Finally found a Big Baby

Ricky_is_god · Post #1 » by **Ricky_is_god** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:29 pm

It's taken since the last draft, and endless failed comparisons, but I finally found what I think to be an accurate comparison to Glen Davis. Given that he loses 40 pounds or more which I think he is capable of doing over this past season and this next summer.

I think he could be a poor mans David West from New Orleans. Both big bodies, both can rebound, both are excellent low post scorers, and Baby is smart enough to have an offense run through him, like I heard Gorman saying about West in NO. Now I'm not saying Baby will have the offense run through him, nor will he have to, I just think he's a good passer. I think Baby's jump shot is under utilized too, and in a few seasons, he will have a reliable pick and pop jump shot out to 18, just like West.

I guess this is more of a hope for me than a realization, but I really think that although he might not have the stats West does, he can impact a game, and play in a very similar style to David.

chakdaddy · Post #2 » by **chakdaddy** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:38 pm

I can't see it. The money 18 foot jumper seems like the biggest thing in West's game, whereas Big Baby doesn't really have it at all. That makes it a poor basis for a comparison, I think.

Jammer · Post #3 » by **Jammer** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:52 pm

cisco · Post #4 » by **cisco** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 10:53 pm

chakdaddy wrote:I can't see it. The money 18 foot jumper seems like the biggest thing in West's game, whereas Big Baby doesn't really have it at all. That makes it a poor basis for a comparison, I think.

Actually, Big Baby does have a jump shot. He had it in college. Don't know if you saw him play in college, but he played like a SF in college, imo. Powe had one in college too and it is just emerging in his second year. I expect Baby to work on his as well. He has shot it a few times this season.

Bigmiketruth · Post #5 » by **Bigmiketruth** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 12:01 am

Baby would lose a ton of effectiveness if he dropped 40 pounds. I seriously doubt he's going to become the completely different player you're envisioning.

thefoulness · Post #6 » by **thefoulness** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 12:38 am

How can you have a 15-18 footer in college but totally lose it in the pros? Because neither Davis or Powe can hit that shot with any regularity. They make Rondo look like Ray Allen with that.

Love both guys.

But Davis like West? Don't see it, at all.

Celtics_85 · Post #7 » by **Celtics_85** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 1:22 am

Both Tommy and Mike have stated that Davis can hit that jumper, and yes he had that shot in college. Doc wants these guys to take it to the basket and create fouls on their opponents, not settle for that shot. Yes they have taken a few when needed but not that often. Doc will let them take that shot when they become more confident and hit it with more regularity in practice.

Datruth345 · Post #8 » by **Datruth345** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 1:24 am

dont see it

Ed Pinkney · Post #9 » by **Ed Pinkney** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:39 am

Does he really need to lose any weight? He has good speed, footwork, hands and touch for a player of any size, let alone someone his size. The only issue is because of his height, the weight may stop him from getting off the ground quickly and getting his shot blocked. But because he does have good hands, can use his left hand, can do reverse layups etc he can usually get a decent shot off.

Plus his size and strength mean that when larger post players like Duncan try to back him down he just holds them there because of his weight and strength.

Why does he need to lose any weight anyway? He is such a unique player, but a better comparison would be Moses Malone or Charles Barkley. The danger is him becoming Stanley Roberts, Tractor Traylor, or Oliver Miller.

nasbahceltic · Post #10 » by **nasbahceltic** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 4:14 am

I really like Baby's future, but I dont know if I'd compare him to David West. Baby's game is focussed alot more on his strength than West who is more of a finesse guy.

An undersized Moses seems to be an OK comparison, but I don't know if Baby has that killer instinct Moses had. People like to compare undersized power forwards to Barkely, but what alot of people forget is that in his prime Barkely was a supreme athlete at the 4 and this allowed him to do things that guys like Baby will never be able to do.

If Baby can lose enough weight to the point where he doesn't compromise his strength I think we're looking at a guy who can become a legit player. IMO he could not have landed in a better position than he did with this team. Given that he's got great vet leadership, a vet leader to emulate in KG, top notch big man coaching in Clifford Ray and guy in Leon who he has to consistently battle for playing time I think we're going to get the best out of him and all of the maturity concerns he had coming out should fall by the wayside.

Bigmiketruth · Post #11 » by **Bigmiketruth** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 5:17 am

I don't get the tractor traylor, oliver miller stuff. Baby worked his ass off just to get where he is, he's only going to add definition, dude is hardly a threat to eat his way out of the league.

joneb · Post #12 » by **joneb** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:07 pm

The Baby/David West doesn't do a lot for me. One is a legitimate bruiser that can out-muscle just about anyone in the league not named Shaquille, and the other is a perimeter player that isn't known for mixing it up underneath.

I have struggled to come up with a comparison for Baby, but have failed to do so because Baby is such a unique type of player that he defies singular comparisons. The best that I can come up with is to list several players that similarities in their games, that when mixed together, form a collective approximation to Baby. So here's the group of Baby-like players that I've come up with:

Corliss Williamson
Antoine Walker
Oliver Miller
Tractor Traylor
Popeye Jones

Egregious Blunder · Post #13 » by **Egregious Blunder** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:12 pm

david west is WAYYYY smoother than baby.
baby is more a tractor trailer or oliver miller guy.

John Locke · Post #14 » by **John Locke** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:47 pm

I think his best case scenario comparison would be Anthony Mason. Now he is a poor man's/Homeless man's version of him.

tombattor · Post #15 » by **tombattor** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:48 pm

I love how if a young player shows even a smidge of similarity with an allstar/HOFer and he's the next whoever. There is a huge difference in West and Big Baby's games. One is a 20 point scorer, who can score in the post, outside, create his own shot from anywhere, and has a killer midrange jumper. Just because Big Baby's made a few shots from 15-feet doesn't mean, he has West's shot. If he did, he'd be in the starting lineup and averaging 30+ mpg.

tombattor · Post #16 » by **tombattor** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 2:50 pm

John Locke wrote:I think his best case scenario comparison would be Anthony Mason. Now he is a poor man's/Homeless man's version of him.

That's actually a pretty decent comparison, although I don't think big Baby will ever get Mason's handle.

BillessuR6 · Post #17 » by **BillessuR6** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 3:02 pm

Looking at how Davis is built Antony Mason is a very good comparison, I agree. Of course, Mason actually played like a point forward...

I liked Mason, he had such unorthodox style. His freethrows were also a thing of "beauty". :lol:

Egregious Blunder · Post #18 » by **Egregious Blunder** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 7:14 pm

powe is anthony mason. yall are forgetting, mason had a real nice mid range jumper.
baby is "at best" larry johnson (minus the hops)

tombattor · Post #19 » by **tombattor** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 7:26 pm

Egregious Blunder wrote:powe is anthony mason. yall are forgetting, mason had a real nice mid range jumper.
baby is "at best" larry johnson (minus the hops)

I think you're confusing playing-style and body-type. LJ, before the back injury was a beast with sick athtleticism. After his back problem, he became more of a shooter than a banger. None of these sound too much like Big Baby...

GuyClinch · Post #20 » by **GuyClinch** » Tue Apr 1, 2008 8:11 pm

That's kind of a random comparison. <g> Why David West? I don't see anything alike in their games. You will see David West create space with speed and height to score. BBD never does this and instead tries to use his body to create space. It's an apples and oranges comparison. You might as well compare BBD to Pierce <g>

Pete