Golabki wrote:BallinSon wrote:NewWolvesOrder wrote:Dude is dead last in RPM among SFs in NBA. Wolves are handily outscored when he's on the floor. But he can fit a role of an energy scorer on the right team.
And Lavine would be just ahead of James Anderson and JaKarr Sampson at the bottom of the SG list if the guys at ESPN who made up these mesmerizing numbers didn't call him a PG.
Ain't those numbers just a tool for the fantasy gamblers anyway?
Golabki wrote:The dream of him being a star is most certainly over. The dream of him being a decent rotation player is still alive, but after last year he's at risk of being out of the league in three years.
He's fun to watch play ball, you can't deny that. He gives it all he's got on both ends of the floor and his offensive game is refined and pretty.
I don't think he gives much at the defensive end... if he's one-on-one against a guy with the ball in his hands he'll hold is own, but off ball he's clueless. Arguably that a coaching issue that Thibs will fix, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Offensively he's got the skills of a go-to scorer, but he's just not good enough to play that way in any good offense.
Right now he is a flat out bad... but if he can get on the floor for a Thibs coached team I'll change my tune.
The T-Wolves switched on every screen set which led to a lot of confusion for the whole team on defense. There were countless times this year when Bazzy left his man in the corner or on the block to close out a wide open shooter on the perimeter. Two years ago it did seem like he got caught ball gawking and flat footed off the ball losing his man for back doors a lot, but I can't remember seeing it at all this last season. He made a concerted effort last off-season to improve on defense and it showed this year. I disagree that he doesn't give much on defense.
I agree he has the offensive skills to be the primary option. He's great at moving off the ball and would put up a lot of easy points in a good motion offense. The Spurs have this one play where Kawhi ends up isolated in the low post and he scores every time. Could you imagine Bazzy with a few sets like that?
I disagree that he is flat out bad. I think he's flat out good.
NewWolvesOrder wrote:BallinSon wrote:
He's fun to watch play ball, you can't deny that. He gives it all he's got on both ends of the floor and his offensive game is refined and pretty.
When he tries to pass the ball I usually cringe or roll my eyes back. So it's not all fun. But his effort is there, no doubt.
When Zach Lavine dribbles at the top of the key for 15 seconds and shoots a contested fade-away, I cringe. Even on the eighth try when it finally goes in, I cringe.
When Big KAT stands on the perimeter and his man is begging him to take it and he does and it actually goes in and he runs down the floor doing hand signs while dancing, I cringe. That makes me cringe every time and it's not fun.
Zombiesonics wrote:DusterBuster wrote:The star level dream is dead imo.
That said, I'd be interested to see him on a team like the Nets where he would be the featured player on offense.
think it died during his one year in college, i just vividly remember him sulking after his teammate hit a game winner (larry drew?). befittingly, he is a serious ball hog in the nba whenever he touches the rock as that one wolves fan noted. Nothing worst than a guy who blows 3v2 breaks for contested layups
The word you're looking for is 'worse'. Nothing WORSE than a guy who blows 3v2 breaks.
You gotta admit though, he draws a lot of fouls on them contested layups the way he bulls into his man. And more often than not he gets the bucket.