Matas Progress Tracker

[League Circles]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Probably true in terms of raw physical gifts. Which goes to show you how unpredictable the draft can be, considering how many higher picks than Matas we've had since DRose.

[sco]

He's a 4 that can play the 3 but he's definitely a 4.

We leading same discussion what Nowitzki went through. He is a 3 with skillset of (defending at) 4. Let him have long career, take advantage of his youth and improving his skillset at 3 and when he adds weight more muscle get stronger (likely bit slower with age) let him naturally become full 4.

There is a huge difference. Dirk was basically a 4 on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he was never nearly as quick or even as good at ball handling as Matas. People remember Dirk as some big three point shooter but he actually did most of his work inside the arc, tons of mid range jumpers. Defensively he was atrocious at any position, just most easily "hid" at the 4.

Matas, on the other hand, has both the offensive and defensive skills necessary to play either position, but since he has such good shot blocking instincts, and because he's not yet a good three point shooter which are easier to find at the 3 than the 4, he can help a team, including ours, better by playing the 4 generally.

OK, but can we hold-off on the Dirk comparisons. They didn't bode well for Lauri. Dirk wasn't a perfect player to be sure, but dude essentially reinvented the PF position and was basically unguardable by players of his era.

[League Circles]

We leading same discussion what Nowitzki went through. He is a 3 with skillset of (defending at) 4. Let him have long career, take advantage of his youth and improving his skillset at 3 and when he adds weight more muscle get stronger (likely bit slower with age) let him naturally become full 4.

There is a huge difference. Dirk was basically a 4 on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he was never nearly as quick or even as good at ball handling as Matas. People remember Dirk as some big three point shooter but he actually did most of his work inside the arc, tons of mid range jumpers. Defensively he was atrocious at any position, just most easily "hid" at the 4.

Matas, on the other hand, has both the offensive and defensive skills necessary to play either position, but since he has such good shot blocking instincts, and because he's not yet a good three point shooter which are easier to find at the 3 than the 4, he can help a team, including ours, better by playing the 4 generally.

OK, but can we hold-off on the Dirk comparisons. They didn't bode well for Lauri. Dirk wasn't a perfect player to be sure, but dude essentially reinvented the PF position and was basically unguardable by players of his era.

And yet still barely ever a top 3 NBA PF during his career. I really don't think he reinvented it. There were plenty of jumpshooting 4s before Dirk.

[sco]

There is a huge difference. Dirk was basically a 4 on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he was never nearly as quick or even as good at ball handling as Matas. People remember Dirk as some big three point shooter but he actually did most of his work inside the arc, tons of mid range jumpers. Defensively he was atrocious at any position, just most easily "hid" at the 4.

Matas, on the other hand, has both the offensive and defensive skills necessary to play either position, but since he has such good shot blocking instincts, and because he's not yet a good three point shooter which are easier to find at the 3 than the 4, he can help a team, including ours, better by playing the 4 generally.

OK, but can we hold-off on the Dirk comparisons. They didn't bode well for Lauri. Dirk wasn't a perfect player to be sure, but dude essentially reinvented the PF position and was basically unguardable by players of his era.

And yet still barely ever a top 3 NBA PF during his career. I really don't think he reinvented it. There were plenty of jumpshooting 4s before Dirk.

Yeah, but he was really the first to be a consistent 3pt threat. Don't really want to debate where he falls in history or player comparisons. Just don't like the comparisons of rookies to HOF players because it minimizes the required improvement to get to that level.

[ShouldaPaidBG]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Probably true in terms of raw physical gifts. Which goes to show you how unpredictable the draft can be, considering how many higher picks than Matas we've had since DRose.

He dropped cus of that 27% G League 3 point %, thank god

[kodo]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Probably true in terms of raw physical gifts. Which goes to show you how unpredictable the draft can be, considering how many higher picks than Matas we've had since DRose.

