Board Discounting Kleiza

[duppyy]

I think kleiza should work more in the post.

There were times we would post him up, he got in the paint farily easily, just couldnt finish.

[RaptorReloaded]

I think he should start at the 3 to begin the year. He is a better shooter than Fields and we need a better shooter to spread the floor with Derozan. He did come off a major surgery so he will be in better shape than last season. Fields will be a backup/glue guy. Is Aaron Gray on the roster officially?

I think our team will look like this:

PG: Lowry(28)/Jose(20)/Bobby Brown
SG: Derozan (28)/Ross(18)/Lowry(2)
SF: KLeiza (22)/Fields (24)/Derozan(2)/Alan Anderson
PF: Bargnani (30)/Ed Davis (18)/Acey
C: Amir (24)/ Jonus (20)/Ed (4)

I could see Jonus struggling to get 20 mpg due to foul trouble though.

I'm actually hoping we treat Val's rookie season like we did Demars. Let him start games but limit his minutes to around 25. I just don't like wasting our starter spot to Amir or Gray when we could give it to Val so he can learn what it's like to be a starter faster.

[JV4MVP]

You had a nice run midway during the season and he did so coming off the bench:



As noted the problem is that some nights his shot is off and he either forces bad shots or just doesn't get minutes... hence his averages get worse. Nevertheless he is a scorer. As long as he get healthier with time and he makes less TOs (should rarely dribble) then he can be quite productive.

That said I honestly wouldn't mind if Toronto amnestied him. He would immediately get scooped up by a contending team such as the Spurs who will more effectively use him as a spark off the bench. He's not a guy who can create his own offense but would look quite good on a better team that knows how to move the ball.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

LK makes a daggers, then makes fun of the crowd at away games, then bangs their women incessantly every time he comes to town. I like him.

[Turbo_Zone]

Humphries is slightly darker (he's half African-American). Either way genetically he's different. Some people cannot put on those bulky muscles regardless how hard they try. That said most weightlifters are not as cut as Humphries, but are still stronger. We're really beating a dead horse by arguing that Kleiza has a strength problem. It's one of his strengths.... no pun intended.

Kleiza's major problem is that he is too slow to guard SFs, and especially after microfracture surgery. That operation is very serious and look at post injury guys such as Amare and McDyess... they went from being dunkers to mid-range shooters. Kleiza also has the disadvantage of being too short to play the PF position.

For a guy who has been making 4M the criticism is really unwarranted. Jose gets 10M and he's not so great either. People need to relax bc Kleiza does productive things (score and rebound) when his game is on. Of course he's not a 20M player who is consistent and will dominate every game.

Again, I think you're right all through here.

My final point about his muscle and I'll drop it, if Humphries isn't a fair benchmark, could JJ Reddick be? Kleiza probably just has to shed some weight and I'm nitpicking.





If he's too short to play PF and too slow to play SF, gosh darn it, that's one hell of a liability out there.

What can we then hope for then out of this guy?

I guess anything we can get at this point. Val and Kleiza in the secondary hopefully sparks something.

Cautiously Pessimistic.

[Spragga]

I think kleiza should work more in the post.

There were times we would post him up, he got in the paint farily easily, just couldnt finish.

no no no

He cant dribble so he gets stripped easily in the post. Not to mention that he can only go to his right in the post. He needs to hang around the 3 point line and wait for a kick out. Anything beyond that is just asking for a turnover.

[Relentless88]

He is terrible. Amnestied next summer.

[trenekas]

He is terrible. Amnestied next summer.

no, you are terrible.

[xprt]

People are haters. Everybody talks how Kleiza sucks at defence and handling but Demar has same weaknesses. Their per 36
Kleiza 16.1 ppg 6.8 reb 1.6 apg 2.2 to TS .521%
Demar 17.2 ppg 3.4 reb 2.1 apg 2 to TS .501%
But Kleiza is scrub and Demar is stud...

[carl_english]

Kleiza led the Lithuanians to a spot in the olympics. I hope he can bring that shooting back in the NBA and push Landry to get his percentages up.

[Geddy]

Maybe this season he will dribble the ball off of different body parts

[Turbo_Zone]

Maybe this season he will dribble the ball off of different body parts

[sule]

You'll all be eating crow when he leads single-handedly schools Team USA and wins Lithuania the gold in a few weeks

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

If I see that it won't be crow I'll be eating, it'll be peyote. Because Peyote visions is the only Channel showing that game.

[Omar CominYo]

I expect him to have his best season yet... he is finally healthy, and in his prime (27 years old)

LOL. His prime was in Denver, a gazillion injuries later in a Raps uniform a year removed from commanding the tank will not be his prime. Lower those expectations.

[JV4MVP]

You'll all be eating crow when he leads single-handedly schools Team USA and wins Lithuania the gold in a few weeks

This

But seriously ppl need to GTFO with the Kleiza hate. The guy is decent.

[Brinbe]

People are haters. Everybody talks how Kleiza sucks at defence and handling but Demar has same weaknesses. Their per 36
Kleiza 16.1 ppg 6.8 reb 1.6 apg 2.2 to TS .521%
Demar 17.2 ppg 3.4 reb 2.1 apg 2 to TS .501%
But Kleiza is scrub and Demar is stud...

So you're saying we should praise Kleiza too, even though they're both scrubs? wha

[witnessraps]

You trot dudes like Kleiza out there for significant minutes, you're just asking to be on the wrong end of a highlight reel.

I know Basketball IQ counts and physicality isn't everything, but it's a pretty damn big part of the NBA.

I mean, honestly, what's the difference in fitness levels between Kleiza and some dude in the stands who drinks beer and works out his club muscles a couple times a week?

Looks about the same to me.

"But his knee injury!"

Boo-hoo.

Is every muscle in his upper body injured? Focus on the things you CAN work on.

Other players have injuries too.

I just can't believe it when I see NBA players that I'm in better shape then.

It confuses me because I hold pro athletes as my fitness idols and try to get inspired by their feats.

What's Kleiza, 26 in that photo?

If it wasn't greasy, I could post a shot of me at about 26 that would put Kleiza to shame. Probably a few of you could, too.

Man, but remember that 40 pt game once years ago?

Ease Jonas' transition to the NBA and GTFO LK

respectfully disagree with just about everything you said.

[Turbo_Zone]

^ I admit, I went too hard on Kleiza's physique.

Just hard to imagine anything great from him after watching him play.

If a couple post-ups and some threes is what we're getting, I've got to learn to lower my expectations from these types of players.

I'm venting and just wish we didn't constantly blow our capspace on signing these types of "okay" guys.

IMO BC has to learn to say "Pass!" at the right time.

[Darknemo2000]

He's not suprising anybody. He is what he is. he's a SCRUB!!!! Alen anderson was better option in my opinion.. He's lucky they need him to hold jonas's hands. Are you forgeting this guy was driving the tank last season.

You need a reality check, mate. Kleiza wasnt driving the tank last season. If anything there were a couple of games where he killed the tank.

DD was driving the tank early on, then after the injury Bargs joined in and then whole team started to carry the tank.

Kleiza was tank commander two years ago but last year he wasnt one.