"No No No, Don't Shoot" - The Byron Mullens Thread

[Diop]

Yeah I can't make up my mind with Mully. I think his man defence has improved from last year and shows glimpses of competence. His rebounding has definitely improved.

So I guess as long as he is improving, we should be happy? There is still hope he will turn into a solid starting big.

I get so frustrated sometimes but I keep telling myself that.

[Johnlac1]

Yeah I can't make up my mind with Mully. I think his man defence has improved from last year and shows glimpses of competence. His rebounding has definitely improved.

So I guess as long as he is improving, we should be happy? There is still hope he will turn into a solid starting big.

I get so frustrated sometimes but I keep telling myself that.

I'm not a Bobcats fan, but I've seen Mullens play enough times to get a gist of his problems. Mullens is a player who should have stayed two or three years in college. His knowledge of the game was maybe the biggest thing holding him back. In short Byron was sub-par with the mental game. He does seem to be improving on that judging by the higher assist totals than last year. And while he has excellent athleticism, burgeoning 3-ball skill, and a good turn around jump shot, he still lacks a strong go-to inside move. For instance if he had a good shot-fake, his lengthe and athleticism would get him two or three dunks a game. If he had that one go-to move or better fakes,, he's a cinch 18-20 ppg player. As it is he should be averaging at least 15-16, but he's shot lousy for the most part this year. Still he's a much better player than what he was when he entered the league four years ago. And he's still only 23 and has an upside. He's turning into a good rebounder and his onball defense, while still sub-par, is improving. If he adds that go-to off. move, look out.

[vorbis]

His defense isn't that bad. His man to man defense is competent with flashes of being pretty good. It's his help/zone defense that's abysmal and unfortunately that's what he ends up playing the most b/c he has to run out at perimeter shooters all the time in Dunlap's defense.

totally agree with this. i have noticed a huge difference with his man defense as well, but he has no awareness of zone or help concepts, and actively hurts the team in this aspect. unfortunately for him the bobcats play zone as much as anyone in the NBA. i'm not sure mullens is a lost cause or not, but damn if he's not hard to support some nights when he's not in the mood to put forth the extra effort to be an adequate defender and rebounder, and is standing at the arc and jacking up way too many shots.

[dmutombo321]

Mullens makes periodic stupid mistakes and his help defense leaves much to be desired.

However, anyone who thinks this is a better team without him is fooling themselves.

Most of the games he shoots us out of are games we wouldnt have even been in had it not been for his other contributions.

Quite frankly, he's become a better rebounder than Biyombo. And aside from Walker and Hendo, he's the best offensive player on the team (a sad fact that puts into perspective just how bad we are).

This sounds high school-esque but if I was Dunlap, I would cap his 3 pt attempts at three per game and then bench him if he exceeds his quota. He's fallen too much in love with the 3 pt shot. I mentioned in pre-season the I was fine with him taking as many as he wanted, provided he continued to shoot over 40%. Now that he's failing to achieve that, he needs to taper back.

He has an ability to score in the post but some games, he never takes the initiative and other games, they dont run any post ups for him.

His board work has improved immensely since last year. My gripes this season involve his occasional defensive lapses and, above all, his atrocious field goal %.

Despite his flaws, he's a net asset to the roster, not a liability.

[amcoolio]

I wouldn't cap the 3's....some of the 3's he takes are good shots and he hits them. Its those stupid trailer 3's that make you facepalm and he probably hits 10% of those if that. Some 3's are contested and he shouldn't take those either. I'd say Mullens makes 40% or more of the wide open 3's where his feet are set and not running into the shot...which is great and since we suck so bad on offense, we should take it where we can

[Kembastockton]

I seem to remember people complaining about the defense of another European big man several years ago. They said this guy needed to get better in the post, and stop shooting threes so much as well. If Mully can get anywhere close to the success of this other European we might get use to his outside play.

[Diop]

The other thing to consider is that Dunlap has structured the team around Kemba being aggressive and driving into the pain. He probably likes and encourages Mully to pull the opposition big out of the paint.

Might be a big reason why he doesn't try to post up much. I get the feeling he will do what he is told.

[fatlever]

The other thing to consider is that Dunlap has structured the team around Kemba being aggressive and driving into the pain. He probably likes and encourages Mully to pull the opposition big out of the paint.

Might be a big reason why he doesn't try to post up much. I get the feeling he will do what he is told.

this makes sense, however there have been several interviews where dunlap talks about how pleased he was that mullens went in the post. in the interviews its almost like dunlap is begging mully to go inside and some days he listens and some days he doesnt.

[thruthefire]

The best compliment I can give Mullens about his defense is that it's better than his offense. I doubt you'll find another starter who is putting up numbers like this: 45.5 TS%, 20.6 USG%, 8.2 AST%, 10.8 TOV%, 94 ORTG.

It's a comparable line to a rookie Adam Morrison's, who likewise average nearly 12 points. His line that season: 45.0 TS%, 22.4 USG%, 11.9 AST%, 11.3 TOV%, 91 ORTG.

Obviously, Mullens rebounding ability alone gives him more value than Morrison ever had. An the upside is that his size and relative athleticism give him a much better chance of improving. I'll also add that despite his comment on being a cross of Stoudamire, Garnett, and whoever else, Mullens probably realizes that he's not going to get nearly the playing time that he could get here next season somewhere else. I don't think he'd be in any other team's rotation, quite frankly. So I'm not really concerned about "losing" him after this season like I am with Hendo.

