what is Aaron Gray's ceiling?

0HeadAche0 · Post #1 » by **0HeadAche0** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:33 pm

I hate the term "ceiling" just wondering how good you think this guy can be, i've been really impressed whenever i've seen him play, which is not a great amount but he seems to be a big body with good fundamentals, that looks like hes knows what he should be doing, i believe he could be a good player in this league.

however there is a part of me that thinks he is the new Greg Ostertag.

theTHIEF · Post #2 » by **theTHIEF** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:38 pm

idk about his "ceiling" but after watching him play a handful of games, i would like to see him cut a bit of weight, maybe 30lbs or so and work on his post moves some more, he has a lot of ability really, he just needs to be able to access it faster than he does now...he's too choppy out there on the offensive end and it really hurts him on defense...

mudnug · Post #3 » by **mudnug** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:39 pm

a poor man version of Bogut

magicfan4life05 · Post #4 » by **magicfan4life05** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:42 pm

poor man kaman

0HeadAche0 · Post #5 » by **0HeadAche0** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:54 pm

i kind of want to edit this as i want it to be a thread to discuss his abilities not just a one sentence answer, i think he really could be a diamond in the rough.

teamny1 · Post #6 » by **teamny1** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:55 pm

If Aaron Gray ever gets to Greg Ostertag's level he'd have overachieved what anyone, even himself, thought he could achieve. Ostertag was at least starter material.

MalReyn · Post #7 » by **MalReyn** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:57 pm

Let's see....

He's a very good rebounder, and has some good moves and a nice touch on offense. On the downside, he's very slow by NBA standards, and he's not particularly athletic.

I think his ultimate upside would be a poor-man's Brad Miller, not quite as good a passer, maybe a slightly better rebounder.

However, I expect in reality he'll just be a career backup, albeit a very useful one since post-scoring and rebounding is a helpful thing to have off the bench.

GreenWithEnvy · Post #8 » by **GreenWithEnvy** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:58 pm

were running out of things to talk about aren't we?

Aaron Gray is serviceable and will continue to be serviceable. hes not anything special. hes got terrible mobility and athleticism. hes gonna continue to play in the league because of what hes got upstairs. not because hes gonna wow anybody with anything he does.

cwas2882 · Post #9 » by **cwas2882** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:28 pm

Post #10 » by **CBS7** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:36 pm

Very good backup center. Can start for a good team if the starting forwards are athletic and good defensively.

He does need to cut some weight to gain some mobility. He gained weight over the course of the season.

Post #11 » by **Schad** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:53 pm

Brad Miller Lite.

Save for offering me the opportunity to make a bad pun, there are definitely similarities; Gray is an excellent passer for a big man, looks to be a better at pulling down offensive rebounds than defensive boards, and seems to have good hands defensively. Should be at least a solid back-up center, and could develop into a lower-tier starter in the right situation.

Jack wore plaid · Post #12 » by **Jack wore plaid** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:03 pm

I think his ceiling is an average college player

Lost Angel · Post #13 » by **Lost Angel** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:21 pm

his ceiling?

however high up a midget's roof is

theTHIEF · Post #14 » by **theTHIEF** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:56 pm

oh..................................zing....

vado · Post #15 » by **vado** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 6:54 pm

What is his weight up to?

He's got really good size, he may not be athletic but he knows how to play. I think he could be a good back up maybe a starter if he's lucky.

drew881 · Post #16 » by **drew881** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:07 pm

Well we know Royal Ivey's ceiling reaches Aaron Gray's junk and is worth a 3 game suspension

Spicy P · Post #17 » by **Spicy P** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:08 pm

Rafael Araujo. The guy is slow, unathletic and runs out of breath after 2 minutes on the floor.

Post #18 » by **pillwenney** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:35 pm

Luc Longley seems like an apt comparison.

Cliff Levingston · Post #19 » by **Cliff Levingston** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:48 pm

mitchweber wrote:Luc Longley seems like an apt comparison.

Not really. Same with Brad Miller. Both of those guys hang out on the high elbow and punish other centers for sagging off with a reliable mid-range jump shot. Gray's jump shot isn't horrible but he's clearly out of his element when he's above the elbow and is clearly at his best with his back to the basket on the block.

Also, Longley and Miller are/were serviceable defenders even though they aren't/weren't shot blockers. Gray's defensive awareness isn't that good, and even when he does know he should make a defensive rotation, his incredibly slow foot speed often leaves him rotating too slow for the foul and 1. Because of that, he'll never be a full-time starter on a good team.

So, his ceiling is that of a serviceable, big, strong backup center who can score in the post. Can't think of any specific examples right now though.

MagicNolesFSU · Post #20 » by **MagicNolesFSU** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:52 pm

He pulled down 20 rebs on toronto...thats sad.