He dropped cus of that 27% G League 3 point %, thank god

The G League Ignite has been criticized by everyone as being terrible for the prospects which is why they're eliminating it. The entire "G league is better for NBA prospects than NCAA" line that Silver said years ago is a complete flop. There were a couple of 30 year old players who get more touches than Buzelis because they're obvious pros at the G League game.

[Dez]

I am not ruining another young man for GM's faults. Thats on you if it leads to becoming injury bitten.

Playing him at the 4 won't ruin him and it's didn't ruin Williams, his issues are completely irrelevant to his position.

He was a SF in high school & a SF in the G League... But you want to have him be a PF because he blocks shot? He is around 200lbs right now, do you want him gaining 30lbs? He also just has 15 rebounds in his last 5 games.

Anthony Davis was a PG in high school, what's your point? Where he played in the clusterf*** of a "team" in the G-League is irrelevant.

He's naturally going to put on size, he doesn't need to add "30lbs". That's not the NBA anymore.

[Jcool0]

Playing him at the 4 won't ruin him and it's didn't ruin Williams, his issues are completely irrelevant to his position.

He was a SF in high school & a SF in the G League... But you want to have him be a PF because he blocks shot? He is around 200lbs right now, do you want him gaining 30lbs? He also just has 15 rebounds in his last 5 games.

Anthony Davis was a PG in high school, what's your point? Where he played in the clusterf*** of a "team" in the G-League is irrelevant.

He's naturally going to put on size, he doesn't need to add "30lbs". That's not the NBA anymore.

You have to do better then that. Davis was a PG and then grew 10" between freshman and senior year. He was 6'10" Forward/Center at Kentucky who averaged 1.3 APG.

[GoBlue72391]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Zach is much more talented than him and Lauri has an argument too. We've also had Pau Gasol who is one of the most skilled bigmen in recent memory and DWade is arguably the 3rd greatest SG of all time. I'm probably forgetting some guys.

Matas is a great prospect and he's showing lots of promise, but he has a lot of developing to do. Can we not go nuts, please? A lot of people were saying the same thing about Pat a few years ago.

For the record, I'm a huge Matas guy.

[GoBlue72391]

Yeah he should be untouchable and I think he is,
AK - Matas Lithuanian connection is luckily here.

Whoever we draft he better not be PF! We need Matas playing starting PF and playing 30min per game with bench players like Phillips, Smith, PWill behind him.. even tho PWill should get back to SF next season.

Matas is not PF. And I will stick with that till he is 29

He's a 4 that can play the 3 but he's definitely a 4.

It's not even worth arguing about, there's such minimal difference nowadays.

[GoBlue72391]

Matas @ 4
P Will @ 3

Pat has untapped potential as a playmaking SF. I’d continue to let him tap into that off the bench.

Pat is unequivocally slower, fatter, and less athletic than Matas, so yeah, let's stick him at the 3

Pat has untapped potential as a flower salesman.

[Dez]

He was a SF in high school & a SF in the G League... But you want to have him be a PF because he blocks shot? He is around 200lbs right now, do you want him gaining 30lbs? He also just has 15 rebounds in his last 5 games.

Anthony Davis was a PG in high school, what's your point? Where he played in the clusterf*** of a "team" in the G-League is irrelevant.

He's naturally going to put on size, he doesn't need to add "30lbs". That's not the NBA anymore.

You have to do better then that. Davis was a PG and then grew 10" between freshman and senior year. He was 6'10" Forward/Center at Kentucky who averaged 1.3 APG.

I don't have to do better at all, Matas is the prototypical 4 in the modern NBA.

[Chi town]

Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/UCHmDKZ-s4o?si=gSw2bX9r96eLwjgI

[Chi town]

30 Piece…

https://youtu.be/ieL2nadrsW4?si=GOB7FSEC-0KIEusi

[jordanwilliams6]

Matas @ 4
P Will @ 3

Pat has untapped potential as a playmaking SF. I’d continue to let him tap into that off the bench.

