AB the PG development thread

[eyriq]

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[RichCollab]

Love what AB has shown thus far.

Very nice to have the freedom this

I'm not loving watching any more 7 points in 30 mins games.

So much patience for AB, if the offense continues to struggle Mose may have to activate Cole again

Cole was already reactivated, but not because of any AB shortcomings. ABs minutes and per game production are way up and he's impacting winning. Two pairs of mittens hanging in his locker out of three wins. He's increasing his offensive role by self-creating scoring opportunities around the rim, knocking down catch and shoot threes, and moving the ball for assists. His defense remains elite and is improving.

Reactivate Cole? For offense? Dude has been complete trash on both sides of the ball.

[eyriq]

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[Skybox]

In the interest of fairness, his box score was miserable last night. I didn’t watch much of the game…so I don’t know how bad it looked.

[eyriq]

In the interest of fairness, his box score was miserable last night. I didn’t watch much of the game…so I don’t know how bad it looked.

It looked bad, too. Easily his worst game of the season.

[JoshuaPotter]

In the interest of fairness, his box score was miserable last night. I didn’t watch much of the game…so I don’t know how bad it looked.

It looked bad, too. Easily his worst game of the season.

To me, for all intents and purposes this is his rookie season. I partly put blame on the coach being in "win now" mode, but then again, that might also fall on management.

It's going to be a roller coaster ride, he was likely also playing in front of his family so the butterflies and pressure was probably much more real then "just go out and shoot 3pt drills in front of your family" last year he was put in.

[Fortune Teller]

It might be fair to say this is like Jett's rookie season since he spent almost all of last season with Osceola. But AB played in 69 games last season. He's not a rookie.

[Last Guardian]

It might be fair to say this is like Jett's rookie season since he spent almost all of last season with Osceola. But AB played in 69 games last season. He's not a rookie.

He didn't play PG though, which is what we drafted him to play and expect him to play in the future (I would assume). I don't think just standing in the corner waiting to take an open 3 can be valuable experience for what we want him to be. Its better than not playing at all though I guess.

[pepe1991]

It might be fair to say this is like Jett's rookie season since he spent almost all of last season with Osceola. But AB played in 69 games last season. He's not a rookie.

He didn't play PG though, which is what we drafted him to play and expect him to play in the future (I would assume). I don't think just standing in the corner waiting to take an open 3 can be valuable experience for what we want him to be. Its better than not playing at all though I guess.

it's not that coach decided "you won't play PG , go stand in corner", it was natural course of action as conclusion of watching him play in games, at practice etc. That was load he could carry.

Example of same problem. Bamba.
For sure coaching stuff didn't draft him to play like he is Jason Smith. His inability to do just about anything else but pop from crappy set screens forced their hand to play him in such role.

Black will be fine, but whole "point guard" aspect of his game is just theoretical. He lacks foot speed, lateral quickness, ballhandling skills, has no mid range/floater to be full time ball handler, even off bench in this moment.


Everything about tall PGs boils down to fact that you can count 5-7 good tall PGs in nba history and just about 5000 busts. And there is always similar reason why they fail.
For that exact reasons i am not mad at Mosley for playing Black at sporadic SF roles. That might be position that actually keeps him in nba and makes him good player. That "PG" charade is for internet fans.

[Bensational]

If only we could combine AB and Jett into one player. AB with Jett’s shooting and scoring instincts would be a star.

[JoshuaPotter]

If only we could combine AB and Jett into one player. AB with Jett’s shooting and scoring instincts would be a star.

Then he goes 3rd in the draft and we never get him. #itsjustajoke

Well as we see the rise, we see the fall last couple games. Let's continue to observe. This stretch of games is unlike anything I have listened to in the last couple years. They seem emotionally defeated.

[eyriq]

Need to see more improvement here but this is a positive sign

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[GANGSTERDOG]

If only we could combine AB and Jett into one player. AB with Jett’s shooting and scoring instincts would be a star.

Jett Black is the Player we need to get a Championship.

