What were you right about?

[DCZards]

Very few of us ever questioned Javale's talent and size when he was with the Zards. It was his gawd awful decision-making that was hard to watch or stomach.

He's clearly gotten smarter...or maybe playing with Steph & KD and then with Lebron & AD had something to do with McGee not thinking he was a PG and trying to go end-to-end...only to result in an ugly turnover more often than not.

I'm happy for Javale tho...and I can understand why teams would be interested in acquiring him for his rebounding and rim protection.

[pancakes3]

i mean, tanking aside, he'd be a better pickup than Len by a mile.

[pancakes3]

and i don't remember who i was right about but the list of guys i was wrong about is long and distinguished.

i thought noel would be a DPOY-caliber player.
i thought shai gilgeous-alexander would bust.
i thought delon wright was going to be a star.
Nik Stauskas i thought would be a joe-harris type.
Joe Harris I thought would be out of the league like Nik Stauskas.
I had high hopes for TJ Warren and Kyle Anderson.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

i mean, tanking aside, he'd be a better pickup than Len by a mile.

Had the very same thought! How about Bryant, Len, and McGee next season? Lopez is an attractive trade chip and McGee will be cheaper.

[doclinkin]

He’s better now than earlier in his career.

And this is why no one was 'right' on liking him early in his career. Since whatever team took him would not get the full benefit of his potential until he got out of his own way and started undoing some of his bad habits --INCLUDING the highlight that initiated this thread.

JaVale has always seen himself as an 'evolutionary' big man, with unique skills. The problem is his ADHD (diagnosed but unmedicated last I knew) gets in the way of his developing that talent. He has never put in the consistent work to live up to that talent. If he had the drive and focus of a Kobe Bryant he could have been Wilt level great. We will never ever ever ever evvvver see anyone replicate his dunk contest dunks. Travishamockery that Griffin and his Kia sponsorship won that event. Who else can dunk three basketballs in one jump? Who else can dunk on two side by side baskets at the same time?

Sadly he wanted to shoot three pointers and dribble instead of learning footwork and defensive positioning etc. And for the first few years when he wasn't running in the wrong direction and Shaqtin the Fool, he was jumping at every pump fake trying to block shots, or getting called for goaltending, instead of using that length and those quick feet to wall off entire zip codes of real estate on defense.

Meanwhile other actual evolutionary players like Unibrow entered the game and passed him.

Anyone who bet on JaVale early lost the bet. If teams want to bet on him late when he has picked up some veteran savvy then they may get a better return on investment. Unlike say Cousins who, if you are betting on him now, you are losing. DMC never learned from his mistakes, and he too wants to be a jumpshooting center with a finesse perimeter game.

[doclinkin]

he was misused early in his career by terrible coaching

This part I'd agree with. Though not for the reasons you state. I wish he had as a coach Flip Saunders' buddy Kevin McHale. What JaVale needed most was not to be posted outside chucking threes, but to be taught footwork drills and to work with a guard who knew how to feed him. Pau Gasol had an interior game. Check his run with Spain. If JaVale concentrated on learning some basic Tim Duncan fundamentals, he would have had a hall of fame career. His physical bonafides are unmatchable. As an outside player, let him shoot. But on the interior, as you site by showing his 33/20 game, he is tough to match when he is playing well in that role. Still. LA let him go even after all of that. He has rings with various teams that didn't keep him. However good he was, he wasn't good enough for good teams to retain his services. Maybe they knew something behind the scenes?

[NatP4]

I was right about Tomas Satoransky, that’s about it.

[doclinkin]

I was wrong about: Mo Almond.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I was wrong about: Mo Almond.

You rock, doclinkin. Touché.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

One of the things I said about more Allman (edited to say AUTOCORRECT SUX) is that he is better than JJ Redick.

JJ Redick is still playing basketball in the NBA! Something like 15 years. When I swing and miss I REALLY miss!

The best part about the Mo Almond story is his father sent me an email thanking me for whatever part I had of him getting those 10 day deals.

The deal about Mo Almond is that I am also born on February 2 Groundhog Day. I really did have a dream about what his agent should say and they really signed him up in about seven hours after that dream.His agent had even no longer been on retainer but he forwarded the message.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Vesely should come back just to redeem himself in the NBA. He and Tomas Satoransky should be on this team of international players.

[queridiculo]

One thing almost all of us universally agreed and were right on, Ernest should have never been in charge heading into the fateful 2016 offseason.

