Bruno Caboclo discussion thread

[Anatomize]

http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-3/Jesse-Mermuys-with-Jeff-Blair-jb-20140717-Interview.mp3

Raptors assistant coach assesses Caboclo

Jesse Mermuys, assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors, discusses the team's performance at the NBA Summer League, with a particular focus on the club's top pick this past draft, Bruno Caboclo.

Someone should spend a fan590 hour discussing Mermuys' performance

[Pusha-T]

Bruno's shooting is not 2 years away from anything, it's here

He's shown to have a very developed long range game and could possibly become the best 3 point scorer on our team this season. He needs confidence, then sky's the limit.

[FluLikeSymptoms]

I think Bruno's handle is a bit better too. Not sure Wiggins uses his fingertips for anything at all, but he seems to see everything in slow-mo and at the same time he is the most explosive player on the court- he's like a time lord or something. Bruno isn't without a feel for the game but you know which guy has been working alone/alongside bums for the past couple years and which guy has been playing games against top competition.

[Double Helix]

Full SL mix of Bruno

[Double Helix]

Strictly for some perspective, here's some footage of Kawhi Leonard at 18 going on 19. He was a top 50 recruit. Imagine if he had been drafted then and had played in SL. How might he have looked? Instead, he was in the NCAA for 2 years, bulked up, grew as a player and ended up a high pick and now years later from being drafted has become one of the top complimentary two-way wings in the game.

I bring this up mostly for some historical perspective on how an elite complimentary player looked as a teen. We all remember Kobe, Lebron, T-Mac back in HS but what about an elite complimentary guy that wouldn't be a 25ppg talent? I was curious what our impressions of a player like that would have been like had we had their rights back then. Would we be able to imagine the player Kawhi is today? I realize everyone's probably becoming a little tired of all these Bruno comparisons but I really feel the Batum/Leonard range is a still optimistic but more realistic target than Durant one.

I also think Bruno will be groomed initially for the same 3&D SF role that Leonard started with and he will then be allowed to branch out from there as the years go on. Strength-training, further skill refinement and defensive training and footage analysis is probably priority #1 his rookie year. I mean, why wouldn't those be the top priorities considering they're the biggest things holding him back from court time, right? Highly specialized training of this type simply wouldn't be as focused on Bruno overseas and that's precisely why I think Masai's decision to start paying and training him now is a good one. Draft and stash probably works better when the prospect already has a good relationship with his team and the coaches and is getting playing time. There would be no guarantee of anything if we sent Bruno to Europe though.

[BangerBrotha]

Strictly for some perspective, here's some footage of Kawhi Leonard at 18 going on 19. He was a top 50 recruit. Imagine if he had been drafted then and had played in SL. How might he have looked? Instead, he was in the NCAA for 2 years, bulked up, grew as a player and ended up a high pick and now years later from being drafted has become one of the top complimentary two-way wings in the game.

I bring this up mostly for some historical perspective on how an elite complimentary player looked as a teen. We all remember Kobe, Lebron, T-Mac back in HS but what about an elite complimentary guy that wouldn't be a 25ppg talent? I was curious what our impressions of a player like that would have been like had we had their rights back then. Would we be able to imagine the player Kawhi is today? I realize everyone's probably becoming a little tired of all these Bruno comparisons but I really feel the Batum/Leonard range is a still optimistic but more realistic target than Durant one.

I also think Bruno will be groomed initially for the same 3&D SF role that Leonard started with and he will then be allowed to branch out from there as the years go on. Strength-training, further skill refinement and defensive training and footage analysis is probably priority #1 his rookie year. I mean, why wouldn't those be the top priorities considering they're the biggest things holding him back from court time, right? Highly specialized training of this type simply wouldn't be as focused on Bruno overseas and that's precisely why I think Masai's decision to start paying and training him now is a good one. Draft and stash probably works better when the prospect already has a good relationship with his team and the coaches and is getting playing time. There would be no guarantee of anything if we sent Bruno to Europe though.

You are right on the money. I was thinking about Leonard last night, and how his role was just shooting corner 3's, playing D and rebounding for his team. And this year, he has became much better at creating shots for himself. Bruno should just focus on a couple of areas for now, and then as he he improves, he can branch out like what you said.

The only concern I have watching summer league games is that Bruno seems to be a poor rebounder. He doesn't seem to be quick enough to get the rebound in his area. With his length, it's inexcusable to average only 2 rebounds per game in summer league.