[pepe1991]

Reddit crying for Fultz

[eyriq]

Reddit crying for Fultz

Oh lordy have mercy

[p0peye]

To me, for all intents and purposes this is his rookie season.

Exactly, people are just too impatient. We failed to extend Markelle before he had his rookie season, I will never forget that.

[KillMonger]

Good game tonight......27 minutes 12 points/6 Assists/2 steals/1 turnover

6 to 1 turnover ratio, need more games like this going forward for sure.... Then again, we're not going to play the Pacers every night but nonetheless.... Good game

Sent from my [Hands] using RealGM mobile app

[Skybox]

He looked good but still not enough to be the catalyst for our defense-first backcourt…he’d be perfect next to a Donovan Mitchell-type.
Dyson Daniels looks good next to Trae.


If AB keeps progressing, Suggs could end up odd man out

You could make an argument that Black projects to do everything Suggs does AND handle the ball. I’d sure like to have a “go get a bucket” guy next to AB. We all love Suggs’ fire but if his scoring doesn’t continue to expand…it’s still all Paolo & Franz - which will only take ORL so far, imo

[JoshuaPotter]

He looked good but still not enough to be the catalyst for our defense-first backcourt…he’d be perfect next to a Donovan Mitchell-type.
Dyson Daniels looks good next to Trae.


If AB keeps progressing, Suggs could end up odd man out

You could make an argument that Black projects to do everything Suggs does AND handle the ball. I’d sure like to have a “go get a bucket” guy next to AB. We all love Suggs’ fire but if his scoring doesn’t continue to expand…it’s still all Paolo & Franz - which will only take ORL so far, imo

You are starting to see what I have seen in the past year. Just try not to say it as much as I have whether joking or serious.

Suggs, is excellent. No doubt. Right now, he is not easily replaced at all. Yet, when you look at some of Blacks intangibles, you start to see wherehe *could* land as a better overall version then Suggs. Suggs could just become an elite 3&D volume shooter that makes KCP blush, we have to wait and see.

As far as a "go get a bucket guy" I think his name will remain Paolo for now. We won't like it per se. I wish we would have gotten more games with Paolo this season because early on when stats are usually good from an offseason of rest from an NBA schedule I was starting to believe that Paolo was making the leap from all-star to generational and perhaps top 50 level talent.

[Skybox]

He looked good but still not enough to be the catalyst for our defense-first backcourt…he’d be perfect next to a Donovan Mitchell-type.
Dyson Daniels looks good next to Trae.


If AB keeps progressing, Suggs could end up odd man out

You could make an argument that Black projects to do everything Suggs does AND handle the ball. I’d sure like to have a “go get a bucket” guy next to AB. We all love Suggs’ fire but if his scoring doesn’t continue to expand…it’s still all Paolo & Franz - which will only take ORL so far, imo

You are starting to see what I have seen in the past year. Just try not to say it as much as I have whether joking or serious.

Suggs, is excellent. No doubt. Right now, he is not easily replaced at all. Yet, when you look at some of Blacks intangibles, you start to see wherehe *could* land as a better overall version then Suggs. Suggs could just become an elite 3&D volume shooter that makes KCP blush, we have to wait and see.

As far as a "go get a bucket guy" I think his name will remain Paolo for now. We won't like it per se. I wish we would have gotten more games with Paolo this season because early on when stats are usually good from an offseason of rest from an NBA schedule I was starting to believe that Paolo was making the leap from all-star to generational and perhaps top 50 level talent.

Placing some value on actually putting the ball in the basket isn't really new to me either. Suggs is lovable and fierce but the balance of skills on this roster is off and rebalancing the skills might involve some painful decisions. Mose is the heart, but Weltman has to be the "slide rule" and look at things in a less emotional way and stop throwing money at "family" that isn't really family.

Also, you need more than one "bucket guy"...the more you have, the tougher to stop the onslaught. On the other hand, a great playmaker can turn "finishers" into "bucket guys" -for example, lots of guys that play(ed) with Jokic or Doncic or prime CP3 look different without them.