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2018-19 Rookies (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Landry Shamet & Jerome Robinson)

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Re: The Clippers select Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson 

Post#181 » by Clemenza » Thu Nov 15, 2018 8:24 pm

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Re: The Clippers select Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson 

Post#182 » by mkwest » Fri Nov 16, 2018 7:36 am

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Unique Talent in SGA 

Post#183 » by Ranma » Mon Nov 19, 2018 6:24 pm

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson 

Post#184 » by Najee12 » Sat Nov 24, 2018 6:09 pm

I cannot say I am surprised by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's early success. I liked his herky-jerky offensive game at Kentucky and he's had success in the NBA using dribble-hesitation moves and his diverse layup and runner packages. I think he's got to get better in distributing and playing defense, but some of those issues will address themselves with added size.

I saw ACC basketball a lot by virtue of living in North Carolina, and I personally was not impressed with Jerome Robinson. He could get open shots in college as he was much taller than most shooting guards, but he won't have that advantage in the NBA. He also was a little undisciplined with his handle, so I can see it being a major problem in the NBA. I liked Lonnie Walker IV better with the No. 13 pick because I thought his offensive explosiveness would work better with Gilgeous-Alexander. However, time will reveal who will be the better player.
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Re: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson 

Post#185 » by simon24 » Mon Nov 26, 2018 6:26 am

Najee12 wrote:I cannot say I am surprised by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's early success. I liked his herky-jerky offensive game at Kentucky and he's had success in the NBA using dribble-hesitation moves and his diverse layup and runner packages. I think he's got to get better in distributing and playing defense, but some of those issues will address themselves with added size.

I saw ACC basketball a lot by virtue of living in North Carolina, and I personally was not impressed with Jerome Robinson. He could get open shots in college as he was much taller than most shooting guards, but he won't have that advantage in the NBA. He also was a little undisciplined with his handle, so I can see it being a major problem in the NBA. I liked Lonnie Walker IV better with the No. 13 pick because I thought his offensive explosiveness would work better with Gilgeous-Alexander. However, time will reveal who will be the better player.


I was surprised by the JR pick. I thought for sure LAC was going to pick MPJ since Ballmer was familiar with him. Then, I read how Jerry was impressed with JR. I knew he had to be special to be picked over Walker and MPJ.

I assume SGA and JR are the backcourt of the future. I just wonder how they'll clear their guard log jam.
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Shai & Trae Comparison 

Post#186 » by Ranma » Fri Nov 30, 2018 8:10 pm

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The Shai Effect 

Post#187 » by Ranma » Sun Dec 2, 2018 2:32 am

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SGA Garnering Admiration from Peers & Pros 

Post#188 » by Ranma » Sun Dec 2, 2018 2:55 am

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Andrew Greif, Los Angeles Times (11/26/18)
Portland’s Damian Lillard is one of a few top NBA guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander watches closely, picking apart the All-Star’s repertoire in hopes of expanding his own, and Sunday marked the Clippers rookie’s second opportunity to gauge how well he has studied.

“It showed me how much I’m not in shape and thought I was,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s kind of hard to guard [Lillard] because you never know when he’s going to go or slow down or set you up for this or set you up for that.”

Clippers coach Doc Rivers “challenged [Gilgeous-Alexander] in the second half to man up, basically,” reserve center Montrezl Harrell said. “That’s exactly what he told him. He basically told him if a guy is coming in here and just throwing you all over the place and pushing you around and stuff like that, if [Rivers] was a player he’d take that physically. He challenged him.”

Lillard praised Gilgeous-Alexander’s tenacity after the teams’ first matchup Nov. 8 and the rookie “responded well” to Rivers’ challenge Sunday, Harrell said. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with two deflections and contested 11 shots.

“He started playing a lot harder and made their shots a lot more difficult,” Harrell said.

Clippers’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Rises to the Challenge


Paolo Songco, ClutchPoints.com (11/29/18)
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Devin Booker was a first-hand witness to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s talents on Wednesday, as the Clippers rookie posted an all-around gem against the struggling Suns. Consequently, postgame, Booker had to give credit where it’s due and admit that the 6-foot-6 guard left quite an impression on him.

However, as Devin Booker explained, Gilgeous-Alexander’s value lies in his defensive ability. The 20-year-old is currently averaging 1.0 steal and 0.7 blocks per game, which is actually quite impressive. It’s no wonder that coach Rivers has so much confidence in the youngster, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been pivotal in the team’s recent surge.

NBA Suns Star Devin Booker is a Huge Fan of Clippers Rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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Russo Compares Shai's Total Net Rating with Other Rookies 

Post#189 » by Ranma » Thu Dec 6, 2018 11:26 pm

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Say "Shai" 

Post#190 » by Ranma » Sat Dec 8, 2018 3:21 am

Ranma wrote:In the end, the Clippers still made out as this draft is already considered one of the more impressive classes in recent memory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander even has a case for being a top-5 selection in a 20-20 hindsight redraft at this point.

