enderwilson wrote:SacKingZZZ wrote:City of Trees wrote:So what is the argument here? Is it that young guys picked #1-#5 have to play right away or the rebuild won't work? Because that's not true.
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I think the argument was that it's atypical to do this. And it is.
True.
But what is typical is that most players picked 1-5 never truly reach their anticipated potential. And why is that? I have no clear answer, but perhaps it's the expectation that they're NBA ready from day one when in reality, they're not.
If Fox is ready, then perhaps he'll start over Hill. If not, he'll come off the bench. Either way, as a 19 year old, he has solid vets to help him reach his potential and minimize the frustration and intimidation of playing under basketball's brightest lights.
Indeed, and it's because it depends on how lofty those expectations are. Sometimes players are compared to once in a ten to fifteen year player so the odds are against them anyway. Also, there are only so many opportunities for players to be put in a role to produce numbers, which a lot of the time is what prognosticators look at. You can't take someone, compare them to Kobe Bryant, and them proceed to give them 10 shots a game.
You can ask any player and I'd bet they'll tell you that nothing makes up for being on the floor, under those bright lights. I'm good with easing them in depending on the time line. It's the frustration and intimidation that will show the kind of players these guys are. The baby gloves just better not be on too tightly. If it even is baby gloves that is. This might be about winning games now, who knows. If it is I'm all for the experiment at the start, see where it goes. Again, just don't wait too long to switch gears because any games wasted is valuable on court development time gone. Young players learn by failing, but they have to have a chance to fail first. I'm not saying Joerger will do this, but we've seen coaches yank the young guys left and right for mistakes instead of allowing them to play through them and one by one we've watching Kings lottery picks fall by the wayside. That can work at the college level, but breeds contempt at the pro level if your team isn't winning anyway.