DirkAB said:
SAR hasn't made the playoffs once! He's been the first scoring option on almost every team he's been on besides Portland, but his teams haven't even reached mediocracy.
Actually, Reef has never been a true "first option". He's been more of an option 1a or option 1b.
He led the team in shots, but being a first option isn't just about number of shots.
SAR has played for lots of coaches in lots of systems, are we to believe that he just hasn't found a system that fits his style of play?
Name one good coach that Reef played under? Name one team with any real direction as to overall personnel choices that Reef has been a part of ... including Sacramento?
It's not just the system, but also the talent level surrounding him. Not many players can say they could make those teams contend for a playoff spot - especially with a rudderless coach at the helm.
Reef's not a leader and needs a coach to set the guidelines. If the coach doesn't ... Reef won't. That's Reef's downfall. Not talent.
Or maybe he isn't good enough to be the focal point or even second fiddle of an offense and he belongs being the 3rd scoring option.
That's so absurd it makes me chuckle. It's not that it's about Reef, it's just absurd that one can think a proficient scorer who isn't shut down by anyone can't lead an offense.
If he were not performing in the final minutes (which he always has) or had a high number of TOs (which he doesn't) or had a pee-poor shooting % which he doesn't ... then MAYBE. But, he's scored at will on almost everyone in the league.
His only problem in this area is deferring too much. He wants too hard to be a "team player" instead of a "me player". He doesn't realize that if he played more selfishly he'd probably have more impact.
He is a tweener, he probably belongs coming of the bench playing the 6th man. He is too small and doesn't rebound well enough to play a starting PF especially without a center that has no interior presence and is a poor rebounder.
Too small? Too small to hold his man to a lower efficiency than Duncan and Garnett? To small to score on everyone in the league? What's too small? If he's performing well ... then what is too small?
As for rebounding - he's a decent rebounder usually. This year is off. He's averaged 9+ rebounds every year he played PF except when he had a bad back ... I don't know how many rebounds he needs to get to pass.
Right now he's underperforming, but I have a hard time saying that one third of one season in a new environment is a determinator of how he has rebounded through his whole career.
hangs on to the ball too long sometimes.
That's been my complaint for a while. This developed under Sid Lowe and "A-Train" as his coaches. They wanted him to wait for the double team and kick to a guard instead of spinning into the lane quickly for the bucket.
For whatever reason, it stuck with him and he's been slower with the ball ever since.
Remember, Reef used to get doubled/tripled every possession. So, I guess it wasn't a bad thought ... it's just bad that it stuck.