Clemenza wrote:MartinToVaught wrote:Clemenza wrote:Can we please get this version of TMann at least once every three games? I guess, just like PG, its all between the ears with this guy. Things are so much easier for this team if he's in the 10-15 point range.
I blame Doc and Lue. Mann got stuck with the two worst coaches at developing talent, on the worst franchise at developing talent. It's honestly a miracle he's even carved out the career that he has.
If we don't give Miller a real chance, he's either going to regress like Mann has or go elsewhere and ball out.
Well I will say that Lue has given him every opportunity to become something in this league. I thought he shouldn't be in the starting lineup, but excepted it when it happened (like I had a choice). The Mann and KPJ leash is a long one, we just hope to see positives in the end like we did last night. I don't expect big numbers from Mann I just can't understand why we can't see this type of play from him at least every other game at this point of his career and contract extension. I don't think that's too much to ask.
At some point we also have to be realistic about NBA player development. I think sometimes as we get very unrealistic about how this works and just think there's some special workout regimen or special words a coach will say that will make players into something they are not.
Losing all the hyperbole, "worst ever" type stuff, Mann was a 48th pick that became an NBA rotation player and played 1263 minutes in his second season on a championship aspiring team. I don't think it's comprehending the amount of opportunity that amounts to if one suggests he didn't get developed.
The best players take opportunity, if you have to force a guy into something, it's not going to work. Mann played for a team where Paul George played 31 games, Reggie Jackson was the leading scorer at 16.4 ppg, and he averaged 10.8 ppg in 29 mpg. It's actually not bad, but that's a situation where if you're going to be a scorer, you take the reigns, he didn't because he's not.
It's the same reason Batum has never taken more than 13 FGA/G, the same reason Diaw averaged 7 FGA in 27 mins for his career, and those guys are even more skilled than Mann.
Mann since year two has then played 1800+ minutes every season.
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Mann was a 23 year old rookie who played 4 seasons in college and never averaged more than 12.6 ppg (that was in 29 mpg), he averaged only 15.5 ppg in 35 mpg in the G-League. What is one of the reasons teams are more weary of older rookies? The older you are, the harder it is to change things like mentality, not impossible, but harder. What is another? Generally older rookies are pretty much close to finished products, so they might be better as rookies or sophomores, but in year 3 and later, the younger guy who was much worse when they were both rookies is now better.
Mann was NEVER going to be a scorer or consistently aggressive player in the NBA, and it has NOTHING to do with coaching and all to do with Mann. He's never wanted to or had the overall game to be that, you can't force it, that's not how it works.