CazOnReal wrote:
Not saying Dick isn't disappointing - and frankly i'd put the odds of Dick becoming a player as impactful as Jimmy Buckets at 5 percent - but it's way too early to give up on him becoming a rotation-level player (Huerter as a player comp). I feel like the NBA has become spoiled of late by rookies or generally young guys becoming immediate contributors to their teams and thus there's less patience when it comes to these young guys if they do struggle.
Yes it sucks to see other guys picked later thrive while Dick is struggling - I was pulling for Keyonte (who struggles with efficiency admittedly) but was ultimately fine with picking Dick 13th - however it's not out of the realm of possibility he bounces back after a disappointing rookie debut. Hell, Jabari Smith Jr. is doing just that in Houston. In fact there's a lot of similarities between Smith Jr,'s season and Dick i.e. being drafted for their shooting (Jabari was also coveted for his defense, Dick was noted to be a good passer) but the shots not falling in their first season.
Oh and for those wondering, Jimmy Buckets was 40.5% from the field, 18.2% from 3 and 76.8% from the line.
Butler was also 22 in his rookie season and had played 3 seasons at Marquette. Obviously not saying that Dick will become anywhere near the player that Butler has been and yes he looks terrible so far, but your point is a good one - players develop differently and on different timelines. It's usually by a player's third year in the league that we really get a better sense of the kind of player they'll be.
