Mo's Take: Mayo vs Beasley

Post #1 » by **Flaming Mo** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:00 pm

http://the-sportsbar.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy the read, even though many people already commented on it. I couldn't get it out earlier as today is my mom's birthday and we had a little family time today.

Let me know what you think and hopefully we see tons of great games today...

VirginiaKnickFan · Post #2 » by **VirginiaKnickFan** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:16 pm

Flaming Mo wrote:http://the-sportsbar.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy the read, even though many people already commented on it. I couldn't get it out earlier as today is my mom's birthday and we had a little family time today.

Let me know what you think and hopefully we see tons of great games today...

Nice analysis. Let's hope the Knicks are lucky enough to snag a top 3 pick to have some options in drafting Mayo, Beasley or Rose.

TKF · Post #3 » by **TKF** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:56 pm

good blog mo. Let me tell you what Doug Gotlieb( former Oklahoma state basketball player, father was a well known coach, and now he is the college analyst for ESPN) He feels that beasley will be the better scorer in the NBA, but he feels that mayo has the most potential to be a start a help a team win a title.. He said mayo wants the ball and wants to take the big shots, his offensive game is very good now, but what impressed Gotlieb is his commitment to defense and his desire to be the best(compared it to kobe).... I know this may sound like a bit much, but mayo strikes me as a guy who can be a fantastic two way player on the next level....

Post #4 » by **Flaming Mo** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:11 pm

TKF wrote:good blog mo. Let me tell you what Doug Gotlieb( former Oklahoma state basketball player, father was a well known coach, and now he is the college analyst for ESPN) He feels that beasley will be the better scorer in the NBA, but he feels that mayo has the most potential to be a start a help a team win a title.. He said mayo wants the ball and wants to take the big shots, his offensive game is very good now, but what impressed Gotlieb is his commitment to defense and his desire to be the best(compared it to kobe).... I know this may sound like a bit much, but mayo strikes me as a guy who can be a fantastic two way player on the next level....

I like Gottlieb as a color commentator. In the studio he gets a little cocky at times but I think he knows his stuff unlike some of the other analysts on ESPN.
I agree and I'm very impressed with how Mayo handles himself. You don't see him being frustrated, you don't see him angry or anything at all. Now I would like to see some more emotion and a little more enthusiasm, but it also tells a lot about his demeanor and his maturity.
I don't know if Beasley is as mature. Great talent sure but sometimes I just have my problem with how he handles himself. For example in a game against Nebraska earlier in the year, they were filming him up close during warmups and he was acting all cocky and said into the camera that he might go for 50 tonight. As it happened, K-State lost the game. Not a huge incident, but not good either...

TKF · Post #5 » by **TKF** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:18 pm

Flaming Mo wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

I like Gottlieb as a color commentator. In the studio he gets a little cocky at times but I think he knows his stuff unlike some of the other analysts on ESPN.
I agree and I'm very impressed with how Mayo handles himself. You don't see him being frustrated, you don't see him angry or anything at all. Now I would like to see some more emotion and a little more enthusiasm, but it also tells a lot about his demeanor and his maturity.
I don't know if Beasley is as mature. Great talent sure but sometimes I just have my problem with how he handles himself. For example in a game against Nebraska earlier in the year, they were filming him up close during warmups and he was acting all cocky and said into the camera that he might go for 50 tonight. As it happened, K-State lost the game. Not a huge incident, but not good either...

good point about beasley.. but back to mayo for a minute.. His defense for a guy who is as offensively talented as he is, impresses me the most.. I would like to see mayo work on his handle and passing tho...

Post #6 » by **Flaming Mo** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:25 pm

TKF wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
good point about beasley.. but back to mayo for a minute.. His defense for a guy who is as offensively talented as he is, impresses me the most.. I would like to see mayo work on his handle and passing tho...

True. As I said in the blog, Mayo's defense is well beyond his years. Excellent footwork paired with his long arms. I like the fact that he never tries to gamble or go for steals when it is not necessary, he is a very smart and disciplined defender.

You are right about his handling and passing, even though both areas are solid already. I think he has to work on his quickness the most, maybe even shed a few pounds. But you know with Mayo, under the right circumstances, he will do everything to be great. As Gottlieb said, he has that hunger and determination...

