The OFFICIAL rookie impressions thread pt.III

[Hero]

Tier 1: Davis, Drummond (superstar)

Tier 2: Lillard, Beal (all stars)

Tier 3: MGK, Harkless, Barnes, Waiters, Nicholson, Leonard, Jonas V (solid starters)

I agree with this list. Although... Val is quite a bit better than Leonard from what I've seen.

[Hendrix]

^^^^^^

Personally I think Val is quite a bit higher than everybody on that tier. He has a higher PER than ever player on tier 3 there except Nic (who is 3 years older), and also has a higher PER than Beal on tier 2 there. Plus he's been improving a ton as the season's gone on.

Over the last 12 games he's put up. 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.25 blocks, .783 ts% in 29 minutes.

Per 36 that is


16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks .783ts%

That is some pretty insane efficiency for a 20 year old rookie big that is creating most of his shots himself.

[dballislife]

there has to be a reason why drummond produces so well but plays only 15-25 every game...is frank that horrible of a coach?

[sir G Wallace]

I heard Drummond airballed two straight FTs tonight. As much as I want him to be dominant in this league, his FTs might be a big road block in that.

[OneWhoKnocks]

FTs weren't that big a road block for Shaq. I don't think he's going to be a 35% FT shooter for his career. Probably 45-50% like Shaq. He has the physical tools and mobility to be almost as dominant as him.

[boogie-reke]

FTs weren't that big a road block for Shaq. I don't think he's going to be a 35% FT shooter for his career. Probably 45-50% like Shaq. He has the physical tools and mobility to be almost as dominant as him.

Settle down there with the Shaq comparison.

[ComboGuardCity]

there has to be a reason why drummond produces so well but plays only 15-25 every game...is frank that horrible of a coach?

I think he's limiting his minutes because he just came back from a tailbone fracture. However, he needs to manage his rotations so he's in at the end of games when the team is allowing Chicago to practice their layups. Still, terrible coaching.

[sir G Wallace]

FTs weren't that big a road block for Shaq. I don't think he's going to be a 35% FT shooter for his career. Probably 45-50% like Shaq. He has the physical tools and mobility to be almost as dominant as him.

it still kills me that he is going to be a pain in the ass for his team like a Dwight Howard at the FT line

[Teen Girl Squad]

there has to be a reason why drummond produces so well but plays only 15-25 every game...is frank that horrible of a coach?

The only reason that Drummond wasn't the consensus #2 pick (or even potential first overall) was his questionable effort and desire. He grossly underachieved in college. My guess is that Frank is trying to keep him on the grindstone and keep him working rather than risking a Tyreke/Cousins situation of getting way too much latitude early on and ingraining bad habits (because they are too good to bench). Plus I think it helps him build up/evaluate other talent rather than marginalize some guys so that Drummond can stat pad/build hype.

I may be giving the Pistons FO WAY too much credit but, like most fans, I can't believe that they are just willfully ignorant of Drummond's insane production.

[princeofpalace]

Drummond is starting now, but he's playing limited minutes to ease himself back from injury. His conditioning likely isn't quite up to par at the moment. Next season we will really be able to see what Drummond is capable of when he's starting and playing 30+ minutes a game.

We are a different team when he's on the court, its crazy. The paint is almost completely closed off when Andre is in the game, and that improved defense really helps us get out in transition for easy scores. Its amazing how much he effects the game, I don't think many other rookies have that kind of impact.

[dolphinatik]

Beal with a nice bounceback game from injury. Say this is all you get from beal i think its a win

[Mikez1919]

pistons.com

The Bulls going small had one other affect on the Pistons, forcing Frank to choose between Drummond and Greg Monroe rather than playing both on a night they both were effective. Monroe finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, his 34th double-double, and Drummond – in his second game after missing 22 with a back injury – grabbed 14 rebounds and scored eight points in nearly 23 minutes.

“It’s only going to get better with time,” Monroe said. “The more we play, the more comfortable we’ll get with each other. He’s been playing well. He’s been a beast on the boards, protecting the rim, getting us a lot of second shots. The more we play together, the better we’ll be together.”

“You see the difference Andre makes,” Frank said. “It’s almost like I’ve got to beg Arnie (Kander, strength coach and overseer of Drummond’s rehabilitation). But we’re not going to sacrifice Dre’s long-term growth for the short term and every game he’ll be able to play a little bit more.”

[Wizenheimer]

Tier 1
Anthony Davis

Tier 2
Andre Drummond, Damian Lillard

Tier 3
Jonas Valanciunas, Waiters, Bradly Beal

Tier 4
MKG, Nicholson, Harkless, Barnes

that's about how I would view it. Beal & Drummond may be able to jump a tier.

if Lillard follows the same track as Brandon Roy, and in many essential ways they are similar, then he could jump a tier, although the PG depth in the league could obscure that.

[ComboGuardCity]

pistons.com

The Bulls going small had one other affect on the Pistons, forcing Frank to choose between Drummond and Greg Monroe rather than playing both on a night they both were effective. Monroe finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, his 34th double-double, and Drummond – in his second game after missing 22 with a back injury – grabbed 14 rebounds and scored eight points in nearly 23 minutes.