Leonsis smugly laughing off criticism of Ernest as pixels is the same sort of arrogance that has the Wizards staring into the abyss yet again.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Javale has played long enough that now he has evolved. He has peaked athletically but he's ripe to coached up.

Sky hook
Dream shake
McHale's up and under
George Mikan drills

McGee still has upside because he's still an elite athlete. Playing with and practicing against Davis had to help McGee. LeBron threw Javale alley oops. The dude is a baller.

He’s better now than earlier in his career.

And this is why no one was 'right' on liking him early in his career. Since whatever team took him would not get the full benefit of his potential until he got out of his own way and started undoing some of his bad habits --INCLUDING the highlight that initiated this thread.

JaVale has always seen himself as an 'evolutionary' big man, with unique skills. The problem is his ADHD (diagnosed but unmedicated last I knew) gets in the way of his developing that talent. He has never put in the consistent work to live up to that talent. If he had the drive and focus of a Kobe Bryant he could have been Wilt level great. We will never ever ever ever evvvver see anyone replicate his dunk contest dunks. Travishamockery that Griffin and his Kia sponsorship won that event. Who else can dunk three basketballs in one jump? Who else can dunk on two side by side baskets at the same time?

Sadly he wanted to shoot three pointers and dribble instead of learning footwork and defensive positioning etc. And for the first few years when he wasn't running in the wrong direction and Shaqtin the Fool, he was jumping at every pump fake trying to block shots, or getting called for goaltending, instead of using that length and those quick feet to wall off entire zip codes of real estate on defense.

Meanwhile other actual evolutionary players like Unibrow entered the game and passed him.

Anyone who bet on JaVale early lost the bet. If teams want to bet on him late when he has picked up some veteran savvy then they may get a better return on investment. Unlike say Cousins who, if you are betting on him now, you are losing. DMC never learned from his mistakes, and he too wants to be a jumpshooting center with a finesse perimeter game.

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[pcbothwel]

I was right about Tomas Satoransky, that’s about it.

Lol. Yeah. same.
Though Tomas & Otto both peaking with the Wiz and getting worse with the Bulls in the last couple years was something I did not expect.

[payitforward]

I was right about my third marriage. Does that count?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Pif, you are a treasure. I appreciate you for encouragement like this.

God knows I have but one wish besides good health. I want a third marriage. Like yours.



It is possible.

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[payitforward]

Anything's possible -- & it's better to be lucky than smart.

So keep your eyes open. & when you see her, charm her!

[Silvie Lysandra]

I didn't know Javale had unmedicated ADHD. That really really **** explains a lot. I really relate to that, simply because it really really interferes with your ability to focus on a fundamental level. Things like executive processing, making the right decisions in a timely manner, those things are really hard with ADHD, especially unmedicated.

I wonder why he never medicated though, and more important, why did NOT A SINGLE PERSON realize they needed to put him on Adderall? I know ADHD is misunderstood but this is ridiculous (also we do have to account for the fact that he's a big Black man, so its more likely people just saw him as lazy or whatever, which is something that ADHD people struggle with in general, the perception that we're lazy as opposed to our brains not working quite right, and being Black just compounds that, which I can back up with experience).

[doclinkin]

I didn't know Javale had unmedicated ADHD. That really really **** explains a lot. I really relate to that, simply because it really really interferes with your ability to focus on a fundamental level. Things like executive processing, making the right decisions in a timely manner, those things are really hard with ADHD, especially unmedicated.

I wonder why he never medicated though, and more important, why did NOT A SINGLE PERSON realize they needed to put him on Adderall? I know ADHD is misunderstood but this is ridiculous (also we do have to account for the fact that he's a big Black man, so its more likely people just saw him as lazy or whatever, which is something that ADHD people struggle with in general, the perception that we're lazy as opposed to our brains not working quite right, and being Black just compounds that, which I can back up with experience).

He admitted to it and said he didn't want medication for it. I think this was in an instagram post, I will try to see if I can find a citation.

Here: it is 'fun' to have ADD he says.

https://www.complex.com/sports/2013/04/javale-mcgee-claims-that-living-with-add-is-fun

[pancakes3]

the deeper i get into the corporate cog slog of my professional career, the more blase i get about how some athletes don't perform to their potential. i'm not embodying the mamba mentality sitting here in my cubicle. it's hypocritical to expect that of javale.