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More Peer Praise for Shai 

Post#191 » by Ranma » Sat Dec 8, 2018 9:47 pm

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Rook Playing Like Vet 

Post#192 » by Ranma » Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:13 am

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Justin Jett, DefPen.com (12/10/18)
This tells you much of what you need to know about Shai Gilgeuous-Alexander. He is an old soul. He plays basketball, works out, relaxes at home, and does things like binge-watch a tv show about a spy instead of party in clubs. As other rookies have the spotlight shined so bright upon them that they appear to generate their own light, Shai is comfortably succeeding in hiding.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently in the infancy of his career. His game is at it’s most unpolished and his experience as low as it ever will be. His veteran presence, poise, and play make this reality all the more impressive and surprising. He has managed to keep his profile low and his play deadly for years. As rookies are ranked and careers are determined, Shai will likely be designated with yet another mark in which he will surpass. And much like the spy he so loved to watch, all of it will likely be done in quiet.

The Quiet Success of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Continues
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Per Brian Windhorst 

Post#193 » by Ranma » Wed Dec 12, 2018 6:09 am

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Even KD Impressed with Shai 

Post#194 » by Ranma » Wed Dec 12, 2018 10:54 pm

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Pre-Draft Content: DX and Sidelines Interviews with SGA 

Post#195 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 17, 2018 10:59 am

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Pre-Draft Content: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Scouting Videos 

Post#196 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 17, 2018 11:10 am

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Pre-Draft Content: Jerome Robinson Scouting Videos 

Post#197 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 17, 2018 11:15 am

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Pre-Draft Content: RealGM Analyses of Shai & Rome 

Post#198 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 17, 2018 11:47 am

Rafael Uehara, RealGM.com (5/7/18)
Gilgeous-Alexander is not a particularly impressive athlete in terms of speed and explosiveness. Those limitations might lead to a coach viewing him as more of a wing and having him run point only in alternate lineups, which is how John Calipari used him earlier in the season.

But the 19-year-old [4] showed through the conference part of the schedule that he’s a very resourceful player off the dribble, making up for his lack of burst with an advanced skill level, proving himself able to get by his man on craft more often than not and leveraging his length to finish in traffic at an above average clip, while also creating for others at a pleasing rate as well. At least over the first few years of his pro career, he should be given multiple chances as a lead guard.

He’s a natural running an offense, having shown good feel for controlling the rhythm of the game, in terms of finding the right balance between passing ahead to speed up the pace or walking the ball up to run organized halfcourt sets.

On the other end, Gilgeous-Alexander’s defense declined once his responsibility on offense increased. He’s a smart player, who uses his length to make plays in the passing lanes and can execute strategies that ask him to switch on the fly, but isn’t quick enough to match up with smaller point guards and not yet strong enough to deal with bigger wings.

Prospect Report: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Kentucky


Rafael Uehara, RealGM.com (6/20/18)
Robinson has a skill-set similar to Devin Booker’s on offense. He is a very good shooter who also proved he is able to create for himself and others out of the pick-and-roll. Luckily for him, he was given the chance to showcase the full extent of his capabilities, as Boston College got him looks on the move in diverse ways and let him run offense against a set defense with Ky Bowman off the floor.

Robinson logged 27.3% usage rate, assisted on 19.5% of Boston College’s scores when he was in the game and was assisted on just 46.9% of his field goals [8].

His production was far less inspiring on the other end. He was mostly hidden on defense but Boston College switched some and he defended on the ball from time-to-time. Robinson does the basics but doesn’t play with any energy or intensity and lacks the physical profile and athletic ability to make a positive impact when he does try harder on occasion.

Prospect Report: Jerome Robinson of Boston College
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Pre-Draft Content: Trevor Magnotti's Projection of Shai 

Post#199 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 17, 2018 11:59 am

Trevor Magnotti, FanSided.com (5/28/18)
Gilgeous-Alexander clearly has the tools to be an NBA player. He’s strong, lean, and long, and couples that physical frame with an innate understanding of the game on both ends. That has some very excited about him, to the point where he might break into the top-10 of the NBA Draft. However, it’s difficult to figure out exactly what SGA’s role in the NBA should be because he has real weaknesses that might limit his upside. He has the profile of an effective player, but how is that going to look? And is that type of player worth a potential top-10 pick?