“It’s only going to get better with time,” Monroe said. “The more we play, the more comfortable we’ll get with each other. He’s been playing well. He’s been a beast on the boards, protecting the rim, getting us a lot of second shots. The more we play together, the better we’ll be together.”

“You see the difference Andre makes,” Frank said. “It’s almost like I’ve got to beg Arnie (Kander, strength coach and overseer of Drummond’s rehabilitation). But we’re not going to sacrifice Dre’s long-term growth for the short term and every game he’ll be able to play a little bit more.”

Yes, because Charlie V was so effective at guarding Deng...Never cater to your opponents small ball.

[Goon]

I have been following this thread for a long time, but never commented. Since a lot of you are watching Portland every game, can someone tell me what do you expect from Leonard in the future? What is his celling, and with who would you compare him too? Would really appreciate your input.

Since i am from Europe, i can't really watch games that often, and Blazers usually play at 3 or 4 AM in my country, which is really the worst possible time. Can't stay up long, can't get up early, it is right in the middle of the night, like most NBA games, damn.

[Moose10Fan]

Love Drummond attitude, most big men wouldn’t even discuss there FT woes, Drummond seems ready to work on it all summer!

Andre Drummond ‏@DRE_DRUMMOND_
Despite the lost we played great tonight, lets keep building! But I know what I'm doing this summer straight free throw shooting! Lol

[He Filled it Up]

I really hope Frank's fourth quarter rotation was based on minutes restriction and not because he liked CV checking Deng.

[Hendrix]

Love Drummond attitude, most big men wouldn’t even discuss there FT woes, Drummond seems ready to work on it all summer!

Andre Drummond ‏@DRE_DRUMMOND_
Despite the lost we played great tonight, lets keep building! But I know what I'm doing this summer straight free throw shooting! Lol

That's good to see. I hope he can fix it.

I've always assumed that players with bad ft shooting will be able to fix it, because it's just so easy and there's nowhere to go but up. But, I'm starting to think I'm wrong. Deandre Jordan, Shaq, Duncan, etc.. never really seemed to improved. They had good years, bad years, but generally kinda stuck around where they started. I'm starting to think that if you haven't figured out how to shoot a ft by the time you are 19 years old maybe there's something seriously wrong going on that just can't be fixed.

Good to see the effort is there though. Atleast you then know that if he sucks its not due to lack of trying.

[DeBlazerRiddem]

I have been following this thread for a long time, but never commented. Since a lot of you are watching Portland every game, can someone tell me what do you expect from Leonard in the future? What is his celling, and with who would you compare him too? Would really appreciate your input.

Since i am from Europe, i can't really watch games that often, and Blazers usually play at 3 or 4 AM in my country, which is really the worst possible time. Can't stay up long, can't get up early, it is right in the middle of the night, like most NBA games, damn.

I'm not really good at comparisons, but I'll give you my impressions of Leonard:

1. Legit size. Obviously this is #1 on the list.
2. Hard worker, tough player. He has gotten banged around his fair share this season. Never seems to complain or back down. He isn't terribly assertive yet, but I could see a Joel Pryzbilla blue-collar & lunch-pail type personality from him.
3. Good touch with the basketball. Has some range on his shot (although his footing is suspect), so he will be able to space the floor from the center position, a characteristic which I believe is increasingly important from that position. Good foul shooter and also an underrated passer.
4. Defensively, he is a work in progress. For every good play, there is one mediocre and one bad play. With experience and hard work I think he can become passable in this department, but I am not expecting a lock-down defensive floor-general at any time.
5. His rebounding numbers leave a little to be desired considering his overall size, athleticism and motor. He seems to fight hard enough for contested rebounds, so perhaps his numbers will improve with experience.
6. His ankle has shown itself to be prone to getting sprained. This needs to be watched, ankle issues can be chronic.
7. Lower body strength also leaves a little to be desired. He gets backed down a little too easily, isn't great at defending the post, and there were questions about how much strength he could add to his lower body because of his frame.

All in all, I would expect him to be a slightly above average center in his prime. Good shooting/passing skills (not so much dribbling) and the tools (athleticism/length) to be a good defender but, as was known coming out of the draft, he is raw. Fortunately for him the center position is (or has been) relatively weak.

He could be just as good as Valanciunas but obviously isn't right now and might not ever be (what I really mean is those two will be compared their whole careers). He could have a long development arc, we might not see how exactly he will develop for a few years and we might not see the best of him until ~late 20's when his experience has caught up with his frame.

[NO-KG-AI]

Drummond is at 4 fouls per 36 as well, which isn't super bad, but some coaches get really stupid about pulling guys that are fouling.

His free throws are a big concern. Even Dwight shot decently as a rookie (67%) and ok in high school, but butchered it after gaining weight. Don't think there is a precedent for a guy shooting in the 40's in high school, shooting below 30% in college, and in the 30's again in the NBA ever become even a passable FT shooter.