitting on the bench in Memphis will.

I know I tend to come off as being down on Thabeet. But I'm just trying to be realistic. In the NBA he's playing against players that were born with a basketball in their hands. He started playing just 6 years ago. That puts him at a huge disavantage in experience. Everyone's learning curve is different, and the curve for big men is even steeper. Its hard to hide on a basketball court, but the two places its almost impossible to hide are at the point guard and the center position. Thabeet has all the physcial tools to become a very good player. Maybe a great player. But right now he's behind the curve and its going to take time to catch up. Its unrealistic to expect him to be what a second round pick is expected to be. But its also unrealistic to call him a bust at this point.

I still have high hopes for him, and, I wish we could aquire him for a realistic price, and not the price of what the second pick in the draft would normally be worth. Memphis made a mistake picking him that high if they wanted immediate contribution. That was their mistake, not ours, and if we want to aquire him, and they want to trade him, then we shouldn't have to pay for their mistake. I wish him all the best. He seems like a nice young man.

He's a 7 footer with a very long reach, good body build, and good work ethic. I don't feel sorry for the guy at all. Barring injury, he's going to make millions in the NBA. And he's going to help some team in the paint. It's just a question of time. Right now, he's just building his character while he's building his game.

 

[Bricklayer]

Alas, the price is starting to go up by the game most likely. Gasol finally goes down. Thabeet puts up these number filling in:

28min 10pts 9reb 2blk
27min 8pts 10reb 4blk

Nothing spectacular, but once you put the rest of the ridiculous "he can't play" claptrap to rest, you are essentially trading for a full priced 7'3" shotblocker on a rookie contract, which is to say you are paying a lot.

 

[bajaden]

Alas, the price is starting to go up by the game most likely. Gasol finally goes down. Thabeet puts up these number filling in:

28min 10pts 9reb 2blk
27min 8pts 10reb 4blk

Nothing spectacular, but once you put the rest of the ridiculous "he can't play" claptrap to rest, you are essentially trading for a full priced 7'3" shotblocker on a rookie contract, which is to say you are paying a lot.

You have your opinion and I have mine. And frankly, I value mine more. No surprise there, Huh? I find it interesting how you devalue the stats of players you don't like. But place high value on stats if they back up some point your trying to make. But that aside, it doesn't change my point. I'm all for trying to aquire him. I think he has a future in the league. But he's far from a complete player, so in my opinion you don't pay top dollar for an incomplete player. This isn't about the player with me, its about how much were willing to pay. And if you find that ridiculous, then so be it.

 

[hammystyle]

You have your opinion and I have mine. And frankly, I value mine more. No surprise there, Huh? I find it interesting how you devalue the stats of players you don't like. But place high value on stats if they back up some point your trying to make. But that aside, it doesn't change my point. I'm all for trying to aquire him. I think he has a future in the league. But he's far from a complete player, so in my opinion you don't pay top dollar for an incomplete player. This isn't about the player with me, its about how much were willing to pay. And if you find that ridiculous, then so be it.

My suggestion previously had been JT or Hawes. Those guys aren't worth the 2nd pick in a given draft combined, so that would obviously be lower than top dollar.

 

[dbfish]

I get your point. I just question whether Thabeet's skill level or confidence will improve much living in Bismark ND and playing 16 games. I guess I was thinking about how it might impact his ego as a #2 pick. But, maybe he understands more than I give him credit for..

A young man from Tanzania would probably be helped much more by playing in Bismark than sitting on the bench in Memphis listening to the blues.

 

[bajaden]

My suggestion previously had been JT or Hawes. Those guys aren't worth the 2nd pick in a given draft combined, so that would obviously be lower than top dollar.

Well, I disagree. If the draft were re-held today, do you honestly think that Thabeet would go number 2 again. Would he be picked ahead of Evans? Or Curry? Jennings perhaps? Just because he was picked second, doesn't mean he has that value now. I'll be curious to see how he plays tonight. There's no doubt that if he can become servicable on the offensive side and also learn how to defend the pick and roll on the perimiter, he can be a very valuable player.

I read several Memphis newspaper articles on him around the time he was sent to the D league. Apparently they were questioning his work ethic and attitude. He was getting lost on rotations on the defensive side. And was having trouble understanding a lot of the offensive sets. From what I've read lately, he's putting in serious practice time now and seems rededicated.

I think people get overly fascinated with size. Don't get me wrong. I'll take a talented 7 footer over a talented 6'9" player every time. But if you look at Thabeet, the one thing he was famous for was blocking shots. He was just a decent rebounder, and managed not to get in the way on offense and get his 10 to 12 points a game that came his way. But I think it would be fair to say that he wasn't the focus of UCONN's offense. He was drafted with the idea he could make an immediate impact on defense and slowly learn the rest of the NBA game. And I think thats reasonable. Unfortunately when your the second pick in the draft more is expected of you. If not by management, then by the fans.

This year in the draft you have Jarvis Varnado. He is the all time NCAA leading shotblocker. He's a better rebounder than Thabeet was in college. He's definitely a better offensive player. And yet, he's projected as a second round pick. The difference? He's only 6'9" and has a small frame. So sometimes its not the results that matter as much as projected upsides and image. Not saying that its wrong either. I just find it interesting.

If we really want a project that could turn into a great shotblocker. Then all we have to do is buy another first round pick and select Hassan Whiteside. He led all of college this year in blocked shots.

 

[bajaden]

I want to give Thabeet some credit. I thought he showed some improvement last night. He still has a ways to go, but tiny steps, tiny steps. He still has trouble defending the pick and roll, giving Beno cart blanche at the elbow. He still basicly a non ballhandler on the offensive side and still has the bad habit of bringing the ball down to waist level. I'm still suspect of either his hands, or his court awareness. But as I've stated before. This is a guy that didn't know what a basketball was until 5 years ago, maybe 6 now. So he's had to learn basketball from scratch, while most players at his level were born with a basketball in their hands.

He looks like he's beginning to understand rotations and where he suspossed to be on the floor on offense. This next offseason is going to be important for him.