Can Javale McGee ever develop into an allstar center?

[moximus]

Physically he is capable of being an all-star, Rondo said McGee is the most athletic big man in the game, mentally is another question, we'll see.

really? the most athletic big in the game, I mean over Dwight, Ibaka?

[no D in Hibachi]

http://www.csnwashington.com/pages/video?PID=Mt09yNm8NsOsidUrT82_JaVeT8NSS9sj

Jump to 1:25 where Rose and Rondo sing his athletic praises.

[orangeparka]

He's one of the flat out stupidest players I have ever watched since I started watching NBA basketball (around the 95-96 season).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zfMW2pUam4[/youtube]

I mean he is just incredibly stupid. He's so stupid I'm inclined to call it a gift. Its difficult for an NBA player to be that dumb, and that's saying something because there are some real dumb jocks in professional sports.

I'd venture he's bordering on the point where we have to start calling him special. Of course, special players do make the All-Star game... so yeah, maybe he could reach that point someday.

But man oh man is he a moron.

**** hilarious man. Specially the one where he almost killed James Jones.


On a more serious note. This guy has way more length than Dwight and is just as athletic. I think at the very least, he'll at least make an all-star game. His floor is a 7ft Tyrus Thomas.

[Moahst]

I think the question should be does anyone think Javale McGee can ever develop into a starting center? Right now he's getting by on sheer athleticism. Kid is dumb as rocks and won't put it all together in anything more than in a Deandre Jordan type of way. He might start for the rest of his career, but it won't be that team's (most likely the Wizard's) first choice. I love his ability to play above the rim, specifically his shot blocking ability, but I've noticed more dumb moments with McGee than any other player in the league right now. I recently moved to Washington DC and have made McGee's "moments" into my own personal reality TV show. There's a reason a legit 7 footer with shotblocking skills falls out of the lottery and it's not a good one. He's dumb.

[garrick]

He needs to learn some kind of offense other than dunking. Getting stronger would help too because he gets pushed around quite easily on offense and defense.

[laker]

I'm not feeling 20 ppg from him. He's 23 he's a bad FT shooter and has no range on his J to speak of.
.

sounds like dwight howard

[Kal El]

right now his peak is tyson chandler. all he is right now is a 7 footer that can jump really high like deandre jordan. he can block shots obviously as the numbers show, but it does not represent his defense. his defense as a whole is average. not a good man to man defender and low basketball iq so even though he blocks a lot of shots, he is a not an anchor in defense and does not bring the kind of defensive presence you would expect. i think defense should be his first focus, that alone can make him a really valuable player.

offensively, again he is a 7 footer that can jump high. wouldn't be too bad if he develops into a defensive presence in the paint. he still however needs to learn a few go to moves on the post. i don't see him as a 20ppg scorer but he can develop into a decent offensive post presence.

[tsherkin]

sounds like dwight howard

If you hit Dwight repeatedly about the head with a golf club, sure, and if you took away the massive gap in strength that Dwight has over McGee.

Dwight does the off-ball stuff really, really well. Kind of like Amare. McGee doesn't have the full range of physical tools, nor the full range of mental skills that Dwight does... and he doesn't have the same success with the short jumper that Dwight is enjoying this season.

[Brenice]

A lot of his enthusiasm for flash over substance is related to immaturity. Sure he has a ways to go to play more sound defensively and offensively, and has to gain strength. However he will probably never be as strong as DHoward.

However, he is starting to mature mentally on the court, and with that he is producing more substance. With that, he will start playing more sound. He will continue to get stronger too. He SHOULD develop into an all-star. Who, besides DHoward, is young and has more potential in the east?

[lukekarts]

A lot of his enthusiasm for flash over substance is related to immaturity. Sure he has a ways to go to play more sound defensively and offensively, and has to gain strength. However he will probably never be as strong as DHoward.

However, he is starting to mature mentally on the court, and with that he is producing more substance. With that, he will start playing more sound. He will continue to get stronger too. He SHOULD develop into an all-star. Who, besides DHoward, is young and has more potential in the east?

McGee doesn't really have that much potential. Nobody goes from that stupid to being that effective. There really isn't a precedent set by a low IQ player who went from unable use his athleticism to becoming a consistent threat on a nightly basis.

The only precedents we have are guys like Tyrus Thomas. There is a point where potential is no longer.

[Ern III]

McGee is and plays a lot bigger than the commonly cited Ty Thomas.

But he also plays a fairly mindless brand of basketball. One can't rule out selection in the long term, thanks to his youth and the slim chance he'll figure out how to exploit being one of the rarest athletes ever to play.