GuyverADL · Post #7 » by **GuyverADL** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:33 pm

Mayo is the most complete player in the draft hands down. This talk of him not having handle is false. Just because a guy doesnt do And1 moves and dribble behind his back or perform 4 crossovers to get by his man does not mean he cant handle the ball. Mayo doesnt pound the ball for 10 seconds guys. He surveys the floor and if he if he isnt going to do anything with is he passes it.

Having Mayo on the floor will improve any teams ball movement. I know we're used to seeing Nate and Crawford dribble around for 10 seconds before they shoot so we arent used to seeing an efficient player shoot without performing a basketball trick.

Post #8 » by **Flaming Mo** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:40 pm

optimusadl wrote:Mayo is the most complete player in the draft hands down. This talk of him not having handle is false. Just because a guy doesnt do And1 moves and dribble behind his back or perform 4 crossovers to get by his man does not mean he cant handle the ball. Mayo doesnt pound the ball for 10 seconds guys. He surveys the floor and if he if he isnt going to do anything with is he passes it.

Having Mayo on the floor will improve any teams ball movement. I know we're used to seeing Nate and Crawford dribble around for 10 seconds before they shoot so we arent used to seeing an efficient player shoot without performing a basketball trick.

Very good point about his handle. Now people use the fact that he's 20 already as an argument against him, I say it is the reason why he is so well beyond his years. This is a great thing in today's NBA where many young players enter too early and basically never learn some things...

randomhero423 · Post #9 » by **randomhero423** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:50 pm

good read.

i don't think mayo has unlimited potential. he is already 20 and i can't seem him really improving into a 28 ppg scorer. i think he'll have a rip hamilton like role on a team.

the three people who can stop michael beasley is: sean miller, michael beasley, and the referees.

Big C · Post #10 » by **Big C** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:09 pm

I really enjoyed reading your blog. I do feel that both players will make a contribution to the NBA. It all depends on what team drafts them and system that is ran. If you look at all the talent that Chris Paul has you still have to look at the good coaching of coach Scott.

As we have learned as Knick fans the environment is the most important thing along with skill level.

GuyverADL · Post #11 » by **GuyverADL** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:10 pm

randomhero423 wrote:good read.

i don't think mayo has unlimited potential. he is already 20 and i can't seem him really improving into a 28 ppg scorer. i think he'll have a rip hamilton like role on a team.

the three people who can stop michael beasley is: sean miller, michael beasley, and the referees.

Who says Mayo has unlimited potential?

The man can play great D and without hand checking and doesnt shoot for the sake of shooting. He plays under control even when they were getting hammered on the boards. He actually trusted his teammates even when they were getting embarrassed by Beasley and company. I respect that. He definitely can play PG with his passing ability along. He was throwing bullet and bounce passes that were on the money. Imagine his passing to players who can actually score after they catch the ball. Its scary because he does it all. O and the fact he isnt crazy like Artest is a plus.

People keep saying we need a perimeter defender and Mayo is that guy.

Let me as you a question what do you think 27 old Crawford would have done last night in Mayo's place? I think he would have chucked up alot of garbage and USC would have still lost and Pullen would have had 20 points.

randomhero423 · Post #12 » by **randomhero423** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:14 pm

he did "Yet you can't deny the unlimited potential this guy has."

i think mayo is better than crawford by far. but then again, A LOT of players are better than jamal crawford....

he plays good defense...richard hamilton plays good defense too. i think mayo is a better passer on offense than hamilton, but that's about it for me.

he's going to be a solid player. not going to be something amazing or chris paul. LOL

Red Vines · Post #13 » by **Red Vines** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:15 pm

TKF wrote:good blog mo. Let me tell you what Doug Gotlieb( former Oklahoma state basketball player, father was a well known coach, and now he is the college analyst for ESPN) He feels that beasley will be the better scorer in the NBA, but he feels that mayo has the most potential to be a start a help a team win a title..

Gottlieb also lists Chase Budinger as the best dunker in college basketball.

Brownsville's Finest · Post #14 » by **Brownsville's Finest** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:20 pm

optimusadl wrote:Mayo is the most complete player in the draft hands down. This talk of him not having handle is false. Just because a guy doesnt do And1 moves and dribble behind his back or perform 4 crossovers to get by his man does not mean he cant handle the ball. Mayo doesnt pound the ball for 10 seconds guys. He surveys the floor and if he if he isnt going to do anything with is he passes it.

Having Mayo on the floor will improve any teams ball movement. I know we're used to seeing Nate and Crawford dribble around for 10 seconds before they shoot so we arent used to seeing an efficient player shoot without performing a basketball trick.

trust me he can do all that

randomhero423 · Post #15 » by **randomhero423** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:22 pm

OH 27 year old jamal crawford. jamal would have scored 50 and won the game..