[RaptorHusky]

You are right on the money. I was thinking about Leonard last night, and how his role was just shooting corner 3's, playing D and rebounding for his team. And this year, he has became much better at creating shots for himself. Bruno should just focus on a couple of areas for now, and then as he he improves, he can branch out like what you said.

The only concern I have watching summer league games is that Bruno seems to be a poor rebounder. He doesn't seem to be quick enough to get the rebound in his area. With his length, it's inexcusable to average only 2 rebounds per game in summer league.

I guess that his rebounding figures are mostly caused by defense that is totally different from what Bruno has seen so far. I mean, permanent contact, boxing out etc is not what you can meet in Latin basketball of mid- and low-level - or, at least, it is very seldom there. Active lessons with coaching staff, practicing one-on-one with Lou and TRoss should make him familiar with such life on the court and I trully hope that in some 2 months (not 2 years + 2 years ) we'll see completely different Bruno.

[youngtea]

Bruno's shooting is not 2 years away from anything, it's here

He's shown to have a very developed long range game and could possibly become the best 3 point scorer on our team this season. He needs confidence, then sky's the limit.

He can shoot, but there were reports he needs to alter his shooting form so he shoots higher and not in front of his head.

[MEDIC]

I think Bruno's handle is a bit better too. Not sure Wiggins uses his fingertips for anything at all, but he seems to see everything in slow-mo and at the same time he is the most explosive player on the court- he's like a time lord or something. Bruno isn't without a feel for the game but you know which guy has been working alone/alongside bums for the past couple years and which guy has been playing games against top competition.

You know, I almost said ball handling as well......but I was hesitant because Bruno hasn't really shown us that much. He has been very "safe" with the ball for the most part (we haven't seen him cross anyone over, etc). Wiggins has been the complete opposite. Wiggins has almost been trying to do too much. Wiggins is just so damn quick, he needs to get to the point where things slow down for him & start to feel natural.

Between the two, I would say that Bruno looks like a more natural ball handler. He just looks smoother. Wiggins so far has kind of looked like a Derozan or Ross type ball handler. Not all that smooth.......kind of mechanical, but can do enough to get the job done.

Bruno's crazy, long ass arms really help because he can keep a nice low dribble & he can keep the ball a good distance from the defender when driving one on one. He kind of reminds me of Jeremy Lamb in that regard.

Sometimes Bruno reminds me of Lamb on the court. Just a taller/ lankier version of him.

Lamb's Freshman season:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSg0jttR9HI[/youtube]

Of course Lamb is a quicker & more explosive player being 6'5" rather than 6'9".

[Pusha-T]

Bruno's shooting is not 2 years away from anything, it's here

He's shown to have a very developed long range game and could possibly become the best 3 point scorer on our team this season. He needs confidence, then sky's the limit.

He can shoot, but there were reports he needs to alter his shooting form so he shoots higher and not in front of his head.

Yea, his shot is a little weird but maybe with his size and length he might not have to alter it too much.

[Psubs]

Strictly for some perspective, here's some footage of Kawhi Leonard at 18 going on 19. He was a top 50 recruit. Imagine if he had been drafted then and had played in SL. How might he have looked? Instead, he was in the NCAA for 2 years, bulked up, grew as a player and ended up a high pick and now years later from being drafted has become one of the top complimentary two-way wings in the game.

I bring this up mostly for some historical perspective on how an elite complimentary player looked as a teen. We all remember Kobe, Lebron, T-Mac back in HS but what about an elite complimentary guy that wouldn't be a 25ppg talent? I was curious what our impressions of a player like that would have been like had we had their rights back then. Would we be able to imagine the player Kawhi is today? I realize everyone's probably becoming a little tired of all these Bruno comparisons but I really feel the Batum/Leonard range is a still optimistic but more realistic target than Durant one.

I also think Bruno will be groomed initially for the same 3&D SF role that Leonard started with and he will then be allowed to branch out from there as the years go on. Strength-training, further skill refinement and defensive training and footage analysis is probably priority #1 his rookie year. I mean, why wouldn't those be the top priorities considering they're the biggest things holding him back from court time, right? Highly specialized training of this type simply wouldn't be as focused on Bruno overseas and that's precisely why I think Masai's decision to start paying and training him now is a good one. Draft and stash probably works better when the prospect already has a good relationship with his team and the coaches and is getting playing time. There would be no guarantee of anything if we sent Bruno to Europe though.