It’s pretty clear that SGA will have some sort of role in the NBA, because he’s too good of a team defender to not find a way onto the floor. With his length, he should be able to defend both backcourt spots, and he makes excellent reads when defending on and off-ball, which helped him routinely disrupt offenses with steals.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s NBA role isn’t very well defined, which is both enticing and nerve-wracking for NBA front offices to sift through. His ultimate role will likely fall between that baseline of talent and ultimate ceiling, especially if he lands in a situation where he can play to his strengths and hide his weaknesses. With his size, playmaking ability and team defense, he could excel as a secondary initiator behind a more ball-dominant lead guard, like next to Ben Simmons on the Philadelphia 76ers. On a team with even more weapons, he could fill the role as a Shaun Livingston type, creating mismatches with his size and becoming more of an off-ball slasher, which would allow him to hide his 3-point shooting. Should he fall to Denver at No. 14, this could be the ultimate outcome.

If you’re expecting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to become a better player than Collin Sexton or Trae Young, it’s unlikely to be the case because of how far behind he is as an initiator. But thanks to his feel, intelligence, and craft, he should be able to easily find a role in the league.

What Role Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Have in the NBA?


Trevor Magnotti, ClipsNation.com (6/13/18)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the most perplexing players in the 2018 NBA Draft class. He drove himself into the lottery conversation with a solid second half of the season for Kentucky, and he offers some exciting potential because he combines two profiles that draft scouts absolutely love - being incredibly long (point guards that are 6-6 with a 6-11 wingspan sell), and also being incredibly smart on both ends of the floor.

SGA has very strong playmaking tools. He has great vision, and puts it to smart use, particularly in the pick-and-roll. He might be the most experienced pick-and-roll point guard in the class outside of Luka Doncic, and his ability to make drop-offs and drive-and-kicks is very strong. That passing ability is coupled with a strong understanding of team defense, as he’s a gifted pick-and-roll defender who is comfortable switching, and has great hands for generating steals.

The weird part of Gilgeous-Alexander’s game comes with his weaknesses. His strengths would point to him being a gifted point guard, but he has definite impediments to being a starting-caliber one in the NBA. Chief among those is his shooting - while he hit over 40 percent from 3 this season, it came on just 57 attempts which was less than many of the draft’s top centers. Over 70 percent of those attempts were assisted. SGA has almost no pull-up game to speak of, which is incredibly important if the rest of your offensive game points to you being a pick-and-roll ball-handler.

The other issue comes in athleticism. Gilgeous-Alexander can be overwhelmed by quicker guards, and he lacks ideal vertical pop, which limits his ability finishing at the rim. That SGA didn’t test athletically at the NBA Draft Combine is telling - he doesn’t appear to want to show how his limitations with agility and bounce could impact his NBA ceiling. Both are big questions that remained to be solved, and are unlikely to improve much, either.

Whatever Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Role Is, He’ll Fit in the Clippers’ Rotation
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Pre-Draft Content: NBA.com Feature on Gilgeous-Alexander 

Post#200 » by Ranma » Mon Dec 17, 2018 12:40 pm

Chris Dortch, NBA.com (4/20/18)
Florida’s Mike White was the first to offer a scholarship.

Asked what attracted him to Gilgeous-Alexander, White quickly offered a brief, but on point answer.

“His length, hands, touch, steadiness, and communication skills,” White said.

Gilgeous-Alexander committed to the Gators, but White and his staff knew it would be another year before they could lock him up with signed scholarship papers. A lot could happen in that time, and it did.

Two weeks later, he was a Wildcat.

NBA scouts quickly realized that among the talent Calipari had collected, Gilgeous-Alexander was different. Calipari told the press he had an “old man’s,” game, meaning old school, in a good way. Oscar Robertson used to say that if his opponent gave him a 15-foot shot, he’d look for a 10-footer, and if he had a 10-footer, he’d seek a five-footer, and if he had that, well, why not go get a layup? That was Gilgeous-Alexander.

There were other plusses, too. With his height and wingspan, Gilgeous-Alexander could guard multiple positions, and he was a willing defender. And when he started showing everyone he could score at a high level, he shot up draft boards.

And a coach who worked with him longer than Calipari, Hamilton Heights’ Ferrell, thinks he knows how Gilgeous-Alexander will be utilized at the next level.

“I think he’s a point guard,” Farrell said. “Through and through. I’ve never known him to be anything but a point guard. He came to Kentucky and people were saying he’s a combo. They must have watched some film or seen something that I didn’t see the last couple of years.”

Farrell has his reasons for projecting Gilgeous-Alexander as a point.

“He’s got incredible feel off the ball screen, which is so much what the NBA is; he can really get to the basket,” Farrell said. “If you saw Kentucky this year — if their kids were making outside shots, you weren’t beating them. If they were making outside shots and you had to stay with them, that means Shai was getting to the basket every time.

Kentucky Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Grew Into Becoming a Leader and Promising Prospect During Freshman Season
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