Plenty of undeserved players have been All-Stars, don't forget, but I doubt he'll ever be better than the third-best player on a good NBA team.

[TheKingOfVa360]

Physically he is capable of being an all-star, Rondo said McGee is the most athletic big man in the game, mentally is another question, we'll see.

really? the most athletic big in the game, I mean over Dwight, Ibaka?

McGee is easily way more athletic than Ibaka. And yes he is more athletic than Dwight also. Ask Chris Paul, D Rose, Rondo, and John Wall who is the most athletic big in the NBA.

The problem with McGee is fundamentals and basketball IQ.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

A lot of varying opinions have been presented. I have heard moron and young and stupid thrown around. Each person has their own opinion. I will start with some facts about Javale:

==========================================================================================
http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... eja01.html

--First in the league in block percentage. (Second year in a row he is tops in block percentage.)
--Tenth in the league in offensive rebound percentage.
--Seventh in the league in field goal percentage (0.544)
--He is 23 years old.

In 15 games of March 2011, McGee averaged (approximately) 13 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks over 33 minutes and shot 0.570; requiring 9.5 FGAs (only) and 4 FTAs.
=============================================================================================

Now, I'll offer my opinions:

Those are close to all star numbers, already. Vlade Divac made an all star team with similar stats (but more assists and less blocks, and for a team with a winning record)

If Javale averaged 36-38 minutes, attempted 14-15 FGAs and around 5 FTAs, that would put his numbers above 20 points and 11 rebounds with close to 5 blocks a game.

My answer to will he develop into an all star is YES, because he's already playing like an all star.

McGee most likely will play in several all star games if his current production stays the same--the only thing that really changed in March is his MINUTES and his role with the Wizards, to a lesser degree. McGee's been playing well a long time, but with Blatche out Flip Saunders finally relied upon him more.

If Javale gets more minutes and shots, he'll do this consistently.

[Brenice]

McGee doesn't really have that much potential. Nobody goes from that stupid to being that effective. There really isn't a precedent set by a low IQ player who went from unable use his athleticism to becoming a consistent threat on a nightly basis.

The only precedents we have are guys like Tyrus Thomas. There is a point where potential is no longer.

Potentially he does, especially when some of his low IQ related basketball plays occur when he is trying to do TOO much, and his over-exuberance is related to his near child-like maturity. Javale is not a bad kid. He is not a "young man". He is an "old boy", still immature. He is starting to gain maturity.

Tyrus Thomas is different in a couple of ways. #1 is that he is uncoachable. McGee is not uncoachable. #2, Tyrus Thomas is a power forward. There is more competition at power forward than at center. So it would be easier to become an all-star in the east as a center.

[nate33]

I cringe a bit at all these accusations that McGee is "dumb as box of rocks", "idiot" and "stupid". The implication is that he is (Please Use More Appropriate Word) or something. That's not the case. McGee is actually a pretty articulate guy and if his youtube page is any indication, he has some rudimentary technological savvy. He's not a moron in real life. He may not be Shane Battier, but he's not Darius Miles either.

That said, he has major problems with immaturity. Even after 3 years in the league, he is still hell-bent on making a highlight reel play rather than a sound fundamental play that wins games. It's very frustrating, but I do think he'll grow out of it eventually. His other issue is defensive awareness. I'm not sure if that's fully explainable by his immaturity. He really lacks the defensive instincts on how and when to rotate. I'm not so sure if he'll ever get that right.

Another thing worth mentioning is that he didn't stop growing until this year. Because of this growth, it has been hard for him to put on much mass. There's a good chance that he can bulk up in the coming years and increase his lower body strength. That will make him a much better player and hopefully help encourage him to fight for defensive position more often.

Offensively, he is developing some post moves. He'll never be Kevin McHale, but he's got a developing running hook shot and the makings of a drop step that should enable him to score against lesser defenders. I think he might be the kind of guy who can regularly score 20 points against the bottom half of defensive centers, but won't get much more than garbage points against the better defensive centers in the league. I wouldn't be surprised to see him one day average 16-17 points per game, but 20 is a stretch. Nevertheless, if he averages 16 points, 11 boards and 3 blocks while improving his defensive awareness, that's certainly an All-Star caliber center. Indeed, he might make an All Star game even if he doesn't truly deserve it because he'll post good box score numbers while making lots of highlights.

Also, let's not forget that he was invited to Team USA and was the last guy cut. That was last year before his noticable improvement this season. If he was considered one of the top 15 or so American born young players in the league last year, he's already not that far off from an All Star invitation.