Durant wasn't that highly recruited out of HS and even Maryland passed on him but got teammate Vasquez.

NBDL should be a good way to control his development while giving him PT.

[youngtea]

Strictly for some perspective, here's some footage of Kawhi Leonard at 18 going on 19. He was a top 50 recruit. Imagine if he had been drafted then and had played in SL. How might he have looked? Instead, he was in the NCAA for 2 years, bulked up, grew as a player and ended up a high pick and now years later from being drafted has become one of the top complimentary two-way wings in the game.

I bring this up mostly for some historical perspective on how an elite complimentary player looked as a teen. We all remember Kobe, Lebron, T-Mac back in HS but what about an elite complimentary guy that wouldn't be a 25ppg talent? I was curious what our impressions of a player like that would have been like had we had their rights back then. Would we be able to imagine the player Kawhi is today? I realize everyone's probably becoming a little tired of all these Bruno comparisons but I really feel the Batum/Leonard range is a still optimistic but more realistic target than Durant one.

I also think Bruno will be groomed initially for the same 3&D SF role that Leonard started with and he will then be allowed to branch out from there as the years go on. Strength-training, further skill refinement and defensive training and footage analysis is probably priority #1 his rookie year. I mean, why wouldn't those be the top priorities considering they're the biggest things holding him back from court time, right? Highly specialized training of this type simply wouldn't be as focused on Bruno overseas and that's precisely why I think Masai's decision to start paying and training him now is a good one. Draft and stash probably works better when the prospect already has a good relationship with his team and the coaches and is getting playing time. There would be no guarantee of anything if we sent Bruno to Europe though.

Durant wasn't that highly recruited out of HS and even Maryland passed on him but got teammate Vasquez.

NBDL should be a good way to control his development while giving him PT.

So you just decided to make up bull.

Kevin landed on the radar of virtually every major college hoops program in the country. He looked ready to step into any starting lineup. At 6–9, he retained the quickness and instincts of a point guard. No one in high school could guard Kevin, yet instead of pouring in points, he used his talents to get his teammates involved.

http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Durant/Durant_bio.html

Show me a report saying Maryland passed on Kevin Durant.

[youngtea]

Bruno's shooting is not 2 years away from anything, it's here

He's shown to have a very developed long range game and could possibly become the best 3 point scorer on our team this season. He needs confidence, then sky's the limit.

He can shoot, but there were reports he needs to alter his shooting form so he shoots higher and not in front of his head.

Yea, his shot is a little weird but maybe with his size and length he might not have to alter it too much.

Not sure what his size and length have to do with anything. He needs to shoot higher so his shot won't be blocked. Being tall only has advantage if you actually use it and not bring down the ball to release.

[Young_Buc]

Durant DEFINITELY was highly recruited. He was seen as a potential AK47 though (long arms averaged 5 blocks per game) People never expected him to be who he became AT ALL (probably because he was an inconsistent shooter and not an athletic freak)

[visionquest]

[Psubs]

So you just decided to make up bull.

Kevin landed on the radar of virtually every major college hoops program in the country. He looked ready to step into any starting lineup. At 6–9, he retained the quickness and instincts of a point guard. No one in high school could guard Kevin, yet instead of pouring in points, he used his talents to get his teammates involved.

http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Durant/Durant_bio.html

Show me a report saying Maryland passed on Kevin Durant.

I believe I heard it on a TV broadcast. I guess I just passed on their mistake? Did he mention it in his MVP speech?

[barrist]

According to this, Durant wasn't heavily recruited by Maryland specifically (they didn't want one-and-done players apparently).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6358 ... ball-coach

But I'm sure he was heavily recruited everywhere else.

[CoachJReturns]

Another superstar small forward not recruited out of high-school:

Scottie Pippen

[Roland Brice]

http://pmd.fan590.com/audio_on_demand-3/Jesse-Mermuys-with-Jeff-Blair-jb-20140717-Interview.mp3

Raptors assistant coach assesses Caboclo

Jesse Mermuys, assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors, discusses the team's performance at the NBA Summer League, with a particular focus on the club's top pick this past draft, Bruno Caboclo.

Someone should spend a fan590 hour discussing Mermuys' performance

I'll sum it up in two words: he sucks.

[MEDIC]

My Bell Satellite guide says Raps vs. Clippers @ 6:00am.