Post#219 » by Nuntius » Wed Jun 21, 2023 10:13 am
Now, about Whitmore. It is absolutely true that he plays like a bull in a china shop. It is absolutely true that he puts his head down and just drives to the rim at full speed without much of a back-up plan.
But you know who else did that this past season at the NBA level? Bennedict Mathurin. That infamous Whitmore play that was posted in the last page (which is awful, I agree) is something that Mathurin has done this year. And despite plays like that, Mathurin had a very, very good rookie year and he looks like a very promising NBA player.
Now, granted, Whitmore's playmaking stats are worse than Mathurin's. Whitmore's assist to turnover ration is historically bad while Mathurin's was simply bad (as a freshman, at least, he improved on this aspect as a senior). Mathurin was also a better shooter with a much better free throw rate than Whitmore. But Whitmore does have better stocks, he has the strength to guard up the lineup and has the tools to become a good defender at the NBA level (he's clearly not there right now).
Whitmore is an upside bet, I agree, and he does need to improve his feel on both ends and his playmaking (a shooting improvement wouldn't be a bad thing either). But he also is one of the youngest players in the Draft who had a relatively productive freshman season for a good college program.
His playmaking is a major flaw, I agree, but he does belong in the top 10, imo.
And that bull in the china shop play-style? It can work with the right spacing at the NBA level.
What needs to be recognized is that Whitmore does have a very, very good ability to get to the rim. And there IS value in that skill.
"No wolf shall keep his secrets, no bird shall dance the skyline
And I am left with nothing but an oath that gleams like a sword
To bathe in the blood of man
Mankind..."
She Painted Fire Across the Skyline, Part 3
- Agalloch