JBoogs37 · Post #16 » by **JBoogs37** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 4:48 pm

Mayo's potential goes beyond his lack of freak athleticism. Uber athletic guys with not much skill aren't the only guys with unlimited potential(DeAndre Jordan, Derrick Rose). Mayo still has a ton to learn about the nuances of the game. Others do too, but in watching him play, it looks like he was so good, at such a young age, no coach has tried to teach him the game. "Just go score OJ." That's what he's asked to do.

My point is, OJ can be as good as he wants. Skill-wise, he's almost already there. I've already heard that he plans to do a ton of film work over the summer. Watching guys like John Stockton, Tim Hardaway etc., to help get a better understanding of the PG position. He's said he wants to be great. If he plays the point, he can be. At SG, he'll be pretty good. It's up to him and always has been. I think getting knocked out in the first round of the tourney should be a wake up call for him. His passing and court vision are on an elite level already. Keep improving OJ, and learn the game, let everyone else talk. He'll be fine.

TKF · Post #17 » by **TKF** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:10 pm

JBoogs37 wrote:Mayo's potential goes beyond his lack of freak athleticism. Uber athletic guys with not much skill aren't the only guys with unlimited potential(DeAndre Jordan, Derrick Rose). Mayo still has a ton to learn about the nuances of the game. Others do too, but in watching him play, it looks like he was so good, at such a young age, no coach has tried to teach him the game. "Just go score OJ." That's what he's asked to do.

My point is, OJ can be as good as he wants. Skill-wise, he's almost already there. I've already heard that he plans to do a ton of film work over the summer. Watching guys like John Stockton, Tim Hardaway etc., to help get a better understanding of the PG position. He's said he wants to be great. If he plays the point, he can be. At SG, he'll be pretty good. It's up to him and always has been. I think getting knocked out in the first round of the tourney should be a wake up call for him. His passing and court vision are on an elite level already. Keep improving OJ, and learn the game, let everyone else talk. He'll be fine.

you make a great point. Most people think you have to be an athletic freak in order to have a high ceiling.. You don't. I remember an argument we had on these boards. It was who has more potential. Nate or Gerald green. I took nate, now both he and gerald green are athletic freaks, but some people thought because nate was samall and green was tall and an athletic freak, his ceiling was higher. I didn't agree. I also noted that part of potential is having the dicipline and mindset to reach that potential. Nate can bee a bit unbridled, but nate is a basketball player, as well as an athlete. Nate has a decent basketball IQ and a high skillset. can dribble, finish, shoot, pass(when he wants) All I saw in gerald greed was a highlight reel dunker...

This leads me to mayo... His skillset is sick. The guy has unlimted range on his shot, I mean he has arena range... his defense is very impressive and he is a good athlete. But it is his desire to be the best that I love...

Post #18 » by **moocow007** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:48 pm

So Mayo is hiding all the skills that he's really good at that he's just not shown because?

Mayo is by no means a bad player. In fact he's a very interesting player. But to say that his handles is not a problem and then say he's also an NBA starting PG is just a sign that either you need new glasses, should cut down on the drugs or just try to be a bit honest to yourself (that making a mistake in judgment is ok).

Good grief guys. Mayo MAY be a great dribbler. He MAY have great handles. But, and I'll ask it again, why is he hiding it? Why is he picking up his dribble at looking to dump the ball at the first sign of any defender coming at him before he passes half court (which he did ALL GAME yesterday when K-State started to press defensively...and it's a big reason why the ball spent so much time in the hands of guys like Hackett who really shouldn't be handling the ball if Mayo can actually do all that.)? Why doesn't he drive to the basket if he is such a great ball handler (and NO he doesn't)?

You can use the "he's just trying to get his teammates involved" excuse only so often just like you can only use the "Rose isn't averaging the assists per game you expect because of the Memphis system" excuse so often. At what point does reality actually set in guys?

And athleticism DOES matter if you expect him to do anything more than what he's been doing, which is zipping snazzy passes from a standstill and hitting deep wide open 3's. If he's supposed to be this great NBA do all PG or SG, athleticism DOES matter. And it does matter cause the level of the NBA is such that it requires it or everyone would be able to be great in college AND the NBA.

And no, athleticism is not the only thing, but it has to be one of them to be great in the NBA as a SG especially (which IS what he is).