[DY_nasty]

I seem to remember people complaining about the defense of another European big man several years ago. They said this guy needed to get better in the post, and stop shooting threes so much as well. If Mully can get anywhere close to the success of this other European we might get use to his outside play.

I hate those crappy Dirk comparisons...

Not every young 6'10+ white guy that can shoot is Dirk in the making. Mullens will be lucky if he's ever as good as Troy Murphy.

[LamarMatic7]

I truly believe that this is the worst piece of weak side defense (or rather lack of it) I have ever seen in my life.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wHU02bxuQI[/youtube]

[LamarMatic7]

Watching it again and again it seems so bad that it's beautiful in it's own way. The lazy hop he does to show that he's sort of trying to make it over there still amazes me.

[Bomber]

Mullens got some crazy sick skills...in tunnel vision

[fatlever]

mully out "several weeks" according to wiretap.

[fatlever]

nice work on the video lamar. i remember that play. it was in the middle of a run of awful defense by the bigs.

i would love to be a fly on the wall when the cats go over video of games. i am dying to hear what dunlap is telling these guys when he sees stuff like that.

[Kembastockton]

I seem to remember people complaining about the defense of another European big man several years ago. They said this guy needed to get better in the post, and stop shooting threes so much as well. If Mully can get anywhere close to the success of this other European we might get use to his outside play.

I hate those crappy Dirk comparisons...

Not every young 6'10+ white guy that can shoot is Dirk in the making. Mullens will be lucky if he's ever as good as Troy Murphy.

I compared one seven foot European that likes to shoot to another. I did not compare him to Andrea because Mully seems to already be well on his way to becoming a better rebounder. Last time I checked Troy Murphy wasn't a seven foot Euro. Mully isn't even the same type of player that Troy is. Troy has always been a banger with a good shot. Mully is basically a seven foot small forward like Dirk.

[DY_nasty]

I compared one seven foot European that likes to shoot to another. I did not compare him to Andrea because Mully seems to already be well on his way to becoming a better rebounder. Last time I checked Troy Murphy wasn't a seven foot Euro. Mully isn't even the same type of player that Troy is. Troy has always been a banger with a good shot. Mully is basically a seven foot small forward like Dirk.

Why are you calling Mullens a European player? He was born overseas but the vast majority of his junior career was under American ball rules. You wouldn't call Kyrie or Ben Gordon European, right?

The only thing Mullens is good at is rebounding and making fast,strong moves in the low post and stretching a defense from beyond 18ft - so maybe if he's lucky, he can be a Troy Murphy. Its just doing no favors to the player or your own discussion by comparing them to an all-time great. Especially if that player has nothing in common other than being a tall and white. Dirk had a natural feel for the game in his very first year in the NBA and people seem to forget that he was absolutely destroying his league overseas. Nothing Mullens has done is comparable. The things that Mullens can do well naturally are not the same things that Dirk could do well naturally. Mullens can rebound. He can block shots. He can make moves from the low post.

When Mullens isn't being a complete paper bag, he can do some VERY good things. But he doesn't. Because he's got the same mindset as cotton candy and paper bags not to mention an absolute fear of accountability.

[Kembastockton]

Why are you calling Mullens a European player? He was born overseas but the vast majority of his junior career was under American ball rules. You wouldn't call Kyrie or Ben Gordon European, right?

Because he is British. I said European player. I didn't say Euro-league player. If Kyrie and Ben honor their citizenship to European countries yes I would.

The only thing Mullens is good at is rebounding and making fast,strong moves in the low post and stretching a defense from beyond 18ft - so maybe if he's lucky, he can be a Troy Murphy. Its just doing no favors to the player or your own discussion by comparing them to an all-time great. Especially if that player has nothing in common other than being a tall and white. Dirk had a natural feel for the game in his very first year in the NBA and people seem to forget that he was absolutely destroying his league overseas. Nothing Mullens has done is comparable. The things that Mullens can do well naturally are not the same things that Dirk could do well naturally. Mullens can rebound. He can block shots. He can make moves from the low post.

Why are we having this conversation? I said if Mully could ever be as good Dirk we would all be happy. I never said that he would get there. Troy Murphy is not setting the bar very high for where we hope Mully ascends.

[Diop]

You wouldn't call Kyrie European, right?

No I would call him Australian.

[Snidely FC]

Everybody keeps saying Mullens is a shooter. I remember last season when he first started getting playing time he made everything in sight from around 15 ft. Over this summer someone seems to have pointed out that the mid-range is an inefficient shot and that he would better serve the team as a stretch 4. Thus, a torrent of 3 pointers. Here's the problem: His 3 pt shooting % is lower than Hendo (leading the team at 45% this yr!), Gordon (42%), Walker(34%), Sessions(32%), and even Taylor(30.6%). Yet Mullens(30.3%) takes averages 4.5 threes/game.

Maybe by taking the 3 he's spreading the floor, but 1) we aren't strong offensive rebounding team and 2) there is an opportunity cost in Mullens occupying that spot on the floor. Hendo or Gordon should be rotating to that spot and Mully, who IS valuable as a rebounder (8/game, twice as many as Bargnani by the way) could be under the hoop to vye for offensive boards, or at least provide someone in the post that can receive passes to open up the perimeter for our real shooters.

Why doesn't Dunlap turn off the green light for this supposed shooter and make him do the things that will better help the team?