Pat is unequivocally slower, fatter, and less athletic than Matas, so yeah, let's stick him at the 3

Pat has untapped potential as a flower salesman.

Although Pat is terrible, I don't think the point is that this is a binary SF/PF situation. If Pat were to play to his full potential in some fantasy land, can he play next to Matas? The answer is unequivocally yes.

They both play interchangeably at the 3/4 positions on the assumption they can guard wing & post positions which we have seen they both can.

[ShouldaPaidBG]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Zach is much more talented than him and Lauri has an argument too. We've also had Pau Gasol who is one of the most skilled bigmen in recent memory and DWade is arguably the 3rd greatest SG of all time. I'm probably forgetting some guys.

Matas is a great prospect and he's showing lots of promise, but he has a lot of developing to do. Can we not go nuts, please? A lot of people were saying the same thing about Pat a few years ago.

For the record, I'm a huge Matas guy.

*Most talented draft pick

I think he's more talented than Lauri due to fluidity and handle.

[sco]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Zach is much more talented than him and Lauri has an argument too. We've also had Pau Gasol who is one of the most skilled bigmen in recent memory and DWade is arguably the 3rd greatest SG of all time. I'm probably forgetting some guys.

Matas is a great prospect and he's showing lots of promise, but he has a lot of developing to do. Can we not go nuts, please? A lot of people were saying the same thing about Pat a few years ago.

For the record, I'm a huge Matas guy.

*Most talented draft pick

I think he's more talented than Lauri due to fluidity and handle.

What about Butler?

[Lexluthor]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Zach is much more talented than him and Lauri has an argument too. We've also had Pau Gasol who is one of the most skilled bigmen in recent memory and DWade is arguably the 3rd greatest SG of all time. I'm probably forgetting some guys.

Matas is a great prospect and he's showing lots of promise, but he has a lot of developing to do. Can we not go nuts, please? A lot of people were saying the same thing about Pat a few years ago.

For the record, I'm a huge Matas guy.

*Most talented draft pick

I think he's more talented than Lauri due to fluidity and handle.

Rookie Lauri was way better than him

[GoBlue72391]

He's our most talented player since D Rose

Zach is much more talented than him and Lauri has an argument too. We've also had Pau Gasol who is one of the most skilled bigmen in recent memory and DWade is arguably the 3rd greatest SG of all time. I'm probably forgetting some guys.

Matas is a great prospect and he's showing lots of promise, but he has a lot of developing to do. Can we not go nuts, please? A lot of people were saying the same thing about Pat a few years ago.

For the record, I'm a huge Matas guy.

*Most talented draft pick

I think he's more talented than Lauri due to fluidity and handle.

Excluding Zach, Pau, and Wade since they weren't our draft picks, I don't see any world where Matas comes close to Lauri's offensive ceiling, even if everything goes perfectly. Matas can possibly be an all-star and he'll very likely easily surpass Lauri as a defender, but at his best Lauri is an uber efficient 25 PPG scorer and elite shooting big.

Fluidity and handle is great, but 24-26 PPG on a 64-65 TS% and 40%+ from 3 on high volume just seems unattainable for Matas. That's not a knock on him either.

[GoBlue72391]

Zach is much more talented than him and Lauri has an argument too. We've also had Pau Gasol who is one of the most skilled bigmen in recent memory and DWade is arguably the 3rd greatest SG of all time. I'm probably forgetting some guys.

Matas is a great prospect and he's showing lots of promise, but he has a lot of developing to do. Can we not go nuts, please? A lot of people were saying the same thing about Pat a few years ago.

For the record, I'm a huge Matas guy.

*Most talented draft pick

I think he's more talented than Lauri due to fluidity and handle.

What about Butler?

I'm not saying he's untalented, far from it, but I think the biggest reason for his success is his unrivaled Jordan/Kobe desire to be great. So I think it's fair to say he's "less talented" in the traditional sense than those other guys, even though he's a great player.