Willie Cauley-Stein:

#61
I have no clue what type of player Willie is. He needs to find a niche in the NBA and stick with it. I think some blame goes on coaching staff. He was a high PnR threat under Karl. But at the end of last season, the coaches made him become a high post passer instead. So what is it? Is Willie someone you run the offense through from the high post? OR is he someone you limit to lobs and dump-offs?

On defense, things are even stranger. He was advertised as a rim protector in his 3 years of college, but that skillset hasn't translated over. He's someone who can switch onto guards out in the perimeter, but he struggles guarding perimeter 4s.

Effort and motor have been completely inconsistent this year. I just have no clue what to expect from Willie.
 

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#62
I have no clue what type of player Willie is. He needs to find a niche in the NBA and stick with it. I think some blame goes on coaching staff. He was a high PnR threat under Karl. But at the end of last season, the coaches made him become a high post passer instead. So what is it? Is Willie someone you run the offense through from the high post? OR is he someone you limit to lobs and dump-offs?

On defense, things are even stranger. He was advertised as a rim protector in his 3 years of college, but that skillset hasn't translated over. He's someone who can switch onto guards out in the perimeter, but he struggles guarding perimeter 4s.

Effort and motor have been completely inconsistent this year. I just have no clue what to expect from Willie.
I think you're entirely right. Hopefully without the drama that has been part and parcel of his career so far, we'll all know once and for all just who WCS really is. And personally? I think we'll be very happy.
 
#63
I have no clue what type of player Willie is. He needs to find a niche in the NBA and stick with it. I think some blame goes on coaching staff. He was a high PnR threat under Karl. But at the end of last season, the coaches made him become a high post passer instead. So what is it? Is Willie someone you run the offense through from the high post? OR is he someone you limit to lobs and dump-offs?

On defense, things are even stranger. He was advertised as a rim protector in his 3 years of college, but that skillset hasn't translated over. He's someone who can switch onto guards out in the perimeter, but he struggles guarding perimeter 4s.

Effort and motor have been completely inconsistent this year. I just have no clue what to expect from Willie.
I don't think motor is something that changes, but the hope is he is so skilled that he overcomes that aspect to still being a positive consistent contributor as he matures. And he is skilled, offensively and defensively innately
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#64
I have no clue what type of player Willie is. He needs to find a niche in the NBA and stick with it. I think some blame goes on coaching staff. He was a high PnR threat under Karl. But at the end of last season, the coaches made him become a high post passer instead. So what is it? Is Willie someone you run the offense through from the high post? OR is he someone you limit to lobs and dump-offs?

On defense, things are even stranger. He was advertised as a rim protector in his 3 years of college, but that skillset hasn't translated over. He's someone who can switch onto guards out in the perimeter, but he struggles guarding perimeter 4s.

Effort and motor have been completely inconsistent this year. I just have no clue what to expect from Willie.
In Willie's first year at Kentucky, Calapari had him playing solely under the basket, and as a result, he blocked a lot of shots. Contrast that with when he played with Towns. Calapari had Towns playing under the basket, and had Willie playing more in the high post as the primary P&R defender because of his lateral quickness. As a result, Towns was the guy that blocked a lot of shots, and Willie's numbers went down. I think Willie will try to do what's asked of him, but since being on the Kings, what's being asked of him seems to change on a regular basis.

I think Willie is capable of playing in the high post. He seldom turns the ball over and in the last 20 games, he showed himself to be a capable to good passer. I suspect that when he's on the floor with Randolph, he'll be in the high post to stay out of Randolph's way down low. However, if he's on the floor with Skal, then I suspect he'll spend some time in the low post. Hopefully Joerger will figure out the best way to use Willie. Willie is a hard worker and I'm curious to see what he's worked on over the summer.
 
#66
I found a really good article written about Willie when he was still at Kentucky. It provides some great insight into Willie as a teen and as a young man.
Apologies to those of you who have already read the article - perhaps back in the days leading up to the 2015 NBA draft.
But this article may be more relevant now than ever, as we watch Willie become the player and person that he intends to be. Watching that development in the context of his childhood, his high school days, and his three years at Kentucky helps to better understand and appreciate him - rather than to summarize him as "a weird dude who just needs to focus on defense."
Superstardom Awaits Willie Cauley-Stein...If He Finally Decides He Wants It
By Jason King
Published on B/R Dec 11, 2014
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...cauley-steinif-he-finally-decides-he-wants-it